Cate Winters was a stubborn girl, Jacob concluded, his mouth in a hard line. She was mild and patient, timid almost, but determinedly STUBBORN. Cate was walking with him, light and quick on her feet.

"You're parents will worry." Jacob told her flatly. It was a lame excuse for him to pull.

"They won't notice. My dad and his wife are too goggling over eachother to even notice. I disappeared for two weeks without telling them anything to go visit my aunt, and they didn't even notice."

"Two weeks."

"OK, so maybe one and a half."

"This isn't going to be a week long trip."

"Week and a HALF."

"Sure, sure."

She turned her large brown eyes to him and lifted a brow at him. "I'm serious."

"So am I."

"So what's the problem?"

"You ARE my problem," He grumbled, eyeing the long stretch of road he'd be able to cover in two seconds without her.

"How rude." She teased, looking ahead.

"I liked you better when you were in shock."

"I liked you better when you were a wolf."

He spun around, eyeing her speculatively. "I am NOT a WOLF." He lied.

"Sure, sure." She shot back, biting her lip to prevent a smile.

"I'm not." He said, face solemn. He was a fantastic liar.

She simply glanced at him dismissively. "You'd be a good actor."

He rolled his eyes and picked up the pace, distancing them.

"Aren't you COLD?" She exclaimed, realizing for the first time he had no shirt.

So much for keeping the lie in good tact.

"I don't get cold." He said emotionlessly.

"Sure, be macho man, but you're going to get REALLY sick- I mean, the snow is five feet high."

"Whatever you say." He said.

They continued to walk in silence.

"I never realized how…big you are." She said, her eyes rolling over him.

Jacob grinned with his face tilted away from her. "I know." He decided to play with her a little bit. "I'm very tall."

"Not just…not just THAT." She trailed off, blushing.

Jacob stopped dead in his tracks.

"What did I say?" She asked, her face resuming normal color, her expression horrified at the haunted look that had reaturned so suddenly to his face.

He turned away. "You blushed." He said quietly.

"Oh." She breathed, then stopped, looking confused. "Um, what's wrong with blushing? I'll try not too if it bothers you…"

"No, it's just looks similar to someone." He barely managed to choke the words.

"Oh." She said, and paused, trying to make a mental note never to blush.

"Why are you coming anyway?" He asked her, starting to walk again. The sting of his words hit her a little off guard.

"Because I'm not letting you run off on your own. It's not safe."

He chuckled.

"WHAT?" She exclaimed, exasperated.

"Nothing."

Silence reigned again.

"Why are you killing someone anyway?" She asked, the flatness of her words hitting him.

He remained expressionless. "You really shouldn't come."

"You're taking me with you."

"I'll be fine on my own."

"I'm COMING wolf-boy."

He rolled his eyes. "For the last time I am not a-"

"SHH." She said, making a slicing motion with her hand to silence him.

He was quiet, then he began again, "It's stupid for you to-"

"SHH."

He was getting mad. "If you really think you can-" He started furiously.

"No really, SHUT UP!" She glared at him, and he set his jaw, adding up the many ways he could take off without her.

She glanced around, her eyes huge. She got the look that he'd seen when he woke up.

"What is it?" He asked quietly.

"Someone's watching us." She murmured, her voice so low and quiet that he scarcely heard her.

"How do you know?" He asked her.

She ignored him, staring around rather desperately in the evening gloom.

He inahaled deeply. There was a slight burning sensation in his nose, followed by a sickly sweet stench that left him trembling in revulsion.

"Stay behind me!" He yelled at her.

"What?" She demanded, hand on her hip.

He threw her behind him just as a pale shape appeared just at the spot she'd been. She was more beautiful than any vampire he'd ever seen. Her long brown hair flowed down her back, almost black, her eyes a blood red. Jacob stopped dead.