Okay, thanks for all the reviews, and I'm deciding to, once again, answer your questions, at the bottom, after the chapter.

Now this is an important chapter, and really fun to write. And, I'm sorry, but this chapter will be the last this week. I'm going away for a couple of days.

So here's the all important chapter, read on!

37. Bait

I could feel a change in the air as I woke that morning, the day after the dive with Jake. I could feel the change of air pressure, the odd quiet of the woods around us, the warmth trapped in the atmosphere by the clouds. My chest kept clenching and pushing, obviously not liking the weather.

Or maybe it didn't like the fact of what I was about to do.

I was out in the open, not something I wanted to do in this weather, but I was going to Emily's house to start something I knew I wanted to do, but was really dangerous.

It'd been a week, and they hadn't caught Victoria. It was time to bring out the secret weapon... or piece of cheese, depending on your idea of a trap.

Jake hadn't been happy this morning when I showed up to his house. He was already up, for once, and had had his breakfast. He was standing in the lounge, leaning against the wall, a deeply serious look on his face, as IO walked in. He looked happy to see me, as was usual, but then his face fell, not like usual.

"I was kind of hoping you wouldn't come," he said. It was 5 a.m. much earlier than I usually came. I was telling Charlie Jake was taking me hiking, that we needed the early start. The truth was that we were hunting for Victoria, and wanted an early start to get this over and done with once and for all. The missing hikers had been going missing at a semi-regular interval of about a month, and her hunting was already overdue.

Jake had tried to convince me not to come today. In those few minutes he had tried to threaten me, beg me, and lastly resorted to kissing me, but I was hoping that wasn't a last resort. The "Please don't go," at the end of the make-out may have downed my hopes.

Well, no matter what he did, he didn't convince me. I told him my reasoning, "I'm doing this so you and the whole pack aren't in danger anymore," but it didn't help him. He couldn't force me not to go though, so all he could do was grump as I drove to Emily's. I'd turned the radio extremely loud for the whole trip.

Now I was walking to Emily's door, knowing the pack was inside, and that I'd soon have to start doing this, start offering myself up as a piece of meat. It went against all my instincts, but I knew I had to do it, there wasn't really another choice. Well there was, but that involved a lot of people dying and I wasn't going to put my life above theirs.

The house was warm inside, even warmer than the uncharacteristically warm air. It was stuffy from all the hot werewolves inside (no, I don't mean it that way; I mean they literally are warmer than humans and warm the air around them).

Most of the boys looked extremely eager, barely being able to sit. Sam looked composed and serious, as was usual, and was watching me suspiciously, as usual – though I think for different reasons now, he probably thought I was going to run. I would show him I wasn't a coward. "Okay, I'm here, what do I have to do."

Embry and Jarred gave each other high fives. Paul was shaking his head, looking at his hands. Embry laughed at him and punched him on the arm. "C'mon, she showed, you owe us both fives."

Paul looked at his hands before meeting their eyes. "I forgot my wallet." The excuse was met by blows from both of his brothers.

"Hey, settle it down boys, save your strength for today," Emily chided. "You're going to need it."

Somehow Embry had ended up on top of Paul. He deftly jumped off, grinning. "Sorry Mom," both Jarred and him said together, sounding much like naughty children caught in the act, marred only slightly by their sarcasm. Emily shook her head, and I stifled my giggle, putting my hand to cover my smiling mouth.

"Okay boys, enough fun, unfortunately there is business to attend to." Sam almost sounded like a football coach, and would've looked like one if it weren't for the ripped jeans and lack of shirt. I listened intently nonetheless; the only boy who attracted me shirtless in here was standing beside me, still slightly brooding about me being bait.

The next fifteen minutes were spent talking tactics. Sam told each of the pack members what they had to do. Then he told me what to do, and I nodded with almost every word. I felt a little like a bobble head, but the situation was too serious for me to find humour in that fact. There wasn't a lot to remember, or much I could screw up – double win.

All I had to do was stand there, and look dumb or unaware at least. I was supposed to be looking for something or someone, well, I don't really know what, but I had to make it look believable. I thought that I should probably say I was looking for Jake. It wasn't the first time I'd walked in the woods trying to find him. This time I'd just go further, and try to attract the thing he was supposed to be defending me from.

There were a few risks in the plan. Firstly, they didn't know where or when Victoria would come at me. Secondly, they would have to keep their distance so Victoria wouldn't get suspicious. Thirdly, they had to make a gap for her to get through that didn't look faked, and the on their rounds might take a while to 'find' my trail and stop Victoria. Fourthly, there was no real way of contacting the pack, only a buzzer I could ring that was tied to Sam's leg. It would be hard to hit though, while still keeping Victoria out of the loop.

So, I was a little jittery when the pack left, but practically jumping up and down when I had to leave the house. Emily gave me a hug before I go, and kissed me on the cheek, the most motherly experience I'd had since the Cullen's left. I had to stifle tears. "You be careful," she instructed, her voice catching slightly. I smiled and nodded, letting a tear fall. She bit her lip, nodding, and pushed my lightly to go.

I walked slowly at first, reluctant to leave the relative safety of the house. Then my morals kicked in, reminding me exactly what I was doing this for. I was doing this for all the people Victoria would kill to fuel her. I was doing this for all the humans Victoria would bite to turn into newborns. I was doing this for all the humans that the newborns would kill to drink from. But mostly I was doing this for the pack, for Jake, so they could stop risking their lives to save me.

I walked quickly from then, plastering a look of anger and sadness on my face, just like when Edward, when Jake had left me. I was pretending Jake had left again, and I hoped Victoria would buy it.

I walked for ages, I wouldn't even know how long. I did know that the sun was up, just smothered by the dark, swirling clouds. The air was heavier, hotter, and thicker now. The woods I walked through so quiet that it was very disconcerting. I felt jittery as I walked, trying to hide it under my angry/sad facade. I yelled out Jake's name several times, releasing that frustration felt good. I found myself yelling more and more often, almost frantically. I didn't stop myself though; it seemed to work with the image I was putting up.

I couldn't really tell the time, but I knew it was close to midday when it happened. I had just yelled Jake's name, after a break of only a couple of minutes from the last. I felt something change with that yell, an awareness surface in me.

My heart started racing, my eyes suddenly focusing on everything at once, my leg muscles tensing, as I felt a sudden feeling of danger, genuine now. I forced myself to stay still, to call Jake's name one last time, when my instincts were telling me to run, to hide, and to get to the wolves. I didn't press the buzzer though, I doubted myself too much. I probably should have hit it then, while Victoria was still far enough away not to notice. I was too scared of ruining the plan though, and kept my hand hovering over the spot on the side on my baggy pants where it was kept. I wore them today for their ability to hide the bulge of almost anything you could put in each pocket, and there were lots of pockets.

My hand grazed the button as her awareness flickered through my gift, her presence. I felt her muscles pumping as she ran, felt her eagerness, felt her elatedness as she realized I was alone, and unprotected. I was sure it was her then, and I called Jake's name one more time, louder than ever, to disguise the barely audible click of me pressing the button.

I saw a flicker of flaming red hair in the woods before she was in front of me, head tilted, looking as much of a predator as possible to be while standing. "Hello Bella," she said. Her voice was beautiful, high and rich, a mix between Alice and Rosalie's.

Victoria looked nothing like her movie duplicate, but I guess you could recognise them as supposedly the same person. This Victoria was far more beautiful than the actors, paler, and much more feline-like. Her glowing red eyes reminded me of a cat as she assessed me, and her sharp teeth showing from her smile helped, her graceful stance, completed the picture. Her most defining feature was her head of flaming red/orange hair, so light and smooth it whipped in the soft wind that had slowly been building all day.

It took moments to make this assessment, but moments were all it took for her to realize my fear, to begin gloating about it. Her smile was near a snarl behind her perfect, thin lips.

"Victoria," I breathed.

She smiled wider, exposing more perfectly white, sharp teeth. "You know of me."

"You didn't exactly hide," my voice was more steady than I felt, and I didn't know if that helped or hindered my situation.

She raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow at me, and I leaned toward the latter. "Really, I thought I was pretty sneaky myself. Of course the wolves did find me a couple of times, but not today. I sneaked past them today." She smirked at me.

"What did you want here anyway?"

"You don't know?" she asked.

"I know, Laurent told me, but I want you to say it."

"Laurent's still alive?" she asked, her eyes softening slightly in her surprise.

"Yes, after you sent him here he told me what you wanted to do. Then the wolves made him leave, back to Alaska, back to his animal diet."

Her nose crinkled at my words, no fear on her face. She wasn't scared of the wolves, not a good thing for me. Her words weren't of the canines though, they were of his diet. "How can he stand to drink animals, it's like drinking water, no flavour at all. You would taste much better than an animal." The words were like a compliment, but her eyes glinted as she said it, like she really wanted to bite me, which I had no doubt she did.

"He just has more morals than you; he doesn't want to kill innocents."

She laughed, closing her eyes and flinging back her head too fast for it to be human movement. In a second she was still again, staring at me with that evil smile on her face. "If that's what you think, then why do humans kill animals to eat, hmm? It's just the same to us; the superior species killing for food, there's nothing immoral about it."

"But the people you kill of feelings, families, and aspirations."

She laughed again, and I was disgusted at myself when I found it a beautiful sound. "You think animals don't have families? You think they don't have feelings, wants? It's just the same, except for the fact that humans are greedier, worse, than animals. Animals take what they need, humans take more than they need, animals are loyal and caring to each other, and humans would stab their best friend in the back if it meant a better situation for them, money or otherwise. You, are human, are worse than an animal. Animals should be saved in my opinion, the humans should be the ones harvested."

Is it terrible that I found her reasoning... well, reasonable? I'd never thought of the vegetarian diet like that, whether human or vampire. I immediately felt guilty for not being a vegetarian myself, for killing animals.

"See, I'm right and you know it," she grinned. "Well, I never thought when I found you this is what we'd be doing. I was thinking of something more pleasurable for me, which involved you screaming a little more."

Despite the situation, despite how I knew that she wanted to kill me and torture me, my mind went immediately to the gutter as she said this. I blushed and looked down, smiling. "Victoria, unfortunately, I don't roll that way. I like guys." I grinned up at her.

She seemed to realize what she had said, then connected my words to that. Suddenly she was in front of me, her hand on my shirt, holding me above her head, my feet dangling. "I can assure you that is NOT what I meant."

I grinned anyway. "Really, cause you're hand is on my bra, and I haven't even let my boyfriend get to second base yet."

She let go of my, pushing me into a tree. My head banged painfully on the trunk, and her hands on my shoulders were very close to dislocating them both. She was glaring at me now, hard. Her face was inches from mine, and I was hyperaware of how close her mouth was to my neck. I felt her thirst as she inhaled, but she smiled, as if she'd steeled herself to resist my blood, to drag out my death. "Your boyfriend, I don't see Edward."

My heart panged, my eyes narrowed. My words were a growl as I answered. "Edward is NOT my boyfriend."

"No, he's your mate," her voice was in a false lovey-dovey tone.

"No," I snapped. "He's not my mate either. Edward doesn't love me and I don't love him," I didn't pause like I thought I would have, my lie sounding perfect and smooth. I wasn't lying about most of it anyway, just the 'I don't love him' part.

Victoria released my shoulders, and I rolled them around. They burned, from being pushed too far back. I looked up to the vampire in front of me, whose mouth had fallen open, her eyes conflicted with emotions. I felt rather than saw her shock, felt her resolve slipping. "You not his mate?" she whispered.

"Not according to him, he left me, if you haven't realized already. And before you say it no, he didn't just move to keep pretences, not superstition, blah, blah, blah. He left because he didn't want me, twice." The pain leaked into my voice, just audible below the intense loathing.

"Oh well," Victoria said finally, looking to me with a deadly smile. "I should just kill you anyway, just so you're death is on his conscience."

Her hands slammed into my shoulders, instantly dislodging them. I screamed in pain, my arms dropping uselessly to my sides from my two dislocated shoulders. Victoria grinned beside me. "I can't do this here Bella; someone might hear us, let's go somewhere private where they won't hear your screams."

She picked me up and threw me over her shoulder, running before I was balanced there. I couldn't control my rolling, and fell to the ground, winding me and shooting pain through my body. I heard Victoria laugh and she grabbed my leg, running with me dragging through the dirt. I screamed, yelling at the top of my voice, she giggled at me. "It's useless Bella."

But it wasn't, because I could feel them at the edge of my awareness. They wolves were sprinting. In a matter of seconds they were visible. Victoria snarled as she saw her followers. I grinned despite the pain drumming through me. My head hit a root and my grin turned to a grimace. Stars clouded my vision, and I didn't realize I'd stopped moving until cold hands were at my throat. When my vision cleared I saw the wolves, a snarling pack watching the vampire behind me.

"Don't move or I'll kill her, I swear I'll do it," she warned, bending my neck painfully back. The wolves snarled but obeyed, the russet one's eyes pained as he saw me. I knew Victoria was smirking behind me, walking back. "Stay here, don't move," she said, and started running with me.

I knew the wolves were following, and I also knew Victoria wouldn't make good on her threat, not now at least. Victoria wanted to kill me slowly; she wouldn't kill me now just to teach the wolves a lesson.

With this knowledge my chest jumped, telling me exactly what to do. I held onto the cold hand dragging my, tightening my grip. I knew my gift was strengthened with physical contact, so I squeezed as hard as I could. Victoria was smirking, probably just thinking I was trying to pry her hand from my arm.

I extended my consciousness, forcing myself into Victoria's body. I felt her shock at the intrusion, but I didn't let her get close to guessing what I was doing, didn't let her do anything. I immediately jumped into her brain, flicking the switch that connected it to her muscles. Her muscles started to spasm, her mind hardened, trying to defend themselves. I didn't let it; I was too strong with nothing to lose, all to gain. If I failed I'd die, and my everything was focused on the single need to live, to keep myself alive.

Victoria's muscles fell limp, and she fell, crashing us into trees. I scrambled away from her, running to the wolves. Most ran past me, chasing Victoria who'd limbs had been returned to her as soon as I'd run. Jake's wolf however stopped, the sudden halt leaving streaks in the ground. I leaped at him, wanting to wrap my arms around his neck, but the useless limbs couldn't oblige, and instead I crashed into him, sobbing.

"Jake," I whispered, past my sobs, my voice cracking and hiccupping in strange bursts. I sat beside the wolf, cringing into the ground, while he stood above me, alert and ready. I don't know how long I sat like that, crying through the pain, wishing to fall unconscious, wanting the darkness to take me past the pain. It didn't come, and I stayed there, aware of all the stinging grazes over my body, the pounding in my head, the bruises swelling in my body, and above all the ache of my shoulders and the strange numbness of the rest of my arms.

Eventually the wolves came back, and I silenced myself. I clenched my jaw hard before I had enough will to talk without screaming. "Did you get her?" I asked.

The answer I got was not what I was expecting, not what I wanted, had hoped for, had assured myself of.

Sam shook his head.

No, she wasn't dead.

Well, how was it? Did you like it? Any questions?

Speaking of, I'm answering some question now.

Unfortuneately for you guys, of course I'm not going to put all my chapters up :P

Where has everyone got this idea that Billy knows about Bella's gift? I'm sorry I'm answering a question with another question but seriously how would he? Bella doesn't even know what her gift is, and the pack just thinks she knows pressure points.

No I'm not going to change the rules with Alice's gift.

Alice will come back soon enough!

Grinned and grabbed a bowel... sorry, and that is pretty funny, I laughed for a good 5 minutes too, then felt embarrassed. Sorry, but I think you realize I didn't actually mean bowel.

Is Jake going to get heartbroken... I really wish I could say no, but I doubt it.

So, Bella can't have kids... what will happen with Jake? Well, in my version, he hopefully won't become a pedophile. I really didn't like that bit in the book, it's sick, even if he only thinks of her as a sisiter for a while. I still don't like it.

Charlie's future with Sue was only hinted in the books, they never said they were an item. Therefore, I'm going to change that bit, because I don't want a sad Seth, it isn't right.

And lastly, why does Alexis have powers when she's human? Bella did in the book, just not very strong, so this is the same. Alexis's gift isn't strong now... hehe, it's going to be stronger later!

Okay, enough question answering.

Now, I can't really do an instant chapter, but if you love me you'd review this chpater anyway.

Please Review!