The colors of the forest faded with the light, turning to dim browns and grays dripping quietly around me. I realized that I no longer knew the way back, and I had given up calling Jacob's name several minutes ago. I strained to see what seemed less like a real path by the second and more like a game trail. Yet I trudged stubbornly on, determined not to let him get away so easily. I knew he had heard me call as I pulled up- but I supposed it may have been the sound of my Brontasauric engine that had made him flinch. Either way, he knew I was here. Was he really so eager to avoid me that he would duck into the woods to do it? I thought he was supposed to be the brave protector, after all. So brave that he felt the need to hide from a girl whom, by his calculations, was twenty years his junior.

But I had to settle this, to make amends with him. Things couldn't go on like this until the end of the school year. And afterwards- I pushed that thought away. I just wished I hadn't hurt him so much. I called out again futilely. "Jacob! I know you're here- I just want to talk to you! I'm sorry about everything…. Jacob!"

The silence of the forest only deepened around me, making me feel like a moron. I was breaking so many rules right now. Charlie had no idea I wasn't studying with Angela, and had also specifically forbidden me from going into the forest. He was afraid of the pack of wolves that had been blamed for all the attacks around Forks in the last year. Well, at least that was one thing I wasn't really in danger of- those wolves wouldn't be coming after me. Not yet at least, I added grimly.

Edward would be pretty mad as well. The treaty kept him off the reservation, so he couldn't protect me here. I was on my own. I stopped, and turned around. Darkness was dropping like a curtain around me. I fought down the vague sense of alarm that rose in my chest, and tried to be rational, although any hope of that had probably disappeared with the decision to follow an agitated werewolf into an unknown and rapidly darkening forest. I sighed and set out again the way I thought Jake would have gone to meet the others. I wished I could hear a bird singing or squirrels rustling around in the underbrush. It was just so unnervingly quiet.

I kept walking, walking. I tried not to think about how much this was beginning to resemble my nightmares. Then, from far, far away came the sound of a long, pained howl.

Jacob.

I sighed and sat down on rotting log. He had phased. The howl was miles away- much too distant to hear me, or possibly even know I had followed him. I was alone, and lost.

So what if I was? It was no more than I deserved. I had driven away my very best friend, hurt him to an extent I possibly couldn't even grasp. I kicked at a rock.

"Bella?" My heart leapt – he had come back. "Bella? Where are you?"

But it wasn't Jacob's voice calling to me from the way I'd come. I didn't recognize it, although it sounded familiar.

"Belllllaaa? Are you okay?" The voice was closer, and suddenly I placed the low, throaty tone. It was Daren Green, who sat across to me in my English class. I had never been particularly comfortable around him, and the way Edward would glare at him had made me outright nervous once or twice. It was an expression that reminded me of the phrase if looks could kill.

What was he doing in the middle of a forest in La Push? I stood up, unsure. Was it possible that he had followed me? I shook my head. Being constantly stalked by supernatural creatures was clearly making me neurotic.

"Hey, I'm here!" I stepped over the log and began moving toward the sound of his voice. I should be grateful that I wasn't going to spend the night stumbling around in a wet, wolf-infested forest. Yet I couldn't force the knots in my stomach to loosen.

In a moment Daren emerged through the dripping foliage. He wasn't unattractive, and if I didn't know him, I might have found him handsome if I had passed him on the street. His sandy blond hair was cut a bit long, and lock fell in front of his eyes as I watched. He was tall, and had a medium, muscular build. But there was something about Daren that unnerved me – he had been new in Forks at the beginning of our senior year, and by the middle of the semester I no longer found his appearance attractive – somehow his expressions twisted his features in an unpleasant way. He grinned cheerfully enough now though, and shook his head. "Bella, what the hell are you doing out here? You're not even on a trail. You trying to get eaten by bears or what?"

I forced a smile. "I could ask you the same thing, you know."

He shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, the way you took off into the woods, I thought maybe there was a fire. Couldn't let you fight it all by yourself."

This was definitely weird. The knots in my stomach tightened, but I kept my tone casual. "Well, I like a good run in the woods every once in awhile. You know, it's a good workout." He didn't look convinced, so I added pointedly, "Do you know the way back?"

He ignored my question and rocked back on his heels slightly, taking in my jeans and sweater. "Yeah, you look like you're going for a 5K run in that. Very athletic."

Irritation overtook my nervousness. "Hey, are you lost too? I kind of want to get out of here."

I waited for him to respond, and finally began to think he wasn't going to answer. I really, really didn't like the way he was looking at me. "Sure, sure," he finally said, and a smile spread across his face. I didn't like that, either, but then he turned and began walk back towards the way we had both come. I sighed inwardly and stood up to follow him. At least it was a way out of the woods.

Neither of us said anything for a minute, and I began to chide myself for my paranoia. I focused on not stumbling in the rapidly dwindling light. It wasn't easy. Wet branches kept smacking me in the face, which was all I needed to lose my footing. Finally, when I had relaxed enough, I asked, "So really- what are you doing out here?"

He slowed, and without looking back at me, said casually, "I followed you, of course."

I frowned as my foot slipped off a rock. "You mean you just happened to be by Jacob Black's house and saw me take off into the forest?" Why was I asking these questions that I truly did not want the answers to?

"Nope. I followed you from your dad's."

I stopped short. "What? Why?" Stop asking, Bella. Shut up. Just get out of here. He stopped and smiled at me over his shoulder - a smile that shot ice up my spine, because I recognized it immediately. It was something I had seen much too often in the last year. It was the toying smile of a predator.

My heart began to hammer.

He leaned against a tree, ignoring the little sprinkle of raindrops that that had been shaken free from the branches above by his weight. I was standing close enough to him to catch a few of the icy drops on my face, and I shivered. His eyes half-closed, and he shook his head, chuckling. "Seriously, Bella, it ought to be more obvious to you when someone wants you. I can hardly get your attention at school – you're always with that Cullen jerk." He spat Edward's surname like it was something filthy. "And you never hang out in town with the rest of us. So how am I ever supposed to get you alone if I don't …take matters into my own hands, so to speak?" This last he finished with a wide grin, and I involuntarily took a step back. His eyes narrowed.

"Look, Daren," I began, in a voice which I hoped could pass for steady, "I'm really flattered that you like me – no really," I added as he chuckled again, "but I just don't think of you that way. My life is really – complicated," That's the understatement of the year. "And besides, I'm with Edward. I'm in love him, actually," I amended, when his mouth tightened. "So I would really just like to get back to my truck and get home, okay?" I had tried to take a confident, strong tone, but instead sounded a bit weak and unsteady by the time I finished. Weak and unsteady – exactly how I was feeling, particularly in the knees.

I had hoped –without much confidence- that this declaration of love for someone else would put an end to his advances, but mentioning Edward seemed to set him off.

"It's not okay, actually," He snapped as he pushed himself forcefully away from the tree, triggering another, much larger, shower of cold water. I stepped away, wiping my eyes on my jacket sleeve to clear my vision. Where, oh where, was Jacob? "How do you even know you're in love with him, if you haven't even given me a chance? How do you know his kisses are better, when you've never kissed me?" There was something about the way he referred to Edward that suddenly made me wonder if this wasn't about me at all, but rather something personal between the two of them. But that wasn't possible – Edward barely noticed anyone at Forks high school, and certainly not enough to have made enemies. He took another step towards me, and I backed up again. "Really Bella… I'm not going to bite." The tight smile twisted his face again, and my heart thumped faster in response. I wished desperately that I hadn't left my pepper spray in my backpack back in the truck. Was there any way to deescalate this situation? I cast about for ideas.

"Oh, I don't think you will," I tried to laugh, to keep it light, I but sounded slightly hysterical. "I think I'm just going to wait for Jacob to come back. He should be back this way any minute."

He stopped and frowned. That had given him pause, at least. Everyone had seen the mightily impressive growth spurt Jacob had undergone in the last year, and his new physique could easily be perceived as threatening. "Jacob Black? Is that who you followed out here?"

I nodded emphatically. "He'll be right back. Maybe you should go, Daren."

There was a tense moment of silence as he studied my face in the darkness. It had to be after sundown, now- I could barely see. How did I get myself into these horrid situations? And why couldn't I have been born with a better aptitude for deception? And where in the hell was Jacob?

A more genuine smile spread across his face – it was triumph. "You're bluffing," he said as he quickly crossed the small distance between us, and his hands were on my shoulders before I could react. He pushed me against a tree at my back, and I winced as a broken limb bore into my shoulder blade.

"Ow! Let me go, Daren!" I yelled angrily, pushing against his chest.

"Don't be so dramatic, Bella. I…just..want to..talk." he hissed as we struggled for a moment - then he caught my wrists and held them easily with one hand behind the tree. He pressed against me, too close for me to get a kick in.

"Let me go!" I yelled again, into his ear this time. I continued to squirm, but he had me completely pinned, and pressed harder against me, smiling.

"Sure. Just answer a question first." This took me off guard, and I quit fighting him.

"Fine." I scowled at him. I wanted to spit into his grinning face.

He rocked against me in an obscene way and leaned over me, whispering into my ear like a lover. "How could you possibly choose a bloodsucker over a warm, real human, hmmm?"

I froze and my jaw dropped open. How could he possibly know? Who was this guy? He left me no time to untangle my astonishment however, as he continued to rock up and against me, murmuring softly in my ear.

"Mmm, see? Doesn't that feel nice? Isn't that better than your cold, dead boyfriend? What do you think Edward will say, when he finds his perfect little virgin spoiled? When he discovers that you like my hot, pulsing body inside you better than screwing rock? Hmm?"

I was sure it would only be a matter of seconds before my heart actually leapt from my ribcage. This could not be happening. I writhed and cursed at him between clenched teeth. I would not lose it. I would get out of this.

"I don't know what he'll say," I spat, "But I sure know what he'll do. He will rip you limb from limb. Count on that." I tried to knee him again, but couldn't get my foot up high enough.

He just laughed. Who is this guy? I wondered again in panic.

I felt him unbuttoning, then unzipping my jeans with his free hand. I struggled to rip my wrists free of his hand, cutting my arms against the rough bark. His grip on my wrists was vice-like. Was he stronger than other guys our age, I wondered, or was I just infuriatingly weak?

"Oh, I'm counting on a good fight," he whispered as his fingers slipped inside my jeans, and wrapped around my underwear, pulling them aside. "And the prize will definitely worth it."

I gasped and shuddered as his fingers suddenly drove inside me. I couldn't breathe. He pulled just far enough away to meet my eyes, for me to see him smile at my reaction.

"See, I knew you would like that. Warm, Bella. So much warmer than your corpse of a boyfriend." I tried to scream at him, but it was as if the wind had been knocked out of me. I couldn't get my breath. I began to feel lightheaded. His fingers pushed further inside me as he continued. "You would like it, Bella. You would love it. Mmm. I would love to see the expression on—"

And then it was like a boulder hit us both. There was a deafening crack. I flew a few feet into a pile of wet leaves and rolled over gasping, my lungs finally able to draw air.

Jacob had come. Jacob had heard me scream.

But when I looked up, I blinked in disbelief. There was no wolf there between the trees. Instead it was Edward, perched on a low limb, snarling in a way that frightened me almost as much as Daren had. His eyes were black and wild, his back arched like an animal.

Daren lay about ten feet away from where I was, by an enormous spruce. About fifteen feet up the massive tree had been snapped in two like a sapling by the force of Edward's and Daren's bodies, and the trunk above was slowly tipping away, squealing as it fell. Daren was dead, then. I sighed in relief, and looked to Edward. Why was he still crouching like that?

I could barely believe it when I heard Daren stir behind me. My eyes widened as I turned- it wasn't possible. His spine should have been crushed, shattered. Yet as I watched he began to laugh, and shook his head as he slowly stood up.

What the hell was he?

"Took you long enough, bloodsucker," Daren chuckled up Edward. "But you could have given us a few more minutes. We were just getting to the good part."

Without responding Edward hissed and launched himself at Daren, so fast I barely got the impression of a blur.

I didn't see it happen, it was so fast. But Edward was suddenly still, a stunned expression on his face. Then I saw it.

Blood began to stain his beige v-neck sweater – a circle on his ribs growing bigger by the second where Daren's fist clutched some knife-like object. His other hand gripped Edward's throat. Was he really stronger than a vampire? What kind of material would have been able to pierce Edward's granite skin?

I wasn't seeing this.

"No!" The scream was involuntary. I wasn't even sure it was me. I sprang to my feet and hurled myself at Daren, who easily batted me away. He chuckled. "Oh Bella, you think you are so fierce. I am about to show you what fierce is, as soon as our uninvited guest has… departed." He turned back to Edward, but it was too late.

In that moment Edward had recovered from his shock. In one fluid motion he grasped the wrist Daren held the weapon in, in the other the wrist at his throat. I watched in horror as he ripped the knife straight through his flesh, to the left of his ribcage. With his other hand he yanked Daren to him, and tore into his jugular like an animal.

That was when I blacked out.

Everything was dark. I struggled to remember where I was. I couldn't feel my body. Was I dead? I felt as though I were drifting. From a distance I heard a musical voice calling to me, and my soul sighed. If I was dead, I didn't mind at all I thought, because if I were hearing such an angelic voice calling to me, I could only be in heaven.

"…Bella? Oh Bella, I'm so sorry. Please, say something. Please."

The fog of unconsciousness finally rolled back enough for my heavy eyelids to slide open. I smiled weakly. "Something, please."

The darkness that clouded Edward's tortured face slowly melted away as he seemed to realize that I was still with him. His Michelangelic mouth spread slowly into a radiant smile, and his amber eyes lit up as though they had trapped the sun's light within them. No, I thought, this is not heaven. Because even covered in dirt and blood, there was no creation either in heaven or on earth that could hold a candle to Edward.

I smiled up at him, my own private Seraphim, and tried to keep my heart from bursting with joy.

"I… I thought Daren killed you," I whispered.

He smiled, tucking a strand of hair out of my eyes. "I think it will take a bit more than a demon with a knife to take me away from you, Bella."

I stared, dumfounded. "A what?" Surely there could not be yet more still I didn't know about the strange, supernatural world I lived in? I realized that the borders of my reality were about to shift –yet again.

"Well, you know how priests bless holy water? Well, it kind of works the other way, too." I frowned, turning this over. That didn't make sense- I thought vampires were technically evil, too.

"I will tell you all about it later," he said softly as his finger traced my jaw –searching, no doubt, for some hidden injury. Or did he have something else on his mind? His perfect lips pursed as if in thought, and suddenly I ached to kiss him.

"Then you aren't hurt?" I asked, looking anxiously at the enormous blood stain on his sweater.

He smiled, and the smoldering look in his eyes sent shocks all the way to my toes. Ah, so I could feel my body. Good to know. "I'm a quick healer, remember?"

A wave of relief finally rushed over me. We were both going to be okay, and we were together. Perhaps this was heaven after all.

I reached up and pulled his face down to mine, unable to wait a moment longer.

If I hadn't still been human at the time -with the need to sleep and eat- I'm not entirely sure we wouldn't still be there.

I would never dream of intentionally endangering Edward. But it has occurred to me that, if there is anything in the world that could be better than kissing him, it would be the kisses that followed thinking that he might be about to die. By the way he kissed me, I guessed he felt the same way.

His hands were suddenly everywhere, roaming freely over my body. His kisses became urgent, although he was careful not to hurt me. I responded immediately, electricity singing through my body, and began feeling dizzy and disoriented for an entirely different reason than I had been a few moments ago.