In the distance, a wolf howled.

My eyes snapped open. I was knee deep in snow. I yelped at the chill, the noise echoing through the wood. I was surrounded by trees as tall as skyscrapers. Far away on the horizon, I could faintly see the setting sun.

It was eerily similar to my first journey to the past. I looked down at myself, almost expecting to see the dress I wore that day. But I was older, taller, and more developed. It was not the first trip back, but it was just as cold.

I rubbed my arms and shivered. Only moments ago I had been sleeping in 1963. It was a chilly night, but it had nothing on this. I rubbed my arms faster, trying to create some friction. I needed to find shelter and fast.

There was no way to tell what year it was. Or where I was. It seemed like I was the only living soul for miles.

Just me and the wolves.

I glanced warily over my shoulder. Hoquiam taught me that werewolves existed. I imagined they must be bigger, stronger . . . hungrier.

I had nothing to defend myself with. I didn't know what was going to kill me first—the cold, or them.

This was one of the worst scenarios I had ever encountered in time travel. I was alone. No food, money, warm clothes, shelter, or means of transportation. I thought back to December 1925. Carlisle said a woman and her daughter found me on the side of the road . . . but there was no road here. Nothing but woods.

I was a future icicle. I watched the sky darken with a growing sense of fright. It was clear a storm was approaching.

Panic climbed up my throat. I was lacking so many things, but above all, I lacked a sense of direction. I could be anywhere. I knew the sun rose in the east and set in the west, but I didn't even know if I was near civilization.

I could only hope someone would find me before I froze.

Time stood still here.

I knew I had to keep moving. I had to move to find shelter, but also find a way to keep warm. My robe and nightgown were useless in this weather. Though they were lovely gifts from Esme and Carlisle, the silk did little to keep me insulated. Even my slippers were soaked. I hopped up and down from time to time, fearful my feet would succumb to frostbite.

There was no sign of life. It seemed like everything was sleeping. I felt like I was in a reverse sort of fairy tale, but this time, everyone else dreamed while I was in a nightmare.

"Bella, we don't live long. That's what the fainting spells are all about. Wouldn't you rather die quickly? Not drawn out and painful? I'm thankful to know when it happens."

Freezing and desperate, I envied Elliot and his world weary foreknowledge. He knew his death was quick. Maybe not painless, but quick enough for the pain to be an afterthought.

Snowflakes started falling some time later. I forced back tears. They might have frozen to my face if I let them fall.

I rubbed my arms again. The skin was bright red and cold to the touch. My breath puffed out before me like smoke. Every cold breath inward was like a knife between my ribs.

My gaze fell to my wedding ring. I had to keep going for his sake. For Edward, for Elliot, for all the Cullens, and for my parents. If I gave up now, all would be lost. All my years of fighting.

I battled the snow for what seemed like hours. My teeth chattered so much I lost feeling in them. Then I was losing feeling in just about everything.

I realized I just needed a moment—one moment—to rest. A brief rest to get myself going again. In minutes I would rally and continue on my way. I lowered myself to the ground and folded my quivering arms. One moment to rest was all I needed. A moment to build up my energy.

But my energy never came. It felt much better to lay here quietly. I put my head on my knees, praying for a jump through time.

It never came. I even thought of Victoria, as if my thoughts could summon her. She would get me running with no problem. I got the feeling that she and James both liked to play with their food.

But the forest was dark and quiet. No one alive but me. Barely.

After awhile, it didn't feel so cold. My shivers slowed down enough for me to breathe comfortably. I leaned back against the snow. It wasn't cold anymore. It felt like a soft pillow.

It would be so easy. Like falling asleep.

A scream pierced the silence of the woods.

Snowflakes dotted my eyelashes. I lifted my head to listen, feeling them flutter down my cheeks. Another scream echoed through the trees. With a start, I realized it was my name.

"Bella!"

"Hello? Bella!"

"Bella, are you out there?"

It was a beautiful chorus of angels. A high soprano, a sweet alto, a deep baritone. Familiar voices. Only one stood out from the rest. His voice was the loudest. My heart thudded dully as I came to understand who they were.

"Bella? I'm here, Bella!"

I forced my eyes open. I saw light—not the light, but flashlights. The Cullens wouldn't need them, of course; they were for my benefit. They knew I was out here. Alice must have seen the future go dark, and they sprung into action.

The cold stole my breath. I watched the lights grow smaller in the distance. They were leaving me here.

"Wait!"

My voice was scratchy. It was a discordant screech to their perfect melodies. I tried again, but no sound came out.

Terror overwhelmed me. Couldn't they hear me? Was my heartbeat too low for them now?

"Wait!"

This time was louder, but lost in a sharp gust of wind. The lights were even farther now. I yelled one last time.

In the moment I felt like I couldn't go on, he was there. His eyes glowed in darkness.

Edward scooped me up in seconds. "She's here!"

Then we were flying.

He'd run with me before, but in my drowsy state, I thought his feet never touched the ground. I only had a vague impression of a house before we were inside it.

Rosalie, only a blurry picture of honey-blonde hair, raced ahead and pushed everything off the dining room table. I was shivering when he laid me on it. From this angle, I realized this was bigger than a house—it was practically a ski lodge. The walls were fortified with stone and rich, dark beams.

There were more vampires in the room than I expected. They were as beautiful as the Cullens. I saw they had more in common with them than beauty; their eyes were bright gold.

Carlisle set his medical bag on the table. His eyebrows were knit together with worry; I took that as a bad sign.

He pushed my sleeve upwards to feel my wrist. I flinched away from the cold of their hands.

"I'll make a fire," one of the unfamiliar vampires said anxiously. She had long black hair like the male at her shoulder. He moved to help her, and I wondered if they were mates. The other three—all drop dead gorgeous—stood watching in silence.

"She needs dry clothes," Carlisle was saying. "We have to warm her up slowly."

Edward and Rosalie immediately went to work removing my robe and pajamas. Everyone but the two of them and the three blondes averted their eyes. I took a shuddering breath at the chill. The last time I was this naked in front of a group of people was when I was born.

Not for long, though. In seconds, I was swaddled in long underwear, flannel pajamas, and cozy blankets. A brief wave of calm went over me, and I silently thanked Jasper for his intervention.

Edward pulled up a chair next to my head. "Where are you coming from?"

"Nineteen s-s-sixty t-t-three," I said through chattering teeth. I recognized the way his shoulders slumped. Oh no. I felt my heart twist at the sight.

"Let's give them a moment," Rosalie said abruptly, gathering my wet clothing in her arms. "Come on, everyone."

One of the blondes looked incredulous. "This is our home, Rosalie."

A frightening snarl ripped from her lips. Emmett put a hand to her shoulder but she shook him off. I watched the unfamiliar blonde scoff before turning toward the door. Her companions followed suit. Then the cavernous room was empty.

"What year is it?"

"1968."

That meant three things. Elliot died over a year ago. My mom was born to my Grandma Marie. But most of all, Edward waited five years for me to come back.

I turned my face into the blanket. The tears wouldn't come. I put Edward through such pain. Time travel, chasing after dead ends, nearly dying in the frozen woods.

He pressed a hand to my drying hair. It was brittle from the ice and wind. "Bella, don't cry."

"I can't help it," I choked out. "You never should have married me. I just make everything worse."

"That's not true."

"It is," I hissed from my cocoon of blankets. "You have to move all the time. You face vampires like James and Victoria. Then you have the Volturi on the horizon! What about that life appeals to you?"

"All of that doesn't matter! I don't care. I love you. I'll wait sixty years if that's what it takes."

I thought back to the early days of our relationship. He was the one convincing me he wasn't good enough. Now the situations had reversed.

"I'll change you," he said quickly. He was almost begging. I had never seen him look so desperate. "Right now, if that's what you want."

Another situation reversal. Now I had Carlisle waiting in the wings. I had Edward pleading to do it at the same time.

But I knew it couldn't be right now. I had yelled, screamed, protested to get my way . . . but it wouldn't make sense. Not yet. There were too many loose ends in 2005. It would have to happen in my time, not in his.

"I still have Charlie," I whispered. "I have to . . . I have to settle things at home first."

Edward laid his head on his arm. Only his eyes were visible over his sleeve. I wriggled so my hand was free of the blanket and laced it with his. "I'm sorry."

"Like I said," he murmured, our hands resting together on the table. "I can wait."

I spent the next four days recovering.

Emmett produced a flask of whiskey and almost got away with giving it to me. Carlisle caught him, though, and insisted I have tea. Alcohol would continue to lower my body temperature. I guiltily watched Edward yell at his brother over my soup and crackers. I was somewhat complicit in the scheme. Emmett didn't seem bothered, though. He enjoyed bothering Edward.

I learned the home we were staying in belonged to the Denali clan. Their massive lodge was in Healy, Alaska, just a few miles away from the mountain. They enjoyed a wide hunting range there. Tanya thought it was a miracle I survived. Many humans who were unfamiliar with the area succumbed to the cold all the time.

Tanya was the leader of the family. My self esteem plummeted just looking at her. She watched me with Edward, often, as if she was analyzing the two of us. With her strawberry blonde hair and perfect white skin, she was impossibly beautiful. Her sisters—Kate and Irina—were equally gorgeous. Irina was the sour one who Rosalie snarled at. We didn't talk much; I avoided her eyes when she was in the room.

I didn't need any more vampire enemies.

Carmen and Eleazar were more friendly and approachable. I was grateful for their quick thinking the day I arrived; I ended up sleeping in front of the fire for the warmth. They often found excuses to spend time with me and Edward.

I learned Eleazar had a motive.

"Eleazar can identify the gifts of others," Edward said a week later as I prepared for a shower. He was sprawled lazily on the bed, watching me undress. Now that I was safely out of danger, he seemed to be relaxing.

"A gift for gifts, if you will. He can't identify yours, but he thinks you'll be very powerful."

I kicked my pants off so I stood there in my underwear. The Denalis had kindly raised the heat in the house for my comfort. In our toasty room, I wasn't cold at all.

"Powerful, indeed," I said, wiggling my fingers. "Surviving the Alaskan wilderness. Burning vampires to ash."

Edward's eyes were black, as if the pupils swallowed the gold irises. "What a vampire you will be."

I wasn't sure if it was my half naked state or the thought of my future that turned him on. But sure enough, a familiar expression crossed his face. I smirked and tossed my bra and panties to the side.

"Are you coming?"

He followed me into the bathroom. With the hot water running, his cold skin barely affected me. His eyes closed when I kissed him, but I sensed his reluctance. "What?"

"We're not alone," he mumbled, his narrowed eyes flashing to the door. "Some people decided to come back early."

I took some people to mean some non-Cullens. The entire house went on a hunting trip this afternoon, but weren't expected back until tomorrow. Edward didn't mind Carmen, Eleazar, or Kate, so it had to be Tanya and Irina.

Between Irina's frosty welcome and Rosalie's whisper of Tanya's crush, I decided to even the score. He watched me lower myself to my knees.

"Wait," Edward said weakly, his hands hovering around my head. "It's not—"

"Not what?" I said, closing my hand around him. "I thought you enjoyed this."

"You know what I mean," he said, his voice cracking like a real teenager.

I ignored him. Edward tilted his head back as I took him in my mouth, flicking my tongue along the length of him. His hands landed on either side of my head, guiding me into a rhythm. I felt the groan rumble through him. He was careful, even now, to be gentle with me.

I was pensive after he finished, rinsing myself under the stream of water. Our sex life was unbelievable, but . . . I always wondered if it was enough. It was more than enough for me, but for him, I wasn't sure. He always had to be so careful. After I changed, however . . .

"Something wrong?"

I shrugged and reached for the soap. "No."

But my glance toward the door did not go unnoticed. He couldn't read my mind, of course, but my face betrayed me on more than one occasion. Insecurity was rearing its ugly head. After years of pushing—begging—him to change me, he finally agreed. Now I was the one hesitating. Now we were living in a house with a stunning vampire who nursed a crush on him. Combine all of that with my anxieties about his enjoyment during sex . . . I felt my mood swing way down.

I barely articulated it in my head before he was kissing me, pressing my back to the tile. I gasped. We hadn't touched in the past few days while I regained my strength. It had felt like a century. After the disaster of San Francisco, I needed him so much. Back in 1963, we had flown home and spent days worrying about what to next.

There hadn't been a connection like this for some time, and we dearly needed it.

He looked much more impressive on his knees. Edward gazed up at me with what I dared to call reverence. Then he parted my legs and knelt between them, lowering his mouth to my clit. A moan escaped me with surprising velocity. It seemed to spur him on. He lifted me so my legs were on either side of his head. With his hands supporting my bottom, my feet didn't touch the ground.

Edward was anything but unmotivated. I was embarrassed by my volume when it was over, but he was attuned to me now. He knew exactly how to get me going. Exactly where to touch. And lick.

I sat panting in his lap when it was over. My wet hair was in my eyes; he pushed it back. I gave him a sleepy smile. He was watching me closely. As attuned as he was to my sexual proclivities, he was also very observant of my emotional ones. He cupped my cheek.

"It's always been you."

It was all I needed to hear.

But I felt a little foolish. Edward wasn't afraid to affirm his love for me. He did it frequently—at least three times a day. I could never doubt his feelings. We met, fell in love, and endured a great deal of pain to be together. The ring was not on my finger by accident.

I leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "I love you."

Nestled in his arms and the blankets later that evening, I slept without dreaming.