CHAPTER 34
THE THIRD WIFE

IT was a nice sight for Margo to see Jacob parked outside her house the next morning. She smiled wide at the shiny, red Rabbit, glistening in the morning sun. Margo's teeth tore into a piece of toast as she stared out the window, her lips pulling into a grin. She turned from the window, meeting her aunt's knowing eyes when she looked up from her newspaper. Jenny lifted her brow before moving over to the window, glancing outside to spot Jacob leaning against the Rabbit. She viewed back to her niece with a wide smirk.

"Wipe that off your face," Margo said with a shake of her head. She folded her toast together and began to munch on it. "I'll give you a fun fact to distract you. Did you know –"

Jenny chuckled, choosing to interrupt the fact with her own question. "When did little Jacob Black get so ripped? He suddenly looks ten years older!"

Margo rolled her eyes and ignored the question. Jenny knew why, especially with her new information from Billy. Margo guessed it just never clicked until now for her how much the first phasing changed Jacob's body structure. It was shock to Margo too. She remembered the day he came to her birthday party, sporting a brand new height. That time felt so long ago, and Jacob seemed to be growing every day.

"He hasn't been around for a bit," Jenny observed, sneaking another glance out the window. "I'm guessing he freaked out about your college plans. He's definitely gonna miss you, Mar."

More than you know, Margo thought to herself.

"Yeah," she replied after a pause. "We're okay now. Nothing to worry about."

Jenny nodded slowly, reminding herself that everything happened for a reason. Nothing could get in the way of Margo's dreams, and her dreams involved getting an education at her dream school. She just hoped Jacob now understood the same.

"I gotta go," Margo muttered, stuffing the rest of her toast in her mouth. She placed the dish in the sink before waving goodbye to Jenny. "Bye now!"

"See you later," Jenny waved back. "Oh, hey! Tell Jacob to stop howling outside the window at night!"

Margo rolled her eyes and chuckled as she closed the front door behind her. When the door closed, she watched Jacob's head snap to her, and a warm smile engulfed his features. With the sunlight shining down on him, he looked like a painting from the Renaissance era. Her very own Michelangelo piece.

Jacob strode forward with his arms out. They tugged herself forward, like a gravitational pull, as he hugged her tightly. "Hey, Mar," he breathed into her hair.

Margo had never felt more at peace in that moment, just knowing that everything was okay. She didn't know if they were going to talk about it, but she was happy that he was content now. He had never hugged her so tightly in that moment. Margo buried her head in his chest, closing her eyes and inhaling his musky scent. "Hey, Jake," she finally said.

"I missed you." His breath fanned her skin before he kissed her forehead.

The kiss felt like the sun burning it rays onto her skin, but she enjoyed it. "I missed you too."

He eventually leaned away, leading her to the passenger side door. He opened it for her as she slid in. Jacob sat himself on the driver's side and carefully backed out of the driveway. Margo swore she saw her aunt grinning in the kitchen window.

She set her backpack at her feet and breathed out a sigh of relief. Margo met Jacob's eyes for a moment, and he smiled big before lacing their hands together. He kissed her fingers as he looked back to the road.

Margo felt resurrected, like she was on a whole new planet. Everything felt better and new, as if they were starting fresh. But, like usual, Margo felt the need to ruin a perfectly good moment. She needed to ask if things were truly okay now. Margo wanted to feel completely relieved, and she'd only know that by asking. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"I know what you're going to ask," Jacob said, lips tugging into a soft smile as he stopped at an intersection. He turned to her confused expression. "We can figure things out soon, Mar. No rush. Everything is okay."

Margo's brow lifted as she pursed her lips. "You're not mad at me?"

"I could never be angry with you, Margo Richards." His grip on her fingers tightened. "You complete me."

She closed her eyes, releasing a quiet breath of relief. They were okay. No need to worry.

"I just needed sometime to think. You know, its a wolf thing."

Margo shook her head. "No," she replied softly, "its just a Jacob thing." That earned a laugh from him.

"It was difficult juggling my own thoughts and what's going on with Bella right now. It made me busy the whole week." He pulled into the Forks high school parking lot, shifting his car into park mode near the entrance. Jacob turned to Margo, noticing her questionable features. "It seems that there is a large group of bloodsuckers tailing Bella. A scent was left in her room and I sniffed it out. Definitely, one of those fresh, new leeches."

"Oh, my god," Margo whispered. Her eyes went narrow. "She didn't even tell me about it."

Jacob shrugged. "She's too freaked out about it to face it, I think. She has been clinging onto Edward more than usual." He sighed, looking out the passenger side window to see Bella and Edward arriving at school. "The pack and I agreed to help the Cullens protect her and Charlie. I'm not particularly on good terms with her at the moment, but ..." He shook his head. "I don't know. Everyone's post-graduation plans are kind of a lot for me right now."

Margo huffed softly, squeezing Jacob's hand laced with her own. Ever so casually, she leaned onto his shoulder and laid her head down. He propped his cheek on top of her head, staring out the windshield as hoards of students made their way into the high school.

"But ... no time to worry about that now," Jacob finally said, sitting up. His eyes met Margo's with a smile. "All I care about is you, and that you're here with me."

For the first time in a few months, Margo felt utterly content.

•••

Graduation seemed to come like a whirlwind. The big day was just two weeks away, and Margo spent night after night trying to simply finish her valedictorian speech. She never knew that it would be this hard just to end her message. Thankfully, she had finished most of her finals. All she had left was a final paper for her English class, but here she was, sitting at the dinner table and skimming over her speech for the fiftieth time.

Margo groaned, hitting her head against the table while throwing her speech to the side. Her aunt's homemade spaghetti sauce filled her nostrils, which created yet another distraction for her. Margo ran a hand through her hair as Jenny placed a hand on her shoulder from behind. She looked over her niece's shoulder, trying to peer at the words. "Still can't finish it?" She asked.

"No," Margo muttered, resting her chin on her fist. "This is so hard. This shouldn't be difficult!"

Jenny kissed the top of her niece's head before returning back to the stove. "You've got a lot on your mind. Relax a bit."

Margo shrugged. She did have a point. Even though most of her exams were over, she still had a boatload of other things to worry about, including her speech. There was also the threat of new clan of vampires coming for Bella. Don't forget there was still a serial killer on the loose in Seattle, apparently. Oh, and the fact that she'd be leaving Jacob for university in just a few months, which would cause him to live in a painful agony until her next holiday weekend. Things were just peachy in the good ol' town of Forks.

"But ..." Margo sighed, her shoulder falling down with defeat. "If I don't finish this, then I wont be able to focus on –"

She suddenly stopped her ramble when a bright light invaded her vision. It came from the kitchen window, causing both Margo and Jenny to approach it. Margo became increasingly worried as she watched a new set of headlights pull into the driveway. Her anxiety spiked up once she thought that it might be some vampire from that group Jacob warned her about. She thought about calling him, or grabbing for a knife, even though they would do no good against an immortal.

But Margo found her worries washing away as the headlights revealed her boyfriend's figure in the darkness. "Its just Jacob," she muttered once the Rabbit's lights went out. Margo laughed nervously and pointed toward her aunt. "You know, you looked pretty worried right there."

Jenny rolled her eyes as her niece went to the front door. "Yeah, I was the worried one."

Margo opened the door to see her boyfriend shaking the drizzle from his hair. He turned around, grinning her way before pressing a quick kiss to her lips. Margo leaned away, cocking a brow upward. "What are you doing here? I'm about to have dinner with my aunt."

"Stay if you want to, Jacob! I'm making spaghetti!" Jenny called from the kitchen.

"You know I'm the type of guy to never turn down a homemade meal," Jacob said, striding inside and closing the door, "but we have plans tonight."

Margo crossed her arms over her chest. "We? I have to eat dinner and finish my speech. Those are my plans."

"Not tonight, Mar," he smiled big. "We're going to a party tonight – well, more like a council meeting. Call it what you will."

"That doesn't sound like a good idea." She shook her head. "You told me once that council meetings were important for the tribe. I don't think I should be going to one."

Jacob walked forward and took her hands in his own. "Margo, you're an imprintee, making you just as important as everyone else. Besides, my dad requested it. I – he ... thought it would be good for you to hear the histories."

Margo sighed, frowning at him before eventually nodding her head. "Jenny," she called, which caused her aunt to turn, "looks like no spaghetti for me tonight. Save some for me to heat up when I get home."

Jenny sent her a thumbs up. "Will do," she nodded, turning back to the heavenly-scented tomato sauce. As Jacob helped Margo put on her jacket, Jenny spun back to the teenagers. "Don't stay out too late tonight, kids. Heard there's a full moon tonight. Don't want you running into any werewolves!"

Jacob held open the front door for his girlfriend. "We gotta get out of here before she cracks another wolf joke," he muttered.

Margo turned as she began to descend the front steps. "You can never escape them. Trust me."

•••

"Are you sure its okay for me to be here?" Margo asked quietly as she exited the Rabbit.

The night sky was especially dark tonight, and Margo was half sure she heard a few howls in the distance. The stars were bright, reflecting in Jacob's eyes when she looked at him. Up ahead, Margo spotted a small group of people circled around a tall bonfire. Once she got out of the car, Margo quickly walked by her boyfriend, lacing her arm through his.

"We all got a role to play, Mar," Jacob replied, "and you're part of this. As an imprintee, you should know the histories of the tribe." He pointed to the group several feet from them. "My dad said its supposed to be a good meeting tonight. He's one of the council leaders, as well as Quil's grandpa and Sue Clearwater. She took over for Harry when he died."

"I'm just ..." Margo rubbed her sweaty palms together as they neared the council. "I'm just nervous. I feel like an outsider."

Jacob stopped their walking and faced her closely. He put one hand on her shoulder and the other below her chin, tipping it upward. "You're not an outsider. You're just as important as anyone here." He leaned in and pressed a small kiss to her lips. Margo thought his mouth tasted like Coca Cola. "And I mean ... you're not the only one who hasn't heard these histories. This is the first time Seth, Leah, and Quil will hear them too."

Margo nodded her head slowly. As she stared at his glowing eyes, she made sure to cherish this moment, as if she could take a snap shot in her mind to remember forever. She didn't want a sight like this to fade, and it was a good thing she had a photographic memory. Jacob smiled, and Margo simply wanted to kiss him for having the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. His eyes crinkled at the edges, making his dimples pop. His skin felt like a lit stove, but she wanted to feel it forever.

"Jake!"

A simple call ruined their treasured moment. Margo hadn't even noticed that they had both leaned in to kiss each other again, but they stopped and turned at the sound of another voice. It was a younger boy, with skinny, fast legs and a big-toothed grin. He ran for Jacob, bumping himself into him like a little brother would. "Hey, hey," Jacob laughed, shoving the young boy away.

"It's about time you got here!" The boy exclaimed. "Paul's been hovering the grub, but I saved you some burgers."

Margo's stomach suddenly grumbled at that statement. "Burgers sound really good right now," she whispered in Jacob's ear.

"Good looking out," Jacob replied to the boy before gesturing to his girlfriend. "Margo, this is Seth Clearwater, Leah's brother. Newest member of the pack."

Margo reached forward and grabbed Seth's hand to shake it. "You're the Margo. Newest imprintee, right? Looks like we got something in common." He chuckled heartily. "I'm the newest, bestest, brightest –"

"And slowest," Jacob muttered before smacking him upside the head. Margo laughed as the two began to wrestle, but Jacob obviously overpowered Seth, due to size.

A whistle caused the two to separate. Seth slapped Jacob's shoulders a couple times and sprinted towards the bonfire. "C'mon! Your dad's about to start, and I think your girlfriend doesn't want to miss getting burgers."

Margo nudged Jacob in the side. "He's right, and I'm not afraid to fight Paul to get them."

After throwing out a few fighting words towards Paul, Margo got what she wanted: a toasty, hot cheeseburger in her hands. Despite the tomato making the cheeseburger a bit soggy, Margo happily enjoyed it after having to skip out on dinner with Jenny.

She sat on a log in between Jacob and Seth, smiling towards Billy when they made eye contact. He looked happy to see her there. She recognized Jared sitting with a girl right across from them, and Quil and Embry off to the side. Leah sat alone, casting stone-cold eyes towards the fire. Paul sat with Sam and Emily, whom Jacob said was the copy reporter for the evening. A journal with several filled pages sat on her legs. Margo wiped her hands on a napkin after finishing her burger, and Billy cleared his throat to start.

"The Quileutes have been a small tribe from the beginning, but we've always had magic in our blood." Billy spoke clearly and defiantly, looking at each shifter around the circle. "We were great spirit warriors ... Shape shifters, that transform into the powerful wolf. This enabled us to scare off our enemies and protect our tribe. All the stories tell us that it was no easy thing to be a spirit warrior. It was more frightening than exhilarating to be freed from one's body. This is why they only used their magic in times of need.

"Many years after the succession of our tribe and the rise of the spirit warriors, trouble began in the north amongst the Makah tribe. Several young women of their tribe had disappeared, and they blamed it on the neighboring wolves. The Quileutes offered their help and went searching, however, all they found was something they had never encountered before – a strange, sweet scent in the forest that burned their noses. Half of the pack that went on the search didn't come back.

"A year later, two Makah maidens disappeared in the same night, and once again, the Quileute wolves were called. They went back into the forest, and our warriors came across a creature. It looked like a man, but it was hard like stone and cold as ice. He was surrounded by the two Makah women, one dead and the other being drained alive by the man."

Margo blinked rapidly, remembering the words, cold one and Apotamkin. The memories came in flashes, and suddenly, she was on the beach again. The day she first met Jacob Black.

Honestly, he had said, it's a stupid, scary story.

Billy watched the sparks from the bonfire invade the air as he paused. "Our warriors' sharp teeth, finally tore it apart, but only fire would completely destroy it. They called it the Cold One, the Blood Drinker." He shook his head. "They lived in fear. The Cold Man was not alone. And they were right.

"The stories say that the Cold Woman was the most beautiful thing human eyes had ever seen. Although, when she angry, she looked exactly like what she was made to be. She took her vengeance out on the village for her mate. Our elder chief, Taha Aki, was the only spirit warrior left to save the tribe, after his son was killed. He fiercely ran forward to kill the Cold Woman.

"The Third Wife of Taha Aki was smarter than any other in the tribe. She watched her husband fight, and she had no hope that he could win against the Cold Woman. She could see that he would lose, even as a wolf."

Margo laced her right arm through Jacob's left, drawing him near, even though the fire was enough heat. She remembered the name, Taha Aki, from her research when she first thought Jacob to be a werewolf. She knew the descendants of Taha Aki were born with twenty four chromosomal pairs rather than the twenty three pairs of a normal human, but she never thought his name would come up again. This meant everyone around be bonfire had to be descendants of the great spirit warrior.

"The Third Wife was no magical being, no special powers, but one: courage." Billy smiled softly. "The Third Wife ran toward the Cold Woman with a dagger raised high. The Cold Woman smiled, barely afraid of the tiny human as she was about to deliver the death blow to Taha Aki.

"And then the Third Wife did something the Cold Woman did not expect. She fell to her knees at the blood drinker's feet and plunged the knife into her own heart. The Cold Woman could not resist the lure of fresh blood, and instinctively turned to the dying woman, consumed by thirst.

"The Third Wife's sacrifice distracted the Cold Woman, long enough for Taha Aki to destroy her. She saved the tribe." Billy paused, taking a moment to breathe as he reflected on their brutal history with the cold ones. "Over time, our enemies have disappeared. But one remains ... the Cold Ones. Our magic awakens when they near, and we sense it now. We feel the threat in our blood."

Margo tried to piece together the relevance of Billy telling this particular story. But then her mind reverted to Seattle – in a state of terror. Theories range from a vicious, new gang to a wildly active serial killer, she heard on CNN. Then she thought about the gang of vampires coming to Forks for Bella, possibly working with Victoria. The same vampires Jacob was hunting. Margo held onto him tighter than ever, which he noticed.

These two occurrences had to be connected. The wolves had to sense it; Billy sensed it. There were no vicious, new gangs in Seattle – they had to be vampires. But were they the same ones working for Victoria? Margo would never know if her theory was too far-fetched.

"Something terrible is coming, and we must all be ready." Billy continued, before his eyes landed on both Jacob and Margo. "All of us."

•••

A/N: I'M SORRY THIS WAS SO LONG BUT A LOT OF THIS HAD TO BE IN THIS CHAPTER AND ITS ALL VERY IMPORTANT THIS HAS BEEN A PSA

Some dialogue in this chapter is taken from the Eclipse book, FYI!!!!