School was closed for a few days for evaluations and parent-teacher conferences. A week of vacation was the very last thing I wanted, but there were no classes during a holiday. It took only half the morning to finish an English and Trig assignment. I cleaned the bathroom, but that took even less time than the homework. By noon, I was walking aimlessly through the yard. I never strayed within the trees. It was safe to say I had learned my lesson the hard way with that. And because the section of trees behind Charlie's house reminded me of painful memories, I went back inside.

I baked several loaves of bread. Zucchini. Banana. Herb and Cheese. I flipped through dozens of TV channels. I e-mailed Renee and tried to read a book. By early evening, I felt justified in cooking dinner. It was done well before Charlie was home from work, but it was simple enough to reheat the chicken cordon bleu later on. By eight o'clock, I had a sinking feeling in my twisting stomach that I would not be seeing Jacob.

After a bath, I combed my hair and brushed my teeth. In my bedroom, I changed into an oversized shirt and a pair of underwear. I made sure my cellphone was on its charger and set to ring loudly. I hoped Jacob would call. As time ticked by and I stared at the ceiling with burning eyes, I still hoped that he would call. He didn't. It took a long time before my eyes closed.

I woke with a gasp. Lightning was cracking fiercely. After a ground-shaking roll of thunder, I jolted upright in bed. The blankets had been kicked and were tangled around my ankles. I heard a faint noise and it took another prolonged moment for me to figure out it was the clinking of glass. Squinting, I looked at my window. With the steady flashes of brilliant light, I could make out a dark shape clinging to the tree directly outside my window.

My heart skipped several beats, all but stopping within my chest, as my breath froze in my throat. In that moment, I knew it was a vampire. And I was likely dead. Guilt and terror consumed me. My body broke out in gooseflesh and a cold sweat. My father. Charlie. Charlie. Oh, God, not Charlie. Too much. Too much. Too much.

Then, as the hulking figure swayed heavily with the wind, it tapped the window. Tap. Tap. Tap. It was a rapid stucco. Frowning, my heart began to pound as I leaned forward, eyes still squinted. An arm waved. A big, thick arm. I gasped and scrambled off of the bed. I tripped and banged my knee on the end-table. I danced around, wobbling, until the twisted bed sheet finally fell away from my ankles. My palms smacked onto the windowsill and then I was pulling upward with all my might. With a grunt, I let the window fall open.

Water poured in. Wind was gusting and nearly sending me to my knees. I stepped back, eyes round, as Jacob swung from side to side on the bending branches of a birch tree. He called out, "Move back."

"No!" I whisper-shouted, "No! You'll fall down!"

Jacob waved his arm once more as if impatient. Gulping, I stepped back and prepared myself to run to Charlie's bedroom to wake him for an emergency as soon as Jacob fell. No doubt he would break bones. None of that proved necessary because, within the blink of an eye, Jacob had slung himself away from the tree and was clinging to the side of the house. I leaned forward and gripped his slippery hands.

"Get inside, get inside!" I frantically chanted.

Jacob quickly said, "I'm coming. Back up, Bells. I'm okay."

I half-laughed. "You're crazy. You're totally deranged, Jacob Ephraim Black."

And then Jacob was standing in my bedroom. He was mostly naked again. His muscular body was on full display without an ounce of embarrassment on his part. Rainwater poured off of him in rivers and his short hair shined even more than usual. I gaped at him for several moments before he said, "I know I look good, but you'll catch flies if you keep your mouth open like that."

Cheeks flushing, I whirled away and stalked to my dresser. Picking up the towel I had used earlier in the night, I tossed it to him. He said, "Thanks."

I watched him roughly scrub himself down. He spent quite a few minutes ruffling his hair before dropping to his knees and sopping up the water on the floorboards. Jacob sighed, "Sorry about that. Storm got heavy a few minutes ago."

"It's okay." I said absentmindedly as I glanced at the clock on the end table. I cleared my throat and murmured, "What are you doing awake and climbing trees at half past four in the morning, Jake?"

"You told me to come at any time." He replied quietly as he climbed to his feet. The soaking wet towel fell out of his hands and hit the floor with a splat. I gestured to the computer chair and said, "Yeah. I did. Have a seat."

Jacob flopped into the chair and leaned back until he was staring at the ceiling. Hesitantly, I climbed back into bed and pulled the blankets onto my lap. I watched him as he began glancing around. There was no doubt he was curious about my bedroom décor. He took in the pale purple and green walls. The grade-school pictures and drawings on a cork board. The slim book case filled to its maximum capacity with tattered, well-loved books. The antique dresser with various lotion bottles and a tiny jewelry box sitting atop. The desk with an ancient computer. The battered backpack with textbooks spilling out. The white laundry hamper in the corner by the door. The paper lanterns strung above my bed. I whispered, "Are you okay?"

He whispered back, "No. I don't think I am."

"What can I do, Jake?" I asked.

"I don't know, Bells. I'm not sure." He quietly replied.

There was a feeling bubbling up inside of me. As I took in the dark smudges under his drooping us, I realized it was anger. A hot, quick lava of rage for whoever had caused Jacob to look this way. There was a pause before Jacob sighed, "I only have four or five hours to spare. I need some Zs, Bells. Haven't slept in a couple days. Maybe I should come back when I have a clear head. Just wanted to see you and ran over without thinking."

"You haven't slept in days?" I asked with a slack jaw. He just shook his head in reply. That anger bubbled lowly in the pit of my stomach before bursting out. I began to rant.

"Jacob, what have they done to you? You look huge, you cut your hair, you don't sleep, you're sick…." I nearly became ill when he turned sideways as he fidgeted. The dim light of my lanterns caught the edge of his skin just right. I saw the dark ink on his shoulder. It looked incredibly fresh and hadn't been there the day before when I saw him. I murmured, "You have a tattoo just like Sam and his gang. Jacob, if you tell me that you're into drugs…"

He frowned and replied, "It isn't drugs, Bella. I told you that."

I raised my eyebrows and grumbled, "What is it then?"

The silence stretched on. The steady drum of raindrops could be heard. The tree limbs outside my window were waving madly. Jacob slouched in the chair, arms on his elbows, with his head hanging down as if defeated. I said, "Jake, this is stupid and I hate it. What is going on? Can Charlie help you? Do we need to run away? Because I have money. We can go somewhere. I want…"

"Bella..." His voice was hoarse and pained.

My breath hitched and I had to fight to swallow the lump growing in my throat. Tears burned and I curled in, pushing deeper underneath my blankets. I turned away from him and stared at the bedroom door. My voice wobbled as I whispered, "Go. If you don't want to stay, I'm not holding you here."

There was a muffled creak of floorboards and then the bed dipped as Jacob slowly lowered himself down. The scent of pine and spice and briny rainwater became powerful in my nose. I felt the heat radiating off of his body. Jacob reached out and gently touched my shoulder for a moment before pulling away. He murmured, "I want to be here. With you. I want that so badly you just don't even know, honey."

My cheeks were hot and my heart was thundering loudly in my ears. So loudly, in fact, that the storm raging outside was nearly nonexistent. Jacob asked, "What were you going to say a moment ago? You started to say you wanted something."

I didn't turn to him, but curled in on myself even more. There was a long moment in which I fought with myself before I whispered, "I want us back to how we were, Jacob. I don't want secrets and distance and weirdness."

"That isn't possible anymore, Bella." He rasped. "I'm so sorry."

"What does that mean?" I demanded, sitting up and whirling around. The blankets slipped off to land on at my knees. Jacob was sitting on the edge of the bed, gazing at me with sorrow. The look was all wrong for my Jacob. This broken boy with a man's face was not who I was used to. He was not my best friend. I swiped at the hot tears and huffed, "Tell me."

"It means…" Jacob swallowed heavily, "I'm not me. I'm not the same guy you were friends with. I'm different. I'm dangerous. And it isn't even me. There's a whole slew of problems now."

"What are they? What do you mean, Jacob?" I demanded harshly.

"You already know. That's the ironic part." He let out a bleak chuckle.

"Know what? What do you think I know?" I asked anxiously.

Jacob eyed me carefully while saying, "About me. About us. Sam and the pack."

I retorted grumpily, "You mean to say his gang."

"Nah. It isn't like I first thought." Jacob sighed and leaned his back against the headboard. He quietly explained, "This isn't about drugs or gangs. It's about bloodlines and duty."

"The Council." I exclaimed, "This is about you being Chief one day. This is about the arguments you were having with Billy."

"Kinda. Sorta." He replied with a halfhearted smile.

I struggled for words as I said, "There's no way Billy would just…just…give you to Sam to do with as he pleases."

Jacob chuckled flatly, "Bella, my dad didn't give me to anybody for anything. This would have happened no matter what he or I did. Like I said, it has to do with bloodlines. It's in my DNA. It's who I am."

"What is this? What do you mean?" I demanded, "What about bloodlines?"

He took a breath and turned slightly so he could look me in the eyes. Jacob said, "I'm a shape-shifter, Bella."

I blinked. He eyed me with round, haunted eyes.

I swallowed. "You're a what?"

He said, "I transform into an animal. A wolf. I Protect my people."

My eyes dropped to his hands, which were tightly gripping my purple blanket. His knuckles were stark white. Glancing up, I saw Jacob's full lips were pressed into a thin line. A clap of thunder shook the house and I jumped, heart in my throat, only for Jacob's palm to rub soothingly over my exposed knee.

"You're a…" I trailed off as a long-forgotten memory resurfaced. It had been a gloomy day and my nose had been numb with cold. There were people all around, mostly unfamiliar. The ocean was beautiful. The tide pools were blue-green like stunning jewels. The sand was squishy and I had been walking alongside a dark-skinned boy with long, black hair and rounded cheeks. His smile was bright and handsome. His laughter was full of boyish charm. He was Jacob and it was the first time I could vividly remember walking at First Beach. Words bounced around inside of my skull so much so that a vicious headache began to pound at my forehead. Our ancestors were supposedly wolves. They call themselves Protectors. Keep us safe from the Cold Ones. Cold Ones. Cold Ones. Wolves. Shape-shifters.

"Bella? Are you okay?"

"Vampires." I croaked. The forbidden word left my lips in a nearly silent breath as if my mind had conditioned me never to say such a thing out loud. I felt and saw Jacob's body jerk. He sat up straighter, eyes burning brightly. A subtle tremble occurred across his shoulders and arms.

"Yeah." He spat, "Vampires. Leeches. You know about them, don't you?"

My mouth opened, but no words came out. I felt my breath hiccup in my lungs, so I forced myself to inhale slowly. The deep sneer on Jacob's lips faded. His hands hovered as if he might grab me. He gently said, "Breathe, Bells. I won't hurt you."

I said, "I know. I know that."

After a time, we both relaxed somewhat. He slumped against the headboard once more and I flopped onto my back beside him. I stared at the paper lanterns along the ceiling. Jacob quietly asked, "Are you okay with me like this?"

"Yes." I replied after a pause. "You can't help it, right? You told me you had no choice. Bloodlines, right?"

"Yeah." He rasped, "It's genetics. There's a gene that gets passed down through the generations in the males of the family. If the gene is triggered, the male phases without his consent."

I slowly asked, "How is it triggered? What do you mean by phase?"

He cleared his throat and replied, "Phase is the term we use to describe the transformation. Leeches trigger us."

I gasped, "Leeches? There's vampires around?"

"Don't get too excited." He muttered angrily, "Not the Cullens."

"Who?" I demanded as I sat up again. I glanced at Jacob, who was scowling and grinding his teeth. I snapped, "Tell me, Jacob. I need to know."

"I don't know." He snapped back, "A couple loners. We killed one the other night. We're having trouble catching the other."

"Kill." I echoed. "Oh…"

"They had red eyes, Bella." Jacob spoke in a hard tone. "They're the murderers. We defend ourselves and innocent humans who haven't a prayer of surviving otherwise. We aren't the friggin' bad guys in this scenario."

I frowned before asking, "Why are you so angry at me?"

He deflated like a balloon suddenly released of helium. Jacob sagged backward and muttered, "I'm sorry. Tired. I'm tired and I'm not…used to all this yet."

I suggested, "Just lay down. Rest."

Jacob's head popped up. He looked at me, jaw slack and eyes wide. A smile broke free from my lips. I replied, "I'm serious. You need sleep. Lay down. I can wake you in a few hours. Charlie's alarm goes off at five thirty, but he rarely comes in my room. You can leave after he does."

"Okay." He mumbled before scooting down and plopping his head on a pillow. He turned on his side and closed his eyes. I watched him for a moment before carefully lying beside him. I made sure my hands and feet were tucked underneath my blanket before I went to staring at the ceiling. Eventually, the storm died down until there was nothing but a faint drizzle and the soft rumble of Jacob's snoring.

Just as the pearl gray of dawn was peeking in through my window, Jacob rolled over in his sleep. And mumbled my name.