Chapter Three, The Shift
After Margot and Paul had left for work and Jayden was with Leah, Jamie and Cora called a Council meeting with the rest of the Elders along with Sam and Jared.
"Why have you called this meeting, Jamie? Cora?" Billy Black asked, as they all sat around the dining table in the Lahote house. "Is something wrong?"
"It's Margot. She's going to shift soon." Jamie revealed, stunning the group into silence.
"But there's never been a female shifter." Jared said, confused, he didn't want this for his best friend.
"Before we would've agreed with you." Cora started. "But now, Margot has been becoming hotter and hotter since the court case.
First we thought she was getting sick until she grew two inches overnight, now she's 5"2 when she stopped growing ages ago. She's also become more athletic, gaining some lithe muscles as if she plays sports 24/7, and Paul isn't that far behind her. We all knew Paul would shift but we were unprepared for it to happen to my baby girl, I would say she'll shift in the next day or two."
"If that's the case then Sam, Jared you both need to patrol by the school." Tiffany Call said, grasping Cora's, her best friend's hand.
"It could be caused by Margot working at the school that has triggered the magic in her blood." Peter Call added.
"Knowing Margot she won't give up her job despite the Cullens being there and don't either of you make her either. She will fight you on this Sam as she'll be putting Jayden first and you don't want to mess with a mama wolf when it concerns her Cub." He warned sternly.
"I won't." Sam agreed. "If Margot has been able to shift then there's a chance that Cara and Leah could also shift."
"We'll cross that bridge if and when we get to it." Harry stated. "For now, our main concern is Margot and Paul. Knowing how close they are, if you try to separate Margot from Paul it'll cause him to become so enraged that it could cause him to shift so tread very lightly Sam, Jared."
"They're twins they're bound to be, especially with what Margot has been through." Sue added sadly.
"I have other news." Billy added. "Carlisle informed me that Margot is Jasper's true mate which is exactly like our imprinting." He revealed, causing Peter, Jared and Jamie to start shouting. "If Margot imprints on Jasper in return there is nothing we can do about it but at least she'll have someone to protect her and Jayden. But we'll cross that bridge if and when we get to it as well. But I will need to inform Carlisle of Margot's shift along with Paul's." Billy continued, once everyone had calmed down.
***
In Forks High, Margot had been getting hotter and hotter all day and stripped off her beige jacket leaving her in her white short sleeved shirt, blue jeans and brown ballet shoes but still she did not feel any cooler.
"Miss Lahote are you alright?" Alice asked, concerned, noticing Margot's flushed cheeks. She really hoped Margot wasn't sick otherwise Jasper would be beside himself and she's worried as she's stopped getting visions of Margot. Eva, who had been helping another student in their Freshman class, looked up at Alice's question and spotted Margot who was downing her bottle of water with bright red cheeks.
Frowning in concern for her friend Eva made her way over to the front of the class, her frown deepening when she felt the literal heat coming from Margot before she even reached her.
"Margot, call your brother and go home you're burning up and I can feel the heat coming off of you from here. I'll make sure you're paid in full, don't worry." Eva assured.
"I don't know what's happening to me." Margot groaned through gritted teeth, trying to hold back the burning anger she felt.
"Is going to be all right Margot. Your Mum's a nurse she'll know what to do." Eva coaxed.
"Thank you." Margot said, grabbing her belongings and rushing out to the car park calling her Dad on the way.
"Margot? What's the matter?" Jamie asked, concerned.
"Dad I don't know what's happening I feel so hot and so angry." Margot exclaimed, before she cried out in pain.
"Everything is going to be okay sweetheart, I promise. I want you to head into the woods now and Sam and Jared will meet you." Jamie said hurriedly.
"Why? Why do I have to head into the woods? Why can't you just tell me instead of being damn secretive!?" Margot growled, her body racked with powerful tremors that shook her body.
"Sweetheart, it's Mum. I know you're scared and don't know what's happening but I promise you everything is going to be okay. Just head into the woods. Now, sweetheart." Cora said gently but urgently, when she heard a bone snap and Margot letting out an animalistic cry.
"Okay." Margot said, before she hanged up, fumbled with returning her phone to her bag due to her shaking so bad as the anger continued to build as did the tremors, and stumbled her way into the Forest. She had just breached the trees when she let out a cry of pain and fell to her knees only she didn't land on her hands and knees; but on four large white paws.
'WHAT THE HELL!!!! What's happened to me!?' Margot thought, panicking as she looked down at her hands only to see snow white paws, her shredded clothing lying around her and her ruined handbag as the straps had been torn to shreds.
'Mar, calm down, everything's alright.' Jared's voice echoed in Margot's head causing her to whip around stumbling a little only to spot a large dark brown wolf with a darker chocolate face coming towards her with an even larger jet black wolf behind him.
Margot growled dangerously, her hackles raised as she backed up a little.
'Mar, I know you're terrified right now but it's okay. It's me, Jared and the black wolf is Sam.' Jared thought calmly.
'What's happened to me?' Margot thought terrified.
'You know the legends of our tribe? Well, they're all true including the part about the Cold Ones. You, however, are the first female to ever shift. It's why your parents called for the Council meeting today. It's because your parents noticed the signs that you were going to shift. We think that because you were near the Cullens who are Cold Ones it awakened the magic in your blood.' Jared explained.
'You mean to tell me that the whole wolf and vampire thing is true? I get the wolf thing cause I'm suddenly one right now... but vampires? Really!? Wait, my parents knew! THEY KNEW AND NO ONE TOLD ME!!! WHAT IF I SHIFTED WHEN I WAS HOLDING MY SON!!! DID NONE OF YOU THINK OF HIM?!!!' Margot shouted, getting angrier and angrier as she started growling.
'Margot calm -' before Sam could finish that thought Margot lunged at Jared.
They tried to stop her but she was too fast for them. She was almost a snow white and silver blur (she had a silver stripe down her spine to the tip of her tail from the base of her neck), as she used her smaller size and speed to her advantage, and soon had Jared pinned to the Forest floor growling viciously at him.
'MARGOT! ENOUGH!' Sam thought using his Alpha voice, but unlike when Jared first shifted Margot did not immediately obey and it seemed that Peter's assumption was correct: where Jayden was concerned Margot would not listen.
With one last threatening growl Margot slowly released Jared as she calmed down and climbed off of him only to realise what she'd done.
'Jared, I'm so sorry. I didn't -'
'No. No, it's okay Mar. We knew you'd be overprotective when it came to Jayden as your maternal instincts would increase once you shifted. You don't need to apologise.' Jared thought, as he too climbed to his feet and rubbed his head against Margot's.
'How do I turn back?' Margot asked.
'You just think of your human self. Everything that makes you human. The downside to shifting is we have to either strip or risk tearing our clothes.' Sam explained. 'Once we get to Emily's I'll get some clothes for you.' He added, as he picked up Margot's handbag in his mouth and led the way back to Emily's house on the edge of the Rez.
All the way to the Rez Sam and Jared explained everything to Margot. Their increased temperature, healing, strength, hearing, sight, smell, appetite as the temperature and fast metabolism quickly burns it off, imprinting, the rules and the treaty, and even how she was Jasper Hale's true mate and he could be her imprint but they didn't know for sure.
'So let me get this straight. The Cullens pose as humans while drinking animal blood, we have a treaty with them and I'm my student's mate and said student could be my mate in return?' Margot thought stunned.
'Yes. They also stink to us. Like sickly sweet, although, he may not to you but the others most likely will. We run patrols on the Rez to make sure there's no Leeches in the area but as you have Jayden I won't make you do as many patrols. To the rest of the Rez and Forks you'll have to have Mono. It's a keyword to cover for our extended absences while we gain control as the slightest thing can make us angry, but don't worry there's no way you'll ever hurt Jayden.' Sam explained.
'Our hair also affects our fur as a wolf by making it long and straggly but yours looks like it doesn't affect it so your lucky.' Jared grumbled.
'You'll also need to get the tattoo of the pack.' Sam thought, as they arrived at a cute two story wooden cottage. 'Jared help Margot turn back and I'll be back with some clothes.' Sam added as the wolf went into the bushes for a moment before Sam exited a moment later wearing jean shorts and barefoot, he picked up the handbag and ran into the house through the back door. While Sam was retrieving the clothes Jared stood with his back to Margot as he coached her into turning back behind a tree. When Jared could no longer hear Margot's thoughts he went into the bushes and shifted back, slipping on the jean shorts that he'd placed in a bag before they left for the woods by the school.
"Mar?" Jared questioned, stepping out of the bushes.
"I did it!" Margot said happily. "But can Sam hurry up! I'm feeling exposed out here!" She complained sassily, making Jared let out a booming laugh followed by another booming laugh and a softer laugh.
"Here you go Margot." Emily Young's voice called out, a rucksack in her hands.
"Thank you Emily. It's good to see you again." Margot said, sticking her hand out from behind a tree making everyone laugh.
"You too. Hurry up and change otherwise Sam and Jared will eat all the muffins. I would've suggested you change in my house but I doubted you'd feel comfortable walking past Sam and Jared in nothing but my dressing gown." Emily fretted.
"No, this is fine, thank you. And you're right I'm getting antsy like this as it is." Margot said with a strained laugh, opening her rucksack and slipping on a new black thong, a black bralette, green cargo pants, white ankle socks, black converse and Paul's green flannel that she had to roll up at the sleeves several times but left undone. As she stepped out from behind a tree the rucksack over her shoulder and running her fingers through her hair to remove any knots she noticed Emily, Jared and Sam were still waiting for her.
"We'd never do anything to hurt you, Mar." Jared said, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.
"I know Jare. It'll take time I guess." Margot sighed into the hug.
"And you'll have all the time you need, don't worry." Sam said, bringing Margot in for a hug once Jared released her. "No one will ever hurt you again I promise."
"Thanks Sam. Let's get some food, I'm starving." Margot said, making them all laugh. "Hey! You try being a single mother to an energetic toddler and working in a school full of idiots. It's tiring." Margot exclaimed, getting another laugh out of them. "I won't hurt Jay will I?" She asked worriedly.
"No. Never." Sam said firmly. "It's like we said earlier your maternal instincts have increased now as he's literally your Cub. No matter what he does you'll never get angry enough to lose control but that will only apply to him so you'll need to stay off work with 'Mono' until you have control."
"Okay." Margot sighed with relief, taking a bite out of the blueberry muffin.
***
Margot had been at Emily's for a few hours learning everything she needed to, including shifting a couple of times so she knew how to shift without being controlled by her emotions when she heard Paul's motorbike pull up.
"Stay here." Sam warned Emily and Margot as he and Jared headed outside to Paul.
"Where is she? Where's my sister?!" Paul demanded.
"Paul, you need to calm down!" Jared warned. Hearing what was going on outside Margot headed towards the window only to see her older twin brother shaking like she had been just hours ago.
"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" Paul snarled. "You ditch me and Margot for weeks! Your own best friends when she needed you! Where the hell were you?! And now I find out from my Dad that you brought her here because she was ill! Which I don't believe by the way as she would've called me. So I want the truth!!"
"Paul, she's safe inside with Emily but you can't -" Sam started to say but that was the wrong thing to say, as a second later Paul erupted into a large dark silver wolf the same size as Jared, but smaller than Sam and way bigger than Margot.
"PAUL!" Margot shouted, running out of the house.
"Mar stay back!" Sam warned, holding out his hand but that only made Paul more angry as he growled threateningly at Sam and Jared who he saw as threats right now as they were keeping him away from his baby sister.
"No! Both you and Jare go back inside. I got this." Margot said, as she pushed past them and walked calmly up to an angry Paul in wolf form.
As soon as Margot's hand touched Paul's head he relaxed almost instantly as he looked into her identical brown eyes.
"I know this must be scary for you Paulie. It was for me and it only happened a few hours ago. I had barely made it out of the school and into the tree line before I shifted. I even attacked Jared. I was so angry that no one, not even Mum and Dad told us. What if we had shifted holding Jay and no one thought of it. I think everyone should be told and I've been arguing with Jared and Sam about it for the last few hours." Margot admitted, absently stroking Paul's snout. "To change back all you have to do is think of your human self and all that makes you human." She added, when she noticed the questioning look in his eyes.
"Here's some new shorts Paul." Jared said hesitantly, as he came back outside. Paul huffed as he accepted the shorts and headed into the bushes. A few moments later Paul walked out fully dressed and immediately hugged his little sister.
"Next time, call me. I was so worried." Paul said into her long hair.
"I'm sorry and I promise I will. Now, I'll leave Jared and Sam to explain everything as I'm going to see my son." Margot said, picking her ruined bag up off of the floor.
"Okay, I'll see you at home." Paul said, kissing her forehead.
"Oh, by the way I agree with my sister. We should have been told, as should the others who need I remind you, all babysit Jayden. What if one of them shifts why they're looking after him?" Paul demanded, it seemed Paul and Margot had given Sam a lot to think about and the twins had a lot to work on before they could go back to work; especially their anger.