Jacob didn't call.

I lasted about 30 hours before I called the Black's house again.

The first time I called, Billy answered and told me that Jacob was still in bed and wasn't feeling well. I got nosy, checking to make sure that Billy had taken him to a doctor. Billy insisted that he had, but for some reason I couldn't put my finger on, I didn't truly believe him. I called again, several times a day for the next two days, but no one was ever there.

Saturday came and I was fed up. I decided to go see him, invitation be damned; but when I arrived the little red house was empty.

This frightened me. Was Jacob so sick that he'd needed to go to the hospital? I stopped by the hospital on the way back home, but the nurse at the front desk told me neither Jacob nor Billy had been in.

I made Charlie call Harry Clearwater as soon as he got home from work. I wanted, anxious while Charlie chatted with his old friend; the conversation seemed to go on forever without Jacob even being mentioned. It seemed that Harry had been in the hospital… some kind of tests for his heart. Charlie's forehead got all pinched together, but Harry joked with him, blowing it off until Charlie was laughing again. Only then did Charlie ask about Jacob, and now his side of the conversation didn't give me much to work with, just a lot of hmms and yeahs. I drummed my fingers against the countertop beside him until he put a hand over mine to stop me.

Finally, Charlie hung up the phone and turned to me.

"Harry said there's been some trouble with the phone lines which is why you haven't been able to get through. Billy took Jake to the doc down there, and they say it looks like he has mono. He's real tired, and Billy said absolutely no visitors," he reported.

"What?! No visitors?" I exclaimed in disbelief.

Charlie raised one brow. "Now Bella, don't you go making a pest out of yourself. Billy knows what's best for Jake. He'll be up and about soon enough. Be patient."

I huffed, but didn't push it. Charlie was obviously worried about Harry, and that was clearly the more concerning issue at the moment. It wouldn't be right to bug him with my minor concerns.

Instead, I went straight upstairs and turned on my computer. I went to webMD and typed in "mononucleosis" into the search box.

All I remembered about mono from health class was that you were supposed to get it from kissing, which was clearly not the case with Jake. Unless… ? I shook away the thought and the burning feeling it left in my chest, and read on. I glanced through the symptoms quickly.

Well, the fever he definitely had, but what about the rest of it? I guess he might have had a sore throat from the sound of it, extreme fatigue- yeah, Billy had mentioned he was tired, but no headaches. At least, not until he'd gone home from the movie, and he'd said he felt "fit as a fiddle" at that point. Jacob definitely didn't have a rash or swollen lymph nodes, or Billy hadn't mentioned it.

Did it really come on so fast? The article made it sound like the sore stuff showed up first. Jacob had just said he felt "wrong."

I glared at the computer screen in frustration. Why was I even doing this? Where was this suspicion coming from, like I didn't believe what Billy was saying about his own son? Why would Billy lie to Harry? I shook my head, angry with myself.

In reality, I was scared, not just worried. I was scared of the idea of not being allowed to see Jacob. For the first time I truly felt vulnerable without my personal sun.

I skimmed through the rest of the article, unable to ignore the disquiet brewing in me when my eye caught a sentence. My breath caught.

Mono could last for up to a month? My mouth fell open.

Surely Billy couldn't enforce the no visitors thing for that long. Could he? Of course not. Jacob would go crazy stuck in bed that long without talking to anybody or doing nothing.

What was Billy afraid of, anyway? The article said that a person with mono needed to avoid physical activity, but there was nothing stated about visitors. The disease wasn't very infectious unless…

I blushed at the idea of any sort of opportunity to share saliva with Jacob, and slammed my laptop shut.

I'd give Billy a week, I decided, before I got pushy. A week was generous.

A week was also very long. By Wednesday, I was sure I wasn't going to make it till Saturday.

When I'd decided to leave Billy and Jacob alone for a week, I hadn't truly believed that Jacob would go along with Billy's rule. Every day when I got home from school, I ran to the phone to check for messages.

There never were any.

I cheated three times by trying to call him, but the phone lines still weren't working.

I was in the house way too much, and much too alone. Without Jacob and our fun activities and distractions, everything I thought I'd gotten past started creeping up on me again.

Mostly, the dreams got worse.

Sometimes I was trapped in the horrible nothingness, the other times in the forest. Sometimes Sam Uley was in the forest, watching me again. I even yelled to him a few times to give Jacob back to me. I gave up eventually, though. He never answered and his presence offered me no comfort. I began to wake up in distress, sometimes crying, Jacob's name on the tip of my tongue.

It was clear to me that I was not handling alone very well.

I awoke on Saturday bleary eyed after another restless night, feeling my chest aching. Today I would allow myself to try calling Jacob again, and if the phone lines still weren't working I was going down to La Push, come hell or high water. One way or another, today would be the last lonely day of my week.

I trudged downstairs, sitting at the counter and dialed their number without high expectations.

It caught me off guard when Billy answered on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Billy!" I nearly yelled as I leaped out of the chair. "Hi! Oh, good your phone line must be working again. Uh… I was just calling to see how Jacob is doing. Is he up for visitors yet? I was thinking about dropping by…"

"I'm sorry, Bella," Billy interrupted. "He's not in." He sounded distant and distracted, and I wondered if I'd caught him in the middle of a game.

"Oh…" I deflated, heartbroken that Jacob hadn't called me. "So… he's feeling better, then?"

"Yeah," Billy hesitated for an instant too long, and my suspicions came flooding back. "Turns out it wasn't mono after all. Just some other virus."

"Oh. So where is he?"

"He's giving some friends a ride up to Port Angeles, I think. They were going to catch a double feature, so he'll be gone the whole day."

I was gutted. Jacob hadn't even bothered to stop by and let me know he was okay, and now he was off hanging out with friends?

"Well then… that's a relief. I've been really worried so… I'm… I'm glad he's feeling well enough to go out." I couldn't keep the hurt from saturating my voice.

Jacob was better, but not well enough to call me? He was out with friends while I was sitting at home, missing him more every hour. I was lonely, worried, stressed, and he was fine. I felt crushed as I realized that the week apart had not had the same effect on him as it had on me.

"Is there anything in particular you wanted?" Billy asked politely.

"Um, no, not really. Just… I'm glad he's doing okay." I felt tears pricking the backs of my eyes and my throat felt tight.

"Well I'll tell him that you called, honey," Billy promised. "Bye, Bella."

"Bye-" I tried to reply but he'd already hung up.

A sob hitched in my throat, and I slammed the phone back on the receiver before running back upstairs. I made sure my door was locked before I threw myself on the bed and had it out. I let myself cry into a pillow, feeling all the heartbreak and disappointment wash over me. My pride stung, and my feelings were deeply hurt.

I'll never, ever hurt you.

Some of his last words to me before he got sick. I sobbed even harder. Clearly all the men in my life were capable of doing was lying to me and breaking my heart.

I heard a tentative knock on my door, and I tried to get a hold of myself, snuffling pitifully. I was having an ugly snot-cry, so I didn't open the door.

"Yeah?" my voice was watery, teetering on the edge of another sob.

"Uh… is everything okay, Bella?" Charlie asked, clearly very uncomfortable. I sniffed again, feeling my lips wobble. All the men in my life- except Charlie. He always had my back.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, shoving my face into the pillow to muffle another sob.

"Who was that on the phone?" he asked, voice slightly gruff and confrontational. I realized he must think that someone else had called and had led to my water works.

"Billy… Jacob is feeling better, and that it wasn't mono. He's off hanging out with friends today," I said, hating that my voice sounded petulant.

"I see…" his voice was calmer, but still gruff. There was silence for a moment. "I was going to head out fishing with Harry Clearwater, but I can stay with you since Jacob's out," he offered. His kind words had an unexpected effect as my lips wobbled with renewed emotion. I took a second to collect myself.

"No, no… that's fine." I rubbed my eyes furiously, willing myself not to look like I'd just been crying my eyes out. I opened the door, and Charlie gave me a look like I was an unpredictable animal he'd inadvertently let into his house. He wasn't far from the mark, really. "Really, I'm okay, dad. Plus, the fish bite better when the weather is nice," I worked to sound indifferent, but my voice was still pitched strangely.

He stared at me, indecision clear on his face.

"Seriously, dad. I think I'll just call Jess or something and see if she's free," I lied quickly. I'd rather be alone all day in this state than having him watch me. "We have a calculus test coming up that we have to study for, and the spring dance she has to plan…"

All it took was the mention of one girly activity and Charlie was ready to back off. "Well, alright. It's good to hang out with your other friends now and again. They'll start to think you've forgotten them," he harrumphed decisively, then started to go downstairs, but he turned on his heel with a worried expression. "You're going to study at Jess' right?"

"Uh… yeah, why?" I lied again quickly. What was with him?

"Well, I just want you to be careful and stay out of the woods, like I told you before."

It took me a minute to understand, distracted as I was with my own misery. "More bear trouble?"

Charlie nodded seriously, frowning. "We've got another missing hiker. The rangers found his camp early this morning, but no sign of him. There were some really big animal prints, of course those could have come later after smelling the food… anyways, they're setting traps for it now."

"Oh," I said vaguely, having tuned after remembering Jacob was gallivanting around Port Angeles without me. I was much more upset about the situation with Jacob than by the possibility of being eaten by a bear.

I was glad that Charlie was in a hurry. He didn't wait for me to call Jessica to make plans, so I didn't have to bother with that charade. I went through all the motions of gathering my school books and supplies on the kitchen table to pack them in my bag- which was probably too much. If he hadn't been so eager to go fishing it probably would have made him suspicious.

I was so busy looking busy that the starkly empty day ahead didn't really crash down on me until after I'd watched him drive away. It only took about two minutes of staring at the silent kitchen phone to decide that I wasn't going to sit around at home today and mope.

But what to do?

I mentally ran through my options.

I wasn't going to call Jessica. I think she'd mentioned something about a girl's weekend with her mom, so that option was out.

I could drive to La Push and get my motorcycle… an appealing thought that had tantalizing tinges of rebellion but for one minor issue: who was going to drive me to the emergency room if I need it afterwards?

Or… I still had the map and compass in the glovebox of my truck. I was pretty sure I understood the process after watching Jake do it a couple of times, so I didn't think I'd get lost. Maybe I could eliminate two more lines today, putting us ahead of schedule for whenever Jacob decided to grace me with his presence again. I refused to think how long that might be. Or if it was going to be never.

I felt a brief twinge of guilt as I realized I was doing the literal one thing Charlie had asked me not to do, but I ignored it. Magnet for danger or not, I just couldn't stay in the house again, today.

A few minutes later, I was heading down the familiar dirt road that led to nowhere in particular. I had the windows rolled down and I drove as fast as was healthy for my truck, trying to feel the wind on my face and an iota of freedom. I was independent, I could hang out by myself. I was an introvert, dammit. I didn't need other people to make me happy.

I glanced at the sky, smiling slightly. It was cloudy, but almost dry. A very nice day, for Forks.

Getting started took me a little longer than it would have taken Jacob. After I parked in the usual spot- quite literally in my tire tracks I'd left from before, I had to spend a good fifteen minutes studying the little needle on the compass face and the markings on the well-worn map. When I was reasonably certain that I was following the right line of the web, I set off into the woods.

The forest seemed full of life today, all the little creatures enjoying the momentary dryness. Somehow, though, even with the birds singing and chirping, the insects buzzing noisily around my head, and the occasional scurry of critters through the shrubs, the forest seemed creepier today. It reminded me of my recent nightmares. I knew in the rational part of my mind it was because I was alone, missing Jacob's warm, carefree presence and the sound of another pair of feet squishing across the damp ground, but I still felt the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.

The sense of unease grew stronger the deeper I got into the trees. Breathing started to get more difficult, not from exertion, but because my chest was roiling with anxiety and sadness. I almost turned around, but I hated to waste the effort I'd already expended.

The rhythm of my footsteps started to numb my mind and the pain as I trudged on, and I tried to immerse myself in the beauty of the forest, breathing in the clean, rich air. My heartrate evened out eventually, and I was glad I hadn't quit. I also thought I was getting much better at this bushwacking thing. I could tell I was going faster than I had before.

I didn't realize quite how much more efficiently I was moving. I thought I'd covered maybe four miles, and I wasn't even starting to look around for it yet. Then with an abruptness that disoriented me, I stepped through a low arch made by two vine maples, pushing past the chest-high ferns, into the meadow.

It was the same place, of that I was instantly sure. It was the same size, the same shape. I could hear the stream bubbling quietly to the east.

It wasn't nearly as stunning without the sunlight, but it was still very beautiful and serene. It wasn't the season for wildflowers yet; the ground was thick with tall grass that swayed in the light breeze like a rippling lake.

It was the same place, but I didn't feel any closer to closure or peace.

The disappointment was nearly as instantaneous as the recognition. I knelt at the edge of the clearing, feeling the full brunt of my self-pity and aching sadness.

What was even the point of going any farther? Nothing lingered here. Nothing more than the memories I could have dredged up whenever I wanted to, if I was feeling particularly masochistic.

Without him, there was nothing special about this place. It was just a clearing in the woods.

I wasn't entirely sure what I'd hoped to feel here, but the meadow was empty of atmosphere, empty of everything. Just like everywhere else. Just like my life was now.

At that thought, I was bitterly glad I'd come alone. If Jacob had been here, he would have probably thought I was pathetic for losing my cool at a simple meadow. Would he have felt betrayed that some secret part of me was trying to experience the magic I'd felt here the first time again?

I also wouldn't have had to explain to him why I was in such a hurry to leave, either. Jacob would have assumed after going through so much trouble to locate the stupid thing, I would have wanted to spend more than a few seconds here; but I was already trying to steel myself to get to my feet again and get the hell out of there.

How lucky that I was alone.

Alone . I repeated the word mentally with grim satisfaction as I pulled myself to my feet. At precisely that moment, a figure stepped out from the trees to the north some thirty paces away.

A dizzying array of emotions shot through me like a bullet train. The first was shock- I was very far from any trail here, and I never in a million years expected company. Then, as my eyes focused on the motionless figure, seeing the utter stillness, the pallid skin, a rush of piercing hope slammed through me. I suppressed it violently, battling against the accompanying stab of agony as my eyes studied the face beneath a shock of black hair… but it wasn't the one I wanted to see.

Then, came the fear. This was not the face I grieved for, but it was close enough that I knew this man was no stray hiker.

And finally, in the end, stunned recognition.

"Laurent?" I whispered, feeling my heart begin to pound in fear and wonder. I'd made a grave mistake, though.

Laurent, the odd third member of James' coven when we'd first met. He hadn't been involved in the hunt that followed, but that wasn't due to any particular affection for me. He'd been afraid of James, and at that time I'd been protected by a huge coven of talented vampires. I was keenly aware that things would have been different if that wasn't the case- he'd had no compunctions at the time against making a meal out of me.

I remembered he had been planning to travel to Denali, and feverishly hoped he'd had a resulting lifestyle change.

The fear won out as the dominant emotion, thrumming high in my throat. I was wildly unprotected now, and in front of me stood the most dangerous thing in the world.

I blinked and he was suddenly only a few paces away. "Bella?" he asked, looking more astonished than I felt.

"You remember." I smiled politely, hoping against hope that he wasn't thirsty today.

He grinned. "Well, I can honestly say I didn't expect to see you here," he bowed his head courteously. So far so good.

"Shouldn't it be the other way around? I do live here," I laughed casually, trying to keep my tone light. "I thought you'd gone to Alaska."

A sliver of alarm crept into my mind. Why hadn't Alice seen this? Why hadn't she done something to prevent this? She must not be looking for me… another stab of hurt and disappointment lanced through me. I was truly and utterly on my own.

He cocked his head to the side, studying me. His face was the most beautiful face I'd seen in what felt like an eternity, and I felt myself becoming hypnotized. I studied his features with a strangely greedy sense of release. Here was someone who already knew everything I could ever say, who knew I was in on the secret.

"Yes, you're right. I did go to Alaska," he said ponderously. "Still, I didn't expect when I found the Cullen house empty… I thought they'd moved on."

"Oh." I bit my lip, knowing what he was implying. If they'd moved on, he'd assumed someone had finally done me in and they had to leave. "They did move on," I finally managed to say, and my cheeks burned with a strange mixture of embarrassment and shame. I wasn't good enough to bring along with.

"Hmm," he murmured. "I'm surprised they left you behind. My apologies, but weren't you a sort of pet of theirs?" His eyes were innocent of any intended offense. He really couldn't comprehend what in the world I had been to the Cullens.

I smiled wryly. "Something like that."

"Hmm…" he said, thoughtful again.

That's when I noticed his eyes were a dark burgundy, almost black.

I took an involuntary step back as the fear instinct Edward had so often wished I had finally kicked in. Laurent's curious, dark red eyes followed the movement.

"Do they visit often?" he asked, still casual, but I saw the almost imperceptible shift of his weight towards me.

Lie, the beautiful voice whispered anxiously from my memory.

I started slightly at the sound of his voice, but it shouldn't have surprised me. I was in the worst danger imaginable. The motorcycle was as safe as a kitten next to this.

I did exactly what the voice told me to do.

"Now and again," I tried to make my voice light, relaxed. "The time seems longer to me, I imagine, but it's around once a month or so. You know how they get distracted," I was beginning to babble. I had to force myself to shut up.

"Hmm," he said again. "The house smelled like it had been vacant for a while…"

You have to lie better than that, Bella , the voice urged again.

I tried. "I'll have to mention to Carlisle that you stopped by. He'll be sorry they missed your visit." I pretended to deliberate for a second. "Though, I probably shouldn't mention it to Edward though. I'm not sure he's forgiven the unfortunate… incident from last year. As I'm sure you'll remember he's still a bit… touchy about the whole James thing." I rolled my eyes and waved a hand as dismissively as I could as if that all was ancient history, but there was the slightest edge of hysteria to my voice I couldn't quite suppress.

"Is he really? Laurent asked, pleasantly skeptical.

"Mm-hmm," I shrugged, not trusting that my voice wouldn't betray my panic.

Laurent took a casual step to the side, gazing around at the little meadow. I didn't miss that the step brought him slightly closer to me. In my head, the velvet voice responded with a low snarl.

"So how are things working out in Denali? Carlisle said you were staying with Tanya?" My voice was too high.

The question made him pause. "Oh, yes. I like Tanya very much," he mused. "And her sister Irina even more, but… I've never stayed in one place for very long, and I enjoyed the advantages, the novelty of it. But, the restrictions are… difficult . I'm surprised any of them can keep it up for long." He smiled at me conspiratorially. "Sometimes I cheat."

I tried to swallow but my mouth was too dry. My foot started to ease back, but I froze when his dark red eyes flickered down to catch the movement.

"Yeah," I said, my voice faint. "Jasper has problems with that, too."

Don't move , the voice whispered. I tried hard to relax my stance, but it was difficult when every instinct I had was screaming at me to run.

"Really?" Laurent seemed interested. "Is that why they left?"

"No," I answered honestly. "Jasper is very careful at home."

"Yes," Laurent agreed. "I am, too."

The step forwards he took now was deliberate, and I felt my heart rate climb a few more notches.

"Did Victoria ever find you?" I asked, breathless and desperate to distract him for as long as I could. I wasn't sure to what end, it wasn't like anyone was coming to save me. The Cullens were long gone.

But the question did stop him.

"Yes," he said, hesitating on that step. I immediately regretted my question. "I actually came here as a favour to her." He made a face. "She won't be happy about this."

"About what?" I said eagerly, desperate for any sort of distraction. I took advantage of his diversion, shifting myself back a step as if I were changing weight onto the other foot.

He looked back at me and smiled, the expression making him look like a black-haired angel.

"About me killing you," he answered in a seductive purr.

This time I couldn't help but stagger back another step. The voice growled frantically in my ear.

"She wanted to save that part for herself," he sighed. "She's very put out with you, Bella."

"Me? What did I do?" I squeaked, mind whirling at this new information and the imminent danger I was in. I was going to die for real this time.

He shook his head and chuckled. "I know, it seems a bit backwards to me, too, but… James was her mate, and your Edward killed him."

Even on the edge of death, hearing 'your Edward' sent a dagger of pain through my chest.

Laurent was oblivious to my reaction. "She thought it more appropriate to kill you than Edward. Fair turnabout, mate for a mate and all that. She asked me to get the lay of the land for her, so to speak. I didn't imagine you would be so easy to get to. So, maybe her plan was flawed after all. Apparently it wouldn't be quite the revenge she imagined, since you must not mean very much to him if he left you here unprotected."

Pain seared through me at the unwitting blow, and I gritted my teeth.

Laurent's weight shifted again, and I stumbled back another step.

He frowned. "I supposed she'll be angry either way."

"Then why not wait for her?" I choked out, desperately clinging to the tiny sliver of hope.

A mischievous grin pulled up the corners of his lips. "Well, I'm afraid you've caught me at rather a bad time, Bella. I didn't come to this place specifically for her mission. I was hunting. I'm regrettably quite thirsty, and you do smell… simply mouthwatering ."

Laurent looked at me with admiration, as if he meant it as a compliment.

Threaten him , the beautiful voice ordered, full of dread.

"He'll know it was you," I whispered obediently. "They'll find you and get revenge. You won't walk away from this."

"And why not?" Laurent's smile widened. He gazed around the small opening in the trees. "The scent will wash away with the next rain. No one will ever find your body, you'll simply go missing, like so many other humans. There's no reason for Edward to think of me, if he even cares enough to investigate. Trust me, darling, this is nothing personal. Just thirst." His voice lowered into a deep, seductive purr again, and suddenly I was in his arms, pressed tightly against his body.

Beg , my hallucination pleaded with me.

"Please," I gasped. "Don't do this."

Laurent shook his head, his face kind. His long, graceful fingers came up to stroke my face gently, brushing my hair out of my face and off my shoulder.

"Look at it this way, ma cherie, you are very lucky I was the one to find you."

"Am I?" I breathed, feeling his cold fingers trail down my neck. My heart was pounding, not helping my case in the slightest.

Laurent smiled, his fingers framing my jaw gently.

"Yes," he assured me. "I'll be very quick. You won't even feel a thing, I promise. It will be like going to sleep. I'll lie to Victoria later about that, naturally, just to ease her. My dear Bella, if you only knew what she had planned for you," he shook his head with a slow movement, almost in disgust. "You would be thanking me for this."

I stared at him in horror, by body frozen against the cold marble of his.

He leaned closer, breathing in deeply at my temple. "Mouthwatering," he sighed.

I tensed for the bite, the pain, my eyes squinting as I cringed away. The sound of Edward's furious roar echoed distantly in the back of my head. Both his and Jacob's faces flashed before my closed eyes and my heart cried out to them. I'd never see them again. I was going to die.

I love you, I love you, I'm sorry, I sobbed to them.

Through my narrowed eyes, I watched as Laurent paused in the act of inhaling towards my throat, and whipped his head abruptly to the left. I was afraid to look away from him, to follow his gaze, though he hardly needed a distraction or any other trick to overpower me. I was trapped in his hold.

I was too shocked to feel relief when he suddenly let me go, and slowly backed away from me. My knees buckled, but by some miracle I remained standing.

"I don't believe it," he gasped, his voice so low I could barely discern it from the wind.

I had to look, then. My eyes scanned the meadow, searching for the interruption that had somehow extended my life by a few meagre seconds. At first, I saw nothing and my gaze flickered back to Laurent. He was retreating more quickly now, his eyes boring into the forest.

What the hell?

Then I saw it; a huge black shape eased out of the trees, as quiet as a shadow, and stalked deliberately towards the vampire. It was enormous, as tall as a horse but much thicker, more muscular. The long muzzle was bared, revealing a line of dagger-like incisors. A grisly, guttural snarl rolled out from between the teeth, rumbling across the clearing like a prolonged crack of thunder.

The bear- only, it wasn't a bear at all. The lines were all wrong. It was more… graceful. Still, this gigantic black monster had to be the creature causing all the alarm. From a distance, anyone would assume it was a bear, but… what else could be so vast, so powerfully built? It seemed impossible.

I wished I were so lucky to see it from a distance. instead, it padded silently through the grass a mere ten feet from where I stood.

Don't. Move. An Inch . Edward's voice whispered severely.

I stared in awe at the monstrous creature, not finding it too difficult to listen to the voice as I was frozen in place. My mind spun wildly, trying to put a name to it. There was a distinctly canine cast to the shape of it, the way it moved. That left only one possibility, yet… I'd never imagined a wolf could get so big .

Another growl rumbled in its throat, and some primal part of my brain screamed at me to run away from it as fast as I could.

Laurent was backing towards the edge of the trees and even under the freezing terror, confusion seized me. Why was he retreating? Granted, the wolf was monstrous in size but it was just an animal. What reason could a vampire have for fearing an animal? And Laurent was afraid. Very afraid. His eyes were wide with horror, just like mine.

As if in an answer to my question, suddenly the mammoth wolf was not alone. Flanking it on either side, another two gigantic beasts prowled silently into the meadow. One was a deep grey, the other a dark mahogany, neither one quite as tall as the first. The grey wolf came through the trees only a few feet from me, its eyes locked on Laurent.

Before I could even react two more wolves followed, lined up in a V like geese flying south, which meant that the rusty brown monster that shrugged through the brush last was close enough for me to touch.

I gave an involuntary gasp and scrambled back, which was the stupidest thing I could have done. I froze up again, waiting for the wolves to turn on me, the much weaker of the available prey. I wished briefly that Laurent would get on with it and crush the wolf pack so I could have a quick and easy death rather than be ripped apart by giant teeth.

The wolf closest to me, the reddish brown one, turned its head slightly at the sound of my gasp. Its eyes were dark, nearly black. It gazed at me for a fraction of a second. Those deep eyes seemed far too intelligent for a wild animal.

As it stared at me, I suddenly thought of Jacob again, with gratitude. At least I'd come here alone to this fairytale meadow filled with monsters and darkness. At least Jacob wasn't going to die, too. I could live with that.

Another low growl from the leader caused the russet wolf to whip his head around, back towards Laurent, who was staring at the pack of monster wolves with unconcealed shock and terror.

I was stunned when, without warning, he spun and disappeared in a blur into the trees.

He ran away.

The wolves were after him in a second, sprinting across the open grass with only a few powerful bounds, snarling and snapping so loud that my hands flew up instinctively to cover my ears. THe sound faded with surprising swiftness once they disappeared into the woods.

I was alone once more.

My knees unstringed, and I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. A sob hitched in my throat as the full weight of what had just happened to me, but I tried to refocus. I needed to get the hell out of there before Laurent decided to circle back and finish me off once he'd eradicated the wolves.

At least the forestry department will be happy , I thought hysterically.

I couldn't move at first, though. My whole body was shaking like a leaf, and I wasn't sure how to get back to my feet when I felt so weak and fatigued from terror.

My mind couldn't get past the fear, the confusion. I couldn't comprehend what I'd just been through, and witnessed.

I'd been a hair's breadth from death, Laurent's teeth mere inches from my throat. Then, those things showed up, and… a vampire should not have run from overgrown canines like that. What good would their teeth be against his granite skin?

The wolves should have given Laurent a wide berth. Even if their extraordinary size had taught them to fear nothing, it still made no sense that they would pursue him over me. I doubted his icy marble skin would smell anything like food to them. Why would they pass up something warm-blooded and weak like me to chase him?

I couldn't add the pieces up.

A chilled breeze whipped through the meadow, swaying the grass like something was moving through it, making me shudder again in horror.

I scrambled to my feet, backing away even though there was nothing there. I stumbled in panic, turning and running headlong into the trees.

I rushed as fast as I could through the undergrowth, stumbling and falling more than once. I kept looking over my shoulder. Every shadow was a monster, every gust of wind a vampire rushing to kill me. I could barely read the map and use the compass as my hands were shaking so badly. I had to put it down in the mud a few times in order to read it. It took me three times as long to get back to my truck.

Finally, blessedly, there was a break in the trees ahead. Crying with relief, I stumbled out onto the dirt road, and fumbled with my keys. I practically threw myself in the driver's seat, and pulled as tight of a U-turn as my poor truck would allow. I raced at top speed down the highway, my truck groaning and roaring in protest. My eyes flickered to my side and rearview mirrors obsessively every few seconds, terror clutching my throat in a vice grip. I fought tears the whole way home, trying to let the sound of the truck comfort me.

I was calmer, but still a mess when I got home. Charlie's cruiser was in the driveway and I cursed under my breath. It was later than I thought, and I had definitely not been at Jessica's, what with my clothes stained with mud and moss.

"Bella?" Charlie called as I closed the front door, hastily turning the lock.

"Yeah, it's me," I replied, my voice unsteady.

"Where have you been?" he thundered, his expression ominous as he stood in the kitchen entrance with his arms crossed. I hesitated, and guessed that he'd seen that my truck wasn't in the Stanley's driveway. Better stick to the truth.

"I went hiking," I admitted sheepishly.

"Is that so? What happened to calculus at Jessica's?" He demanded furiously.

"I changed my mind! I didn't feel like calculus today," I threw my hands up.

Charlie shook his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I thought I told you to stay out of the forest, Bella."

"Yeah, don't worry. I won't do it again." I shuddered, feeling the blood drain out of my face.

Charlie seemed to really look at me for the first time, and I wondered how I looked to him. Probably like a frightened rabbit who'd barely escaped the snapping jaws of death. He wouldn't be very far off.

"What happened?"

Again, I decided honesty, well, at least part of the honest truth, was the best policy. I was too shaken to pretend that I was okay, and had spent a day amongst normal flora and fauna.

"I saw the bear," I tried to say calmly, but my voice was high and unsteady. "It's not a bear, though. It's some kind of giant wolf, and there's more than one. There's five of them- black, reddish-brown, grey…" I gulped.

Charlie's eyes grew round with shock. He strode quickly to me and grabbed the tops of my arms.

"Are you okay, Bells?"

I nodded weakly, shuddering again.

"Tell me what happened, sweetie."

"I was in a clearing and they came out of the woods, but they didn't pay any attention to me. I tried to stay still so they wouldn't notice me. After they were gone I ran away, but I fell down a lot."

He let go of my shoulders and wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. I sniffed into his shoulder, finally feeling safe enough to relax an iota. For a long moment neither of us spoke.

"Wolves," he muttered.

"Huh?"

Charlie loosened his grip on me and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I was just thinking, the ranger said the tracks were all wrong for a bear… but, wolves just don't get that big."

"These were huge. Like…" I shook my head slowly in disbelief. "I've never seen anything like it."

"How many did you say there were?"

I double counted in my head. "Five."

Charlie shook his head with a muttered curse. He finally spoke in a tone that brooked no argument. "No more hiking."

"No problem," I promised fervently, shaking my head jerkily.

Charlie called into the station to report what I'd seen. I fudged the exact location where I'd seen the wolves a little, claiming I'd been on the north trail. I didn't want Charlie to know how deep into the woods I'd actually gone, and I didn't want anyone searching the woods where Laurent might still be looking for me. The thought of that made me sick to my stomach.

"Are you hungry?" he asked me once he'd hung up.

"No, not really. Just tired. I'm gonna go take a bath," I sighed. I was probably starving since I hadn't eaten all day, but right now my fatigue was pulling at me more, making my shoulders sag. I turned for the stairs.

"Hey," Charlie called after me, his voice suddenly suspicious again. "Didn't you say Jacob was gone for the day?"

"That's what Billy said," I told him, confused by the question.

He studied my expression for a second, and must have been satisfied by what he saw there.

"Huh."

"Why?" I asked, frowning at him. It sounded like he was implying that I'd been lying to him this morning (again.)

"Well, it's just that when I went to pick up Harry this morning, I saw Jacob out in front of the store down there with some of his friends. I waved hello, but he, well… I guess I don't know if he saw me. It looked like he was arguing with his friends or something. He looked a little strange, like he was upset; and different. It's like you can watch that kid growing! He gets bigger every time I see him, I swear."

I felt a fresh stab of betrayal towards Jacob. "Billy said Jake and his friends were going up to Port Angeles to see some movies. They were probably just waiting for someone to meet them," I said bitterly.

"Gotcha," Charlie nodded, and headed for the kitchen.

I stood in the hall, wondering about the scene Charlie had witnessed. Maybe Jacob had finally confronted Embry about the situation with Sam. Maybe that was the reason he'd ditched me today… if it meant he could sort out things with Embry, I guess was glad he had.

I paused to check the locks again before heading up to my room, not that they would do any good against a vampire hell-bent on revenge. The handle might stymie the wolves for a bit, though, not having opposable thumbs and all.

I ran a hot bath, stripping down and sitting in the steaming water. I was shaking like a leaf, and it wasn't from the cold. I washed quickly, then sat there with my arms wrapped around my knees, contemplating my bleak fate.

There was nothing I could do. No precautions I could take, nowhere to hide. No one to help me.

If Laurent wanted to, he could come here and kill me tonight.

And Victoria…

I realized with a nauseous flip of my stomach, that the situation was so much worse than that, because all of that applied to Charlie, too. My innocent father, sleeping one room away from me, was caught in the crosshairs of a supernatural vendetta against me. My scent would lead them here, whether I was here or not.

The tremors rocked me until my teeth chattered.

I emptied the bath, feeling cleaner but nowhere near the calm I needed to fall asleep. To comfort myself, I fantasized about the impossible- if the huge wolves caught up to Laurent in the woods and massacred the indestructible immortal the way they would any normal person. Despite the absurdity of such a vision, the idea comforted me. He had seemed afraid of them, after all. If the wolves got to him, then he couldn't run and tell Victoria I was here all alone, unprotected. Maybe if he didn't return, she would assume the Cullens were here still protecting me, and had sent him packing. Or killed him for good measure.

If only the wolves could win such a fight.

The sad truth of the matter was: the good vampires were never coming back, and those wolves were probably reduced to shreds somewhere in the woods right now. I was living on borrowed time, and it was quickly running out.

I crawled under the covers and pulled them tightly around me as if that could stave off everything that wanted to hurt me. In my imagination, Victoria's eyes were black with thirst, and bright with anticipation. Her lips curled back from her gleaming teeth in a threatening grimace, red hair as brilliant as fire blowing chaotically around her wild face.

Laurent's words repeated in my head. My dear Bella, if you only knew what she had planned for you. You would be thanking me for this.

I pressed my fist against my mouth to keep from screaming.