PROLOGUE

"What if I wanted to fight

Beg for the rest of my life

What would you do?"

→ The Kill, 30 Seconds To Mars

It came at once, all in the same moment. A loud, long howl from all of the wolves. I turned to Emily.

"What does--" but when she looked back at me, there were tears cascading down her face.

"It means they've lost one of the pack."

My heart went cold. It couldn't be Colin. He and Seth had been taking a roundabout patrol of the southern border while the rest of the pack had tracked the vampire north, to confront it once and for all.

All of us, the 'imprint girls', were waiting tensely on Emily's porch. Kim was sitting on the lawn, her crutches beside her, tears running down her cheeks; while eight-year-old Claire was confused because no one would tell her what was going on. The atmosphere was heavy and no one spoke.

Of us, Kaylie was the only one with a calm face, but our hands were linked and I couldn't feel the blood flowing to my fingers because she was hanging on so tightly.

After a few minutes, a chocolate-brown wolf raced out of the woods, running straight towards Claire, who immediately hugged his foreleg – that was all she could reach.

Sam came out of the forest next, in human form, and Emily ran straight into his arms. Jared sprinted out of the forest, still buttoning up his jeans. He scooped Kim up and she buried her face into his neck, sobbing.

Now, Seth came but there was a huge gash running down his torso, still bleeding. He was leaning on Embry and Brady. Kaylie ran straight to him and jumped on him, locking her arms and legs around him. Seth held her up, but he was... crying...

He turned to me, tears in his red, bloodshot eyes.

"Jessie..."

"No," I whispered.

"It tricked us all. Led its scent up north, but in truth it had taken a large detour south..."

"No, no no..."

"It crept up behind us and..."

And now Seth was sobbing. He buried his head in Kaylie's hair.

"NO!" I screamed. He couldn't be gone. I needed him, more than I needed air. Seth had to be lying. Collin just couldn't be gone, any moment now he was going to walk out of those trees.

But as I watched Seth break down, I knew he wouldn't lie.

My knees collapsed beneath me and I fell to the cold, damp earth. I couldn't breathe, I was only taking shallow gasps of air and I was shaking. My heart was pounding in my ears, but I couldn't think.

He was gone. I couldn't go on without him – the world suddenly seemed cold, dark and empty... as the tears came to my eyes the world blurred and all I could think was, it's over. There's no point now.

A hand touched my shoulder. "Jessie..."

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I screamed, scrambling back from Emily's touch. She lowered her hand, but didn't say anything.

Everyone was watching me with wide eyes except Seth, who was still sobbing into Kaylie's shoulder.

I had to get out of here. I couldn't stand their staring, or their pity. I didn't need it.

What I really needed was gone now.

I turned and ran, as fast as I could, into the forest.

"Look in my eyes, you're killing me, killing me

All I wanted was you..."