Disclaimer: I hope everyone realises that all the original characters of Twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer.

Chapter 9

I woke up suddenly and uncomfortably. Checking my position, I saw I had, not for the first time either, managed to wind up upside down n my bed. One foot rested on the pillow, while the other dangled on the carpeted floor. My head was hanging off one corner, and my arms sprawled haphazardly around me. I was just thankful no one saw me.

As usual, after falling into a fitful sleep, I was unable to partake in my favourite activity on a Sunday: lying in. I woke up at the god-awful time of 6:13am, more tired than ever. No wonder no one spotted my odd sleeping position, no one else was awake!

I groaned, knowing I'd be unable to sleep again, but too lazy to leave the warmth of the bed also. Mid-November did tend to be a little nippy.

After realising how bored I was staying in bed anyway, I dragged myself out of bed, and changed into some comfy sweats. I went downstairs and flicked through the TV channels for a while, half watching only, my mind also split between those red eyes in my dreams, and the strange behaviour of the Cullens.

I really wanted to know what Alice saw, but had to leave before I could ask her. I would have gone to the Cullens last night to check, but I knew Edward wasn't lying when he said they'd hear me from a mile away. Plus, Alice would have warned them, and I would have probably ended up with a baby-sitter, an angry Jacob torn from his Nessie knowing my luck.

Damn me and my impatient attitude!

I was an idiot; I'd see them tonight at the bonfire. I just had to be a little more patient for the next... twelve hours?!! I turned my mind back to the TV, hoping something other than soaps would start playing soon.

*

I should have guessed that three hours before the bonfire, my lovely sister would have to turn the house upside down, for another perfect outfit. She did end up looking lovely, wearing her favourite gypsy skirt and off-the-shoulder white top. I think she was trying to be Esmerelda from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I instead opted for the usual jeans, tank top and jacket combo.

She was practically buzzing the whole drive there, excited to see her Seth I suppose. It was sweet to see her so girly, and Seth was a good guy. The moment we spotted the beach, she shot off, fast as an arrow.

I walked more slowly than Sasha had, searching for a familiar vampiric face in the crowd.

I saw lots of people, classmates, known pack members, their imprints, little children weaving between adults talking, but no Cullen. I couldn't even find Jacob, and I thought for sure he'd be here. Maybe they were late? Or having a quick hunt before mixing with all these humans?

Suddenly I glimpsed a familiar face. Leah Clearwater. I had met her through Jacob and Seth, and she had lived up to their descriptions. Tonight her glistening black hair was up in a pony-tail, her coppery skin glowing in the firelight, set off well with her jean skirt and white camisole. She was older than Seth, but still looked just thirty due to her werewolf genes. She had an amusingly cynical view on most things in life, and found me in her words 'fresh meat'. She was fun nonetheless.

Going towards her, I grabbed her elbow asking of the whereabouts of my vampire friends. Her face suddenly turned sad, almost pitying in expression towards me. "Didn't they tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"They left."

I could only stare at her in shock. It took me at least two minutes to collect myself for my response. "Huh?"

"The Cullens, they left last night. I think Black and his little group left too. I'm in charge of his pack right now."

"Do you know how long they left for? Where they went?"

"No. But of course, I am only the Beta of his pack, god, you'd think Black would have gotten a bit of common sense by now." Leah said, a small scowl crawling onto her face, starting with her dark eyebrows, "I can only work best when I have all the information possible, but no, only a 'Seeya Lee-Lee', idiot."

Leaving before Leah had a full blown rant at me I grabbed a kebab fresh off the barbeque and made my way to the water, sitting in the sand and watching the shore.

Eating the kebab in content quiet, I was suddenly knocked over by a body. I dropped the kebab and turned to look to at whoever had run into me, only to find it was- "Sasha?!"

"Ana, I need to talk to you," she said hurriedly, "It's really important. You'll think I'm crazy, but please, I- I need to talk to you."

I just nodded to her, before being dragged a little further down the beach, away from other people at the bonfire. "What's going on Sash?"

"It's Seth..." oh, did he tell her? "He told me some things about his family, and him. He's sorta different Ana and-"

"He told you, didn't he?"

She just gaped at me. "H-How did you know?!"

"First tell me, did he tell you everything? Including the Cullens?"

"Yes."

"Well Sasha, I knew cos I'm friends with the Cullens." I told her. "So... what are you going to do? As his imprint, you are sort of his soul mate."

"Well," Sasha said, dropping to sit on the sand, "It's a little overwhelming, you know?"

I know. "No." I said, sinking to sit beside her. "But I know by the looks Seth's giving you now you're kind of hurting him."

Up on the beach, stood by the outskirts of the crowd, the noticeable figure of Seth stood, watching us I think, and I could tell by his expression in the firelight that this was not the reaction he had been hoping for from Sasha. I saw Sasha looking to him also, sad and confused.

I really wish I was good at this comforting thing, but I had never been good at knowing how to help people sort out their relationships. I couldn't give them advice of my experiences, (I had none), nor could I tell of experiences I had heard of from other girls, (I never listened to them when they started speaking about such experiences). Turning back to Sasha I saw her face harden, please don't do what I think you're going to do, "Sasha, maybe-"

"Get Seth for me?"

"What?" I was really confused.

"Can you get Seth for me? I need to talk to him. Please?"

"Erm, sure Sash." I stood and made my way to Seth, only to see him already approaching the water behind me, werewolf hearing I guess.

I joined the laughing crowd by the fire, but stood still, watching my sister talk to her werewolf. They were talking by the looks of things, Seth stood a little away from Sasha. I really wanted to know what they were saying, but dare not get closer, already working out the extent of werewolf hearing.

Seth seemed to be getting a scolding from Sasha. I winced, knowing exactly what those were like. But then it seemed he was happy, looking at Sasha in what I could only describe as awe. I watched as he pulled Sasha into hug, I could just hear their laughter from where I stood, and smiled at the two of them.

Turning to give them their privacy, I didn't really need to see my sister kissing someone, I grabbed another kebab, I was still hungry, and was about to take a bite, when I swear I saw something move by the edge of the forest.

The werewolves here I expected to notice, but I saw none were concerned or alarmed. Maybe it was the smoke and cooking aromas covering the scent of this person, and the crowd was quite loud. I know that curiosity killed the cat, and I had an idea of what kind of dark creatures prowled at night – I knew a few myself – but against all better judgement I made my way towards the forest.

I made the upwards trek to the darkening forest from the warm beach, still able to smell the smoke, but now feeling the chill of the wind drifting up from the shore towards the trees. Another reason I thought that the werewolves might not have detected the person I thought I saw, the forest was downwind from the bonfire.

The night I could see was chilly, but looking up to the sky, I saw it was beautifully dark, the stars mere pinpoints up above, blinking, almost waving at us below. I childishly wave up at the stars, before quickly looking around me to make sure no one saw my momentary silliness. I had always had a strange fascination with the stars, their luminescent splendour enchanting me almost. Shaking my head from the starry spell, I continued to the forest, remembering the mysterious person I had seen.

I was only a few feet away from the edge of the forest, when I felt a hand shoot out from behind me, grabbing my right shoulder.

*

"SASHA!" I screamed, "Don't do that! What, are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"

"Sorry," she giggled, "I couldn't resist."

"I'm sure."

"Anyway, I have to tell you some news." She said, beckoning Seth towards us. He approached, a huge grin splitting his face. Well, at least it was good news I think. "We're getting married!"

I could only stare at Sasha, then at Seth, then back at Sasha. Speechless, that's what I was. I thought it was going to happen eventually, but after little over a week of knowing one another?! Then on the other hand, they were soul mates, perfect for each other, why wait? Sure it would seem a little unconventional, but I could only see this whole imprint relationship as unconventional in 'normal' society anyway, so why stick to rules that shouldn't apply to them? And above all, looking at them both, I knew they were happy, so I was happy for them.

I was about to send my congratulations, when something pale tackled Seth. Sasha gave a small scream, while I pulled her away from the tumbling pair. When they finally stopped, Seth I saw had already turned into a sandy-brown wolf, huge in comparison to the types of wolf I had seen. Before him stood a black cloaked figure, I couldn't tell if they were male or female.

"Nice mutt," the figure said, with a distinctively female voice, "Who's a stupid doggie?"

Looking past the pair towards the bonfire, I saw that no one seemed to have noticed. Then again, we were a fair distance from them, and there was quite a racket by the bonfire.

Seth growled, circling the cloaked figure until he stood protectively before Sasha and me. "Seth?" I heard Sasha whisper, in shock or awe, I was too frightened to notice.

"Stupid doggie," the figure said, "You got your eyes on the target, but you're losing the prize."

Before I could decipher what this meant, I was pulled backwards abruptly into ice cold arms.

Vampires.

Turning my head, I hoped to see one of my vampire friends, but saw instead an extremely pale but extraordinarily beautiful woman, with fair hair and blood-red eyes, also garbed in a black cloak. Blood-red eyes... not the type of vampire I really wanted to associate with, knowing from experience.

"Ana!" Sasha screamed, turning to me.

I knew I was trapped, when had a human managed to break out of a vampire's hold? If they had I think there would be a lot fewer vampires around. Seth turned at Sasha's voice, but I saw him pinned down by the other vampire.

"Where are you going you filthy mutt? Where's your ever present buddy back-up?"

"Get help Sash!" I shouted to her, Damn. Déjà vu. I only hope there are only two vampires.

Turned out she didn't need to get help, Seth managed to get a big enough lungful to let out a loud howl in what I could only call urgency. From the bonfire I saw people's heads turn, and several known pack members began to run towards us, shedding their outer clothes as they came.

But it was too late for me. The vampire holding me began to run, Sasha, Seth and the bonfire disappearing from sight in a second. I felt dizzy, from the speed and the fact I was being transported backwards, through the forest. Howls, barks, growls and whimpers could be heard, before I saw to my dismay the second vampire steadily gaining on us.

I think they must only have been 'jogging', as the two vampires suddenly picked up the pace if even possible. As the blood inside me rushed from my head to my feet from the speed we were travelling, I blacked out, and knew no more.