Hola guys! Hope you enjoy the next part! Some of you are wondering about Jacob's position and Bella's abandonment, but you have to be patient and wait for that part to be revealed.

Most characters belong to S. Meyer. The rest belong to me. Enjoy!

THE FOREST

BELLA

"Carmen, I'm heading out." I called to her as I strapped my satchel to me, checking that I had everything I needed.

"Bella, we just got a call - there's been another of those strange abduction-release cases." She came into the stillroom, an anxious frown on her face.

"Another one?" I was concerned and puzzled.

"Could you take a look while you're in town? Here's the address." She handed me a slip of paper. "His parents are rather agitated."

"Of-course. I'll call on them on my way to Karline's."

"Thanks, Bella." She said distractedly as she headed through to the adjacent room.

I don't blame her for being distracted, I thought as I set off through the garden and into the forest, it's quite the puzzle. Over the last few weeks since my return from Volterra, there had been a few of these, with young males and females getting snatched, held and then released within hours. What was odd was that there seemed to be no pattern to these "abductions", males and females of all physical descriptions had been victims and the only thing they had in common was their age range. They had even been grabbed at different locations. None of the abductees could remember much of what had happened, their memories fudged by some drug, and none of them had been harmed, aside from a few scratches and bruises that were related to their initial struggles against their captor or captors. The leadership were taking a serious view of it and the Guard patrol had been increased.

It's probably just someone's idea of a funny joke, I thought, dismissing it, as I walked through the herb garden and out to the other side. I had a quick detour to make before I headed for town. I inhaled the scents around me. Not a Guard or other Clan in range. I headed quickly towards the edge of the forest, near the Clan borders. I had just enough time to make my drop off before I headed to Karline's.

As I walked, I was glad to be back in Forks.

I'd avoided Healer Charis by the simple expedient of leaving Volterra the day after I'd seen her. Given how busy the leadership were with the visiting delegation from Clan Petral, I didn't think there'd be much objection. They didn't even give me a bollocking for the feral wolves incident. I was able to get permission to leave without much fuss, left a letter of thanks for Clan Leader Carlisle and had said a quick farewell to Edward and some others at breakfast. They had all assumed this was the day I was due to depart anyway and I hadn't done anything to correct the assumption. They had also assumed that Jacob was escorting me home and I hadn't done anything to correct that assumption either. I'd just left quickly and quietly and headed for home.

Edward had been in touch and we had settled into a casual friendship, one that was twenty times easier than the angsty, tense dynamic we'd had before. He seemed determined to make up for "using me as a distraction" and I had to say, this way was better. Well, mostly.

It was just so easy to be friends with him. He was intelligent, speaking knowledgeably about a wide range of things, when he spoke. He didn't open up easily, although he did seem more at ease with a select few people of which I was now apparently one. He was able to give as good as he got and while he commanded respected, he didn't demand it.

It was easy to like him. Too easy.

As I reached the spot where I'd hidden my travel pack, I mentally wagged a finger at myself. On your guard, Isabella. You're almost free, don't go and cock it up now. I climbed up to where the pack was and added what I'd brought with me before concealing the pack carefully and rearranging the vines around it to mask any scent I might have left behind. When I was satisfied nothing lingered, I dropped down to the ground and dusted myself off, covering my tracks before heading back the way I came.

Perhaps because I was actively inhaling the scents around me and perhaps because I was a Herbalist, I smelled what was coming and dodged away in the nick of time.

I whirled around to see a muscular raven haired male, hand holding a napkin filled with speckled pods, coming towards me looking determined. A crack behind me had me dodging to the side and I turned to see another muscular male who looked surprised that I'd evaded him.

"Now, now, boys. Not the best way to meet females." I said as I took a step back, "Most females prefer a male who doesn't drug her with soranth."

Both stopped in their tracks, the first one staring at me.

"It also helps if you don't bring a group of friends when you're trying to woo her." I added as I moved to my right, narrowly avoiding a third male whom I'd scented trying to sneak up. "Wow. Talk about overkill." I looked from one to the other. "Now why would good looking males like you need to resort to this?" The tone of mockery must have been clear in my voice because the third one's face hardened and he took a step towards me. Keeping all three of them in my sights, I moved away again.

"Stop. Moving." Number Three said from between clenched teeth. I laughed sarcastically.

"Let's see - three males, trying to drug and attack me, ask me to stop moving. I should totally do what they say." Number One growled and advanced towards me menacingly. I continued to move away, but this time a little to the side, as I didn't want to be backed into a corner. I could sense they were trying to herd me and I didn't like it. I just needed a break in their concentration and an opening and I was waiting my chance.

"There's no escaping, so give in and you won't get hurt." Number Three said, making an effort to sound calmer.

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe you." I said drily, my eyes fixed on him, but not letting the other two out of my peripheral vision.

"Come on, girl, it's us against you." Number Two's voice was raspy, as if he'd been smoking too much.

"And you still lost the element of surprise." I reminded him sweetly, not taking my eyes off Number Three. "Looks like this 'girl' managed to surprise you."

And then I smelled a fourth scent, just as he landed from the branch above us, his arms in position to grab me, had I not dodged sideways mere seconds before. As it was, I hit hard against the tree from his body slam, landing in the dirt gasping.

He turned towards me and I knew this was the leader. It was in his carriage, his hard body, in the arrogant way his black eyes raked me and the tone of his voice when he spoke.

"She's right." He had a smile on his face as he looked at me. "She beat you." I shivered slightly. Somehow I didn't think these three would escape easily after this.

"How did you know it was soranth?" He asked casually as he and the others moved closer to the tree I was trapped against. I got to my feet, trying not to show how much pain I was in.

"I could smell it a mile off. Even with the scent of those three. You guys should think about taking a bath sometime." I said, not liking that they were slowly advancing and cutting off my escape.

"Shut the fuck up." Number One said suddenly, furiously. "I've had enough of that mouth."

"Fuck you." I said pleasantly. "I haven't even started yet." Number One was about to spit out something more when the fourth one silenced him with a look.

"I like your spirit." He said, turning back to me, and now I didn't like the look in his black eyes, "Maybe I should keep you."

"You're the ones abducting the males and females." I stated what I had suspected the minute I'd seen the soranth. That would do it, would knock someone out and scramble their memories. It explained why none of the abductees remembered anything.

"Mmmm, I so want to keep you." He murmured as his eyes roamed my face, settling on my mouth.

"Well, we don't always get what we want." I retorted, holding my arm and trying to ease the pain singing down the side he'd slammed into as I looked frantically for a way out of the circle that was closing in.

"Oh, I always get what I want." He said as he suddenly snapped out his hands and grabbed my wrists, pinning me against the tree, before he leaned towards my ear to whisper, "Always."

I glared at him, struggling to break his hold unsuccessfully.

"What the fuck do you want?" I spat out. He laughed.

"With you? Where to begin..." His eyes fastened on my lips again.

"You can't be Clan." I said, as I realised it.

"Oh we are, just not yours." Number One chuckled and then stopped as the fourth turned his head and fixed him with a cold stare. He looked down in submission as I tried to absorb this unexpected news. And then I saw Number Three approaching me with the soranth now. No, no, NO. Help me! I sent the call with every fibre of my being, turning my head away from the hands that sought to hold my face in place. I inhaled a long deep breath and held it, refusing to breathe in the soranth that was pressed against my nose and mouth, the pod seeds burning where they touched my skin. I felt cold fingers gently stroke my neck, squeezing at my pulse, making me gasp and forcing me to breathe in the sickly sweet scent.

I took just a single breath and let my legs buckle to pretend I was deeper under. Those same cold hands caught me and held me gently and amid my dizziness and nausea, I heard the fourth male speak.

"Check her now and let's go."

"Take her with us, James. She's seen us."

"And who's fucking fault is that? You move slower than a pregnant elephant, Dex."

"Dex is right, we have to take her with us. She knows about the soranth, James."

"I'd be better off with her on my team." The fourth said coldly. "At least I'd have a thinker then. We can't just abduct any female from another Clan, there'd be a war. We have a mission and we can't allow anyone to get wind of what we're doing. So shut the fuck up and check her." I felt an arm press against my collarbone as my head was raised and a hand curved under my hair.

Just then, I heard a rustling in the bushes somewhere opposite us and the males went silent. I opened my eyes a fraction to see a great black bear, at least twice the height of a male, glaring menacingly from where he stood and growling softly. The males had quietly turned their backs on me to face it, with the fourth male standing protectively in front of me, having released my arms. I took a few deep breaths, gulping in the fresh air, trying to clear my airways of the scent of soranth.

And then I shoved with all my strength.

They weren't expecting it. I managed to break through their circle and made straight for the bear. I could hear their shouts from behind me, the fourth male shouting a warning to me as I came to stand in front of the bear.

He had stopped growling and was looking down at me. I looked up at him and slowly held my arm up, palm open and facing upwards. He inhaled my scent, long and slow, from palm to elbow, with his snout and then continued to regard me with his beautiful brown eyes. I put my hand on his fur, soft under my fingers and heard the intake of breath behind me. Turning, I saw the stunned looks on their faces, all except Number Four, whose black eyes were steady on me even though his face was impassive.

I slowly backed away from them into the shadows of the trees, my hand on the bear, urging him to follow me. He had come at my call, I couldn't leave him to their mercy now.

The four males watched me, not moving, as I waved insolently and put more distance between us, the bear lumbering by my side, turning to growl at them every so often.

When they were finally out of sight, I turned to him. I am in your debt, I sent gently, go now in peace. His brown eyes met mine and then he turned and lumbered off into the undergrowth. I didn't wait a moment longer to gather my full strength and speed. It was the one Clan trait I bore. I was fast, faster than anyone knew. In minutes I had left that part of the forest behind me, even managing to cover my scent.

I slowed as I reached the edge of the forest near the town, finally stopping to straighten my robes, make myself presentable and gather myself. I was breathing too hard, adrenalin coursing through me, the taste of the soranth still stinging my nostrils and throat. I had no idea what the fuck had just happened, but it was no prank. Those weren't my Clan out there, to start with, they were on a mission, he'd said, and they seemed to be looking for something specific - checking for something specific.

God, the Guard would flip if they knew that there were OutClan males on our territory doing this.

The only trouble was I couldn't afford to report this. They'd want to comb the area. And they'd want to know what I'd been doing there. I couldn't lie about the location, they'd uncover my scent trail if they looked closely enough.

Damn it.

I ran a hand through my hair and gasped in pain. That body slam had bruised me from breast to thigh and I could feel every muscle in that region. Great. I was going to have a lovely pattern of blues and blacks along my torso.

No time to think of any of it now. I was late for my calls.

I was so done with drama. And there had been more than enough of it in the last two months to last me a lifetime.