Hey, everyone! Thanks for all of your reviews! They were all great, but unfortunately, I can only pick one of you as the winner. The winner is posted at the end of this chapter.

And to retardedtwilightlover, if you're not going to say something nice, don't say anything at all. I don't mind constructive criticism, but your review was just plain mean. I'd delete it, but I want my other readers to go read it, to see exactly how NOT to review a story. So you and your best friend can just go straight to hell.

Here's the next chapter!

I froze when I heard the menacing voice.

Standing before me were three people, all impossibly beautiful. They were standing in a loose triangle, but all of them were facing towards me in a crouch, as if they were about to pounce at me.

The one on the left was a man with long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and I could see that he was well-built. Very well-built. His dark blue jeans were ripped and torn, and his face was dirty, like he hadn't taken a shower in days. He growled maliciously at me every now and then, flexing his muscles threateningly.

The person on the right was a woman. She had long, fiery red hair that cascaded in curls down her back. She was wearing a sweatsuit which was just as old and ripped as the man's clothes. She stared at me without looking away once; her eyes seemed hungry as they were on my face.

The last man, the one in the middle, was both most beautiful and the most frightening of them all. He had midnight-black hair that was in dreadlocks and olive skin. His expression was different than the others'; he was smiling. That smile scared me more than his companions' glares. It made me want to run away as fast as I could, screaming. But something told me that running wouldn't help against these people.

"Hello," said the man in the middle. He wasn't on edge like the other two. His eyes were actually brimming with curiosity. And... a little frustration. "I'm Laurent," he added pleasantly. "This is James," he gestured to the man, "and this is Victoria."

James shifted a little, glancing up at Laurent in surprise. Laurent reprimanded him silently with the raise of an eyebrow.

"And you are...?" he asked. When I didn't answer, Victoria growled. Laurent shot her a look that said 'don't try anything'.

"Bella?" called a voice from inside the house.

Jacob. Jacob was still here. My stomach contracted in fear. Obviously, these people were dangerous. I didn't want my best friend in danger. He needed to leave.

Laurent smiled widely, showing off a set of perfectly white teeth. Victoria growled again, sinking even further down into her crouch. She seemed feline somehow; her movements reminded me of a cat. Or a lioness.

"W-what do you want?" I managed to gasp out.

Victoria spoke for the first time. "You." Laurent shot her another look, a furious one.

Jacob stepped out into the backyard. I screamed at him in my mind, telling him to go away, to run. But, of course, he couldn't hear me.

"Bella? What are you doing? And who-"

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the trio. Like me, he was rendered into speechlessness. He stared at them with wide eyes. His fear seemed to make Laurent even happier.

"Is he...?" James trailed off. Laurent nodded, and smiled even wider. I shuddered, irked by the sheer perfectness of him. I'd only met one person before who was just as perfect.

Then it hit me.

These people reminded me so much of the Cullens. The perfectness, the mystery, the strange emotions I felt when I was around them. I suddenly remembered Jacobs story, about vampires. What had he called them? Oh, yeah, the "Cold Ones".

Could these people really be vampires?

I noticed how sharp Laurent's teeth were, how Victoria and James were crouching, as if poised to attack. Were they vampires?

There was a tiny voice in my head, getting louder and louder by the minute, telling me to run away as fast as I could. But would running be any use against vampires? I didn't think so.

"Bella..." Laurent trailed off, seeming to be deep in thought. He was probably planning to suck my blood. I shook that thought away, storing it away for later.

"Jacob, run," I murmured as quiet as I could, so that only Jacob could hear. All three of them stiffened. I gaped in horror. Had they heard me?

Jacob didn't move. He didn't do anything to show that he had heard what I'd said. I cursed inwardly. If they were really vampires, he needed to get out of here, and now.

"Laurent," said James abruptly. "We don't have much time. Let's do it now!" I was sure he wanted to suck my blood. I knew I should have tried to escape, but I couldn't move. I felt like I was a statue.

I expected Laurent to disagree with him, but to my surprise (and horror), he agreed. "Yes, let's do it."

James pursed his perfect lips in anticipation as Victoria bounded forward faster than I could have believed and hit Jake in the head. He fell down, unconscious. I couldn't seem to find the voice to scream. I stared at him in horror.

"Dispose of him," said Laurent decidedly. Victoria bared her teeth and pulled Jacob away, into the forest. I watched him being dragged along, not being able to do anything about it. Laurent then turned to James. In the blink of an eye, James was suddenly gone.

Laurent walked towards me, still smiling.

"This won't hurt too much, Bella," he assured me. "Oh, who am I kidding? Of course it'll hurt. A lot."

He bounded forward and grabbed my waist. He forced me onto the ground and placed his lips upon my throat. Of course.

Suddenly, I heard a bang and a scream. Laurent jerked up, away from me. I watched his expression, and for the first time, he seemed afraid. "How...?" he murmured.

There was another bang, and Laurent was flying backwards. He crashed into a tree, causing it to break into two. But I wasn't really watching him all that much.

For all of my attention was focused on him.

Edward growled, a sound that was much more ominous than James's or Victoria's growls. His growl gave me goosebumps and made my hair stand up.

He launched himself at Laurent, and there was another loud bang. It sounded like someone had set off a dozen fireworks at once. Edward pulled Laurent into the forest, where I heard even more crashes and bangs. I heard someone scream.

"No!" said an unfamiliar voice.

"Damn!" said another voice. I knew that one. Of course I did.

And then it was quiet.

Did you guys like it? I know you wanted longer chapters, but I felt like this one had to end there. I promise, I'll try to write longer ones from now on.

Okay, so the winner of my little contest is... Xxiponed28xX! Yay! Congragulations! I've already sent the sneak preview to you, so check your email for PMs.

As for the rest of you who entered the contest, I really appreciate your dedication, so I'm gonna dedicate a chapter to each of you. Read the Author's Notes to see if it's you!

Review!