Before the Storm

Althea was walking along a trail a little ways from the beach. It was an uncharacteristically sunny day for Washington, and Althea decided she would make the best of it. Soon afterwards there would undoubtedly be enough rain to make up for it.

The sun hit her face and body in all the right places to make her smile. She glanced down at her bare feet and smiled lightly at the toll nature had taken on them: they were quickly and the soles were rough. But that's the way she liked it; all natural.

Althea paused when she heard voices up ahead, at the beach. She figured it would most likely be her friends so she stepped into the full sunlight and saw a small fire up ahead.

"Hey," she shouted as she tracked over the to the small group sitting around the fire. Regardless of it being rain or shine, the kids from La Push always enjoyed a good fire at the beach.

"Althea!" Jacob Black smiled when he saw her. She was like her own little sun. With her brilliant hair and color clashing clothes, she made anyone smile. Althea glanced around the circle and saw that Embry, Quil, Jared, Seth....and Paul were all there. They all greeted her warmly, except for Paul of course, who refuse to acknowledge that she was even there.

"How are things?" she asked them as she plopped down onto one of the logs.

"As good as ever. Nothing too exciting," Embry announced and the group agreed.

"What about you, soul sister?" Jared asked, causing them all to smile.

"Ah, nothing too exciting. Nothing to write home about," she nodded, "have you guys heard about the wolves?" Of course they had heard about the wolves! They were the wolves.

"What have you heard about them?" Paul asked, before anyone could interrupt him. Althea glanced at him with an unsure look.

"Not much. Just that they've been around,"

"Oh,"

"Yeah. I think it's interesting, though! I mean, wolves! I think they're beautiful,"

"They're interesting alright!" Jared laughed and received glares from the rest of the pack.

"I want to see them! I wonder where they hang out," she mused.

"It's supposed to be mostly in the forest and around the beach," Embry blurted out, and Jacob nudged him in the ribs.

"Maybe I'll look for them tonight," she grinned.

"No!"

"They're dangerous,"

"But they've never hurt anyone,"

"They could attack!"

"But-"

"-Althea. Just don't go looking for them," Paul interrupted with a tone of finality. Althea marveled at him for a few moments. This was the first time, in a very long time, that he'd been civil to her. She wasn't sure how it made her feel quite yet.

"We've got to go," Jacob announced after a few minutes of the awkward silence, "Billy needs us to help around the garage."

"Yeah...we should go," Jared agreed and they said goodbye to Althea. She watched their backs retreating and stared into the dying flames before her. She would go and see those wolves that night.

_____

"Althea?"

"Yes?"

"Isn't time you get along to bed?" her mom called from the living room where she was unwinding from her day with a little bit of TV.

"Mama! It's summer! Besides that, it's only ten o'clock," she called back, completely ready for an argument.

"Althea."

"Yes ma'am," she sighed and started trudging up the stairs. As she was about to set her left foot on the last stair, it hit her. This would be the perfect opportunity to sneak out! The second floor wasn't too high where if she jumped out the window, she'd get hurt.

Althea went upstairs and went along her normal bedtime routine, except she kept her clothes now. Her mother trusted her, so she knew she wouldn't check up on her. After about half an hour, where she thought her mother would believe she was asleep, she opened her window and leaped into the night air. She fell for a few seconds before landing the soft grass on her behind. She felt such a rush! Althea brushed herself off and went back to the beach. For some reason she knew they'd be there.

_____

She arrived at the fire they'd had that afternoon a little later. She sat down on the log and got ready to wait for the wolves. After what seemed an eternity to an unmoving Althea, she heard rustling in the distance. She crammed her eyes and looked for the source of the noise.

There was a giant dog in the distance. She saw the wolf and started to quietly walk up to it.

Right before she got to it, she looking into its' eyes.

She couldn't believe how similar they looked to Paul's.