Well, here's chapter ten! It's the longest chapter yet, and it might be beaten by chapter eleven. I hope you guys like the long chapters better, because I love cutting my chapters off at a point that will leave you guys in suspense. You gotta review to let me know what you think though! Otherwise I might start working on another project.
-M.F.
As always, I do not own Twilight.

"All set?" Seth smiled at me and I gulped. I would be spending the night with a boy. A boy my age. Who I have no relation to. Who I happen to love. Crap.

Seth lived on a hill. A big hill. If I wanted to escape (which, I'll admit, I didn't) the hill would have discouraged me thoroughly from doing so. There were a few houses here and there on the way up the mountainous hill, but at the top, where the trees seemed liable to take over, was just one house; Seth's.

"Home, sweet, home," Seth said cheerily as he parked the car.

"Geeze, Seth, ever ride your bike down this?" I asked, looking out my window at the steep drop.

"Once. After I became a werewolf. Broke four bones, a rib, and cracked my skull. That was with a helmet and pads on, so don't get any ideas," he added warningly.

"Oh my god, how did I not notice a kid walking around school all bandaged up like that?" I asked as he grabbed my stuff from the back seat and we got out of the car.

The sun was just setting and I stretched myself out as Seth answered. "It was during Spring Break."

"But, that must have taken forever to heal!" I felt foolish as I saw his smile grow. "What?"

"That's one perk about being a werewolf. We heal. Fast. I was only a little achy when we returned to school. My mom was pissed though." He lowered his voice as we approached his house.

"Hey Mom, we're home! I really hope Leah filled you in…" Seth called, leading the way through his two story house. We entered the kitchen where his mother and sister were cooking dinner.

"Yes, she filled me in. Cornelia, is it?" she asked in a formal but kind manner.

"Um, Cordelia," I corrected, blushing. "Thank you for letting me stay here Mrs. Clearwater. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience-"

She cut me off with a wave of her hand. "It's Sue, for starters. And don't be sorry about anything. Leah explained everything to me and I am happy that we can help in any way."

Leah muttered something I didn't catch but made Sue smile and Seth's ears turn red and mumble, "Shut up, Leah."

"Seth, show her to her room before dinner. I'm sure she might want a minute to just breathe." Sue smiled warmly at me before turning back to the stove.

"Thank you again," I said quickly, then followed Seth before Sue could make me take it back.

I began to get scared as he led me up a flight of stairs. What if I was staying in his room? In his bed? You know, for "protection's" sake. So he could keep his eye on me. My heart was beating fast, but we passed the door with "Seth" spelled out on it in shaky letters and kept going straight down the hall into a guest room.

"Bathroom is next to Leah's room, which is labeled. And I guess that's it. If you wanna shower just use my sister's shampoo and… and whatever you need of hers," he said lamely, going red. I assumed he meant my "woman-hood" and I smiled at how adorable he was.

"Thank you, Seth." I plopped down on the white bed, which took up most of the room except for a dresser and a mirror. There was a great big window just over the head side of the bed though, and I scooted over to it on my knees and looked out.

"Oh, wow," I said breathlessly. There were no trees on this side, just the steep drop of the hill. At the bottom was the beach, the waves rolling over the sand, tinted orange in the sunset.

"Seth, come look at this!"

I felt his weight shift the bed as he too crawled over.

"What? It's just the sunset. I thought it might have been something important."

"Seth, this is important. You need to accept the beauty of nature. I mean, look at how each wave curls differently; how the sky is changing colors seamlessly; how the moon is growing brighter with the setting sun. It's all simply just-"

"Beautiful," he said dreamily.

I went red as I turned my head to look at him, expecting, and hoping, for him to be looking at me. Yeah, just like in the movies. I admit it, alright?

But no, he was staring down at the beach just as I had implored him to moments ago.

Huffily, I began to get back off the bed. "Dinner, right?" I said as I turned around and… fell off the bed.

Yeah, yeah. I said before I'm not a clumsy girl. Around Seth I'm just special, I guess.

"Ouch…" I moaned as his face appeared over the edge of the bed.

"You okay?" he asked, clearly trying not to laugh.

"Oh, shut up," I moaned, raising a hand to my head. "No fricking way! I'm bleeding?! I didn't even hit my head!"

This just caused Seth to laugh harder. Chivalrously, I guess, he held out a hand to me and helped me up while still laughing on the bed.

Woozy for the second time in one day, I leaned too heavily against him. He, who had been on his knees, fell back onto the bed, taking me with him.

"Sorry, Seth." I went to get up off of him, but found I couldn't. "Seth?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Except for how hot my face was. But I didn't feel the need to mention that.

"Good." His hands unclasped from around my back and I climbed off of him. "Oh wow," he said under his breath. I looked at him quite surprised he would be so blunt about how hot I was. But he was looking at my gruesome head wound. "You sure you're okay? Does it hurt?"

As soon as he said it, my forehead gave a painful throb. "Now that you mention it…"

"Let's get you some medical care."

He held my elbow as he marched me out the door and down the stairs. Sue sat me down at the kitchen table and whipped out a first aid kit. She blotted my wound with disinfectant and I hissed at the sting. Then she pulled out some gauze and taped it over my injury with medical tape.

"There you go," she said with a smile.

"It barely hurts," I commented, raising a hand to the sore spot just above my left eyebrow.

"I'm the mother of two wild werewolves, I know how to fix a scratch or two." She laughed at some memory and then turned back to dinner.

We ate our meal joyfully, talking about wondrously normal things. School, what the camping trip was like before we had to leave, driving, Seth's illegal driving. Normal teen stuff, which I was grateful for. Maybe this was the life for Bella, but I just wanted Seth. I mean, a normal life. Not Seth. Well, maybe Seth too.

We- Seth, his sister, his mom, and I- watched a boy-meets-girl type movie before I was nearly passing out from exhaustion.

"Bed, I think," Sue said and we all marched upstairs. Leah and Sue disappeared into their rooms and Seth walked me to my door.

"Well… sleep well." He gave a weird shake of his head between a nod and a spasm.

"Wait," I said as he began to walk away. "What are we doing tomorrow?"

"Probably head over to the Cullen's and find out what they've done. Keep you safe. That's what we're gonna do. None of us are gonna let them kill you." He gazed at me intensely and I found myself thinking, Gee, you promise? Death would be a bit of an inconvenience!

Instead I said, "Thank you, Seth. Sleep well." I turned and entered my temporary room. I found out Leah had packed three different sets of pj's in my backpack and was happy to see this included my favorite pair. I changed quickly, too tired to brush my hair or teeth.

I lay down to sleep, feeling the stress of the day crash down on me.

-

No, no, no! Where did they take her? I smell the dogs all over this area. She must be around here somewhere. I have to try again.

I ran back and forth through the trees, sniffing the air eagerly, trying to catch her scent.

Where did they hide her?! I feel like she's so close… Wait, what was that? I ran back a few paces to the road I had been on and sniffed again. Yes, that's definitely human. My human. But where does the scent lead…?

I ran back and forth over the minimal trail, finding the scent again a few feet away. I followed the road, then checked again for her scent.

Closer and closer, the hunter traps the prey. You can't run from me. I need your blood. The taste of it… I suppressed a shiver run through my body. Cordelia, they said her name was. Her blood smells unlike anything I've ever imagined. So the taste most be…

I ran again towards a road, leading me to one solitary house on the top of a hill.

Found you.

-

I woke up screaming. Not thinking clearly, I yelled, "ALICE! ALICE, HE'S COMING FOR ME!" I propelled myself out of the bed and rushed for the door when the sound of shattering glass and wall deafened me briefly.

I whipped my head around and a cold hand clenched my neck, pinning me against the wall.

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