WARNING: This chapter contains violence, harsh language and character's death.

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Esme's Point of View

Rosalie stood anxiously near the terminal exit Carlisle and Emmett would be coming out of. I couldn't really say that I wasn't just as anxious. I felt like my entire body was buzzing with anticipation. I know it had only been shy of four weeks, but so much had happened in those few weeks. Things that I needed Carlisle's comfort for.

Victoria was dealt with, she wasn't a threat anymore. I couldn't even describe the kind of relief I felt watching the remains of her body burn into ash.

Jacob… Poor Jacob. He was a wolf and I hadn't seen him since yesterday when he ran off after hearing that Charlie was sent to the hospital. We had expected to see him at the hospital, but he never came. I felt for Jacob. He was just a child…no older than fifteen. Children should not have to deal with such complicated matters.

I sighed aloud. Jacob wasn't the only one. Bella was barely seventeen. She was still a child and yet she was missing, perhaps even worse. I felt a throb in my heart thinking about Bella.

I just wanted to shield them all from this world. The world where bad things can happen to children. A world where they have to grow up quickly in order to survive. It wasn't fair. Children should be able to be just that, for as long as they can be.

Rosalie clasped her hands together in delight and smiled, thus bringing me out of my musing. I followed her joyous gaze and found Emmett beaming a brilliant white grin in her direction. It was easy to see Emmett; he towered over every head.

I stood next to Rosalie. If my heart were able, it would have started thrumming in my chest when I caught sight of Carlisle's perfect, angelic face. His blonde hair was a little disheveled and he looked like something was plaguing him. However, when he lifted his head to me and we locked eyes, his lips parted into a glorious smile. I felt my own lips respond to his. I lifted my hand up and waved at him. His smile only grew.

I wanted to run out to him as fast as I could, but it was midday and the terminals were packed with travelers. I didn't trust myself to do it at human speed, so I just stood there. It didn't take them long to get to us, though. Emmett lifted Rosalie into his arms and spun her around. Rosalie clung to him, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Carlisle and I both reached for one another. When we touched and then encircled one another in each other's arms, my world seemed a little better. There was still so much wrong with it, but now I didn't feel like I was being weighed down under it. "I've missed you so much…" I whispered into his ear.

He turned his head and gently put his lips to my neck and kissed it. "I have missed you, too."

A cough suddenly resonated behind us, diverting our attention.

Carlisle hesitated before he pulled away. He turned to look at a young man. "McAlister, this is my wife Esme. Esme, this is McAlister."

I smiled and nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet you." I instantly noticed the difference in his smell and his eyes. I looked at Carlisle. He hadn't really said much about McAlister over the phone.

"And this is my daughter, Rosalie." We looked over to Rosalie and Emmett. Emmett had set Rosalie down, but they still clung to one another. Emmett whispered over and over that he loved Rosalie. Rosalie peppered him with kisses.

Carlisle cleared his throat, grabbing the two's attention.

They both turned towards us. Rosalie smiled cordially and then also trained her eyes on to Carlisle. I would bet that she was just as surprised by the difference in this young man as I was.

"We have a lot to discuss and quite frankly, I am ready to be home." Carlisle took my hand into his. Again, just the mere connection of our hands and my soul felt lighter and whole. I could never deny that Carlisle was my other half. I wouldn't want to, either.

Emmett grinned as he pulled Rosalie close to his side and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I'm good with going home, what about you, babe?" He looked down at Rosalie suggestively. She answered with a roll of her eyes.

I hadn't realized at first that I was smiling at them. It was so nice to have Emmett back and to see Rosalie happy again. Rosalie had been eaten up with guilt and grief. I was willing to bet that she was still bothered. It was nice to see her smile again. It was nice to be able to smile again.

Now, all we needed was for Jasper, Alice, Edward and Bella to come home. My smile quickly faded as their names passed through my mind. If they all came back home, that is.

Carlisle noticed my change of emotion because he too pulled me into his side, wrapping both his arms around me. He kissed my cheek and whispered to me. "Everything will turn out okay. Let's go home..."

The way his words caressed my heart, comfort quickly engulfed me. I loved this man with all my heart and soul. Who was I kidding; he was my heart and soul. I couldn't function normally without him... I could only go through the motions.

He turned toward McAlister. "We would be delighted to have you stay with us. We have more than enough room to accommodate you."

McAlister nodded. "That would be very kind of you. Thank you."

With that, we left the airport, arm and arm with our significant other, each of us needing that physical connection. It was a quiet drive home, but a comfortable one. I was sure that no one wanted to speak, because to do so, our happy reunion would be over. We would have to tell each other what had been happening on our respective sides of the world. Part of me didn't want to think about any of it. I just wanted it to be me and Carlisle for a little bit longer. We would have to talk about it all and figure out a plan, but that could wait… at least for a little while longer.

When we got home, Emmett and Rosalie barely took notice of anything. They were gone within seconds. I didn't blame them. I too wanted to be with my husband, but it seems that would have to wait for now.

Carlisle excused himself to put away his bag in our bedroom, leaving me and McAlister alone for just a few seconds. I had only heard him speak once to accept our invitation to the house. I hadn't been expecting him to speak to me, so it took me by surprise.

"The wolves you encountered, they weren't werewolves?"

I knitted my brows. "No."

A gust of air signified that Carlisle returned. "Sorry sweetheart. I did not get a chance to tell you. McAlister came along because he was curious about the Quileutes." He took my hand in his.

"Werewolves are disgusting, vial creatures." McAlister surmised.

I didn't know any werewolves personally, so I could not detest or agree with McAlister on that statement. I, of course, had heard the legends. If the legends could be taken for their word, then perhaps he was right. That didn't stop the surge of anger that enveloped my whole being. He didn't have a right to speak about these wolves, Jacob, like that. He was a good boy who could not help his genetics.

"These wolves are quite different from werewolves." Carlisle squeezed my hand understanding parts of me that no one else ever would.

McAlister nodded his head speculatively. "You had spoken to your son, the mind reader—" McAlister lifted a brow at Carlisle, causing Carlisle to stiffen slightly, "—about meeting with the wolves." I wasn't sure what that was about.

"Yes, I will attempt to. Whether we meet or not will be up to them, though. We cannot cross into their territory."

"You are bound by a line?"

Carlisle nodded. "We have a treaty with one another. They are very protective people."

McAlister nodded as he took that moment to look around the living room. "You live here, as does the three still in Ireland?" He changed the subject suddenly.

Carlisle nodded his head.

"Why?"

"Well, because we have a large family and—"

"You do have a large coven." His lips lifted up into a mocking smile. "I bet the—" He grimaced, "—Volturi are happy about that."

"We are not a coven, we are a family." I corrected. Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, and even Bella now, were my children. Carlisle, my husband. It mattered not that we did not share blood, ;we shared a bond that was far more powerful than a coven.

"I meant no disrespect." McAlister bowed his head slightly. "But your family is a very peculiar bunch." He turned and studied some of the paintings on the walls.

Carlisle looked down at me and smiled again. "Yes, we have been told that many times."

I squeezed his hand. We were very peculiar. There were only twelve 'Vegetarian' vampires that I knew of in the world, seven of us, and five in the Denali clan. Carlisle had theorized that perhaps our vegetarian lifestyle is what allowed us to form greater bonds with one another. I don't know how valid that theory is and for the most part, I didn't really care about the why. I cared about the who.

"As you are a very peculiar vampire as well." Carlisle followed behind McAlister, leading me behind him.

McAlister chuckled. "Yes, even more so, I suppose." He turned to face us. "Although, I am not the only Pure One."

"Pure One?" I asked.

McAlister nodded. "As you call yourself vegetarians because you refrain from human blood and only consume animals… We call ourselves the pure ones because we only feed from The Source."

"The Source?"

"I believe he means Drakes." Carlisle answered as McAlister nodded. "It's a fascinating story." Carlisle's eyes seemed to sparkle. He is always so excited to learn new things.

"Is that why your eyes are violet?" Rosalie spoke coming down the stairs, Emmett directly behind her with a frown playing on his lips.

McAlister shrugged. "I suppose so…"

"How many of you are there?" Rose asked as she stopped at the foot of the stairs.

"Only a few."

"I have never even heard of 'Pure ones.'" Emmett spoke bitterly, clearly not his usual self. I wondered what was wrong. It was then that Rosalie rolled her eyes. Had something happened in the short time they...?

"Well, we do not really like to be known. We are an old bunch and private in our ways. You wouldn't know we are there unless we want to be known."

His words caused a chill to tip toe up my spin. I wasn't sure if it was the flatness of his voice or the words he spoke, but something in me knew that he was more dangerous than what his appearance foretold.

Emmett scoffed. "Not likely. Maybe a human wouldn't, but you can't fool a fellow vampire. Even if we couldn't see you, we could smell and hear you."

McAlister turned toward Emmett. He didn't smile or bat an eye. "You smell me now because I am allowing it. You do not live as long as I do, while being hunted, without adapting."

"Hunted?" Rosalie picked up on the same word I had. Who would hunt a vampire? Granted, legends say that werewolves were aggressive to our kind, but were not limited with their aggression. They were aggressive to anyone who was around them during the full moon.

"Hunted." McAlister nodded as he repeated Rosalie's words. "Since the creation of vampires, we have been hunted by an elite group of Drakes called the Guard.

"Okay, what are Drakes?"

Carlisle informed us what he learned in Ireland of the Drakes. McAlister offered a few words of his own.

Emmett plopped down on the couch, clearly agitated. Rosalie glared at the back of his head and then turned her attention back to McAlister and Carlisle. What had happened? I wanted to go to Emmett and sooth his ill temper or go to Rosalie and ask what the problem was.

"How is it that vampires are being hunted, yet we know nothing about these fire fiddling psychopaths?" Rosalie narrowed her eyes.

"Obvious reasons..."

"Obvious being that those hunted are dead, leaving no one to tell the tale?"

"Precisely."

"You're alive." Emmett said, his focus on the blank TV.

"He's right. You're alive to spread the word." Rosalie added.

"True."

I could see that Rosalie was getting irritated. McAlister was not making it easy to like him. Perhaps it was his curt words or his indifferent attitude.

"Why wouldn't you tell the others? Why let them just die?" I couldn't help but ask. There was already so much unnecessary bloodshed amongst all the living creatures on earth. Why wouldn't he try to prevent some of it?

"It didn't concern me." He shrugged. "Honestly, I see nothing wrong with killing those murderers."

I think we were all flabbergasted by McAlister's confession.

"But you're a vampire, too… You would have killed that little fire dude. So… Wouldn't you be one of those 'murderers?'" Emmett put his hands in the air, making a quote gesture with his fingers, as he turned to join our conversation.

A pained expression came over McAlister's face, then just as quickly, it left. "I am guilty... I, too, will one day reap my punishment."

Beyond the dislike and the unease he caused in me, a brief sense of sadness passed through my heart for this man. There was some hidden truth behind his words and pain. I recognized that pain. There was more to this man than met the eye, that was for sure.

...

Carlisle and I went to the hospital together after everyone settled in. Emmett still seemed out of sorts while Rosalie was determined to get answers. I wanted to tell Carlisle everything that had transpired while he was away, but I wasn't sure that an outsider, as McAlister was, should know the intimate details.

Although Charlie was a ruse to have privacy to speak, I really did want to see Charlie. I had only been able to sneak in a visit with Charlie twice, each time only for a few moments. With him in the ICU, he was rarely left alone for any length of time. Carlisle had access, though.

I shut the door behind us as Carlisle started to check Charlie's vitals. I went to his side and took Charlie's hand into mine. It was hard to lose a child. I wouldn't admit that Bella was lost to us all, but to Charlie, she was.

"Hang in there, Charlie. Bella is going to need you when we bring her back." I felt the burning in my eyes from the tears that would never fall.

"He will pull out of this." Carlisle put his hand and rubbed soothing circles in my back. "By looking at the charts, his vitals have already improved since yesterday."

I looked up to Carlisle and took great comfort in his presence. "Rosalie feels awful about all of this." I didn't have to say how I was feeling about it, Carlisle always seemed to know, it was that unspoken bond we had.

"I have faith that if anyone can get Bella back, it will be Edward." He turned his head to look at Charlie. "And we just have to have faith that everything will turn out well in the end."

I nodded in assent because he was right.

Carlisle turned back to me and offered me his hand. "Shall we go to my office so we can discuss the last few weeks?"

I nodded as I gently set Charlie's hand back down and took his.

We spoke in hushed whispers about all that had occurred. I told him about the wolves. Thanks to my vampirememory, I was able to tell him everything that happened and what was said. It was as bad as I thought it was because Carlisle was troubled by it.

Carlisle rehashed everything that had happened in Ireland. I was floored with the knowledge that Bella was not human. We all knew there was something different about her, but to be an elemental…a Drake. I was so unfamiliar with the word, only ever seeing Bella. I couldn't imagine her harming any of us, so it was hard to picture this Fin completely obliterating James with a single touch.

Apparently Fin wasn't an enemy though, not in the end at any rate. Apparently he was Bella's biological father. That surprised me. I had never had any inkling that she and Charlie were unrelated by blood. It was apparent that Charlie didn't differentiate the fact they were not blood, which only deepened the soft spot I had for him already.

Panic surged through my body when he explained to me what happened with both Alice and Jasper. I wanted to pack up right there and then and go to my children who needed me. They needed all of us, but Carlisle said we needed to stay here. We needed to help Charlie and handle the developing situation with the wolves.

I knew he was right, but my motherly instincts were dividing me yet again.

When we finally brought each other up to speed, I left Carlisle in his office to finish a few things. I wondered down the hall, nearing the emergency ward.

"It was a dog… The biggest doggie I'd ever seen! As big as a car!" A young girl spoke with such excitement in her voice.

Someone must have looked at the girl in a fashion that even she knew they did not believe her.

"Really! Daddy saw it, too! It ran back into the woods."

I rounded the corner and got a glimpse of a child, probably around eight years old. She had some cuts and bruises on her right temple and down her right arm. A woman was sitting with the child on her lap. She frantically rocked the girl back and forth. The woman shared similar cuts and bruises.

"Mommy…it's true! It was brown and red!"

The woman hushed the child as she petted her hair down and continued to rock. Her eyes were stuck in shock, not really looking at anything.

Brown and red dog… the size of a car. I inhaled an unnecessary breath. Was she talking about Jacob?

"Excuse me, ma'am." A deputy walked up to the two. "I needed to ask some questions about the accident. My information states that it occurred on Interstate 101, near the mile marker fifty-seven. Can you tell me what exactly happened?"

At that simple statement, the woman's eyes filled with tears as she tried to focus on the policeman. "I… I don't know." She shook her head frantically. "I was reading and… It just…" She held onto the little girl tighter.

"It was a doggy!" The girl cried out to the deputy. She turned to her mother and grabbed her on either sides of her face and looked her in the eyes. "Really, it was!"

"Was it a dog, ma'am?" The deputy looked at the woman.

"I…" She studied the girl's eyes. "I don't know." She shook her head free the girl child's hands and looked up at the officer. "It all happened so fast…"

I stopped eavesdropping and continued on to the exit. Once I was outside, I looked up at the overcast sky and sighed.

The facts were that Jacob was a wolf, there were at least three other wolves besides Jacob, and they thought we were responsible for Bella's disappearance.

I wasn't sure how strong the treaty was with these new wolves. An overwhelming anxiety of what was to come started to weigh my stomach down.

Rosalie's Point of View

I didn't hate Bella… I didn't particularly like her, but I didn't hate her. I just didn't understand the fascination my brother had with her. I wanted her as far away from my family and our secret. Knowing our secret only led to death in one form or another. She had a choice and she was choosing wrong. What sane person chooses to hang around vampires?

I know everyone thought she was his mate, but that didn't change the fact that she was also human. She didn't have to be a monster. She could keep her heartbeat. She could keep breathing and growing. She could have children… Something we could never have now that we were frozen in time. Never aging… never moving forward.

I didn't understand how she didn't comprehend that. Edward knew…but he pursued her anyway. He was being selfish not only with her life but with all of ours… If the Volturi found out, that would mean big trouble for all involved, which meant Bella and my whole family.

I would never let them hurt my brother. Even though he is being an idiot, he is still my brother.

Now Bella is gone. Who knows where she is…probably dead. Edward is gone, too. You could hear the despair in his voice when he spoke on the phone the first couple of weeks. Even now, he's not the same. He didn't deserve this. Bella didn't deserve this, but this is something that happens when you enter our world. Edward knew this! You don't put a mouse in a snake pit without something happening to the mouse.

But they didn't deserve this misery. My family didn't deserve it. I didn't deserve it. It would only get worse if we lost Edward. It would be partially my fault. I refused tohelp. Maybe if I had been willing to help…

Esme doesn't like the word 'maybe,' but when you're the guilty party, it's hard not to think of the maybes.

Our family wasn't the only one's suffering. Charlie… He was so pale and frail. I hated to see that image in my mind. He was knocking on death's door and death was opening it for him. It took every vestige of will power and determination to keep his heart pumping without shattering his rib cage. I heard two cracks. The sound still made me wince. It didn't take the ambulance too long to get there and they took over. The boy didn't even register in my mind until I was at the hospital.

It was just too much.

Now Carlisle and Emmett were home. I was elated to have them home. We rushed home and into our room. Emmett held me so tightly to his chest and I too clung to him. Our love life was well known around the house as being loud and passionate… This time it was different. I just needed him to hold me and tell me he loved me. I needed to know it wasn't my fault. All my fault.

It was completely out of character for me. I was never the clingy type. I never needed the reassurance that Emmett gave me. But now, I couldn't get enough of it. The guilty thoughts of Edward's pain, Esme's pain and even Charlie's pain kept seeping in.

"Rose, what's wrong?" Emmett held onto me, not nearly tight enough.

I tightened my grasp on him not wanting to admit my weakness.

"Hey babe, come on. Talk to me." He nudged my face up to look into his eyes. "Let me in."

"It's nothing." I shrugged as I released him and tugged his shirt off. I gazed at his amazing chest. No woman alive—or dead, for that matter—could deny the god-like physique my man possessed. Edward's despair. I touched his chest and rubbed little lines up and down the curvatures of his abs. Bella's gone. "What are we waiting for?" I looked up at Emmett. Charlie's dying.

He knitted his brows. He seemed a little lost. "Rose, babe…"

Esme's sad eyes. "Emmett… I don't want to talk about it!" I ripped my shirt off, tearing it in the process. "I just want you right now, right here!" Edward would never have Bella. She was probably dead. I hastily pulled my pants down, now only in my undergarments. My whole family is being separated, because of me.

Emmett looked down at my body, appreciation on his face. "Rose…" He looked up at me, questioning me with his eyes. He knew. He knew I was messed up, but I knew him, too. I knew what he wanted. I knew he couldn't hold out much longer.

I wrapped my arms around him and eagerly pulled his lips to mine. If we were human, our lips would have bruised. He didn't need much coaxing before he lifted me, allowing me to wrap my legs around his waist. I felt my back slam into the wall as his body rocked into mine and his hands roamed up and down my curves.

I loved the feel of his body next to mine. Edward would never have this. I winced. I tried to push away the thoughts. Emmett nibbled my bottom lip, caressing it with his tongue. I loved the way his lips on mine caused an explosion of want and desire to ignite within every frozen cell of my body. It was almost like being alive. Bella would never take another breath. Edward wouldn't survive… Alice said she saw it. Alice is never wrong.

I hadn't realized that I broke our kiss and started sobbing until Emmett caressed my cheek. "Babe..." He kissed my forehead and wrapped his arms around me, holding me closer to his chest. He walked to the bed and sat down with me still wrapped around him. "What is going on in that head of yours?"

I shook my head. I didn't want to be weak. Charlie's ribs cracking. "Jeez, Emmett…" I couldn't admit weakness. I wasn't weak... I just couldn't do it. Bitch. That I could do. "When the hell did you become such a pansy? I am sitting, practically naked—" Edward would never have this, "—and all you want to do is talk?" It wasn't fair of me. Emmett was actually making a great effort to talk rather than do what he really wanted to do. I didn't want to talk. I knew what buttons to push to change a subject.

Emmett scrunched his brows up. "Pansy? What the fuck, Ro-"

"Shh!" I hushed him as words drifted up the stairs. It was Carlisle, Esme and that McAlister guy talking.

"What the hel-"

I turned to glare at Emmett and then got up in a flash. I pulled my pants back on and looked at the torn remains of my shirt. I went to my closet and pulled out a red blouse and buttoned it up.

"Rosalie!" Emmett stood up and lifted his arms in a gesture of not understanding what is going on.

I grabbed his shirt off the floor and threw it at him. "Put your shirt on and let's go. I want to talk to this McAlister guy."

"No."

I stopped dead in my tracks. Did Emmett just tell me no? He never told me no. "I turned my glare onto him, the one that made everyone run screaming. "What?"

Emmett flinched but then shook his head. "No." This declaration was not as fierce as the first, so I rolled my eyes. I turned and walked out of the door. Even though Emmett said no, he pulled his shirt on and followed me down the stairs. He was in a sour mood. I could just add that to the guilt that was already piling up. Edward… Bella… Esme… Charlie… Carlisle… Alice… Jasper… And now Emmett…

McAlister was an ass. That was all there was to it.

I wasn't big on the whole vampire thing, but I didn't want to kill any of the other vampires… well except for that Red Demon Banshee. I had wanted to rip her rattyhead off of her body, but those damn dogs beat me to it.

What I wouldn't give to have been the one to make her scream. As it was, I wasn't anywhere in the vicinity when she met her end. She was lucky.

The wolves gave her an easy and painless death. Morons.

"Are we going to talk now or are you going to keep drilling that little freak?" Emmett asked, flipping through the channels, acting disinterested. I could tell he was still mad, otherwise he would have realized what he had just said. Whatever.

I could handle this. I wasn't the victim. Never again would I be. I am strong; I didn't need anyone's pity, especially for this. This wasn't my fault. Yes it was. I didn't deserve to suffer. None of them deserved this.

Emmett dropped the remote to the couch. "I guess that answers that." He stood hastily up.

I wanted to go to him and nuzzle up to him. I wanted to kiss him long and hard, to make love to him. I wanted to feel his hands rove over my body...worshipping me.

"When you decide that I am more than a piece of ass to you, let me know." Then he was gone. Only then, when I was alone, did I let the bitchy self-preservation pretenses fall. I let the guilt and the sorrow overwhelm me. Only then did I admit my weakness to myself. I was seriously messed up.

...

Over the next couple of days, the tension remained around the house. It was easy to see where Esme's and Carlisle's mind was. They were worried. We all were.

Emmett kept his distance and barely spoke to me. This wasn't like him. Granted, we were no strangers to arguments. It came along with being as passionate as we were, but it was always short lived. Emmett always came around.

"Any news about meeting the wolves?" McAlister's question pulled me out of my musings.

"No, not yet." It was hard to set up a meeting when you couldn't talk to one of them to begin with. Stupid treaty.

"Would it be okay if I joined you on your meeting?" He wore a mask of boredom, but he was definitely interested in the wolves. I didn't understand it. They were just giant dogs.

Suddenly, a stench bombarded us. It was horrible. It smelled like wet dog, only magnified by a thousand. It was nauseating.

McAlister turned towards the door. "What a peculiar smell." He didn't pinch his nose. He glanced at both me and Emmett and smirked. "Definitely not the worse stench I have had to endure."

I rolled my eyes. I didn't like this overly pompous know it all. We get it; he's older than dirt and has seen everything!

Carlisle didn't say anything. Instead a concerned look came over his face. He took a few steps closer to the door.

Then we heard the beating of paws hitting the ground accompanied by snarling. They were fast. We were just as fast. We all made our way onto the large front porch and waited. It was only seconds before a huge reddish-brown wolf launched itself out of the forest, growling menacingly.

"What the hell!" Emmett exclaimed. My own eyes widened. I remember the wolves being big, but not this big and I have perfect recall. They were bigger than they were seventy years ago.

Jacob's Point of View

I hated to leave Charlie alone in the house, but I needed a break. Some fresh air. Seeing him like this brought me back to when Mom died. Billy had been paralyzed with grief. I was young, but I would never forget the look of sorrow that Dad wore.

I had no doubt that Bella was alive, somewhere. I felt it deep in my bones. I don't know what it is about her, but I have always just felt her. It started that first time I saw her on the beach in La Push. Rebecca and Rachel were being their usual, monstrous selves. When she fell and started to cry, I felt it in my heart.

Being just a kid, I didn't understand it. I just wanted to be her friend. We had fun together. We had managed to scrounge together a couple of sand bucketsof seaweed and mud. When Bella wasn't looking, I scooped in a little extra for my rotten sisters. Luckily for me, a dog did his business and the owner hadn't picked it up.

I had never seen my sisters turn so red and then cry so hard. Yeah, they told on us, but I took the blame for it. I didn't want Bella to get into trouble.

It was easy being friends. Automatic and effortless, like breathing.

Then she left. I missed her so much! Every day I bugged Billy and Charlie asking when she would come back. It was at that time that her mother decided to run off with Bella. I hadn't seen her in eight years, but I thought of her every day. At first, it was just missing a friend. Then I started to wonder who she was becoming.

My wildest imagination did not prepare me for the beauty I saw on the beach. I recognized her instantly and she was absolutely breath taking. We had only played with each other that one time when we were little, so I was sure she wouldn't have remembered me. I watched her, too nervous to talk to her. That was until she tripped. It was déjà vu, it had to be destiny.

Each step I took nearer to her, my whole body seemed to quiver with excitement. Then we touched. Something changed in me at that moment. I wanted more.

That didn't change as we hung out. It only seemed to grow. I wanted to be near her. I wanted to touch her… hold her hand. I even found myself gazing at her lips wondering how soft and warm they would feel.

But she already had a boyfriend, Edward—Mr. Rich and Perfect, with awesome cars—Cullen. I had thought maybe I had a chance before I met him in the woods. One look at him and the way she gazed at him, I felt any chance I may have had slip away. I wanted to whole-heartedly hate the guy. Besides the fact that he was dating the girl of my dreams, my Bells, there was just something about him that set my whole body on edge. I was polite and talked cars with him, but the whole time, I tried to keep a handle on the growing resentment towards him.

That was the last time I saw Bella. They dropped me off outside of the reservation and she rode off with him.

I felt a pain in my chest again. It wasn't just the worry of where Bella was. Something else was happening.

The last few weeks just seemed wrong. I shoot up and Billy said the growth spurt might cause pain, but this just didn't seem right at all. It felt like my entire body was trying to come apart. Maybe it was just the stress.

I wasn't sure how far I walked into the forest before I heard someone behind me. I turned quickly, but saw no one. Then a very sweet, almost sickly sweet, smell invaded my nose. I glanced around the woods. The forest was like a second home to me. It felt natural to be surrounded by nature and all its glory. That smell wasn't natural…

It had probably been a good half an hour to an hour since I left Charlie. I should probably go check on him. He looked bad. He hadn't eaten or spoken in days.

"Your blood smells different…"

I jumped as I turned on my heels. A woman with wild red hair and blazing red eyes studied me. Blazing red eyes?

Suddenly a pain rippled through my stomach. I clutched at it and gritted my teeth. What was happening? Who was this crazy chick?

She came closer, but it was all wrong. She was like a cat stalking it's pray, the way her body moved. Again a rippling pain hit me in the core of my stomach. It vibrated outward, encompassing my whole body. I could feel it trembling violently. This was not right. What was happening to me? "Wh… What is happening?"

She got even closer, causing the shaking to increase. I had to get away. I started to run. Each step I took felt like I would collapse from the violent trembles violating my body.

I didn't get very far before I felt something cold and hard grab my shoulder. The next thing I knew I was flying through the air. The air rushed out of my chest when I hit a tree. I could feel the tearing of my shirt and skin as I slid down the rough bark.

"Hmm… I don't know where to place that smell, but I want to try it!" She said.

I looked at her confused. Was this a dream?

I winced feeling the cuts on my back. No, it couldn't be a dream.

Then suddenly, she was directly in front of me. She grabbed my arm and yanked it towards her. It hurt, but suddenly the violating tremors racked my entire body and mind. My body felt like it was tearing apart. I screamed out in agonizing pain. This was worse than anything I had ever felt before.

The woman released me and stepped back, her eyes widening. Then everything went black for an instant.

Ahhh! What is happening! What…I… wha… I looked all over the place. That sickly sweet smell was suddenly a hundred times worse, it almost literally burned my nose. I shook my head trying to get the smell to go away, it was then that I saw hairy legs and paws. Oh my God! Oh my God! What the hell… A whimpering sound echoed in my ears. Was that me?

'Jacob? Jacob everything is okay. We will be there in just a minute.' What was that?

'Geez. Calm down, you idiot!' Another voice violated my head. What was happening?

'Paul! Quiet!'

'There's a leech with him. I smell it, damn bloodsucker!' A third voice bombarded my mind. Was I crazy?

A twig snapped and I jerked my head up to stare at the red headed lady. She looked completely different. She was absolutely shocked, but it was more than that. She no longer looked normal. She was angular and sharp, like… I didn't really know. All that registered in my mind was 'wrong.' Then her head swung around as she watched the woods.

That's when I smelled something else. It was a familiar and calming smell. It made me feel safe, that was until three giant wolves stepped out of the shadows of the woods, growling. I whimpered as I tried to step back away. I didn't back up far before hitting the tree that still held my blood on it.

I'm going to die. These wolves are huge!

'It's us, moron!' The voice of Paul echoed in my mind.

'Chill out Paul, he's just a kid and just shifted for the first time.'

'Focus you two!' The first voice boomed with authority as he spoke again.

I found myself focusing, too. I could sense where each voice was coming from. The voice that was full of authority was the black wolf. The silver wolf was Paul. The third, brown, wolf was the other unnamed voice.

'Sam, there's another to the east.' The brown wolf lifted its head towards the east, back towards where Bella's house was.

'We kill this one first!' Sam told the other two with a growl.

Kill? No. Killing was wrong. I whimpered as I shook my head. This was very wrong.

'Stop being a baby, it's a bloodsucker. Vampires aren't human. WE KILL THEM or they kill us.' Paul nearly yelled in my head.

Vampire? Wolves? It isn't possible!

'Dude! Look in the mirror. It's real!'

'Paul! Enough! Jacob…just calm down.'

The woman, vampire, shifted her weight as if about to run.

'Paul, get her arm! Jared, her leg!' Sam directed the other two.

Paul leaped through the air and then spit a chuck of the vampire's shoulder out onto the ground. 'Uhg. Tastes like shit!'

'Try having to keep it in your mouth!' Jared complained as he held her leg. She looked down at Jared and pulled her fist back to strike him.

Sam took her arm before she could hit Jared. He ripped her arm clean from her body!

She tried to run, but Jared held onto her leg.

'We end this now! Paul!' Sam and Paul both lunged at the woman… vampire? Then an ear grating noise cut through the air as her head came away from her body.

Her head!

'Sam, the other bloodsucker?'

Sam nodded his head as they all started to move toward the East. I followed, not knowing what else to do.

'It's one of the same stenches that were on her truck!' Jared said.

Sam nodded again.

Then a soft feminine voice spoke, "I mean you no harm…"

Just hearing the voice made my whole body tremble violently. It seemed to have the same effect on the others. Then the black one changed… it was Sam Uley. He met the vampire, with Paul and Jared at the ready.

'Who did you think it was?' Paul barked. He wanted to rip this vampire up to shreds as well. The adrenaline was still pumping from dismembering the last one.

'Paul… Give him a break.' Jared responded, obviously annoyed.

Paul and Jared… Sam Uley, Paul Lahote and Jared Cameron. The gang!

It was Jared's snarky laugh that caught my attention. 'Like a mafia gang? Is that the rumor about us?'

Paul was saying something, but I didn't listen. It was at that moment Sam said Cullen.

'Okay, seriously? Are you that retarded? If vampires are real and we turn into giant wolves, wouldn't it stand to reason that all the legends are true? We should just tear her to pieces, treaty be damned!'

The Cullens were vampires? The legends were true. They were really vampires. Panic caused my body to shake again. Edward Cullen was a vampire! Bella was with him… She was in danger!

"Charlie was rushed to the hospital."

Her words cut my mind off for a moment. Charlie was at the hospital. It took me a few moments before that sentence really made sense. Oh no. Charlie was doing badly already…now…

The grief began to build up too much to contain. I lifted my head and howled in pain. I had to get to Charlie. I took off running, which was surprisingly fast.

'Jacob… Stop! You can't be seen! Jacob! Slow down!' Jared's voice trailed close behind me. I tried to ignore it.

'Stupid leech is lying! They did something to her!' "She is just as much a part of our family! She is Edward's other half. She is our family!" I could hear her voice through Paul's mind.

It made me furious that she would claim Bella as a part of their sick and twisted world. Vampires were killers! Monsters! I dug my paws deeper into the earth to push myself faster.

'I'll rip her lying head off!' Paul snarled as he tackled herto the ground. I had to get out of here. I had to check on Charlie. I had to find Bella! Bella…

Then I felt something smash into me and rolled to the ground. I snapped at it by instinct. Jared snapped back at me. 'You can't leave the cover of the forest! Not like this!'

'The hell I can't! I have to help Bella! She is dating one of them! Bella…'

Jared took hold of my shoulder in his jaws and yanked me back away from the edge of the forest. I yelped out as his teeth sunk into my flesh. Everything blurred as I let instinct take over.

I yanked my head back as I snapped at Jared again. He jumped away, releasing my shoulder. A growl escaped my mouth as we began to circle one another.

'Get a grip man!'

Bella…

I lunged at him. Our jaws were snapping at one another as we rolled around, hitting trees. The smaller ones snapping against our weight and ferocity.

'Ah, dammit! Jared needs help!'

It was only a moment before I heard Sam again. 'Jacob, stand down!' His voice echoed in my head.

My mouth snapped shut as Jared knocked me away. I wanted to go at him again, but my legs wouldn't respond.

'Calm down, Jacob!' Again, he spoke with an air of authority. My body responded, the shaking subsiding only slightly.

I was completely out of control of my own body. Dammit! What is happening?

'Welcome to the Alpha command. You can't disobey it…' Paul snickered.

The other two caught up to us. I stood on all fours with my snout to the ground. Like a dog with its tails between its legs. It was humiliating!

'There is a lot to learn Jacob. We are here for you.'

...

'Jacob, you need to calm down!' Sam said for the twelfth time.

'He's got a point Sam… The treaty is an abomination, they all are.' Of course Paul had to put his two cents in.

'It is an abomination, but they have not broken it. We are bou—'

The hell! You said they did something to Bella! I felt the furry rock my body all over again. So much for calming down.

'We don't know for sure.' Sam sighed, tired from having to repeat the same argument over and over. They had been at this for days now.

'We smelled that bloodsucker all over Bella's truck! That is proof enough!'

Images of Bella's truck, the one I had built up filtered through our minds. I wasn't exactly sure whose mind it came from, not that it matter much. A renewed sense of rage pulsed through my veins. It wasn't only my own, but Paul's,too. His rage was feeding mine.

'Dammit! So we are going to just sit here and wait for them to slip up! Fuck that man!'

Bella…

'We aren't going to break the treaty. As we stand right now, there is nothing that points to any bloodshed.'

Stop! Just stop it! You want us to wait until they hurt her or kill her?

'Screw that!' Paul piped in.

Sam groaned. 'We do not know for sure they have her.'

'Her smell was all over the truck… That Cullen was there when the truck was pulverized.' Jared interjected. 'The facts don't look good for them.'

Sam turned to look at Jared. 'We know that Bella was seeing one… the leech's scent could be explained.'

Paul groaned. 'Stop coming up with excuses for the fucking bloodsuckers!'

'I'm not making excuses. I'm being logical.' Sam growled in frustration. 'I don't like them anymore than any of you, but as of right now, they haven't done anything wrong!'

Bella…

Sam looked at me sympathetically. Imprint. It passed through his mind, which caused both Paul and Jared to stop their restless pacing.

'Aw great!'

'She isn't even Quileute!'

What the hell is imprint?

Sam sighed. 'Legend says…'

...

A part of me always knew that Bella and I were destined for one another. This whole mess was exactly that, a mess, but at least something that made sense came out of it. Bella was my soul-mate! My imprint.

It was that knowledge that made it impossible for me to hold back any longer. I took off toward the Cullens. I wasn't exactly sure where they lived, but I knew the general location. Once I got close enough, the smell, that sickeningly sweet smell, lead me in the right direction. I wanted to rip them apart. I wasn't exactly sure if that was really me or a wolf thing that made me want to. Apparently, that was our purpose…our reason for existing.

'I'm right behind you man! Let's tear those leeches apart!' Paul yelled a few feet behind me.

Sam and Jared weren't far behind either. I could hear each distinct footfall, or paw, as it was.

'Jacob! Paul! Stop where you are!'

It was so instantaneous that our paws obeyed Sam that we stumbled forward to a clumsy halt. I started to growl menacingly, ready to rip Sam's head off. By Paul's thoughts, he felt the same way. I hated this alpha command crap. It was humiliating and he was being an ass for taking away our free will.

'Especially since he isn't even supposed to be the Alpha to begin with!'

'But I am right now! And as acting Alpha, I say that you will not attack the Cullens, not until we have more concrete facts!'

I felt the weight of his command pulling at each of my muscles, forcing them to obey. It felt completely wrong.

Bella…

'This is messed up Sam!' Paul shook his massive head side to side trying to fight the command. 'If she is his imprint…'

'I know, Paul!' Sam cut Paul's thoughts off. 'We need to get back to the elders and see what they think.'

Elders? As in Old Quil, Harry and Billy? They knew about this?

No one answered because they too had once felt the betrayal of not being informed that the legends were real. Granted, none of us probably would have believed them, but at least that would have been our problem. As it stood, they werejust presented as legends, something to tell the kids around a bonfire.

Instead they, Billy,were making excuses for the weird things we were going through.

Growth spurt my ass…

'Don't be mad at your dad. We are not allowed to tell anyone who is not a wolf or an imprint.' Jared said with a bit of sympathy in his tone. 'Some of the others may never shift.' Jared's mental tone took on a bit of sadness. 'At least your dad knows.'

So? Wouldn't it be better for us to be prepared? Why not tell us?

'Because it's bullshit, that's why.' Paul growled still trying to fight the command.

I too pulled and pushed at my legs, willing them to move aninch. They trembled, nearly buckling under the weight of the command.

'You can't fight the command…' Jared turned back in the direction we had come from, the sympathy gone from his voice.

I was so close. I could feel it…almost taste it.

'You're such a hypocrite… If it were Emily.'

We all saw it before Sam could hide his thoughts from us. For a split second, his thoughts betrayed his own command... he would be doing just the same as I was.

Anger welled up in me. How could he possible stop me from the same thing he would do for his soul mate? Hell, it didn't matter if Bella, Bella..., was my soul mate or not. They know what I had gone through the last four weeks. They knew the pain I dealt with on a daily basis...that I suffered.

I wouldn't stop him. I would have done everything in my power to help him get Emily back.

Again, his thoughts betrayed him. For a split moment, he thought about not wanting to be Alpha. He didn't want the responsibility. He didn't want any of this. Flashes of pain vibrated through his mind and bombarded ours. Images of a girl with tear stains etched in her cheeks as she slaps him. Her walking away as his heart breaks. Then more images of a different girl screaming in pain, blood everywhere. A wolf howling a mournful sound. Isolation and pain.

It caused the rest of us to still in our thoughts. Even Paul was left speechless. Sam had felt pain. He knew what it was like to suffer.

All of this was messed up. Part of me pitied Sam and thought he may sort of be right. But there was part of me, a larger part, that just wanted to find Bella and protect her.

'I want to protect her, too!' Sam's sudden declaration surprised me, causing me to flinch. 'We just can't start a war without the facts, because if we attack them, it will start a war. Are you prepared for that? Are you prepared to risk the tribe, innocent people, in all this mess?' Sam stood tall, all traces of his previous thoughts gone.

Again, I was at a cross. I knew Sam was right. It was logical and thought out. But there was a part of me that didn't want to listen to Sam. It felt wrong. It felt wrong that his commands were halting my movements. Every tendon and muscle fiber fought against his command. Was this instinct telling me that he was wrong? That I needed to fight them?

'At this rate, she's probably already dead!' Paul said with venom in his voice.

Those were the words that did it for me. They released whatever shackles that Sam's command held over me. I lifted my nose from the ground and sniffed the air. I have to save her! I didn't wait for Sam to give another Alpha command. I started running again.

I just let my instincts take over as I let my nose lead me. I pushed my feet deep into the earth, propelling myself faster and with greater sprints. If I hadn't been in a life or death frame of mind, I would have truly enjoyed the feel of the wind brushing against me. I would have enjoyed the feel of my muscles stretching and just the overall feel of the power my new muscles had. That wasn't the case. I focused only on that smell and soon the house—no mansion was more like it—came into view. I didn't slow or hesitate. This was about saving Bella. The crimson red eyes of that redheaded bloodsucker stuck in my mind. They were dangerous. Our legends had said that they were. They killed mercilessly, slaughtered nearly the whole tribe. They fed on human blood. Even Paul's words echoed in my head over and over again, 'She's probably already dead.'

Bella…

I launched myself off of the ground and bounded out of the line of trees.

'Jacob, stop. You are going to get yourself killed!' Sam's voice yelled at me. I ignored it. Other than Sam's futile attempts to stop me, it was quiet. I couldn't hear Paul or Jared anymore.

Go away Sam! You thought it yourself. If it were Emily, you would be in my place right now! I growled as I stared down four of them that stood on the porch, a blonde man, blonde girl and big guy with gold eyes and a blonde boy with violet eyes. They smelled different from the red haired one, but they were still sickly sweet.

"What the hell?" The big one said. He and the girl looked surprised. The yellowed eyed blonde guy looked worried and the violet eyed freak had a look of interest on his face. It made my blood boil, they didn't seem scared at all, it was like they didn't take me serious. I let another growl rumble from deep within my chest.

'Jacob! You can't go in alone! Stand down!'

I ignored him as I took slow, deliberate steps toward them.

The blonde girl shook the surprise from her face. She looked utterly pissed off. It would make a lesser man flinch. "Who the hell do you think you are charging up to our home you stupid mutt?" She started to cross the room towards me. Good, let her come.

The big guy stepped up and stopped her. "Oh come on babe, maybe it wants to play fetch!" He smiled a big crooked grin. "I've always wanted a dog!"

The girl knitted her brows at the big guy. For just a brief moment, a small smile played at the edges of her lips, and then they fell into a scowl. I knew that look well, annoyance riddled her face as she rolled her eyes. She shook her head at Emmett and then refocused her death glare on me.

I growled again. Stupid leeches! They didn't view me as a threat! It made my body tremble with anger. The need to rip them piece by piece steadily grew from deep within my gut. I tried to control that urge long enough to remind myself that I was here for Bella.

'Jacob, I am right behind you! Don't start without me! I want the lying bitch Sam made us leave behind!' It was Paul's voice.

What had happened? How come I could hear Paul's voice?

'Because I would rather follow an idiot like you and kill these abominations than to hang my tail between my legs like a freaking dog! Screw that man!'

Whatever. I didn't care what Paul did. I just wanted to get Bella. Bella...

I thought about the blush in her cheek, the magical twinkle in her eyes, even when they were filled with tears and the way she smiled. I thought about the different emotions she brought out of me. I don't know why I hadn't recognized it before, even as a child. I loved her. It was love at first sight. The moment my eyes found her crying on that rocky shore, my heart was no longer mine. It only took eight years to realize that fact. My heart only existed in her, so I would do everything I could to save her.

"Jacob?" My name slipped from one of their lips. I turned sharply, growling. Hearing my name caused a mixed emotion. Surprise. How did he know who I was? The one in the forest knew me, too. Disgusting. My name shouldn't be uttered by monsters. They shouldn't know who I was.

The man lifted his arms in a truce. "We are not your enemy..."

I growled, standing my ground.

"I'm Carlisle. My wife, Esme, she told me a lot about you. She said you were a kind boy. You looked after Charlie Swan?" The man lowered his hands. "He's doing better."

Charlie... I hadn't been able to see him since he entered the hospital. I hadn't been able to change back to me... me... I shook my head back and forth and growled. I was stuck as this... this monster.

'Because of those damn bloodsuckers!' Because of the bloodsuckers? 'We are all monsters because of them!' Paul fell to my flank in front of the porch. I could hear the malice that was in his mind seeping out in his growl. Paul wasn't here because of Bella. He just hated them and wanted to destroy them.

It surprised me that part of me felt the same way. I didn't understand it. Granted, I didn't like Edward much before this nightmare... but I didn't want to kill him.

'They are already dead!' Paul nudged me, coaxing me forward.

Some part of me agreed with Paul. It was that part that propelled me forward toward the house.

Paulstepped forward with me, his hackles already raised in a fierce display of ferocity. I looked between him and the one called Carlisle, a sudden creeping doubt made me pause. There was no ferocity in him at all. He looked kind and gentle. I looked back at Paul and realized, we were the monsters in this scenario.

'Hell no! They are the dead things. Walking without a fucking heartbeat! We are the protectors! Get that right in your head!'

Again, I could feel a part of me agreeing. Then Paul's words sunk in. We were the protectors… protectors against enemies… against monsters. I looked at Carlisle again. He wasn't a monster. Anyone with eyes could see that. I glanced at the others. The closest one to a monster was probably the blonde girl… but I did come charging.

'Fuck this! I don't need another diplomatic Alpha!' Paul lunged forward. That's when everything was set into motion far too quickly.

Paul made a b-line to Carlisle. I expected to see him defend himself, but instead, the big guy intercepted Paul, all amusement from his face gone. He was lethal. In a split second, Paul was thrown across the large yard, back into the forest. I heard the cracks of several different trees.

I growled at them as the big one turned his attention to me. He crouched down, ready to strike. Carlisle put a hand to his shoulder. "Emmett. No. We are not enemies."

Carlisle looked at me expectantly, as if I was supposed to agree with his statement. I stood my ground. I didn't see him as the monster, but that didn't mean we weren't enemies. This fact was even more undetermined because I was unsure of Paul's condition.

'Stupid leech! Caught me off guard!' He was okay. Relief washed over me as his voice resounded in my head.

Then Paul stalked back out of the trees. I could smell blood, but he didn't seem to let any wound stop him. His growling was more menacing than before. All his teeth were bared as he edged himself closer to the vampires.

'Jacob! I can't reach Paul. You have to tell him to stand down!' Sam's voice echoed through my head.

You mean Alpha command him?

'When you took off, you must have claimed your birthright. You are supposed to be the Alpha. Paul followed you, choosing your pack.'

No. I am not an Alpha. I just had to save Bella…

'You made the choice…'

No. I didn't mean to. I…

Paul crept closer. The girl managed position herself between Paul and Carlisle. She stood by Emmett, crouching defensively.

I can't be Alpha. I can't… I can't even phase back!

'Jacob… you can do this. It is in your blood… channel it…' This was a part of Sam I hadn't heard. He was reassuring, but confident. He honestly thought I could do it. That did not stop the creeping doubts. Sam had been right and I had been wrong.

"Jacob. Please stop this before is escalates out of control." Carlisle made a movement to come nearer, his hands out in peace. The other two moved with him, always in a defensive posture.

I growled to stop him. I couldn't do this. I couldn't tell Paul what to do. I was only fifteen years old. I couldn't be Alpha; I was the youngest of the four of us. I shook my head.

'Dammit Jacob! Wake the hell up!' Paul demanded. 'We end this tonight!'

No Paul. We have to find Bella first.

'What are you waiting for? A freaking invitation? Go! I will take care of these bloodsuckers!'

Paul was looking for a way to attack without getting injured. The two vampires continued to crouch in a defensive manner.

"Carlisle?" The girl turned her head slightly towards Carlisle.

"Do not attack." Carlisle responded.

"I am pretty sure the treaty is now invalid since they attacked us." She responded, obviously pissed off.

"Rosalie, we do not want a war. We do not want any unnecessary bloodshed."

The girl groaned and rolled her eyes.

Paul… They don't want to fight.

'It will just make it that much easier to tear them apart!'

I heard more growls, but did not hear any voices. Sam and Jared stepped out of the forest line.

Everyone's attention turned towards the new wolves. It was the perfect diversion.

I had to get into the house. I had to find Bella.

Suddenly, everything blew up. Paul took the other's presence as backup and lunged at the big guy. The girl and the guy both converged upon Paul. Sam and Jared didn't waste any time jumping into the fray of things.

I sprinted off toward the front door. I was surprised that I hadn't been stopped by one of the leeches. I guess they had their hands full with the others. I made it into a huge living room. Everything was white and the smell that assaulted my nose was pure sickness, death. Bella wasn't here. The next thing I realized, I felt hard wood in my side as I skidded into one of the walls.

"What exactly are you?" A voice I hadn't heard before filled the empty house. I pushed myself up and scanned the room, finding the violet eyed vampire. He shifted his stature and blocked the front door.

I growled at him. It didn't seem to faze him. "Hmm… You definitely have more control than those disgusting beasts. You are quite the conundrum." He took several steps toward me, eliciting a guttural growl from me. I stepped back from him. Stay calm. Stay calm. No unnecessary bloodshed.

'Jake! Are you okay?' Sam asked, worry thick in his voice. He was trying to defuse the situation outside. He was acting like a true Alpha. He was the Alpha, not me.

I shook my whole body and glared at the little leech. The others didn't want to fight, this one was different. It wasn't just the physical. Yeah, he had purple eyes and was shorter. He also didn't smell as bad… as sickly as the others.

"Oh. I did not mean to hit you so hard. Sometimes I am unaware of my own strength." He appeared disinterested, but I could see a small tilt to his lips. He knew his strength.

I pulled my lips back in a snarl. Danger. That was what was flowing through my blood, causing every hair on my body to stand on end.

Then he smiled, he actually smiled. "There is no moon… So you must be able to phase at will. What else can you do?" He narrowed his eyes at me.

Danger!

I backed away. This felt wrong. This was more than just instincts telling me he was all wrong. It ran deeper than that.

"You have a magic I have yet to see… how is that possible?" I wasn't oblivious to how he was drawing closer to me. "It is different from the other wolves…" Different? He was near, but at the same time, out of reach. "Perhaps it is the magic I have been searching for."

Danger! My mind screamed at me again. Not only my body, but my soul vibrated with the distress.

"McAlister?" It was her voice. The one who knew me… Esme?

McAlister didn't deter from his interest in me. He didn't even acknowledge her presence. "Interesting smell… It's a defense…to protect something valuable."

The woman blurred in between us. I saw her hair that was a light brown, almost like caramel candy. "What is going on?" She asked, her body seemingly relaxed, but I could see the tension in her stance. Anyone probably could.

McAlister looked up slightly to meet her eyes, the corners of his lips dipping down. In that instant, I couldn't be sure, but I thought she flinched. Then his eyes shifted back down to me. "It is definitely a rare commodity…"

"Jacob is-"

"Jacob?" He said my name as if he was playing with the word. Danger.

"Leave him be." She blocked his view of me, every line of her body becoming tenser. Suddenly I felt like a cub being protected by the mother wolf. I growled at both of them. I wasn't helpless. I didn't need her protection!

He looked up at her again, a sadistic look in his eyes. "You don't want to make an enemy of me…"

Suddenly, the room was too full. "Esme… McAlister?" Carlisle spoke.

McAlister narrowed his eyes at Esme. I couldn't see her face, but she must have made an equally fierce face, because he did not seem to like it.

Then in that instant, he blurred at an impossible speed. He grabbed Esme before anyonerealized what was going on. An awful sound of metal being torn apart filled the air as he slung her out of his way. He dropped what had to be her arm and moved onto me. Before I could react, he clamped one hand around my muzzle and the other around my neck.

I kicked and scratched, trying to squirm out of his grasp. It was too tight. I couldn't breathe. Then I felt a tearing in my neck, I yelped in pain. Then suddenly I was sprawled out on the ground. I felt dizzy. In a haze, I could see only blurs and then a blood curdling yelp… a pain ricocheted through my mind and then nothing.

Author Note Part Two: I just wanted to tell everyone to have a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoyed!