A/N: I've read some stories of this type and thought I'd give it a try ('this type' is the kind where a girl is running away from some vampires and the wolf pack save them). I wrote this chapter over two days and I think I've fixed everything, but I apologize for any mistakes. This is really graphic and morbid so if you don't like any of that stuff, don't read, because you'll probably hate it. If you do make sure to drop a review after you've read it!

Oh, and, P.S. this is after all of the books. So there is Jacob's pack (Seth, Leah, Embry and Quil) and Sam's (Jared, Paul, Brady, Collin, and all the new wolves (6) but they are all still in La Push for school and everything.

Songs – Ashley – Escape the Fate

One Day You Will – Lady Antebellum

I held my breath for a moment, straining my ears to hear every little thing. All I could hear was the rustle of leaves above me and my strained breathing. I uncrossed my long legs and laid them out, stretching them a bit. I sighed and looked down at the yellow nylon rope that held me to the tree. My clothes were still stained with the blood of my sisters – my dead sisters. I choked back a sob.

The crazy woman had beaten me up for screaming hysterically as they dragged me away from my family. I've been wheezing ever since. I swear she fractured a rib or something, or at least bruised the bone.

I tilted my head to the back so it leaned against the tree. I would be curled up into a ball crying my eyes out if I wasn't tied to this stupid tree.

I heard the pair of… monsters talk softly. They were probably discussing when they'll have me. Maybe lunch, or perhaps brunch, they had an early breakfast anyway – more like a late night snack because it was more of around eleven o'clock then twelve when they started to munch on my father at the gas station.

I whimpered, in not only pain but in loss. Oh why did Dad have to be so paranoid? Why did he have to be so caring about his car and his youngest daughter, who had forgotten to relieve herself at the last rest stop?

"Oh, Emily," I murmured. My eyes began to water, I hadn't really cried for any of them yet. I was too busy screaming for the woman and the man to stop.

The brunette was suddenly standing in front of me and I cringed.

"Please don't hurt me, please," I said bowing my head.

A cold hand grabbed my hand and gently lifted my head to look in her bright red eyes.

"Oh, don't worry little Ashley. We aren't going to hurt you… yet," The woman said.

The man came around the tree on my left. "Oh, Mary, that is such a cliché line."

The woman let go of my chin and rose out of her crouch. "Well what else am I supposed to say? I'll drink all your delicious blood tomorrow?"

I whimpered and the man looked down at me with an almost sympathetic look.

"I thought we were only going to give her today to run?" The man said crossing his strong, tan arms over his chest.

"I say give her more time. It'll make the tracking part just a little bit longer, and besides she'll probably more scared after running for so long. You know I love it when they're like that, it's almost like you can taste the fear," Mary said, seductively moving toward the man.

My breathing hitched, they were going to do what? I don't want to be eaten, I thought. I need to get away.

"Oh, yeah," the man growled as he wrapped his arms around Mary as they began to kiss.

If I was my normal self and not traumatized I'd probably be disgusted. But instead I was remembering them in a different setting with them doing the same thing, with blood dripping down their chins. I tried to steer my thoughts away from that moment; that had happened only hours ago.

I had to think positive, as positive as I could – given the horrible situation I was in. They were talking about letting me go, well even for a short while. No, no, positive thoughts only. I had one thing on my side, a very good thing about myself that they didn't know about. In this moment I found myself thanking the people way up in the sky looking out for me. I now found the true meaning in my horrible hand-eye-coordination; They were guiding my life so I would be a runner instead of a basketball player, so I could have a better chance of escape.

I gave silent thanks, along with a wish for strength and courage to get through this. I timidly brought my eyes to the two creatures standing in front of me who were still sucking face.

I felt a wave of strength pass through me and I cleared my throat, rather loudly. The two of them looked down at me with surprise; their little hostage had a backbone.

"So am I just going to stay tied to this tree forever?" I asked.

"No, you aren't darling. But you must be patient," The man said turning back to Mary.

"What's your name?" I asked the man.

The man smirked and crouched down to look me straight in the eye. "What is it to you, little girl?"

"I think its courtesy to tell your name to the person you're going to kill. So at least they'll have some idea who to haunt in the afterlife," I said as calmly as I could. I was really trying to get on his good side, and it seemed like I was. The man howled was howling with laughter.

"You know what? I like you. Tell ya what. I'll let you decide on how long you'll be running from old Gary here," The man said. "It could just be for the next twelve hours; like I want or for the next twenty four; like what Mary wants."

"That's cute, your names rhyme," I murmured.

The woman smirked as she took a step forward to place a hand on Gary's shoulder.

"I – I'd like, to… um… choose the twenty four hours, please," I said.

The woman's smirk turned into a grin as Gary rose out of his crouch.

"Good choice," He said, walking around behind me and the tree. There was a tug on the rope and I coughed out a breath as the rope fell to the ground. I weakly pushed the ropes off of my legs and stood up slowly. Gary walked back and stood in front of me.

"Now here is the only rule. If you are to find anyone on your little run, you won't say a word to them about us. If you do, we'll kill you slowly along with the people you tell. So save yourself the pain and just enjoy you're run… your twenty four hours begins… now," Gary said so calmly that it took me a second to begin to walk away. I looked back over my shoulder to see Gary eyeing me and Mary resting a hand on Gary's shoulder as she gave me a little wave.

I turned back around and began to jog away.

"See ya soon sweetie," Mary called after me.

I chill ran up my back and I picked up my pace. I'd wait a moment to collect myself and decide what direction was home.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

I jogged for a good twenty minutes before I stopped to take a little breather. I glanced up to the sky beyond the green trees. It was still dark out and the moon was gone. So that meant the sun would be coming up in a couple of hours.

I reached a hand into my jean pocket to pull out my battered cellphone. The front touch screen had a cobweb pattern of cracks on it so I flipped it open to see the inside screen. It wasn't damaged that bad, just a little discoloring of the screen. The background was a picture of me and my bestie on a trip to Port Angeles.

Now that I remember we had passed through Port Angeles on our second to last rest stop. So I wasn't that far away from home. I think the last stop was somewhere near Beaver.

I sighed and scuffed my worn Converse against the dirt. Hopefully my shoes will hold up until I get home.

And then what?

"No," I said aloud. "No negative thoughts." I looked back up at the sky willing the sun to come up so I would know which way was west, the way back home. I heard a rustling behind me and I began to run in the direction I had been going in. I set my mind onto one task, run home.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

I ran on autopilot, literally.

I kinda felt like Forrest Gump. I kept quoting him in my head, I just ran… I ran and I ran and I ran.

I was holding up pretty well, the only complication was my hurting chest. I'd take a little break every thirty or forty five minutes, but I'd keep walking in the same direction. Setting my mind on one task was helping me focus my thoughts, so they didn't drift to morbid things.

I walked over a fallen log, resting my hands atop my head for my third break. I must have covered at least ten miles or more. I had to be close to La Push. I had to.

I stopped walking and leaned up against the tree. What if I wasn't heading in the right direction, what if I was heading inland?

"Oh, no. No, no, no," I groaned and slid to the forest floor. I couldn't be heading in the wrong direction, I couldn't.

I tilted my head to look up to the sky; soft red-yellow light glowed above me. A small smile spread across my face. The light seemed to be coming from behind me on the right, from the east.

I stood up and held my arms out in a straight away from my sides. I turned so my right hand was pointing to the east and my left to the west, turning myself into a compass.

"So, I'm facing north," I said aloud, trying to figure things out. "I've been running from this direction," I pointed to the northeast," that means I've been heading in the right direction. But I've been heading south more than anything else, so I should try to just go western now." I turned my-self ninety degrees to face the west.

I took off running at the fastest pace I could manage with my sore chest.

After thirty minutes of running I began to hear something else. It was almost like someone else was running along with me.

I stopped running and turned around in one spot, thinking of Gary and Mary – the deadly duo. On my second rotation I saw something against the green and brown background, a grey animal.

"Oh my…"

That grey animal was in fact a very, very large wolf. The wolf had his head down low and was growling.

This. Couldn't. Happen.

I could not be eaten by a wolf while I was trying to save my ass from being killed by vampires!

"NO!" I shouted, and that seemed to startle the wolf. So I kept yelling. "Get away! You are not going to eat me! I've been through enough shit today!" The wolf raised his lips from his big teeth as he growled louder. "I probably have PTSD you stupid ass of a wolf! Does a traumatized human taste better than a scared one? I wouldn't think that because that- that vampire freak said scared humans taste better!" I was beginning to lose my mind. I was probably right, I probably did have PTSD.

The wolf stopped growling and cocked his head at me.

"What?" I asked it, lurching a step forward. I raised a hand to wipe it across my sweaty forehead, I paused though, mid-motion; my hand was shaking like crazy. I raised my other hand to see it was shaking just as badly. I whimpered in fright as I noticed this was happening to my legs. I didn't know what was going on with me, my best guess was trauma. Though I thought I went through that when Mary and Gary pulled me away from my family, screaming and yelling.

I crumpled to my knees as the images I had kept at bay so well came flooding into my head.

My littlest sister, Emily, grinning as she pushed open the storefront door, not knowing she was walking to her death.

Gary, grinning manically as he ripped off the back door of the van, blood dripping from his chin. Him grabbing my other sister, Jasmine, and I by our hair and pulling us out of the backseat.

Jasmine being roughly shoved to Mary as Jasmine and I screamed for our lives.

Gary's cold hands gripping my shoulders as Mary bit Jasmine and drank her blood. All the while Jasmine was screaming for it to stop, for me to help her.

"Are you alright?" A voice said as a hand was placed on my left shoulder. I yelled and scrambled away from the man. I tried to stand, but I couldn't. My hysteric sobs were putting me off balance. I turned to sit on my butt as I pulled my knees up to my chest, attempting to protect myself against whoever it was.

"Ashley?" Another voice sounded.

"Who?" The first voice asked.

"Ashley Conweller. She's Kim's cousin," The second voice said.

I gasped in a breath. "What is… it… to you?" I said between sobs. I missed my family, I missed them so much. I just wish I was dead so I could be with them all again.

"Nothing," The first voice said. "It doesn't matter who you are," the man's voice drew closer. "What matters is that you're hurt."

"No," I said, looking up to see who it was talking to me. I could only make out the outline of the two people because of my watery eyes. I raised a shaky hand to try to wipe away the tears, but only succeeded in smudging my face with dirt. "It doesn't really matter. I'm just gonna die anyway," I added remembering the rules Gary had set. It was all just a game for them. For me I just wanted to get back home for the chance to see my family's faces in a peaceful light, in the pictures perched all around the house.

"Why do you say that?" The man said.

"Because I am," I mumbled, blinking away tears. Looking up at the man, I recognized him. "You go to QTS?"

"Yeah," the man answered. "I'm a junior there Ashley."

I sighed and looked up at him, studying his face. He was one of the kids a part of Sam's group; I could tell from his size, same went for the kid behind him. They seemed so alike, that I couldn't pin a certain name to this man-teen.

"It's Paul, Ash! And I'm Hunter, your younger sister's girlfriend!" The kid said in frustration. (He's one of the new wolves).

I cringed away and Paul turned around and scolded Hunter. Oh, Jasmine would probably be embarrassed at me if she was here, I didn't even recognize her boyfriend.

"Jasmine…" I said, quietly. I looked back at Hunter with sad eyes and after a moment it seemed like he deflated.

"What happened, Ashley?" Hunter asked.

I gulped, as another wave of sadness washed over me. "They're dead," I whispered.

"What?" Hunter asked incredulously.

"Come on Ashley, we'll clean you up." Paul walked forward and gently took hold of my arms to heft me up into a standing position.

I yelled at him when his hands touched my skin and struggled out of his grip.

"Ashley," Paul said sternly, "stop it."

"No! Let go of me!" I shouted.

"I'm sorry but no, we need to get you cleaned up and you have to tell us what happened," Paul said keeping his hold on me.

"No! I can't – I—I can't say anything, or else everyone else dies!" I yelled. I couldn't say anything, which was a rule.

"Hunter," Paul called, "go ahead and warn ahead of what I'm bringing. Round someone up who can be all sensitive with her."

"OK," Hunter said, before running off.

Paul grappled with me a moment before lifting me off of my feet, to carry me as he ran in the same direction Hunter had left.

I switched between yelling at Paul to let me down and to just take me home.

I was just about ready to pass out when Paul stopped and put me down on the ground. I let out the loudest scream I could muster and kicked him in the leg.

"Asshole!" I yelled.

"Ashley!" A young girl shouted. I turned to see my cousin standing on the back porch of a house. "Oh, God! Ashley, Wh-what happened to you?" She began to move down the porch steps but a man placed a hand on her shoulder stopping her. He bent over and said something, Kim looked up at him but her gaze drifted back over to me.

"Kimmy?" I asked.

Her face saddened and she pushed the man's hand off her shoulder and ran over to me. She wrapped her arms tightly around me and I managed to wrap my shaking arms around her. I leaned my head into her shoulder and started to cry again. I kept trying to tell her that they were all gone, but she kept interrupting me saying that it would be alright.

"Kim," A voice sounded beside us.

I whined and held on tighter to Kim, not wanting to let go of her. It felt so good to see her after everything that happened.

"Jared, leave us alone for a little bit, OK?" Kim said.

I heard him sigh and walk away.

I lifted my head from her shoulder to look at her face.

"Oh, Ash," She murmured, raising a hand to wipe away the tears and dirt on my face. "Let's go inside and get you cleaned up."

I silently nodded and Kim turned to guide me into the house. We passed through the back door that was being held open by Jared. There were others inside that looked just like Paul, Jared and Hunter. They all were crowded around a large dining table and others sat in the family area.

"Collin, Finn, get up off the couch," Kim ordered, steering me over to the big couch where the two boys had been. Kim sat me down and I happily leaned back into the plush couch. Closing my eyes I sighed, it felt so good to be back – even if it wasn't in my own home.

A door opened and I heard a number of people talking. I easily ignored them, focusing on the feel of the soft fabric of the couch underneath my hand.

"What does she need, Kim?" A woman's voice asked near me.

"I'd just start with a cloth, soap, and water. She needs to be cleaned up," Kim answered.

"Mhmmm," I hummed in agreement.

"Ashley?" Kim asked, gently touching my arm to get my attention.

"Yes," I said, lifting my head and opening my eyes to look at Kim.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"No," I answered.

"Alright, well, would you feel alright if I helped you get cleaned up and changed into some fresh clothes?" Kim asked gently.

"Yes," I said.

Kim smiled at me and took my hand to lead me away. As we moved away from all the boys and men, I could hear a shower running from somewhere. Kim opened the first door on the right side of the hall, showing a nice little bathroom with a woman standing in the middle of it.

The woman introduced herself as Emily and I couldn't help the frown that touched my face. I missed my sister, Emily, and Jasmine, and Mom and Dad.

They let me take my time in the shower after I got undressed. I washed myself thoroughly with the washcloth and the bar of Dove soap. Then after cleaning all the blood and grime off of me I just stood there and let the hot water relax my muscles. The warmth of the water and steam felt great in comparison to the cold hands that had handled me earlier today.

Shutting off the water I asked for a towel. Emily slid back the curtain a bit to hold out a white towel for me.

I gently wrapped it around my torso and stepped out of the shower.

Emily told me to get dressed in the clothes that were sitting on the countertop next to the sink. Then Kim and Emily left, Kim adding that they'll be just outside the door. I took off the towel and wrapped it around my hair and began to get dressed.

I slowly opened the bathroom door to see Kim standing right beside it. She and Emily led me back to the main room and sat me back down on the couch.

Across from where I sat, stood a large man. I recognized him as Sam, and was very tall in comparison to the others and the feel of authority was rolling off of him in waves.

"Ashley," he said, "Can you tell me what happened to you?"

I shook my head no.

Sam let out a breath. "Can you tell me what happened to your family?"

I shook my head again with more vigor. "No."

"Can you tell me anything?" Sam questioned.

"I can tell you that they are all dead," I answered sadly.

"How did they die?" Jared asked.

"Somebody killed them," I said.

"Who?" Sam asked.

"I can't tell," I said.

"Why can't you tell us, Ashley?" Sam said.

"Because, it's a rule. I… I was given a shot to try and run away a—and this was the rule that… that they gave me. I have to f-follow it… or else…" I couldn't say it; I couldn't because I didn't want it to be true.

"Or else, what?" Sam urged.

"Or else… they will k-kill me… slowly… a-along with the people who I tell, a-and I don't want anyone else t-to die," I managed to say.

Sam made a shooing gesture with his hand and one of the five boys left. I watched him as he quickly left through the back door.

"Ashley, you can tell me who did it. I can help you be safe, we all can," Sam said, gesturing to all the people in the room.

I shook my head and shifted further back into the couch.

"Ashley…"

"No," I said.

"Ash," Kim said, "You can tell Sam, it's safe, I promise you that."

"No, I said, no!"

"Can you tell us anything about them, Ashley, anything at all?" Sam said.

A voice in the back of my head wanted me to say something. That little pessimistic voice was saying I'll die anyways, and to just tell them. I opened my mouth to speak but quickly closed it.

Sam and the others looked at me with an eager look in their eyes.

"I-I'll only tell you, Sam. The others have to leave," I said. This will save the others from being killed, but now Sam will die. Emily will be devastated.

I tear rolled down my cheek, prematurely crying for his death.

The others began to file out of the room, all heading out the back door.

After the last person left, shutting the door behind them, I looked up to Sam. He looked at me expectantly as I took a big breath to tell him all I knew.

"Um, what did you want to know again?" I asked timidly.

"You could start from the beginning," Sam suggested.

"Okay," I said. "We stopped at a twenty-four-hour gas station so Dad could fill up the car and so Emily could go to the bathroom, b-because she didn't go at the last rest stop. So Dad was filling up the car, with Emily in the store, and Mom, Jasmine and I sitting in the car.

"That's when the man came up to Dad. His name is Gary and he has tan skin and brown hair, and he's really strong. Gary said something to Dad, I don't know what, but as he was putting the-the nozzle back into the pump, Gary reached over and g-grabbed him by the neck," I took a deep breath to calm myself, then continued, "and he just… snapped it. Both Jasmine and I saw him, we were sitting in the very back seat of the van. We started screaming in fear.

"Mom asked what was wrong and started to turn around to look at us, but before she could her door was ripped off of the car and she disappeared from her seat. Jasmine was still screaming at the man while I was looking for where Mom went.

"She was being held by this really pale brunette woman, named Mary, and she was… she was biting Mom's neck." My eyes welled up with tears and I raised a hand to my eyes. Sam slowly moved to sit down on the couch, not too close but not that far away. "Mary had a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet I guess, so the people in the station wouldn't hear. That's when Emily came out. Sh-she had no idea," I sobbed. "She had been running to the car with a smile on her face, but that was until she realized everything. Before she could say a thing, Gary was behind her r-ripping her head off." I was crying freely now and Sam had moved closer to me to wrap a comforting arm around my shoulders. I took his offer of comfort and leaned my head against his shoulder.

"Em-Emily's body fell to the ground and Mary appeared by Gary and they… they started making out," I said disgusted, "right next to my sister's dead body. Once they were done kissing they began to drink from Emily. That's when Jasmine tried to get out of the car, probably to t-try to st-stop them, but I held her back. I told her to be quiet, and that they might forget about us.

"I knew I was l-lying to her then, but it seemed to help. She was still crying and shaking, and I held onto her tightly, crying with her as she kept c-crying for Dad and Mom.

"A few minutes passed as they d-drank from Emily's body… Then, all of a sudden the rear door was ripped off and Gary was standing there, with a c-crazy ass grin on his face. He grabbed both of us by our h-hair and y-yanked us over the seat and o-onto the asphalt behind the car.

"He shoved J-Jasmine over to Mary who was, waiting by the side of the car… They were both l-laughing as we both started to scream. Mary was smiling at me as she grabbed Jasmine's hair and pulled her head over to the side, clearly sh-showing her neck.

"I tr-tried my h-hardest to get away f-from… Gary then, b-but Gary held me tightly to his chest as Mary slowly l-lowered her head to… to J-Jasmine's neck." I turned my face to Sam's shoulder and just cried. Sam made soothing noises as he gently rubbed my shoulder. He didn't force me to continue, he just waited for me to cry myself out.

After a few minutes, after my crying subsided, Sam asked gently, "Do you want to stop?"

"No, I-I'll finish," I said.

"Just take a deep breath," he said.

I took several before continuing on with my story.

"When Mary began to suck her blood, Jasmine began screaming. She screamed for Mary to stop. When Mary didn't Jasmine started yelling for me to help her…" I paused for a moment, thinking. "I guess they got rid of the clerk or he would have heard us by then… Anyways, jasmine started to-to spazz out and… well eventually she was dead, probably drained dry.

"Then, I just waited for Gary to start drinking my blood, but he never did. I think he-he told me something along the lines of saving me as a snack for later. The two of them kissed again as I was still being held by Gary.

"Once they were done, Mary took me from Gary and threw me over her shoulder. I s-screamed and yelled for her to let me down. How she was a bitch and a whore for killing my family. After more insults to her and her boyfriend or whatever she threw me down to the ground and started to beat me up… might I mention that she threw me down as she was running super-fast.

"Anyways, after she was done beating me up, she tied me to a tree. Using some brand new rope Gary threw to her. She tied me so tightly it almost felt like I was wearing one of those- those corset thingys. They left me there for hours.

"Then the two of them came back. I learned their names and Gary told me his little deal. I could choose to be hunted by the pair for ten hours or for a day. I chose a day and they… they let me go.

"I ran all the way back here. It took me a while, but I made it back," I finished.

"Ashley, I'm so sorry," Sam said. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that, but you're safe now, with us."

I shook my head. "No, Sam, you have no idea-"

"-Don't worry about it Ashley. We can handle those two," Sam interrupted.

"But Sam," I said.

"We've got it covered Ashley. Don't worry," Sam said. He pulled his arm from my shoulder and shifted a bit away from me. "And also know that I will always be here for you. I'll listen to anything you have to say, and so will the others."

I looked doubtfully down at my hands.

"Ashley," Sam said, asking for me to look back up at him.

When I did look up, I saw kindness and compassion in his eyes.

"There will always be someone here who will listen and care about you, don't doubt that. Now, do you want Kim to come back?"

"Yes," I said quietly.

It felt strange for Sam to seem so passionate as he spoke to me. He hardly ever new me, yet he was opening up his arms to me. I couldn't help but be thankful to Sam.

"Hey, Sam?" I called as he opened the back door.

"Yes?" He said, slightly turning around.

"Thank you," I said.

Sam gave me a small smile before leaving out the back door.

Kim quickly came inside and asked if I needed anything. I told her that I was hungry and she got busy preparing some food.

XoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoX

By the time Kim had set a plate with a salad and a sandwich on the table in front of me, only Emily and Jared had come back inside.

I looked over at Jared who I could tell was trying to look at everything but me as he sat at the end of the table. I smiled a little as he stared up at the ceiling then over to the kitchen where Kim was making food for Jared. His eyes darted back to the ceiling then to the table top.

I forked some lettuce leaves drenched in Italian dressing and took a bite as Jared's eyes quickly slid past me to the family area. My smile widened as Jared continued to not look anywhere near me.

A giggle escaped my lips and I quickly raised my hand to cover my mouth.

Jared looked over to me, his eyes widening before looking away.

I swallowed my food and spoke to Jared. "I'm I ugly to you or something?"

Jared looked back over to me, surprised.

"Or are you scared that if you look at me for a second I'll be offended?" I continued.

"Uhh, no, I just-" Jared stuttered.

"-Here you go Jared," Kim said, interrupting Jared as she put a plate with four sandwiches in front of him.

"Thanks Kim," Jared said.

Kim sat down next to Jared, leaving an empty seat between her and me. We ate in silence for the next few minutes until someone walked in through the back door.

"Hey, guys," the boy greeted.

"Hello, Seth," Kim said.

He began to make something in the kitchen and I returned my attention to my food.

Two more guys came in then.

"Hey, Seth, can you make me some sandwiches?" One asked, taking the one seat on the short end of the table.

"No, make your own Quil," Seth said. "Same goes for you Embry."

I heard a snort from behind me and I turned slightly to look at Embry. His eyes flickered down to look at me and he froze. His eyes filled with happiness and joy. He took a small step closer to me when he blinked. Then he slowly raised his right hand as if to touch me.

I looked quizzically at Embry. Why was he looking at me so strangely?

A chair squeaked against the floor and I quickly turned back around to see Jared rising out of his chair.

"Embry?" Jared said sternly. "Did you…?"

"Yeah," Embry said, sitting in the seat next to me.

Jared gave Embry a warning look. I looked over at Embry to see that he was looking straight back at me. I quickly looked down at my plate and forked the last bit of salad, and shoved it in my mouth.

I didn't dare look back up at Embry. There was no need to see his eyes again, I'd seen all the emotion in them in that one look; filled with love and caring. I knew for sure that he was feeling that way to me; I knew this because it felt like he was looking right into my soul with those warm, brown eyes of his.