A/N: Thank you so much to all of my amazing, wonderful readers. You guys are the best.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this chapter might not be everything you guys are expecting. I hope you like it anyway!

Also, I looked a lot into the real Quileute legends and incorporated them a tad bit more into my story. The spirits, Q'wati and Dask'iya, are a part of the real legends. What they do really isn't other than Q'wati supposedly did transform them from wolves and Dask'iya supposedly is a cannibal who devours children. In case you were wondering . . .

So yeah . . . enjoy the chapter! I don't own any of these characters; I just play with them :)


Blood Moon

~Chapter Eight~

Bonfire

"What is it that you'll be doing?" Alice asked when Jacob came to pick up Renesmee for the bonfire.

"Just your old-fashioned bonfire. There'll be a ton of food, and we'll sit around the campfire listening to stories." He tightened his arm around Renesmee's shoulders. "Instead of scary stories, though, they'll be the tribe's legends."

Alice smiled at Jasper. He nodded. "That sounds like fun. What time do you think you'll be back?"

Jacob shrugged. "Not sure, but I don't think it should be any later than midnight."

"All right. See you later."

Renesmee took the drive to the reservation to calm down and remind herself that Jacob's opinion of her was the only one that really mattered. She still hoped nobody really disliked her.

"Are you sure they're all okay with me coming?" she asked as he parked the car.

Jacob nodded. "Of course I'm sure. I'm the chief anyway, remember? They couldn't do shit even if they didn't like it."

She hadn't forgotten about it, but the reminder helped to calm her nerves a little. "Thank you."

He squeezed her hand as he parked the car. Renesmee looked out the car at the darkening sky, confused. Jacob smirked when she looked at him. "We're going to Second Beach; it's a little bit of a hike to get there."

She frowned. "How much of a hike?"

He smiled and got out of the car. She got out as well, and he took her hand when he reached her. "It's not far, don't worry. You won't even have time to get tired."

Somehow she doubted that. She followed him anyway and was pleasantly surprised when the trees ended and exposed the most beautiful beach. It had been a long time since she'd been to a beach like this one. There were already several people there, a few sitting around the blazing fire while others set food out on two large picnic tables or ran around near the water. Jacob watched Renesmee's face as they walked. She stepped closer to his side, trying to hide herself.

"Welcome to Second Beach," he said.

She smiled up at him. "It's so pretty. It's cold, though." It hadn't been when they left the house, so she didn't think she'd need her jacket. She hadn't taken the ocean's cooling effect into consideration.

He chuckled. "You got me, Ness. You'll be fine."

He led her down a sandy hill to the picnic tables and took some apple slices from a large fruit tray. He offered one to her, and she took it.

"You weren't joking about there being a ton of food. How many people are coming?" She looked between the two tables; there had to be enough to feed fifty or sixty people comfortably.

"This is it. We're the last ones to show up."

She looked around. "Are you serious? There's not even twenty people here."

"We eat a lot."

She snorted. "I guess." She cleared her throat and realized how rude she sounded. "I'm sorry."

He leaned down and kissed her. "You're forgiven. Come meet the pack." He cringed when he let the word slip. "My friends, I mean."

He took her near the fire where Quil was sitting with Claire and Billy. Quil stood up and smiled.

"Hey, Jake, you made it. I was beginning to wonder."

"Mm-hmm. Quil, this is Ness, my girlfriend. Ness, that's Quil, the one that made the dog tags. That's his fiancée, Claire, and this is my dad, Billy."

Renesmee was a little taken aback at how much Quil looked like Jacob. There were differences, of course. He wasn't as tall, and his eyes were golden brown as opposed to ebony. His skin was just as dark, though, and his hair black. She supposed that came from being a Native. She held out her hand and was shocked when he was just as warm as Jacob. She looked up at Jacob and remembered what he'd said about a few others having the same heat. She cleared her throat and smiled. "It's so nice to meet you all." Billy winked at her when she shook his hand. She wasn't sure why she was surprised when he wasn't warm like Jacob.

Claire smiled kindly. "I've heard so much about you, Ness. It's nice to finally meet you."

Renesmee smiled, but she was confused. She didn't understand why Claire should hear so much about her when she'd heard nothing about Claire. "Um . . . yeah, you too." She didn't know what else to say. She felt out of place suddenly and shrank back against Jacob. He wrapped his arm tightly around her. He could feel her discomfort and bent to kiss her head.

"How about I show you around? There're more people to meet."

She nodded and looked up at him. "I'd like that."

He kissed her again and stepped back.

Claire looked up at Quil as the other two walked away. "Why doesn't he just tell her?"

Quil smirked. "You spent your whole life growing up around our legends, Claire. You were somewhat prepared. Can you imagine what it would have been like if you'd never heard one of our stories before and I just came up and told you I'm a Shifter and you're my soulmate?"

"So he's hoping she'll accept it if she hears it first then he tells her it's all true?"

Quil shrugged. "I guess."

"I hope it works. She's nice."

He bent and rubbed his nose against hers. "Not as nice as you."

She rolled her eyes with a smile. "You're too sweet."

Jacob showed Renesmee around the beach and introduced her to Seth and Embry. Embry was wearing a white wife beater, and she noticed he had the same kind of tattoo that Jacob did. The other two were wearing t-shirts like Jacob, and she couldn't tell if they did. It wouldn't have surprised her if they did. She met Harry and Sue Clearwater, Seth's parents, and was again surprised when neither was as warm as their son. Everyone she met was nice, but she was still amazed by how much Jacob and his friends looked alike. Even Seth—as small as he was comparatively, and with his light brown eyes—could have passed as a brother to Jacob. After she met a few more people, she began to realize what it was. It wasn't just the heat they all shared; it was in their eyes and the way they held themselves. None of them could affect her the way Jacob did, but they still seemed as naturally powerful.

After the introductions had been made, Jacob left her on the beach to help Sue and Quil get a few more things. She crossed her arms over her chest, already cold, as she sat in the sand and watched the sun setting over the waves. She had felt out of place before, but now she really wondered why Jacob loved her. The other women there were dark-skinned like he was and so much more beautiful than she thought she could ever hope to be.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Embry said as he sat next to her.

She looked up and smiled as much as she could. She wasn't sure what to think of Embry. He was nice, but just in the time she'd been there she'd seen him drink four beers. He didn't seem even slightly tipsy, but she wasn't sure if she could trust what she saw. He pushed his chin-length, black hair behind his ears and pulled the cap off yet another bottle. She was amazed at how easy it seemed for him. She had to have a towel or a bottle opener to get into the soda bottles her dad sometimes bought.

Embry saw her staring at his bottle and offered it to her. "Want one?"

She shook her head. "No, thank you. I'm not twenty-one yet."

"Me neither." He chuckled to himself and leaned back on his elbows. The fact that he was perpetually sixteen was hilarious to him. It was only funnier when he thought about Seth being forever twelve.

Renesmee furrowed her brow. "Jacob told me you were twenty-six."

Embry took a drink. "Yeah, well, Jacob's not considering my inner child."

She smiled, and her eyes trailed down his body stretched out before her. He was nice-looking, but she found herself comparing him to Jacob. Embry wasn't as tall or as impressive. She realized when she saw his bare feet that she'd just checked out another man. Not only that, but her boyfriend's friend. Shame made her cheeks turn red, and she cleared her throat. "It is really pretty." She gestured to the sunset. "I've never seen the sun go down over water like this before." A cool breeze made her shiver. "I just wish Jake hadn't left. I'm cold."

Embry sat up and scooted closer. "I'm hot, too. Come here."

She glanced at him suspiciously. "I don't know . . ."

He put his arm around her. "I'm not trying to come on to you, Ness. Jake's like a brother to me; I wouldn't do that to him. Not to mention I know what he'd do to me if I did."

She tried to relax. "Thank you."

He rubbed her shoulder. "No problem. So what do you think of all this so far?"

She shrugged and shifted a little closer into his warmth. "It's nice."

He laughed. "You don't sound very convinced."

Renesmee sighed and looked at him. "I'm confused, I guess. I mean, Jacob has explained all this to me, like how you're all friends and the theories of why you're all so warm, but I don't get it. Why are you so hot?"

Embry smirked. "I have good genes."

She rolled her eyes. "You know that's not what I meant."

"Yeah, I know. It's, uh . . . it's complicated, y'know?" He didn't like having to step carefully around his words. "And it is actually in the genes. We're all direct descendents of the ancient council."

"Yeah, Jacob said they thought that had something to do with it." She sighed again. "I love him regardless; I just wish I knew for sure. My dad said the only time he'd ever seen anything like a person running high constantly without a fever is someone doing drugs, but then he said that if it were drugs, Jacob—and you, I guess—wouldn't look as good as I apparently told my mom he did."

Embry laughed. "I can tell you it's not drugs."

She was starting to feel more at ease and leaned into Embry's shoulder. "I believe you."

"Has Jake told you about our legends?" He knew the answer already, but he had to pretend he didn't. It was annoying.

She pulled back and nodded. "Yeah, kind of. That's why he invited me, I think. He thinks hearing them a different way won't scare me. I'm already nervous. I don't like things like werewolves and he knows that. I'm trying really hard to be supportive, though. I don't want something silly like that get between us."

He nodded. If only she knew how important this was to Jacob. He could honestly say he felt bad for his alpha.

Jacob and Quil set the coolers down on the picnic tables. "Anything else?" Jacob asked.

"That's it," Sue said with a smile. "Thanks, boys."

Quil nodded and left to find Claire again. Jacob looked over at the beach where he'd left Renesmee. He froze for a brief second when he saw her sitting next to Embry, his arm around her. She was smiling at him as he said something. His fingers lightly grazed her arm. Jacob growled and fought the urge to shift right there to just to get the threat away from his imprint.

He closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair as he took a deep breath. Embry wasn't a threat. Not like that; Renesmee wasn't in danger. The sight of his fingers on her arm replayed in Jacob's mind. That wasn't casual, friendly behavior. Not for Embry. That was a way to get closer. Too close. His imprint.

Mine.

Jacob took another deep breath and made his way over to Embry and Renesmee. Embry looked up when he heard someone approaching. The look on Jacob's face made him pull away and stand up immediately.

"Jake. Hey."

Renesmee looked up, relieved to see Jacob again. His expression confused her, and she stood up next to Embry. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

Jacob took her hand and pulled her close to him. He kissed her deeply, reaffirming his control over the situation. She whimpered in surprise, but it didn't take long for her to accept his sudden exuberance. She kissed him back and held on to his shoulders until he pulled away.

"Everything's fine, Ness. I just missed you, that's all." He kissed her again, softer this time, then looked at Embry. His arms were crossed over his chest as he smirked at the couple. "Embry and I need to talk." His voice was rough to let Embry know it wasn't anything to laugh about.

Renesmee shivered. "Okay. Hurry back this time."

He touched her cheek. "I will. I love you."

"Love you, too."

He turned to his pack mate. "Come on."

Embry hugged Renesmee a little tighter than he needed to. "See ya."

"Embry!" Jacob called. "Now."

Renesmee sighed and sat down again. She wondered what was going on that had Jacob so irate.

Jacob led Embry up the hill and into the trees, far enough away that Renesmee wouldn't be able to hear them. After a quick glance her way to make sure she'd stayed put, Jacob turned to his pack mate.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

"What?" Embry was confused. All he'd done was talk to the girl. Jacob had made it clear they were supposed to make her feel welcome.

"Do you think I'm fucking blind? I'm not an idiot. Why, in the name of all that is fucking holy, were you touching her?"

Embry relaxed. "Come on, man; she said she was cold. You weren't there, so I warmed her up. I'm no idiot, either, and I really don't feel like dying any time soon. She's hot, but she's yours. I got that."

Jacob growled deep in his chest and shoved Embry as his spine shivered with the need to shift. "Don't look at her. Don't talk to her, don't even fucking think about her."

Embry pushed back. "I think you're taking this whole thing a little too seriously, Jake. Chill the fuck out."

"She's my imprint. You back off. Remember who your alpha is, Embry. I can and will command you to cut off your own balls if you don't stay away from her."

Embry held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I get it, Boss."

Jacob narrowed his eyes for a second before he walked away. He went back down to the beach and sat next to Renesmee. He felt better with her close to him. She looked up and smiled.

"If you're cold, you can sit by the fire," he said as he put his arm around her shoulders. "You don't have to sit out here all alone."

She leaned into him. "I know I can." She sighed and scooted closer to his side. "What did you need to talk to Embry about?"

He didn't like hearing that name on her lips. He clenched his jaw and stared at the ocean for a moment before he answered her. "Just some tribe business." He looked at her.

She nodded. She knew there was something else there, but she wondered if maybe it was something she couldn't know about. Thinking that just proved even more that she shouldn't be there. She smiled as much as she could and looked down.

"What's wrong?" He started to play with her pony tail dangling down her back.

She sighed again. "I don't know. I feel . . . You know that saying 'outside looking in?' That's how I feel. I don't belong here."

Jacob gritted his teeth. "Did anyone say anything to you to make you think that?"

"No, everyone's been really nice." She looked up at him. "I can feel it, though. This whole thing is so new to me and everyone looks like they fit. Quil and Claire, for example. They look like they belong together. You and I . . ." She took his hand and held it against hers.

He felt like he was drowning. He made her look at him again and kissed her lips. "I told you before I'd fight for this. I wasn't lying. Does the difference in our skin color really mean that much to you?"

She shook her head quickly. "No, that's not at all what I'm saying. That doesn't matter to me. I'm just saying that I stick out like a sore thumb here and I wonder why you love me when you could have someone as beautiful as Claire."

He let out a relieved breath. "Ness, baby, I love you because you're . . ." My imprint. My soulmate. My life. "Special to me. The Quileute people believe that sometimes a man just knows when he meets that one woman. You're my one woman."

She smiled. "Your people aren't the only ones to believe that. Every fairy tale ever told involves some form of love at first sight. Even I . . . I feel it. I love you, and I think I knew it when I saw you in the book store. I just don't know how we can be so sure about something so soon."

He kissed her again. "I am. Do you think I would have invited you to a sacred gathering if I wasn't serious about how I feel about you?"

Her brow furrowed. "Sacred?"

"Not just anyone can come to one of these, Ness. Only the council and a few select people they invite. That's why there're not a lot of people. It's not your usual party; we're here to hear the tribe's most important legends."

Her eyes widened. "Jacob . . ." She was beginning to realize what she'd gotten herself into. She had thought it was going to be a normal storytelling like the ones she'd seen in movies. It was obvious that it meant so much more than that to him. "I'm sorry; I didn't understand how significant this is."

"Do you regret coming?"

She shook her head. "No. No, Jake, I could never regret this." She got up on her knees beside him and put her hands on his face. She smiled and pushed his hair out of his eyes before she gave him a deep kiss. "I'm glad I came."

"I am, too."

"Can I ask you something, though?"

"Of course." He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Everyone here is either on the council or has been specifically invited by someone who is, right?" He nodded. "Haven't they all heard it before, then? I mean, I'm not trying to say they shouldn't. I'm just curious."

He touched her cheek lightly as he answered. "Yes, everyone here has already heard the legends. It's kind of like how a Christian would go to church, though. Every devout Christian has already heard the scriptures and the lectures, but they go every week regardless. We don't tell these legends for entertainment. It's our past; our heritage. It's our time to honor our ancestors and ensure that we never forget where we came from."

She nodded. "Why doesn't the whole tribe come?"

He pursed his lips for a moment. "The tribe knows the stories, but I guess I could compare it to a meeting for priests or elders or whatever. There are times when just the few of us come to strengthen our ties."

"That makes sense."

"Yeah. Come be a part of the crowd, Ness. Everyone will love you when they get to know you."

He helped her up, and they went to fill their plates and sit by the fire. Renesmee listened and observed as several conversations went on around her. She noticed Embry sitting across from her and smiled at him. He looked away.

Jacob hadn't been joking when he said they ate a lot. Not everyone did, but he and his friends seemed to eat enough for four or five people each.

"How are you not bursting?" Renesmee asked as Jacob started on his fifth hot dog.

He shrugged. "I was hungry," he said around a mouthful of food. He swallowed and leaned in to kiss her. "I'm a guy, Ness. Typically we could devour a whole cow. Besides, you have special occasions where you gorge yourself. Don't tell me you don't; I do know what Thanksgiving is."

She furrowed her brow. "Do you not celebrate Thanksgiving?"

"Some of the tribe does, I guess. I don't, but it's a personal thing. Why should I be happy about White Man taking over my ancestors' land?" And his people not being able to do anything about it without fear of exposure.

She had never considered what it would be like for a Native American. "I, um . . ." She looked down. "I guess that makes sense."

He nudged her shoulder. "My point is that eating twice what we normally would is half the idea of one of these things."

She smiled up at him. "I guess I should get some more then."

"Absolutely." He kissed her and let her get up.

After they'd eaten, the mood surrounding the group seemed to change. Everyone grew quiet, and all attention was brought to Billy sitting next to Jacob. He sat up straighter in his wheelchair and glanced at his son before he brought his hands together on his lap. Renesmee leaned into Jacob's side and waited.

"The Quileutes have always been a brave and courageous people. The first Quileutes were eight in number, transformed from the Great Q'wati from a pack of wolves. The Spirit taught the small tribe everything it needed to know to thrive and gave the three most powerful men two important gifts. The first was the ability to walk among the spirits as Spirit Warriors. The second was to transform themselves back into their original wolf forms. They defended their land with courage and pride.

"These three Shifters learned that when they continued to change forms, they did not age. Even when they fell in love and had children, they never grew old. They found that they could control this, however, and began aging again to be with their wives as they grew old."

Jacob tightened his arm around Renesmee and looked at her. She smiled and kissed his arm, then turned her attention back to Billy.

"Generation upon generation passed until the brave Taha Aki became Chief. He was a fair Alpha who took his position with great pride. As much as he loved his wife and children, he felt a strong duty to lead the tribe and his small pack of Shifters. He was very sad when his wife grew old and passed on. His children grew, and some joined the pack when they reached the age of maturity. Taha Aki married again in his seventieth year as Alpha. Still, he felt that his obligation to the tribe was greater than the mortal need for a woman. Another century passed before Taha Aki met his third wife.

"The woman was a Quileute. He had met her and known her as she grew. On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, he saw her in the forest. It is said that he fell to his knees, captivated by her beauty. He fell in love with her like no one had ever loved before. He called it Imprinting, for she left a powerful and permanent imprint on his heart, mind, body, and soul."

Jacob shifted and glanced at Renesmee's face. She had a small smile on her lips, and it made him happy to see it.

"She loved him back and became his third wife.

"It was during the time of the third wife that the Cannibal Spirit Dask'iya returned to the land of the Quileutes. She coaxed five children into the forest and devoured them. Even as Spirit Warriors, the Quileutes could not defeat her. They called upon Q'wati to aid them in the protection of their land, and he came and banished her.

"To spite the Benevolent Spirit and the Spirit Warriors, Dask'iya plotted revenge. She spit on an apple and turned it black, then she cut it into ten pieces and fed one to a different person across the land. Those that ate the cursed fruit soon felt her venom spread through their body, turning them into a living stone. Their hearts stopped, leaving them thirsty for blood, and their eyes turned red. The creatures wreaked havoc upon the land, killing many people and creating even more of their kind. They were fast—so fast it was difficult to see them move—and much stronger than any human or Shifter.

"The Shifters once again called upon Q'wati for help. He was unable to fight the bloodthirsty creatures, but he made the Shifters bigger, stronger, and faster so that they could. All members of the tribe bearing the ancient bloodlines were made to shift and protect their people.

"A great battle took place. Because of their new abilities, the Shifters were able to destroy their enemies and drive them away. When the fighting ended, it was learned that Taha Aki's own wife had been bitten by one of the creatures. As she writhen in the pain of the venom, she begged him to end her life before she could turn into one of them.

"Taha Aki could not do it. She was his imprint; the most powerful and sacred of bonds was shared between them. His oldest son, Yaha Uta, could not bear the thought of his father allowing this travesty. He Shifted and killed the woman before her heart stopped beating.

"Rage unlike anyone had ever experienced rose in Taha Aki at his son for what he'd done. Grief and torment drove him forward, but Yaha Uta was not a coward. He knew he had done what had to be done. He was not proud of his actions, only relieved that another monster was not allowed to live. They fought tremendously, Taha Aki unable to forgive. He could not listen when Yaha Uta tried to reason with him. He was beyond logic. Yaha Uta realized that this was not a fight that could be won. Even if he relented, Taha Aki would not stop until he was dead. Yaha Uta was the stronger Shifter, and he killed his father.

"He was not proud to take his place as Chief and Alpha. Over time, although the memories never faded, the pain did. Yaha Uta swore to protect the Quileute lands and people from the demon creatures. It is an oath we still honor today."

Billy fell silent. Renesmee glanced around, looking at each face illuminated by the fire. She shivered and pushed herself further into Jacob's side. The story had not relieved her fear, only heightened it.

Jacob kissed his imprint's head with a sigh. "Are you okay?" he whispered. He could smell her fear and feel her trembling.

She shivered again and shook her head. She was sure it was only her imagination, but the feeling around the fire was mythical. If she let herself get carried away, she could almost believe she really was in the presence of werewolves. It was almost enough to make her move away from Jacob. She repeated over and over in her mind that she was safe and it was all just a story. Every sound she heard made her heart jump, especially if it came from behind her. She could only imagine the bloodthirsty creatures from the story—she shivered again as she thought of them—creeping up on her.

Conversations began to rise through the group. Jacob rubbed Renesmee's back and kissed her head again. "I'm sorry."

She shrugged and pulled back. She didn't see how he thought the stories would change how she felt about werewolves. If anything, she was more afraid of them now. She looked up at him and sighed. "I think I should go home, Jake."

His heart fell. He should have expected it. He wanted her to stay with him longer. "Are you sure? There'll be some other things going on."

She looked around again and saw Seth and Quil laughing together. Something in their faces made her shiver. She saw Embry, and the same thing happened. It was silly, because they hadn't changed, but she could swear there was something there. It made her heart race, and it was a little harder to breathe. She rubbed her arms and looked back up at Jacob. For a moment, she thought she might scream. She imagined what it would be like if Jacob turned into a wolf before her.

She stood up. "I need to go home." Her voice was thin.

Jacob nodded and stood up with her. As they said their goodbyes, Jacob ignored the questioning looks his pack gave him.

"I'm sorry I frightened you," Billy said as he shook Renesmee's hand.

She shrugged. "It's not your fault. I'm sorry I'm such a wuss."

Billy smiled. "In time." He looked at his son pointedly. "In time."

Jacob nodded.

"I really am sorry," she said as he led her back through the trees to the car. Every sound in the forest seemed louder and more threatening than it had around the fire.

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. He wanted to be angry. The evening had not turned out the way he had hoped. "Don't be sorry, Ness. I probably should have known better than to think you'd just magically get over it."

She looked at her feet, and he sighed. Finally they made it to the car. She felt a little more secure but not much.

"Why didn't you tell me there would be vampires in the story?" she asked as he drove.

He glanced at her. "Bloodsuckers. I didn't think about it."

"What's the difference between a vampire and a bloodsucker?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Same as the difference between a werewolf and a shape-shifter. Hollywood says a vampire bursts into flame or turns to ash in sunlight. Bloodsuckers don't; they're fine to walk around in sunlight. Hollywood also says a vampire sleeps."

She swallowed. "But Bloodsuckers don't?"

He nodded. "Right."

"Oh, God." She felt even sicker.

He squeezed her hand lightly. "What?"

She sniffled and tried to hold back her tears. She could feel something behind her even when her back was pressed firmly against the seat of the car. It was the same feeling she got after she watched scary movies. Something was going to get her. "First the werewo—I mean, shape-shifters—are scarier than usual, and now the damn Bloodsuckers walk around in daylight and don't sleep. What next? They can't be killed with a stake through the heart?"

He cleared his throat. "No, actually they can't."

She rolled her eyes. "It was a rhetorical question, Jake. I really don't want to know how indestructible they're supposed to be. I'd like to have at least a little chance of sleeping tonight."

Jacob rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb until they reached her house. If it hadn't been so dark out, she wouldn't have waited for him to open her door for her. The porch light was not on, and she nearly panicked the short walk to the door. Her fingers fumbled in her pocket trying to find her key.

The smell of her fear was overpowering. He couldn't stand the sight of her shivering and sniffling. He put his hands on her shoulders from behind and bent to kiss her ear.

"Calm down, Ness. I'm sorry you're so scared, but I promise you're safe. I would never let anything hurt you." He kissed her again.

Renesmee nodded and took a deep breath. She finally managed to unlock the door and walked in. She breathed a sigh of relief when the room was bright. The door shut behind her, and she pushed herself against Jacob. He held her tightly, and she started to realize how silly she was being. Of course Jacob wouldn't hurt her or let anything happen to her.

"How was it?" Alice asked as she walked in. "You guys are earlier than I expected. It's not even ten o'clock yet."

Renesmee peeled herself away from Jacob and nodded. "Yeah, I had to come home."

Alice noticed her niece's tears. "What happened? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. The stories were just scarier than I had thought they would be."

Jacob rubbed her back. "It was kind of my fault; I didn't really warn her."

Alice nodded. "Yeah, she's kind of a pansy. No offence, Renesmee." She winked.

Renesmee smiled. "None taken; I know I am." She turned to Jacob. "Your dad's probably wondering where you are."

He shrugged. "He can wait a few minutes. You'll be okay tonight?"

She wasn't sure, but she nodded anyway. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Call me if you need anything, okay?" He pulled her close and kissed her.

She held his shoulders and nodded. "I will. Have fun at the rest of your party." She glanced around to make sure Alice had left the room before she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He didn't want to leave. It went against every instinct he had to walk away when she was still so scared.

For a moment, Renesmee wondered if she'd sleep better with Jacob beside her. As much as she liked the thought, she knew there would be no hope of getting it past her aunt and uncle. Even with the freedom they were giving her, they wouldn't agree to let a man stay the night in her room with her. Instead of bringing it up, she kissed him again.

"You should probably go." She so wished he didn't have to.

"Yeah, I guess I should." He didn't tell her he'd be back in a few hours, parked in the trees behind her house. "Sleep well, Ness. Remember that nothing will hurt you. If it makes you feel better, pretend I'm there to protect you."

She smiled. "I'll do that."

He bent to kiss her one last time before he left.


A/N: Thanks for reading!

I know everyone's getting all antsy for Jake to tell her the truth and for her to accept it. Believe me, if it would fit these characters and not ruin a very big part of the plot, I'd do it, lol. But, I can tell you that after the next chapter, things get pretty darn serious between the two of them, and she will soon find out in a very . . . erm . . . direct way that those legends are not fiction.

I am going to do my very best to finish Give Me a Sign before I write another chapter of Blood Moon. With only one more chapter and an epilogue left of GMAS, I'd really like to have it done so I don't have to dance around fics anymore. Hopefully . . . theoretically . . . it shouldn't take that long. I anticipate maybe another week for chapter 50.

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