A/N: It's getting more exciting! Yay! Sorry about the short chapters! I feel like pumping out little ones are better than smaller ones at this point in time for me. Thanks for all the new subs and followers! Means a lot to me 3

Thank you so much for reading

Enjoy!

DD

CHAPTER 10

EDWARD:

We were moving so quickly that we didn't have the sight to see her double back into the trees. Emmett's on my left flank and Jasper veers right, heading towards town with Alice. Carlisle is notifying the wolves on his cell as he runs. Esme and Rosalie track her at a human's pace and try to find footprints in the mud.

Isabella escaped.

How?

We all heard the moment her heart stopped beating and rushed to the doorway where Carlisle's stood. His hand on the doorknob paused.

"Edward," he said. "I don't want you to come in yet."

"I know."

"Be patient."

He opened the door – but she was gone. The window was intact and Carlisle waited in front of her room for nearly an hour. Where could she have gone?

None of us can smell her, I can't read her mind nor can Alice see any of her decisions.

We separate once the trees are sparse and the hiking trails open up into the mountain range. None of us feel comfortable with having a newborn vampire with free reign of her senses. Especially now that we know that she has the same powers as her sire.

I keep tabs on as many humans as I can and do my best to steer myself towards distress. Any distress really.

"Help! Someone please help!"

I stand stock still, focusing on the train of thought. The voice was jumpy, appearing everywhere all at once. It sounded as if it was right beside me, but there was no one there.

A chill ran up my spine, leaves rustled – a snap of twigs. I wheeled around in a crouch, smelling something foul in the air.

Feces. Smeared on every tree trunk.

I ping my coordinates to Carlisle and he arrived in less than a minute.

"It's from all kinds of animals," he said.

"Why would she do that?"

"I don't know. To confuse us?"

"I really am confused."

"She's not focused on her thirst right now…I think she's more scared than hungry. But that won't remain so for long. We must find her."

A low growl erupted from behind us. Something hit me square in the chest and sent Carlisle flying into a frail tree, breaking it in two. I launch myself at the figure.

It definitely was Isabella.

She hit me in the chest again with the palm of her hands and stunned me enough to take hold of an arm and nearly rip it out of its socket. I snarl and instinctively reach for her torso, tossing her to the ground. Carlisle helps me bring her to her feet, and she hunches forward so we're face to face. She buries her head in my neck and chomps down. Hard.

I release my hold on her and Carlisle runs after her with me trailing slowly behind. Fucking Ow. I hold a hand up to the wound and encourage the torn edges to bind with a blob of Isabella's leftover venom.

I begin to sprint, keeping up with the back of her head. She's weaving in and out of the trees and takes a hard left. I spring towards her and wind up tackling the empty air behind her.

She's faster and stronger than I am – it takes me another minute to catch up to her, but when I do, she bolts forward and disappears into a denser section of wood. I follow, pushing my way past thick pine branches, but I no longer see her.

A clearing appears out of nowhere and suddenly I'm running on air. I turn my body mid-fall and see her at the edge of the cliff she'd just run me off of. I hit the water with great speed, leaving Isabella to disappear.

BELLA

I see him. Through the window. My heart aches, my body aches, my teeth, my head – my throat.

I've been standing outside for what seems like hours. In that length of time it rained, hailed and even became sunny for the fewest of seconds.

I see the grains in the wood siding, and little specks of dust trapped in the glass. I cry and no tears come out. I bite through my arm to silence my heaves but I don't feel a hint of pain.

What is this world? This awful hell? I try to remember the night before but I come up with little. I remember pain, and burning and darkness.

I'm curled up under his window, hidden by a sparse hedge. The clothes I had on when I woke up are in tatters. I don't recall if I had been wearing shoes when I started to run, but I am barefoot and muddy. And white as a ghost.

I start to sob.

Then the window opens.

"What…Bella? Where…"

I look up at him.

"You're…you're…Will you come inside?"

I nod and he moves back onto the bed shoved against the wall to give me room. I've no problem squeezing my way through the large opening, but I am filthy even though I tried my best to wash myself off. I pause, and then proceed anyway.

Because Jacob doesn't care.

He shuts the window and takes the comforter off the floor and wraps it around me.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"No. I don't know…I don't know Jacob. What's wrong with me? I don't feel right. I feel so strange, Jacob." I sob his name. "Oh god. Oh god, Jacob."

"Calm down," he says. "Hey look at me for a sec?"

I do what he says and he smiles.

"You're alive, right?"

"I don't know Jacob, feel my heart!" I take his hand to my chest and squeeze it there. My breast is rock hard, I know he knows. He's felt it before.

He laughs a little and flexes his fingers. "But you're here, you're alive. That's all that matters right now, okay? Just focus on me, right here…Hey…you got it…good. Let's just lay down, is that okay?"

I lean into his arms and sob some more. He lies back onto the mattress with me curled up on his chest. I feel so small in his hold. He lets me cry without commenting on the lack of snot on his shirt. The last time he held me like this we were still together. Still friends, at least. I look up at him and see him peering down at me—

And I am overcome with lust.

I reach for his face and bring it closer to mine. Our eyes meet and I do my best to keep still. I search for acceptance in his expression, but when he turns me over and I feel his body on mine I'm certain he's more than just considering.

He leans down and brushes his lips against mine, just for the briefest of moments. But I'm agonizingly desirous of him. I crush my mouth against his burning hot lips and his mouth opens, letting loose a deep breath. I flip us so I'm on top of him.

Jacob's eyes widen and I hear his heart thrum a different beat.

"You're probably stronger than I am," he says. "Try not to hurt me?" My shoulders slump and I slide off of him.

"I can't guarantee that."

"I'm game if you're game, Bells. Always. You know that. But I don't know what's going on in your head. Do you want me out of fear? Because I'm the only safe thing you know right now?"

"Because you're safe." I say. "Because you know what I am now."

"Do I?"

"Your stories, Jacob. Are they true? I saw a wolf today. A big one."

"I can't deny what you've seen," he said. "We've all been looking for you."

"We?"

He sighs. "What about we get you cleaned up a little bit before we hash things out. I'll run a bath for you… and go say hi to my dad. I think he'd like to see you."

"I don't think I want to see anybody else today," I say. "For now I'd like to be inconspicuous."

"Sure, sure." He tosses me his infamous smile. The one that always made me feel better. No matter what.

Except now I'm sure that we're sworn enemies, if what I remember of his stories is true.

A/N: AHHH!

Also, has anybody seen the movie trailer for "Me Before You"? Is anybody else as excited as I am?!