Just an hour after dawn, my cellphone rang. Charlie had long since left to head to La Push in order to help Sue and Billy handle Harry's affairs. My dry eyes itched. My nose was hot and raw. Much earlier, I had smelled the strong odor of coffee and heard the muffled hit of Charlie's boots on the old floorboards. He left without knocking on my bedroom door at half past five.

Eventually, I turned to look at the cracks zig-zagging across my bedroom window. A flash of heated anger and dark, burning eyes had me sighing. The shrill shriek of my cellphone had me bolting upright in bed. Fumbling, I reached for the phone and took two deep breaths before answering.

"Hello?"

"Bella." Alice's voice was a soft sound of wind chimes. I bit my lip as she said, "We've just reached the state. We should be at our old home in a few minutes. Could you meet us there? Do we need to come to you?"

"No, no." I replied quickly, "I'll come to you. Just give me twenty minutes."

Her voice was smooth and flawless as she asked, "Are you in La Push?"

"No. I'm at home, but don't come here." I croaked.

There was a pause and cool whispers. Alice said crisply, "Get to us as soon as possible. Carlisle and Jasper will be monitoring the section of highway closest to our house in order to scent Victoria. Esme and I will be waiting for you. Do you remember the way or do you need directions?"

I swallowed and muttered, "I remember."

Ending the call, I took a moment to wrap my arms around myself. My chest was heaving and no matter how much I inhaled, my lungs felt restricted. Flashing images of memories flew through my head. Bronze hair and golden eyes and porcelain skin. I gagged and shoved my fist into my mouth for a moment. When the feeling subsided, I stood up on wobbly legs and pawed through my dresser. I dressed hastily in the dark and ran to the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and hair, I grabbed my keys and cellphone.

Shoving my feet into my boots, I stumbled outside and to my truck. I sent Charlie a text message, telling him I was going to visit Angela and would see him later in the day. Hesitantly, my thumb hovered over Jacob's phone number. Sighing, I shoved the phone into my back pocket. Blinking back tears, I hopped in the truck and cranked the engine. It roared to life and I was off.

The familiar winding road was comforting at first, but then the houses and buildings grew sparse until there were none left to be seen. My foot eased off of the accelerator unconsciously. The trees were my only companions, lining the roads and towering over me. The early morning sky was dark gray and from the way the treetops swayed, I knew a storm was coming. My chest and heart were moving unevenly as if I couldn't catch my breath. Biting my lip, I wiped at my eyes with one hand and then sped up. My eyes stayed glued to the left side of the road as I sickly anticipated seeing the hidden turn off.

The narrowed road was just as I remembered it: rocky, curvy, and long. Stunning trees were bent low, creating a type of green canopy that made me feel incredibly isolated. Still, I drove on. The trees suddenly opened up into a small clearing. There was a white-gravel circular drive and a three-story home made entirely of glass on one side. The white-washed walls, gray trim, and delicate wrought-iron work were all the same. The expensive, slick black car in the driveway looked the same. And the two women, one short and the other tall, one with black hair and the other with auburn, were the same. Exactly the same. Elegant. Beautiful. Flawless.

Swallowing heavily, I killed the engine and slowly climbed out of the truck. Although they were fairly far away, I could see their faces clearly. Esme was offering a soft smile. As my head turned to take in Alice's expression, I jolted and let out a gasp. Within one blink of my eye, Alice was standing in front of me. Her expression was concerned. A small furrow was between her perfectly arched eyebrows. Golden eyes made me dizzy with surrealism. She sighed, "Oh, Bella. Are you okay?"

"Not…really." I said in a halting voice. I cleared my throat and slipped my hands into my pocket. I tried to meet her golden eyes, but found that I couldn't. Esme moved slower than Alice, but still moved much too quickly. The mother of the Cullen family whispered, "I'm so sorry for this, Bella. We should have dealt with the problem before we left. I assure you that we will take care of Victoria for you."

"It isn't your fault, Esme." I replied quietly as I glanced to my left. Two pale blurs suddenly appeared from the forest. One was slim with white-blonde hair slicked back. The other was taller with curly honeycomb hair falling past his ears. Both had striking golden eyes, too.

"Bella." Carlisle said softly with a smile. "I am relieved beyond measure to see you well. I, too, must apologize on my family's behalf."

"It's okay." I replied awkwardly. "Her actions aren't your fault."

"Nevertheless," Carlisle sighed, "I can't help but feel responsible."

"Come inside, Bella." Alice said as Jasper came to her side. He hovered at her elbow. I watched him as his sharp eyes scanned our surroundings.

"Okay." I mumbled and followed on her heels. I noticed that both Carlisle and Esme walked easily beside me while Alice stayed in front of me and Jasper stayed directly behind me.

Once inside, Alice brought me to a sitting room. Most of the furniture was still in place. The colors and artwork remained the same. Esme flickered in a blur of colors and disappeared into the kitchen. Alice sat across from me on a pristine cream-colored sofa. Jasper remained standing near the full-length window. His eyes darted from his wife to me to the window repeatedly. I could smell dust in the air.

Carlisle sat beside Alice and quietly said, "Pardon me for speaking so abruptly, but time is of the essence. May you tell us what has been happening since we left Forks, Bella? Anything you know will be of aid to us."

I swallowed and nodded. "I don't have much to say. I'm not sure exactly when Victoria came to Forks. She attacked Harry Clearwater yesterday morning, but I know that the Protectors were chasing, or hunting, her and Laurent beforehand."

"Laurent?" Carlisle asked, "He is here as well?"

I said, "They killed him. I'm not sure when, but it was within the last month."

Carlisle shook his head and sadly said, "He was trying our way of life. He was becoming involved with the Denali family. We had thought…"

There was an awkward silence before I whispered, "Red eyes. He had red eyes."

"Who does your information come from, Bella?" Jasper asked suddenly.

I glanced at him and slowly said, "Those in La Push. My friend, Jacob, to be specific."

"Jacob is a member of the pack of werewolves?" Alice asked carefully.

"Yes." I nodded and added, "That's why I had to call you all. They're running themselves into the ground trying to catch her. Jacob says she's incredibly fast. He doesn't say so, but I don't think they can't keep going like they're going."

"What do you mean, Bella?" Carlisle asked softly.

"Well," I cleared my throat and mumbled, "They run in shifts all hours of the night and day. They never quit. There's no time for anything else. I mean, Jacob's life is completely turned upside down. I assume that the rest of them are the same."

"Do you interact with any shape-shifter beyond Jacob?" Alice asked with an odd look on her face. I frowned and slowly said, "Sometimes. I'm friends with others."

Carlisle nodded before saying, "I will have to make contact with the leader of the pack. I have a phone number for their Chief, Billy Black. Allow me to do that now."

"Oh, God." I muttered and put my head between my knees. I sucked as much air as I could. Carlisle knelt beside me and put a cold hand to my back. He whispered, "You're safe, Bella. Take slow, evenly measured breaths."

"Maybe I can talk to Billy for you." I said as I sat up. Carlisle frowned and asked, "You are familiar with the Chief of the Quileute people?"

"Yes." I croaked. Esme came into the room and offered a cold glass of lemonade. Slowly, I took the glass and whispered my thanks. Alice shared a glance with Jasper before she faced me and said, "There are two dogs heading our way."

"Do not panic or attack." Carlisle said swiftly and evenly. "We will greet them out on the porch. We have not made contact as soon as we should have. They're investigating. They will find no ill-will with us. Jasper, understood?"

"Oh, no. Oh, no." I chanted quietly as I stood up abruptly. The glass would have fallen out of my hand had Esme not caught it with stunning reflexes. My heart was pounding in my ears as I stumbled out of the room. Alice snatched at my elbow and I winced as she jerked me to a stop. Her eyes were wide as she said, "Stay at our side. Bella, just stay close and calm. Carlisle will settle things with the wolves."

"They won't hurt me." I said as I pulled at my throbbing arm. Alice slowly released me as Esme quietly reprimanded, "Alice…"

All five of us stood on the porch. Jasper stood in front of Alice, Esme, and myself. His arms were held out and his hands were curled like claws. Carlisle stood on the bottom step of the porch. His stance was tall and loose. His hands were calmly hanging at his sides.

Carlisle asked, "How far out are the wolves, Jasper?"

"Right at a mile." The man answered steely.

"I believe so, too." Esme agreed tensely.

"They will be here in twenty seconds." Alice said quickly.

"How many?" Esme asked with a tremble in her voice.

"Two for sure." Jasper replied roughly, "Maybe a third."

"One has a distinct scent." Esme said.

"Yes. The Alpha, I think." Carlisle murmured thoughtfully.

"Sam?" I squeaked, "Sam is coming here?"

"I'm unsure." Carlisle sighed, "All of you remain still and quiet, please."

I took a deep breath and glanced at Esme as she gasped. When I turned back to the tree line, my jaw nearly dropped. My eyes widened the slightest bit, but I pushed away the tiny part of my mind screaming that none of this could be real. Before me, slinking through the trees and shadows, I saw three pairs of glowing eyes. One dark green. One hazel. The third pair were magnets that I was pulled toward like gravity. What caught my attention was a mocha gaze that I knew better than my own name. My breath hitched. "Jake…"

A strange whining like that of a dog came from the shadows. I knew it was Jacob. I tore my eyes away from his massive, canine shadow and glanced at a growling, snarling, unbelievably large and angry chocolate brown wolf that came barreling through the brush. It rose up, standing impossibly tall. My heart beat at my ribcage, probably causing internal bruising from its persistence. This beast was wider than I was tall. Its bulk and height boggled the mind. A hysterical thought flittered through my stunned mind: They were as big as my truck, if not bigger.

Another wolf leapt out of the shadows. It was slighter of stature than the other and covered in a dark pelt the color of iron. Both let out a deep, bass-filled growl that made my skin shiver. My entire body shook in fear of the mortal enemies standing only small yards apart. The chocolate wolf snarled, his hazel eyes glowing brightly in the middle of the night. And then I realize who these two beasts really were. Green eyes. Embry. Hazel eyes. Quil.

Carlisle spoke clearly and loudly from beside me, "Gentlemen, we wish none of you harm. We have not and will not break the treaty your ancestors set in place with us. We are here to take care of unfinished business, and then we will be on our way."

There were more rumbling, bass-deep growls. More rustling of massive paws. The two looked to be forming some sort of pattern. I tried swallowing and found that my throat was too tight to work properly. I wondered where Jacob had disappeared to. Although I had no proof, I knew with a conviction that neither of the wolves were Jacob. The dark chocolate eyes I had seen and the glimpse of russet fur deep within the trees had been my Jacob. A flash of the last time I saw him came to my mind. He had been so angry and hurt and betrayed. What had I done to him?
I made eye contact with the calmer of the two wolves standing in front of the Cullen house. Its dark green eyes were slightly different from Embry's human eyes. Brighter, somehow. Larger and wider and sharper. And yet, they were the same. Embry's eyes held intelligence like the glint of a knife no matter if he was a werewolf or human.

I tried swallowing again and murmured, "I'll walk away from the porch. They might calm down if I'm not in close contact with all of you."

I locked my muscles in place for fear that I might collapse into a million pieces otherwise. Then, I took a sure footstep away from Jasper. When he didn't try to stop me, I continued forward. My heart was in my throat, but I watched my feet move down the steps as if they had a mind of their own. I was brushing past Carlisle's still form when Alice flew forward. She gripped my arm and gasped, "Bella, no! Can't you see how animalistic and crazed these things are?"

I winced at the vice grip she held my upper arm in and at the sudden earsplitting snarl from deep within the shadows. My head snapped up and I saw Embry and Quil snap their jaws menacingly. The echoing clack of their teeth had me shivering. I shakily said, "They won't hurt me, Alice."

A sudden booming voice echoed off of the treetops like the sound of an avalanche. "GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF HER, LEECH!"

And then a very human Jacob came charging out of the tree line. His chest was glistening with sweat. Dirt was smudged across his arms and legs and neck. His face was contorted in utter outrage and his muscles bulged across his body as if he were straining with all of his might. Tendons looked like tightly bound ropes beneath his skin. My breath hitched and my jaw went lax. Jacob radiated power and hostile poise. As he stalked forward, I was nearly mesmerized by the graceful and lethal way in which he moved. And it was then I realized there was not an ounce of fear in his dark glare. His eyes were on Alice's fingers wrapped around my arm. I demanded, "Jacob, stop! Alice. You have to let go of me."

Carlisle very slowly reached forward and yanked Alice away from me. I stumbled once as the tight hold on my arm was suddenly loosened. I tottered slightly on the edge of the stairs. Jacob flew forward in a startling blur of colors. His warm body engulfed me and then he lunged away. Suddenly, we were standing at the treeline with two hulking, snarling beasts surrounding us.

I felt his nostrils flaring against the top of my head. Warm breath fluttered across my face. A quick glance showed the arching backs of both wolves towering over my form. Even standing flat-footed, I couldn't see over the wolves' tall forms. Jacob kissed my hairline and murmured, "Did she hurt you, Bella?"

"No." I whispered breathlessly, "She's just trying to help. That's all they're doing, Jake. You have to believe me. Carlisle was just about to call your dad and tell him they were in town. They want to help kill Victoria."

Jacob tightly held me against his chest again and wrapped his arms around me so that I couldn't struggle out of his hold. I pulled against him and pushed at his broad chest. Jacob growled lowly, "Stop fighting me, Bella. I'm getting you away from these damn bloodsuckers."

With a quick scoop, he had me in his arms. We were moving across the yard. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was surprised at his smooth gait. Jacob never once jolted me as he jogged. The wolves kept pace at our sides; their bulky bodies were like warm, furry wall keeping the Cullens away from me. When I realized we were nearing my truck, I began struggling again.

"No!" I exclaimed in complete frustration, "There aren't enough wolves to catch her. Just talk with Carlisle."

Jacob snapped, "We don't need the demons we're meant to destroy helping us."

I blinked and then abruptly reared back and smacked him in the chest. My palms stung as I shrilly stated, "They aren't demons!"

My body shook with my heightened emotions. I demanded, "Why are you acting like such an idiot? My Jacob would never be so closed-minded and judgmental."

"I don't have time for this, Bella." Jacob growled as he flung the truck door open with so much power that the truck hinges groaned like breaking metal. He set me down in a heap, slammed the door shut so hard that the window cracked down the middle and was opening the door to the driver side before I could do more than scramble upright. He cranked the truck to life as I exclaimed, "You're acting like an ass, Jacob. I can't believe this is you in front of me right now."

"Right back at you, sweetheart." He muttered as he gunned the truck. We peeled out of the drive. My body slammed against the seat. Jacob tore down the Cullens twisting driveway with howling wolves running so closely to the truck that I could have reached my hand out the window and touched the dark grey one.

Jacob suddenly demanded, "Put your seatbelt on, Bella."

I grunted and huffed until I managed to sit up properly and slide the seatbelt over my chest. Tears pricked my tears and I pushed them down. We were less than a mile into Forks when Jacob demanded, "What the hell do you think you're doing, Bella? Are you siding with the Cullens now? Are you going back to them or something because you're scared? Why the hell would you call them and ask them to come to Forks? How could you-"

He stopped ranting suddenly and slammed his foot down on the gas petal until the truck was pushing past sixty. The doors rattled and the truck groaned as if it were dying. It was then I noticed how badly Jacob's hands shook. I thought he might explode to his spirit form if he got any angrier. And when the truck slowed once more, I saw a silent tear glistening at the corner of his eye. Any anger I felt extinguished.

I murmured, "Let me explain, Jacob."

He slammed on the brakes and my body shot forward. His large palm across my chest and the seatbelt restraint kept me from smashing my face against the dashboard. He shut the truck off at the side of the road and turned to me, gaze fiercely hurt. I began to speak desperately, "Jacob, I saw how tired you were. I saw how far you and the others were spreading yourselves. I feel terrible because this is my fault, no matter what you say. Victoria is sadistic and I don't want you or your pack to get hurt. I started this mess when Victoria's coven came through Forks last year. I called the Cullens because I knew that they were very experienced with killing vampires."

I took a breath and murmured, "At the very least, there could be more strength in numbers. You know, more people against her. I just keep thinking about how young everyone is. I mean, it isn't like you all are full-grown adults who made the decision to be a Protector. This was forced upon you."

Jacob growled lowly, so I rushed to explain. "Jake, I was sitting in that hospital all day long. Just thinking. The Clearwaters lost their dad to Victoria's games. Seth is fourteen years old. That's crazy. He's fatherless now. It could have been Charlie. Or Billy. Or you. Your dad was talking to me and-"

"What did he say to you?" Jacob barked, irritated.

"That you could never stop Phasing unless all the vampires leave town. It made me realize your life, all of you who Phased, have your life on hold. Jeez, Jake, you've dropped out of school because of Victoria, because of me. None of this is fair. I did the only think I could think of that I know would stop this disaster."

There was a pause. Jacob was staring at my hands, which were twisting nervously in my lap. I whispered, "I called Alice because I couldn't stand the thought of you…of you hurting. I can't lose you, but I feel like that's what's going to happen if Victoria isn't killed soon. It'll be you or Seth or Embry. Or Quil. One of the could be anyone. I can't stand that. I can't live with that."

When he didn't move or show any signs of replying, I felt my gut clench. Hopelessness coursed through my veins. Then Jacob's husky voice whispered, "I believed what you told me in your bedroom last night. I patrolled around your house for hours. I really did tell myself that this was just a crazy plan that you cooked up in order to protect me. Patrolled your area all night. I left your house for just short of thirty minutes this morning to meet with Sam about the Cullens. Quil was on his way to you. Then, he informs me you were gone. Just fucking gone. I freaked, Bella."

Jacob roughly sighed. "I went straight for the highway. I had a hard time distinguishing between scents because there were vehicles and the gasoline was throwing my senses off. I didn't want to believe it, but I knew where you had gone. Wasn't surprised at all."

"I'm so sorry, Jake." I whispered, "My intentions weren't to hurt you. I would never want to purposely hurt you."

We elapsed into silence. Both of us looked out at the windows before I said, "Carlisle is-"

Jacob's hot sigh cut my words off. "Sam will do what he wants with the Cullens, Bella. I don't have a say in his orders. He's the Alpha. Before we left, when Quil and Embry met up with me to find you, Sam told all of us that he didn't want to battle with the Cullens unless it was necessary. He wanted the three of us to scout, see what their intentions were, and regroup."

I muttered, "You didn't do much talking about intentions with them, did you?"

"I'm sure you did plenty of that on our behalf." He grumbled. With a jerk of his wrist, the truck roared back to life and he was back on the road. I frowned and slowly asked, "Sam is the Alpha?"
"Yeah." He sighed, "Thought you knew that."

"Well, I assumed so…" I mumbled, "He saved me back then and all. He ordered Jared and Paul around so well when they found me in the forest. Just made sense that Sam would be the leader, but..."

"Is there a question in there somewhere, Bells?" Jacob asked tiredly.

I glanced at him. His eyes were dry and focused on the road. One of his hands was lying innocently in the space between us. His palm was up. Biting my lip, I slipped my hand to entangle with his. I heard him puff in relief right before he squeezed my hand. I said, "Just think the Cullens were confused on who is Alpha."

Jacob hummed under his breath and something about the sound had me glancing at him. I frowned and asked, "What?"

"What, what?" He raised an eyebrow and glanced at me.

I rolled my eyes and replied, "What do you know? Why are you deflecting?"

Jacob muttered, "What makes you think the leeches were confused?"

"Jasper mentioned scents and Carlisle said the Alpha was on the way, but Sam wasn't there. It was you, Quil, and Embry. I thought the Cullens must have been wrong. I don't understand what made them specifically assume Sam was there."

Jacob shrugged and replied, "Yeah. Well, Sam is the Alpha. That's true enough. Just isn't how it was meant to be according to all the magical spirits and destiny and all that jazz."

I raised my eyebrows and said, "That isn't an answer."

"Yes, it is." He huffed, "Just not one you want to hear."

I released his hand and folded my arms across my stomach. I said, "Just bring me home. I'm too tired to deal with this."

"This? You meant to say 'deal with me', don't you?" He mumbled.

"No. I mean this Jacob. This angry, snarky jerk who is nothing like my Jacob."

He sighed long and hard before saying, "I'm sorry, Bells. I am. I'm just…Look, the Alpha thing is a touchy subject for me. I'm meant to be Alpha, okay? The Black bloodline is always Alpha. Always Chief. It's been that way as far as our legends and records go. We're talking hundreds and hundreds of years' worth of history. That's a lot to live up to. See, Sam Phased first, though, so he got stuck with the job. Because Sam thinks I do well, he's planning to step down. I'll have to take over for however long we are all saddled with these damn beasts."

There was a long pause as I replayed the whispered conversation that I had shared with Billy the day before. Jacob pulled into my driveway. He took the keys from the ignition and slowly handed them to me. He whispered, "I'm sorry."

I shrugged and muttered, "I guess we're even now."

A brief smile touched the corner of his mouth. He nodded and said, "I guess so."

The thick silence reached up to choke us both. My chest tightened horribly and sorrow ate at my heart. Silence had never been a bad thing with us until recently. With a sigh, I opened the truck door. Jacob's warm palm on my shoulder stopped me.

"Wait…for just a second."

I paused, turning my head to meet his intense stare. He swallowed heavily and I watched the way his thick jaw and throat moved. Jacob parted his lips, but no words came. I frowned. He swallowed again. I asked, "What is it, Jake?"

"Is he back?" Jacob croaked, "Cullen. Is he back?"

My heart skipped several beats inside of my chest. There was a weight pressing down on me like a ton of bricks. My eyes dropped to blankly stare at the upholstery. I said, "No. No. Not everyone was there."

Jacob's hand trembled as he pulled it away from my shoulder. He said, "I need to Phase. The boys are waiting for me behind the house. I need to check in with Sam. You don't work today, do you?"

I shook my head and crossed my arms over my stomach before saying, "I don't have another shift at Newton's until Thursday afternoon."

Jacob nodded. "Good. Makes everything easier that way."

"I can quit." I hedged, "If I have to."

"No." He shook his head, "Don't do that."

I stepped out of the truck and shut the door. A shower of rusty paint flakes fell to the ground. Jacob rounded the hood of the truck. His palm thumped nervously on the headlight as he said, "I'll come through later tonight to tell you whatever Sam decides. Do me a favor, Bella. Don't go back to the Cullen property. If Sam does what I think he's going to do, then I won't be able to protect you that far into Forks territory."

He didn't wait for me to speak. Instead, he turned away from me and loped into the forest. He glanced back once. Dark mocha eyes plagued me relentlessly until Jacob was in front of me again hours later.

He came through my window at a quarter past one in the morning. Inky black hair shone in the moonlight. Steam was rising off of his shoulders as the heat of his bronzed skin evaporated raindrops. Rolling over and squinting, I rubbed at my eyes and pointed to my desktop.

"Towel and sweatpants." I croaked, "Bowl of beef stir-fry on the bedside table."

"Thanks, honey." He whispered. My eyes shut as I was lulled into a peaceful state by the quiet sounds of Jacob moving about. After some time, there was the clink of silverware on ceramic and then the bed dipped down. Warmth seeped into my body as Jacob stretched out beside me and slowly, carefully, slipped his fingers through mine. There was a moment of silence and then he whispered, "Sam wants us to work with the Cullens. You got your wish, Bells."

We stayed very still, barely breathing, for a long time that night.