❝ HUMAN ❞ ── Carlisle Cullen ✓

chapter forty-two ▬▬▬ council meeting crasher

      ━━━━━ ELLIE STOOD NEXT to Edward and Bella, just as Jacob came out of the house walking down the steps. The brunette looked at Jacob watching him come to a stop in front of them.

"Whoever it was, he left his stink behind. It'll be hard to miss when we cross it again. We'll handle it from here." Jacob said, looking at Edward.

"We don't need you to handle anything." Edward told him.

Ellie rolled her eyes, it was extremely annoying at the way the two would always go at it, competing against each other to be the better man. She walked away from the love triangle and on cue Astrid pulled up to the house in her car. Ellie smiled at her friend, watching her climb out of the driver's side after turning off her car.

"What's going on?" Astrid asked as she looked at the three of them, stopping the argument between them.

"They're just talking about the coming days. Please, tell me you're staying here for a while? Carlisle, he just doesn't want me alone and I don't know how he feels about the whole wolf thing. I'm not sure if he likes Max or not." Ellie explained, staring at Astrid who took in the information.

"Yeah, I'll be staying with you." Astrid responded, smiling at her.

"Good." Ellie said as she walked past Edward, Jacob, and Bella heading into the house.

A few hours later, Ellie and Astrid stood next to Jacob as they waited for Bella and Edward to arrive. "So, does Bella know what is going down tonight?" Ellie asked, looking over at Jacob.

"No, she doesn't know yet. But don't worry I'll tell her, when she gets here." Jacob replied.

"Is Max going to be there?" Ellie asked him.

Jacob nodded watching as a truck drove by them. Edward pulled his car to a stop turning it off and the two exited out of the car.

"Doesn't he own a shirt?" Edward asked, looking at him as Bella stopped in front of the car.

Ellie snickered at the comment causing Jacob to give her a look. Ellie looked over at Astrid, right as Edward moved closer to Bella kissing her. Ellie and Astrid turned around climbing into the car.

"So, what do you want to do today? Bike, hike, just hang? Your call. But we're going to a party tonight." Jacob said.

He climbed into the car, turning it on. Bella climbed in after him, Jacob pulled off the side of the road heading back to his place.

✦

Ellie walked next to Astrid who stood on the other side of Jacob. "Are you sure this is okay?" Bella asked as the four of them walked towards the campfire.

"I really hate being a party crasher. And I feel like El, feels the same way." Bela said, looking over at her.

"No, I don't." Ellie simply replied, smiling at her adoptive sister.

"Technically, you're a council meeting crasher. And El already knows about this meeting." Jacob told Bella. "You see? The council leaders, dad, Quil's grandpa and Sue Clearwater. She took over for Harry when he died." Jacob finished explaining.

He looked over at Ellie who had a sadden look resting on her face. Even before she knew about vampires and werewolves she was close with Harry, Sue, Billy, and Sam. And later on she became close with the others that joined the pack and that included Emily.

Up until she started hanging out with the vampires, her and Emily were inseparable and she had been there when Sam attacked Emily. However, Ellie jumped in front of Emily which in the end caused a little less damage to Emily.

But the two still had their own scars, and neither of them really like to talk about it. Bella still didn't know that had happened to her, eventually one day she knew that she would tell her adoptive sister.

"Okay, I should not be here." Bella said, causing the other three to come to a stop, looking back at her.

"You're okay. I thought... I mean, they thought it would be good for you and Astrid to hear the histories. El's, only here cause she wanted to hear the histories again." Jacob told her.

"I do love history." Ellie said, smiling brightly and earning a weird look.

"The histories? The tribe's histories? Aren't they secret?" Bella asked him.

"We all got a role to play, and you're part of this, along with Ellie and Astrid." Jacob informed her. "I mean, it's the first time Seth, Leah and Quil will hear them, too."

Ellie wrapped her arms with Astrid's as the two started walking towards the group, Max came up to them with a smile on his face.

"About time you two showed up." Max said, Jacob and Bella following behind them.

Ellie placed her eyes on Seth as he ran past them, she then moved over to Max pulling him into a hug. Max hugged her back, then the two removed and he walked over to Astrid while Ellie walked up behind Billy also giving him a hug.

Then she made her way over to Sue giving her a hug, and she gave one to Leah who was hesitant in hugging her back. Ellie knew that Leah was dealing with everything that had happened to her in the last few weeks. Both Astrid and Max sat down next Sam, Ellie moved away from them heading over to Max and Astrid.

"The Quileutes have been a small tribe from the beginning, but we have always had magic in our blood. We were great spirit warriors, shape-shifters that transformed into the powerful wolf. This enabled us to scare off our enemies and protect our tribe. One day, our warriors came across a creature. It looked like a man, but it was hard like stone and close as ice. Our warriors' sharp teeth finally tore it apart, but only fire would completely destroy it. They lived in fear that the cold man was not alone. And they were right." Billy said, looking at everyone individually.

"She took her vengeance out on the village. Our elder chief, Taha Aki, was the only spirit warrior left to save the tribe after his son was killed. Taha Aki's third wife could see that he would lose. The third wife was no magical being, with no special powers, but one, courage. The third wife's sacrifice distracted the cold woman, long enough for Taha Aki to destroy her. She saved the tribe." Billy spoke explaining their history.

Even though she had heard the story numerous times before she still enjoyed it every time. Ellie rested her head on Max's shoulder watching as Billy continued on, Astrid seemed to be interested in the story as well even though it was her first time hearing it.

"Over time, our enemies have disappeared. But one remains, the cold ones. Our magic awakens when they're near, and we sense it now. We feel the threat in our blood. Something terrible is coming, and we must all be ready, all of us." Billy said looking between Bella and Ellie, she knew that Billy was telling the truth on that, because she could feel it.