Chapter 4 – Unexpected

"Where are we going, exactly?" I asked Edward as we continued to walk on the seemingly endless route to the mating colony. I wasn't trying to complain, but I just needed to know in my mind how long it would take so I could keep myself going.

"If I told you where it is, you might just try to kill me now and then get the rest of the mutts together to storm the place without me, and there is no way I want to miss that kind of fun," Edward replied casually.

"Ok, how long do you think it'll take for us to get there?" I clarified.

"Walking at this speed it could take weeks."

"Weeks?" I said wearily.

"How long did you think it would take?" Jacob asked me sourly. Since I told him that we'd never be a couple, Jake didn't try as hard to agree with everything I said and did. He wasn't trying to impress me anymore, and I had to admit, I was grateful. I never noticed the change in him before, but over the past couple years Jake had acted differently towards me, and I missed the way he used to be when we both thought of the other as nothing more than a friend. Things were much simpler then, and the last thing we needed on our mission was complicated relationship issues.

I shrugged off Jake's annoyed rhetorical question, and we walked in silence for a while before Edward abruptly froze.

"What is it?" I asked.

Jacob smelled the air for signs of trouble, and whatever he smelled definitely didn't concern him as much as Edward seemed to be - he may have even smiled a bit.

"What's going on?" I asked again.

Edward looked between Jacob and me with an almost panicked expression, and then he moved so fast that I didn't even see him do it. One second I was watching him curiously, and the next I was hanging onto his back and he was running. We were going at a speed that made it difficult to breathe, and the trees blurred by so quickly that I was sure we'd run into one. I put my head down on his shoulder to try to shield some of the wind, but it didn't really help. In a way though, I was glad; if I could breathe then I'd be able to think straight and freak myself out from the fact that I was clinging onto the back of a vampire. But he must have noticed my struggle, because he suddenly changed direction and climbed straight up a tree.

When we reached the top, Edward stopped and put me down next to him on a branch, and I was finally able to catch my breath. "What the hell is going on?"

But he didn't have to answer me; I saw the three wolves before they reached the bottom of the tree. They began growling and jumping up at us, but Edward relaxed and snickered. "They can't reach us up here."

I recognized the wolves right away, so I got angry. "Sam, Paul, Jared, stop it!" I shouted at them.

"They're not going to stop until I'm dead," Edward explained. "You know, you're really stupid for coming after us!" he yelled down at them. "I may have sent a bunch of vamps back to your home, and now you won't be there to protect the people!"

The wolves stopped snapping and looked at each other.

"He didn't send anyone," I told them annoyed. "Jacob and I have been with him the entire time."

The wolves immediately began growling and jumping again. They were fixated on Edward and I knew why. They needed to make sure he didn't do exactly what he had just said - send other vampires back to the village and expose our hidden location. I understood why they wanted him dead, but I still couldn't allow it to happen.

"Please Sam, I need him to save Emmett," I begged the black wolf below us. "Jacob!"

"They're not going to listen to me," Jake said as he walked casually onto the scene, still in his human form. "They're pissed at me for going along with this."

"Turn into a wolf and explain it to them," I told him.

"I tried explaining already, but they don't care our reasons, they just want to kill him."

"How do you even know what they said if you're not a wolf to hear them?"

He shrugged. "It's what I would have said."

Jared jumped on Paul's back to try to get higher up to us, but he still couldn't reach.

"Sam, please," I asked again hopelessly.

"Don't worry about it, Bella; they don't have a chance at getting me," Edward assured me lightly. "I can stay up here much longer than they can snap at me down there. Especially since I have you as a snack."

"Ok, that's it, bring her down!" Jacob demanded.

"Why would I?" Edward asked cockily. "It's not like I've got somewhere to be or anyone to save. I can just hop from tree to tree until you mutts give up. And you will give up, you have to sleep eventually."

"Jacob, this is ridiculous!" I called to him angrily. "Just because I don't want to be with you, doesn't give you the right to call in Sam."

"I never called him in," Jake replied defensively. "I wouldn't do that to you. Besides, when could I have? I've been with you the entire time and you know I haven't phased. They just must have tracked us."

"You know, come to think of it, I don't feel like hanging out for you mutts to get tired," Edward said unexpectedly. He suddenly grabbed me around my waist, and then jumped off the tree. We were high so the fall was terrifying, but somehow we landed softly, and then he pulled me in front of him and held me tightly in an aggressive way.

"Come any closer and she's dead," he threatened the wolves. Jake immediately phased and joined the other three in snarling at him viciously. "I wouldn't if I were you," Edward told them, responding to whatever plan they were concocting in their minds. And then he started chuckling. "They all think you're crazy Bella. And they definitely don't think Jacob can handle me."

Then, for a reason I didn't understand, Jacob jumped in front of the other three and faced them bearing his fangs.

"This is definitely fun," Edward said to me excitedly.

"What's going on?" I asked confused.

"The three wolves decided they would charge me despite the fact your life is in on the line. Sam even had the audacity to tell Jacob that your father would want it that way, so then Jacob got angry and decided he'd stand in front of them. He's not willing to let them sacrifice you for the good of the village."

I swallowed hard. "Sam, you don't have to fight each other. The vampire isn't going to hurt anyone, we won't let him. And after we find Emmett, Jacob will take care of him," I said slowly, hoping Edward's narcissism wouldn't let my words affect his willingness to continue with our deal. "Jacob can kill him, and he will."

Edward chuckled, but otherwise let my comment go. "Nope, they're not going for it," he translated Sam's decision after a minute. "They're willing to go through you and Jacob to kill me if they have to."

It appeared as if Jacob was still trying to reason with them, but suddenly the discussion was over and the wolves lunged at us. Paul attacked Jacob, and Sam and Jared both went after Edward. He shoved me to the side and punched Sam square in the jaw, then turned and shoved Jared away before he could sink his fangs into him. Edward surprised me by being able to hold his own against the two wolves, but when Jacob noticed that I was safely away from Edward, he turned and joined the others in attacking him.

Edward didn't stand a chance against four wolves, and I knew my only hope at saving my brother was about to be killed with him.

"Please stop!" I cried, but they didn't listen to me. They circled Edward, and then tackled him for the kill….except somehow he managed to jump away from the dog-pile. He took off running faster than I had ever seen anything move in my life. The wolves chased him, but regardless of whether or not they ended up catching him, I lost all hope.

The vampire was gone, and so was Emmett.

I fell down to the forest floor, and just sobbed. There was nothing else I could do.

After I cried for so long that I felt like I had run out of tears, I sat there and looked around having no idea what to do or where to go. I didn't even know where I was and the wolves were probably miles away by then. But even if they weren't, how was I supposed to just return home after everything that happened? How was I supposed to look my father in the eye knowing what he had planned for me and Jacob, or even the fact that I knew Sam was probably right, that he would have told them to sacrifice me in order to kill Edward? I understood that my life wasn't as important as the entire towns', but still, it was hard to take that my own father would be willing to do such a thing, even for the greater good.

But the world didn't offer choices anymore; the village was the only place for a human to be, so that's where I had to go back to.

I began walking in the direction Edward had run us from, except he had gone so fast that I wasn't sure which direction it was. But it didn't matter; I knew the wolves would come back for me when they were done shedding Edward into pieces – The thought curiously made me begin to cry all over again. I guess I had tears left after all.

But the crying didn't last long.

I felt hallow. Numb. As if there was nothing left inside of me. My brother was gone, and I hated my best friend and father with a passion so a part of me would rather die than return to the village where my life was meaningless. I never thought I could feel so empty and betrayed, but that's exactly how I felt, and when Jacob finally did return, I didn't even care anymore.

"Don't you want to know what happened?" he asked as he followed me for a while without speaking.

"Nope," I replied emotionlessly.

"We lost him," he said unexpectedly.

"You lost him?" I asked, feeling a spark of hope again. Perhaps all wasn't lost. "So…what does that mean?"

"Sam and the others went back to the village to protect the people, and you and I are going to keep looking for the vampire so we can still force him to take us to the mating colony."

"Really? But if you lost him…"

"Man, he has to be the fastest vampire alive," Jacob said reflectively. "We lost his trail in a river back there, but I'm sure if we follow the water I'll find it eventually. Sam just didn't want to waste any more time tracking when it could be heading back to the village with more vampires to kill everyone."

"But….if we do find Edward, Sam is going to make you kill him; he won't let us try to find Emmett."

Jacob sighed. "He won't know either way. When I stood against him I lost my mental link to the pack, so it seems I've gone rogue. I told Sam verbally that I wouldn't stop until I killed the vampire, but he doesn't have much faith in me."

"So even when you're a wolf they won't know our plans?"

"Nope. It's just us, but that's not a good thing, Bella. If we need help…"

"I wouldn't want them risking their lives to come after us anyway," I interrupted him. "I don't want you risking your life for me either."

"But you don't have a choice when it comes to me. You need my help, and we both know it."

I nodded. "I'm being selfish, Jacob, I know I am, but you're right; I'm only human, and I can't physically do this without your protection."

"Well, that's my job as a shape-shifter….to protect people, and that's what I'm going to do. Besides, if I get to kill that vampire at the end of all of this, I'll be protecting the village as well."

So with renewed faith, Jake and I set off towards the river, and then followed the water's edge until the sun lowered in the sky. I was still angry with Jacob, hell I was angry at everyone I had ever known, but he was my only hope. He could smell vampires, I couldn't. He could fight off vampires, I couldn't. The chance of seeing my brother again was slim, but that chance was completely nonexistent without Jake's help.

When it was too dark for me to see the ground below my feet, we decided to make a fire and call it a night.

"We'll never find Edward at this pace," I said solemnly. "He's so fast…and he doesn't need to do this," I said, gesturing towards the fire. "He'll never rest, so how can we ever catch him?"

"I'm not sure," Jake admitted.

"I'm still shocked by the way he moved," I mused. "I really thought he was a goner with four wolves against him."

Jacob sighed. "I know what you mean. It kind of scares me," he admitted. "What if I can't handle vampires after all? This really could be a suicide mission."

I shook my head. "We're not going to think like that," I said strongly. "We will do this. We'll find Edward, force him to help us, and then we'll get Emmett. I have to believe that."

"Yeah, well, now that I've seen the vamp in action, I know more what to expect. I'm sure I'll be able to handle him next time."

"Of course you will."

I think we were both fooling ourselves with our confidence, but that was ok, that's what we had to do to keep us going. All we really needed was to get Edward back. If we could convince him to help us again, then we still had a chance.

And then there was a low rumbling sound and I looked at Jake questionably. "Was that your stomach?"

"Yeah, we haven't eaten in a couple days."

I sighed. "I'll hunt in the morning," I told him. I often went a few days without eating, we all did, that was just the way our world was at that time, so I didn't really notice that it had been that long.

Emmett had trained me well. I knew the forest and could easily survive off the land, so the next day we planned to continue our search for Edward, but before that we'd need to refuel to get our strength back.

"You know, as a wolf, I can probably do a little better in the hunting department than a bow-less archer," Jake said with a grin as he poked at the fire with a stick.

"I fully intend to make a bow with twine and sticks," I rebutted.

"You can do that?" he asked surprised.

"Of course I can. Emmett taught me everything I need to know."

"Still, the animal in me will prove to be a better hunter, and I'll get the kill…but because I'm such a cool guy, you can have the first pick of meat."

"Oh, will you shut up!" a smug, annoyed voice said from somewhere in the darkness, and then he walked into view. "I mean really, your attempts to win her affections are nauseating." Jacob and I just stared at Edward stunned as he casually walked over to the fire and dropped a large buck off his shoulders to the ground. "Besides, if we're competing in hunting, obviously I've already won…and I've even drained all the blood out of it for you."

Was my mouth hanging open? - I couldn't be sure. He had no reason to come back, he was free and clear, and yet there he was, present under his own free will….and he even brought us dinner.

Jacob immediately became suspicious. "Where are your friends?"

"What friends?" Edward asked amused, obviously already knowing what he was asking by reading his mind. "I told you already, I don't have a coven or a pack like you do. I'm just me…looking forward to storming the mating colony….and I assume the fight to the death is still on between us afterwards?"

"Bet your ass it is," Jacob replied quickly.

"Great. I can't wait."

The three of us sat there in awkward silence for a few minutes, not exactly sure what to think about the situation. The entire thing was so surreal that I wasn't sure if I should be thankful, or scared shitless that Edward did, in fact, have some kind of ulterior motive. Perhaps he really did just want to fight Jacob and wasn't concerned about dying along the way.

I sighed and then decided that there was no point in stressing about it at the moment. Instead, I busied myself by taking out my pocket knife, and began skinning the deer so Jacob and I could eat. Edward wasn't kidding when he said it was drained, the carcass was completely bloodless as if it were held upside down for several days, which I was grateful for. I could hunt and skin a buck with the best of them, but the blood could be potent at times and was definitely the most disgusting part of it.

"Bella, we're not eating that," Jacob said quickly.

"Why not?" I asked confused.

"The leech probably left its venom inside of it."

Edward laughed. "It's dead, isn't it?" he asked condescendingly. "That means I sucked everything out. There's no venom left, and even if there was, it wouldn't hurt you. It has to be injected into someone's bloodstream for it to be effective."

Jacob crossed his arms. "It's still gross."

"Well, I'm going to eat it," I said before continuing with the butchering. "We need the protein."

Jake finally agreed despite himself.

After we roasted the meat on the fire and ate our fill, I told Jake he could take the first turn sleeping since I knew he had done a lot of running that day. I doubted I could sleep anyway, at least not right away.

Jake was out in record time, and once again I was left alone in the night with Edward.

"So…why'd you come back?" I asked, though I already knew he'd give the same answer he had been giving since we started the trip - that he was bored in his immortality and looking for some excitement - Except he didn't; he just answered me by chuckling quietly to himself. "Well, thank you, whatever your reason," I said graciously.

"Don't thank me yet, it may just turn out to be the biggest regret of your life," he said strangely.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What will I regret? Storming the mating colony to find my brother…or trusting you enough to be thankful you're back to help?"

"Both," he replied seriously.

I took a deep breath, and silently prayed he was wrong.