When we arrived at the Cullen's home, I immediately noticed a change.

That air of despair was replaced with a sense of urgency and purpose. My chin lifted and my back straightened instantly. I was ready to finally do something.

"Now that everyone is here, we've gotten some information that should prove useful," Carlisle announced, almost restlessly. He wanted, most likely more than I, to have Ashtan back. His first child.

Rosalie and Emmett stepped forward then, and from the stern looks on their faces I knew what they had to say was important.

"Emmett and I took a little trip up to Seattle to see if we could find Garrett. We thought maybe he'd sniffed out a suspicious pack of Lycans, maybe even caught Ashtan's scent," Rosalie said before pausing. She looked me dead in the eye when she spoke again.

"And he's caught her scent."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. A sense of purpose and fierce determination came over me all at once.

"Garrett told us that a pack of lycans visit one of the bars in Seattle frequently. He caught Ashtan's scent among them. We need to get up there as soon as possible," Rosalie finished in a no nonsense tone.

She looked more like herself now that she knew where her sister was. I had no doubt that if it came to a fight, she would be in the vanguard.

"Are you suggesting that we go in there and steal her from her pack? We're vampires. They'll smell us from a mile away," Edward stepped in, bringing the mood down.

But he was right. If they stepped into that bar, there would be a massacre.

"That's where Bella comes into this plan," Alice said with a serious expression.

Every eye turned to me then. Instead of blushing and becoming a nervous mess like the old Bella would have. I stood up straight and steeled my resolve. I finally had a purpose and I would not fuck this up. My mate's safety and happiness were all that mattered now.

"I'm ready."

-o0o-

I sat in front of Rosalie's vanity, lost in my mind. All I could think about was everything that could possibly go wrong when I walked into this club. I didn't even notice when my hair began to hit the floor.

"I can't see what's going to happen but I don't think we'll be able to get Ash back as soon as we want. You might have to infiltrate the pack. I'm not sure yet. But, if you're going to do this, you can't look out of place," Alice murmured, snipping and tossing my hair to and fro.

I didn't fuss as Alice pulled me into her closet and began to gather every black item off it's hanger. I was surprised to see that she even owned anything that wasn't pink or yellow.

"You look hot," Rosalie quipped when Alice was done torturing me. I scoffed but I had to agree.

I stared at my short blonde hair in awe. I'd never thought about dying it before. I actually suited my pale complexion.

I wore Ashtan's black leather jacket with one of her mesh crop tops, a pair of destroyed skinny jeans, and black converse. Alice had went so far as to painlessly install a nose ring for me as well.

I looked how I felt. Dark and dangerous. It made me feel confident. If Ashtan was here, I know she would be in awe. This was what I imagined she would be attracted to. Not the insecure teenage girl with no personal style that I used to be when she was here.

I was ready to bring my mate home.

"What are my orders again," I asked for the thousandth time as we pulled up to the bar.

"All you need to do is confirm that she is with this pack. If you can manage to talk to her, gain some information about what happened. Ask her if it was Bastien. Because if it was, we might not be able to take her without extreme retaliation. Either way, we will likely have a war on our hands," Carlisle explained. I nodded and steeled myself.

"Okay. Spot Ashtan and gain information if possible. Got it," I muttered, before stepping out of the car.

"Be careful, Bella. If something happens, scream. We'll all be here waiting," Alice called as I walked away. I was so ready to see my mate that I barely managed a reply.

As soon as I got to the door, the security decided to be difficult.

"Identification, please," the man grunted, arching a bushy eyebrow at me. I slipped into my character and rolled my eyes at him as I flashed my fake I.D.

"Read it and weep, big guy. Now can I go in and drink away my sorrows please? Thanks," I snarked, pushing past him without a backward glance.

As soon as I walked in, I felt out of place. People were laughing and drinking as I awkwardly waded through the crowd towards the bar. I just knew I was sticking out like a sore thumb, but maybe that was a good thing.

"I'm Dany. Welcome to my bar, newcomer," the bartender said reaching out her hand. I took it hesitantly.

"I'm Izzy, nice to meet you."

"You want a drink? You look like the whiskey type," Dany asked, smiling. As she placed the drink in front of me, I thought twice.

"No, thanks. I'm waiting for someone to show up before I start my night," I said distractedly. I couldn't see Ashtan anywhere but I knew she was here. The Cullens had smelled her.

"Who are you looking for? I might be able to help. I know a lot of people," she offered, leaning on the bar. I blinked as her cleavage became even more visible.

"Um, I'm looking for my date. She's brown skinned, about 5'9", athletic build with long, curly black hair. We were supposed to be meeting here tonight," I explained as discretely as possible.

An amused smile spread over her face. I became extremely confused when she began laughing aloud.

"I'm sorry. Hale is your date? How the hell did you manage to even get her to talk to you," Dany asked incredulously. I arched a brow at her suspiciously.

"What do you mean?"

"The girl doesn't fuck with anybody. She only talks to those freaks she hangs out with. She's weird...but hot."

"Sounds like she turned you down. Anyway, where can I find her? Is she here," I finally asked. I was becoming annoyed by her the more she talked.

She rolled her eyes at me and pointed to the back of the bar in a dark corner. I could just barely see a large group of people sitting at a large table.

"She came in about an hour ago with her creepy friends. They always chill over in vip. She usually comes over to get drinks, so just hang out here. They aren't fond of people wandering into their section."

I nodded distractedly, trying to catch a glimpse of Ashtan or Hale, as she was now known. It had been exactly six months since I last saw her in person. The pictures I had of her weren't enough to calm my aching heart. I just wanted to see that she was okay.

"Hey, beautiful. You wanna dance with me," a drunken voice said behind me. Before I could turn around, a large hand was wrapped around my arm.

"Ay, let her go. We don't manhandle ladies in here," Dany scolded.

The man didn't seem to hear her because he didn't let me go. I tried in vain to rip my arm out of his hand but I wasn't strong enough. Just as he was about to pull me onto the dance floor, my arm was free.

"Don't fucking touch me, bitch," the drunken man slurred angrily at my hero.

Because her back was to me, I could not see her. But, I would know that wild mane any where, even tied in a messy bun. I wanted so badly to reach out and touch her but I refrained. It took more control than I thought I had.

"Walk away before I do something I don't want to do," Ashtan growled in a deadly calm voice.

A shiver ran up my at how dangerous she sounded. I had never heard her like this before. From the look in the man's eye, he felt the same way. In seconds, he was stumbling back onto the dance floor without a backward glance.

Ashtan turned toward me slowly, almost apprehensively. When I finally got a glimpse of her face, my stomach churned painfully at the sight.

Along the side of her jaw was a long, jagged scar that looked to have been caused by a knife. My eyes began to water but I held my tears back. She wasn't safe with me yet. She was still in danger. I had no time to cry.

What was worse was the look in her eyes. She looked haunted. Her eyes had been so bright and full of mirth before, but now they were completely black and dull. It was as if she didn't recognize me at all. I wanted to shake her as if to wake her up from a bad dream.

This was not the Ashtan I knew.

"What happened to you?"