LIFESTYLE AND BEHAVIOR
TRIBE STRUCTURE:
The members of the Quileute tribe live as a group in the Quileute Nation on the La Push reservation and are governed by a council of elders. The tribe consists of everyone who is a descendant of another Quileute. The Quileute pack is a subset of the tribe; every member of the pack is a member of the tribe, but the majority of the tribe are not members of the pack. Moreover, most members of the tribe are not aware of the reality of werewolves. Only the members of the council and the pack are in on the secret. While the tribal elders work closely with the pack, only those individuals with the ability to phase are actually classified as members of the pack. The leader of the pack is referred to as the Alpha. The role of Alpha wolf is inherited; the oldest descendant of the previous Alpha has the rightful claim to the position. If, for any reason, the oldest descendant of the last Alpha refuses the position, the Alpha title can be claimed by either the next closest relative of the last Alpha or by the chronologically oldest member of the pack. In such a situation, each member of the pack must initially choose to support this Alpha candidate. After that support is given, the Alpha has the ability to impose control over the other members of the pack, and no member can refuse the Alpha's commands. According to tribal tradition, the Alpha wolf is not only the head of the pack, but also the chief of the entire tribe. As the tribe is now governed by council, the Alpha takes the position of the most senior tribe elder, despite his age.
As more vampires enter the area in response to the resident coven, even more tenuous bloodlines result in new werewolves.
One factor affecting which members of the tribe transform is the number of vampire scents in the area. Throughout Quileute history, the pack has usually consisted of three members. With most vampires traveling alone or in pairs, there was never a need for more than three werewolves to defend Quileute land. However, with a large vampire coven settled in the area, the tribe members with the strongest blood ties to the former pack are not the only ones who transform. Everyone in the tribe who has any relation to past wolves has a chance of joining the new pack. As more vampires enter the area in response to the resident coven, even more tenuous bloodlines result in new werewolves.
Recently, as a result of the size of the Quileute werewolf population and the accompanying tension, the pack split into two separate groups. For the first time in Quileute history, there are currently two Alphas, each with his own pack. There are presently seventeen members of the two werewolf packs.
RANK:
The wolf pack has a very complex system of rank that helps keep them organized and prepared for all eventualities. The Alpha's absolute authority over the pack makes them an effective fighting force, and if something happens to the Alpha, there is no debate about how to proceed. The pack does not lose effectiveness due to confusion.
Every Alpha has a second in command--referred to as his Second--who immediately assumes control if the Alpha is incapacitated. Ranking under the Second is the Third, who is next in line to act as Alpha.
In the case of a large pack, each Second and Third has his own Second and Third, and so on down, so that each wolf has someone in line to step into his responsibilities within the pack if something should happen to him. In a large pack, during a fight the wolves tend to operate in three-wolf pods.
IMPRINTING:
Some werewolves experience a bonding incident called imprinting, in which they become unconditionally tied to a human of the opposite sex. There are several theories on why imprinting occurs: Some believe that imprinting ensures the passing on of the werewolf gene; others believe that imprinting happens to produce larger, stronger wolves in the next generation. The werewolves do not know the answer for certain.
Imprinting occurs only after a werewolf's first phasing. It can happen with anyone, regardless of previous personal feelings. Imprinting happens the first time a werewolf sees the human object of his imprinting; if the werewolf does not react to a human the first time he sees her after he phases, he will never imprint on that human. If the werewolf does imprint, he is forever changed. From the second he sees the object of his imprinting, he will do anything to please and protect her. All other commitments in his life become secondary, even his commitment to the pack.
The relationship between the imprinting werewolf and the human imprinted upon is one of total acceptance and support on the werewolf's part. No matter the age or living conditions of the human, the werewolf automatically becomes whatever the human wants him to be, at the loss of his personal free will. If the human is young, the werewolf becomes the perfect platonic playmate and protector. As the human ages and changes, the werewolf instinctively switches roles to fulfill the human's needs.
It is against pack law for any werewolf to kill the object of another werewolf's imprinting. Such an act would be devastating not only to the wolf who suffered the loss, but to the entire pack. Given the telepathic ability of the pack, each pack member would suffer the pain of the wolf whose mate had been killed. Even if the death of a wolf's mate was an accident, the two wolves involved would fight to the death.
ANCIENT QUILEUTE HISTORY
The Quileutes have a detailed history of how they came to be shape-shifters, and how that aspect of their nature was focused by their first contact with vampires. Essentially, the early Quileutes had the ability to use astral projection. When this ability led to a coup, the rightful chief put his spirit into the body of a wolf. His progeny were able to assume wolf form as well. The first time a vampire--or "cold one," as the Quileutes called them--entered the Quileutes' land, the tribe discovered that their wolf protectors were able to kill vampires, but it was an almost evenly matched contest. Vampires became the main focus of the Quileute wolves. Over time, the Quileute warriors gained the ability to assume wolf form only if a vampire triggered the reaction.
This history was passed down through oral storytelling. Originally the entire tribe would learn the account; in the last century, however, the sharing became more secretive, passed only from werewolf descendants to the next generation of potential werewolves. All tribe members know the basics, but think of the stories as myths rather than facts.
HISTORY WITH THE CULLENS
In 1936, cold ones again entered Quileute land. They were different from the vampires who had come before. Their coven was larger--three males and two females--and the eyes of all the members were golden rather than red. The leader, Carlisle Cullen, somehow knew that the wolves had human intelligence. He told the wolves that the Cullens meant no harm to the wolves, the Quileute tribe, or any other humans. He claimed that they did not drink human blood, and offered a treaty between his coven and the werewolves. The three werewolves in the pack were outnumbered, so Carlisle had no need to make this offer other than an honest desire to refrain from killing the wolves. For this reason, Alpha wolf Ephraim Black believed Carlisle was making a genuine offer.
Ephraim insisted on two main points to the treaty: The vampires could not injure any humans (either by hunting them for food or by transforming them into vampires, as the Quileutes viewed this transformation as equal to murder), and the vampires were never to trespass on Quileute land. Carlisle agreed to these terms and proposed adding the concept of mutual secrecy: The Quileutes would not be able to tell anyone the true nature of the Cullens, and vice versa. Ephraim agreed, and they worked out the boundary lines for their respective lands. The Quileute territory covered all of the reservation, plus some of the land that had traditionally belonged to the Hohs and the Makahs. In some places, the boundary line followed the main road, now Highway 101, but in others it followed the old tribal lines. In turn, the werewolves would not cross into Cullen land. The town of Forks, along with a few other surrounding towns, and the highway were "truce areas" where both the Quileute werewolves and the Cullens were allowed to venture.
As the years passed and the Cullens moved elsewhere, the younger members of the Quileute tribe began to think of the treaty between the cold ones and the
werewolves as part of a legend, not factual truth.
As the years passed and the Cullens moved elsewhere, the younger members of the Quileute tribe began to think of the treaty between the cold ones and the werewolves as part of a legend, not factual truth. The Cullens returned to the area in 2003, and Jacob Black later told human Bella Swan that the Cullens were vampires who had made a treaty with his werewolf great-grandfather, Ephraim. He thought he was only telling her a scary story, but in fact, he unknowingly broke the treaty.
The Cullens' return had a huge impact on the tribe, especially those who had inherited the extra chromosome and who were in the right age range to transform. Werewolves hadn't existed in the Quileute tribe since Ephraim's pack. But the number of vampires in the Cullen coven caused an unusually large number of tribe members to become werewolves. The result was the largest wolf pack the tribe had seen since the days of the first shape-shifter.
The Black Pack
JACOB BLACK
NAME: Jacob Black; nickname: Jake
DATE OF BIRTH: January 14, 1990
QUILEUTE STATUS: Werewolf Alpha
WEREWOLF GENE SOURCE: Black and Ateara lines
HUMAN HAIR COLOR: Black
WOLF COAT COLOR: Rusty brown
EYE COLOR: Brown
HEIGHT: 5'10" at age 15; 6'7" after transformation
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: When Jacob first met Bella, he looked older than he was because he was tall for his age, although he had a hint of childish roundness to his chin. He had a lanky build and wore his long, glossy black hair in a ponytail. As he got closer to transforming, he went through a series of growth spurts. By the time he phased for the first time, he had reached 6'7" in height and had achieved his current imposing, muscular build. He cut his hair very short after his transformation but soon started letting it grow again.
EDUCATION/OCCUPATION: He attends the tribal high school at La Push. Although he is currently on "sabbatical," he plans to return soon. In the past, he has worked at the store on the La Push reservation to earn extra money. Since his transformation his main focus has been protecting tribal lands and Bella Swan.
HOBBIES: He enjoys rebuilding automotive vehicles.
VEHICLES: Red Volkswagen Rabbit and a classic black Harley Spirit motorcycle
FAMILY MEMBERS: Jacob's mother, Sarah, is deceased. He has older twin sisters named Rachel and Rebecca. He lives with his father, Billy Black. He has imprinted on Renesmee Cullen.
PERSONAL HISTORY:
Jacob Black was born in La Push, Washington. He grew up with his father, Billy; his mother, Sarah; and his older twin sisters, Rachel and Rebecca. Jacob's best friends throughout his childhood and adolescence were Embry Call and Quil Ateara V. All three attended school on the La Push reservation.
When Jacob was nine, his mother was killed in a car accident on the highway between La Push and Forks. This loss was hard on Jacob, but he recovered better than his sisters did, thanks in part to his sisters filling the role of mother for him as much as they were able. When his father became wheelchair-bound due to complications from diabetes, Jacob became Billy's legs. He did not resent taking care of his father; in fact, Jacob enjoyed spending so much time with him. Jacob looked up to Billy and thought he was a great dad, his only real flaw being his superstitious beliefs. Billy constantly tried to indoctrinate Jacob in the traditions and histories of the tribe, but Jacob stopped listening at an early age.
Jacob and his father were on their own as soon as Jacob's sisters were out of high school. Both Rachel and Rebecca had a difficult time living in the place where their mother had lived; it made them miss her even more. Rebecca married a Samoan surfer right out of high school, and traveled with him around the world to his many competitions. Rachel went to Washington State University and worked through her breaks and holidays.
Jacob noticed the change in his father when the Cullens moved to Forks, but he didn't understand it. He found his father's aversion to the new doctor very embarrassing, and the increased emphasis on the Quileute traditions annoying. After a while, he began tuning out most of what his father said.
"I think being a teenager is such a compelling time period in your life--it gives you some of your worst scars and some of your most exhilarating memories. It's a fascinating place: old enough to feel truly adult, old enough to make decisions that affect the rest of your life, old enough to fall in love, yet, at the same time too young (in most cases) to be free to make a lot of those decisions without someone else's approval. There's a lot of scope for a novel in that." --Stephenie
"THE BLACKS' HOUSE WAS VAGUELY FAMILIAR, A SMALL WOODEN PLACE WITH NARROW WINDOWS, THE DULL RED PAINT MAKING IT RESEMBLE A TINY BARN."
--Bella (New Moon, Chapter 5)
Jacob was the fifth person to join the current crop of werewolves. Genetically, he was the rightful Alpha. However, he did not assume that title until later, when he formed a separate pack from Sam's. He continued to live with only his father until his sister Rachel returned home and was imprinted on by Paul Lahote.
FAMOUS QUOTES
"Do you like scary stories?" Twilight, Chapter 6
"I guess I just violated the treaty." Twilight, Chapter 6
" 'We'll be watching.' " Twilight, Epilogue
"What are you, forty?" New Moon, Chapter 5
"Sometimes you're a little strange, Bella. Do you know that?" New Moon, Chapter 7
"Well, I'm so sorry that I can't be the right kind of monster for you, Bella. I guess I'm just not as great as a bloodsucker, am I?" New Moon, Chapter 13
"You really, honestly don't mind that I morph into a giant dog?" New Moon, Chapter 13
"We're a pretty messed-up pair, aren't we? Neither one of us can hold our shape together right." New Moon, Chapter 15
"Bye, Bella. I really hope you don't die." New Moon, Chapter 16
"He's at the funeral." New Moon, Chapter 18
"The treaty is quite specific. If any of them bite a human, the truce is over. Bite, not kill." New Moon, Epilogue
"I don't have any leeches on my speed dial." Eclipse, Chapter 3
"Normal humans run away from monsters, Bella. And I never claimed to be normal. Just human." Eclipse, Chapter 4
"It's more like... gravity moves. When you see her, suddenly it's not the earth holding you here anymore. She does. And nothing matters more than her. And you would do anything for her, be anything for her.... You become whatever she needs you to be, whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend, or a brother." Eclipse, Chapter 8
"Does my being half-naked bother you?" Eclipse, Chapter 10
"Bella, I love you. And I want you to pick me instead of him." Eclipse, Chapter 14
"She's in love with me, too, you know." Eclipse, Chapter 22
"That should have been our first kiss. Better late than never." Eclipse, Chapter 23
"I'm not going to cut you in half anymore, Bella." Eclipse, Chapter 26
"Make Bella see sense? What universe do you live in?" Breaking Dawn, Chapter 9
"Bella! What was the point of me loving you? What was the point of you loving him? When you die how is that ever right again? What's the point to all the pain? Mine, yours, his! You'll kill him, too, not that I care about that. So what was the point of your twisted love story, in the end? If there is any sense, please show me, Bella, because I don't see it." Breaking Dawn, Chapter 10
"Ephraim Black's son was not born to follow Levi Uley's." Breaking Dawn, Chapter 11
"You know how you drown a blonde, Rosalie? Glue a mirror to the bottom of a pool." Breaking Dawn, Chapter 14
"Thanks, anyway, Alice, but I don't want to eat something Blondie's spit in. I'd bet my system wouldn't take too kindly to venom." Breaking Dawn, Chapter 15
"I gotta say it, Bells. You're a freak show." Breaking Dawn, Chapter 22
"Jeez, Bells. You didn't used to be so melodramatic. Is that a vampire thing?" Breaking Dawn, Chapter 25
"Say what you want, I still think Dracula One and Dracula Two are creep-tac
ular." Breaking Dawn, Chapter 33
"IT WAS AMAZING THE AMOUNT OF DETAIL INVOLVED IN THE LITTLE FIGURINE--THE MINIATURE WOLF WAS UTTERLY REALISTIC. IT WAS EVEN CARVED OUT OF SOME RED-BROWN WOOD THAT MATCHED THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN."
--Bella, on the charm Jacob gives her (Eclipse, Chapter 17)
"THE WATER WAS DARK GRAY, EVEN IN THE SUNLIGHT, WHITE-CAPPED AND HEAVING TO THE GRAY, ROCKY SHORE. ISLANDS ROSE OUT OF THE STEEL HARBOR WATERS WITH SHEER CLIFF SIDES, REACHING TO UNEVEN SUMMITS, AND CROWNED WITH AUSTERE, SOARING FIRS."
--Bella, on La Push Beach (Twilight, Chapter 6)
LEAH CLEARWATER
DATE OF BIRTH: 1986
QUILEUTE STATUS: Werewolf Alpha Second, under Jacob
WEREWOLF GENE SOURCE: Ateara, Black, and Uley lines
HUMAN HAIR COLOR: Black
WOLF COAT COLOR: Gray
EYE COLOR: Brown
HEIGHT: Around 5'10"
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Leah is beautiful. She has perfect copper skin, shiny black hair, and long, thick eyelashes. In her wolf form, she is the smallest of the pack, and also the fastest.
EDUCATION/OCCUPATION: She graduated from the high school on the reservation. She is a protector of La Push.
FAMILY MEMBERS: Leah's father, Harry, is deceased. She lives with her mother, Sue, and her younger brother, Seth.
PERSONAL HISTORY:
As a freshman in high school, Leah began dating, and then fell in love with, Sam Uley. They were involved in a serious relationship for three years.
During her junior year of high school, Leah's life was thrown into upheaval when Sam disappeared. The police and forest rangers were involved, but could find no trace of him.