Disclaimer: Still don't own Twilight:( If only...haha:)

OMG I AM SOOO SORRY! I posted this chapter about an hour ago, and I had the author's note all ready to go and everything...but I forgot to save it! So if anybody read this story before and were confused by the POV changes, I'm REALLY, REALLY sorry. Thank you Lov3good for pointing this out to me! *you were also my 100th reviewer, by the way;) :D*

Thanks sooo much for putting up with me and my klutzy ways:) I'm soo glad there are still people out there who are reading this. You're all amazing! Enjoy chapter 20! I'll make sure to mark the POV changes this time;)

Chapter Twenty

I was completely, 100% focused on not thinking. I had to be- if the other wolves knew I was coming, they'd freak. Knowing Jake the way I did, he'd probably tackle me, knock me out, and drag my limp, cold, unconscious form back to Emily's place, duct tape my mouth, and tie me to the desk chair with a jump rope- maybe even duct tape me to the chair, just for good measure. No…the other wolves discovering my departure would be disastrous. I needed to focus.

Luckily, I had earned the nickname of Calypso. I was the most talented in the pack at hiding my thoughts from the others. It was really simple, actually…if you took deep breaths, and imagined an eraser wiping away a whiteboard. All of a sudden…whoosh! Your thoughts disappear, and you are virtually invisible to the rest of the pack.

I was so focused on keeping myself from thinking about where I was that I would have probably run into something- a tree, a large boulder or perhaps even an angry grizzly bear should I have come across one- but my knowledge of the forest and my familiarity with my surroundings made it possible for me to navigate through the tangle of trees, rocks, and unhappy wildlife without losing my way…or my balance. My heightened senses helped a lot, too. I found myself itching to let my wolf self take over, to let myself run without thinking, without feeling- without worrying about what I was running toward. I gratefully gave myself over to instinct, if only just for now. For this moment, as I dashed through the foliage of the dense forest, I was just another wolf, small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things, chasing after its prey.

Eventually, as I began to go beyond the farthest path my daily rounds had ever taken me, I began to rely less and less on instinct, and more on my own memories. I couldn't help but let out a sigh. It was so easy to let myself forget about the danger Jake, Bella, and everyone else I cared about was in. It would have been almost too simple to just give up, to give myself over to instinct completely…

Jake needs you, a voice inside my head seemed to say. My conscience, I suppose…it sounded a lot like that chick, from that Harry Potter movie…the one with the really frizzy hair. You know? Hermione. It was in a British accent and everything…. which actually freaked me out a little.

Having my conscience sound like Hermione would have been a total MLIA* moment if it weren't for the dire situation I was in at that moment. I'd have to make sure I told someone about that as soon as all this was over. For now, I had a theory to test out.

I made my way by memory toward the street I'd only been down once before. The street sign had been stolen since my last visit, so the street- which I could see led to a cluster of small, older houses that could probably all use a fresh coat of paint- was a little harder to find than I'd initially anticipated. I really hoped I was going the right way…my eyes had been closed for half the car ride the day Owen had picked me up off the street.

It was also the day Jake had kissed me.

Crap.

I knew I was in trouble the moment the emotions began flooding through me. The other wolves would know something was up. This never happened to the guys- they were tougher than nails when it came to showing emotion. Especially around each other, and especially the kind of emotion I was feeling right now.

Which happened to be heartbreak.

I couldn't help it. I don't think anyone could blame me. He'd kissed me, after all. Jake had kissed me- not on the cheek, or the nose, or anything, but on the lips. Guys don't go around kissing their best friends on the lips like that. It wasn't some innocent, "Oops, my hormones got the best of me" kind of kiss. He'd done it on purpose, and I'd thought he'd actually meant something by it.

Not that I'd minded when he kissed me. Oh, no…that wasn't it at all. What I minded was the way he'd let me run away afterword. He hadn't chased after me, hadn't even called out the door, or phased just to make sure I was ok. And I ended up spending my day acting like somebody's lapdog…and on top of all of this, I'd caught Jake only a few days later totally making out with my one and only female friend. (Other than Leah…but she was so moody all the time that I didn't really get much of a kick out of being around her.)

As quickly as I'd let my defenses down, I raised them back up again. My mental eraser wiped across a nonexistent whiteboard, clearing my thoughts in what I believed to be quite an effective manner.

Once I had regained my control, I focused on the task at hand. I had to get to Owen's house as soon as possible. I flew across street corners, cut through backyards, and jumped fences. If I hadn't been in such a rush, the looks on the faces of the people I passed- especially the elderly couple who had invited a few friends over for an outdoor barbeque, who looked like they'd suffered a heart attack- would have been quite comical. I barked my apologies, and continued on my way.

When I finally arrived at the Anderson home, I kept walking down the street until I came to a house that looked pretty deserted. I hid behind one of the overlarge bushes that definitely needed a good trim, and phased. I changed into the extra clothes I'd packed in my backpack, and returned to Owen's place.

I knocked on the door, and waited.

When the door finally opened, I was brokenhearted to see an older man with red, puffy eyes looking at me. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice dead. This didn't look good.

"My name's Freya, I'm a friend of Owen," I explained. "Have you seen him? He was supposed to call me."

"I'm afraid that Owen is…is not here," he said wiping his eyes. "They found the body yesterday morning, just outside the forest. Attacked by mountain lions, they say."

Oh, crap.

"I am so sorry," I murmured. "I am so very sorry for your loss, Mr. Anderson."

He nodded at me, and closed the door.

So it was true. Owen had been turned into a vampire- by Victoria, no less- which meant that the rest of my dream was probably true as well. Now that I had the conformation I'd been looking for, I phased back into my wolf self and took off into the forest, toward the clearing.

It was time for step two of my master plan.

**Jake's POV**

As I ran down the grassy incline, I removed my cut-offs with a practiced ease and tied them around my back leg. I phased, leaping through the air as I felt the warm tingling sensation spreading up my spine. Next thing I knew, I was a big, furry wolf, and my stride had lengthened even longer so that I was now bounding down the mountainside. I could hear several different sets of thoughts coming from all different directions inside my head, and it was a relief to be with the pack again.

What are you doing, Black? Paul snapped, obviously still more than a little ticked off at me for hiding myself up in the mountains with Bella. For once in my life, I agreed with him. Thought you were with your little girlfriend.

Seth's with Bella- they'll be fine, I replied, brushing off his comment easily. It wasn't as if I cared what Paul thought of me anymore, anyway. He had a tendency to lash out at anybody who even went as far as to look at him the wrong way. His comments toward me made me in no way special.

We don't really need you down here, Jake, Sam assured me. It's all going fine. You were so worried about keeping Bella safe before. Maybe you should go to her.

And miss all the action? I scoffed. No way. Being up there with that leech of hers has made me even more desperate to kill some vampires. Let me at 'em.

Just as I was thinking this, I got my wish. With out giant bound that would have made Olympic high jumpers green with envy, I landed myself smack-dab in the middle of the battle, flattening a ruby-eyed newborn in the process.

Her strength surprised me. Once she had gotten over the initial shock of being flattened like a pancake- which actually only took a fraction of a second- she lifted me up in the air and threw me a few feet.

Jasper had warned us, about how strong the vampires would be. He'd warned us…yet it still caught me by surprise. However, I recovered quickly. I did not underestimate this young vampire again. I went in for the kill, grinning at the satisfying shriek that signified one less vampire alive on the reservation.

Left- dodge, right- slash. My movements took up a pattern as I began to dance with the second vampire that had the misfortune to cross my path. This newborn was a bit more experienced, I could tell. Partially by the half-crescent bite marks that seemed to glow up and down his arms, which I'd seen on Jasper, the war veteran of the Cullen Clan. His eyes weren't quite so bright, either. More of a blood red than ruby red.

He couldn't have been much older than his mid twenties, with curly dark hair and a smooth, wrinkle-free face. There were a few lines around his eyes- laugh lines, I realized, as our deadly little dance brought our faces closer together. This man had, once upon a time, been a decent guy. I was almost remorseful when I grew tired of the ballet performance and went for the kill.

Don't get too overconfident, Jake, Sam warned me. He reminded me of how that first vampire had knocked the wind out of me with her five-foot toss. Never underestimate your opponent.

It may be the last thing you ever do, Jared added as he swung at his own vampire.

I hated being lectured.

However, this time, Sam was right. I was getting way overconfident. Just because I'd beaten two vampires in a matter of minutes did not at all mean that I was invincible. Close, maybe, but not quite. Jasper had told stories about how the strength of a newborn could break a human body like a toothpick.

More on my guard now, I leaped at the next vampire I saw.

"Stupid mutt!" Rosalie cried indignantly. "Get your smelly hide off me!"

I rolled my eyes at the blonde. If she didn't want to be attacked, she shouldn't have come. She was one of them, after all, a leech. When in battle, how was I supposed to distinguish a friendly pair of golden eyes in the middle of all that sparkling skin?

Or maybe I just didn't like Rosalie.

Yup…that sounded just about right. I made sure to trip her with my tail as I got up and moved on to my next victim.

Things were going well. Nobody had been injured too badly, and the newborn's numbers were dwindling. Quil and Embry were dragging piles of body parts off to the sides of the clearings, and Esme was using a lighter to send them up into huge, billowing plumes of foul-smelling purple smoke that made my eyes sting and my throat itch like crazy.

I kept fighting, though. I knew that if I didn't keep fighting, I'd never get around to doing all those things on my to-do list I'd made up in the mountains. And I really did need to accomplish some of those goals, such as figuring out my feelings for Clip. That was kind of important.

As I worked on ripping the arms off a screaming newborn woman, I let my mind wander to a time, not so long ago, when Bells, Freya and I had sat together on Clip's bed and watched Lord of the Rings.

It was the night I'd declared my love for Bella. After Freya had punched me, called me an asshole, and stormed off with what I still swore were tears in her eyes, I'd gone home and banged my head against the wall for a good hour and a half. Her voice kept ringing in my ears; the betrayal in her eyes had seemed burned into my mind. I had replayed the scene over and over again, until I just couldn't take it anymore.

I'd run to Freya's house, knocked on her window. Thank God, she'd let me in her room, and I found here there with Bella.

I'd wanted to apologize to her that evening. I'd wanted so badly to wrap my arms around her, to hold her until she didn't feel like crying anymore. Who knows? Maybe I'd even have kissed her again. All I knew that night was that the sight of tears in Freya Lust's eyes made me want to chase after the asshole that made her cry. Of course…that asshole had been me. So I really just wanted to jump into a hole somewhere and die.

But no, Bella had been there again, just like she always seems to be. Messing with my head, making me second guess every single thought that pops into my mind.

But that night…as flawed as it had been, and as jerkish I'd acted, was still one of the better nights of my life. It was such a wonderful night because, even though I'd betrayed her, Freya had forgiven me. She'd invited me into her room, allowed me to sit on the bed with her and watch her favorite movies until we fell asleep, with my arm wrapped around her shoulders.

I sighed pathetically. My movements were slower now, less motivated as I continued to rip apart the vampire. Of course I knew how I felt about Freya. I'd always known- I'd just been too afraid to admit it. I was such an idiot sometimes…chasing after Bella when Clip was sitting right there in front of me with her trademark grin across her face…

When this was all over, I promised to myself, I would tell her.

When all this crap was finally over and done with, I was going to take Freya into my arms, give her the kiss of her life, and tell her that I loved her. And if she didn't like it? Well. Freya was just going to have to endure it, because there was no way in Hell that I was going to wait one more second to do what I should have done ages ago.

With a wolfish grin on my face, I dug into my work with new motivation. All I wanted was for this to get over with, and fast. It had taken me years to finally reach the conclusion I'd come to, and frankly, I'd wasted enough time.

I'd just tossed the vampire into the growing pile of bodies when I saw it- a familiar shade of coppery-red glinting in the sunlight, racing past me.

What was Edward doing here? He was supposed to be up with Bella. Curious, I followed the flash deeper into the forest, away from the battle.

He hadn't gone far enough for me to lose track of him- only a hundred or so feet away from the clearing. It was easy enough for me to trace the distinctive scent of vampire.

"Jacob," a cool, honey-like voice hissed. "I've been wondering when you'd show up here."

I looked up from the path, and there she was. Victoria.

"I've missed you," she said with a pout, walking up to pat my furry wolf face. I took a snap at her fingers- managed to get one off, too. I spat it out onto the ground and made a nice little show of stamping on it with my front paws. "Hmm," she mused, seeming almost amused as she reached out to pick the finger up, brush the dirt off, and reattach it with a sickening crack to her hand. "It appears as if the feeling is not mutual. Now…have you seen Freya anywhere? I've been dying to speak with her since our last meeting…"

I growled at her. There was no way she was getting to Freya. Not again- never again.

"Well then," she smiled at me. "I suppose I'll have to go look for her myself. She should be around here somewhere…and don't you look at me like that, you little mutt," she snapped at the incredulous look on my face. "You know better than anyone how little regard she has for the rules."

I just growled at her again, stepping closer, readying myself for the attack.

She just threw her head back, laughing. "Funny! Really, Jacob, you are. No…I don't have time to dance, Jacob. I've got better things to do…like tracking down that girlfriend of yours. Don't worry, sweetheart. My new partner in crime will keep you entertained until I'm done killing Freya, and whoever else is up hiding in that pathetic little camp you have set up in the mountains."

A cold hand tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, and got a right hook to the face as a reward. I growled. It took a lot of nerve to punch a wolf. It was oftentimes the last thing a vampire- or anyone, for that matter- ever did.

"Miss me, Jake?" Owen smiled down at me as I spat the blood out of my mouth.

Naturally, I huffed. Freya's ex.

"Let's dance, wolf boy," Owen grinned at me, his ruby red eyes glinting with something I'd never seen in him before, something almost…evil. I hardly even noticed the approving nod Victoria gave her protegee before streaking off into the woods. I almost went after her- there was no way in Hell I was letting her get to Freya- but Owen stopped me.

"Jake, I've got to tell you something," Owen said, getting my attention. "I know you won't believe me, but I love Freya just as much as you do, and would never, ever want her hurt..."

Oh. Oh, no. Was he freaking kidding me? Was this supposed to make me calm down? A red-hot surge of jealousy tore through me, ripping at my senses like fire and leaving me alone with my instinct. And right now, my instinct was saying to protect my girl- and Freya was my girl. Or, at least, she would be as soon as we got rid of all the vampires. I growled at him again, and this time the murder was in my eyes instead of his.

Clip's gonna kill me for this later, I thought almost happily as I lunged for Owen's throat.

**Freya's POV**

It was fairly easy to find the "false" trail Jake and Bells had set the day before up to their camp in the mountains. I was very accustomed to Jake's scent- to all the werewolves' scents, actually- and could have picked it out from a mile away. All I had to do was follow the smell up the rocky, grassy incline.

Edward wasn't very surprised to see me…but I suppose that very little ever surprised him. When I finally arrived at their little hideout- a shabby little tent set up in the shadow of a rocky cliff- he was standing outside the tent with his arms crossed over his chest.

Keeping to the shadows, I met his eyes and shook my head. I'm not here, I instructed him, my eyes locked firmly on his. He gave a tiny, indistinguishable nod. The microscopic movement was barely enough to let me know that he could hear me. Seth can't know I'm here, I continued. Jake, either. I'm doing my best to keep myself cut off from the pack…but it's difficult. Jake and Seth can't keep their mouths shut.

The corners of his mouth turned up a little in amusement at the slam toward my fellow wolves. Yeah…he really didn't like us. Not that I could really blame him- the first wolf he came into contact with in who knows how long decided to try and steal his girlfriend. I'd be kind of ticked off if I were in that situation, too. Except, you know, I don't have a girlfriend.

Or even a boyfriend, for that matter, which really kind of sucks if you ask me.

Anyway…now that I'd found Jake's little "hideout", I was focusing my energy on keeping Victoria away from the camp. I knew that she would be coming here sooner or later- it was all part of her master plan, after all. But my master plan was better…sneakier. More worthy of Calypso's name, and all.

All I could do until Victoria showed up was sit back on my haunches and wait patiently for the inevitable flash of scarlet among the green foliage of the forest.

I wondered absently what Jake was doing inside the tent, what he was thinking about. Did he feel bad about leaving me behind? Did he regret his decision? Had he guessed that I had escaped from Em's house?

I may not have known the answer to the first two questions, but the third one was a no-brainer. Of course he knew. I mean…I'd been talking about doing just that ever since Sam had announced that I would be staying behind. The other wolves may not have taken me seriously, but Jake knew better. I thanked God in Heaven that he hadn't, for once, stuck his nose in other people's business and warned someone.

After a few minutes of standing guard, I began to get anxious. Where was she? She had to have known I was here. This had been part of her plan, too. Killing me, that is. I knew that she knew I was here, waiting for her…I suppose that Victoria was just doing what she always did- bide her time.

I sighed, laying down on the grass and resting my furry head on my two front paws in boredom. After all the running and plotting and worrying I'd been doing that day, all I wanted to do was jump up and fight somebody. I wanted to be moving, to be doing something productive…but instead, I was lying here in the grass like some sort of bump on a log.

It was then that I heard it. The laugh. I'm sure you've heard this kind of laugh before. It was a light, lilting, makes-you-want-to-gag-with-sarcasm kind of laugh, like the kind that red-head in Oklahoma has.

This laugh could only belong to Victoria.

"Ah…Freya Selene," Victoria greeted me with a smile so acidic, I actually wanted to puke. "I can't even begin to say how pleased I am to see you again. I see your leg healed nicely?"

I just continued to glare at the evil woman before me. If looks could kill…

Well. If looks could kill, there wouldn't have been a need for the nice little newborn army my dear friend Victoria here created. Somebody really needed to invent that superpower and give it to me already.

In the blink of an eye, I was up on my feet, crouched down and ready to spring at any moment. We locked eyes. Her brilliant red eyes almost matched her hair as she looked down on me in what I took to be amusement. Ah…she was just like James. Sadistic, evil…and she never takes anything seriously.

I wasn't really in the mood to play her game.

"If you wouldn't mind moving out of the way…I'd love to go visit my dear friend Bella."

I growled at her, baring my teeth in as menacing a manner as I could manage. She shook her head and sighed. "I was going to save you for desert, Freya. You have such a sweet smell for a werewolf…I could hardly tell what you were the first time we met. Do you remember that?" she smiled at me. "You took me by surprise then, and barely managed to escape alive. I underestimated you last time…and I'm not going to make that mistake again." It seemed to be a warning to me- move or die.

I think I made my choice very clear by the way I tackled her. We went rolling down the mountainside uncontrollably, collecting leaves, twigs, and dirt in our hair- or in my case, fur- as we went. When we finally stopped rolling, Victoria was furious. I had, of course, gotten what I wanted- about a mile in between Victoria and her prey.

"You are going to regret your decision, Freya," she informed me, her tone icy.

I chuckled, a deep, throaty sound that seemed to say, "Hah, yeah, right!" I rolled my eyes, and crouched down again, preparing for a fight.

"This will be the last mistake you ever make, Freya Selene Beckett," she said in a mocking tone.

Beckett? The mention of my mother's maiden name struck my very core. Like everyone else in my family, thinking about my mom really kind of ticked me off. I mean…what kind of woman leaves her husband and two children because her daughter happens to change into a giant golden retriever? She was gone- long gone- and I dearly hoped she was never coming back. Victoria had some nerve to be calling me that name now. I flew at her, teeth bared, with a fury so white-hot I was beginning to see everything in red.

I wasn't the strongest wolf. I wasn't the best at fighting, either. I was fast, and I was sneaky- that's about it. So, yeah. Maybe taking on Victoria all on my lonesome was a mistake. Maybe she was right…and maybe I wouldn't come out of this fight alive.

One thing was for certain. There was no way I was going to go down without taking Victoria down with me.

Well then! Wasn't that an adventure;)

Thanks again for sticking with this story everybody! I really appreciate it. Seriously. It makes my heart all warm and fuzzy to know that people are reading what I write:) Getting a review is like putting on my softest, most fuzzy sweater in the middle of a blizzard in the winter. It's that awesome. So thanks:) You guys are amazing!

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