Thanks to everyone who review/fav/followed Chapter 1 – I really appreciate it! Nemma :)

Disclaimer: I do not own twilight.

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Chapter 2: Jacob

You're checking up on me again, Jake snarled, beyond irritated.

Seth pretended not to notice his voice, and instead went snuffling about a patch of fern. But Jake could read his thoughts, they were as clear as day… and he knew.

You need to stop it. Just leave me alone.

Sighing, Jake curled up once again in the entrance to his cave. It was hardly homely but the place worked well enough. He'd found it about two weeks into his nomad-roaming somewhere up in Alberta, and had claimed it for himself after chasing off the resident wolf pack. It was quiet, secluded, and hundreds of miles away from any form of civilisation. Now, if he could only learn how to block out the annoying wolf voices in his head…

Jake,Seth sighed, Bella's just worried.

The name made him flinch. He did not want to think about her; every time he did the pain it caused was overwhelming.

And she's not the only one. I'm worried too, Seth added, his thoughts turning to his estranged pack-brother.

As you can see, I'm fine. Now, just, leave me alone, okay?

With a huff, Jake circled and flopped down, head on his paws.

Seth said nothing, but he did turn his thoughts to other things. Sue was baking a beef casserole to take over to Charlie Swan tonight and he was hoping she'd leave some for him. It had smelt really good: gravy, rich and succulent… When his mouth started to water and his stomach grumbled, Seth decided to hunt. There was a herd of caribou not far to the south and Seth let his nose lead him.

His thoughts turned a little wolfish from that point, they were all about smells and sights and sounds and Jake found it easy to ignore. He re-immersed himself in his little bubble and thought of deer too. Nice juicy meat, still fresh from the-

What the…?

Seth jolted and reeled back. A flash of white had streaked past him with lightning speed – it moved faster than even his werewolf senses could track. And it was gone as quickly as he'd sensed it – Vampire: no question about it.

Seth?

Jake jerked upright, instantly worried about his safety.

It took Seth longer than it should have to collect his thoughts. He shook his head with a snort, making a conscious effort to pinpoint the scent.

Cullen, definitely… the small one with the black spiky hair… the one that looks like a pixie.

Alice, Jake said.

Yeah, Seth quirked up, wonder what's got her running so fast?

He'd barely finished the thought when another white streak blurred past on his right, followed just as quickly by one to his left. The second vampire breezed past his shoulder with inches to spare, ruffling his fur, and Seth whined.

He was too far from the one on his right, but the one on his left was closer and he sniffed the air, trying identifying the scent.

Too perfumy, too sweet, more sickly than the others

Rosalie, Jake said, remembering her scent from their training sessions with the Cullens before they fought off the new-borns. Why are they…?

Another white flash!

Jake followed the next scent in Seth's thoughts. It was their leader's wife, the one who acted like their mother. What was her name? Something like Emma… no, Elsie…

Esme, Seth said.

Yeah, that's it.

Jake remembered the few times he'd seen her during their preparations for the new-born battle. She'd always been slower than the rest.

Catch her, ask what's up! Jake ordered.

He had a bad feeling about this, a very bad feeling. He needed to know what had them running so fast, full-speed through the woods south of La Push, ignoring Seth no less – those leeches never ignored Seth. They took every opportunity they had to talk to him, since he was one Quileute who would speak to them with a civil tongue. Scratch that – he was the only Quileute who would speak to them with a civil tongue.

Seth intercepted her track but made no move to stop her. He simply bounded along at her side making worried, whining noises.

Esme paused in surprise. "Seth!"

But her gaze darted ahead and she took off again. Seth was hot on her trail. With greater insistence, he continued his whines. Her behaviour had Seth worried now too, and Jake found himself, almost subconsciously, sitting up and leaning closer, as if he were there with them. Esme barely acknowledged Seth as she ran.

It's like she's running for her life!

Seth whined at the thought and glanced back, looking for signs of pursuit. Whatever made the Cullen's run was definitely something to be worried about.

Where are the others? Where's Jasper and the big one, and Edward, and-

Bella!

Seth nearly choked on Jake's spike of fright and stumbled in his steps. He soon righted himself and barked loudly at Esme. She glanced at him then, with large frightened eyes.

"She called," she said, "something's happened, we don't know what, she was screaming on the other end of the phone…"

WHO?! They barked in unison, their words no more coherent than a dog's bark.

Though Jacob was sure he already knew… No, don't say it.

"Bella," Esme choked.

FOLLOW THEM! Jake screamed, but Seth was already on his way and Jake watched intently through his eyes.

It didn't take long for them to break through the bracken, crashing onto a deserted coastal road. Seth threw his head from side to side checking for people, but the area was deserted.

There's no one here.

Unsure what to do he looked to Esme. She had already taken off down the road to the South. Seth followed. Further ahead, he could see the blonde peeking out of an open car door. It was parked – if you call it parked, it was half way across the far side of the road with its bonnet dipped forward into a ditch – with its door left ajar, and a dinging noise rang in the air. The doctor and the little one, Alice, were kneeling over a patch of something on the beach, muttering rapidly. Alice stood up in a flash and darted along the shoreline, disappearing. Carlisle didn't move, he only stared, frozen, out to sea.

Esme reached his side and gasped. Flinging hands up to cover her mouth, she stumbled back – a vampire actually stumbled? – shaking her head so fast that her face blurred and caramel hair flew up in a flurry.

What happened? Jake barked. Where is she? Where's Bella?

I don't know! Seth whined. How should I?

Alice flashed back and flew in the other direction.

Rosalie, the blonde, flitted to the doctor's side.

"Carlisle…" she ventured tentatively.

He said nothing.

With a piercing scream that toppled Seth to his side, Alice was back.

"There's no trail!" she cried. "Why is there no trail?!"

Carlisle was staring out to sea. "The water…"

Without pause, Alice splashed into the surf and vanished.

Rosalie stood stoically at his shoulder.

"You think whoever attacked her came from the water…" she said. "Carlisle, we'll never be able to track-"

Esme sobbed suddenly, cutting her off.

I'm calling Sam, Seth gasped, and without further delay the young pup threw his head back and released an ear-splitting howl.

The Cullen's barely acknowledged his call.

With a sigh, the blonde followed her sister with much less enthusiasm into the water. Carlisle, finally seeming to come to his senses, darted ahead of her. And as if on some invisible cue, Esme jerked into action and followed. All three were gone.

Follow them! Jake urged Seth. See what you can find!

I can't swim! he protested, pawing the water's edge with trepidation.

Do the freaking doggy paddle, just go!

Seth backed up a step, tucking his tail between his legs with a low whine. Jake didn't have to be a part of his thoughts to see how much Seth didn't want to do this. But he was also worried for Bella, almost as much as Jake himself. With that knowledge in mind, Seth braced himself, gulped in a breath of air, and plunged into the tide like a dog chasing a stick. Using the weak traces of the Cullen's vampire scent, he found his way.

Seth! What's the problem?

Sam had finally turned up. He ignored Jake's thoughts – as had become the standard whenever the other wolves were phased. It was his own sympathetic attempt to provide Jake with what privacy he could while he had 'his little meltdown' as Jared liked to call it. But now was not the time or place for his misery. Bella's life was at stake.

Bella's been taken, Jake interrupted, by… something.

They weren't even sure what yet. Alice said she could get no scent, Seth couldn't seem to find one either, but surely there wasn't any possibility but another vampire. Was there?

Jake? Sam stumbled, surprised by the presence he had gotten so used to ignoring, but he was quick to get back on track. Tell me what happened!

Several other mental voices joined his own and Jake detected: Jared, Leah, Embry and Collin close by. A quick scan of their thoughts revealed that the missing others had ran off to protect their significant others in case this emergency was dire.

Instead of stumbling through an inadequately worded explanation, Jake quickly replayed his memories from the time he had noticed the vampires flying past Seth in the woods to the point where he had sent Seth diving after them into the ocean.

Seth was more than happy for Jake to explain, he was far too busy keeping his head above the waves to concentrate on anything else. But Leah was far from happy that Seth was alone, swimming at a painfully slow rate, in the water. He couldn't smell or see anything beyond the length of his own nostrils. This was dangerous and Jake had to agree with that.

Get out of the water, Seth, Sam commanded.

But… what about…?

Out of the water now!

Spluttering and coughing, he turned to make his way to shore, but the water was everywhere and he kept dipping under, he couldn't work out which way to go. He was becoming rapidly confused, disoriented.

Where's the shore? Where's the shore?

Hang on, we'll be there soon, Leah barked.

She was already far ahead of the others. She threw herself through the thicket, tearing apart branches and ripping up soil between her powerful feet.

I can't… I can't… Seth coughed, inhaling water and choking.

Seth, we're coming, Embry shouted.

Jake tensed, leaning forward. Head up, Seth! Kick for the surface!

Don't panic, Sam commanded, but it was little use. Seth was panicking and he was beyond listening to reason now. He coughed, inhaling, choking on briny water, it was obstructing his throat. He couldn't breathe!

Seth! Leah screamed.

He broke the surface, spluttering and gagging. There was an arm around his waist, holding him up – a marble-hard arm. Twisting, he turned to see a sodden blonde vampire hanging onto him.

Carlisle

Jake had never been more relieved to see him. Leah too, though she'd never admit it.

"It's alright," he said. "I've got you, Seth."

Seth stopped flailing then and gratefully allowed the vampire to tow him to shore.

Leah broke the treeline surrounding the beach just as a sopping wet Seth stumbled onto the gritty shale beside Carlisle. For only being in the sea for a few minutes he looked the worse for wear. Leah practically threw herself at him, desperate to see that he was okay. She nudged and nuzzled at his fur, her thoughts scattered and nonsensical, while Seth growled lightly and weakly shoved her away.

Get off.

He was embarrassed, but he could sense Leah's anxiety and sheer relief, so he wasn't too mad about her pestering, just a little annoyed. After that, Seth's thoughts turned back to the doctor, who was now watching the dripping blond female wading out of the waves.

"Rose?" he said.

She shook her head, "Nothing."

Sam burst out of the woods then, flanked closely by Jared, Embry and Collin. He wandered to Seth's side, checked him over and then looked out to sea. There was nothing but sloshing blue surf for miles.

Esme came sloshing out of the sea soon after, along with Alice. She was shaking her head and pressing a hand to her quivering lips. Carlisle did not need to ask.

The Pack's thoughts were buzzing so much that Jake could barely discern one voice from another.

No scent, anywhere!

No sight…

Blood, Bella's…

What are they thinking?

What do we do?

What are we tracking?

Jacob barked. And Sam commanded silence. All voices fell quiet.

What was that about blood…? Jacob ventured.

Sam's thoughts froze… and, although he tried not to think of it clearly, and to find a way to phrase it more delicately, the raw information came across loud and clear. It was Bella's blood the Cullen's found staining the sand.

A roar tore its way out of Jacob's throat, so loud and long that flocks of birds from three miles away took to the sky. That howl was imbued with pain.

Hold up, Jake, Sam barked. There isn't much, it's a bare smattering. There's still hope.

Sam… Jake whined.

Let me talk to the Doc.

But Carlisle was having an intense moment of his own. He stood trying to talk to Alice, but she was beyond listening to words.

"Nothing," she shrieked, beyond consolation. "There can't be nothing, there's never nothing! Where is she? Where is she?" Turning to the sea, she cried, "Bella! BEELLLLLLAAA!"

Her shout echoed hollowly across the dark water and only seagulls cawed in response. Nevertheless, she continued, on and on and on…

"We need to call the others," Rosalie eventually said.

"Oh God, Edward," Esme turned to Carlisle, her anxiety racketing up into the extreme.

Alice wasn't even listening anymore, "BELLA!"

Her movements became imperceptible blurs once again as she took off along the shoreline, re-running the circuit she had already made possibly a thousand times – back and forth, back and forth. She showed no hint of stopping, and, as inexhaustible as vampires were, she could likely run that route forever.

Jake? Sam said.

I know, I'm already heading back

Under Jake's feet, the thick forest floor blurred past.

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Thanks for reading. :)