A/N- Even though there are no reviews… again… I am still updating this chapter super early because it's a holiday. Now, because I'm doing this I really do expect some reviews!!


Once again I found my butt becoming extremely sore. It was almost burning in the seat from me sitting down for so long. It doesn't help that I'm still not all that experienced in riding horses. Justin looked like he was perfectly happy on the back of his horse. Then again he did ride more often than I did. I'm guessing he's not even feeling any pain. I sighed and rolled my neck, closing my eyes for a moment and relishing in the silence around me. There were a few leave rustling quietly, but over all the forest was quiet. Hm… I wonder where all of the animals are.

"Justin, are there usually no animals out?" I asked.

"What are you talking about, Dara?" Justin asked.

"Stop and listen. There's no life in the forest. At first I thought it was nice and calming, but now it's sort of unsettling."

Justin was silent for a moment, but he did stop his horse. He looked down at his horse's neck and seemed to be listening like I asked him too.

"Let's just keep moving. I don't want to find out why they aren't here." Justin said.

I instantly agreed and kicked Chase's side and he lurched into a quick walk. Apparently he had also picked up on the uneasiness around me or maybe he realized how nervous I was. Justin and his horse were keeping up as well. Chase started to pull on the reins a bit, almost causing me to drop them the first time he did it. His pace picked up and I had to keep his head relatively tight on his neck to keep some control. This only made him worse and he started going side to side and backwards.

"Justin!" I called.

Justin looked back and he unlatched the cart and started riding over to me. Before he was able to get to me, Chase bolted. He reared up high on his hind legs, causing me to fall off and land in the dirt. I moaned as the pain engulfed my back and head.

"Dara!" Justin yelled. I could see him continuing over to me, but then his own horse bolted.

That's when I heard it… a deep and long howl. It was the wolves! Bella had been right about the wolves. That was why there were no animals in the forest and that's why the horses were so nervous. I looked around only to see the cart that Justin had left behind. I was able to get to my feet, but my head was pounding and I was slightly dizzy. I made my way over to the cart and tried to get on so I'd have some defense from the wolves, even though it probably wouldn't really help.

Everything was quiet once again and I couldn't hear where the wolves went. They had to have been close to make the horses act like they did. Did they go after the horses? Are they bidding their times? Did they not even care and just move on? So many questions ran through my head as I continually snapped my head around.

I took a breath and was about to get off the cart when I heard it… a twig snapped. I instantly stiffened again and ducked by the crate I was standing at. It took a few minutes before I finally saw one. It was just a shadow right behind a tree, but I saw the large animal. It was larger than I expected and I knew I didn't stand a chance against the wolf and any of his friends. I saw another shadow move from the corner of my eye and my head snapped to the side. This wolf was even closer. Then another one came even closer. They slowly started to move closer and eventually they all stepped out of the trees and onto the path.

"Justin!" I screamed. "JUSTIN! Justin, come back!"

Of course now Justin decides to disappear… I thought he was able to control his horse. He should have been able to at least come and grab me before leaving again!

The next thing I saw made me scream even louder. The wolves started to morph. Their bones snapped and their muzzles retreated into their faces. They were men! The wolves were men… and the men were werewolves? I continued to scream as they continued to come closer.

"Will you shut up?" One of them growled. I instantly snapped my mouth closed.

"She has a heartbeat…" One of the other ones said.

"Yet she smells…"

"Like me?" A deep voice growled. A man jumped out of the trees and landed in front of the cart in front of me. It was James. I could tell from his hair, his stance, his voice, and even his smell. It was masculine while also very earthy.

"I told you I smelled a leech." One growled. He instantly turned back into a wolf and seemed ready to pounce. James cocked his head to the side and seemed to be looking at the one who changed.

"I didn't expect to have this much fun tonight." James grinned. "What a pleasant surprise."

"You were going to enjoy a snack soon if we didn't intervene?" One of the others asked.

"Not exactly." James replied. "Why are you following humans now? You are out of your territory… a very dangerous move."

"What do you know?" One of the others asked. I could easily tell he was getting worked up. His muscles kept clenching and unclenching while he continuously glared at James.

"I know that the werewolves think of themselves as almighty and yet it takes a pack to take a single target down. Quite pathetic if you asked me."

"Yet we always take our prey down." This stranger joined is companion and changed into his canine form. Now only one man stared looking at James.

"Are you going to turn too? It won't be as fun snapping your neck." James taunted.

The man growled and joined his companions. They were all growling at James and James was responding, although not quite so loudly. Before I could blink a wolf jumped. James' movements were just as fast, if not faster. He threw the wolf against a tree. The other two instantly launched into an attack, although this time together. James was able to throw one off while the other latched on to his other arm. James roared in pain, but ran at a speed I had never seen (and could barely see) and rammed the wolf against a tree. I flinched as the wolf yelped and fell off of James' arm. The wolves circled back around and circled him.

This time I could see him. His pale face, cocky smile, and deep red eyes. They were gloating as they floated over each of his opponents. I couldn't understand how he was so cocky when these things surrounded him.

I took the time to realize that they were all focused on each other, and no one was paying attention to me. I quietly slipped off of the cart and backed into the protection of the trees, although I'm still not too sure how safe they really are. Of course it's now when I think about the fact there could be other wolves in the forest. Now is not the time to think bout that… When I realized no one had noticed I was in the forest I started running. I admit I wasn't running fast considering I was in a dress and riding boots.

I don't know how long I'd been running, but eventually I stopped to catch my breath. I had never exerted that much energy and my body was reminding me of that now. I could feel my calves tightening and my quads already becoming sore. My breathing was hard and heavy and I placed a hand over my chest. A few strands of my hair stuck to my face with the help of the sweat on my forehead.

"You know it's not nice to run away without saying thank you."

I yelled and spun around before backing up and into a tree. James dropped to the ground from a tree. His white shirt had been torn and at some point ripped from his pants. There were a few spots of blood on his shirt, but I didn't see any open wounds.

"James?" I asked.

"You were expecting someone else?" He asked.

"I just… I'm not sure… what were they?" I asked.

"Werewolves. They're an annoying bunch, aren't they? They can't seem to get it through their thick skulls and egos that they aren't the supreme species."

"What?" I asked.

"I'm sorry… I must be confusing you." James grinned. His smile was cocky again and his eyes seemed to darken a bit. "And we most certainly won't want that." James walked over to me and placed a cool hand on the side of my neck.

"What are you?" I asked.

"Now that would ruin the surprise." James said.

Before I knew it, I was on his back and he was dashing through the forest. When my mind caught up to what was going on, I closed my eyes and pressed my head into James' shoulder. I heard a rumble in his chest and I could only guess that he was laughing. James ran for what felt like forever, but eventually he did stop. My eyes were still closed and my arms were still locked around his neck when he unceremoniously dropped me. Instantly my legs tried to plant themselves under me, but didn't make it in time and I fell to the ground. I made my way back up, groaning as my legs tried to protest thanks to the muscles I had overworked by running.

"Are you going to answer my question?" I asked.

"I told you it would ruin the surprise." James said. "Welcome to my home, my lair."

James pushed open a rod iron gate to show of a large mansion. There were trees growing almost everywhere. The side of the house was almost completely covered in ivy. It almost seemed as though no one had been here for years.

"This is all yours?" I asked.

"Laurent is here as well." James said nonchalantly. "Although I do not believe he is here at the moment. He is probably hunting."

"If this is yours, shouldn't you have servants? Shouldn't they do the hunting and you and Laurent do whatever Lords do?" I asked.

"And what do Lords do?" James asked.

"I don't know… shouldn't you know?" I retorted.

"I don't spend much time here. It's been in the family for generations." James said.

"Then why are we here now?" I asked.

"It's the closest place and Laurent knows to come here." James replied. "Here's a bedroom, I figure you know what to do."

"What are you expecting? I'm not going to whore myself out to you." I said, crossing my arms over my chest defiantly.

"Don't worry, I wasn't expecting you to." James grinned. "It wouldn't be fun that way, anyway."

"So why am I here then? I was just heading home when your friends interrupted me."

"Those were not my friends." James growled. "They were mere entertainment for a minute."

"Ok… one question answered. Let's try another easy one. Why am I here?"

"That one I haven't really figured out yet."

"Then let me go home." I said. "I won't tell anyone about the werewolves and whatever you are. Just let me go home."

"Sorry sweetheart, but that's not going to happen." James said. He circled around me till he was facing me. His nose was almost touching my own. One of his hands came up and lightly lifted a lock of my hair to his nose. He inhaled deeply and growled quietly. "You see, you just smell too tempting. I can't figure out why you're so tempting, but I intend to find out."

"So I'm your prisoner until then."

"Last time I checked, I shaved you from those wolves." James growled.

"But you won't go home… so I'm still a prisoner."

"If that's the way you want to look at it." James shrugged. "It really is up to you. Now you can either explore or you can stay in the bedroom. It's up to you really. Just know I won't come looking for you if you get lost."

"Really? I beg to differ. I think you would come to find me." I replied defiantly. "I mean after all, I am just so tempting…"

James growled as he glared at me before disappearing in the hall, and I mean literally disappearing. I walked into my room and surveyed it. A large king sized bed sat in the center and a simple vanity on the far wall. The roomed seemed to match James' description of no one living here for years except there were still no cobwebs anywhere. Obviously James had to have someone here to clean it. I walked deeper into the room and sat down on the bed. The comforter was amazingly thick and I seemed to sink into it as though it was water. I quickly laid down and sighed as my muscles instantly relaxed. Of course it was only seconds till I was asleep.

oOoOoOo

When I woke up I noticed that it was dark outside. I pulled back one of the heavy curtains and saw the moon hanging in the sky and a thick layer of fog clinging to the trees. There seemed to be a slight wind as well since the leaves were all swaying back and forth.

"Good your awake." I spun around to see James standing by the door. His face was stern and he had one hand at his side and the other still on the door. "You need to come downstairs."

"Why?"

"We're deciding what to do. Laurent and I don't want to stay here longer than we have to."

"Then let me go home!" I said, a bit louder than I probably should have.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but as we've already discussed, that's not going to happen." James said.

"You realize Justin has probably been back to the scene right? He'll know I'm gone and there will be a search."

"Your right, they're already looking through the forest. Too bad some of your things had gone missing." James gloated.

"You stole from us?" I yelled. "I can't believe I let you stay at the inn! Did you steal anything there as well?"

"No. That was purely a business adventure." James replied dryly. "Now are you coming or are you going to stay here?"

I was silent, but I started walking towards him, hoping he figured out that I was coming with him. He looked at me curiously, but when I walked past him he seemed to understand. He glided past me and walked a few steps ahead of me. We wound down a few halls, down a staircase, and through a few rooms. Finally we came upon a library or study. There were a few bookshelves on three of the walls, but there was also an elegant desk. Laurent was lounging on a couch, not really caring about anything. James instantly walked behind the desk and sat down in the overly large leather chair. I stood where I had come in, not quite sure where to sit.

"You can sit down." Laurent said, sweeping his arm over the room and various chairs. James rolled his eyes from the table. I sat down in the one closest to the door and farthest from the two men in the room. "How are you enjoying your time here?"

"I wouldn't know… I've been here less than a day and slept through most of it." I said.

"You've had a trying day. I'd be surprised if you didn't." Laurent said. "When I came back I was surprised to find James in your room watching you."

"Laurent!" James growled.

"You were watching me?"

"He has been… for the past few nights actually." Laurent said as though it was common knowledge. James' growl only got louder and more menacing.

"Wait… was that you in Blythe? You were the reason why my window was open?" I asked. James just looked down at some papers in front of him. His growl had lessened, but I could still hear a little bit of the rumbling. "And what is with you and the growling? I swear… you are like some kind of animal. Are you sure you're not a… what was it? A werewolf?"

Laurent broke out in laughter immediately and James glared at the two of us. "I promise you I am not a mutt."

"I wouldn't know… you don't care to explain anything to me." I replied innocently.

"I like you." Laurent laughed. I smiled sweetly at him in thanks.

"She's getting on my nerves." James growled.

"Why am I here and what are you? Those are two very simple questions that could be answered rather quickly." I said. "Then I can leave."

"I'm not answering either and you're not leaving." James growled. "Now why don't you just get that through your head and stop annoying me? I thought women were supposed to be quiet."

"Meh, I don't exactly conform to society's norms." I shrugged.

"I could tell… spending a day with a man not your brother and without a chaperone? Even going to dinner with him?"

"You were in Blythe! I knew I saw you, but I was quite sure…" I said.

"You just contradicted yourself, my dear." James replied dryly. "And yes I was in Blythe."

"What were you doing? Stalking me?"

"As much as I'm sure you'd love to think so… no I wasn't. I was looking into a few business transactions." James replied.

"Then why were you watching me sleep?" I asked.

"I wasn't." James growled.

"Then why didn't you deny it till now?" I knew I was digging my grave, but I couldn't help myself. I had never met a man who infuriated me anymore than James. Now I wished I hadn't spent so many days thinking about him. Obviously it was a waste of my brain power.

"Why won't you just shut up and remain quiet." James growled. I could see the muscles in his hands tighten then relax.

"James, relax. It's a good sign she has some fire. It shows that she has a spirit." Laurent said. "I still like her."

"So we've heard." James growled. "What are your plans for the future now, my friend?"

"Well it depends on two things. Are we willing to help the Cullens and what are your plans with your lioness?"

"I'm not sure about the Cullens, but the wolves are coming quite close to our lands now. I don't want them ruining anything." James said.

"Do we know if tonight was the first night they came so close?" Laurent asked.

"It's the first night I've seen them this far, but I don't know how long they've been venturing out here." James sighed. "I'm guessing we'll have a few nights hunting and then a final hunt to get rid of them permanently."

"So you didn't kill them today?" I asked. "They're still out there? They could get to Forks! They could get to my parents… or Bella!"

"They won't head that close to where they don't need to be." James said. "And no I didn't kill them. As soon as they realized you were gone they took off into the forest. You should be happy I found you. They probably would have killed you."

"Why? What did I do?"

"James apparently titled you as his." Laurent sighed. "And since he was making some nightly visits his scent lingered on you."

"Going to deny you were watching me now?" I challenged James.

"I was doing research on my prey. The hunt is no fun if you know nothing of what you're hunting for."

"So I'm your prey now? What, were you going to attack even if the werewolves didn't?"

"I wasn't sure yet." James said before turning his attention back to Laurent. "So we'll help with the wolves, but only because they're coming too close."

"We'll need to go see the Cullens again, whether you want to or not. They know more about the wolves since they've lived around them more." Laurent said.

"We'll do that in the coming days. The wolves are too close right now for us to leave." James said.

"And what of Miss Dara?" Laurent asked.

"I'm going home." I said defiantly.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you aren't?" James sighed.

"See I am a prisoner here! I'm being kept against my will!" I yelled.

"I'm locking her in her room." James growled.

"You really shouldn't annoy him so much. This is the longest I've seen him hold out on a human." Laurent sighed.

"Human? So you aren't human?" I asked. "I knew it!"

"You haven't told her?" Laurent asked.

"NO!" I yelled, glaring at James. His head was in his hands as though he had a migraine.

"Don't Laurent… that will be discussed another time." James said.

"James, she has a right to know what kind of danger she's in!" Laurent said. "She's like a rabbit that's traveled into the pumas' den!"

"Too bad. Maybe she'll learn to hold her tongue." James said.

"I wouldn't know if I didn't know how much danger I was in." I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"A lot." James said.

"You have no idea how much trouble you're really in." Laurent said. "Be thankful for each breath you take."

I looked between the two men… or male things that were in the room with me. I really wasn't sure what they were really talking about. Maybe they were lying to me and just joking? One look at both of their faces told otherwise. James seemed to be getting some sort of sick pleasure out of all of this.

"It's time for the little rabbit to go to sleep." James said.

"What?" Once more, faster than I could comprehend or see, James had me swept up. This time he had me over his shoulder though. He was holding my legs just above my knee and I was bent over his shoulder. I tried to fight it, but James didn't budge. While it took a few minutes to get downstairs, it only took mere seconds to get back to the room where James had decided that I'd be staying. He deposited me on the bed before returning to the door.

"I wouldn't suggest running through the forest tonight…" James grinned. He swiftly closed the door and I heard the lock click shut.

I was seething. My blood was boiling under my skin. I couldn't understand anything! If all I had to do was say yes to Justin the first time he asked to get home then I would have! Or even if I had to say no and live with him being mad at me everyday! I just want to be home with my parents, with Bella. I was slowly calming down as I thought about everyone at home. James had said they were already searching, but were they really or was he just saying that?

"You really are trying to get yourself killed."

I looked up to see Laurent standing in front of my closed door.

"How'd you get in?" I asked.

"James is not the only skilled hunter in this class." Laurent said. He broke out in a smile and held up a silver key before hiding it once more. "You should really understand that he's dangerous, that I'm dangerous as well. I just don't have the same temper issue as James."

"You seemed calmer." I said quietly.

"Yes well, it's taken some time to learn to control my emotions." Laurent said. "For tonight, please take James' advice and don't try to escape. All of the predators will be out tonight. You most likely wouldn't make it a few feet outside the gates…"

"I get the point." I said.

"Just making sure. We wouldn't want to loose such a spark." Laurent said. He bowed his head slightly before opening the door and slipping out and locking the door once more.

I didn't instantly fall asleep. The nap I had taken earlier made sure I didn't. I sat at the head of the bed and brought my knees up to my chest. I rested my head on my knees and thought about everything.

Exactly what kind of danger was I in? Obviously it was lethal…

What were my parents and Bella doing? My mother must be in hysterics and Bella… who knows about Bella. She's quiet, but she doesn't show extreme emotions most of the time.

The biggest question lingering in my head was still, what were they? What were James and Laurent and even the Cullens that made them so dangerous?