Howling Moon

The next day, I confronted Sam, having gathered the pack members together on the beach. I stood with Amelia in front of the semi-circle, an arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. Amelia was nervous, but knew that her secret had to be told; it was something that could not have remained hidden from the pack, as she could be considered a danger within our territory if not kept in check.

"What's this all about, Jacob?" Sam grumbled as he gave a curious look to Amelia. Emily sat quietly beside him, and I was sure by the look in her eyes that she knew what I was going to say.

"I called the packs together because I have some news..." I paused, looking over at Amelia. "Some good... And some... Not so good."

"Just spit it out." Sam grumbled again, crossing his arms over his chest, leaning back on a chunk of beached driftwood. I was sure that he knew what I was getting ready to say, too, but I knew he and Emily didn't know the half of it.

"Amelia and I have imprinted. I'm sure it's a little obvious..."

Emily smiled broadly, clasping her hands together in beaming pride; she looked happy that she would not be the only wolf-girl that was of age. Leah just sneered, her eye twitching as she looked away; it was almost like she was jealous, and every one knew why that was.

"... But that's not the whole reason I called the packs here, today. There... There may be a new threat."

"Then we'll just have to eliminate it... Destroy it! Whatever it is, it doesn't stand a chance." Leah's smile was wicked, and I could see that she was itching for a fight.

"No. This threat is something that we're going to have to contain, not destroy. That threat is Amelia, herself."

Amelia squirmed closer to me, the shame and fear written across her features, and all I could do was wrap my arm tighter around her.

"What're you getting at, Jacob..?" Sam started, slowly narrowing his eyes and pushing himself to a stand.

"Amelia's a werewolf."

"Well... That's not a threat, is it? She's like us! She can just join the pack as your mate and everything's fine, right?" Quil piped up, nervous about Sam's sudden suspicion.

I shook my head.

"No... Amelia's not a Phaser. She's a werewolf, like the ones we were told about before; the true werewolves. Her changes go by the lunar cycle, not by her choice or anger level, like ours."

I had taken a breath to continue when Sam finally stood up, shaking his fist in my direction as he cut me off.

"And you're planning on keeping her here?! She's more of a danger to everyone here than someone who's just phased! You're endangering the packs and everyone in La Push... In Forks... In Washington! So, you've imprinted, Jacob, but that doesn't mean you can keep her here and hope that one day, she won't maul your father... Her father... Leah's mother... Children! You can't hope that one day, she won't outright eat one of your children!"

"You're wrong!" I shouted back, letting go of Amelia and pushing her behind me as if I could shield her from Sam's anger. The rest of the pack looked on as Sam and I inched closer to each other, our hands shaking wildly from the anger and the suppression of phasing. We glared at each other for a long moment, as though sheer force of will would force the other to see our view of things.

"I won't drive her away because of something she has no control over! We've learned to live with Vampires, why can't we learn to live with a werewolf?!" I finally broke the silence, spitting the words at Sam with all the venom and force within me.

"Because she's more of a danger to everyone than those bloodsuckers are! A scratch... A nip... And then we'll have an entire reservation full of true werewolves that can't control what they do! Not to mention the idea of you two having children! What do you think your kids will be, huh, Jacob?! No doubt you'll have your hands full when she pushes out a litter of howling pups, all eager to maul the first thing they come across once the first full moon rolls around!"

I growled, low and menacing as I lunged at Sam. I had hoped that it would not come to this, but Sam was challenging me, and by wolf law, I had to defend myself and my mate. Sam stopped me, his hands clashing with mine and holding me there. We pushed at each other, still glaring into each others' faces. We were on the point of phasing, of duking it out as wolves right there on the beach. No one in either pack moved, knowing that a challenge between alpha males was not something that could be stopped. Even Amelia stood back, Emily having risen to wrap her arms around her tiny frame. The two women stood to the side, saying nothing as they watched us.

"I don't care what our children look like and what they are! They'll be mine, and you will not drag them into this! Amelia might not have control over her changes, but I know her better than anyone here does; she would never hurt anyone. Ever!"

I gave one, last, final push against our locked hands, my control beginning to fade. Sam and I changed, our bodies trembling with rage. Within moments, we were replaced by two massive wolves who wasted no time in lunging at each other with the intent to kill. I could hear Amelia crying out, Emily begging us to stop, but neither Sam nor I was listening. We fought each other with ferocity that would have put any wild animal to shame. Instincts took over as we bit, scratched, and gnawed at each other.

It was all over in a matter of minutes, and I stood on top of Sam's bloody body with my jaws clenched tightly over his throat.

You're obviously not up to the task of keeping her in check, Sam. I am. Amelia stays. If you and your pack can't handle that fact, then you're welcome to claim somewhere else as your territory.

Sam's mind was a jumble of rage and hatred, but he projected no thought that jumped out amongst the rest that flooded his mind. I let him go and stepped back, phasing back. Quil silently tossed me a spare pair of shorts that he had carried with him in the event that he would have to phase, and I quietly slipped them on. Amelia ran to my side, her eyes pleading with me.

"Jake... If this is the damage I'm causing to your pack, I don't want to stay! I'll leave..! Please, I don't want to break up your pack!"

"Don't. You're staying, Ame, that's all there is to it. If Sam has an issue with that, it's wolf law that he'll have to leave." I gave a pointed glare at Sam as he slowly slipped on an extra pair of pants. "I won the challenge; the packs will be re-arranged, and if he decides to leave, his pack will go with him. You will be part of my pack as my mate, and there's nothing he can do about it."

The packs split. I now had Leah, Quil, Embry, and a few of the younger pack members that had previously been in Sam's pack. My numbers now equalled six, and Sam's equaled four, not including Emily and Amelia.


Sam wisely avoided me for the next two months, and those who had left Sam's pack to join mine followed closely on my heels, sucking up to me at every chance they got; they didn't want to get on my bad side and get 'demoted' to Sam's pack. In that time, I spent a majority of my days job hunting; Amelia and I were secretly making wedding plans, but I refused to marry her until I knew I would be able to support her. Amelia didn't care too much for not having me around as often, but I promised her that as soon as I landed a decent-paying job, I would be able to spend all of my free time with her and be able to support her.