(Divina POV)

I slammed the door of the truck, walking up to Jacob's house, still fuming. 'Tell us all your information, and sacred secrets, and deep moments that haunt you everyday…. Nothing too hard.' Yeah right. I did what they asked, but could they give me my one request? No! All I wanted was to get out of their hair. You'd think they'd be grateful. It would be better for everyone involved. Everywhere I went destruction happened. It's just better not to involve anyone else. I didn't want to see anyone else get hurt because of me.

I walked in the house. I could tell Jacob was walking up behind me. He hadn't said a word after the little get together broke up. He'd looked even more tense than he did at the bonfire, and he kept looking over at me. Probably trying to see if I was going to have a break down or something.

I couldn't sit still. I never stayed in one place this long. It went against everything I'd been taught. I paced in front of the couch in the living room.

"Easy, princess. You're gonna wear a hole in the floor."

I shot him a look. He was leaning against the door frame, looking extremely attractive. Dammit. Why did he have to be so attractive? I continued pacing.

He sighed walking over my direction. He grabbed both of my arms, stopping me in front of him. "Hey slow your roll for a second. You okay?" I gritted my teach, "peachy."

His face softened. "I know that probably wasn't easy for you. Telling us all that."

I had to look away from his face. I couldn't take it. I chose to focus on my feet instead. "Yeah, that's an understatement."

"Hey," he brought my chin up with his hand. "For what it's worth, I'm really sorry. About what you've been through… your family-"

I shook my head quickly, "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

He pulled his hand away. "Okay, but if you ever do you can talk to me, alright? Any time. I got your back remember."

I shook my head. I didn't trust my voice. Again the question popped back into my head. Why did he care?

He straightened up, seeming to think of something, "Shit, I almost forgot!" He jogged away heading out of the house, quickly. Alright then.

I went over and sat on the couch, running my hands over my face. What was I going to do, now? I can't stay here for much longer. Staying put gets you killed, and now others since they insisted on getting involved in things that were none of their business. Not to mention the fact that I could feel myself getting attached. No good getting attached to something you could never keep, Div. You can't get attached to anything. It'll just leave you more broken than you already are. Haven't you learned your lesson already?

Jake appeared in the living room, carrying "My bow!" I stood up and grabbed it immediately, rubbing down the surface with my hand. Feeling every groove and familiar chip. Jake had my bag of arrows slung over his shoulder. I looked him in the eyes, meaning it, "Thanks, Jake."

"I could tell it was important to you." He shrugged. He pulled his mouth up into that wonderful smirk I couldn't resist.

I looked down at my bow again, needing to look away before I couldn't. "Yeah, it was my moms." Why did you say that? You just opened up the conversation after saying you didn't want to talk about it. This boy had a serious habit of making me do and say things you would never say or do. It was very dangerous territory.

I thought he was going to ask about it again, but he surprised me, yet again, when he read me correctly and changed the subject. "Can you tell me how it works? I know it's not your average bow. I could tell in the forest when you shot it. Normal bows wouldn't be able to even scratch a leech, let alone pulverize one. It was pretty epic." He was grinning at me. Damn. Too cute.

No harm in that right? The words started to flow out of me, easily. Like mechanics, it was a topic I enjoyed. "Yeah, it's not. Supposedly, all of our weapons are constructed out of holy materials. We've passed them down from the beginning, from when Angels left them as gifts to their lovers and children," I rolled my eyes a little at the lame story, "Well, at least that's what the stories say. We rebuild and model them overtime to make them more efficient, using the same materials. My dad was big into it. He designed this one actually." Dammit. Word vomit.

I looked up to see if I was boring him. He genuinely looked interested. He wore a satisfied smile, pulling his eyebrows up egging me on. "The arrows are the really cool part. The tips are made of a sacred stone that's a thousand times stronger than a diamond, so it pierces well into their bodies, but doesn't go all the way through." I reached over him and pulled one of them out, trying not to focus on how close my face had gotten to his.

"You've got to hit the sweet spot. It's where the heart would be if they had one. That's where the biggest concentration of their venom is."

His eyebrows furrowed. He took the arrow out of my hand and started examining it. "Why do you have to hit it in the spot with the most venom?"

"Ever wonder why they light up like a Christmas tree when you tear them apart?"

He shrugged, "I guess I've never really thought about it, I mostly just focus on the tearing part." He grinned. And he appreciated a slaughtered leech. How was this dude even real? In a different life we would be so- nope don't even go there. No use dwelling on what will never happen.

"It's the venom. Stuff is flammable as hell. Not to mention caustic. The venom melts away the outside layer of the arrow, revealing a different layer of rock that catches fire immediately when it's exposed. And boom!" I made an exploding gesture with my hands, "Instant toasted bloodsucker."

He handed the arrow back to me, "The best kind." I smirked at him.

A wolf howled a couple miles away. Jacob let out a sigh.

"That'll be for me. I've got to run perimeter tonight." He shrugged off the pack of arrows and handed them to me. Yes! Maybe this would be the chance I was looking for. "But don't worry. A couple of the guys will be posted outside to make sure no one gets near you while you're here." Dammit. There goes that plan.

I put the arrows and my bow on the chair, then crossed my arms over my chest, "I don't need protecting. I can handle myself."

His eyes furrowed, "I don't doubt it. But your injured," he gestured towards my stomach. I scoffed, "It'll give you the chance to get some rest. You've got to be exhausted." I mean he wasn't wrong, but no way in hell was I going to admit it.

"I know you don't want, or think you need our help. But it can't hurt. It's got to be a better strategy then running, anyway."

"It was working just fine," Maybe not, but at least I was doing something. Staying here felt like I was just waiting around for them to just come pick me up, taking me back to my own personal hell. I shuddered.

He seemed to notice, he read me so well. His face got all tense, and he started shaking a little. "They're not going to touch you, Divina. Not ever again. I'll kill them before they fucking touch you." His voice sounded angry, no furious actually. Like he was imagining ripping them apart. He reached up and held my arms again, taking some deep breaths. I looked up into his eyes without really thinking about it. His stare was so intense; I couldn't look away. "I know you don't like sitting around like this. It makes you anxious, I can tell." Was I really that easy to read? "You just have to trust me. I… We won't let anything get to you." If he could read me so well, couldn't he see that that's what I was afraid of. More people getting involved. I didn't need any more deaths on my conscience.

I didn't want to argue with him right now. "Okay, but… just be careful alright. I know you guys know what your doing. But I've been fighting them for a long time, and I know how easy it is to slip up." Don't get yourself killed. I couldn't handle it. Because it would be my fault. Just because it would be my fault.

He smirked at that, "Don't worry about us. You weren't the only thing designed to kill those leeches." My jaw tensed up, unconvinced.

"You should get some more sleep. Doctor's orders."

"Doc, smock." He was still staring at me. I could tell he was fighting himself on leaving. Was he really that concerned I would leave? I mean how was I supposed to leave with those mutant guard dogs outside? I could try to fight them, but that didn't seem like it would end well. The others would probably be able to tell, and I don't think even I could take on ten of them at once. Without killing them at least.

"At least try, for me, alright? It'll make me feel better." How in the hell was me getting some rest supposed to make him feel better?

He sighed dropping his hands, "You can sleep in my room."

I could feel the static building up in my stomach. Bad idea. Very bad idea. I'd already slept in his bed too many times. "Nah, I don't want to be a nuisance. I'll just sleep on the couch."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't be difficult. It's not like I'll be using it anyway. I won't even be here."

"Somehow I still don't think your dad would be very enthusiastic about having some strange chick sleeping in your bed." He flinched. His eyes were filled with anger again, "He can suck it up. Plus, he won't even be here. He's staying at my sisters again."

I turned around so he wouldn't see my face. "Ah, pop doesn't care for me, huh?"

"He's a stubborn old man that doesn't like to have his views challenged."

I sighed, "I really shouldn't be here then. I don't like over staying my welcome." Heck, I didn't like staying period. But I guess that's something these dogs couldn't understand. Pun intended.

He grabbed my arm, gently. Turning me to face him again. Dammit. Way harder to think. "Don't worry about him. He'll come around."

"Yeah, whatever, but I'm still sleeping on the couch."

Jacob let out a frustrated breath, "You are the most stubborn-" A wolf howl sounded again. He stiffened, turning to face the sound. "Dammit. So fucking impatient."

He turned back to me, looking very torn. "I gotta go, duty calls."

"Yeah, yeah, just don't get yourself killed, Sparky." Please.

His eyebrow quirked up, "And here I thought you didn't even like me. I'm touched."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. You're annoying but it doesn't mean I think you should die." If only he knew how I would actually feel.

He stared at me intensely again, all sarcasm gone. His face was dead serious. He looked torn again, like he was struggling internally with something. I noticed his eyes drift down to my mouth. Oh no… this was bad. That couldn't be what he was thinking? Could it? And did I want him to? I knew it was a bad idea but… I couldn't help but wish it wasn't. No, Div. Don't think like that. Don't. Get. Attached. You saw what the last person did. How well that ended.

He sighed, seeming to loose his internal battle. Instead he lifted up his hand to my cheek, rubbing his thumb gingerly over it in an affectionate way. I instinctively took a step closer, leaning into his touch. Nope, definitely not good.

"Be safe." I said as a whisper, without any sarcasm this time. I hadn't even meant to say it out loud. His eyebrows furrowed, "I'll be here when you wake up." He shouldn't make promises like that.

We looked at each other for a few more seconds, and then he dropped his hand. He tore himself away, turning and walking out with out glancing back at me.

Dammit, Div, what the hell do you think your doing?

Jacob POV

The second I left her side, it was much harder to hold myself together. My body started shaking with anger. Her own fucking people, sold her and her entire family out. What kind of sick son of a bitch would do that. Oh that's right. A fucking coward.

I phased before I even hit the trees, too mad to hold off. And those stupid leeches. To dangle her family in front of her like that. I know it hurts her more than she lets on. I can feel it. The pain they caused her. And then they touched her, ran experiments on her. Like a fucking lab rat. I'm going to kill them. I'M GOING TO FUCKING END THEM.

Woah man. Someone hasn't calmed down.

Dude, not likely. How would you feel if it were Claire?

DON'T EVEN FUCKING SAY THAT EMBRY

My point exactly

I made it to the border, Seth was already there. I told Paul and Jared to go ahead and go since Embry and Quil are phased close by watching Divina. They were being pretty impatient.

Yeah I noticed. I still couldn't calm down. I couldn't get rid of the images in my head. The betrayal, the heart break they caused her. I couldn't focus on anything else now that I was away from her. I had no reason to rein it in.

Dude, I get it, believe me I do. When Ness was almost- I heard him growl, so harsh of a sound coming from Seth. When those filthy leeches wanted to kill her. I couldn't control myself. But she's with you now, we're watching out for her. She's safe.

I scoffed. Yeah safe, and completely broken because of it.

I don't know dude. She seems to handle her self pretty stinking well considering.

You can't read her like I can. I can tell she's been through absolute hell. It kills me. Seth and I ran opposite directions at the border. I ran even faster than usual, trying to run off some of my anger.

I don't really think anyone would be okay after all that. Not even a tough chick like her. But she'll be fine. We'll protect her, just like we protected Ness. They're just as much a part of this pack as we are.

I scoffed Why don't you tell that to Paul and Sam. They don't seem to care too much about her being an imprint. They treat her like a hostage.

They'll come around probably. It's just a lot to take in.

You know Seth sometimes your optimism is really annoying.

Yeah dude, seriously. It's like having Mr. Rogers constantly in my head.

It's not my fault you're all so negative and vulgar all the time.

I heard Embry start laughing uncontrollably. Oh sorry are we too vulgar for you, little one? I'll try to watch what I say so I don't taint your innocence.

Oh shut it.

I checked around in the woods, scanning on red alert, but it was quiet.

So Jake, how are things going with the imprint thing?

Yeah how are things going? There was insinuation behind Embry's tone.

My mind flashed to our conversation in the house, how it had felt when she reached up to grab the arrow from behind my back, when I touched her cheek.

Oh that good. Damn I was hoping for something a little juicier than that.

Piss off.

Jacob Black watch your language. Don't you know that there are innocent ears listening?

Embry sometimes you can be a real asshat.

See we're already corrupting his innocence. Seth, two dollars to the swear jar. I mean it.

I could feel myself cooling down a little. Would you just pay attention and focus on guarding the house?

Don't worry Jake, I'm paying attention. I'll make sure Embry stays focused, if that's possible. Nothing getting in… or out for that matter.

Unless she can like vanish or something, then I don't really know what to tell you.

Thanks Embry, that was very comforting.

I tried not to think about that comment as I ran through the night, part of me hoping that these leeches stay as far away from her as possible, and the other part needing something to take my anger out on.


(I do not own the Twilight Series, or any of it's characters. All rights belong to Stephanie Meyer.)

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