Edited 05/31/21
Meadow's punishment was harsh and took a toll on her health. The other members of the pack were worried about her; even Jared was worried about her. She had to run patrol nonstop. Through her hazy and lethargic mind, she could remember the words Sam had said to her when he dished out her punishment. He had told her that if she liked running around so much, then she could run patrol enough for everyone in the pack.
4 days.
That's how long she had to patrol. She was thankful Emily would stand outside with food and water in her hands so Meadow could eat. Paul had tried to argue with Sam about her punishment, but Sam shut him up with his Alpha voice. He did the same with anyone who opposed his punishment. Meadow had seen the contempt and unease in her packmates' eyes and knew she had to do something before anything escalated. So, with her head held high, she walked out of the house, took a running start, and shifted on the fly.
Now on her fourth day, she was ready to keel over. She hadn't spoken to anyone since she started, and they haven't heard from her. Well, for the most part. Patrolling for days gave her time to think and think she did. She finally figured out that she could cut her thoughts off from everyone. It wasn't without difficulty. There were times she could do it without putting effort into it, and there were times when she really had to concentrate.
She practiced her newly found skill, letting thoughts leak out when the others needed confirmation she wasn't passed out somewhere. The trick was to clear your mind and not think at all. She just had to sort through her unconscious and conscious thoughts. Conscious thoughts were projected, and unconscious ones weren't. Because she knew everyone in the pack could hear her thoughts, all her thoughts came out as conscious no matter if they were. Once she stopped focusing on that aspect, she progressed.
A nudge on the left side of her body shook her from her daze. Paul nudged her again with his snout and whined before pushing her in a different direction. She stared at him in confusion before she realized she had been straying from her patrol path. She sent him a tired but thankful nod. A few moments later, she felt a shimmer in her mind and heard Sam's voice for the first time in four days.
Go home, he said, indicating that her punishment was over. With a small sigh of relief, Meadow ran back home with the last of her strength and shifted back into her human form. She wasn't used to walking on two legs, so she stumbled throughout the house. Without changing into clothes, she laid on her bed and fell into a deep slumber. She woke up on the forest floor.
It was murky and fog clouded her vision. She heard a howl in the distance and began running in that direction on two feet. Another howl sounded, this one pained and full of desperation. She took another step before she phased and continued in the direction of the howls. As she was running, something brushed against her side and made her keel over. She stood up in a hurry and huffed as she looked around her. It was still too foggy, and the sky was quickly darkening. She heard another howl, this one closer, and began running again. She heard a snarl on her right and looked just in time to see a big, dark mass rush at her and knock her over. It snarled in her face and held her to the ground. She yelped in surprise as she recognized the wolf to be Sam.
What are you doing?! she asked desperately.
Something I should have done sooner, Sam replied. His voice was not his own. It was raspier, deeper, and menacing. Meadow panicked and began to thrash around to loosen his grip on her. Sam growled and reared his head back before he leaned forward with an open snout. Just as his teeth pierced her skin, he was bowled off her and sent careening in the distance. Meadow stood on all fours and wildly looked around. She noticed movement in front of her and she stilled. It was a man with copper skin and long, black hair reaching his waist. He had a simple headdress made from animal bones on top of his head and knowing, mahogany eyes. She recognized him from pictures. Ephraim Black.
"I thought you were dead," Meadow said. Instantly, she paled and apologized profusely for the disrespect.
"I am," he responded calmly. "I am simply here by the power and spirit of our ancestors."
"What are you doing here?" Meadow asked. "I thought I was asleep."
"You are," he confirmed. "You are in the ancestral realm. You were brought here for a reason, Meadow Black."
"I don't understand. If something is wrong, then shouldn't Sam be brought here?"
"There is something clouding Sam Uley's judgement. You must rid of it," Ephraim spoke in riddles. Meadow scrunched her face up as she tried to make sense of what was going on. Unexpectedly, she thought of the conversation she had with her dad and how secretive he was when she asked about Sam.
"Is this about what my dad was hiding from before?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes. Sam is not meant to be Alpha. The ancestors are angry. The Voice has been let out. It is up to you to silence it. Be smart, Meadow Black," Ephraim said before he disappeared back into the mist.
When she woke up, her stomach was growling and empty. She wished she could say she had a restful sleep, but the dream she had hindered any ounce of rest she got. She made her way into the kitchen and found a box of meat-lovers pizza in the fridge. She heated the pizza in the oven before she ate the entire pie. As she stuffed the last piece of pizza in her mouth, her dad entered the room.
"Good morning," he said with a smile. Meadow looked out the kitchen window and took note of the afternoon sky. She looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. He chuckled at her and grabbed a beer from the fridge.
"I talked to the council," he said, causing her to perk up.
"About what?" she asked cautiously.
"About you becoming the next Alpha," he said as he met her eyes evenly.
"What did they say?" she asked anxiously. She knew she'd eventually have to get their approval, but she wasn't ready to go to them yet. She was nervous about what they'd say, especially Old Quil. He was the strictest when it came to the legends.
"They weren't in favor of it. They agreed that Sam was level-headed enough to run the pack," he said. Meadow's chin hung close to her chest, and she took a deep, shuddering breath. She pursed her lips before she blew out air and steeled herself. She would find a way around it. She had to.
"Of course, that was before they heard about the punishment he gave you," Billy said. She froze and looked at him with hopeful eyes. She waited for him to continue before she jumped to conclusions.
"They agreed that your punishment was too harsh and unjust. They asked some of the pack members how they thought Sam was running the pack, and after hearing their testimonies, the council is willing to let you become Alpha."
Her mouth hung open for a brief second before she let out an uncharacteristically loud squeal. She jumped and hugged her dad tightly.
"Thank you for talking to them," she whispered in his ear.
"After Jake told me why you were gone for so long, I decided to talk to them," he confessed. "I thought Sam could handle it, but I guess I was wrong."
"He's not too terrible. He's gotten the pack this far," Meadow said. "It's just time for a change. He wasn't meant to be Alpha, afterall."
Billy broke from the hug and said, "It's up to you now. You have the council's blessing. You just have to show us we were right in choosing you."
"I won't let the pack down," Meadow said determinedly.
"Well, I'll let you get back to eating. I know that lone pizza wasn't enough to satisfy your appetite."
"Actually, I think I'm gonna head over to the Clearwater's and see if Leah's home. Then I'll probably go over to Emily's."
"Not gonna stay home with your old man?" he asked humorously.
"I have some things to catch up on is all," Meadow said with an apologetic smile.
"Go ahead then," he waved her off. She started walking out of the room before she stopped under the doorway. She thought for a minute before she spoke.
"Paul wants to meet you formally," she said offhandedly. Honestly, though, she felt her nerves tangle within her. She didn't know why but the thought of Paul meeting her dad as her imprint made her feel weird.
"That boy," he said fondly. "I take it everything is good between the two of you?"
She shook her head and said, "Not everything, but we're working on it."
"Good to hear. Bring him over next week. I'm going over to Charlie's today, so you might not see me later."
"Okay. Bye, dad," she said. She gave waved to him before she left the house. She walked to Leah's house, refusing to shift into her wolf form. She had spent too much time in it, and she was sick of running on all fours. When she got there, she knocked and waited for someone to answer. Sue answered the door with a smile.
"Meadow, what can I do for you?" she asked.
"Is Leah home?"
"She's at Sam's and Emily's house right now," Sue said. After thanking Sue, Meadow walked to Emily's. She reached Emily's door in ten minutes and walked in without knocking. She was greeted with everyone sitting and standing around the kitchen table. Confusion leaked into her expression, and she immediately looked at Sam for information.
"You're awake," Paul said. He greeted her with a smile and held out his hand for her to take. She grabbed it for a second and squeezed before she let go. He seemed unhappy that she let go of his hand but didn't say anything about it.
"What happened?" she asked as she looked around.
"Paul got into a fight with one of the leaches," Jared said with a smirk. Paul grumbled and narrowed his eyes at Jared.
"He shouldn't have come onto our land," Paul said with a hint of anger. "They know the treaty."
"He was just trying to catch the red head," Seth said shyly.
"It doesn't matter!" Paul yelled. "They know not to cross the line."
Meadow shook her head at her imprint's stubbornness. She searched the room and landed her eyes on Quil.
"How are you dealing with everything?" she asked him.
"It's not so bad, especially since I get to hang out with Jake and Embry again," he answered enthusiastically. She smiled fondly at him and mussed up his curly hair. He didn't protest and instead reveled in the familiar feeling.
"Do the Cullens know anything about the red head? Anything new?" she asked Sam.
He scoffed and said, "Don't make me laugh. Like I'd ever talk to them voluntarily."
"It could help us if we collaborated just this once," Meadow said. "The red head's tricky. We haven't been able to catch her, and it's been months since she first showed up."
"We'll catch her without their help," Sam said determinedly. Meadow rolled her eyes and stared at the ground. All she had to do was wait until the right moment to take the position. She kept reminding herself that she had approval from most of the pack members and the council.
"In other news," Jared said, "graduation is next week."
Paul and Jared whooped in celebration while Meadow held a small smile on her face.
"Finally," Paul said. "I'm getting tired of all those English papers."
"Right!" Jared exclaimed. "Who even uses Shakespeare?"
"Thou art so lovely this evening," Paul joked.
"Oh, Romeo! Where for art thou Romeo?" Paul recited while he blinked his eyes quickly. Meadow laughed and smacked him over the head.
"Idiot," she muttered under her breath. He heard her and said, "I'm your idiot."
"My dad wants to meet you formally next week," she informed him.
"Great," he said warmly.
"Where's Jake?" she asked.
"Went to Bella's school," Embry said with an eye roll.
"He's causing trouble again," she muttered.
"If his head wasn't stuck so far up her ass, he'd realize she was playing him," Leah complained.
"Leave him alone, Leah," Meadow said with a laugh. "He'll understand soon enough."
"He needs to hurry up," Embry groaned. "I'm tired of hearing about her."
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a motorcycle pulling up to the house. The boys jumped from their seats and ran outside. Meadow shook her head and gestured for Leah to come out with her. She didn't want to leave her in the house with Sam and Emily.
"Quil, you too?" Bella asked when she saw the new addition.
Quil smiled and said, "Yup! Finally made the pack."
He was shoved a bit from Embry and Jared. The boys were always happy when a new member joined. It was like gaining a new brother.
"I'm glad you're here Bella," Embry said. "Maybe we can get a break from Jake's obsessive inner monologue."
"I wish Bella would call," Paul imitated Jake. Meadow stifled her laughter by holding her hand over her mouth.
"I wish Bella wouldn't call," Jared said with a mixed expression of confusion and mirth.
"Maybe I should call Bella," Embry said.
"Maybe I should call Bella and hang up," Quil ended. The boys busted out in laughter, causing Meadow to laugh with them. Her brother's lovesick ways were annoying, but they were cute and funny, too.
"Alright, you can shut up now," Jacob said in embarrassment. Meadow walked up to him and slung an arm around his shoulders.
"Don't be embarrassed Jake," she said quietly. He shoved her off him and glared playfully at her.
"Glad to see you up," he said. "How you feeling?"
"Fine. Don't worry about me."
Then, Jake noticed Leah and Seth were standing with them and introduced them to Bella.
"Bella this is Seth and Leah Clearwater, Harry's kids."
"Hey, I'm really sorry about your dad," Bella said awkwardly.
"If you're here to torture Jacob some more, feel free to leave," she said venomously before she walked away. She stood near the edge of the forest and waited for Meadow to join her.
"Fun, isn't she?" Jake said sarcastically.
"C'mon, Jake. My sister isn't that bad," Seth said while he rubbed the back of his head. Then, he greeted Bella with a wave. She reciprocated and looked at Jake, unsure of what to do or say next.
"We're gonna go take a walk back to the house," he told Meadow.
"Okay. Don't take too long. I wanted to hang out with you, Quil, and Embry. Like old times," she said. Jake nodded his head and left with Bella, promising to be back in a couple of hours.
-----------------------
A few days later, Jake came back to the reservation with some news.
"Some leach has been in Bella's house," he said when the meeting was called to order.
"The red head?" Sam asked.
"Nah, it was a different scent."
Meadow remembered the vampire in Seattle, the one who had let her and Quil escape freely. It couldn't be a coincidence.
"It's gotta be him," she said. "The one from Seattle."
"Why would he come all the way down here from Seattle?" Quil asked confusedly.
"I don't know but the way he watched us leave was too creepy. He has to be involved somehow."
"Whether it's him or not, we need to keep them away from Bella," Sam said.
"The Cullens want our help with a protection detail," Jake said. "They can't do it all by themselves."
"We can't leave the reservation unattended," Sam argued.
"We'll switch on and off with them," Meadow suggested. "She doesn't need both of us at the same time."
"It still pulls reduces our numbers here," Sam stressed.
"They want Bella, which means they won't be targeting La Push," Meadow countered. "When it's our turn to watch over her, two of us will go to her house and the other two will guard the Res. We can even add more to the patrol schedule since school ends next week."
"Fine," Sam conceded. "We'll need to figure out pairings."
"Just put those who are comfortable with each together. I'm sure with us and the Cullens protecting the house, they won't come anywhere close to Bella. It'll flow easier if everyone pairs up with the people they know best," Meadow said.
"Then who is Leah gonna get paired with?" Jared joked.
"Probably MeMe. She's the only one Leah will actually talk to," Embry answered.
"Seriously," Paul said.
"What are you complaining for?" Jared asked. "We all know all you'd do is flirt with Meadow."
Paul stood up, ready to start arguing with Jared. Meadow placed a hand on his shoulder, and he backed down with a huff.
"There's nine of us, which means we don't have complete pairs. We should have four pairs of two and then have the odd person out rotate between groups," Meadow said.
"Not a bad idea," Jared said, looking at Sam for his opinion.
"It's a solid plan," Sam said reluctantly. "What were you thinking in terms of pairs?"
"Paul and Embry, Jacob and Seth, Jared and Sam, me and Leah. Quil will be our 'runner'."
"Why Quil?" Sam questioned.
"He has the best stamina in the pack. He was able to outrun the bloodthirsty newborn in Seattle for a while and he's the only one in the pack who isn't out of breath after patrol," she explained with a shrug.
"Okay," Sam said. "Jake, inform the Cullens. We'll do four-hour rotations at night. We'll take the first shift. I don't want Sue to yell at me again for keeping Seth out too late."
"On it," Jake said. Everyone dispersed from the meeting. Meadow caught Jake's arm before he could leave the house.
"Make sure you tell the Cullens to inform us of any new developments. We can't work with them if they don't trust us with new information," she said.
"Making me talk to them more than I have to," he grumbled.
"Good. You need to work on your conversational skills. All you do is talk in fragments," she said in amusement.
"Yeah, yeah."
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