I huffed as soon as we were on the road. Both in a sigh of annoyance and relief.

"That's got to be a record for most dramatic first day ever." Seth said with humor in his voice.

"I gave him a 'you think' look before focusing back on the road.

"What even happened back there?" I asked.

"I was going to ask you the same thing." He countered. "I've never seen you look like that. I know you have a temper but never anything like that."

I frowned. That much was true. My werewolf temper had come out to play today making me even more hot headed than usual. And Seth hadn't seen me like that because I spent most of my days after my transformation with Sam who took the brunt of my unleashed anger until I could get it under control.

"First time for everything." I mumbled. And I had a sickened feeling that Aro wasn't finished with me yet and that round two was on the horizon. His pride wasn't going to let this go. "What happened?"

Seth blew out a breath from the passenger seat. "Exactly what Angela had said. I ran into her in the hallway and offered to walk her out when those football players grabbed my the collar and pinned me to back of the truck talking about how I was going to give you a message for them." My hands tightened around the steering wheel as I grew agitated again. "They never even said what the message was." It's because he was the message. I had hurt Aro's ego and his chances of playing this weekend when I stepped on his toes and he was getting back at me by messing with my brother.

Man, he was like a Grade-A asshole.

"I can hear you gritting your teeth from over here." Seth exclaimed. "Relax, I'm fine. You were there as soon as it happened and believe it or not I can take care of myself."

I gave him a dubious look. "Against five guys?"I questioned.

His lips thinned. "Yeah well, I kind of got the impression that an unfair fight is how they roll. I'm just glad Angela is alright and didn't get hurt."

"Yeah...." I paused. "About that. Since when was there a 'you and Angela'. You know she is older than you right."

"Only by a year." He quickly reiterated. Wow, he had found out her age and was offering to walk her out all in one day. How bold of him. I was kind of impressed.

"Sounds like my little brother is all grown up." I teased watching him grow flustered which was improving my mood drastically. "You have your first crush and everything."

I laughed as he lightly punched me in the shoulder playfully. "What about you? Who was that guy you were with showing up like a knight in shining armor?" I chewed the inside of my cheek.

I sighed. "He is no one." My chest hollowed out after the words left my mouth. I didn't like feeling it or thinking what that meant. My confusing feelings aside, I didn't want Seth near them. "I met him in Biology." I said in faint disinterested when in all aspects I was very interested indeed.

I slowly pulled into the driveway. We had made it back too quick because I still didn't know what to say about today. I absently chewed my lip.

Seth made a move to exit the vehicle when I called out to him. He turned back giving me a curious look as I hadn't made a move to get up.

"I hate to ask this of you, really I do." I mumbled, fidgeting with my hands. "But don't say anything to mom and dad about what happened today. I'm not asking you to lie, just don't bring it up. They'll worry needlessly for nothing because I will handle this and make sure it doesn't repeat itself."

Seth looked thoughtful before meeting my eyes. "I agree. Mom would freak and we would be back to the school on the Res by tomorrow. And that is the last thing I want." He whispered, absently rubbing the back of his neck.

He was right. Regardless of my duty to my kind or that the Elders asked this of me, they would be outvoted by the dominant woman that was my mother when she wanted her way. Or when it came to protecting her children.

And I couldn't let that happen. I needed to watch out for the humans, for my people and in a way, I needed to watch out for the vampires. 

Something seemed amiss about them. I was always led to believe that they were our enemy because they were ruthless, evil parasites sent to destroy and yet, today, it seemed the opposite.

Edward had jumped in regardless of risk or exposure to help me when he thought I might be in trouble. Had that been a facade? Was I that naive and had mistaken his help to be genuine when it wasn't?

I shook my head and let out a breath as I shut the truck door behind me. I needed to stick around until I figured it out and knew for certainty.

Because I had a sinking suspicion that Billy was letting years of prejudice from their kind be the leading instigator in his tactics on how to handle them and I didn't want to go to war with the wrong people on a hunch.

For both my people's sake and the vampires.

"And Bella," Seth spoke bringing me out of my musings. He was almost at the porch while I was facing the woods fixing to go meet up with pack.  His smile took up his whole face. "That was the best first day ever." 

I grinned.  

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I had a migraine. I wasn't used to having multiple members in the pack or so many thoughts that weren't my own bouncing around in my head. Sam wasn't great at keeping his thoughts to himself but Jared and Paul were down right terrible at controlling them. 

All the noise in my head made it hard to concentrate or even hear my own thoughts. I had never been more grateful for my mind to be silent.

I knew they hated it because it embarrassed them and allowed me to hide things when they couldn't. Like right now when I I was lying through my teeth about what occurred today.

Being in wolf form gave me an edge, they couldn't hear my thoughts nor see my real eyes for deception. The real challenge would be tonight when I had my meeting with the Elders.

I cringed again from the sheer volume of Paul's thoughts. 'I wish I had been there. I'd tear them to pieces.' He snarled.

'For what.' I barked. 

His ears perked up. 'I don't need a reason. I know what they are.' How, he had never met them, didn't even know about them? All he had to go on was the opinion of the Elders and our ancestors. But I liked to make my own decisions and not be ruled and pass judgement by following others. A sympathy only I shared apparently.

I had to dig deep for the control Sam had taught me to keep my muzzle from peeling back to reveal my teeth. I could feel the growl working it's way through my chest.

'That's pretty cold blooded.' Jared admitted but I could hear the blatant humor in this thoughts.

'It's thoughts like those that make you no better than them Paul if you kill mercilessly for no reason.' 

'Oh, I have a reason. They are animals and I will put them down like one.'

Sam seemed to stand taller and I knew he agreed with Paul. Battle fever was settling in them.

My snout could smell it in the air.

'It's only a matter of time before they slip up.' Jared stated. 

Sam appeared beside me. His thick, black, fur coat blocking most of the wind raising my hackles. 'And Bella will be there to catch them in the act.'

They acted like it was written in stone. I didn't believe that. No matter what happened to us or how it changes what we are, that didn't have to dictate who we are. We all had a choice, we still get to decide what we will be. Because if not then I would never be anything more than an animal. A werewolf. A killer.

I could hear the wariness in my tone when I spoke. 'You might be waiting awhile. They keep to themselves as far as I could tell. The Cullen's seemed to want to be as normal as everyone else.'

'But they're not normal!' Sam growled, my migraine intensified.

'Are we?' I countered.

'Cmon Bella, it's different with them and you know it.' Jared said.

Paul's teeth were becoming more and more visible as the conversation went on showing how riled up he was getting. 

 'They're dangerous. They have no control!!' He seethed as he approached me.

'And you do!' I said stepping right up to him, not willing to back down. Our noses touched. Paul looked ready to snap. 'You are demonstrating my point right now. You have no control of this other side of you, it's made you helpless. That day you shifted for the first time, if Jared had been human you would have killed him, lost to the madness that overcame you when you were fighting and he would have done the same to you bef....'

'That's enough!!' Sam commanded. His voice was like a boombox at full volume when he did that showcasing that he was the Alpha and we obeyed him. Paul whined softly.

My head went down to the ground where my paws were leaving ruts in the dirt. They had been the only thing keeping me from taking a bite out of Paul. 

'We aren't each other's enemy. The enemy is out there.' I grit my teeth. I said nothing. Sam continued. 'Whether we are ready or not, steady or out of control, if they hurt someone, we will take that whole family out.'

I turned away, feeling sick.

I started to head back. Without the others but their thoughts were my constant, unwelcome companion. Paul was still pissy currently clawing at a tree to let off his steam. He didn't think I had the right to talk to him that way and liked even less the control Sam had over him. Join the club.

I made it back to my house ready to shift back when Sam called out for me.

'I know this is hard for you Bella, being uprooted from your old life, a new school, accepting who you are now but that doesn't change that this is our duty. I don't know what it is like for you, being the only girl to phase, feeling like you don't belong. I can't imagine the fear you feel having to be surrounded by vampires at a school all day over a war that are ancestors made that you don't even believe in. But this is your life now, you are one of us and we need you.'

My eyes shuddered closed. 'Then don't make me a murderer.'

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Thank you so much for reading. Vote and comment if you liked. Look out for a bonus chapter tomorrow.