I'm revising Luther's height. He'd now five foot ten. I made him way too tall two or three chapters ago.

--

They didn't welcome her. Who would? But they didn't openly display this. For, Jake wasn't a werewolf, and neither were a lot of others...they couldn't reveal what they were, or what Xan was.

It was strange.

She walked right into the town--lots of people stopped to look, wrinkled their noses, and returned to their business. (They'd heard of vampires from their legends, but many didn't believe. Still, many were wary of the Cullens, and now her, seeing as she was one of the main suspects in the two boys' killings a little while back.)

It seemed oddly familiar, yet foreign. She assumed this must be because of her recent forgetfulness.

She was barely two streets into the small town when she was approached by the human forms of the two wolves from earlier.

"What are you doing here?" asked the taller one, whose narrow eyes pierced her skin. "Bella's fine; there's no reason for you to be here."

"Oh, but there is," Xan said with a nervous little laugh, biting her lip. "You see...uh...the thing is..."

"What?" the second one growled.

"We have to keep Bella here."

She had expected that there would have to be an explanation, but they seemed to realize the reason on their own. I probably subconsciously underestimate them, Xan thought to herself.

"Yeah. Alright. Hmm...well..." the older one mumbled, looking into Xan's eyes. "What's your name, bloodsucker?"

Well, it was good to know they were on friendly terms. "Alexandrine Ockley, former Volturi--"

"Yeah, yeah," the younger one snapped, suddenly looking around.

Xan did as well. They were drawing attention, even though the nearly deserted street held little over five occupants, including themselves.

"Let's go into the woods, shall we?" the leader asked, motioning for Xan to follow as they led the way to the nearest edge of forest.

"Listen, we know the whole deal with you," the leader said, lowering his face to her level--he was extremely tall. Xan suddenly wondered why this had not occured to her, since she was so short and he so tall, and it was a noticible difference. She surmised it to be because she had such a large ego sometimes that size differences meant little to her.

"That's...good, I guess?" Xan said.

"I am the leader of the wolf pack, Sam Uley," said the leader fearlessly. He seemed to glow with a certain pride. "And this is Paul."

"Uley? But shouldn't Black be the pack leader?" Xan questioned. The words were out before she realized it, and they puzzled her. Where had they come from?

Sam stared at her long and hard. "Well, anyway," Sam said, ignoring her question, "this is Paul. We're the only wolves here right now. We'll take care of Bella."

"You will? How?"

"We'll convince her to stay here. We'll have Paul guard Charlie's house 24/7, and keep her here..."

Xan raised an eyebrow. "But for what reason?"

Sam opened his mouth, then shut it. "Umm..."

Paul raised his hand. "Oh! Oh! I know!"

Xan nodded for him to continue.

"We'll beg her to do an article for her school paper on the reservation and its members. We'll tell her that the only way for her to actually understand us would be to live with us. We'll take her for a week, and in that time, we wolves will find and kill this Victoria."

Xan gave a skeptical look, but then dropped it. "Yeah, I suppose that's a good idea. Better than what I've got..." Yeah, exposing herself to Bella wasn't the brightest idea she'd ever had (Though it was Emmett who suggested it.) She didn't know if the wolves could take on Victoria, but she'd let them give it a shot--she'd remain close by to ensure their victory. "Don't tell Bella anything!"

"Believe me, that is far from our intentions," Paul said, glaring at her, as if to say, You really think we're that stupid?

Xan nodded.Yeah, I do think you're stupid.

Sam suddenly reached forward and grabbed the front of her shirt, yanking her forward. She decided to go with it rather than avoiding it or fighting back, because she realized it would do more harm that good. She listened as he began to speak.

"Do not hunt a single human, or we'll know," Sam barked in her ear. "You do a single thing out of line, and we'll kill you."

She doubted this.

"And get your filthy leech friend off our land, do you hear? He's coming way too close."

Xan furrowed her eyebrows and then snapped to attention. Of course! Luther! What an idiot he was, never knowing what he was supposed to be doing.

"Of course," Xan nodded. "I'll do that. Sorry for any inconvenience."

Sam let her go reluctantly. Paul just glowered viciously, but did nothing. Then, they flitted away, leaving her by the green abyss that was the forest.

Good God, what was Luther up to? Where was he?

She stood still for a moment, searching the surrounding area for a scent of his, or movement with her senses.

He was about four kilometers off, by the coast. The most recent scent trail led into a small cave by the water, and she followed it with ease.

She realized far before she got there that he was expecting her. Of course he was, that was just like him.

"Lexi!" he called, jumping to his feet when she was nearly a hundred feet away, and flitted to her side, arms outstretched. "Lexi!"

Xan stopped a put a hand up, gritting her teeth. "Don't hug me."

His arms fell. "Why are you so cruel to me, Lexi?"

"Because you're an idiot." She looked down at her toes, sinking in the damp sand. It felt like bliss.

She sat on the sand, falling back upon it with glee. How beautiful this place was. She knew she should go soon, considering it was Quileute land, but she couldn't bring herself to leave just yet.

"Why did you decide to come?" Luther asked eagerly, sitting beside her with a plop. "Did you realize you really do love your son?"

She frowned and wrinkled her nose, and without opening her eyes, she said, "You wish."

"I do. You know I do."

"Stay off this land. It's the Quileutes, you know."

"Oh, I do. But they have the best wolf...just delectable..." he chuckled at his own joke.

Xan sat up angrily. "Don't joke like that! If they heard you, they'd rip me to pieces!"

"They wouldn't dare."

"And why is that?"

"I'd persuade them not to, of course."

Xan looked away then. "Right...those eyes..."

Luther smiled then, a half-hearted smile that seemed strained. "Of course. They come quite in handy."

Xan hugged her knees, staring off at the waves. "Why haven't you ever used them on me?"

Luther didn't answer. He just stared with her, on the rolling foam tides.

"I did, once. But it didn't work. I suppose, since you are my mother, it won't work on you."

Xan sighed heavily, looking up at Luther--he, too, annoyingly, was tall. "Do you truly believe that I am your mother?"

He smiled weakly, without looking at her. "You're my creator."

"Unfortunately. But your mother?"

"No, no. I don't see you that way. I only say it to annoy you."

"Why is it fun to annoy me?"

"Because if I didn't, you'd tire of me, and throw me aside."

"I'd never throw you side. Just gently place you deep inside my closet, where you belong."

Luther turned suddenly, and Xan tried to look away, but Luther wouldn't let her. He took her chin in his long fingers and forced her to face him, staring into her eyes.

She knew what those blood-red eyes could do, what they have done. But she didn't care, then. She kept looking right back.

"Do you truly mean that, Lex?" Luther nearly begged. "Do you truly?"

Xan sighed, looking at Luther indifferently. "Maybe."

Luther narrowed his eyes. "Why are you so cold? I've seen you with others, you're the nicest, most beautiful person in the world. But with me, I'm nothing but a toy to be tossed about."

"I don't play with toys. Are you insinuating that I'm a child?" Xan's voice started to soften, though. It wasn't fair to Luther that she was acting like this. He'd been the most irritating person she'd known for quite some time, but he was a relatively nice guy who just wanted her to pay attention to him. Besides, he'd called her beautiful. She could afford to lose some attitude. Though, she wasn't about to give up the teasing she enjoyed so much.

Luther noticed this sudden change and his eyebrows furrowed. He decided to take advantage of the situation and asked a question. "Lexi, do you see me as your son?"

"Not at all. Maybe a child, but not my son."

Luther let go of her chin and turned himself so he was staring at the ocean. After a moment, he maneuvered himself to sit behind Xan, letting his chin rest on her head.

Xan was puzzled by his behavior but decided against doing anything. Let him do as he pleases, she thought. Just for today. What does it matter?

A hand reached forward and took a strand of her hair, curling it around his finger. Xan watched him, confused. What's he doing?

Then, he stood, facing the roiling ocean with an intense look on his face. "Alright. I suppose I should go now."

Xan looked up at him, squinting in a stray ray of light. "I'll see you later?"

He practically beamed at the prospect of Xan wanting to see him again. "You can count on it!"

Then he dashed into the forest, looking back just once--but Xan had already turned back to the ocean, watching the water claw at the land, never seeming to reach some sort of goal it was aching for...

--

Not one of my better chapters.