Gabby's POV

As I hauled my heavy water logged body from the Strait I could see everyone crowded around Xavion, who had at some point phased back to human. The bile rode in my stomach as I ran forward, snarling as I went.

Part of the 'everyone' were vampires. I knew they were the Cullens but I didn't care, I didn't want them anywhere near Xavion.

Most of the vampire clan stepped away from me but one stayed hovering over the slender form of Xavion. The snarl got louder, an attempt to get him to back off without the use of physical aggression.

Randall stepped in front of me, "He's a doctor, Gob. He's just checking that Xav is okay."

I stared at the golden eyed vampire as he sat nervously by Xavion's side, his pale hand rested gently on Xav's shoulder. I wanted to bite him, wanted to hurt him in any way I possibly could. But the pained look on Xav's face was not from the way he was feeling physically, it was my own stress.

I stepped back and tried to relax.

The scene before me was quite something.

If any human was to walk past I was sure they would think they were going insane. Two giant yellow dingoes stood to the side, watching anxiously as a golden eyed, pale skinned monster inspected the body of a naked teenager, while a naked man who appeared to be in his early twenties at the most, looked over them. Between the naked teenager and the water was a pale golden wolf and standing a good distance from her – aka me – was a clan of pale skin, golden eyed monsters.

My attention flashed back to Xavion, as the vamp got to his feet.

The pale bloodsucker looked me in the eye, "He's going to be alright but you might not be. Can I have permission to look at your neck?"

For a fleeting moment I had no idea what he was talking about; until a flash of hot pain washed up from my neck, just in front of my right shoulder. I had forgotten about the bite but know I remembered it all too clearly. I remembered the sound and feel of my own flesh tearing away from my body. I could feel the sting of the bare flesh against the cold air and ocean spray, and the warm ooze that leaked through my fur as it cooled down in the night.

I snapped at him. Entirely unprepared to let him touch any part of me.

"She'll heal." Randall said sharply as he stood between us, "I think we should just move on. Get away from those Glitt- vamps." Randall had always been more conscientious than me about when he used derogatory vampire slurs.

"Can I have a few minutes?" Xavion coughed as he sat up.

I pushed past Randall and the Blood Fairy to lie down behind Xavion, allowing him to rest his weight on my chest. I was aware that I'd kicked him more than once in my fight against the vamp and I couldn't help but feel a little guilty for Xav's current state.

'It's not your fault, Gob.' Josh whined in my head as he and Mitchell came to sit with me and Xav.

'No, those Glitter Monkeys should have sensed the others.' Mitchell growled, eyeing down the group of vamps that were mulling around a few metres away from us.

'They were helping.' Josh argued, 'I don't know whether you noticed that they had their hands full with the ones that came up behind them.'

I wasn't concerned with whether or not the Cullens had other vampires to contend with. Xav was safe and that was the most important thing. Anyway, my own distaste for vampires could not be worsened any because I had never expected them to help in the first place.

'How many do you think he has?' Josh's chest tightened at the thought of the size of Stendahl's army and his fear that there would be too many was clear.

'He had thirteen guarding the camp.' I muttered, 'I wouldn't be surprised if there was another hundred out there. No doubt we're being watched as it is.'

Josh's fear was not without warrant and I was sure that this wasn't going to be easy. Stendahl didn't drag things out any longer than he needed to. Likely he would send them all in, in one swift attack. If he was going to win then he will do so in a single night.

'Can we beat him?' Mitchell wasn't quite as stressed as Josh but his nerves were frayed. In the back of his mind I could see him thinking about being reunited with his mother and father, and I found the thought somewhat disturbing.

'It doesn't matter. We fight him either way.' I sighed as I lay my head by Xav's hip.

Xav reached his arm out over my neck, his small hand rubbing just behind my ear. He placed his arm fairly awkwardly on my neck as he tried to avoid touching the gaping hole that was barely healing. It was nice to feel him beside me, to know that he was alright.

'You scared me half to death!'

Came a cry from the east and I rolled my head to the side to see how far he was from us. I lay with my cheek pressed to the sandy shore until Embry reached us, which took just a few seconds.

'Everyone thought you were dead.' he was excited to see me and I made sure that he could feel my own joy at seeing him, 'Paul wants you to get back by sun up, do you think you can?'

'I could be there in twenty minutes but I have a pack to care for. Xavion was attacked by a Vein Junky.'

'So were you by the looks of it.' Embry gasped as he eyed the raw flesh of my neck.

'It'll heal.'

"I think I can move now." Xav said with a slight chuckle as he pushed off my side.

He stumbled to his feet and phased. It was the slowest I'd ever seen him phase and I was concerned about him.

'I'm fine. If you can take a bite from a Glitter Monkey than I can handle a little exhaustion.' Xav was energised by his fox form and I sent him a psychic smile.

Paul's POV

I hate Sam, sometimes.

I'd just found out that the love of my life isn't actually dead and I can only go as far as the northern border of our territory. I could see Ozette Lake to the west and I longed for it to be behind me. I wanted to be with Gabby but thanks to Sam's Alpha Command the best I could do was wait for her to come to me.

It wasn't that I didn't understand why he'd given me the command, Gabby had specified that if she left we all needed to stay to guard the territory. Sam was just honouring the plan he had made with her and I respected him for that.

'Apparently Xavion was attacked by a vampire. Gabby doesn't want to leave him behind.' Sam explained as he sat beside me. No doubt he'd heard me think that I hated him but he wasn't going to comment on it.

'She's an Alpha. What would you do in her shoes? Or paws?' I thought with a large amount of pride.

'I wasn't judging her. I'd do exactly the same thing.'

'Wait! Where were the Cullens? What's the use of having vampires around if they can't stop another vampire?' I growled. Now I wanted so much more to be with Gabby.

'There was an ambush, kind of. The Cullens had their hands full with other vampires.'

I didn't care what their excuse was. I just wanted Gabby with me.

There was movement amongst the trees and my attention pricked. I stood up and scanned the area for more movement. We'd been waiting for more than an hour and every tiny movement had me on my feet with expectation.

I was about to sit back down when Jasper appeared in front of Jacob. Followed, a few seconds later, by the arrival of the rest of the Cullens. Jasper smiled at me and any other time I would have tried to bite him, but I was too excited by the prospect of seeing Gabby to care that much.

"They're almost here. We spotted at least twenty vamps on the other side of the Strait after we'd passed. There aren't any following us though." Jasper said as he turned back to Jacob.

Jacob whined and Edward whispered something to the others before they darted back towards Forks.

I focused back on the trees in front of us and waited. However far away they were, it was too far.

Two amber coloured dingoes bounded from the darkness, their coats shimmering with the remnants of their water crossing, mouthing at one another and emitting high yelps and whines. Their appearance made my heart race because it meant that not only was she close by, she had to be well. They couldn't be that happy if she wasn't.

Randall trotted into view his eyes scanning the eight wolves waiting for them. He stopped halfway to us as if waiting for Gabby to catch up.

I noticed Embry's light grey nose first and then the soft yellow of Gabby started to materialize from the darkness and I pushed hard against the invisible wall that marked the border of our land. Between Gabby and Embry was a hobbling Xavion, breathing heavier than any of the others and walking with stiff gait.

Gabby was gorgeous.

I'd never been so unbelievably excited to see her and her beauty was to my eyes like oxygen to lungs. She looked like she'd run a marathon through uncharted rainforest and hadn't ever showered but I didn't care. There she was, more or less in one piece, and even more unbelievably dazzling as she had been the day she left.

She nudged Xavion's muzzle and he gave an encouraging whimper.

Gabby dashed forward, headed straight towards me and my heart sung. We both reared up as we met, pushing against each other so that as much of ourselves as possible touched. I licked her muzzle and her cheek as she rubbed her face against mine and down my neck.

It was the best feeling that I'd ever felt, feeling her touching me when this morning I was so sure I'd never see her again. I scolded myself for ever thinking she wouldn't be coming back to me.

I couldn't stop myself from whining as I rubbed against her and licked her golden face. She was absolute perfection and she was mine. I never wanted to be without her again, I didn't care if I never saw anyone but her for the rest of my life.

Her muscles twitched as I licked at her neck, then the tip of my tongue ran along something metallic and salty. I pulled away from her, with great reluctance, to inspect her neck. I was horrified to find a large patch of skin missing and her tender red flesh showed through, with strands of hair stuck in the wound.

'She says it's worse than it looks.' Sam laughed and I cringed at the sound.

It just reminded me that there were others around us. I didn't want there to be anyone but us.

Gabby nodded at me and started away from the group. I stuck myself to her side, so we could walk in sync with one another and away from the prying eyes.

If it weren't for the lack of skin on her neck, this would be almost perfect.