Jacob Black, in wolf form, ran through the woods.

He had finally made it to the northern mountains, near Canada.

He had to get as far away as possible from her, Bella.

She was marrying that, that LEECH.

He growled as he lurched forward, struggling up to the Arctic beach.

He had to get away.

To be free.

"Really? And what will you do then?" A voice, feminine, sounded in his mind.

It wasn't Leah's.

No one from the pack had that...sound.

Jacob felt his ears perk to hear more.

There was a woman sitting on the rock. A woman...with a fish tail. A mermaid.

"So I don't reveal myself in a millennia." The mermaid said. "And the one I choose to speak to is a simpleton. Very well, back to Ocean then."

Jake bristled. Simpleton?!

He growled at her.

"Who are you and how can we understand each other?" Jake snarled angrily at her.

The mermaid got out of the water and walked over to him on two legs. She was still covered in scales, except for her torso, which was patterned like a dolphin, smooth and black. Her hair was teal and braided with shells, and her face had a Nordic flair to it, with high cheekbones and sparkling eyes.

But it was her voice that captured him.

Jacob hated music. Ever since that leech with the piano had stolen Bella from him, he hadn't been able to listen to a single note.

But this mermaid's voice, lyrical and magical, was so perfect, so enticing, that Jacob never wanted to stop listening.

The mermaid came over and touched a scratch on his leg and it healed.

Jacob Found he liked her touch and leaned in to her, but she drew away.

"I should think the grandson of Ephriam Black would know what I am, but it seems the children have forgotten us Old Ones. I am a mermaid, a creature bound to the sea who hearkens to Her Call."

In one swift motion, she was gone, back into the sea. Jacob ached to find her again.

Xxx

I was sitting on my bed meditating.

I got up, paced the room for a second, then began to sing, like I always did when I was upset.

"The sad thing was yesterday

Things that are not easy today

Secret things tomorrow

I want to be with you forever"

The doorbell rang. Over the music, I heard it. I went to the living room, where the front door was. I got the key out of the basket. I looked into the peephole.

I saw a dark haired Native American boy about my age wearing a black jacket, white T-shirt, and jeans.

"Who are you?" I asked him through the door, my panic still visible.

"I'm Jacob Black," he replied. "From the exchange program in Washington?"

"Hold on, I'll check," I said. I went through the dining room into the kitchen and saw a note on the counter: "Kuri-san, let the exchange student in. His name is Jacob Black and he will be staying with us for three months."

I should really read these notes she leaves more often, I thought, sighing with relief. It would have saved me all that panic. I stuck the key in the door and unlocked it. I opened the door.

"Sorry about that," I said, closing the door behind him. "Mom didn't tell me we were having a exchange student stay here. But I guess you'll be staying in the guest bedroom."

How did he get here? I wondered. There's no bus, no taxi, not in the suburbs…and everyone's at the hospital.

I didn't ask him however, I felt like I would seem like an interrogator or something.

He didn't say anything else to me, just waited for me to close and lock the door, and then I led him to the guest bedroom.

xxx

That night I woke up thirsty. I went to get a glass of water in the kitchen and I wasn't wearing my gloves, because it was late at night, and I didn't expect to run into anyone. Well I was wrong. I ran into Jacob, in the kitchen for some unknown reason.

Here's where it gets fuzzy. Either I tripped, or he tripped, but somehow I grabbed his arm to steady myself and-got an electric shock so bad that I flew back and hit the wall.

But what I heard was very clear, but in a voice that wasn't Jacob's at all. "Stay away."

I got up slowly, and he tried to help me, but I moved my hands away from him.

"D-Did I do that?" he asked me.

"I think it was just some kind of static electricity or something," I said. "Let's just go to bed. Maybe we're dreaming. Maybe this is a nightmare."

I got up, but backed away from him, covering my arms, afraid he would see what I am, that I'm a freak.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "Are you afraid of me?"

"No, no," I replied. "I just…need to sleep. Goodnight."

And then I left him there. When I got to bed I realized that he had heard what I was thinking when my hand wasn't touching him. I had thought "I hope he isn't afraid of me." But he only heard "afraid" and thought I was scared. He must have heard it and interpreted it without noticing it himself.

The next day Mom and Jiro showed Jacob around town while I went out with friends, since I hadn't known and had already made plans. We had church together, but we haven't really had the chance to talk since what happened. It's been busy. But I keep my gloves on. He starts school with me tomorrow.

Xxx

Jacob stared at the ceiling. What was going on with this girl?

He rolled over onto his side, staring at the wall.

I thought I could only hear my pack, he thought. But when she touched my arm, I heard her say she was scared. And what was that weird shock?

He could sense that Kuri was trouble, and she might hurt him. He wondered if the power she had was what he was sensing. She wasn't a leech, but she was something.

I don't think she's trying to hurt me, but she's keeping something from me.

But…I'm doing the same thing.

Jacob closed his eyes. He wasn't sure what to think about Kuri. He didn't know if he was ready to be around another girl after Bella broke his heart..

It was late into the night until he fell into a troubled sleep.