Prologue
The stars pinpricked the night sky like teeny diamonds, sparkling and twinkling like a child's eyes at Christmas. Pale moonlight, silvery and flat, illuminated the ground in front of me. I used to worry about night-running, maybe catching myself and tripping, breaking my neck. That didn't bother me anymore. I really didn't care if I died.
In my mind, I was already dead.
My heart was shattered, broken in too many pieces, too many places, for me to put back together again.
And let me tell you, it hurt. Like hell.
A broken heart will sting at first, then make you stronger? Yeah right. I would have laughed if I'd been human, but I was a wolf right now. The best I could manage was a barking cough.
Jake, man, c'mon. Come back. Embry. One of my best friends since forever.
He's right, Jake. Think about it, you can't run forever. That was Quil, my other friend since...forever.
Right now, everyone was an enemy, though.
Leave me alone! I snapped back. Anger burned through me, making my body heat up unbearably.
I felt their sympathy and compassion in my mind, and it made me angrier still. I didn't want anyone's pity-just to be left alone.
Embry. Quil. Give Jacob some space: go home, Sam's voice floated through my mind. I felt Embry and Quil head away, unable to resist an Alpha. Take your time, Jake, Sam's voice whispered. We'll be here when you come back. Then it disappeared altogether.
Finally. Alone.
I did something I'd never really done before: I just turned to the moon and howled. I kept expecting it to shatter from the pain in me, in my voice.
This night would be long, I knew. Bella had been my sun; she would never rise again.