"Maybe they'll say she was in a car crash. Or tripped and fell off a cliff."
Kiara rolled her eyes as she kicked the ball back to Paul, the older boy just sniggering as he also tried to ignore listening to doom-and-gloom Jacob Black across the beach. Kiara and Jacob still hadn't spoken to each other since their fight at the wedding and, despite the rest of the pack complaining about how awkward that was, they both were too stubborn to approach the other.
Sam had been keeping them on separate patrol over the last few days, and Kiara had spent most of her time not with the pack over at the Cullen's household. Some of the pack still weren't happy with that development, more notably Jared, Jacob and Quil, but there wasn't much they could do about it. Seth had joined her a few times to check up on Bree, and Kiara found it amusing to see how their friendship was (very slowly) progressing.
It seemed that with every week, they learnt more and more about how the imprint worked. For Paul and Rachel, Jared and Kim, and Kiara and Rosalie, things had felt like instant love - almost as if the imprint bond was romantic from the very start. Sam and Emily had been a rocky start that eventually grew into love, but Seth and Bree were more like a platonic friendship right now. Kiara had no doubt there would be something romantic there in the future, but that wasn't something she felt needed to be expected.
Bree had been through a lot since she was turned only a few months ago, and while she had excellent self-control around Bella, there was still no question that she wasn't exactly ready to go into a functioning society any time soon. Her red eyes were less noticeable now, dulled to a mix of red and gold as she transitioned into the vegetarian diet. Rosalie had told Kiara that it would be easier for her than it was for Jasper, since she'd only been reborn as a vampire on human blood for a very short period of time - and in fact, most of the red that remained in her eyes was simply from her own transition and the human blood that still remained in her body.
Kiara's eyes flickered back over to where Jacob was sitting in the sand, one of the only guys of the pack still wearing a shirt. Kiara didn't blame him, the temperature wasn't exactly great today but it wasn't like they felt the cold like everyone else. She was pretty sure he was just doing it to give Sam a reason to not expect him to phase and run off again. It was one of his good shirts... one Rachel had brought for him when she came to visit. Seth and Embry looked at Jacob with sadness in their eyes, feeling his pain about what Jacob was adamant was the love of his life.
Sam wrapped his arms around Kiara as he lifted her into the air, the girl yelling out in annoyance as Jared stole the ball from under her feet and passed it to Paul. Emily laughed from where she sat with Kim and Quil, enjoying watching the pack have a moment of fun with each other for a change. Leah rolled her eyes, but she found it hard to hide the smile on her face. She hated Sam like nothing else, but it was moments like this when she got to see her best friend happy that she reminded herself that life wasn't all just shit.
"At least I'll get one thing out of it."
Kiara and Sam's heads both snapped round to face Jacob as he let the words hang in the air. Leah reached out, grabbing on to Kiara's wrist as she went to move towards her brother, instead letting Sam address the boy.
"No, you won't. Cullens are not a danger to the town or the tribe," Sam ordered Jacob, his eyes flashing with annoyance as he tried to knock the boy down a peg or two. Kiara nodded as Sam honoured his promise, knowing that what happened to Bella next was her choice.
They might have found Bella put them in awful situations on a number of occasions, but she never wanted to harm them. She had been against them fighting with the Cullens against the newborn army, and Victoria would've attacked Kiara with or without Bella being involved - they knew that now. They'd not know about her relationship with the blonde vampire until after the imprint occurred, but her initial attack while she was still human made a lot more sense now.
"Well, he's either gonna kill her or change her. And the treaty says..."
"I say, Jacob. I say."
Kiara and Jacob stared long and hard at each other as everyone else went back to their game of football, the twins not breaking their glaring match for a strong moment. Leah let go of Kiara and walked towards Seth, not sure that she liked her brother sitting so close to Jacob when it seemed the twins were due to start another fight at any moment.
"You know, if you wanted things different, you should've become alpha," Embry said to Jacob, causing Kiara to scoff and walk away from them. She wasn't in the mood to listen to anymore talk about claiming the alpha title. Leah mused her lips at the comment, knowing that it annoyed Kiara that it was always Jacob that was mentioned when it came to alpha. Leah knew Kiara had no intention of challenging Sam for the title, but at the end of the day - Kiara had just as much of a claim to it as Jacob did. They had the same bloodline, the same exact blood.
Kiara sat down on the sand where Emily, Kim and Rachel were sitting. Things had changed pretty quickly for Rachel since her and Paul had imprinted on each other. The night of the wedding, Rachel had seen Jacob turn into a wolf after he arrived back to the Black house where Sam had been waiting for him. They'd argued, Jacob had shifted, Paul had picked Rachel up off the floor as Billy and Sam tried to calm Jacob down again.
Things had been pretty weird for a moment or two, but Rachel handled it a lot better than anyone had expected she would. Then again, Kiara had recalled that Rachel had loved all the tribe legends when they were growing up, so a piece of her felt like it must have felt like finding out your favourite superheroes were actually real.
Kiara looked up at Rachel and smiled back at her. She always found comfort in her sister's presence. "Hey Rach," she said softly. "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay," she replied with a shrug. Kiara loved her sisters, but Rachel always had taken things a lot more in her stride than Rebecca did. "Just trying to get used to all of this, you know? It's a lot to take in."
Kiara nodded in understanding. She knew that it wasn't easy for Rachel to suddenly be thrust into the world of the supernatural. "I get it," she said. "But you're doing great. And you have Paul to help you through it."
Rachel grinned at the mention of her imprint. "Yeah, he's been amazing," she said. "I never thought I could feel this way about someone. It's like we were made for each other."
"Lucky? None of them belong to themselves anymore. And the sickest part is their genes tell them they're happy about it."
Kiara had enough. She didn't care much about Jacob being bitter about Bella picking Edward. Heck, it didn't even bother her that Jacob kept making comments about the Cullens, when he knew that Kiara and Seth were now connected to the vampires on a deeper level. But she absolutely drew the line at him trying to infringe upon their sister's happiness and her feelings towards Paul. She rose to her feet, Rachel also standing up as she noticed the way Kiara began to stalk towards Jacob.
"Least if you imprinted on someone, you'd finally forget about Bella. I mean, being any kind of happy is better than being miserable about someone you can't have," Leah started, but slowly stopped as she noticed Kiara was storming across the sand towards them. She grabbed the back of Seth's arm, and tugged her brother up from his place on the sand just before Kiara inevitably launched herself at the Black son.
"JACOB," Kiara yelled, the boy instantly turning to the girl and realising that he'd pushed her too far yet again. He puffed his chest out as his twin sister stormed across the beach towards him, Sam and the others immediately stopping their game of football as they noticed the scene that was beginning to play out in front of them.
Paul rushed over to Rachel, wrapping her in his arms and coaxing her into staying still and not trying to step in between her younger siblings arguments. She tried to wiggle out of his grip, but Emily placed a firm hand on her arm and one look at the scars on her face instantly made Rachel still on the spot. Emily knew that Rachel was new to this, but she herself was no stranger to the dangers of stepping in front of an angry shifter.
Jacob and Kiara stood in front of each other, their eyes locked in a heated glare. Kiara's hands trembled with anger, and her entire body was shaking with fury. She had had enough of Jacob's constant jabs at her and everyone else for simple being happy. She couldn't take it anymore.
"You have no right to talk about love or happiness, Jacob," Kiara spat, her voice vicious. "You're nothing but a bitter, jealous little boy who can't handle the fact that he lost the girl he loved."
Jacob's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he balled his fists at his side. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Kiara," he growled. "Bella was the love of my life, and she chose a bloodsucker over me. Do you have any idea what that feels like?"
"I don't," Kiara said, venom seeping out of her words. "But if I did, I'd sure as hell not try to force someone to kiss me, make them feel guilty for marrying the love of their life and then make everyone else around me fucking miserable because I didn't get what I want."
Everyone seemed to let out small reactions to her words, some of the pack wincing at the brutality of them and the rest knowing that she was right. Yet, they all knew that Jacob would never admit that. He refused to listen to anything about Bella that wasn't puffing his ego.
"What the fuck, Kiara," Jacob spat, months of anger spilling out of him as Kiara seemed to bring all of his emotions to the surface. "If you think I don't love Bella more than Edward, you're wrong. I do. I love her more than anyone. She was my whole fucking life. And she left me. Left me with nothing. How can you even judge me for that?"
"I'm not judging you, Jacob. I'm just saying that you're being a complete asshole and making all of us miserable because you feel left behind. I don't understand how you can't see that. And left you with nothing? WITH NOTHING? You still have all of us, and Dad, and everyone else that's fucking had to pick up the pieces time and time again when you come crying back to us all about Bella."
"I'm the asshole?" Jacob growled, taking a threatening step towards Kiara, while ignoring the rest of what she said. "I'm the asshole? What about you? You're doing the exact same fucking thing. You don't belong with the Cullens. They're soulless murderers who are more intent on destroying Bella's one chance at happiness than letting you live your own life. You're giving up so much. You're throwing it all away for a vampire, the species of which one once tried to kill YOU."
"Jacob," Sam said, shaking his head in disbelief that the boy was still in denial about the fact that the Cullens were good people. "That's not fair. Edward and his family have done nothing but help us. He fought to save our own lives, and he didn't have to do that. Carlisle literally saved your life. They've done nothing but help us, and you're still wanting to drag us into a fight that has nothing to do with us."
"Jacob, you're being ridiculous," Kiara growled, her hands shaking in anger as she took a step towards him. She faintly heard Rachel yell out behind her, pausing just before she went to swing for Jacob. Her eyes darted back to her sister, before they flickered to Jacob's hands, seeing him clench them into fists. "Stay the fuck out of my way, and if you ever even lay a single finger on the Cullen's, it won't be them you have to worry about. It'll be me."
Without another word, Kiara turned and stormed away, Leah following behind her and keeping an eye on her friend. She wasn't the biggest fan of the Cullens, but she knew what Rosalie meant to Kiara. While that wasn't enough to make her like them, she'd at least tolerate them until she had a reason not to.
After all, Leah mused, if she was condemned to this life, doing it alongside Kiara was much better than a life alongside Sam and the rest of the pack boys.
___
"Sam called me, said you and Jake got in a fight again," Billy mused as he watched Kiara enter their house. She smiled at him as she kicked her sandy shoes off at the door, a soft smile on her face as she leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.
Things had changed a lot in the past few months. Ever since Billy had realised his mistake at pushing Kiara away, he'd been taking leaps and strides simply to regain some of her trust. As much as it ashamed him to admit it, it took listening to Sue Clearwater's thoughts on Seth imprinting on Bree to really make him understand that his daughter being with a vampire wasn't the worst thing that had ever happened.
"Yeah, he sucks," Kiara muttered, not wanting her father to feel like he had to pick a side between the twins. Billy was constantly having to listen to Jake moaning about the Cullens and Kiara and Bella and Edward - she wouldn't make her worst enemy listen to that bullshit. "Have you had lunch yet? It's almost 2pm - I hope you have."
Billy almost winced. Here Kiara was, taking care of him after he had neglected her for something out of his control. He wasn't sure there ever would be a moment for the rest of his waking life where he didn't regret what he had done to her. He just hoped, at some point in her forever life, Kiara would be able to grant him the blessing of forgiveness. He knew he didn't deserve it.
She took his silence as an answer, playfully rolling her eyes as she opened their fridge and pulled out some butter. Without asking, Kiara began to make two sandwiches - one for her and one for her father. She knew how he liked it, and he knew that she'd always know how to do that. Take care of him without questioning it.
"So... what did you two fight about this time?" Billy asked with a small chuckle, taking the sandwich she offered him with a small smile.
"It was nothing," she shrugged, flopping down onto the couch and pulling her knees up to sit cross-legged. Billy watched her carefully, still a little wary of her temper post-argument, but trying to ignore it. He watched as she took a few bites of her sandwich, her lips turning up in a small smile and her eyebrows rising in a question she never asked. "How was your day?"
"Fine," Billy said, smiling at her as he took a seat on the armchair beside the couch. "Charlie said that Bella seems to be enjoying her honeymoon, she called him once they arrived to gush about the Island - did you know the Cullens own that? Well, of course you did. Also, Sue dropped by this morning with some breakfast."
"You know, you've been getting along pretty well," Kiara mused, her lips twitching as she smiled at Billy who rolled his eyes at her. "Anything you need to tell me?"
"Dream on, kid," Billy teased, wiping some crumbs off his sweater as he adjusted the hat on his head. "Aint gonna happen."
"We'll see," Kiara teased back, her smile naturally falling back on her face as she took the moment in. It had been a long time since they'd been like this... and her heart felt a little bit more whole. She had everything she needed in Rosalie and the pack, but she always had been the favourite child of Billy. She knew it, Billy knew it... heck, even Rachel, Rebecca and Jacob knew it. "Speaking of seeing, how long do you think until Paul proposes to Rachel?"
"Again, dream on. He aint going anywhere near her with a ring until he's spoken to me first, you better let him know that."
Kiara chuckled as she wolfed down the rest of her sandwich, looking at the clock on the wall and springing to her feet with a new lease of life. Billy smiled, seeing the way she suddenly lit up as if it was Christmas morning and she was nine years old seeing her presents under the tree.
"There's a bonfire tonight, since Brady and Collin just shifted... I just wanted to know if I'll be seeing you there? Sam said you probably won't go but..." Billy asked, not wanting to interrupt whatever plans Kiara had for the day ahead, but also wishing she was there. She hadn't really been to any of the tribe bonfires since she shifted, having not felt welcomed there since her imprint.
Kiara paused as she pulled her shoes into her drawstring bag, looking up to see the hopeful look on her fathers face. Sam's words about honouring her request for Bella and the Cullen's pardon rang in her ears, alongside the memories from the pack link of Collin and Brady phasing for the first time. They weren't exactly close, but Collin was Kiara's cousin and she'd known Brady since he was in diapers too. They were only 13 - she just thanked whatever higher power there was that she hadn't shifted at 13.
"Yeah, I'll be there," Kiara smiled gently at her father. "7pm, right?"
"Yeah," Billy said, holding back the tears he felt. It had been such an insignificant conversation to Kiara, but the past ten minutes had meant the world to him. He could almost feel their relationship ever-so-slightly rebuilding itself from the ground up. "7pm."
"Great, save me a hot dog," Kiara teased as she waved goodbye, heading out the door and into the tree-line.
She knew that Carlisle was keen to give her a car, but she much preferred the breeze in her fur as she headed towards their side of the treaty line - so it had been Alice who insisted that she at least try to stop shedding through clothes every day. Kiara (and Leah, who actually thought it was a genius idea) had begun to undress and pack her clothes into the drawstring back before shifting, and then carrying the bag in her mouth as she ran through the forest.
"Billy just called Sam, said you're coming to the bonfire later?"
Kiara snorted as she jumped a little in surprise, not having realised that anyone else was shifted too. She slowed her pace ever so slightly as she almost reached the treaty line, finding the grey wolf sitting at the edge of the river banks.
"Yeah, I'll be there. You skipping?"
"And miss out on watching the elders cry once they realise you're happy? Never."
Leah snorted as her tail flickered around her legs for a moment, her eyes shutting for a moment as the breeze flickering through her fur. She enjoyed these moments of tranquility, when it was just her and her own thoughts. Well, and Kiara too, she guessed.
"Hey, if you need to talk... you know I'm here, right?" Kiara checked, wanting to make sure that Leah was okay. She knew the other female shifter didn't have many people checking in on her often, and she didn't want her to think that just because her and Cullens didn't see eye to eye ruined their bond.
"Don't go all sappy on me," Leah teased, but turned serious once she saw Kiara impatiently paw the ground. "Yeah, I know. Same for you, Kie. You better go before your leech gets worried."
"Real original," Kiara huffed, but knowing that Leah didn't really mean it. She knew the girl hated vampires, but she could read Leah like a book and knew when she was trying to be malicious and when she was just winding the younger girl up. "See you later, idiot."
___
"Jacob thinks you'll say she fell off a cliff," Kiara told the family as she tucked into the salad that Esme had prepared upon learning she was on her way over. Emmett let out a boisterous laugh at the accusation, while the rest of the family seemed less than impressed at the notion. "Which made me wonder, what will you do when Bella suddenly joins the pale-skin, red-eye club?"
"She's always had pale skin," Beverly muttered, painting her nails in the corner of the room as Alice flicked through bridal magazines. Kiara hated to think why Alice was looking through bridal magazines when they were all already married and the 'wedding of a century' was well and truly over. One look at Rosalie who rolled her eyes told her that she didn't want to hear it.
Carlisle turned to look at Kiara, studying her for a moment as he wrapped an arm around Esme's waist. Bella turning into a vampire wasn't really a conversation that had involved Kiara until this moment, and there was a bit of a morality struggle going on inside his head. Heck, most of the Cullens would be lying if they said they hadn't been concerned about the knock-on effect of Bella being turned on Kiara and Rosalie.
"I don't think she's going to fall off a cliff," Carlisle said carefully, knowing that whenever they made the change, they'd have to leave Forks. He wasn't sure if that was a conversation Rosalie and Kiara had approached yet. "Bella's intelligent enough to know the dangers of the world. That would be completely impractical."
"It's Bella," Kiara muttered through a mouth of food. Rosalie scowled at her in disgust before Kiara rolled her eyes and placed her fork down. "You told everyone she fell down three flights of stairs and through a window, and that was believable. Besides, it doesn't really matter what you say. The pack will all know the truth, I guess it's just Charlie that won't."
Carlisle looked around at the rest of the family before approaching the topic carefully. He was surprised at how laid back Kiara was taking all of this talk about turning Bella, especially when he knew what it meant for the pack and the treaty.
"Kiara, about the pack..."
"Oh, you're good," Kiara said, wiping her mouth as she began to wash her plate with a quick thank you to Esme. "You don't need to worry about them or the treaty."
"What?"
"Sam says turning Bella won't break the treaty," Kiara told them all, surprised they hadn't thought about this yet. "It's Bella's choice. I asked him to respect that, and he will. Just Bella though - don't get any ideas about starting a vegetarian vampire army or I'll get shit for that."
Even Bree laughed at that comment. She'd stayed quite clear of Kiara since they were introduced, not quite sure what to make of the shifter that had been bitten the same time she was getting saved from the Volturi by the Cullens. She didn't think the girl would be fine being around vampires after that ordeal, but it seemed she'd taken it in her stride.
Carlisle's eyes fell to the scar on Kiara's outstretched arm, before they flickered back up to the one on her neck. Rosalie tensed as she noticed the looks, wrapping an arm protectively around Kiara's waist to show that she wasn't happy with what he was about to ask. He'd already ran the idea by Rosalie and she hadn't been impressed, but Carlisle correctly had pointed out that the choice wasn't hers to make.
"If I may ask, could I take a look at your scars? To document them - see if they fade over time?" He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Since shapeshifters have enhanced healing capabilities, I thought if you were willing to let me take photos of your scars each month, we could track the progress and hopefully see if they fade slightly."
Kiara smiled at this offer, curiosity taking over. She didn't mind her scars, but she certainly would be glad if they faded a little over time. She nodded slowly as she stood up from the kitchen table.
"Sure," she said softly. "Let's go upstairs so you can get photos taken. But it better be quick, I have a long-awaited tribal bonfire to attend."