A few weeks after she had met the pack, they were gathered around in a clearing in the woods. At the moment it was just her, Paul, Embry and Sam as Jacob and Jared were out on patrol. The group had gotten into an argument about which animal was better in a fight, wolf or cat, and soon enough bets had been made.
Emily had been adamant though that they take it into the woods. Sam had agreed with her, stating that two giant animals fighting would attract attention otherwise. So here they were in the middle of no where, setting up for a fight.
The boys, all wanting the chance to test themselves out, had resorted to rock-paper-scissors to decide the order of the fights. In the end Paul was the one that won and he and Maya shifted squaring up for their fight.
Sam had just stepped up to begin the match when all of a sudden the wolves froze. Maya looked around in confusion wondering what could have happened.
"Everybody shift. We're heading out" Sam commanded.
In seconds all the wolves had shifted and headed off into the trees at a run. Maya looked after them for a moment before mentally shrugging her shoulders and following them. If something interesting was happening, she certainly wasn't going to miss out on it.
They ran up the mountain, winding their way through the trees. As the wolves took the lead, Maya not actually knowing where they were going, she was thankful that she was not an actual cat. Wolves were made for long distance running, cats were not. They were built more for sprinting. Had she been limited by a cat's normal endurance she would have had to stop long before they reached their destination.
As it was she managed to keep up with them and as they came to a stop she realized what the rush was. The area where Jacob and Jared were was covered with the scent of vampire. A vampire Maya recognized.
Maya let out a sigh, realizing that she would have to shift back to talk to them as she couldn't communicate telepathically as they could. She wasn't exactly shy, but she was not what one would call thrilled about standing naked in the forest surrounded by a group of boys.
Deciding to just get it over with as soon as possible, she quickly returned to her human form and caught their attention. All eyes turned to her and then quickly away as they noticed her naked form. "The vampire who passed through here is called Laurent" she told them.
They all looked back at her at this, nudity forgotten.
"I met him last year. He was with James, a sadistic vampire that liked to play with his food and his mate Victoria. Laurent stayed out of the action and actually went to stay with the Cullen's cousins, claiming he wanted to try their diet. So there is a possibility that he is merely here looking for them and not out to cause trouble."
The wolves sent her what she took as unbelieving stares. She gave them all a shrug and held her hands up in a sign of surrender. "I'm not saying that he couldn't be here for other reasons. Only suggesting that we not go in guns blazing and risk potentially starting a fight with a whole coven. Especially if he has yet to do anything like hunt on your lands."
Sam cocked his head to the side, considering her point. Finally, he gave a reluctant nod of acceptance and she shifted back now that the talking was done. As a group they began to follow the scent, which unfortunately led them straight to the body of hiker.
Maya sighed in defeat, knowing that the vampire had just marked himself an enemy. They picked up the pace from there, slowing only when they came upon a clearing and heard voices coming from it.
They stayed back out of sight, not wanting to expose themselves to humans and listened in as the two people talked.
With a groan, Maya noted that the voices were definitely Bella's and Laurent's.
"I didn't expect to find you here. I went to visit the Cullens, but ... their house is empty. I'm surprised they left you behind. Aren't you sort of, um ... a pet of theirs?" Maya could tell from his tone that as polite as Laurent phrased it, he was making fun of her.
"Yeah, you could say that."
Maya rolled her eyes at that. Jesus Bella, don't agree with the man calling you a pet. It's called self-respect, find some!
"Do the Cullens visit often?" Laurent asked.
Maya's eyes flicked to him. It was obvious that he was not making pleasant conversation. And from the way he circled her, Maya could tell he was getting ready to hunt. She wanted to charge in now but Sam signalled them all to stay put, taking this chance to learn about what he was after. Although he practically had to stand on Jacob's tail to stop him from rushing to Bella's aid.
"Yeah, absolutely, all the time. I'll tell them that you stopped by. I probably shouldn't, uh, tell ... Edward. Cause he's pretty protective" Bella lied, stuttering her way through it.
Wow, Bella, is that the best you can do? Your life literally depends on your ability to lie here! Well, not really since we're here Maya thought sarcastically. Had she been in human form she probably would have her head buried in her hands in disappointment.
"But he's far away, isn't he?" Laurent had a small smile on his face, obviously enjoying her attempts to fool him.
"Why are you here?" Bella's temper spiked at the reminder of Edward's absence and it gave her a flash of boldness.
"I came as a ... favour to Victoria."
Maya perked up at that, ears flattening back at the thought of the red-head. The woman set off all of Maya's animal instincts.
"Victoria" Bella repeated, confused.
"She asked me to see if you were still under the protection of the Cullens. Victoria feels it's only fair to kill Edward's mate, given he killed hers. An eye for an eye."
"Edward would know who did it and he'd come after you."
"I don't think he will. After all, how much could you mean to him if he left you here unprotected? Oh, Victoria won't be happy about my killing you. But I can't help myself, you are so mouth watering."
"Please don't. I mean, you helped us."
At Bella's weak attempt at convincing him not to kill her Maya rolled her eyes. Moving past the pack, ignoring Sam's attempt to get her to stay still, she moved silently out into the clearing.
"I don't believe it" Laurent whispered, as he caught sight of her.
Maya stopped for a moment, allowing him to take her in before she shifted back into her human form. "Now, what was that you were saying about her being left unprotected? Because, personally I find that offensive."
Bella, at the sight of Maya's naked form, had her mouth open in shock and was quickly turning red.
"You are a shifter?" Laurent asked, still stuck on what he had seen. Shifters were rare and even though James had mentioned that he didn't think her human, Laurent would have never suspected that she was a shifter.
Maya rolled her eyes. "For God's sake. Yes, I shift. Now back to the main topic at hand; you said you were gonna eat Bella. Something about Eddie boy killing James."
"Yes," Laurent confirmed, "Victoria feels that it is only fair given that Edward killed her mate."
"Right. See ... that's where you're both wrong. On two counts. One being that Edward didn't actually kill James. Jasper did. The second is that Bella is not his mate, just his blood singer. Who he happens to be obsessed with."
"I see. And how do I know that you are not lying just to convince us to spare the human?"
"Oh, you don't" Maya admitted with a smile. "But given that the chances of you making it out of this clearing alive is very small there really is no reason for me to lie."
"You think you can kill me?" Laurent asked with a smirk.
"Me? No. I'm actually quite fond of you and find your accent hot. The boys however ... well, let's just say they are less fond of you."
Then as if they had planned it all out beforehand, the wolves all emerged from the trees as one with their teeth bared. Laurent stared at them in fear, realizing that he was out numbered six to one.
As the wolves all let out snarls, Laurent took off. Maya shifting as he did, so she could join in the hunt.
They all gave chase, Jared catching up to him first. He grabbed Laurent by the back and tossed him over his head, so that he was now on the ground surrounded by shifters. Realizing that he would not be getting out of this without a fight, Laurent charged the closest wolf.
As he did the rest of them closed in on him. Maya, being unused to working with the wolves stayed towards the back and observed them. They worked well as a group. Two stayed towards the back, making sure Laurent could not escape, even if he did somehow manage to get past the others. Two others attacked from either side and the last wolf remained in front of Laurent, snarling and snapping at him to draw his attention and create openings for the others.
It was not long before they had completely torn Laurent apart and Sam shifted back to start a fire so they could burn the body. Apparently, vampires caught fire very easily. Which made Maya wonder idly why the Cullens always had so many candles in their house.
Once the fire was going, Sam turned to face her and she politely averted her eyes. "Could you follow your sister home? You're the only one she knows can shift, so if she needs help finding her way home you're our only option."
Maya gave a huff but nodded her head in acceptance, sad that she would apparently not get the chance to fight the wolves today. Not that she probably would have anyways. With all the shifting she had done she was starving.
She turned and headed off back across the field, picking up Bella's scent and following it down the mountain. If not for the serious risk of Bella getting lost of injured, Maya would have laughed at how fast she caught up to Bella, who had apparently been rushing home as fast as she could. Never let it be said that her adopted sister is athletic. Her running form resembled a baby deer more than a human runner with the way she wobbled and stumbled her way across the ground.
Never the less Maya slowed down to keep pace with her, staying out of her line of sight until they finally got back to their house. There Maya shifted down so that she was the size of a house cat and slipped in behind Bella. Although in a very un-cat-like move, she tripped over her own feet in shock as Bella blurted out what she had seen.
Maya hissed at her in anger before bolting up the stairs to quickly find clothes and straighten out this latest mess.
She got back down the stairs just as her dad was heading out. She thanked her lucky stars that Bella had apparently dropped her bombshell on him before heading straight up to her room.
"Dad, wait! We need to talk!" Maya called.
He turned to look at her, "not now sweetheart. Me and Harry have to get a group together to deal with something."
"Yeah, I know. I was in the woods with Bella."
"You were with her?" He asked incredulously, looking her over for injuries.
"Well, not with her, with her. I was with the group of wolves you're heading out to hunt. Which is why I want to let you know that they are some of my 'special friends' and not an actual danger to anyone."
Her dad let out a sigh. "Look Sweetheart, I know you want to believe that they are good, but hikers have been turning up dead with wolf tracks near them. I can't just ignore that."
"I know," Maya rushed to reassure him, before plowing on ahead in a rush, "but the reason for that is that they were hunting the one doing it. Its what Bella was failing badly to tell you. They weren't after her at all. They were after the one responsible for killing those people. Or at least one of the people responsible. We think there is another one. It's why you have found their tracks by the bodies; they've been tracking the ones responsible so they can stop them."
"So, they're not hunting people?"
"They're not" she confirmed. She wished once again that Harry and Billy would just open up to her dad and be honest with him about the tribe, but she knew it was against their laws.
"What kind of friend is doing the hunting?" he asked after a long pause.
"The kind guns don't work on" Maya admitted with a grimace.
"Alright. I'll lead the hunting party," he put up his hand to stop her protests, "there have been too many sightings for me to do nothing. But you make sure to keep me updated on where all of your 'special friends' are so I can keep the humans away from them. Deal?"
Maya smiled up at him and gave him a hug. "Deal! I'll go reach out to them now, see if I can get you an outline of where they will be patrolling and then send it to you."
At his nod, she turned and rushed into the house to find her phone. Picking it up she immediately called Emily and Sam's home phone.
"Hey Emily, are the boys back yet?" Maya asked the moment the woman picked up.
"Yes, they just got back."
"Great! Sorry to be rude, but can you put Sam on? We have a bit of a situation."
Maya heard a low murmur of voices before Sam answered. "What's wrong Maya?"
"Has Harry called you yet?"
"No why?" Sam asked, growing concerned.
"Bella came home and immediately told dad that its not bears out in the woods but huge wolves. She may have also insinuated that it was you guys killing the hikers" Maya told him, braced for his reaction.
She did not have to wait long, as she heard him growl over the phone. "She what?!"
"Yes, but its okay!" Maya rushed to reassure him. "Since my dad knows that I shift and the fact that there are other supernatural creatures out there I was able to tell him the truth. Nothing specific. I didn't tell him who you guys are but I did tell him that you are working to hunt down the real killers. He also knows that they can't be hurt with guns. Unfortunately, he told me that you guys have been spotted too often for him to stop the hunts, but he did tell me that he would try to steer the humans away. If you tell me where you are going to be or where the vampires have been spotted, I can pass it on to him and he can make sure that no one gets in our way."
Sam let out a sigh at that, taking in all that she told him. "Thank you Maya for protecting us. We really appreciate it. I'll send you our normal routes of patrol and keep you updated if we pick up the scent of any vampire."
"Alright. Should I tell my dad that they are pretty fixed or let him know that you guys change it up every once in a while?"
"For now they're fixed but if another vampire comes on our lands that will change."
"Okay I will let him know. But you do realize that this would be much easier if your elders, his best friends, would just man up and tell him the truth, right?"
"Yeah, believe me I've thought about it" Sam admitted with a rueful laugh.
"Don't think, just do. That's my motto!" Maya encouraged with a grin.
"And how much trouble has that gotten you into over the years?"
"A lot" Maya admitted with pride.
He let out another laugh before sobering up, "listen I have to go, but as always feel free to drop by anytime. I know Emily loves the company."
"Will do" she promised before saying goodbye and hanging up.
A few minutes later when she heard her phone go off, she quickly pulled up the picture and made sure it had nothing on it her dad shouldn't see before sending it off to him.
"Well, something tells me life is going to get a lot more exciting" Maya said to herself as she flopped back onto her bed.