Chapter 10 is here! I hope you like it. Unfortunatly chapter 11 has not yet been written, so your going to have to wait a little bit for it. I'm sorry! I know alot of you enjoy this story and like how I update like, everyday, but I went job hunting today. And as much as I like writing this story, real life comes first ya know? But I'll get on it and have it up hopefully in another day or so! Until then, I hope this tides you over!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. That belongs to Stephenie Meyer, but Gwen belongs to me. I'm her MAKER, hahaha! Eh, I'll shut up now...

"Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine tree, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it"-Henry Davis Thoreau

"The difference between a mountain and a mole hill is your perspective"-Al Neuharth

The fact that Jacob, my Jacob hunted vampires was still extremely hard to comprehend. He was just so…warm. He was a warm person, always smiling and generally happy. It was hard to imagine that he could do something that I thought was impossible, something like killing. But was it killing if the things he was killing were already dead?

I didn't like thinking such philosophical thoughts. Vampires were living dead that fed off other peoples lives. They obviously could think and feel things, like real people. So were they people? We considered murderers in jail people, so did that count for vampires? Vampires, murderers, were they people because they still lived, but their hearts didn't beat? I didn't understand, and no matter how hard I thought about it, it just gave me a head ache.

I had seen what they could do. I had seen their faces as they…fed and killed the people close to me, and I couldn't imagine Jacob and his friends facing those things. What if they were the ones being killed this time? The thought of what had happened to my friends happening to Jacob and the rest of the pack…I wouldn't be able to come back from it. Because somehow they had become closer to me than any of my other friends had ever been. They were like family now.

A week pasted since Jacob had told me about them. I didn't like how he had been acting since then; so protective and hoverie, like he was walking on eggshells around me. I tried to understand it though. Jacob really cared about me, I knew this. I think the sight of me like that, so frightened and upset, nearly in pieces, seriously affected him. I tried to keep my patience with him and to keep it together. It seemed like everything he did was for me, so I tried to be strong for him.

Thankfully, Billy seemed normal.

"Hello there, Gwen." Billy greeted, raising a hand in greeting.

It had been a boring day as usual, and Jacob had come to get me early that morning, like he had been doing every day since I had learned about him. He walked behind me now, silent and with his eyes on me.

"Hi, Billy. How are you?" I asked, taking a seat next to him on the couch. Jacob sat next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder, being careful of my still injured arm.

"I've been alright." Billy said. "And you? How have you been?" he eyed me with a sort of sad, knowing expression.

I sighed. "Alright. I'm still having some trouble knowing that vampires live just down the road, you know?"

Billy nodded gravely. "That's understandable. But you know you're safe as long as you're on the reservation. And Jake and the rest of the pack will take care of you even when you're not." Here he glanced at Jacob, giving him a look like he was…disappointed.

I wondered why, glancing over at the boy sitting next to me. He looked guilty. Why?

"What's wrong?" I asked him, concerned. He looked at me, then quickly away.

"Nothing. How's your arm?" He asked, stroking it lightly with the tips of his fingers.

"Fine. I'm a little sad I'm going to have to go to my mom's wedding with it looking all messed up." I said, looking down at it.

It was still healing, and I was dreading going back to the hospital to get the stitches out once the time came. Thankfully that wouldn't be for another few weeks.

"When is your mother's wedding?" Billy asked. I looked up at him, smiling slightly.

"In a few days." I said. "I have to catch my flight tomorrow actually. Dad's going to drive me up to Seattle in the morning, so I can't stay late tonight."

"Why don't you let me drive you?" Jacob said.

I looked over at him. He was leaning toward me, so close he was practically right up against me, his heat speeping through my clothes. His face was pleading.

"Um, well if you want to, I guess. I'll pay for your gas." I offered, but he shook his head.

"Don't worry about the gas. I just want to make sure you get there safely. Since I can't come…" he grumbled, looking put out.

I laughed. "Don't pout. I'll be alright."

"I still don't like it. You being in a place leeches were…" he growled, narrowing his eyes.

I swallowed, feeling anxious. "I won't be where it happened. Mom's having the wedding at the Marriot near our house. I wasn't anywhere near home were I saw them." I said.

"They do have legs. I don't like it, Gwen." He said, shaking his head. "This is making me crazy."

"I was home for a year and nothing happened. I didn't see them once since then. I'll be okay." I said, trying to convince him.

But I think it was mostly for myself.

A little later Billy took off to the Clearwater's, leaving Jacob and I alone. As soon as he was gone Jacob had scooped me up and carried me to his room. I still didn't like being carried, but I had learned that no matter what I said Jacob would not listen. So I just let him pick me up and carry me around like a child. I would never admit it out loud, but it was actually kind of comforting a little. It made me feel safe.

We laid down on his bed and he practically wrapped himself around me, tucking me carefully against his chest and one leg over both of mine. He was unbearably hot, but he was so comfortable I didn't complain. I closed my eyes, feeling him run his fingers through my hair.

"Hey Jacob."

"Hmm?" He mumbled against the top off my head.

"Why are you always so warm? It's like you have a fever." I said. "The others are like that too."

"We just run warm." He mumbled, sounding sleepy. "We have better hearing and a better sense of smell than other people too."

"Is that part of your vampire hunting gig?" I asked lowly.

"Yeah." He said burying his nose in my hair.

"So, what? You're like a dog?" I asked. The thought of Jacob as a dog was funny. He was defiantly loyal enough. At least to me.

He stiffened against me, his fingers in my hair shuttering. "Something like that." He said in a whisper.

"What do I smell like to you?" I asked, pressing my nose against his chest.

He inhaled, his nose still buried in my hair. "Tropical fruit and the ocean. It's my favorite smell ever."

I actually wanted to giggle at that. Giggle! I didn't giggle. Jacob was starting to have a seriously bad effect on me. But I found I didn't care.

"What do I smell like to you?" He asked looking down at me softly.

I took a deep breath. Jacob's smell was hard to describe. It was like the scent of the earth, musky and piney, but with that smell only a man seemed to have.

"Um," I thought of how to describe it to him. "Like the forest, I guess. But…different. It's hard to describe. But it's a good smell." I smiled at him.

He smiled back, and then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. It made butterflies erupt in my stomach. He laid his head back down on his pillows, closing his eyes.

"Let's take a nap for a little bit. I was patrolling late last night." He yawned.

I yawned too, relaxing against him. It sounded like the best idea ever.

Jacob drove me the four hours up to Seattle the next morning. He waited with me while we waited for my flight, his arm around me the whole time. He kept repeating over and over how he didn't like me being away from him, that he didn't like me being where vampires had once been. I didn't like it either; the thought of being away from Jacob was really starting to get to me. I kept thinking about how I was turning into one of those clingy girls I had always despised, but then I thought about how none of them had met a vampire or had a vampire hunter for an almost boyfriend.

Because that's what I was starting to think of Jacob as: my boyfriend. I had to keep reminding myself we weren't together like that, no matter how much I was starting to really want to be. The thought of being away from him was starting to really hurt. And that sort of irritated me. I was going to have to really work out my feelings this week.

Finally my flight was announced, and Jacob cupped my face in his hands. He looked at me intently.

"Please, please be careful. Keep your eyes open, and don't draw attention to yourself if you see anything that might be a vamp." He begged.

I nodded. "I'll be careful, I promise. I'll text you when I get there."

He pulled away from me slowly, his expression strained. He licked his lips. "When you get back there's something I want to tell you."

I tilted my head. "What?"

But he just shook his head. "Just please be careful."

"Hey, bend down for a second." I said, reaching my good arm up to him. "You really are too tall for me." I smiled.

He bent down instantly, eyes on mine. I wrapped my arm around his neck and gave him a gentle peck on the lips. Nothing heated or intense, just a quick, innocent peck. He looked surprised, his mouth slightly open.

"I'll be back in a couple of days." I smiled, turning to board my plane.

My mother was thrilled when she saw me. She practically smothered me in her hug, gushing about how good I looked after only being away for a short amount of time. She kissed and hugged and smothered me right there in the middle of LAX, and it was then that I realized how much I missed her.

My mother was a truly good person, the best in the world. I know I probably sound bias, but it was true. She wasn't really beautiful physically (I'm a horrible person for not thinking my mother was beautiful) but everyone knows looks don't matter. We got into arguments about the stupidest things, and our opinions differed on a lot of things. It got on my nerves how over-protective she was of me, how she always tried to shelter me and soften things for me. My grandmother (her mother) had told me once it was because I was my mother's only child, and she would do anything for me. It was probably because we were so alike that we argued the way we did. But she was my mother, and I loved her to death.

The wedding was a week from now, and then I would be going back to La Push two days after, which meant I would have the whole house to myself for a day.

The next six days were a whirl wind of activity, dress fittings and pattern picking out and all sorts of stuff that sent my mom into a fit of hysterics and temper, which caused my own temper to be set off, which caused arguments to ensue. I barely thought of the possibility of vampires being around.

However, Jacob made sure to call and text me very often. I think he was more paranoid than I was, which was saying something. Mom teased me about this, to which I teased her back about having a wedding only a few weeks after being proposed too. Of course, she didn't know about Jacob hunting vampires, so she thought it was just a really extreme case of puppy love. It was love alright, but I wasn't sure about the puppy part.

Finally, the day of the wedding arrived, and I was primped and puffed and all done up with make-up that made my skin itch. I loved dressing up, but I felt like someone had slathered me in creams and baby powder.

The wedding was traditional, even if it wasn't in a church, and about an hour long. Despite my dislike for Rick, he cleaned up alright, and my mom looked beautiful of course. When the kiss the bride part came, I had to look away. I was glad mom was so happy she was marrying Rick, but that didn't mean I wanted to watch her kiss him.

The reception was outside, and thanks to the sunny California weather, it was a perfect 75 degrees. Mom and Rick cut the cake, we had dinner and all that, and then it was time to mingle among the guests.

There weren't many, just our close friends and family, but a familiar head of dirty blond hair nearly had me pushing people over to get to her.

"Kate!" I waved, yelling over the music. "Kate! Kate! Over here!"

Kate looked over, her blue eyes lighting up when she saw me. "Oh my gosh! Gwen!"

We rushed toward each other and crashed together in a huge hug, laughing and talking over each other.

Kate Anderson had been one of my best friends my whole life. My mom and her mom had known each other for forever, so it didn't surprise me that she was here. But I hadn't seen Kate in nearly a year, since the incident.

We pulled back from each other, looking each other over. "Gwen! Oh my gosh, you look so good! So pretty!" she smiled

"And you look just as boobielious as ever I see." I grinned, looking unashamed at her huge breasts.

She laughed. "And you're just as flat-chested as ever."

"Hey!" I said, placing one hand on my chest. "I'm a B cup! That's a perfectly modest size!"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, if your fourteen."

We laughed together, sitting down at a free table. She leaned forward excitedly.

"So tell me how you've been. I haven't seen you since…you know." She winced.

I sighed. "Well," I started "You know I was in the hospital for a while. After that I had to go to therapy. I mean, it was hard seeing something like that, but everyone thought I was crazy, you know?" I said.

Kate nodded. "I remember. Personally, I never thought you were crazy. There are just some really sick people out there who like to pretend their vampires. I'm just sorry you saw something like that."

I nodded, feeling a little put out. Kate was my best friend, but she was just like everyone else. I felt like I was in some kind of inner circle; I couldn't tell her vampires really were real and that I hadn't been crazy. That they weren't people just pretending to be vampires.

"After a year of that, Mom and Rick thought that living with my dad in La Push might help, so that's where I've been for the last month and a half." I shrugged.

She nodded. "Yeah, your mom told me that. I called her a few weeks ago to see how you were doing and she told me about it. Did you make any new friends?" she asked. "Tell me all about it!"

So I did. I told her about Jacob and the rest of the pack, about Emily and Kim and Leah. I told her about Billy and my dad, and how we got together every few weeks to have bonfires with everyone. I told her about how much the rain got on my nerves after living in it for a month. When I told her about how I had got mauled last week she had gasped.

"I was wondering about that." She said, looking down at my gauze covered arm. "What did they do to the dog?"

"The elders had it put down. I think my dad and Jacob had something to do with it too." I said, remembering how upset they had been.

Kate grinned. "Sounds like you're really into this Jacob guy."

I smiled, actually feeling a little shy about it. "I guess. A little. He can be a little annoying, but he's a really great guy. Oh, I have a picture of him. Wanna see?" I asked, digging in my purse for my phone.

Kate smiled at the picture. It was of Jacob just coming out from under the Beetle, all grease covered with his arms above his head as he pushed himself out from under the car. He was shirtless, as usual, so it was more like a pinup the way he was looking. He was grinning at the camera.

Kate smirked. "Mm, very nice." She said slyly, handing the phone back.

"He really is. He's awesome."

"Oh!" Kate jumped in her chair, clapping her hands together. "Speaking about good looking guys, you'll never guess who I saw a couple weeks ago! Dennis Philipps!"

I gave her a puzzled look. "Dennis Philipps? I thought he moved away just before graduation."

She nodded. "Yeah, he did. Like a few months or so before I think. He came into the cafe a few weeks ago with some other people. Oh, my gosh Gwen, you'll never guess how much he changed!" she actually blushed.

I frowned, curious. "Did he move back or something?" I asked.

Kate shook her head. "I don't know, I didn't ask. He asked me about you, how you were doing. I told him about what happened."

My eyes widen. "You told him?" I asked, surprised and confused. Why would Dennis Philipps be asking about me?

She nodded. "Yeah. He seemed worried and asked me were you were. I told him."

"What? Why? Kate, you shouldn't just tell people about that! How could you?" I asked, feeling betrayed.

She looked a little guilty. "Sorry, but he really did seem worried. You know he had a huge crush on you back in school, right?"

"Urg. Kate, you have such a big mouth." I groaned.

She gave me a sheepish smile. "I said I was sorry. But it was really hard not to tell him. Gwen, you should have seen him! He looked gorgeous!" she sighed.

I frowned. "Gorgeous? Dennis wasn't gorgeous. He was a skinny little nerd with Erkel glasses."

Kate laughed. "Yeah, he was, but not anymore. He got rid of his glasses and he looked like he had been working out." Then she frowned. "But he was a lot paler then I remembered. Like, pasty."

I froze, eyes widening. Dennis hadn't been pasty. He had a deep golden skin tone the last time I saw him. I felt a chill run down my back.

"What do you mean, he was pasty? Like pale pasty or bone white pasty?" I asked carefully, trying to keep the edginess out of my voice. Kate didn't seem to notice.

"Bone white pasty. But I swear Gwen, you should have seen him!" she gushed.

I was trying hard to keep cool. The way she was describing him…

"His eyes. How did his eyes look? And you said was he with some people?" I asked, trying to seem calm.

Kate seemed puzzled. "What's with the third degree?" she asked curiously.

I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "Just curious. I want to know how much he's changed." I said. "Since he was asking about me and everything."

This seemed to pacify her. She shrugged. "His eyes were brown. Like a rusty brown."

"Just brown?" I asked.

"Well he did have these purplish circles under them, but other than that they looked okay."

"What about the people he was with?" I asked, feeling on edge.

"A blond girl and boy, but they didn't talk to me. They were just as good looking as he was, Gwen! I wonder if it was some sort of new diet or something." She wondered.

I shot up so fast out of my seat I nearly toppled it over. Kate jumped, looking up at me.

"Gwen? Are you okay?" she asked, eyes wide.

"I have to make a phone call." I said quickly, rushing away from her and into the hotel.

I ran through the entrance hall and over to the bathroom, making sure it was empty before I locked myself into one of the stalls. I fumbled for my phone, my hands shaking. I pushed the speed dial for Jacob's phone and waited, my heart pounding.

It rang for what seemed like forever before his voicemail came on. I swore loudly. He must be patrolling.

"Jacob!" I exclaimed as soon as it beeped, "Call me back as soon as you get this! It may be nothing, but call me as soon as you get this! Love you, bye!"

I hung up the phone then suddenly froze, realizing what I had just said. I had just told Jacob I loved him. The words had just come out of my mouth, so natural…

I shook my head. No! That wasn't important right now! There was a possibility that Dennis Philipps was a vampire, and looking for me. He could be headed to La Push right now! He had two others with him, three vampires…

I gasped, covering my mouth, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The night of the incident, there had been three vampires. Kate had said the two with him were blond. The three vampires that night had been two blonds and one with black hair. Dennis had black hair…

I groaned, sinking down onto the bathroom floor, feeling sick and dizzy. This wasn't happening, this wasn't happening…

Jacob didn't call me back until a few hours later. The wedding had been over since a little after I had first called him, and I was now sitting at home, wrapped in a blanket and sitting in my old closet with a flash light. Mom had left with Rick hours before, catching a late flight to Hawaii. They would be gone for a week, so I didn't have to worry about them.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when my phone started vibrating; Jacob's name flashing across the screen. I put it to my ear.

"Hello?" I whispered.

"Gwen!" Jacob's voice sounded panicked and out of breath. "What is it? What wrong? I nearly had a heart attack when I heard your message."

"Jacob, I think there's a vampire heading to La Push. And I think I know who it is. I think it might be after me." I whispered, surprised my voice was so steady.

Jacob, however, wasn't so calm. "What!" he exclaimed so loudly I had to pull the phone away from my ear.

"Listen, listen! My friend Kate told me…" I started to relay what Kate had told me and the similarities I had remembered from the vampires the night of the incident.

Jacob stayed silent through it all, but his breathing was heavy, like he just got finished running a marathon. "You're telling me there's a leech after you?" he breathed, voice angry. He sounded like he was speaking through his teeth.

"I only think he might be a vampire. He moved away before graduation, and before that he was normal. It could just be a coincidence…" I trailed off, hopefully.

Jacob was silent, but I could still hear his heavy breathing. Finally he spoke. "Stay there." He said.

"What?"

"I don't want you anywhere near here until we figure this out." He growled.

I quickly shook my head, knowing that wouldn't work. "No, Jacob, I can't stay here. What if he does come to La Push and doesn't find me? He could go after dad! Or he'll come back here looking. He could go after my mom, Jacob! I have to come back to La Push! It's the safest place for me." I said, curling into a fetal position.

Again, he was silent. Thinking, I assumed. "Get on the first flight you can. I'm going to call the pack and let them know what's going on. I'll be there to meet you." He said, almost growling.

I nodded. "Alright. I'll be there soon."

I was on edge the whole time between then and when I got to the airport in Seattle. I had left mom a voice message to let her know I went back early, just in case she called the house. I simply told her I didn't want to stay in the house another day by myself with nothing to do. She would buy that.

I spotted Jacob easily when I exited my gate. He was easily spottible over the heads of everyone else, and the look on his face was worrisome. Edgy and nervous and sick. It faded to relief when he saw me.

I ran to him and he scooped me up easily, wrapping me in a tight hug and burying his face between my neck and shoulder.

"Gwen." He breathed, seeming relived. He pulled back and looked at me, but didn't put me down. His eyes were pained. "There's something I need to tell you."

So, how was it? Like? Dislike?

In the next chapter Jacob will finally tell Gwen about the wolves. Any ideas on how she'll react?

Reviews please!^^