See the note at the bottom.

Chapter 21

The large wolf in question was about the size of a buffalo.

Now, for those of you who have never seen a bison in real life, allow me to give you a few quick facts. Even though they appear slow, they have been seen to run as fast as thirty-five miles per hour—enough to easily outrun a human. Bison can reach up to two meters tall at the shoulder, three meters long, and can weigh up to 2500 pounds. Hey I've done my research. I had to write a paper once in a college class with Kitty… don't ask.

Okay, I am aware that half of that information was not necessary, because contrary to popular belief, I think that werewolf could have run faster than thirty-five miles per hour. Maybe around, oh, ninety, one hundred mph tops.

Anyway, this gigantic wolf was a muddy grey-brown, and had enough scars to make it look like it was balding in some places.

So Jasper and I stepped closer to each other (as a matter of fact, it was possible.) and he laced his hand through mine. Again, not a good thing, even though under a good number of circumstances I would have been thrilled, being the small-minded person that I am.

Maybe if Adrianna hadn't started to run, everything would have worked out. Unfortunately, the pampered young woman in her got to the better part of her, and she, in a state of complete terror, bolted.

Everyone turned to look at her, and the pathway that had formed through the crowd disappeared. The great Alpha (what I had come to call that Ginormous One) crouched to the ground and leapt after her, stopping her in her tracks before she had a chance to even look around. It pinned her down under one paw the size of a truck tire, and looked back at the captivated crowd.

Without warning, every single one of the werewolves leapt to the outside of the clearing and formed a ring. This ring included the beast I had temporarily knocked unconscious and Matthew. They were the two closest to us.

The crowd of vampires roiled, and some leapt at the wall of werewolves, only to be beaten back or… killed.

Jasper and I were frozen, standing alone about twenty feet from the front lines, so to speak. It seemed that we were the only ones that noticed the high-pitched, keening screams and triumphant roars coming from where Adrianna and the Alpha were. They made me feel colder than I thought was possible, as if I was standing on the North Pole naked after being buried under 5,000 feet of ice for about… a millennium. At least, that's what it felt like.

I had never thought about death before, to be honest, and in that moment it was acutely clear. Even when I had been running from that small pack after I had just met Jasper, or had been pinned in that alleyway, I had never really thought of death as… possible. I was a vampire, for Christ's Sake! Mythical creatures that most people only think about when they watch an old, silent, black-and-white Dracula film.

But now I was faced with not only seeing death right before my eyes, but noticing my own.

But, you see, the problem was, I was thinking philosophically in the middle of a battle, which was taking place in the middle of a park in the suburbs of Denver.

Several more gunshots, or so it sounded like, went off in the distance, and everyone, everything for that matter, paused, listened, and then resumed fighting, only slightly quieter.

At the gunshots, Jasper moved, nearly yanking my arm out of its socket in the process. He flew across the clearing, and then over to the right in a seemingly random pattern. Then I realized that he was looking for a way out.

The Alpha then howled, nearly the same sound that had frozen and parted the fighting earlier. I saw, as I looked back, that it had ashes running down its muzzle and back.

She must have changed and burned Adrianna, and then changed back… Okay, Conscience was helpful--sometimes. Now I realized that IT was a she.

Meanwhile, as everyone else was looking at our dear Alpha female, Jasper had sucker-punched a smallish werewolf and knocked it out. Now, let me repeat that in case it didn't register. He sucker punched a werewolf and knocked it out. I still count myself lucky I found Jasper to this very day. Not only for that, but it helps. I mean, you try finding a sweet, smart, emotionally sensitive (ha), nice looking guy who can also punch out something the size of a horse. I tell you, they're hard to find.

Back to the scene. He proceeded to drag me out, shake me, and then bolt for the mountains. I quickly followed, with a backward glance at the clearing. Not much of anyone had noticed the werewolf's absence of consciousness, except for the ones standing next to it, who filled in the gap as the fighting resumed.

"Rain, rain, please let it rain…" Jasper repeated the mantra from up on our rocky perch. We had run all the way up a mountain, thanks to our adrenaline rush from, you know, nearly being killed. So we were sitting on a… boulder, to be precise.

I took a deep breath and got a weather report from my inner weather station. It looked like one of those videos of several days on fast-forward, with the sun and moon reeling through the sky. I watched for a good minute before concluding that it would be a nice, sunny June week.

I turned to Jasper. "No rain in the next week or two. Tough luck for us, eh?"

He looked back at me torpidly. "Splendid." His eyes were slightly glazed, and he stared out at the annoyingly colorful sunset.

The experience of the fight had the exact opposite effect on me. I was as alert and focused as was possible, and it felt like every nerve was tense, just waiting for something to move or make a sound.

Jasper's languor wasn't helping my jumpiness. Every time he sighed or moved his head, I flinched.

Shock, he's in shock. Snap him out of it!

…How?

You deserve a dope slap.

Now is not the time to be romantic!

Every time you start to believe in yourself, I go away. Congratulations. With that cryptic comment, I depart.

Cryptic indeed. Stupid voices in my head. Correction—just one voice. Jasper sighed again and I started.

Seized by a sudden burst of anger, I turned to him, grabbed his chin, yanking his face towards me, and slapped him.

He blinked, reaching up to delicately touch his cheek. His eyes were clear again, but he was obviously confused.

"We're being complete idiots," I muttered, turning my head away. I couldn't believe what I had just did. "We have to do something." Somehow, I felt responsible for Adrianna's death. If I hadn't brought Jasper to Denver to see Kitty, she would've never even turned into a vampire. If she hadn't turned into a vampire, nothing would've happened.

"It's not your fault— it's hers." He crooned, and touched my hair softly. "I understand that we can't just sit here—but we can't do anything about that fightexcept get ourselves killed."

He was right. He was always right, I sighed inwardly. I turned back around and buried my head in his chest. He wrapped his arm around me, and I bean to feel slightly better. But wait--

--An old, eighteenth-century house stands majestically in the middle of a hardwood forest. A garage sets off to one side, and three or four classic cars are parked outside.

The front door opens, and out come five people. A tall blonde girl, laughing and arm-in-arm with a bear of a young man, leads the way to one of the cars. A younger man of around eighteen with bronze-colored hair follows the two closely. Bringing up the rear is another couple, slightly older looking, whispering to each other. The woman flips her caramel-colored hair and smiles, calling out to the other three.

The older man suddenly stops, frowning. He stares directly at me. —

Jasper must have felt me tense up, because he gently titled my chin up. "You're scared. What did you see?"

I explained in full detail, and he frowned. "People in visions usually can't see you there, because you aren't, correct?" I nodded.

He grinned. "Well, either you're going mad or I'm dreaming back in my tent in 18- something-or-other." He poked me in the side. "Don't worry about it."

I laughed and hit him lightly. (We all remember what happens when I hit him hard) He pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me. "Okay, I'll let you worry about it in a few minutes. Okay, an hour." Without warning, he jumped off the boulder, landing with a puff of dirt. "Get down here," He demanded.

"Fine, fine," I muttered, launching myself off of the rock. As soon as my feet hit the ground, Jasper seized my hand and dragged me up the mountain, not even giving me a chance to stretch. I like my stretches, so this had better be important, I thought harshly.

Within ten minutes, we were at the top of the mountain. I was treated to a spectacular view, with a whole range of mountains stretching unbroken before me (Denver was to our backs). The sun was just behind a mountain, throwing us into a twilit shadow.

"Pretty." I said sharply, still slightly annoyed. Yes, it was an amazing sight, but did we really have to run up there so fast? Couldn't I have stretched?

I turned to Jasper to complain more, but he wasn't there. I whipped around, thinking he was behind me, but nothing was there.

I sighed and stopped, turning back to look at…

A chest.

Not exactly your fairytale-sunset.

I sighed again and titled my head up tiredly. Could we finish this up, please? I was getting tired of Jasper's games.

Jasper smiled dazzlingly, and I crackled a grin. Then, swift as ever, he knelt in front of me.

If I had a heart, it would've begun pounding. I would've broken into a sweat, turned beet red, and commented on the weather. But I couldn't. I just stared.

His hooded tawny eyes smiling, he held up his hand, palm upwards and open. Supervision aside, it took me several seconds to focus on the small silver band that sat there, glittering slyly.

My eyes widened and I froze. "Mary Alice Brandon, will you ma—" I threw myself on him before he could finish, kissing him passionately.

I think I shocked him with my vehemence. After a while, though, he relaxed into a more comfortable position for all of the parties involved, and kissed back.

It was a new experience, to say the least.

After a while, we broke apart for the sake of something new, and he slipped the ring on my finger with a grin. "I will choose to take that as a 'Oh, yes, Jasper my shining knight, of course I will marry you. I love you with all of my heart and soul.'"

"You're not too far off," I commented with a grin. I twirled the band with my pinky and thumb. (It would become a nervous habit.) "That's my way of saying yes, much like how you quote poetry to say anything and everything."

"Oh, do you really need to hear it?"

I looked gravely at him. "Yes."

"I love you."

Fin. The End.

Its over. I can't believe it. Today I opened up the document, going "Oh, I think I'll write something today" and only when I scrolled to the bottom did I remember: Oh, shit, its FINISHED.

Don't worry, the sequel will be up and running once I finish Eclipse, I PROMISE. I might even give you a little preview in a "Chapter 22"

Actually, I think I will do that. BUT, I want you guys to do something.

ANYONE AND EVERYONE THAT READS THIS, PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE REVIEW! I dont care if all you say is "good" "bad" or "I hate you" I just want to know that you read it. PLEASE.

I'll be back in less than a week.

Grey-chan