Warnings: NC-17, graphic sex, threesome, dirty imagery and so on.

"So you were with the founders of Rome?" I said, lifting my hand to cover my yawn.

"Indeed I was, Jacob. You may call me Mara." She cocked an eyebrow at me. "I cared for them until they could stand on their own, and I must say you are well informed!"

"Nope." I shrugged tiredly, the stress of the battle and the desperate flight to seek refuge catching up with me. "It's surprising what turns up on the web when you're researching."

She sat on the edge of the cot, and it sagged and wobbled as if she weighed far more than her slim body suggested. "I nursed those sickly, stubborn babies back to health, but in caring for them, people saw my true nature. Later I watched from the distance as they built their tiny ramparts around the seven hills by the Tiber. The people did flock to their charismatic appeal."

Her hands were tightly clasped on her lap while she took a deep breath, and when I looked into her eyes, I noticed they were the same hue as my dad's. "The village they built grew beyond their expectations and became the city that birthed all others."

Her rusty voice soothed me because it felt comforting having Mara around. She was a no-nonsense woman, just like Esme and Leah. I fidgeted and shied away from adding Rosalie to that list. Didn't want to think about her; it wasn't that I felt guilty. Emmett made it clear they were no longer together. I feared that in the aftermath of the battle Rosalie had come to reclaim what was hers, my big bear.

I wiggled on the cot, my heart beating fast at the thought of losing Emmett.

I pressed my palm against my bare chest, willing my heartbeat to slow down while Mara smiled fondly at me. "You don't have to do that, caro Jacoppo, I treated your injuries."

"Sorry, ma'am. I'm tired is all." I glanced at the floor, unwilling to let her know I worried about my vamps. Hoped Edward wouldn't do any silly, heroic stunt like slaving away for the Volturi. He was so damned stubborn he made me cringe! Wanted to run my fingers through his silky hair before smacking his head.

Mara made to stand up but I leaned towards her and touched her bare forearm. She felt as warm as Leah, which gave me another hint to her shapeshifting nature. "Please stay, won't you talk to me?" Maybe her soothing tone would distract me from the sudden onset of worry about my damned vamps.

"I will do it, young man." She shrugged her shoulders with a fluid rolling motion. "I have to go soon, though. I've stayed at this place for far too long, and the people are getting suspicious. They are as nosy and stubborn as their Etruscan ancestors, back when…"

She trailed off, which gave me the chance to ask about her life. "So you've lived for thousands of years?"

"That is true. It's been uneventful mostly, though I was consumed with grief after Romulus killed Remus."

I gasped, not being aware of this part of the story. Mara noticed my reaction and shook her head.

"Always headstrong, that twin. Didn't know either patience or understanding, which may have added to his appeal to the people. Couldn't find his inner balance," she said, gazing piercingly at me.

"I see." Mara's words reminded me of Emmett and Edward; they were both headstrong and charismatic.

"So I meandered up the coast of Latium, infected by Romulus' sad mood. Aged a bit, because I stopped phasing. I wanted to grow old and die until one day, I met a cold man who showed me warmth; Marcus had lifeless eyes which looked at me with sympathy. We talked and I found out about the old augurs and prophecies that forced me to work with the vampires until the day I would meet another like me…"

I dozed off for a while, lulled by her voice and the scent which mixed so well with the wheat fields on the countryside, achingly reminding me of the woods back home, of dad and the smell of cured leather when he returned from the hunt.

"… Marcus told me about the end of the world."

I sat up at that, but Mara pushed me back onto the pillow. "Why so startled, Jacob? I found the vampire easy to talk to because of our shared melancholy."

"You did?" I said groggily. For a moment I swore she was talking about the battle with Bella in which we finished her off, thus saving the world.

She just shrugged. "He needed help dealing with a rival coven, and proposed a deal which became my path to immortality."

"What deal?"

"That's not for me to say, young cub. Suffice it to say that it brought balance to an untenable situation and helped Marcus' coven."

"You worked with the enemy!"

"Only as long as it fit my needs," she said. "I had to endure because there is a greater danger which I must help prevent."

"By helping leeches?"

"Yes, cub. You worked with them yourself in order to get rid of the disturbance that would have surely destroyed this." She stood up, opening her arms in an exquisite motion to indicate the room and the fields. Guessed when you lived hundreds of years, you got elegance in the packaged deal.

"Sometimes, you've got to have a worthy adversary to flourish – to prepare you, just as happened with the vampire girl."

"Bella?" I said hoarsely, the reality of having killed her just sinking in. In the midst of worrying about stubborn Ed and Emmett, I hadn't really paid much attention to the fact she was dead, though something in the way Mara looked at me, dark eyes brimming with sympathy, made me suspect that perhaps Bella wasn't dead at all. The ancient shifter seemed to be hinting at greater trouble ahead.

She nodded sagely. "Dealing with her gave you the experience you will need in the future."

"What do you mean?"

She leaned down and her thumb brushed my forehead. Her smell felt oddly familiar, fresh and smoky like a mix of the woods and First Beach after a bonfire. Her eyes were huge and dark, and I felt a pull that called up strong instincts in me.

"You're just like Romulus, young Jacob. The future is alive and I have seen it twist and writhe, desperately wanting to come into being. It fights stagnation and seeks freshness, hence mortality."

"What do you mean?" I started to say, but her fingers on my lips silenced me.

"You are both future and past. I have abided for millennia, seeking this moment in which prophecies merge and come to pass - for you and your mates are everything that stands between death and renewal. I must warn you, Jacob, that your troubles are far from over."

I must have been tired because the last thing I remembered from that night were her eyes as she loomed over me, bright as the light bulb in the stark room. I closed my eyes, sighing at the soft brush of her lips against my forehead while a faint whisper reached my ears. "You must use chaos' weapons to defeat it!"

oOoOo

"I'm sorry, wolf, but when I met Rosalie again, I realized I still love her." Emmett grabbed the cushion next to him and ripped it apart, just like his words tore my heart to shreds. The sunlight fell directly over the roofless living room in the Cullen house, striking sparks off his baby blue eyes.

I leaned down, sobbing bitterly as I cradled my face on my hands. I knew it would come to this. Whatever pull Emmett felt for me must have gone after he fucked me. He had enough of the novelty and was ready to return to the comfort and love of his woman.

"Now that the danger with Bella has passed, I feel you don't need me anymore."

"Course I need you, man!" I let out a broken sigh, furiously wiping my face with the back of my hands. "It was never about Bella! It was about you! You're…"

Emmett didn't let me finish, though. "I have to be frank with you, Jake." He reached out towards me but I shrank back from his touch, knowing this would be the last time he would allow himself to show the warmth shining in his blue eyes.

"Go to her!" I spat out, but despite it all I couldn't help myself. I tilted my neck and burrowed my face on his thighs, sobbing hard.

"I'll remember fondly the time we spent in Tuscany, and the perils we overcame while getting rid of the selfish garota."

At that, I looked up at him through bleary eyes. Emmett didn't sound like his usual self.

"I forget you don't speak Portuguese." He shrugged. "I meant the crazy girl, the spoiled princess."

I shuddered when Emmett scrunched up his handsome face because it meant more bad news.

"I need you to be strong, Jacob." He patted my shoulders, a distant look in his eyes. "Edward struck a deal with the Volturi. He indentured himself, and will serve in their guard."

"What!" I shouted. "Please don't tell me Bella returned. She always prattled about how vampires were indestructible, even with their heads cut off." I felt like phasing and howling in anguish.

"Calm down, wolf," Emmett said patiently. "I made sure Edward burned her body. Bella's not coming back. Edward struck a deal with the Volturi so they would let you live; they won't interfere with you or your pack as long as he serves in the Volturi guard."

I broke down at that, rocking back and forth on the couch, breathing harsh as tears and snot ran down my chin. Victory felt bitter on my tongue, the rewards having been torn from my grasp. Battled Bella so my vamps and I could be together, and now they were gone forever.

Bella had won at last because I lost Edward and Em. I was lonelier than ever. Glanced up at Emmett, who was rising towards the sky wreathed in a silvery mist.

I whimpered as he called to me, "Jacob, wake up! Wolf, wakey wakey!"

Felt a jarring movement on the couch as cold fingers gripped my arm and yanked me out of my dream.

Waking up, I shook my head groggily. That damned nightmare had felt so real! Felt the wetness on my face as tears ran down my cheeks. Saw Emmett blurrily, and choked back a sob.

He tilted up my chin, his thumb caressing my cheek as his cold touch brought me closer to reality. Glancing around, I saw the bare walls of Mara's house, though it was a different room. I was lying on a soft bed; apparently she had carried me here when I fell asleep before she left.

Emmett was gone, too. I heard the sounds of pans crashing against each other as he called out, "Fixing you a hot cup of coffee! It'll clear up your pretty head. It's what mom used to give me if a branch fell on me and knocked me silly."

I went to the bathroom to do my business and then washed my face, hardly aware of what I was doing. The damned nightmare clung to my brain as I returned to the bedroom and wearily plopped down on the mattress.

I sobbed quietly because the feeling of despair induced by the dream wouldn't go away. It clutched my heart tightly as I wondered where Edward was. Emmett ambled over and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me up on the bed as he pressed a hot cup onto my hand.

I sipped tentatively; the coffee was too strong and lacked sugar but I gulped it greedily, hoping it would clear the fog in my mind.

Putting the cup down, I nodded at Emmett, whose cute eyebrows were puzzled in thought. This, in turn, reminded me of the dream.

"Emmett, you fucking idiot, you left me!" I reached out and yanked him down by his shirt as the buttons went flying and tinkled down on the floor. "You went back to Rosalie!"

"What the hell are you talking about, mutt?" He held up his hands. "It was a dream, man! Only a dream."

I let him go and wrapped my arms around myself, leaning sideways and canting up my hips as I pulled up my knee close to my chest, the bandages rough on my skin.

"I smell her scent around you, man. So don't tell me you didn't meet with Rosalie!" I bit hard my bottom lip to prevent further accusations escaping my mouth. Didn't want to sound as shrill as Bella.

"Fine, wolf" Emmett huffed in exasperation as he sat down a few inches away from me. His fingers caressed the threadbare blanket bunched around my thighs as he looked into my eyes. "Rosalie was there. Jacob, she is a spitfire when she fights! Always loved that about her."

Hearing these words, I wiggled away from him until Emmett reached out to grasp my chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting my face towards him. "We spoke, and she told me she is doing fine on her own. Rose wished me the best of luck to deal with sexy, stubborn wolves. Man, do I need that just about now!"

"You are staying with me?"

"Of course!" Emmett's nostrils flared as he took a deep breath. He leaned down and gazed at me with golden eyes. "Let me tell you something of what I feel."

I nodded shakily at the intensity of his voice. Emmett absently ran his fingers through my hair, his gaze fixed on me. "When you said those pretty words in your tongue, there was something in the way you stood that… just about killed me."

"Em…"

He didn't let me finish, pressing his finger against my lips. My tongue darted out to lick at the cold pad of his thumb, drawing a shudder from him as he said, "Let me finish, ok? I knew you would play the hero, do some stunt that would put your life in danger. You see, there was a woodsman I worked with in Tennessee, back in the old days."

There was a tinge of wistfulness in his voice which made me sit up. Emmett didn't talk much about his past, and suddenly I wanted to know more.

"Go on," I muttered softly.

"One day, this guy and I were felling a tree. Ted was a lot like you, sweet Jacob. The tree had this huge canker which should've alerted me to the fact it was partly rotten. I had just cut the open-faced notch on the trunk when it lurched sideways. I didn't have much time to react, and Ted just pushed me away, telling me to run. He cocked his hips just like you did and then turned to grab the saw. The tree tilted in the wrong direction. It caused this heavy limb to swing down and crash against his skull, killing him."

"I'm sorry, Em."

"I had my fatal encounter with the bear a few days later." Emmett hunched down his shoulders. "Seeing you so vulnerable with those vampires brought this to my mind. Actually, I thought you would pick Edward to save, which made me feel cut off from the world and willing to let them do what they wanted. But then I wanted to kill them for taking you away from me!"

He frowned at me and growled, "So don't you dare doubt for a moment that I want you, sexy wolf!"

Listening to his tale as he opened himself to me, it just about killed me. Emmett held my heart on the palm of his hand with his combination of strength and vulnerability, and the clueless hunk didn't know it.

I rolled on the bed, grasping the collar of his open shirt while I wrapped my leg around his waist, pulling him down with me. We ended up facing each other. "I had to do it, can't you see, Em? Bella wanted me to choose between Edward and you, and there's no way I could ever do that."

I rubbed my thumb on his smooth cheek, wanting so much to tell him what he meant to me. My arousal twitched, trapped beneath the blanket, when I pictured him in those days. But first, I had to make sure of something. I drew a shaky breath, wanting and needing to know where Edward was. If he had decided to serve the Volturi, I had to convince Em so we would go and rescue him. Afterwards I would give him a piece of my mind, before I hugged my vamp. If Edward thought he would pull his hero tricks with me, he had another thing coming; the sexy, infuriating, smirking vampire whom I missed like hell.

"… at the battle. Hey, wolf, pay attention!" Emmett said, a bit exasperatedly.

I shivered with guilt. No matter how I dealt with the big guy, I ended up thinking about Edward. I smiled half-heartedly at him, running my fingers along his strong jaw.

"Sorry, man. Was woolgathering."

"I know." He smiled boyishly. "Edward's fine, he's coming later. Had to deal with Aro."

I held my breath, hoping his next words wouldn't be to tell me Edward had sold himself to the Volturi.

"Aro was stubborn. Obviously, he hated losing Bella as a weapon; that older guy who always looks so sad…"

"Marcus…"

"Yep, he was the one who managed to convince Aro at last." Emmett said, his eyes narrowing as he pushed me against the bed. He yanked the blanket and threw it down to the floor; his fingers groped my legs, taking care to avoid the bandages. "I need to know if you are fine."

"Yes, man. Healing powers, remember?"

"Good," he said, his hands snaking up to caress my thighs before shoving them apart. "Want to eat you up, Jake. You have no idea how sexy you look, all sleepy-eyed and mussed."

I groaned, bucking up my hips to find some friction for my cock. Emmett fingered the bandages on my leg, cocking his eyebrows at me and I nodded, rubbing my hands all over his torso before grabbing the hem of his shirt to rip it off him.

"Tut, tut, wolf. You're too rough," he said with a smirk, before gently tearing off the bandages and pulling off my briefs. Then he leaned down to lick my ear shell, whispering dirty words, "In the battle, when I saw you fighting those Volturi? You make me crazy, because all I could think of was how thick you felt inside me, how hungrily you clenched your hole around my cock."

Emmett's weight above me and his dick pressing on my abs made me so hard, wanted him inside me. But his words and care, the vulnerability he showed made me hot in a different way. Wanted to soothe him so he knew I loved him, in a way he would understand.

Wanted to fuck him so hard he forgot all about his past; I needed the lonely woodsman for myself. I yearned to see him come undone.

With a mighty heave, I rolled us around so I ended on top, my fingers hooked around the belt loops of his pants while I lowered the zipper with my right hand: Em lifted his hips and I slipped his pants and briefs off him. His thick cock sprang free, throbbing just below his cut abs.

"Wanna know what's in my head, Em?" I said, licking my lips.

"Sure, wolf. I don't have Edward's power, remember."

"I wish I'd met you in those woods," I said roughly, my fingers playing with his nubs, teasing them to hardness before I sucked on them gently, gazing down at him through half-lidded eyes. "I might have just dropped to my knees to service you."

I smirked at him, my fingers touching his chest on their way down to his pubes, to finally close around his slick cockhead.

"Nice that you're so wet for me, Em, makes it easy to do this." I kissed the crown of his cock before licking the smooth, purple skin and swallowing him. He bucked up his hips, and I moaned around his thick shaft.

"God, your mouth, Jacob!" he said, running his fingers through my hair as I bobbed up and down on his dick, letting it go free with a loud pop and tonguing the wet cockhead like a candy stick. His musky scent was making me dizzy with want and I wiggled my hips so my cock would rub against his ankle. I licked the slit very slowly, gazing up at him with wide eyes, knowing the effect it would have on him.

"Jacob, take that cock!" He thrust up his hips and I took him inside, my lips covering my teeth so they wouldn't bite the smooth, velvety prick. My hands rubbed circles around his hips before snaking down to knead his rump. He stabbed my mouth with his dick, pumping up his hips like he was out of control. Little did he know what I had planned for him.

I slid my head off his cock, letting it go with a reluctant lick of his shiny head as spit ran down my chin. His prick plopped down on his belly while I wiped my chin and leaned towards the headboard, my hand rummaging on the night table for the jar of face cream I had seen there. It would have to do as lube.

I crouched over him, my knees wedged between his thick thighs, and I upended the jar over my throbbing dick. The white cream mixed with precome until it was a slick mess. "I'm gonna fuck you, Em."

"What?" He tried to close his thighs but I held them open with my knees.

"You want me to lick you open, man? Want me to spread your hole on my tongue until it looks sloppy and used?" I stabbed my finger inside him, nudging carefully until I found the spot. Emmett groaned, his cock glimmering with his juices as I scissored my fingers, slowly dragging my knuckles over his prostate.

My fingers slipped out of him with a lewd popping sound and I scooted forward on my knees, pulling up his leg so it rested against his chest. My fingers gripped my slick shaft and I thrust in, delighting in the tight coldness around me.

"You okay, man?" I said, pausing for a bit to let him adjust.

Emmett hooked his other leg over my shoulder and canted his hips, his walls squeezing me tight. Grunting, I rocked my hips and slid into him, my hands caressing his toned chest.

"You feel so tight, Em. Bet you've thought about this."

"I haven't."

He grunted when I bottomed out, my dick staying there for a few seconds until I jerked my hips and drew back. I looked down at the spot where our bodies joined; it was so hot watching my dark meat sliding out of his pale ass.

"Bet you've had fantasies." I looked at him and grabbed his wrist to lift his hand, kissing each knuckle in turn. "Bet you want Carlisle."

The shuddering of the huge body below made me smirk. "You want to ride his lap, right?" I wiped the sweat on my brow as I jabbed my cock inside him, the big guy rolling his hips under me at the moment we joined deeply. "And you fantasize about going to the hospital and bending him over his desk, fucking him deep and harsh."

Emmett's eyes rolled back as his hand reached down to touch his leaking cock. I gripped his wrist, though. "Forget about those fantasies, Em. You belong to me and Edward, if the fucker ever shows up."

Emmett clenched tight around me and I fucked him harshly, my sweat pooling on his abs while I groaned like a wild beast. It was so exquisite I doubted I could hold out much longer.

I wanted him to know what I felt, though, and the words just escaped my lips. "Love you, Em!"

"I know, wolf." He panted, writhing below me. "Now shut up… and fuck me!"

Wanted to try a new angle - prolong the pleasure – so I pulled out of him with a loud squelching sound and manhandled him so he was on his knees and elbows. Went right back inside, sinking in like a knife sliding through hot butter. I guessed Emmett was dazed or he would have put up a fight, so my goal was achieved. Pumped my cock in a lazy rhythm, leaning down to caress his short hair, my chest melding perfectly with his muscled back. It was heaven but I missed someone; where the hell was…?

The house rattled like a whirlwind was going through it. Didn't have to wonder what was going on because I sensed his smell.

Edward yanked back my hair, growling, "You will be the death of me, Jacob."

"What?" I said thickly, shaking my head.

Edward stepped back and stood beside the bed, busily taking off his clothes.

I fucked Emmett slowly, just keeping in place while I shuddered at Edward's face. His eyes were black and he was snarling at us as he undid the buttons of his shirt.

"I was busy dealing with damned Aro and his crazed ideas," he said. "After Marcus slipped us the note with the directions to get here, we decided Emmett would check on you while I finished our deal with the Volturi."

I opened my mouth to protest about the deal but Edward just glared at me. Man, was he angry at me!

Edward grabbed his shirt and just tore it off. "I'm mad that you would think I'd leave you, Jacob. When he left Volterra, Emmett said I'd better hurry or he would fuck you so hard you wouldn't be able to sit for a week."

"He did?"

Emmett grunted when I thrust harshly into him.

"Glad to see you turned the tables," Edward said nonchalantly as he toed off his loafers. "I rushed to get here." He slid his pants down his legs. "On the road, I read your imagery, Jacob. Servicing woodsmen by sucking their cocks!"

I shrugged, wishing he would stop speaking and just get on with the fucking.

"And when you two got to the sex, it caused me to crash the car! It's never happened before." He took off his shorts, his long cock standing proud. My mouth watered at the sight; the head throbbed, as angry as its owner.

He climbed on the bed and scooted toward us, his dick bobbing in front of Emmett. Edward gripped the base of his prick and waved it at us. "My cock needs sucking. I want you to service me!"

We hurried to obey. Emmett lapped up his juices while I licked the vein on the other side, then we took turns swallowing him. Edward brushed his fingers through my hair, cradling my skull so he could fuck into my mouth. Dizzy by the heavy and satiny feel of him upon my tongue, I fucked Em like a rabbit while Edward thrust his hips until I gagged.

Seeing Edward like this was beyond exciting, to know we were the only ones that made him lose his cool until he behaved like a sex animal was so hot, my hole clenched in anticipation.

Edward slipped his cock out of my mouth and I kissed Emmett, our tongues sharing Ed's taste, completely lost in the moment I wished would last forever.

"Whose needy hole should I plug?" said Edward harshly, making us groan. "Emmett, so he gets stuffed to the gills? Or Jacob's piping hot hole?"

Suddenly he was behind me. I felt his thumbs spreading my buttocks and then I yelped as he speared his cockhead into my entrance.

"You don't get lube for doubting me, Jacob." Edward peppered my neck with kisses, thrusting shallowly until I adjusted around him.

"Go on, man," I panted, squeezing him. There was pain, a burning sensation as I became used to him, but the heady fullness prevailed and he was slick due to our spit. I wanted him to claim me, needed him to fuck me deep and hard. Wanted my other mate.

"As you wish." He stabbed my insides, making me whimper when his dick brushed against my prostate. Guessed I forgot about Emmett, lost in my own pleasure, until I felt him squeezing me like a vise as he growled a warning.

We fell into a rhythm. Edward fucked me, his balls slapping against my ass. The motion made me jerk forward and stab Emmett's insides, accompanied by the squelching sound of the lube. He pulled out and I let out a breath, my hips rolling and thrusting back against him as I sought to prolong the moment. This made me withdraw from Emmett, and he grunted as he pushed back, seeking more friction. Then Edward jabbed my walls and I jerked forward, the cycle beginning anew.

Slap-squelch-grunt, slap-squelch-grunt: Felt like Edward was conducting a sex symphony for three using his cock as a baton.

He wrapped his arms around my chest and pulled me up. I sat on my haunches and reclined against his chest, leaning down until I was riding his lap while Emmett rode my cock. Hardly noticed the bed giving way under us, or the plaster raining down because Emmett gripped the wall too hard, seeking purchase.

"Someday, Jacob." Edward's voice was rough with lust. "We'll make you live your fantasy. You will come to the woods and find two hung woodsmen, and you will drop to your knees and suck our cocks, so hungry for it you will take both at once."

I panted harshly, my senses overwrought by it all. Their cold bodies against mine cooled my hot, sweaty body as I greedily inhaled their scents. The new angle stuffed me full of Edward, his dick relentlessly prodding my prostate while Emmett's walls fit like a sleeve around my cock.

"Then we'll fuck you against a tree, Jake. Emmett and I will pass you around, come dribbling out of your used hole, until we've had our fill of you."

It was too much, the dirty words and sensations overwhelmed me. I came with a shout, Emmett just a few seconds later. Clenching madly around Edward coaxed his release as stars swam in my vision. Then I passed out, wedged between my vamps.

oOoOo

I was out of it for a while, and woke up cradled in Edward's arms while the smell of burnt bacon filled my nostrils.

"Emmett is fixing something for you," said Edward softly, brushing my cheek with his thumb, his chin resting on my shoulder. "I'm afraid he's no Esme."

"Doesn't matter," I craned my neck to look at him, sighing in contentment. "As long as I have you, I can spend a day without good food."

"Did you enjoy our lovemaking?"

"You can bet your ass I did." I winced at my words because my backside ached. Didn't want to mention it, but since Edward read my mind it was difficult to conceal.

"Do you want me to soothe it?"

"Nope, if you or Em tried, you would get carried away and it would lead to another fucking session." Then I took a deep breath and said, "Do you have regrets? About her, I mean."

"No. I was so concerned about you I haven't really thought about her passing away."

"You did burn her body?"

"Yes, I did. Emmett insisted we had to do it before Aro took it in his crazy head to intervene."

"Glad you did." I shook my head at the coincidence with my dream. Emmett had said something similar in the nightmare.

"The pack left for Forks; they send their well-wishes. Since the danger has passed they need to go back to their schedule."

"I thought so." My gaze slid to the window and the beautiful trees outside. "I guess we're next."

I felt him nod against my shoulder.

"I'm going to miss this land. Had a lot of adventures here."

"You're right, Jacob," said Emmett, strolling toward us with a plate full with bacon, eggs and bread. "Tuscany brought us together, and I'm thankful for that."

After gulping down Emmett's food, which wasn't so bad after all, I took a brief shower, not without reminding Edward to leave a check for the reparations to the house. It looked a mess after our lovemaking.

It was dusk when we left Mara's place.

Edward's rented Ferrari was a wreck, so we had to use Emmett's Ford.

Edward insisted on driving, and I jostled Emmett into the shotgun seat. Edward hummed a song as he pulled into the highway, occasionally fiddling with the rearview mirror.

"We'll get our things at the hotel and leave for home." Edward peered at the dashboard, finally tapping it with his finger. "We can go via Rome or Milan. Which one do you prefer?"

"Whatever you want, Edward." Emmett turned around, shooting me a boyish grin as he looked at me over the rim of his dark glasses. "What do you prefer, Jacob?"

"Rome," I said with a shrug. It was the same for me, really, but Mara's words made me want to see Rome before we left Italy.

"Okay," said Edward, tucking his hand in his jacket to fish out his cell phone. "Let me arrange transportation. Fiumicino Airport is it, then."

I reclined on the seat, unaware that this simple choice would start a chain of circumstances that would lead us to another source of danger, far greater than Bella had ever been.

tbc