HE'S SMARTER THAN HE LOOKS.

Frankie was amused but also confused when she, Emmett, and Jasper entered the living room of the Cullen house to see Carlisle wrapping a bandage around Bella's hand. Edward was by her side while Rosalie was uninterestedly looking through newspapers reporting on the recent deaths in Seattle.

"It's just a sprain, should heal fairly quickly," Carlisle was explaining.

"Trying to walk and chew gum at the same time again, Bella?" Emmett asked teasingly.

"I punched a werewolf in the face," she smirked, making Frankie halt, wondering who it was and why they deserved it.

Emmett wasn't quite as concerned though as he leaned on the table. "Badass. You're gonna be one tough little newborn."

Bella smiled, glad someone was excited about her changing. "Tough enough to take you on."

Rosalie suddenly slammed her newspaper down and abruptly walked out, sneering intensely at Bella as she passed, which visibly upset her.

"Don't worry about it," Emmett told her, shaking his head.

"Why'd you punch a werewolf?" Frankie then asked, raising an eyebrow.

Knowing it wouldn't elicit the best reaction from Frankie, Bella kept her mouth shut. It was Edward, who very much wanted to watch her kick Jacob's ass, who answered. "Jacob kissed her and wouldn't let her go, so she had to punch him to break free."

Frankie went quite still all of a sudden, a million violent scenarios flashing through her mind, much to the mind reader's pleasure. She took in a deep breath, trying to keep her anger at bay as she stepped away from Emmett's side.

"If you'll excuse me," she said tensely. "I've got a packmate to kill."

☽︎

"You son of a fucking bitch!"

Frankie wasn't even in her wolf form as she beat the shit out of Jacob, thinking it was much more satisfying to throw him into a tree with her bare hands. The onlookers who consisted of Sam, Leah, Quil, Embry, and Paul did nothing to stop her, not even when Jacob cried out, the tree breaking in half and falling on top of him.

"Repeat after fucking me," Frankie said while grabbing the back of his neck and hauling him to his feet. And in between each word, she punched him in the face, only adding to the pool of blood dripping from his mouth and nose. "No - means - fucking - no!"

Jacob groaned and dropped after the final hit, it feeling like his face was going to split into two. And the fact that they healed fast only made it worse, because as soon as his nose was done fixing itself, Frankie was hitting him again.

Kissing Bella wasn't worth this, he knew.

"She's not your Imprint. She's not the love of your life!" Frankie shouted down at him, red in the face. "Bella chose Edward! He's the one she wants!"

"Sh - she doesn't know what she wants," he muttered, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Oh, shit," Quil said, knowing he'd done it now.

For just a moment, as Frankie's vision went red, she considered forcing his head underneath the ocean to waterboard him, that was how furious at him she was. Because that sure as hell wasn't the boy that Billy Black raised.

"Frank," Sam said in a cautious tone.

"Don't 'Frank' her!" Leah snapped. "He's a piece of fucking shit. He deserves it!"

"You're not to go fucking near Bella until she says so, am I clear?" Frankie asked, glaring down at Jacob. And her eyes began to glow red, a sign that she wasn't really asking. She was ordering, and there wasn't a way for him to overpower one of her orders. "You can never see her again for all I care if that's what she wants. No fucking contact!"

Jacob's whole body trembled angrily, a sign he was about to shift. But a low growl rumbled through Frankie's body, power emanating from her as she kept him from shifting. She'd only hurt him worse if they were in their wolf forms, so she was doing him a favor even if it didn't feel like it.

"Know what else you're gonna do?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're gonna call your two sisters and tell them what the fuck is wrong with you. Rachel is gonna kick your ass too."

Jacob glared up at her. "You aren't my alpha."

Sam pulled a face that neither saw. Sure, he was technically the alpha, but it was without a doubt that Frankie was their leader — their strongest protector.

"Then get up and walk your ass to the Swan house right now," she smirked down at him. "That'll be a hell of a magic trick."

"Fuck you," he muttered, wiping the blood from his lip.

Frankie just smiled sweetly before spinning in a tight circle, her foot connecting with his face like a soccer ball, knocking the boy out completely.

☽︎

Frankie was bouncing her feet excitedly as she stared up at her best friend on stage. Mike was seated to her left and Tyler was on her right — they'd ignored the alphabetical seating chart so that they would be together. Jessica was giving her valedictorian speech and nailing it.

"When we were five they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Our answers were things like astronaut, president — or in my case a princess. When we were ten they asked us again. We answered rockstar, cowboy — or in my case a famous singer. But now that we've grown up, they want a serious answer."

"Well, how about this — who the hell knows!"

Together, Mike and Frankie brought their fingers to their lips to whistle excitedly while everyone else cheered and laughed.

"This isn't the time to make hard, fast decisions. This is the time to make mistakes, take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere, fall in love...a lot. Major in philosophy, because there's no way to make a career out of that. So make as many mistakes as you can, that way someday when they ask what we wanna be we won't have to guess, we'll know."

Though the speech was perfect, Frankie was amongst the last to get to her feet and clap. Against her will, tears formed in her eyes, wishing more than anything that she'd be going to Stanford with Jessica in the fall.

She loved the pack. She loved Emmett. But the life she was stuck in wasn't the one she'd been dreaming about since she was twelve. Jessica's speech about mistakes was just a harsh reminder of that. It didn't matter how many mistakes she made — this was her life now.

Finally, the actual graduation part began. And since Forks didn't have a large student body, it didn't take long at all to receive diplomas. Countless horrible grades and miserable nights crying over school work, but Frankie had fucking graduated.

Out in the crowd, Emmett, Rosalie, and the other Cullens all clapped for her, but no one was louder than Raylan, who was cheering at the top of his lungs while Charlie smiled proudly. On the other side of the gym, she could see Seth, Leah, and the whole pack along with Sue, and Billy, all there to watch her graduate as well. Not even the silly treaty could stop them from supporting her — Jacob was missing, for obvious reasons

As soon as the tassels were moved and their caps thrown to the sky, Frankie was wrapped up in a group hug between Jessica and Mike.

"Wait, come meet the pack," Frankie said, dragging them toward everyone from the reservation. It put a frown on Emmett's face that he wasn't the first she went to see, so he was left to sulk next to her father who was pouting as well.

"Finally!" Mike said, pumping his fist. He hadn't been back to the reservation after learning they were all werewolves, and this would be Jessica's first official introduction. Instantly, Mike bounded forward, reminding Frankie of a golden retriever as he greeted them all with a smile. "What is up, my dogs?"

"Mike," Jessica whined, rubbing her forehead. "We agreed to not say that."

"No, wait," Seth beamed. "If I were a dog, what kind would I be?"

"Beagle, hands down," Frankie said before nodding to the guys. "You all met Mike, well, you know—"

"When you could've killed him," Jared offered.

"Yeah," she said, rolling her eyes. "This is Jessica, my best friend. Sam, I think you and Paul met her back when we were still in middle school."

"Nice to meet you," Jessica said nervously. After all, a pack was more important than family. She couldn't have Frankie's pack hating her. Feeling more comfortable around women, she instantly offered Leah her hand to shake. "I'm Jess."

Though Leah wasn't a people person, Frankie was glaring at her over Jessica's shoulder, silently telling her to be nice. So, Leah shook her hand and nodded. "Leah Clearwater."

"I'm Seth!"

"Jared."

"Quil, and that's Embry."

"Hey, I'm Pa..."

No one expected for the wolf to trail off as he finished looking around the gymnasium in boredom, his eyes meeting Jessica's. He stopped breathing for a moment before taking in a scent as sweet as candy that made his heart pick up its pace. The stunning girl that'd just graduated at the top of her class was all he could see, was all that he could feel — not the usual white-hot anger that flowed through him.

"Pa? That's an interesting name," Jessica said, tilting her head cluelessly. "It's really great to meet you all. Frank tells the best stories."

"No, his name is Paul," Frankie said, smirking at the younger boy. Embry was snickering and patting him on the back. "You remember him, right."

"Oh, yeah! Hi! Well, hey, we're heading to this party at the Cullen's place if you all want to come by," Jessica found herself offering even though it wasn't her party. "It'll be a lot of fun."

"Oh, um, we don't really hang out with the Cullens," Paul said, sounding a bit nervous as he turned down the invite.

"Plus, we aren't invited," Quil added, knowing it'd be hard for Paul to be around all the Cullens when he'd only just started accepting Emmett.

But ever so social, Jessica wasn't having it. "No way. I can't go to the hottest party of the year without a date. You've gotta come."

"I'm going to the hottest party of the year without a date," Mike mumbled with a frown.

"Yeah, because you're mine and Emmett's third wheel," Frankie said, linking her arm with his. "And Paul, you should come. Embry, Quil, you guys too. I know you want to hang out with Bella again even if Jake can't come."

"And you're sure he can't come?" Embry questioned. Frankie just shot him a dark look, not swaying in her decision. He quickly nodded, knowing it was stupid to even try. "Right, I'll just give Bella his present from him then."

Not caring what the present was, Frankie just rolled her eyes and pulled her human friends away, leaving Paul to watch his Imprint run off and find her family. The three separated, and Frankie ran right to her father, who scooped her up in a big hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Frank," he said, unable to fight the grin on his face. "So goddamn proud. I know how hard you worked for this."

"Eh, I could've worked harder," she joked as he released her.

"Alright, say goodbye to the boyfriend, because we've got dinner with Charlie and Bella before that party you're going to."

☽︎

After a fun 'family' dinner at the diner, Bella and Frankie both went to the Swan house and changed into nice clothes for the party — try as she did, Alice couldn't convince Bella to wear a dress. But Frankie had on a plaid, pink, pleated skirt and a matching sweater, which pleased the physic vampire for the night, knowing she'd look nice in pictures next to Emmett.

Not that the two were in a position appropriate enough to take pictures.

Frankie forgot all about the party going on as Emmett lifted her up onto the kitchen counter and stood between her parted legs. He kissed her leisurely, one hand cupping her jaw strongly to guide her head just how he wanted. Her hand was wrapped around the tie he wore for the evening, pulling him as close as possible while her other hand gripped his side.

He could feel the warmth from her fingers as her touch slid underneath his shirt, feeling his toned abdomen and tracing the band of his boxer briefs that was just above his pants. Emmett pulled her to the very edge of the counter so that he could grind his hips against hers, earning a little moan from her.

"Fuck," he muttered against her lips. "Wanna go upstairs?"

She just nodded desperately, but it was pointless, as five seconds later, Jessica, Angela, and Bella were coming into the kitchen.

"Seriously, guys, people eat here," Angela said, frowning at them.

Bella, Frankie, and Emmett all hid their smiles, but not well enough that Jessica didn't catch them. But she could worry about it another time.

"Hey," Frankie said, pushing Emmett back a bit and sliding off the counter. "How's the party going?"

"Great, and hey," Jessica greeted, hugging Frankie. "What did you think of my speech? I forgot to ask. Too easy breezy? Too self-helpful? You hated it?"

Frankie quickly put a smile on her face, not letting on that Jessica's speech had actually brought up some negative thoughts about her future. "No, I think you pretty much nailed it. You were so smart and wise — it was hot."

"Yeah?" she asked grinning. "Thanks. It's like I was born to lead, right?"

"Most definitely," Bella said with a smile.

"Do you guys wanna go danc—"

Angela was cut off by Jessica, who instantly grabbed Frankie's wrist. "Paul came!" she squealed, unable to believe someone as hot as him accepted her invitation. "Do you think he's here for me?"

"Well, he's not here for this one," Frankie said, patting Emmett's chest playfully. "And Bell, go talk to Embry and Quil. They've missed you and have something for you."

As the two girls scurried off, Frankie then focused on Angela, offering her hand so that they could go and dance together. Emmett trailed after them happily, keeping his hands on Frankie's waist as she danced around and sang at the top of her lungs with the rest of her friends. Evidently, both she and Mike were shit dancers, which was surprising given how rhythmically gifted the wolf was.

But when a slower, more sensual song came on, Emmett stole her away, holding her close in a dark corner. Their foreheads were pressed together as they stared into each other's eyes lovingly. Frankie was much better as she was just swaying, drawing little patterns on the back of his neck with her fingertips, making shivers run down his spine.

"Happy graduation, Roman," Emmett said softly.

"Thanks for coming, Cullen," she replied, knowing it wouldn't have been as special without everyone she cared about. "And thanks for letting Paul come. I figure he'll tell Jess about the Imprint soon since she already knows about wolves."

"Which is still just insane to me," he muttered, shaking his head. Of all the people to get involved in the supernatural, Mike and Jessica were probably the worst. "They don't... I mean, not about us?"

"I figure Jess will know soon. All Imprints are told everything," she stressed. "But Mike is... Mike. He thinks you're witches."

"Damn, being a witch would be so cool."

"Right?"

"Right now, we need you to be a vampire and a wolf," Rosalie said, appearing at their sides as fast as she could without alarming the nearby humans. "Alice had a vision about Seattle. Come on."

Frankie shared a look with Emmett before following Rose to Carlisle's office. There, the whole coven along with Bella, Paul, Embry, and Quil were gathered. Bella was wearing the bracelet with a wolf charm that Jacob made her, so Frankie wondered if she'd forgiven him on some level.

"How long?" Edward asked, seeing the vision through Alice's mind.

"They'll be here in four days."

Frankie cursed under her breath. She knew there was a growing problem in Seattle, but now that they were coming to Forks, it was their problem too.

"This could turn into a blood bath," Carlisle said with a deep frown.

"Who's behind it?" Edward asked.

"I didn't see anyone I recognized. Maybe one..."

"I know his face. He's local, Riley Biers," he said. And even Bella seemed to recognize the name. Her father had been looking for him for over a year. "He didn't start this."

"Whoever did is staying out of the action," Alice noted, frustrated by the gaps.

"They must be playing with the blind spots in your vision," Carlisle told her.

"Either way, the army is coming, and there aren't enough of us to protect the town," Jasper said, sharing a look with Frankie, silently asking her the question that he didn't have to.

"Hold up. What damn army?" Paul asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Newborn vamps," Frankie told him and the others. "Sam already knows, and we weren't gonna do anything — let those leech rulers handle it. But we can't just sit by now."

"Why didn't you tell us before?" he asked, taking in deep, angry breaths.

"So that you wouldn't stupidly run off to Seattle and get yourself killed," she said flatly, knowing he'd try something like that. And Paul couldn't even argue because it was true.

"What are they after?" Embry asked.

"They were passing around Bella's scent. A red blouse. One of Frankie's flannels that was in her room too, probably thinking it was hers," Alice explained.

"Or he picked up on The Beast's scent and took it for that reason," Jasper added.

"They're after Bella?" Quil asked, looking at his friend worriedly.

"What the hell does this mean?" Paul questioned.

"It means an ugly fight. With lives lost," Carlisle answered honestly.

"No lives on our side. We're in," Frankie said, crossing her arms.

Bella stepped toward her and shook her head. "No. You'll get yourselves killed, no way."

Frankie just laughed, recalling that Bella had never seen her in a real fight. "Bell, I don't need your permission or Sam's. And Edward isn't going to fight me on this."

Bella looked helplessly at her boyfriend, who shrugged. "It means more protection for you."

"Frankie," Carlisle said, speaking softly. "I know you don't need to ask, but do you believe Sam will agree to an understanding?"

"Absolutely," she said, not even taking a second to think about it. "We're itching to kill some vampires."

"Jasper?" Carlisle then asked, knowing he was the expert on battle strategy.

Jasper stared at Frankie, picturing her wolf form in his mind. "They'll give us the numbers. And the newborns won't know they even exist. That'll give us an edge. Not to mention Frankie's scent will draw them in like a trap."

Carlisle nodded and looked back at the wolves. "We'll need to coordinate."

"Carlisle, they're gonna get hurt," Bella argued, but she was just ignored.

"We'll all need some training. Fighting newborns requires knowledge that Jasper has," Carlisle told Frankie. "You're welcome to join us."

"Name the time and place," Frankie said with a smirk.

Then the meeting was abruptly interrupted by Jessica poking her head outside. "Frank, are you guys doing werewolf stuff or vampire stuff? I asked the DJ to play some One Direction for us."

All the vampires looked at her with wide, disbelieving eyes while Frankie whirled around to face Paul. "You told her already?"

"No," he said, putting his hands up innocently. "We just danced and talked about her college plans."

"Oh, my god," Rosalie groaned, pulling on her hair. "Another human. Another fucking human."

"Jess, who told you?" Bella asked in alarm.

"Um, no one," she said, scoffing. "I have a four-point-three grade point average. I didn't need a clue board like Mike to figure it out."

"Oh, my god, he really has a clue board," Edward mumbled, seeing it in her mind.

"Well, cat's out of the bag," Frankie shrugged. "Jess, you and your family should take a vacation four days from now because an army of newborn vampires are coming to kill Bella."

Jessica's mouth fell open a bit as she looked at a sheepish Bella, unable to believe someone so quiet and withdrawn had such an exciting life. "Yeah, no, I don't, uh, wanna die. Maybe we can hit Disneyland."

☽︎

"It's gone!"

"What's gone?" Frankie asked, talking to Mike over the phone. She was sitting in the Cullen's living room with a few of the others, a smile on her face.

"The clues! The clue board is gone, Frankie!" he whined.

Frankie shared a look with Emmett and tried not to laugh. "Dude, what's a clue board?"

"What's the - what do you mean what's a clue board? I showed it to you and Jessica!"

"Mike, did you have too much to drink at the party?" she asked cautiously. Then she had to cover the speaker of the phone with her hand when Jasper and Emmett started laughing. "We never saw any kind of board."

Mike spluttered on the other end for several seconds, not knowing how to respond. And as he did so, Frankie looked at Bella and Edward, who were studying the stolen clue board in depth.

"Don't tell him I said this," Edward said, sounding highly amused, "but he's smarter than he looks. He's incredibly close."

☽︎

Frankie loomed over the rest of her pack as they approached the wide clearing where they'd be learning about newborns with the Cullens. Edward heard their thoughts seconds before their scent reached the other vampires who were waiting.

"They're here."

Frankie was the first to come out alongside Sam — sure, she trusted the Cullens but knew some of her packmates still didn't. So, she'd be leading on a united front. Though she didn't look too intimidating when Seth scrambled to her side and rubbed up against her fur.

"They don't trust us enough to be in their human forms," Edward told the others, holding back an eye-roll.

"They came. That's what matters," Carlisle told them.

From the other side of the clearing, Bella spotted Jacob's familiar red fur and smiled a bit. "Hey, Jake," she whispered, leading Frankie to believe he'd been forgiven for the kiss. Jacob almost smiled and stepped toward him, but it earned a sharp look from Sam, so he remained in place and focused.

"Will you translate?" Carlisle then asked the mindreader, who simply nodded. "Welcome. Jasper has experience with newborns. He'll teach us how to defeat them."

Frankie eyed Jasper curiously — he was the only one she'd ever seen in a remotely threatening light when he tried to kill Bella. Was that was newborns were like? Bloodthirsty and out of control? She wasn't the only wolf wondering that.

"They want to know how the newborns differ from us," Edward said aloud for them.

"They're a great deal stronger than us because their own human blood lingers in their tissues. Our kind is never more physically powerful than in our first several months of this life."

Then Carlisle nodded to Jasper, silently telling him to take over. He walked confidently to the front, staring the wolves down fearlessly. "Carlisle's right. That's why they are created. A newborn army doesn't need thousands like a human army. And no human army could stand against them. The two most important things to remember are, first, never let them get their arms around you. They'll crush you instantly. The second, never go for the obvious kill. They'll be expecting that. And you will lose."

"Emmett?" Jasper called, wanting him to demonstrate what they'd been doing earlier before the wolves arrived. "Don't hold back."

Emmett smirked at him, getting in a fighting stance. "Not in my nature."

Frankie perked up instantly, something primal and territorial wanting to see him in a fight. Her eyes didn't leave him as he charged at Jasper with impossible speed and threw him back, Frankie let out a happy yip, but it died out as Jasper was back on his feet in seconds, practically a blur as he moved. Emmett kept throwing punches his way, but Jasper would dodge them expertly. Emmett may have been stronger, but Jasper was clearly faster.

"Never lose focus," Jasper told them before tripping Emmett, making him fall. An impressive rumble sounded from all the wolves, surprised he could take down someone as strong as Emmett so quickly. Frankie huffed and sat down, putting her paws over her eyes in embarrassment, unable to believe the fight ended so quickly.

"Babe," Emmett whined, unable to believe she wouldn't look at him.

The next to go, much to Frankie's amusement because she hated one of them for leaving Bella alone in the woods to freeze to death, were Carlisle and Edward. When Edward lunged at Carlisle, he went low, sliding beneath him. Then they charged again, grappling with the other. Every attack Carlisle tried to make was anticipated by the mind reader. When Edward pinned Carlisle to the ground, it shook beneath him. Frankie grumbled, not happy that Edward seemingly won — his ego could be knocked down a few pegs in her opinion.

Edward stood and looked at Jasper, expecting his praise. But that's not what he got. "One more thing."

Then without any kind of warning, Carlisle was back on his feet and tackling Edward. She couldn't help but snicker, it sounding horrid coming from her snout, as Jasper rolled his eyes, unable to believe the mindreader was caught off guard so easily. "Never turn your back on your enemy."

Everyone had to take a turn fighting Jasper, and though she lost, Rosalie was surprisingly fast and agile. Edward was the fastest runner, but she was the fastest fighter by far. Even still, Jasper was a pro at dodging attacks. No one could touch him, much to Frankie's surprise. It made her wonder where he learned how to do all this, as the other Cullens were mostly pacifistic.

When it was Alice's turn, it was more of a dance than a fight in Frankie's opinion. Alice would flit around him on her toes, twirling out of the way anytime he made a move. At one point, he grabbed her shoulders, but Frankie was fairly certain she let him do that. Jasper smirked and leaned in for a kiss, only for her to get free effortlessly and disappear. Frankie couldn't spot her at all, which frustrated her. Instead, she sniffed her out and saw her up in a tree seconds before she dropped, landing on his back. She sweetly kissed him, effectively the only one to win against Jasper because of her visions.

Jasper continued to show various moves that would be useful against the newborns. Each of the wolves watched, not taking their attention off of him. Even if they hated what he was, they respected him in that moment.

And though it was agreed that none of the wolves would fight the Cullens that day, Frankie wasn't bound to the same order. She stepped up after Esme's fight with Jasper, letting out a low huff as she pat her paw on the ground to get everyone's attention — not that it was hard given her imposing size.

"Frankie wants a turn," Edward said, smirking a little bit. "Though she's too big for a newborn to even get their arms around properly."

"Alright, I've got this, Roman," Emmett said with a cocky smirk, stepping up to spar. But Frankie just rolled her eyes and pushed him back, her snout on his chest.

Edward laughed. "She says she wants a real challenge."

Emmett's jaw dropped in mock offense as a grinning Jasper faced her. Yes, Frankie was so big that it was almost terrifying — faster and stronger too. But all wolves fought in the same, aggressive way, and Frankie was no exception.

So, when she made the first move, charging for him, he expected it and dodged out of the way, making her skid into a tree. Getting quickly frustrated, she spun around and jumped at Jasper, who wasn't fast enough this time. The two fell to the ground, Jasper trying and failing to get his arms around her as she bit at him — not hard enough to rip any limbs off, of course. Though when he slammed her into the ground, she didn't feel bad about headbutting him so hard that his forehead cracked.

It dazed him for a moment, giving her the opportunity to flip their positions. To assert her dominance over him, she let out a loud, commanding growl, making him flinch back into the dirt. She held her open mouth over his neck, teeth inches away from ripping his head off. It was then that he tapped out, knowing he wouldn't win a fight against her.

And as Bella watched her powerful friend, for the first time, she wasn't worried. Something in her told her that nothing bad could happen to her while Frankie was around. Maybe everyone would make it out of this battle unscathed after all.