Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Thanks and credit to Stephenie Meyer her creativity and storytelling!


A/N: Ugh. I feel like this chapter is so awkward, but I promised an update and couldn't think of any way to smooth it out. The next few chapters will be much longer. Bella and Jasper will meet soon and that is only the beginning! Thanks for reading!


The five Quileute men met me in the parking lot.

While their stench burned my nose, they were still human and I could easily defend myself if this was an ambush. But, we were meeting in a public place and attack didn't seem to be their intention. I sensed they were on guard, but they were also hopeful.

"Did she send you?" The man who spoke seemed to be the leader, with the others flanking him on his right and left sides.

"Who?" I asked, confused.

The man looked annoyed, as if he thought I was trying to intentionally be evasive. "We want to speak with Carlisle Cullen. Is he here?"

"No. I came as a representative of the family. Bella is our friend. I came to investigate her death and see if there was anything I could do to help."

"You're too late," a tall, young one in the back muttered, thinking I couldn't hear him.

I was unable to hide or hold back the pain from the confirmation of Bella's death. It hit the men like a wave and they responded with eyes widened in surprise.

"My family will be devastated," I admitted, my voice filled with emotion. I was aware that I was being vulnerable in front of people who considered me to be their enemy. Would they take advantage of my weakness and attack? At that moment I didn't care.

Apparently touched by my sincerity, the leader glanced at the others, and then spoke.

"Jacob's right. You are too late, but Bella is….alive."

Relief flooded my being. I felt like I was being given a second chance. I was so relieved I almost didn't notice the disgust and hesitancy when he mentioned the word "alive."

"Where is she?" I asked urgently.

"We don't know. We thought she was with you."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because she was changed into one of you, bloodsucker," the one called Jacob responded. The bitterness in his voice betrayed a deep resentment for my kind. He looked as if he was about to explode.

The news that Bella had been changed into a vampire was a complete shock to me. Carlisle was the only one I knew who had the restraint and control needed to initiate transformation. Had Edward returned to change her? If he did, the treaty would have been broken and I was in danger. But, if he didn't, who did? Regardless, Bella was alive and finally one of us!

I sent a wave of calm toward the group and Jacob visibly relaxed, not aware of what I was doing. I added a bit of trust, hoping he would reveal more information that he was obviously holding back. Since I joined the Cullens, I rarely used my gift of influence to manipulate people. Alice had made me an honest man and Carlisle's integrity was a standard I aimed to meet. But, this was an emergency and I would do whatever it took to find out the truth about what happened to Bella.

"About a month ago, a bloodsucker invaded our land. We almost got him, but he attacked Bella before we could defend her. We took care of him, but then she disappeared," the leader explained.

I suppressed a growl, but my face tensed and I trembled with anger. Bella could have died.

"Where did he go?" I asked, ready to spring into action. These human men were no match for a vampire, but this attacker was about to experience my wrath.

The leader gave an amused smile. "Like I said, we took care of him." The others gave each other high fives.

I rolled my eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, we're sure," Jacob replied, clearly irritated.

The leader gave Jacob a warning glance, but continued his story.

"We tried to follow her scent, but the rain washed it away. Three days later we caught another vampire scent near our beach. It was Bella, but she was different."

"She looked like a monster, her eyes were blood red and she was growling at us," Jacob recalled, with a hint of unbelief. "I barely recognized her."

"Bella didn't attack you?" I asked incredulously. For a newborn to not attack was unheard of.

Jacob looked uncomfortable. What was he hiding? "No, she didn't. Bella didn't know it was me, either. Before I could talk to her, she dove into the ocean. I kept calling her name, hoping she'd hear me, but she never returned." Jacob sighed and I felt how much he missed Bella.

"Charlie searched for her day and night for weeks. We knew unless we intervened he wouldn't stop looking for her. So, we faked her death, hoping that would give him some closure," the leader explained.

I had so many questions. Had did they "take care of" Bella's attacker? Why did Bella not attack the Quileutes? These men were being intentionally evasive, guarding a secret they definitely did not want me to know. I was using all of my influence, but they remained tightlipped. I doubted if I asked questions I would get an honest answer, so I remained silent.

"When we saw you tonight, we were hoping that Bella had sent you to let us know she was alright. You really haven't seen her?" Jacob asked with suspicion. "I was positive she would head straight to that bloodsucker Edward, that bastard who broke her heart…"

Jacob was getting agitated and I tried to calm him down, but the rage was so intense he decided to leave. "I've gotta go," he muttered, running off into the woods.

The leader looked apologetic. "Bella and Jacob were good friends. He feels very protective of her.."

I looked in the direction of the woods Jacob had disappeared into and sneered. The jealousy I felt was on Edward's behalf, of course, but something in the back of my mind screamed, "Mine!"

"Look, we don't trust you," the leader said suddenly, interrupting my surprising possessive thoughts. "But, it's clear you care for Bella and we do, too. If you find her, please us know she's okay. We should have been there for her and we weren't. It's our fault this happened to her and we'll live with that the rest of our lives."

I wanted to tell him that he was wrong, but I didn't. It was my fault for freaking out on Bella's birthday, it was Edward's fault for leaving her alone, it was the entire family's fault for not being there for Bella when she needed us the most. We welcomed her into our world, and then left her defenseless. I felt complete shame. Whether these men were something supernatural or not, I wasn't sure, but they could have never protected her like we could have, like I should have.

"Thank you. I am very grateful you shared this with me. I'm going to do everything in my power to find her," I replied.

The leader nodded and started to walk backwards, keeping his face towards me. His natural instincts told him to not turn his back on me, even though I was no threat.

I turned and started running. I was filled with compassion and worry. Bella had to endure her change alone and was now facing being a newborn all alone. I knew more than anyone how unpredictable, violent and dangerous that phase could be.

I needed to find her. I would find her. I felt as though my very survival depended on it.