JACOB'S POINT OF VIEW

"Are you ok?" I asked the girl.

She jumped off of the rock and slid down beside it quicker than I thought possible. I knew that would happen. I scared her badly. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to frighten you." She didn't say anything. I felt my muscles move in her direction and pulled myself back to the tree willing only my voice to move. "Are you ok?"

"I'm alright." Her words were simple, but I was caught up in the sweet musical tone that brought them into my ears. I needed to go to her. No. I told myself. I tried to gain my composer breathing in and out forcibly. I asked another question. "Are you lost?"

Her voice sang out again from behind the boulder. "No, I can get home."

Don't move. My fingers released the tree trunk gently. "Then what are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

She didn't answer, but I could hear teasing in her voice when she asked a question back. "Why are you out here in the middle of the night?"

"Fair enough." I smiled and laughed internally at her comment. I peered out through the trees. I couldn't get my feet planted to the ground anymore and started to walk closer to her. "Are you hurt?"

"No."

My feet kept pressing soundlessly forward. "I heard you crying."

"I thought I was alone."

I stopped my feet and pressed my body against the rock. Maybe she didn't want someone around. I was at a loss of what to say. "Oh, sorry. Should I leave then?"

She stood quickly and almost yelled to me, "No please." I had to laugh at her sudden eagerness. My laughter slowed when I rethought to her crying. I again felt the irresistible urge to help her. I asked her again, more gentle this time. "Why were you crying?"

I heard her gasp. Oh no! I don't want to have offended her. "Oh, ah, you don't have to tell me."

She answered with the softest frail voice. "I ran away from home."

I was truly concerned. "Why?"

"My parents. We have been fighting a lot lately." I could hear her start to cry again. I had to help. My arms needed to pull her into me and comfort her. The feeling was too strong. I felt my feet move beneath me to her side. I bent to her. "I'm sorry for" she was gone in an instant, "you." Where did she go?? She was right here. Oh no! I stood and smelled the air, something must have happened to her. I smelled her sweet perfume come from right next to the boulder. Oh, she must have just moved away. I looked around the rock to her direction. "Why did you move?"

"You startled me again." Oh man, my bad. Sorry. I tried to be quiet for a minute. She was probably terrified of me. A very beautiful sounding woman out here alone in the woods at night, of course she is. I probably should just walk away and let her get back to whatever she was doing. She did say she could get home. I turned to leave and I felt another flash through my muscles. I just couldn't do it. I needed to be close to her. I couldn't leave. I had to hear her again. "What's your name?"

"Re.." she stopped herself quickly, "I'd better not say."

"Why not?"

She sounded very concerned. "If my parents coming looking for me I don't want them to know you were with me."

"I won't tell." Please I gotta know! I let my forehead rest on the cool boulder that separated us.

"I believe you, but there are other ways they could find out." I froze wide eyed. I turned around facing away from the rock. She knew? Did she know my brothers would hear me in wolf form? No, no. She couldn't know that. I let in the breath I had been holding and leaned back against the rock. I tried to relax myself.

I thought back a minute to what we were talking about. Maybe she'd let me know her name if she knew mine. "I'm Jacob."

She was so quiet after that. I listened for her but only heard the thrumming of her heartbeat. I concentrated on it and it started moving upwards. It was close to my head now. She must have climbed the rock. I smiled as I felt her warm breath against my neck. She was right above me, looking down on me. I heard her take in a deep breath of air. She was almost at my ear. I felt the hair stand on my neck. I had to see her. I had to. I turned quickly but she was already down the side. She slid down fast enough she had to have hurt herself. "Are you ok?"

"Um. Yes. Sorry. I've just heard the name Jacob around my house a few times. I wasn't ready for that, but there are lots of Jacob's right?"

I laughed loudly. That was not something I expected her to say. "Yeah I guess. Why is the name Jacob said around your house?"

Her voice became tense. "I really don't know. I hear my parents say that name once in a while, but only before I completely wake up in the morning. It's always been odd to me."

"So you don't live around here?"

"I'm from Maine actually."

I almost choked on her words. "Wow, Maine is a ways away. You really ran away." When she wanted to get away, she wanted to get away. How much further could you get in the continental United States? Not much! I wonder if that's why she chose here. "What made you come here?"

"I was born near here. My family moved quickly after. I thought maybe I would come back here and find something."

If she only born here what memories does she have to look for? I took another quiet step forward to her side, still facing away in case she climbs the rock again. "Find what?"

She sighed. It was a beautiful tender sound. "I don't know," she whispered.

I let that thought sit. I wasn't sure what to do or say. How do I help someone who doesn't know what she is even looking for? This girl is in need of help. I can feel the undying urge my muscles have to reach over and hold her and help her do whatever she needs. I want to help…I heard a rock slip from the side of the rock. My eyes darted to the sound to catch a glimpse of her hair.

My body went rigid as I thought about the delicate ringlets in a beautiful moonlit bronze. My heart sped at just the sight of her hair. It was amazing, long and beautiful.

Her sweet voice broke through my awed thoughts. "So Jacob, what kind of man walks around the forest at night not wearing shoes?"

My laugh boomed off the stillness of the pond. "A man like me I guess." I kicked some small rocks to the side looking at my bare feet. She laughed back and my breath caught. It was the sweetest most amazing sound I'd ever heard. I will replay that sound every second of every day from now on. I shook my head and cleared my throat. My thoughts trailed. "I haven't seen any cars around here. Do you need help getting home?"

"Oh no that's fine. I can manage."

"I can help you get where you need to be." Please! I need to help. I can't leave without you. "Where are you headed?"

"I have a hotel in Port Angeles." She spoke clearly and quickly.

"Port Angeles?" I was stunned. How does a girl get from Port Angeles to here without a car? She's definitely not getting all the way back there tonight. "You're a while away from there now. I can take you back to my house and let you stay there tonight, it's pretty close."

She laughed her sweet ringing bell voice. "I don't know what kind of girl you take me for Jacob." I smiled as she almost purred my name. She continued, "But I don't go home with strange dark men who wear only shorts that I meet in the middle of the night in the forest."

I had to laugh, what a little tease. Ok, two can play at this game. "I take you for a girl who cries in the middle of the forest, forty-five miles away from her motel without a car." I smiled at her sweet giggle. She started moving around the rock so I followed. "Come on. I'll take you to my parent's house then. You'll be safe there without big dark half naked men standing over you."

I stopped breathing as she laughed the sweetest yet. What a beautiful sound. My mind cried out that I had to see her. I followed after her and she slipped down into the shadow of the rock. She gasped heavily as I came into her line of sight. I stopped quickly, hoping I hadn't scared her again. I was about to back away when she whispered, "it's you."

"You know me?"

"Yes."

She was hidden in the shadows. I had to see her face. "Let me see you."