"What did you think the Patrols were for?!"
"I thought they were like some weird time outs!"
Going to school the next day felt strange to Jared. He fingered the letter in his pocket one more time keeping an eye out for one of the pack members. He hoped someone had come to school today.
He saw Paul first and ran up to him grabbing him by the backpack and effectively pulling him away from his groupies.
"What the hell man?" Paul snarled as Jared pulled him into the bathroom. Jared checked the stalls and seeing the bathroom effectively empty he locked the door. "What are you doin-"
"Read this." Jared slammed the letter into Paul's chest. Paul scowled but seeing the seriousness in Jared's face caused him to stop and read the letter his own eyes slowly widening.
"Shit." Paul exhaled, "An imprint? That's real too?"
"We turn into wolves and your surprised that the soulmate connection is real?" Jared deadpanned and Paul ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, Sam wrote the letter and now it looks like I'm supposed to be in charge. Ya know, second in command after all." Jared explained lifting his chin.
"Yeah... kinda got that from the letter... why do you look like you're holding in a fart?"
"Because what I'm trying to say is I'm not sure I wanna be in charge." He whispered his eyes going to the floor and his hands wringing the other.
"Then I guess it's time for third in command to step up." Paul's eyes lit up as he brushed off his shoulder grinning at the other boy. Jared's shoulders sagged in relief.
"Thank goodness. Just the idea of the scheduling made me exhausted."
Paul's eyes widened. "Scheduling?"
Jared lifted an eyebrow. "Yeah? Ya know? For our patrols? Sam always divides it up evenly for all of us, and he knows when it's safe for us to take a day off."
"Oh... that will be easy." Paul's wide smile grew smaller.
"Okay, and thanks by the way for taking over the patrols for me since I did actually get to make it onto the Soccer team!"
"What?"
"Yeah? Sam always covers the extra shifts, he and the elders agree that we should try to keep the appearance of normalcy as much as possible. That means not getting rid of our human joys.
Why else did you think you were still able to do boys night?"
Paul's face grimaced at the remembrance of boys night. It had been hard to hang out with his usual crowd, he had suddenly felt as though he didn't belong in the group of friends he had since a child.
"Well why even worry about patrols? I think we all deserve the week off." Paul shrugs causing Jared's eyes to widen. "Not good?"
"Uh duh? Do you know why we do patrols?"
"No?"
"Because of the Cold Ones. It's a risk for our families if we ever drop our guard."
"Cold Ones? That's real too?!" Paul's hand went to his hair in disbelief. "That's not just a myth?!"
" Myth?? Paul! What did you think the Patrols were for?!"
"I thought they were like some weird time outs!"
"Oh my God. Paul!" Jared ran his hand over his face. "What are we going to do?"
"Okay wait. Wait. Calm down. ... I have a plan."
~~~~~
When Azazel got to school, albeit later than normal, she had helped the hysterical Ms. Uley relay the details of Sam's disappearance to Chief Swan , she found herself bombarded at lunch.
"Azazel!" Jared screeched running to hug her, a move which she dodged causing him to stumble into a trash can. "Ow!" She lifted an unimpressed eyebrow and picked him up with little preamble. "Thanks!"
Paul was sitting down with his tray of food already waiting for the two of them. Normally Leah would be joining them... but with Sam not only breaking up with Leah but completely going AWOL she had turned to her own friends.
"Lahote." Azazel greeted, a forced smile on her face.
Jared and Paul shuddered. "What the hell is that?"
"It's a smile! Sam told me to be nicer to you guys so I'm trying it out!"
"He said be nice not kill Batman!" Paul fought off his own laughter.
"Fuck you." Azazel grumbled settling down on her spot while Paul winked. Finally Azazel gathered the words on her tongue and announced "Sam's missing." Unlike she expected the two boys didn't react. Instead they continued chewing. "Did you guys hear me?"
"Well we kinda knew?" Paul shrugged. "He wrote Jared a letter telling him he was taking off."
Azazel's eyes widened a fraction before she nodded ignoring the churn in her stomach. Why wouldn't Sam notify his second in command? "Okay. Then what's the plan Jared?"
Jared choked on his milk "Why ask Jared?" Paul affronted slapping Jared's back
"He's the second in command? That's the whole point of his stance when Sam's gone." Azazel spoke calmly reaching into her bag to pull out the lunch Charlie had packed for her. When she came up Jared had finished choking and was looking nervous. "What? Spit it out."
"Well in the letter he said you were in charge?"
Azazel blinked trying to register the words. "He said what?"
"That he leaves it all to you oh Great Bitch." Paul grinned sliding up and was promptly knocked over as Azazel punched him causing Jared to lose a few shades and Paul's jaw to turn purple.
"Jared."
"He said you were in charge of us until he got back!" Jared's hands covered his face as Azazel loomed threateningly over him. "He trusts you more than me!"
"Jared!"
"I'd show you the letter but I lost it! Please don't hurt me!"
Slowly Azazel's fingers unfurled along Jared's collar and he sank to the floor. Vaguely Azazel could register the sound of his thudding heart and the sound of Paul sitting back in his seat.
"Az?" Paul murmured softly and Azazel slunk back into her seat. "So what's the game plan?"
"I'll take the first shift after school, and I'll text you two when it's your turn for your shift." Azazel answered. He trusts her? Sam trusts her by choice. "Tomorrow it will be written down so you have time to plan around it. I'm gonna go, I have a test I need to make up for when I missed school the other day." She reached over lightly punching Paul's arm and left.
~~~~~
"I can't believe that worked."
"Yup. All planned."
"You weren't expecting her to punch you were you?"
"Shut up."
~~~~~~~~
Ms. Uley looked outside the window to the porch and found Azazel sitting, asleep.
Her eyes widened in shock and for once was grateful of her nightmare that had woken her at Godly hours. Ever since Sam had left Azazel had been nowhere to be found, but the school never notified her of an absence so Ms. Uley made no complaints to Chief Swan.
Still, she wouldn't believe how the sight of Azazel asleep on the front porch brought relief to her shoulders. Stepping away from the window and coming to a decision Ms. Uley grabbed a blanket and opened the door softly so as not to wake Azazel.
For naught it appeared as when Ms. Uley turned to face the girl Azazel's eyes were wide open and watching the woman calculatingly.
Like Ms. Uley was a danger.
"Brought you a blanket." Ms. Uley explained and Azazel just tilted her head to the side , making no move to take the blanket from her. "It is kind of cold."
"I'm fine." Azazel mumbled turning her face back to the scenery. "You should go inside. We don't want you to get sick."
"You should come inside."
Ms. Uley knew why Azazel's shoulders tensed and knew she had been the main reason for that.
~~
"Get out."
"What?"
"This is all your fault! My son was perfect until you came and fucked up everything! Get out!"
~~~~
"Nah. Don't want to fuck anything up."Azazel huffed.
Ms. Uley threw the blanket at the girl. "Get inside." She spoke pointedly, stepping back inside and leaving the door open. "Please."
Nervously she set the pot on the stove to boil and heard the door shut. She closed her eyes and when she turned smiled. Azazel had come inside, and stood at the door, blanket wrapped around her body.
"Jasmine right? One spoon of sugar?" Ms. Uley murmured and Azazel nodded. "You've been gone a while... so have the other two."
"Sam's been gone awhile too."
Please don't tell me I was this stubborn as a teenager. Ms. Uley prayed briefly to the sky before setting down the mug in front of Azazel. "I was asking about you... and why you stopped hanging out with the others."
"I've been busy." Azazel shrugged looking away her jaw locking.
"Busy enough that you can't come and sleep in your bed?"
"I don't understand the point of this conversation." Azazel snapped her hackles raising and Ms. Uley sighed. "I've got to go-"
"Please just humor me." She lifted the tea cup as an offering and continued "I- I'm going insane. I don't know where Sam is and you've been gone. I've been so worried. I don't know if either of you have been eating or sleeping-"
"Eight hours." Azazel slowly sat down reaching over and grabbing the cup from the table.
Ms. Uley paused nodding to herself taking the chance to drink her own cup. "Over how many days?"
"Does it matter?"
Another silent prayer to the sky. What the hell had this girl gone through to be like this? She fixed the fifteen year old in a firm glare and watched as her resolve crumbled and finally Azazel mumbled.
"Since Sam's been gone."
"That's been an entire week!" Ms. Uley stood up in shock and regretted her actions as Azazel's stance turned defensive once more. "Sorry. But you do realize you need to take care of yourself right? I highly doubt Sam would want you to get sick while he's gone."
Azazel scowled into her tea before glaring at Ms. Uley. "I know when it's time to rest."
"Clearly... have you gone to see Charlie at all? He's asked about you." Ms. Uley asked kindly and Azazel's glare softened at the mention of Charlie before returning. "I told him you were drowning in work and school."
Ms. Uley watched as Azazel lifted her gaze away from the empty cup and stared out the window at sky. While Ms. Uley didn't like the constant lack of sleep, she could at least admire the sky during this time was beautiful.
"He's worried about you too."
"I don't need-" Azazel fought off a yawn shaking her head determinedly "-anyone to worry about me. I'll make sure to tell him that myself."
Ms. Uley shook her head leaning forward , "I'm sure you know as well as I that we worry because we care."
"I didn't ask him to care."
"But he does care about you!" Ms. Uley's words were sharp and she watched as Azazel flinched away.
She stayed silent for a long moment, and Ms. Uley's breath caught in her throat as she watched Azazel struggle to find the exact words she needed to say. Finally she mustered up the words "I need to go."
Ms. Uley stood up following after her to the door, her words falling out in a rush, looking to get the girl to stay.
"You too. You care. You care so much you've been killing yourself on these shifts as thought you're the only option. Like you're trying to prove something. La Push isn't only your responsibility the same way it isn't just Sam's."
Azazel's eyes widened. "What?"
"It's not just your responsibility. It's not just Sam's either."
"What's not just our responsibility?"
"La Push. Keeping it safe. Doing those walks." Ms. Uley said, watching with slight concern as Azazel swayed on her feet, hand gripping the nearest chair to gather balance with.
"Walks?"
"Shifts, patrols, rounds." Ms. Uley waved her hand absentmindedly. "Whatever you call them. You should call Jared and Paul to pick up a few as well."
"A few?"
"Well yes. You're not the only Wolf on the reservation after all."
"You know?!"
"Of course I know! You turned into a huge wolf in front of my eyes!!" Ms. Uley blinked. Did they really think she didn't know? That she had just attributed it to stress? "You thought I would just believe that was stress?! Everyone on the Reservation knows the drill on our Protectors!"
Azazel blinked , her eyes trying to focus from the shock and Ms. Uley moved forward smiling gently. "Look, you're tired and stressed why don't you just sleep?"
"No- I- you know?"
"Yes I do. Please Azazel. Come sit down. You're exhausted."
Azazel shook her head, and let go of the chair to lift an accusing finger and fell, barely able to escape hitting the floor when Ms. Uley caught her.
"Goodness you're heavy." Ms. Uley answered the slurring girl who was struggling to keep her eyes open. "Let's get you to the bed yeah?" She guided Azazel to the bedroom and essentially threw her on the bed.
The last sound of Azazel's defeat came with snores.
Throwing a blanket over the girl Ms. Uley nodded to herself. "The doctor was right. Sleeping pills would come in handy in the future."