A/N: This has been floating round my head for while now, I'm not a huge fan of the Twilight franchise, but think the wolves were underdeveloped, so in my quest to give all secondary characters and deep (and often fruitful) story I have taken on the wolves. Please read and review :)
A few notes:
After breaking dawn, no Nessie, Bella is a vampire, Sam is leading a united pack.
and so we begin...
It was raining. It was always raining in Forks, and the pack was running patrols through the dense forests, enjoying the power of their forms and the drizzle running off their fur. A large black wolf led them, Sam, with Jacob to his right and Leah to his left. Leah was running slowly, keeping pace with the rest of them under an alpha command from Sam in a recent moment of anger; he didn't need to hear her thoughts to know she was cursing him. The rest of the pack were 'talking' through their minds, and it took Sam a moment to pick out the subtle change in the scents. Jacob and Leah picked it up at the same time, and came to a sudden stop, noses in the air, trying to grasp it.
It cant be
Its, new wolves? Jacob thought cautiously
They're over there, east Leah thought, and looked to Sam, he nodded
Go scout them out He ordered, cancelling his last Alpha command as she ran off at her full speed, quickly swallowed up by the trees and the bracken. The pack's jovial atmosphere had vanished, ears forwards, eyes alert as they followed Leah's trail, watching through her eyes as she came to the newcomers and stopped. Her vision to them blurred, and all that registered was shock.
Leah? Whats is it? Sam asked worriedly. There wasn't much that could shake Leah, and he felt concern for her radiating from somewhere in the pack. He dismissed it, concentrating on the task at hand.
You'd better come see for yourself. Came the short reply, and a few moments later the pack burst into the slight clearing where Leah stood, hackles raised, staring at the newcomers. Their scent was much stronger, and two large shaggy wolves sat waiting for them, almost politely. Then Sam finally caught the scent. The larger wolf, a light auburn, was male, but the other, a sleeker yet somehow oddly shaped deep brown wolf, was female. They remained sat as the pack came into the clearing; Sam's head buzzed with the pack's confusing thoughts as they registered the scents, and he finally got enough of a grasp on his own thoughts to nod his head to the newcomers and step forwards. He noticed Leah was at his side, and quickly pushed down any thought of reprimanding her; if they found it weird, she definitely did. She was examining the female's scent, picking up something; she was more…wolfish….. as if that half of her scent had more strength than the human half. The wolves remained sat, clearly showing that they were not aggressive, Sam decided to try and communicate.
You are on our territory. He thought clearly Why?
Sam felt a new voice enter his head; it was the female. Her voice was motherly and warm, and spoke clearly. It was the sort of voice you might want to hear when things went wrong; it sounded in control and calm and caring. He could tell the others heard it too.
We are nomads. We seek sanctuary. That was new. He felt surprise from his pack, and quickly got down to the details.
Sanctuary from what?
A new voice, the male's: We cannot travel anymore, we need to recuperate
We will stay off your runs; we only wish to stay in the forest. Added the female
Do you bring enemies behind you? Sam asked, and the wolves shook their heads
No. We are not pursued.
Sam turned to his pack and they crowded around him
What do we think? He asked
Let them stay Quill said They're not asking much, maybe we could learn stuff from them?
I agree added Embry, and the other's nodded. Sam turned to Leah, who had kept her thoughts quiet
Leah?
Bring them back to the res. I want to see them human.
Sam turned back, and projected his thoughts to them clearly
You are welcome on our land; please accompany us back to the reservation so we can speak face-to-face. The male wolf appeared to smile, and quickly got to his feet. The female was slower, and nodded.
We will follow you. She said, and Sam began to lead the pack back towards the reservations, hearing the running of the two new wolves behind, and the curiosity burned through his pack's mind's like wildfire.
Emerging from the trees where they had phased the pack waited for the new wolves to emerge in their true forms.
"New wolves? I mean, where are they from? Are we supposed to nomadic? If we didn't have the treaty…" Seth babbled on, Leah blanked him out, shoving her hands into the pockets of her denim shorts and waiting for them. She desperately wanted to talk to the female, how? Were there more like her? So much she needed to know, she was thankful Sam hadn't sent them packing, and let out a breath as the couple finally emerged. Both tall and of Native American descent, the man had a wide open face with a friendly smile and long black hair that brushed his shoulder – clearly accounting for his shaggy appearance in his wolf form, and the woman was just slightly shorter and wore an incredibly shapeless coat and a very long dress underneath it that brushed the ground as she walked. Both had bare feet, and a few scars marred their appearance. The woman's wavy black hair fell to the small of her back in a waterfall, and she appeared to be quite heavy and walked as if she had stiff hips. Both appeared to be mid-to-late twenties, and held hands as they approached. Sam greeted them with an outstretched hand, and the man shook it with a large smile.
"I'm Jonty, this is my wife Swarhi" he said in greeting "You have no idea how happy we are to find you guys"
"I'm sure" Sam said stiffly, not at all at ease with this friendly countenance "I'm Sam Uley, this is my pack." The others nodded, already beginning to feel at ease with this smiling man.
"No beta?" Swarhi asked casually as she shook his hands; she felt Leah's eyes on her and shot her a smile; letting her know it was ok.
"Not yet" Sam answered shortly, and gestured to his and Emily's house "Wont you come in? Tea, coffee? Something to eat?"
"Just water thanks" Swarhi said and waked past him with an elegance Leah hoped she would one day possess. Jonty frowned.
"Erm, actually Swarhi, we've run a long way today-wouldn't food be a good idea?"
"No." Jonty rolled his eyes good naturedly, but persevered "you need your strength" he intoned, but Swarhi shot him a look and continued, she walked with the knowledge that she was powerful, and it made her seem very confident, there was no question that she could hold her own. She appeared to have some difficulty sitting down, Jonty ended up helping her into a chair, and her breath became short, her face flushed; misting up the glass as she drank. Jonty talked about their nomadic lifestyle, expertly keeping eyes off his wife and attention on himself. He gestured as he talked; the smile never once fading in its radiance from his face, and the pack were soon enamoured by him, readily agreeing to let the couple stay as long as they needed.
"It'll only be a month or two" Swarhi spoke up at last "as promised, we'll stay in the forest, out of your way" Emily had been leaning against the counter, listening in on the pack's discussion with the newcomers, and watching Swarhi.
"Are you sure that's wise?" she said suddenly. The pack quietened, and Swarhi raised an eyebrow at Emily
"I don't think we've been introduced" she said coldly, clearly Swarhi was not someone who liked people arguing with her
"I'm Emily Young, Sam's fiancé, now, the forest, really?"
"I don't believe its your concern sweetie." Swarhi said dangerously. Jonty reached across and took his wife's hand, trying to stop an argument. The pack watched, confused
"I can understand, but the pack are not a threat" Emily continued. Swarhi's eyes racked over Emily's young face, lingering on the scars
"I'm not quite sure you are testament to that fact." She stated. Sam understood the jibe, and in one swift move was on his feet, blood boiling.
"You'll take that back!" He roared at Swarhi. The eyebrow was raised again
"Then tell your fiancé that unless she as at least a half-blood she would not try and order me around."
"Swarhi…" Jonty intoned
"Quiet Jonty." Her voice had the sting of an alpha command and Jonty frowned, but shut up
"Whats a half-blood?" Paul asked
"What all of you are; only one parent has the gene" Swarhi explained. Sam was still standing, fuming.
"What do you mean? I though the werewolf gene was male…" Jacob said, and died off as Leah turned to him with a look of 'how thick are you?" There were clearly two female wolves before him.
"I see from your present circumstances" Swarhi's tired eyes lingered on Leah "why you would have reason to think that. You're not the only werewolves, but females, there aren't as many of us." She said delicately. She was missing something out, something big, but no-one dared ask her about it. Her dark eyes had flashed at Sam's outburst, and flashed once more as he began again.
"I demand that you apologise to Emily!" Swarhi rolled her eyes, his voice was laced with an alpha command, but it didn't have any effect.
"Don't think you can command anything to me" Swarhi said, and turned to Emily "my way of life means I shall stay in the forest with my husband and deal with the situation myself."
"How are you going to-" Emily began
"We'll go to hospital if something goes wrong, that's why we picked here" Jonty said quietly. Swarhi looked to him, and for a brief moment squeezed his hand and a look of worry passed over both their faces. It was gone quickly from Swarhi's face, but lingered on Jonty's. The pack picked up on it.
"Hospital? Are you wounded?" Embry asked, "You don't smell right…"
"No" Swarhi sighed, very irritated; she had not wanted to be dragged into this conversation. She made to get up with difficulty, and without thinking Jonty was at her side and helping her. She swayed as she stood. Leah frowned; she could smell exhaustion coming off Swarhi in waves.
"What is going on here?" Sam demanded to know, his voice still tingling with alpha command. Some of the others of the pack shuddered slightly as the power reverberated through them, and Jonty looked at his wife, who had closed her eyes briefly, a look of pain on her face.
"Swarhi?" he said quietly, her hands gripped his arms to keep her balance, she but the eyes she turned to Sam and Emily were calm.
"I'm sorry, I forgot myself. I apologise Emily, and Sam" She held Emily's gaze until Emily dropped her head, and Swarhi nodded to her. "Thank you, I take it the cold ones keep off your land?"
"You know about them?" Jacob said surprised. Swarhi tapped her nose, missing slightly.
"Unfortunately. I could smell them as we ran over the border. Big clan, they really stink."
"Yeah" Leah said, rolling her eyes "eventually you get used to it." The smell of exhaustion had grown stronger.
"I hope so. We'll stay on your territory to be safe then, and we'll-" her voice died and she paled, sudden beads of sweat breaking out on her brow.
"Swarhi?" Jonty said quickly, grabbing her shoulders as she swayed, her arm wrapped round her stomach through her bulky coat, she let out a quiet guttural moan, and collapsed in on herself, sinking as a dead weight to the floor. Jonty was fast, and caught her as the pack got to their feet and hurried to help
"Don't, don't!" Jonty cried, it was unclear if he was talking to the pack or his wife as he cradled her to his chest. She was unconscious now, her breathing ragged and hissed like a death rattle "Swarhi, Swarhi come on, don't, come on" Jonty pressed a hand over her heart and felt its beat, and held her tighter to him "I'm sorry" he whispered into her hair, and with his spare had tried to undo the toggles of her coat. Paul was closest and helped him, and the coat fell open, revealing Swarhi's secret under the long deep blue empire-line dress. A few hurried tears rolled down Jonty's face as he swept the hair from her forehead and rested his hand on her engorged stomach.
"Come on Swarhi, come on!" The pack watched; they had no idea what to do; how to help. They could feel the panic emulating from Jonty as if he was phased and part of the pack, and a dull weight that was Swarhi "Come on Swarhi!" Jonty repeated, dashing away his tears and moving his hand gently over her stomach "Please, something!" beneath his fingers there was a sudden movement, and Jonty let out a short gasp of happiness, returning to his wife who murmured, her eyes beginning to move under the closed lids. The pack stared at the female werewolf lying in the arms of her husband; heavily pregnant. Jacob looked to Leah. She was gazing at Swarhi in complete amazement, but her face was closed, only her eyes revealing her astonishment. She moved towards Jonty, her eyes meeting Jacob's very briefly, but long enough to communicate to him.
"Swarhi, he's ok, come on, come back to me…" Jonty said hastily to her. A hand appeared on his arm,
"We'll take her to the spare room" Leah said calmly and quietly to Jonty, carefully releasing his grip on his wife as Jacob, following Leah's lead gently scooped the heavy woman into his arms and made his was to the guest room where pack members occasionally crashed at Emily's house. Leah helped Jonty to his feet and led the shaking man after Jacob, looking over her shoulder to Emily "bring something to get her temperature down" and they left the kitchen. The pack were stunned, and sat down with various degrees of shock as Emily found a towel and soaked it in a basin of cold water.
"Shes…but…how?" Seth said, his face conflicted with emotion
"It doesn't matter now" Emily said sternly, snapping them out of their communal shock-trance as she flicked cold water at them "go and run, don't come back until dusk." She didn't need an alpha command.
"Right, er, right, come on" Sam ordered, getting his act together he led them out of the house and with a swift bound they were running; their minds full of recent events as they headed north.
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