Full Moon

"I'm not a child!" Alina cried out. She stomped her way to the door making sure she was as loud as humanly possible, a single tear flowing down her cheek. Her father followed her to the hall saying nothing, only watching her with sorrow. He hated when they fought and the tear he had caught a glimpse of broke his heart. He had only wanted the best for her. Looking into his daughters eyes was like looking at Jada all over again. He missed her more and more each day, life would have been so much easier with her around. She had passed when Alina was only nine years old leaving her without a mother, and Jimiah without a wife.

"I know you're not a child," Jimiah began.

"So stop treating me like one!" Alina chimed in.

She yanked open the door and ran for the woods. She could hear her father's voice somewhere in the distance but the cold night air with its vicious gusts consumed all of his words. She let herself slow down to a jog and only stopped when she reached a familiar clearing in the midst of the woods. The tears that were still streaming felt like they had frozen to her face. Her eyelashes now saturated with the icy tears felt heavy. She walked slowly over to the large tree stump to the center and wiped her nose on her gray long sleeve t-shirt.

Alina always felt safe amongst the trees and tonight was no exception. The silent forest was shielding her from the cold breezes, sheltering her as it always had. She took a seat on the old tree stump and stared up at the full moon through tear brimmed eyes the vision was just a large blur. She blinked and let the last of her tears fall. She took in a deep breath and let the fresh scent of nature fill her senses as she watched the stars dance above her.

The leaves and soil beneath his four large paws felt oddly cool to his feverish temperature. But the smell that was growing stronger with every step was foul. The pungent odor that was taking over his senses was one he knew too well. Though he had not sensed it since Bella had left town with her own personal death wish. The thought made him wince in reaction to the pain it caused his heart. He shook the memory out of his head; there was no time for reminiscing. The too sweet aroma made him nauseous but he continued to follow the trail it had just recently left. Besides, the cause of the smell was truly the reason for his existence, to destroy the source.

But there was something else in the woods that didn't belong there. It only took Jacob a few more strides to realize what it was. A girl had just come into view from out of the trees and into a clearing. She seemed oddly at ease in her dangerous surroundings, but the tears she had been crying proved otherwise. The sickening smell of vampire and the calming scent of cinnamon and honey mixed together at just this point. Which meant only one logical explanation, the predator had found its prey.

Jacob suppressed a growl. How dare a blood sucker be on his territory, and even more it was after the blood of a human? That was crossing the line and then some, the anger inside him boiled and he fought down the fury. The girl was of course oblivious to the danger swimming around her, as she should be. That meant there had been no leaks from the pack, so this girl wasn't curious, and she was not a rebel. Both were a plus in this situation. He had to find a way to keep the girl safe without exposing himself, and he would have to worry about the leach later.

At times like these he missed Bella; at least she didn't ask many questions about the whole vampire-werewolf thing. It saved him feeling like he was a monster, and the strange drawn out explanation. He kept his eyes intently on the girl and her every move whilst he crept in closer. A movement from the corner of his eyes told him it was time.

Jacob let out a desperate howl knowing that this would send the girl running. His objective was to get her out of the woods. It would also alert the blood sucker he didn't have a chance and possibly awaken the pack. Just as he expected the girl pushed herself off the stump to fun frantically through the moss covered trees. He followed suit taking off after her. Though she ran quite fast for a human it was no comparison to his supernatural speed. He kept a safe distance and maintained a steady, normal pace so as not to really catch her, just make her fear it.

The recognizable voice of Sam Uley, the alpha of the pack sounded in his mind.

"Are you alright Jake?" The voice came through with worry entwined in each word.

"Fine!" Jake snapped. "There's a," he began but was quickly cut off by the familiar voices of Quil and Embry.

"Vampire!" Quil said quickly.

"Were on him!" Embry added just as quickly, and quite assured.

"Just keep the pretty girl safe." Quil chimed in, Jacob was almost positive he sensed a smile in his friends voice.

"There may be more!" Sam concluded.

Just as quickly as the voices had come they were gone, leaving Jacob surrounded by the girl's deep breathing and the snapping of twigs beneath his heavy paws. How had Quil known it was a girl Jacob asked himself? He must have been looking at her, when they changed. The girl was very pretty, yet it seemed odd to be thinking of her beauty as he chased her. He let out a growl in which he had meant to be a "stop" but being that he was so used to being in wolf form he forgot humans couldn't understand.

The girl quickened her pace a bit more and Jacob followed in hot pursuit as he watched her chestnut brown hair bounce with each movement. Her honey-cinnamon scent made him feel strange. He didn't even have time to question why before the gentle scent was replaced with the putrid odor from the clearing. Jacob immediately disappeared from sight as Alina rushed to hide in the bushes skirting the woods from the stone street.

The damn mosquito was still after her. He watched as she hid in the bushes, though he was sure he wasn't supposed to see that. The tall figure creeping silently toward the shrubs by the smell of it was surly the culprit. The sickeningly sweet odor entered Jacobs's nostrils and he unwillingly sneezed, unable to take the stench much longer. The girl whom still had not seen the vampire and the leach himself turned their heads in his direction, combing the trees for a source.

"Keep her safe," Sam's voice interrupted his thoughts, a low deep growl sounded from behind him and the girl too off running as the blood sucker walked toward us.

"Aw puppy wants to play two?" the taunting voice emanated from the tall figure.

"Go!" Sam commanded. The massive beast pounced soaring over him and knocking the tall unexpecting shape to the ground.

"Not as a wolf," Quil ordered, "were not exactly cuddly remember?"

Just then Bella's horrified expression flashed before his eyes, he remembered her reaction to seeing the pack for the first time in the woods. For an instant he felt like a hideous monster. Jacob blinked his eyes and concentrated on the shape of girl that was slowly fading into a small dot in the distance. He couldn't let this girl share the same fate, as his late best friend, and love. Since that last day at home, he vowed he wouldn't let another human soul be stolen from these hopeless creatures.

The thought of being in human form again was strange to him. He had grown accustomed to the shaggy red-brown fur, the meals Emily set out each night, and the liberating sensation that running through the familiar moss covered woods left him. After he had stayed in werewolf form for months now, bathing in the solitude. Not allowing himself to remember. Quite frankly he really didn't want to change back.

"There are more," Embry added, he was now beside him a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt in his mouth, joining Jakes stare towards the dot.

"I have to fight!" Jacob roared into his thoughts.

"Sam, Leah, and Seth are fighting the tall one. Quil and Paul found another, I'm going to help. Sam thinks their after her." Embry rushed the words, and gestured toward her direction. He threw the set of clothes at Jacobs feet and rushed off into the trees like a gust of wind through the leaves.

Jacob let out a heavy sigh, and cleared his mind of all anger. Slowly he felt his flesh begin to bubble. His body felt like it was turning inside out, he held in a roar as his head thrashed from side to side. His eyes opened with a jolt and he looked down at the pair of familiar too large hands he was blessed with. He scooped the clothes off up and threw them on, covering his chiseled frame, and placed the flip flops that were hidden in the shirt on his feet. He turned his head in the direction he had seen her last and took off after the invigorating scent.