Charlie's house was quiet in the dead of night.

He'd forgotten the porch light on, but every other room was dark. From where I was perched on the thick, sturdy branch of a fir bordering the property, I heard him shift in bed. His heartbeat was slow, serene. As he rolled over, his scent drifted across the yard toward me. When I'd first come, weeks ago, I had been surprised at his scent. I'd smelled other humans, of course, so I knew the difference between that of a normal human, and that of one who smelled much, much better.

Edythe had noted this-absolutely adamant that I not come alone-how she'd become aware of it too, when she'd met him. She'd wondered aloud if the temptation she'd felt for my blood, was somehow genetic, though she had assured me she hadn't found Charlie nearly as tempting, just moreso than usual.

Now, I was alone, though I knew Edythe wouldn't be happy about it. She had been oddly overprotective lately, and I hadn't the faintest reason why. It must have had something to do with what was going on in Seattle, though in the week that had passed, I hadn't been able to get much more information out of her about it.

The message must have been passed around to everyone else in the family not to indulge me, either, because the closest answer I could get was from Archie, and even then, he barely told me more than Edythe had.

Now, just on the horizon, the night sky was beginning to change color, fading into a deep lavender color. Charlie would be getting up soon. It had been a habit I hadn't been able to shake, coming here. Even now, I wasn't sure if it was to watch over him, or just to check in on him, to see how he was doing; how he was coping. Desperately, I wished there was some way I could see my mom. The last time I had laid eyes on her had been at the funeral, and she'd looked awful… I hoped she was alright.

Edythe had been right-this had been the most painful part about the transition to immortal life. To know I had left my parents behind in such a tragic way-weren't kids supposed to bury their parents, not the other way around?-tugged at the hollow place in my chest. I had found myself here more often in the past couple of days. Where before I'd visited the house maybe once a week, I'd been coming for the past five nights in a row.

But tonight was the first time I'd felt another presence in the forest with me.

Immediately I was on high alert, ears tuning, nostrils flaring to take in the scent of whoever was coming my way. The muscles in my shoulders and all along my arms clenched automatically at the scent. It wasn't Edythe, nor anyone from my family. In fact, it wasn't a vampire at all.

Werewolf.

The large, heavy paws thudded through the underbrush awhile off. I heard the moment whoever it was hesitate as they caught my scent. Their pace picked up then, and as they broke through the ferns, her teeth were bared, a reddish brown wolf, the black eyes piercing, hostile, and then she caught site of me, sitting high up in the fir tree, and the growl that had been issuing from between her teeth broke off in a strange, almost shocked sounding whimper.

"Hey," I said lowly, putting my hands up, palms forward, "Chill out. I'm just keeping an eye on him."

The wolf's expression changed again. I was surprised how… human her face could look in this form. Something like a mask of pity settled over her face, and she sat back on her haunches, fur on her shoulders relaxing.

I leaped from the twenty or so feet up I'd been sitting, landing silently on the balls of my feet atop the scattered pine needles.

"I like to check up on him once in awhile," I explained.

The wolf gazed at me for a minute, and then she turned and headed back into the deeper forest.

"Hey," I called after her, taking a step forward.

I stopped reflexively as a strange sort of energy shimmered in the air around me.

"Hold on a sec, stay there," a familiar voice called out from the other side of the thick wall of foliage.

"Jules?"

A minute later, she came back toward me, teeth glinting brightly in the darkness of the early morning. "Fancy seeing you here, stranger," she said, grinning. She had on a pair of grey joggers and a navy blue tank top-a color I wouldn't have been able to discern with my human eyes in this light. She was barefoot.

"What are you doing here?" was the first question that popped out of my mouth.

"Oh, Sam likes us to run patrol around here," she said flippantly, and then her lips kind of pressed together, as if she'd said something she shouldn't have.

"Why is Charlie… included in those parameters? I mean, isn't it kind of a long way to come, from La Push?"

She shrugged, pushing the sole of her foot against a nearby tree trunk. "Not really. It's not a problem."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Don't you start hiding things from me, too, Julie."

She lifted her head, staring at me with dark, wide, much too innocent eyes. "Hiding things?"

I sighed and shook my head. "Whatever. Forget about it."

"They're not telling you?" Her realization was quiet, surprised.

How did Julie know what was up, and I didn't? Something was definitely wrong if Charlie was included in their patrol. Something that involved the people of Forks as well as our secret supernatural community. Images of what was happening in Seattle flitted through my mind, maimed bodies drained of blood… Vampire attacks.

Some piece of the puzzle was absent; there was something I was missing.

"Where's your mate?" Jules asked now, and I didn't miss just the tiniest lift of her lip, a snarl, when she mentioned Edythe.

"I came alone. I don't need her with me twenty-four-seven." I squared my shoulders, sniffing indignantly.

Jules appraised me for a minute, and then unexpected laughter slipped through her lips. "Okay, Mr. Perfect Newborn Vampire Sir. Whatever you say. No babysitters for you."

I couldn't help laughing, too. "They tend to be… kind of…"

"Overprotective. I get it." The way she said it brought understanding. It occurred to me that she was new to her new-found supernatural tendencies, too, and her pack might be a little overbearing on her as well.

"Hm, something in common," I murmured with a smirk.

"I mean, only to be expected, seeing as we're so much the same in every other way," she joked.

Again, easy laughter passed between us.

"What do you say?" she said, "Wanna take a walk?"

I glanced back toward my old house, where I could see the hall light on through the window, and heard the shower start.

"Yeah," I said, "Let's get out of here."

.

"Where have you been?"

Edythe's voice was sharp, terse with anger. I had just stepped onto the lawn, and she was already waiting at the edge of the trees. She must have heard me running back toward the house.

"And why do you reek of werewolf?"

I rolled my eyes. "I was at Charlie's, and I ran into Jules-" her eyes narrowed at the nickname "We hung out for awhile." I shrugged. "No big deal."

"It kind of is a big deal, when you disappear for hours at a time, Beau." Her voice quaked and I realized that underneath the anger, she was scared, and worried.

"Hey," I said, my voice low, soothing, and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close, "Don't worry about me. I'm good."

A puff of breath-a disagreement-exited Edythe's nose, but she didn't say anything as she relented and rested her head against my chest.

We stood there in the thin morning light for awhile, just enjoying each others' closeness.

"I missed you," I finally whispered into her hair.

"As if that's any consolation." I could almost hear her rolling her eyes. But I think I was forgiven, because she lifted her hands to my face, and pulled my lips down to hers.

A/N: So sorry about the short chapter! I'm just coming out of a particularly bad relapse with depression and my eating disorder, and as much as I'm enjoying writing, it's still coming back slowly. But rest assured, things will pick up again soon.