Chapter 21

Max

"So, you loved him?" I looked at Jacob, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Yes," I said softly, tearing my eyes away from him. He and I were still sitting on opposite sides of the fire.

He rose and walked slowly around to sit beside me. I kept my face forward, trying desperately not to cry anymore. I had to stay strong, if only for Jacob.

"So, what now?" he whispered. I took a chance and leaned my shoulder lightly against his. He stiffened, but quickly responded by putting an arm cautiously around me.

"I want—I should be with you," I said quietly. I waited with anticipation at his response to that.

"You don't have to you know," he said, looking at me. I met his eyes, surprised.

"But—I would have thought—do you not want me?"

"That's not what I'm saying. The decision is yours." I looked down at my hands. My choice? How can I not want to be with him? He's the only thing that's held me together lately.

I looked back up at him and slowly leaned towards him. I wasn't completely sure what I wanted to do, but just as I was about to brush his lips with mine, Jacob turned his face. I ended up kissing his cheek.

I pulled back, hurt. My eyes watered and I started to get up, but Jacob's arm tightened around me, keeping me on the ground beside him. He grinned at me, a playful light in his dark eyes. "You can't have me that easily," he teased. I grinned and he wiped the tears from my eyes with his finger. "You'll have to work at it." He started to lean toward my face, but it was my turn to pull away. I stood.

"Sorry kid, but you have to work to get this," I said, motioning to my body. Jacob rose slowly, his eyes trailing over said body. His arm lashed out, reaching for me. I danced out of his reach, grinning. He lunged for me again, but I'm just too fast for him apparently. Jumping up, I snapped my wings out and flew out of his reach.

"You don't play fair," Jacob said quietly, an odd look on his face. I smiled sweetly and lowered myself to the ground a few feet from where he stood.

"I try to keep that as a rule of thumb," I said, shrugging. He grinned and put his arm around my shoulders.

"You're ridiculous, did you know that?" he asked. I looked sideways up at him and stuck out my tongue.

"Well someone has to be the child, right?" He smirked.

"Then what am I supposed to do? Be responsible? Yeah, right." I laughed and we walked into the house. "So you're staying here?" he asked quietly, turning to face me.

"I suppose so," I said softly. Jacob smiled and pulled me into his embrace. His body was warm and it felt really good against my skin. My head fit perfectly into the curve of his neck. His chin rested on my head lightly as we stood in the middle of his living room, just holding each other. I was completely fine with it, which is kind of weird.

You should be happy Max, a voice in my head breathed. I started, shocked. I want you to be happy. I'm not there to do it myself, so you'll just have to settle for him.

My legs turned to jelly and it was a good thing Jacob was holding me so tightly. Otherwise, I probably would have fallen. Why was Fang in my head now? What was so significant about this? Was it because I'd finally admitted that I had feelings for Jacob? Or was it something else; something I didn't yet know about?

The silver phone Carlisle had given me rang, making both Jacob and I jump. Jacob lifted me up and put my feet on top of his. To my amusement, he walked forward not unlike the way penguins walk. He took one arm off my back and picked up the cell phone. He put it to his ear and answered it.

"What's up Cullen?" he asked, for once his voice not unpleasant.

While Jacob listened to whatever was being said on the other line, I turned my face to the side and traced the curves of his muscles on his right arm with my finger lightly. "Where are they now?" I moved my fingers across to his muscular chest, letting my fingertips glide over his light brown skin. "That's very distracting," he murmured in my ear, putting the phone against his thigh so whoever was listening couldn't hear what was being said over here.

"Sorry," I whispered. I didn't stop. I let my fingers trail over his shoulder and up the side of his neck. My hand cupped his chin and I tickled under his chin. He smiled slightly, trying to keep his cool while on the phone.

"What!" I stopped, my hand freezing. He didn't sound happy. Actually, he sounded pretty confused and a little scared. Shit. "Lemme tell her right now, then we'll meet you down there."

"What's going on?" I asked when he hung up. He looked gravely down at me and held my face in his hands.

"That bloodsucker they were expecting? You heard Alice say he came and left, right?" I nodded, my stomach already churning uncomfortably. "Well, he sort of slipped past Emmett and blondie 'cause they were a little… busy," he said, putting real emphasis on 'busy.' I blushed, knowing that they would be doing that. "He went into the garage and took something; more than one thing actually."

"The cars?" I asked, confused. How was that a big deal? The Cullens could certainly afford to buy new ones.

Jacob sighed and rested his forehead against mine. "He took the bodies," he whispered. "He took the bodies of your flock."

My body went cold and the fact that I was pressed up against Jacob's heated body didn't seem to matter. My mind went numb and suddenly I felt like I was falling. My heart beat insanely fast and it became hard for me to breathe evenly.

"Max! Max!" I realized numbly that Jacob was shaking me, a frightened look in his eyes. "C'mon, let's go over there and find out just what happened."

Jacob picked me up and ran out the door. He put me in the passenger seat of the Rabbit and burned rubber getting down the street. I stared out the window without seeing anything. The car jerked to a stop suddenly and Jacob's door opened. He leapt over the hood and yanked my door open, sliding me out and into his arms. I barely felt the air rushing by as he ran us to the porch.

"What's wrong with her?" Alice demanded. She sounded far away.

"I don't know!" Jacob snapped. "I told her what happened and she like zoned out!"

"Her eyes are unfocused," Carlisle said from somewhere.

"Can she hear us?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, I think she can. Max, if you can hear me, nod your head." I tried to nod, but my body was frozen. I didn't have any control. "Can you blink at me please?" I could do that. I blinked twice and he sighed with relief. "Why don't you set her down on the couch. I have something that might bring her back."

Jacob walked to the white couch and sat down, cradling me in his lap. Carlisle came back and put something in front of my nose. I could tell it was food, but I didn't know what he was trying to do with it. Jacob groaned when I didn't move and put his forehead on mine.

His hot breath on my face made me blink. He saw and blew air into my face, trying to get a reaction out of me. I blinked again but that was as good as it got. I tried to move, but it's like my body was ignoring my brain and doing whatever the hell it wanted. Damn nerve system…

Jacob growled, determined, and pressed his lips roughly against mine. My veins were suddenly on fire and I was hyper-aware of every place that our bodies touched. Blood rushed through my body and I suddenly had control once more. Jacob faltered when my lips began moving lightly with his, but he caught up quickly. Edward let us have a moment for a few more seconds before clearing his throat loudly from behind the couch.

I pulled back and looked into Jacob's eyes. He was staring at me and there was heat and accomplishment in his eyes. I realized that my breathing was ragged, but I doubt that was from our kissing. I also noticed that I was shaking lightly.

"That was actually a smart idea," Edward said, sounding stunned. Jacob chuckled and held me close.

"I have my moments," he said with a grin. I closed my eyes to clear my head and I remembered why we were here.

"What happened?" I asked, looking over Jacob's shoulder at Edward. Edward frowned and disappeared. When he returned, Rosalie and Emmett were with him, both ashamed.

"We're so sorry Max," Rosalie said, kneeling on the floor beside me. I knew that not only was it rare for Rose to apologize, but even stranger was the fact that she was completely ignoring Jacob.

"It's ok Rose, I don't blame you and Emmett," I said. She smiled sadly at me and put her cold hand lightly on my cheek in thanks.

"He came in, stole the bodies out of our garage and left," Emmett snapped, clearly unhappy. "Freak…"

"Emm, you don't know what he wanted," Rosalie said softly, putting her hand on her beau's muscular chest.

"Does he have like special powers, like Alice, Jasper, Bella, and Edward?" I asked, thinking of it suddenly. Edward cocked his head as if he hadn't thought of that.

"Maybe… That would explain a little bit, but not what he wants with the bodies. We don't know what he can do."

"Is there a way to find out?" I knew I sounded too hopeful, but hey, I had to be. It was keeping me from sinking back into the numbness.

"Yeah, it's called we hunt the bastard down and corner him," Emmett growled. Rosalie and Alice frowned, but Jasper and Edward both looked thoughtful.

"That could work," Edward murmured. "Emmett, you and Rose go into town, over by the school. Jasper and Alice can do the other half of the town. Bella and I will go south. Carlisle, will you and Esme go east?" Carlisle nodded. "Alright, Jacob, you can go north."

"What about me?" I asked, sitting up. If he thought I was going to just sit here and wait…

Edward looked a little surprised, as did Jacob. They both frowned at exactly the same moment; it was slightly comical. "You're not coming," Jacob said firmly.

"You can't make me stay," I said, glaring at him. His frown became more pronounced.

"Yes, I can. You're not coming with me."

"Fine. I'll go by myself." I slipped out of Jacob's arms and walked to the door. "If you honestly think I'm going to stay here while you go out and look for this psycho, you clearly don't know me well enough. There is nothing in this world that would make me stay here like I'm helpless." Jacob opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off. "Don't even think of saying something stupid, like I can't keep up, or that I am helpless, because I will punch you."

"Fine, you can come," Jacob snapped, unhappy. "But if you even think of going off on your own, I will of going off on your own, I will personally chain you to a tree."

Cyrus

It was simple really. A little too easy for my taste, but beggars can't be choosers I suppose. I had not realized that the vegetarians were so considerate. They put the body in a freezer, just waiting for me. I was a little upset that the human was dead, but it was only a minor setback. It would not take long for me to raise it.

I had only had to break into the garage. There were no alarms, no guards, no nothing. There was nothing to stop me from taking all the bodies. There was power in the others, but not as much as the one I had sought. I even considered raising them as well. If I had the time, I would. It would be an interesting thing; raising so many children at once.

Not one vampire came to challenge me as I stole away with the five bodies. I knew there were two vampires in the house, but they did not appear. From what I could hear, they were a little preoccupied.

I made my way into the forest with the bodies; two slung over each shoulder, the fifth was small enough to fit on top of one shoulder as well. I ran, keeping my senses open in case the other vampires returned and decided to come after me. They didn't come for quite some time.

When I caught the scent, I was surprised. It wasn't vampires after me, it was something else entirely. I was intrigued. What was this new being? What was is that it could track a vampire? The first scent was so overwhelmingly disgusting that I did not notice the second scent at first. When I did get a whiff I almost stopped, I was so surprised. It was human, but then again, it wasn't. What were these things?

Max

Jacob picked up the scent some ways away from the Cullen's house. We followed it for a while, trying to keep our eyes and ears open for this strange vampire. We still had no clue what he was doing here, but I was determined to find out. What the hell did he want with my family's bodies?

We roamed for a while longer, unable to pinpoint the trail. Jacob was becoming extremely irritable. It was not helping my mood.

"Excuse me, can you stop being obnoxious?" I snapped, annoyed. He growled at me and stopped beside a tree, his nose to the ground like a bloodhound. I landed beside him and listened to the sounds of the forest.

This is so cliché, but I have to say it. It's quiet; too quiet. Looking around, I saw that something was wrong. More accurately, something was missing. There were no animals. Anywhere. I didn't hear birds in their nests, or squirrels racing around the branches or on the forest floor. There was no sign of any large animals, like deer or mountain cats, and it worried me.

"Jake, do vampires scare away game?" I whispered nervously. I think Jacob had the same thoughts because his head nodded slowly. Either that, or he was being rude still. I preferred to think it was the first one.

"I think he's nearby," I murmured, putting my hand on Jacob's side. He shifted, moving closer to me, protecting me from the unknown monster.

There was rustling in the leaves about twenty yards away. Jacob and I stiffened, listening intently. Do vampires usually make noise like that? Aren't they the silent hunters? I shifted slightly into a fighting stance, my sneakers moving the dead leaves around only enough for them to crackle slightly. Damnit.

Jacob launched himself forward, snarling at the attacker. I heard him connect with something, but it didn't sound like a rockslide. Emmett said the werewolves and vampires sounded like rockslides when they fought… it's not a vampire!

"Jacob! Stop!" I ran forward, hoping I wasn't too late already. When I reached him, he was snarling at the unknown intruder. Before I could stop him, Jacob jumped, literally pouncing on him, whoever he was.

I don't know why I thought it was him, but I saw black hair and I made one of my famous snap-decisions. They usually end up really bad, but I couldn't sit by and do nothing. I sprinted forward and dove into the fight. Jacob roared when he saw me, but he was mid-swing and his paw caught me on the left shoulder. I was thrown backwards, my shirt torn to ribbons that hung from my shoulder.

Jacob spun to face me, his lips curled back in a menacing threat. I could only imagine what he was saying to me inside his head. I didn't really notice him actually; my eyes were focused elsewhere. I didn't even bother to check out my shoulder; I was too shocked.

I sat on the ground, stunned. He jumped up and into a tree and crouched on a branch, staring down at me. I couldn't move; how is it even possible? Jacob continued growling at me, and I thought I could hear him talking, which would be incredibly weird. He went behind the nearest tree and shifted, coming back out furious as ever.

"What were you thinking?" he roared. "I could have killed you! Have you seen Emily's face? You're lucky all I caught was your shoulder!" I think he noticed that I wasn't paying attention to him. It made him even angrier that I was staring at something over his shoulder. "Are you even listening to me? Damnit Max!" He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. I know it was stupid, but I tried to keep my eyes on the figure in the branches, provoking Jacob even closer to violence. "Jesus Max, you don't even care, do you?" He sounded disgusted as he thrust me away and stood. I saw him lean against a tree from my peripheral vision. He can sulk for as long as he wants, for all I care. I have something more important to worry about.

"Fang?" I called softly. Jacob stopped muttering angrily to himself and looked at me, his face surprised and then hurt.

"You're still thinking about him? Max, give it up, he's—."

"Shut up," I said without looking at him. Jacob snapped his mouth shut, his teeth clicking audibly. I'm gonna get hell from him when we get home. "Fang?"

"Max?" came the barely audible whisper from the tree. Fang's head snapped up to look at the branch where the figure was hunched over. "Max." Recognition was good, right? He jumped off the branch, landing smoothly on the ground a few feet away from where I still sat like an idiot.

Seeing him standing there in front of me was just too much. My heart basically exploded into a million pieces. I scrambled back until my back hit a tree a few feet back. Fang didn't move and neither did the stunned Jacob. My stomach hated me, as did the rest of my body. I put my hands on my head and started rocking back and forth like a mental person, shaking my head back and forth, muttering, "This isn't happening. This isn't happening!"

"Max?" Jacob came towards me, concerned for my mental stability. He put his hand tentatively on my undamaged shoulder. I didn't stop rocking; I couldn't. My brain just couldn't begin to process what was happening right now. There is no way this is happening! People can't come back from the dead! He was dead, I saw it; I was there.

Fang walked slowly towards me, not at all like someone who had been dead for months. He came up right beside Jacob, who cringed away from Fang. Fang positioned himself between Jacob and me, crouching to look into my face. I looked away, trying not to look at him. It would only hurt me later on if I woke up or found out I was hallucinating. God, I so don't have it together.

"Max, I'm here," Fang said soothingly. I whimpered when he took my face in his hands and made me look at him. "I'm here now, alright?"

"You aren't here," I sobbed. "You're dead! This is just my brain killing me from the inside; you are part of my imagination!"

"I'm here, really," Fang said, giving me one of his rare smiles. He looked at me tenderly and brushed my hair away from my face with his long fingers.

I looked to Jacob for help, but he was too busy glaring at Fang's back to notice me. I wouldn't imagine Jacob being jealous. I wouldn't want that, so why would I imagine that? Is this real…? I moved my face to the side, slipping out of Fang's gentle grasp. Putting my hands on the tree behind me, I pushed myself slowly off the ground. Fang reached to help me, but I swatted his hand away. He just smiled and waited patiently while I began pacing back and forth between two trees.

"Max?" Jacob asked, his tone concerned again. "Max, what's going on?"

"Shh, I'm thinking," I snapped, trying to concentrate.

Fang never smiles. Could I make that up? Yes. Would I imagine him and Jacob fighting? Probably. I didn't like this so far.

Could I imagine Jacob's jealousy? No. Could I imagine Fang's smell? No, definitely not. Could I imagine his touch? No.

I looked up at the two men watching me silently as I tried to piece together this latest upset it my life. No, I definitely couldn't make up the face Jacob has right now. Pure jealous rage was aimed at Fang as he walked towards me. He pulled me into his arms, holding me just like I suddenly remembered. It was too much. I began crying.

Jacob stepped towards me, wanting badly to comfort me. But he couldn't; someone already was. Fang put his head on top of mine as I leaned against his chest. I cried and cried, unable to stop. Fang knew just what to do, even after all this time. He slid his arms around my waist and began rubbing soothing circles in the spot between my wings. His other arm came up and held the back of my head in one hand, holding me to him.

"You're back," I sobbed.

"Shh," he whispered. "Yes, I'm back. I came back, just for you Max."

"I'm so glad to see you," I said, my voice cracking as I leaned back and looked up into his face.

"I know baby, I know," he murmured. Baby? He kissed my forehead and suddenly there were crunches behind Fang. We both turned to see Jacob as a giant wolf, speeding away.

"Jake! Wait!" I cried, tearing myself away from Fang and running after him. I had only gotten a few steps when Fang's hand shot out and grabbed my arm.

"Let him go Max," he said, pulling me back to him. I wanted to go after Jacob, but this was the first time in months that Fang had held me; I was reluctant to let go.

"I have to go," I said finally. I pulled myself out of Fang's embrace and took a step back. "I have to find him Fang."

"Why? He lives around here, doesn't he? He won't get lost or anything." Since when was Fang snide and hateful? I mean, besides to me?

I looked at him, like really looked at him. He didn't look any different than I remembered, maybe a little pale, but that was to be expected. He saw me staring and smiled. Reaching a hand up, Fang stroked my cheek. I wanted to let him, but I couldn't. Backing away, I snapped out my wings and leapt into the air, determined to find Jacob.

I heard Fang jump up after me, catching up quickly. We flew above the trees and I started south. I had to find Edward. He would hear Jacob's 'voice' and know where to find him. It didn't take long to locate Bella and Edward. I knew where they would be; at the clearing where they'd played baseball once.

"Max! What're you doing here? Where's Jacob?" Edward asked when I landed in front of the two. Fang stayed in the air, out of sight. I wasn't sure it was a great idea to have him just be there all of a sudden.

"I don't know, that's why I came to you. Can you hear him?" I asked, desperate. Edward cocked his head as if truly 'listening' and nodded. "Where is he?"

"He's at First Beach. He isn't happy Max," he said slowly. "What's going on?" I sighed and beckoned to Fang. Edward and Bella looked up as Fang flew down to us.

"But… but I thought you were dead?" Bella whispered, confused. Edward looked just as stunned.

"I was, I guess," Fang said.

"Then how are you—" Bella waved her hand at him. "Here?" Both Fang and I shrugged.

"We don't really know," I admitted, momentarily ignoring the fact that I hadn't thought to ask him that question myself.

"So that's why Jake is mad? Because Fang is back?" Bella asked. I don't think she realized what she was saying. Edward started to explain, but the look on her face told me she got it. "Oh. Oh! What happened!"

"Uhh later, ok?" I said, trying to let her know that I hadn't worked out how to tell Fang about Jacob yet. Luckily, she and Edward understood perfectly.

"Sure, later. Back at the house, ok? When you have everything figured out, come over, we'll be awake." I smiled at Bella's attempt at a joke. Edward shook his head, chuckling.

"Fang, why don't you come with us back to the house?" Edward suggested. Fang frowned. "Let Max do this on her own. She needs to talk to Jacob and tell him what's going on. This is a bit of a surprise for him I imagine."

"Fine," Fang grumbled. The three of them left; two running and the third flying after them.

I sighed and took a running start, spreading my wings and heading to First Beach. As I flew, I thought about how I would do this. I couldn't very well tell him that Fang coming back wouldn't hurt us, because that would be a lie and I wasn't ready to answer that anyways. Should I explain to him that I'll try to make the right choices?

When I landed and saw him sitting on a washed up log, head in his hands, I knew that everything I had thought of so far wasn't good enough. Jacob was hurting and it was my fault. I had to fix this; or at least make it less painful.

Cyrus

Putting my hands on the boy's chest, I felt the power surge through my body, down my arms, and out my hands. A dim white light shone on my fingertips, letting me know that he was still dead. As it grew brighter, I heard the faint beating of a heart. When the light was blindingly bright, he sat up, gasping for breath.

I pulled my hands away and watched him as I knelt by his side. His black hair swung in front of his dark eyes as they flit all around, taking in the sights of life once again. He slowly lifted his shaking hands and held them in front of his face, turning them this way and that, examining them.

When his eyes looked to me, I ran, disappearing. It was bad for me to be the first thing they saw with their new life. It made them clingy and awkward. I had to kill the last one that was like that; such a tragedy.

I watched him as he looked wildly around him, searching for me. I knew it was idiotic of me, but I loved the thrill of secretly watching them search for me after catching a glimpse. A glimpse was all they ever needed. If I thought they could do great things, they joined me, but if they turned out useless, I let them roam, searching the world for the thing that they had lost when they died. When they got close to that thing, I had to steer them away. It would be great fun to watch their loved ones see them back from the dead, but it would be very bad.

The boy, dressed all in black, got up slowly on wobbly legs, not unlike a newborn deer. It was cute in a weird, Disney-ish sort of way. I really should get a better hobby, I thought grimly. The boy walked around, testing out his strength and stability. When he was satisfied, he did something completely unexpected. Wings protruded from his back. Large black ones that he stretched and shook out. I stood, amazed, as the boy, my experiment, took a running start and jumped into the air. He flapped his wings and rose higher before shooting forward, right over my head.

I followed him as he flew almost without hesitation back to where I had caught a whiff of those two strange beings earlier. For the moment, the four other bodies were out of my mind. I was concerned for what this child was going to do. He seemed determined in his flight, but as if, he was unsure as well.

He landed suddenly, walking hesitantly forward. I heard voices and listened carefully. I was surprised to hear a girl's voice, but she wasn't a vampire. It was the human-that-wasn't-human. There was a deep rumble and a growl. Moving around the trees, I saw a giant wolf and a blonde girl. If I did not smell her from here, I would have thought she was one of us.

The wolf caught the scent of my boy and growled. It turned and leapt at my experiment. They fought for a few seconds before the girl ran in, getting in the way of the wolf's paw. She was thrown back, her shoulder bleeding slightly. I smelled her blood, and it was fantastic. I took a few steps forward, unable to resist. She smells so good!

I watched, holding myself back, as the wolf went behind a tree, and when it appeared, it was as a brown-skinned man. He was furious as he looked at the girl. My boy jumped in one swift movement onto a tree limb. The girl kept her brown eyes on him, even as the man reprimanded her severely. He grabbed her chin and my boy leaned forward, as if he were preparing to leap at the man. The girl didn't even look at the man, and that seemed to make him mad. He pushed her away and went to sulk against a tree.

"Fang?" I heard her, but I didn't understand what she was talking about. She repeated it and the man yelled something unintelligible at her, upset again. My boy jumped off the branch and began walking towards her.

"Max?" The man turned, wide-eyed as he looked at my boy, Fang. The girl sat there, unable to speak. Suddenly, she began rocking back and forth, clutching her head. Oh dear, this is his loved one. I should have known when he went racing off like that. Well, let's see how this one plays out.

I watched as the three talked, not to each other, more as general statements, or at least, that's what it seemed like. I could be wrong, I suppose. Fang took the girl in his arms as she started to cry. None of them noticed her bleeding wound, but I did, and it was starting to become unbearable to stand here while her blood was so appealing.

I left when the man was suddenly a wolf again. Werewolf? But there's no full moon…? I shall have to investigate this further. This is the most interesting experiment yet! He ran off and the girl yelled "Jake! Wait!" Fang pulled her back into his arms. She looked torn, but she relented, letting him hold her. I ran off, back to where I had left the other bodies. I was too weak to fix them, but I would save them for a later time. I had a feeling that they would be important later on.

Max

Jacob didn't look at me as I sat on the log beside him. He didn't even acknowledge my presence. I waited patiently, wanting him to break the silence with something, anything, that would tell me what I could say to him. When we sat there for ten minutes without saying a word, I silently took a deep breath and spoke.

"I'm sorry." He hadn't looked at me, and he didn't start now. "Jacob—you have to understand, he was my best friend."

"So you loved your best friend?" he murmured. I didn't like the empty tone of his voice; it was very unsettling.

"Yes," I whispered.

"So did I," he whispered back. "Twice. And look where it's gotten me."

"Jake, I—." He put up a hand, cutting me off.

"Don't. Just don't." He picked up his head and finally looked at me.

His face was drawn and sad. I looked into his dark eyes and saw myself in them; they were like an empty, reflective surface. It scared me to see him like this, and I knew I had caused it once again.

"I can't live like this," he said, his voice cracking. "I can't keep going on like I have something, someone, to look forward to. First, it was Bella, but then Edward came back, and she got pregnant with Nessie so they had to turn her. Then you come along, hating me, and I fall for you. I'm pretty sure I would have fallen for you even without the Imprint." I sat silently, tears welling up in my eyes. I didn't like where this was going. It sounded too much like he was breaking up with me.

"What are you getting at?" I whispered tearfully, afraid to hear the answer.

"I can't take it anymore Max. This constant feeling of happiness being ripped painfully away from me; I can't take it any longer." He stood, turning to look me straight in the face. "Don't come around anymore, please. As long as he's here, in your heart, I won't be. I can't be."

My lip trembled, but he didn't seem to notice. He just took one last look at me before walking slowly down the beach. I watched him go; his shoulders were hunched and he dragged his feet a little, but I imagined he was just as weary as I was. It could have nothing to do with me. I only hoped, wished that it did.

I didn't move for hours. I just sat on that log, unthinking, practically unconscious. No one else came around. Eventually, I grew tired enough to fall, not lie, fall, onto my side. For several hours more, I lay there, motionless, thinking about what I had done; how I had managed within the span of a few hours, convince the pack I was worthy, and then completely undermine any worthiness I had.

I want Jacob. I want Jacob back. I need Jacob back.