Bonded

Chapter 5

So, we told them everything. The first meeting with the Elders, the legend of Kaya, the night of the bonfire. I was afraid of how they would react. I was sure they would be angry because their bitch of a sister would be put in a position of power. I was sure to give them their privacy; once they knew we were able to hear them, I immediately told them our methods on silencing them in our heads.

There were questions, of course, and we welcomed all of them. Jacob had time to cool down and I had time to recount everything that just happened. Was I wrong? Or was he wrong? I honestly didn't know. I felt something in me that told me I couldn't just leave her like that. I knew that both of us being stubborn wasn't going to get us anywhere, but we needed to get this sorted out as soon as possible. I hated him being angry with me. I was used to everyone else being angry with me, but not him.

"So, what do you guys think?" I asked, looking at the grass. We were still in the clearing, still in our going out clothes. My makeup was probably all over my face because I kept running my hands over it. So much for a night out. "I know it's a lot, but..." I trailed off.

"We value you guys' opinion. We are a pack, and if there's anything you all aren't comfortable with, we want to know now rather than later." Jacob finished for me.

The pack was quiet for what felt like a lifetime. Jared was the first to speak, "So...why is this happening now? Why not when Jacob first phased or when Leah first phased?"

"The Elders felt that, at the time, Sam was the best leader for the pack. He had the level head to deal with new wolves; I didn't. Now that Emily's pregnant, things are about to change. It's time for me to step up." Jacob declared. "As far as Leah is concerned in this ordeal..." Here we go... "after hearing the legend of the first she-wolf, it made sense. Leah's bravery, compassionate, and resilience is the reason why she's been the only female wolf in this long. I mean, she is Kaya. No other Rez girl is like Leah; we need her."

Well I was not expecting that. I expected for him to rip me a new one after what happened. To my surprise, he kept going, "She's been doing countless hours of research to make sure that she was completely ready to take this on. And she wanted to make sure that you all got to know the real her before the change. It's been a massive adjustment for both of us and it's still not over. But we owe it to you all to know what's going on."

"Yeah...it's not very fair of us to have kept this from you." I said, quietly. Quil, sitting next to me, rubbed my back. I placed my head gently on his shoulder and sighed. "But I understand if you all aren't on board. I...I'll do whatever I can to make you guys comfortable with this."

"What does Sam know?" Colin's voice popped up. Colin had really taken a liking to Sam once he phased. I couldn't really say that things were divided in the pack, but there were definitely people that favored Sam's leadership than Jacob's. Colin, Brady, Jared, and some of the younger pups were more prone to side with Sam if there was any kind of disagreement in the pack. Paul sat right on the fence. He and Jacob were close, but so were he and Sam. Paul was the second to phase, so Sam was right there to teach him the ropes. But Paul didn't always agree with Sam's methods. Loyalty to Jacob lie in Embry, Quil, and Seth mostly. And me, of course.

Jacob spoke, "Sam knows that I will be stepping up when he's ready to retire. He will still be active as much as he can, but he will no longer be in a leadership role." He looked like a true Alpha. He spoke with a certain bravado and confidence. His stance was straighter than the Jacob I knew before. He was coming into himself.

Jacob and the guys continued to talk around me. They continued to ask questions and Jacob felt confident enough to talk for both of us. And I felt comfortable enough to let him. I knew that we were still going to have to talk about what happened, but I'm grateful that he wasn't letting his frustration towards me get in the way of him being a leader.