Red Room ₪ Breaking Dawn Fanfiction

𝐀 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧

Chapter Three — 𝐀 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧

"Hands filled with the bloom of desire, hands in which one feels a dagger never seen, hands in which one can see an intangible scepter;"

— Delmira Agustini, from Selected Poetry: Poetics of Eros; My Loves.

"Are you going to tell me more about being a skinwalker?" Leah asked, easing down onto the log beside me, her voice barely above the crackling sound of the fire. The light danced on her face, shadows softening the sharpness that usually lived in her expression.

I leaned back, watching the flames curl and sway. "The tribes all have a well-kept secret," I said slowly. "Some call them shapeshifters, others call them skinwalkers. The terminology varies depending on who you ask. But what doesn't change is this, they've always existed, tucked into the roots of our stories, our blood."

She was quiet, listening intently, her eyes reflecting the flames. I took a slow breath and continued.

"They're a collection of black bears, hawks, eagles, mountain lions, wolverines, crows, owls... and, of course, wolves. The wolves are the most common, our blood seems to resonate with them more than the others. The reasons behind that are as varied as the tribes themselves. Some say the wolves are protectors, others say they are born from vengeance. Either way, the bond runs deep."

Leah tilted her head. "But what makes a skinwalker different from a shapeshifter like us?"

"Skinwalkers," I said, choosing my words carefully, "can shift into any animal at will. Not just wolves. They're not bound to one form. We're talking full transformation, claws, feathers, wings, fangs. Everything. Skinwalkers are often seen as witches or medicine women. The Navajo word is yee naaldlooshii. It means, with it, he goes on all fours. But it's deeper than just changing shape. It's spiritual. It's ancient. It's inherited."

Leah's eyebrows drew together in thought. "And they're only women?"

"Yes," I said. "Only women can carry the skinwalker gene. It passes through the maternal line, usually dormant unless activated by trauma, grief or transformation. That's why you phased. You inherited the gene from both sides of your family. You're not just a wolf, you're something powerful."

She glanced down at her hands, flexing her fingers like she was imagining claws tipping the ends. "So, what you're saying is... I can shift into anything?"

I nodded. "Any animal. Or person. In very rare cases, a skinwalker can steal a face and shift into another human entirely. It's dangerous. It's draining. But it can be done. The trick is not just knowing what the creature or person looks like. You have to study them, understand their energy. You have to share space with them. Let your soul breathe their breath."

Leah was quiet again, and I knew she was processing it. It was a lot. It had been a lot for me too, back when I discovered it. The idea that my skin could become something else that my bones could break and reform into feathers or fur, depending on what I willed, it had once terrified me. Now, it was second nature.

"Will you teach me?" she asked, finally looking at me.

I smiled. "I'll teach you everything I know, Leah."

She exhaled, the tension in her shoulders loosening just a little. "I'm glad you're back," she said softly.

"Me too," I replied, nudging her knee with mine. "I missed you."

Leah didn't respond immediately. She just stared into the fire, the shadows flickering across her sharp cheekbones. After a moment, her voice softened again.

"There's something I want to ask you, Thea."

I turned toward her. "What is it?"

She hesitated. "Can we have children?"

That caught me off guard, not because I hadn't considered the question before, but because it was her asking. And because the answer was complicated.

"Yes," I said gently. "But it won't be easy. You have to be in control of your shift."

She frowned. "Meaning what?"

"Meaning," I explained, "you have to stop phasing. Not forever, but long enough. The wolf can't share space with a child. Your body has to be fully human. Stable. Peaceful. If you can go a month or two without shifting, without triggering the transformation... you could carry a child."

Leah looked away, her expression unreadable.

"But that also means," I continued, "you have to let go of the pain and anger inside you, Leah. You have to heal."

"It's not easy," she whispered.

"I know," I said, scooting a little closer, letting our arms brush. "Trust me, I know."

She was silent again. I let her be. Sometimes silence was more comforting than words. The fire crackled between us, spitting sparks into the air. The woods felt ancient around us, watching, listening.

"I've spent so long angry," Leah said suddenly. "Angry that Sam left me. Angry that Emily betrayed me. Angry that I was the only girl who phased. I felt like I was being punished. Like life had singled me out and carved all this pain into my chest."

I reached over and took her hand. She didn't pull away.

"I thought that too," I whispered. "But maybe we weren't cursed. Maybe we were chosen."

"Chosen for what?"

"To protect. To change things. To break the mold. To remind the world that women carry power too. More than they know."

Leah turned toward me, her eyes glossy in the firelight. "Do you ever think about it? Having kids?"

"Sometimes," I admitted. "But I also think about legacy. About who we're becoming and what we'll leave behind. Whether we have children or not, what matters is what we do with the power we've been given."

Leah nodded slowly. "I don't want to be angry anymore."

"Then don't be."

"It's not that easy, Thea."

"I didn't say it was. But it is worth it."

We sat there for a long time after that, shoulder to shoulder, listening to the fire's quiet song and the wind moving through the trees. Two skinwalkers, two women made of fury and magic finally letting the silence hold something other than pain.

In that moment, I wasn't a monster or a weapon. I was a teacher. A sister. A promise.

And maybe, just maybe, Leah was starting to believe it too.