Leah POV

I don't think I could hate anyone as strongly as I hate Sam Uley at this very moment. My chest and sides constrict in pain as I continue running thru the forest. I ignore the pain and continue running as fast and hard as I can to get as far away as my rage will take me.

He broke up with me less than a week ago, and now he is engaged to my cousen! Who the fuck does that! Sam Fucking Uley that is who.

I trip and fly over the river cliff splashing into the ice cold water. For a split second I actually consider letting myself drown. The thought of my little brother forces me to swim to the water's surface. The thought of my mother pushes me to swim to the river's bank.

I pull myself onto the muddy bank and lay catching my breath. I fucking hate you Sam Uley, but I will not kill myself over you.

The sound of a twig snapping catches my attention. I crouch low and try to find the source of the noise.

Alice POV

I escaped for now. Although I know Edward will come looking for me when he discovers I got out. Better enjoy this freedom while I have the chance.

I run a little harder heading to the border that Carlisle warned us about when we joined his "Family". Every time I escape I run here hoping that I will anger the guardians of the Quelette tribe and they will kill me but so far no such luck.

The closer I get to the border the more reckless I get. I want to alert the wolves of my presence. I can see the stream from where I am now and leap to the trees snapping a few branches before I land and leap again. I increase my speed and prepare to jump to the other side of the stream into Quelette territory when I hear a shout. I stop and stumble into the river.

I rise out of the water and see a very tan woman glaring at me. "What the hell do you think you are doing out here!" she screams at me. I sniff the air to see if she is one of the wolves Carlisle spoke of. She has the smell of dog about her but not quite what Carlisle described.

"Are you def! Answer me!" the woman shouts again. I glance at her and then to my hands.

Leah POV

What is up with this girl. I am about to yell at her again when I hear her mumble something.

"Speak up!" I bark at her.

"I said I am running away!" she screams back with teary looking eyes.

Her response gives me pause. She doesn't look older than maybe 16. I turn away from her and start to climb the muddy river bank which i succeed at after slipping only twice. I sit on the edge of the bank near a tree and glance at the girl standing in the water. I don't know why but something is drawing me to her.

"Come on." I say to her.

She whips her head in my direction so quick I thought surely her neck should have snapped.

"What? It's cold as balls out here and you are sopping wet." I try to seem indifferent but something about this girl is gettin under my skin.

I hear the splashes of water as she makes her way to the river's edge.

"Why do you care?" She asks quietly again.

"Follow me if you want but I'm getting out of the cold." I huff and turn on my heel to begin my long trek back to my house.

After walking a few paces I hear more splashing and then the leaves crunching behind me.

We walk for about twenty minutes before the wind picks up. The cold air lashes at my already freezing body chilling me to the bone.

Great! More cold just fan-fuckin-tastic!

My inner rant is cut off by a distant howl and the headaches that have been plaguing me these last few weeks comes back tenfold and i drop to the ground clutching my head.

Alice POV

I follow behind the woman as she asked. My clothes are stuck to my hard skin from the cold.

Well i am away from Edward and Carlisle but now what do I do? My intention of going to the borders in the first place was to die.

The wind picks up and a howl in the distance stops any other thought from entering my mind but then the girl that I was following dropped to the ground in front of me clutching her head in pain.

My reaction is automatic I close the twenty foot gap between us with my vampire speed at touch her forehead.

Her head feels like it is ablaze. Her whimpers calm a bit. I suspect the coldness of my hand gave her a little relief from her fever. It won't last long though.

"If you can hear me I am going to pick you up and try to find help." I slowly lift her into my arms. Her head is cradled on my shoulder and I scent the air hoping to catch wind of her village.

It takes a moment but soon I find it. "Hold on tightly." I take off towards the scents at full speed. I hear the woman in my arms gasp but I keep going. " I will have help for you soon."

Leah POV

Everything is cold and my vision appears to be swimming I close my eyes so I can focus and realize I am moving. I open my eyes again and gasp as I watch the trees fly past my vision.

"I will have help for you soon." Cries a voice close to my ear. And that is when my brain clicks that I am being carried.

I don't have time to think on it because the next thing I know there are two bear sized wolves crashing through the bushes and chasing after us.

"This has to be a dream!" I shout. "A horrible fucking dream!" the wolves are gaining on us. And then the girl carrying me leaps into a tree.

She sets me down and my body begins shaking. The headache is back but now my whole body is burning.

"Shit!" the girl yells and then I feel my body come apart.

Blinding pain is all I feel for a split second and then relief washes over me. I feel odd though, not as I usually would I feel heavy and off balance. I try to stand but nearly fall instead. Stupid tree branch!

I glance in front of me to the girl from the river who is looking at me in wonderment.

"WHAT!" I try to shout. But comes out of my mouth isn't a word it is an animalistic Bark. This startles me enough that I do fall from the tree.