Several days went by in a strange lull. I had become used to calling Jacob and leaving voicemails, informing him of where I was going and why. I knew his pack was likely more than aware of where and what I was doing, but there was a sense of security in personally telling Jacob.

More often than not, Quil was watching me in the late evenings. There were a few times- a dreary Tuesday evening at Newton's- that I saw a flash of a dark gray wolf from across the road. Embry. I knew, although I didn't comprehend the entirety, that Jacob being Alpha changed the entire dynamic of La Push. The pack was his to lead now. The looming threat of Victoria and her accomplices were deadlier now.

Jacob couldn't watch me as much as he had beforehand. He was needed to plan and direct his people for all possibilities, which was why the Cullens were so important. At least, in Jacob's mind, the only good use for the Cullens was their lack of physical and mental needs. As Carlisle had explained, vampires had no bodily limitations. Strong and steady bodies. Capable minds. Extraordinary powers. An advantage. A surprise. This meant Jacob and the Cullens were allies, but the truce was strained at best. At worst, it was downright crumbling.

I avoided Edward as much as I could, which was to say not much at all. We were in close proximity five days out of seven. It was a cowardly act, but I needed to regroup. I had no idea what to say to him, so I said nothing. The day after Edward's confession- the one where he looked like an agonized God sitting in the crappy cab of my truck- I dreaded going back to school. I had not slept a wink and had hastened to get dressed after a quick, hot shower. The wet clothes I left in the hallway were gone and I wondered, in horror, if Charlie had picked them up. Jacob was long gone from my bed, having left just after sunrise, but he had been in the forefront of my mind as I raced to dress. That morning, I was sore from muscles constantly flexing during my time with Jacob. The memory of him chased me every second since. I had been so distracted with flashing memories of Jacob's touch, taste, and sound that I hadn't realized Edward sat beside me in Spanish class until the bell rang.

He hadn't bothered speaking, but his face looked pained on more than one occasion. More often than not, I could see his eyes were black as tar. He walked around with his nose perpetually wrinkled. Every time our gazes met, Edward quickly looked away. I felt guilty and restless and tired. My homework was suffering for it, but I barely cared. Each evening, I crossed off another day on my calendar with relish. Graduation was only four weeks away and I would be done with the hell of high school forever. The restlessness grew so incredible that I desperately asked Mrs. Newton for extra shifts at the store. With pity in her eyes, she had given me two extra shifts. Mike thanked me happily and told me he was taking a long weekend in Seattle with Jessica.

I was ridiculously grateful and hoped they had a romantic time. It was Friday afternoon, just past three o'clock, and I was sweeping the store's floors. A truck of supplies had come in at lunchtime, which meant I had plenty to keep me busy. Mrs. Newton was in her office and there were no customers to be seen. Faintly, I could hear the speakers playing old blues music. Beyond that, there was the rhythmic tapping of Mrs. Newton's fingertips on a keyboard.

After putting away the broom, I loaded cardboard boxes onto a cart and wheeled my way down isles. With a cutter, I carefully sliced through thick tape and began unloading supplies into neat piles on the floor. Backpacks. Coolers. Thermoses. Flasks. Paracord. Rope. Slowly, but surely, I made my way through each box. By the time I had gotten to the last large box and wheeled my way to the final isle, the weak sunrays had disappeared completely. The harsh florescent was my only source of light. It bothered me, although I wasn't sure why.

A late-night customer came in, an old man in need of new boots. After he chose what he wanted, I rang up his purchase and cash was exchanged. I said, "Thank you, sir. Have a nice evening."

I went back to my cart. Squatting at the knees, I pulled the cutter from the pocket of my jeans and sliced through the tape on the flap of the box. Instantly, a searing pain in my finger had me loudly gasping. The cutter clattered to the tiled floor as I jumped up. My eyes saw only a blurry glimpse of red and then my eyes squeezed shut of their own accord. Gulping, I slapped my uninjured hand over my finger. Warm, thick liquid squished against my skin. I gagged and stumbled my way in the general direction of the public bathroom. My shoulder rammed into the wall twice before it managed to hit the wood of the bathroom door. Falling through the door, I opened my eyes and rushed to the sinks.

With a fortifying breath, I stared straight at myself in the mirror. My hair was pulled back in a messy tail. My skin was pale and purple shadows were prominent under my eyes. I was shaking as my fingers fumbled for the sink knobs. Shoving my bleeding finger under the spray of cold water, I winced and gasped again. My feet shifted nervously and I had to brace myself on the edge of the sink with one hand. I tried to breathe through my mouth, but I could smell the thick, metallic scent of blood.

Gagging again, I blindly reached for a paper towel from the dispenser along the wall. There was another quick glance of blood dripping before I managed to wrap several sheets of paper over the cut. The pain and amount of blood told me this wasn't quite a cut to the bone, but it was still deep. On shaky legs, I tucked my injured hand against my chest and awkwardly bent down to mop tiny dots of crimson off of the tiled floor. I did this all the way back to my cart. There was a dark red puddle the size of a large coin right next to the box of hiking boots I had planned to unpack.

I tried to yank and pull on the cart with one hand, but only managed to thoroughly lose my breath. Blurry dots were dancing in my vision. Abruptly, I sat on the floor and breathed. More than once, I had to swallow heavily in order not to vomit. I wiped clammy sweat off of my forehead and slowly stood up. I walked to the front counter and carefully removed my employee-vest, stuffing it under the register. I ducked my head into Mrs. Newton's tidy, little office. She was shutting down her computer and reaching for a stack of overflowing manilla folders.

I said, "Excuse me, Mrs. Newton, I've had an accident. I need to leave early."

Mrs. Newton was on her feet quickly and coming my way. I could see the concern and panic edging into her blue eyes. I gave a feeble smile and said, "Don't worry about it. I hurt myself all the time. This really isn't anything new. It's just a little cut. I'm going to head home now. I have a med-kit there."

"Bella, surely we should head to the hospital. What happened?" Mrs. Newton fretted as she reached out as if she might just grab ahold of my injured hand. I tucked it closer to my chest and firmly said, "I'm fine. I'm going home now. Sorry for an inconvenience, Mrs. Newton. I'll be here for my shift tomorrow."

"Oh, no." Mrs. Newton called as I walked to the front of the store once more. "Don't worry about it, dear. Take time and rest up. Come in at your usual time on Monday. Do I need to call Charlie, dear?"

"No, Mrs. Newton." I called out as I gathered my purse from under the counter and headed out the door. There was a tingling of bells above my head that halted as soon as the glass door fell closed. Glancing around, I took in the empty parking lot and dark expanse of wooded area across the small road just beyond. I fumbled to hold my purse and fish out my truck keys, but finally managed.

With a huff, I unlocked the truck door and tossed my purse on the seat. The leather strap got caught on the wad of paper towels wrapped around my hand, causing me to swear hotly. There was a burning sensation and the snow-white paper went dark pink around the middle. With a sigh, I climbed into the cab and only slipped once trying to do so. I cranked the engine, taking comfort in the roaring sound that pierced the silent night air. I was reaching to close the truck's door when a movement caught my eye.

My heart dropped and ceased to beat for a terrifyingly long moment. My fingers curled around the cool metal of my truck's handle. A few yards away, standing in the middle of a wet and dark parking lot, was a man I had never seen before. He had hair as black as pitch. His skin was pasty white, even paler than my own, and his eyes were vividly red. His lips were pulled back into a mockery of a smile. Sharp teeth were visible.

My breath burst out of me so suddenly that I startled myself. I blinked and the vampire was standing within arm's reach of my ajar door. I flinched back and he laughed quietly. It was a grating sound like the scratching of fingernails on a chalkboard. I flinched again. His voice echoed softly and clearly in the night air. "Won't you run from me, Isabella?"

"No." I breathed shakily, "It's pointless."

One black eyebrow arched sharply. He smirked and said, "Smart. I was told you were reasonably intelligent, although I do not see how with the company you keep. Has no one ever told you that vampires are deadly to humans, child?"

I swallowed. My body trembled, but I couldn't move my limbs. It was as if my body was frozen solid, but my mind was hot and panicking wildly. The vampire had an accent, but I couldn't place it with my limited knowledge of ethnicities and cultures. Slowly, I killed the engine of my truck. He inhaled through a beak-like nose and crooned, "You smell lovely."

Another blink. He was in front of me. The cool wind from his movement brought a sharp pain in my spine and the scent of blood. There was sweetness too, but like the scent of overripened fruit. A thick, pale hand shot out and a choking whimper left my throat, but I didn't scream. I was overly aware of Mrs. Newton just inside her family's store. The vampire's grip was uncomfortably tight and despite wanting to twist out of his grasp, I knew it was impossible. I would only hurt myself quicker by trying to physically fight him off.

Stall. I needed to stall him. There was someone coming, either a wolf or a Cullen. I was rarely left alone and when I was, it was only for minutes during a change in shift between wolf and vampire. An unfamiliar, big nose was running its way up and down my neck. He inhaled sharply. I croaked, "What do you want?"

"Oh, you know, darling." He chuckled, "Victoria allowed me to assist. I've promised your head at her feet."

Abruptly, one hand slapped both my wrists together and held them between his long fingers. The other hand was propped underneath my bottom and thighs. I cringed and tried to hold back a sob. He moved with a blur of speed and my eyes popped open, taking in the dizzy blur of dark green trees and black pavement. I gasped, "Just kill me. Kill me here and go. Make it look like a mugging."

"Eager for death, are we, human?" The vampire laughed sharply as he ran. I tried to keep track of which directions he turned, but it was too dark and he was moving too fast. Cold air bit at my exposed cheeks and neck. My eyes were tearing up and then they shut slowly. A wave of nausea came upon me. His gait was smooth, but the occasional quick jump had my stomach rolling. My injured finger jerking painfully. I muttered urgently, "I'm going to be sick."

There was a heavy sigh and then the icy air was no longer slapping at my face. The vampire maneuvered my body within milliseconds and then I was upright. My world tilted. I wobbled, both hands pin-wheeling to the sides in a pitiful attempt to keep my balance. The vampire's hand shot out and gripped me by the back of my sweater, but he caught the end of my long ponytail, too. I yelped and the sharp hold loosened. He dryly said, "Hurry up, darling. I don't have all night."

Leaning over, my lips trembled and my dry throat ached. I coughed loudly, which nearly caused me to fall over again. The vampire caught me by the elbow and snapped, "Enough of this. We must clear the state line in a timely manner."

"If you keep running like that," I croaked, "I'm going to vomit all over you."

I glanced up at him to see ruby-red eyes rounded. White clouds billowed into the air as I fought to breathe through my panic and sickness. I mumbled, "Do you have to bring me to her? Is that what she asked of you?"

"Yes." He replied exasperatedly, "Come along. We have to put better distance."

With that, the vampire scooped me up and began to run again. My hair whipped forward and slapped me in the face. The cold air was causing wind burns along my cheeks. The tip of my nose was so numb that I could no longer feel it. My lips felt swollen. My stomach rolled again and again. Twice, I gagged and dry heaved. All the vampire did was maneuver me and place an unforgiving hand on the nape of my neck to hold my head toward the ground as he ran on.

A quick peek between blurry eyes and midnight's darkness, I saw the edge of the highway and a thick forest of trees. We were in an area I did not recognize. I saw no signs or buildings. Hot tears stung my cheeks as they poured silently. My entire body was wrecked with violent tremors. The vampire only held me tighter. My arms grew numb. Flashes of Jacob and Charlie came to me again and again and again. I knew, with some sort of profound sense, that neither of them would live without me in their life. They may exist, but they would never live. Renee, as heartbroken as she might be at my death, would move on. She was so innocent, yet strong in ways I had never understood. She was eccentric and fanciful and exuberant. She was unafraid of new things and unknowns. She was, as far as I could tell, fearful of nothing. My mother was an incredibly free-spirit with such a love for life that nothing could ever daunt her for long. Not even the death of her only daughter.

And my friends. My friends would mourn me for a time, but they were young and had full lives to look forward to. Though, Charlie was different. He was like me. He attached himself so thoroughly to a person that he could never completely let them go. He despised change and clung to what he knew best. Without me, Charlie would revert back into himself. He would eat, work, and repeat. He would do his duty to protect the town of Forks until he died. And that was all he would do. There would be no backyard fish fries and laughter. No fires on the beach with the salty ocean as a friend. There would be no importantly awkward conversations at the breakfast table. No quiet nights watching sport games on television. No more one-armed hugs and blushing cheeks. No more early mornings where he whistled a tune as he loaded up his fishing gear into his cruiser. No cheerful waves goodbye.

And Jacob. Oh, God, Jacob. With nearly clairvoyant clarity, I knew who Jacob would become without me. An angry, bitter, twisted version of himself. The flicker of darkness that had invaded the sunshine of my Jacob would take over. Those mocha-chocolate eyes would go flat black. His full lips would stay sneering instead of smiling. His infectious laughter and bear-hugs would be a thing of the past. In their place would be sarcastic comments and rude gestures. His golden patience would cease to exist. His warmth would be smothered in ice. Jacob.

And suddenly, I was angry. Rageful. Terrified. Desperate. The wind was a monster roaring in my ears, but I heard the faintest sound. It echoed once more and a sharp curse escaped from the vampire clutching me. My heart was pounding against my ribs. Hard. I sucked in a deep breath and felt my chest expand. "JACOB!"

Before I could inhale to scream again, there was a stunning force slamming into the side of my face. My vision went dark at the edges. The roaring of the air had ceased and now all I heard was distorted ringing. My jaw was aching and I was afraid to move my mouth because it felt painfully odd. Copper was on my tongue and my lip was oozing blood. My muddled brain took a moment to realize the vampire had slapped me. My body was limp and beyond my control even as the vampire spun around. Abruptly, he dropped me.

The ground rushed up to meet me and the impact was forceful enough to knock the air from my lungs. The jolting pressure of my head hitting a solid object had my vision going grey for a time. There were vibrations thundering within the ground and it rattled my numb body. I tried to move my arms, but they flopped uselessly. I tried to turn my head, but sharp pains sliced through my skull. Blinking rapidly, I stared at a mass of dark colors far above me. Finally, I realized I was seeing the dark-blue sky and the tips of evergreen trees. I swallowed convulsively, but the one attempt to open my mouth ended with me drooling and gagging.

"BELLA!" A voice bellowed, "Bella!"

And then I heard another voice. And another.

"Fucker is deader than dead now."

Cold hands were running lightly along my body and I tried to jerk away. Whimpering sounds echoed all around me. The voices were deep and obviously male, although the conversation was occurring too swiftly for me to comprehend. The name Carlisle echoed through my head even as another voice repeated, "Yes. He's here to help, Bella. Stay still now, please."

Staring at the dark blue-sky, I realized there was a hotness on my hand. Fingers. Warm fingers were wrapped around my own. I blinked and drew in a sharp breath, which caused my body to scream in alarm. I choked on a moan. Voices, some soft and others hard, bounced back and forth.

"Blood. I smell blood."

"A cut on her finger only."

"She likely has a concussion."

"Her jaw is not broken, but a fracture is possible."

"Bitten? Goddamnit, has she been bitten?"

"No. I see no bites on visible skin."

"Her clothes are intact."

"Thank God."

There was a steady, familiar sound that broke through my hazy mind. It was a musically foreign language. More voices joined in. A beautiful language. Foreign and familiar at the same time. The pack. I croaked, "Jake. Jacob?"

"Yeah, honey." I heard his husky voice whisper, "I'm here."

"Charlie." I mumbled, "Charlie, please."

"Cullen is bringing a car. We'll fix you up and I'll bring you to your dad. I promise, honey. Just try to lie still for now."

I croaked, "Vampire?"

Jacob growled softly, "Dead. I killed him, Bella."

I breathed in roughly and mumbled, "Cold."

"I can't pick you up, baby." He rasped painfully, "Carlisle said you might have injured your back. I can't…Damnit."

"S'okay." I slurred, "I'm…fine. Just stay."

"Always." He replied quickly. I felt the warmth of his fingers wrapping around my own. There were several beats of silence before I felt the heft of fabric lying against my chest. It smelled of pine needles and sweetness. Jacob muttered, "Thanks."

"Of course." A voice with the slightest southern twang replied quietly. I croaked, "Thank you, Jasper."

"You're welcome, Bella." He somberly answered. Somewhere after that, I fell unconscious.

When I woke, I was in my own bed in my childhood bedroom. The garden lanterns and purple bed linens were all the same. Gauzy curtains were pulled shut and Jacob was lying beside me. Reflexively, I slowly rolled my neck toward the door and was relieved to find it shut. Jacob was in my bed, although sitting up and wide awake. Dark brown eyes were watching me oddly. My heart skipped a beat when I realized there were wetness glistening down his sharp cheeks and wide-set jawline.

"Jacob?" I croaked and winced.

He sat up, quickly retrieving a glass of tepid water off of the nightstand. I sat up and he supported my weak body with one thick arm. Jacob held the glass up to my lips and I swallowed greedily, spilling some down the front of my shirt. Still, I continued to drink until the glass was empty and I was gasping.

"Here, honey." He said, "Take these painkillers."

Wordlessly, I accepted the small white pill and popped it into my mouth. I asked, "From Carlisle?"

"Yeah." Jacob replied with a nod. "He said take them every four hours."

"The pain isn't that bad." I cleared my throat before replying. When he didn't say anything more, I slowly maneuvered my body until I was lying against his side. I asked, "What are we telling Charlie?"

"I told him you slipped trying to get into your truck." Jacob replied tightly, "Told him you hit the pavement face-first and it looked bad, so I took you to Sue before bringing you home."

I sighed, "Better than anything I could have come up with."

"Don't act like this is nothing, Bella." He said. The tone of his voice sent my heart into a standstill for a moment. I croaked, "I'm okay, Jacob."

"No." He snapped as he sat up rather abruptly. "You aren't okay. Damnit, Bella, you should see your face. It's purple and black."

I blinked and muttered, "Fashion statement."

Jacob narrowed his eyes. I said, "Okay. That was a lame joke."

"You were almost fucking killed." He flatly stated, "I almost let you die."

I was shaking my head before he ever finished speaking. I replied urgently, "That isn't true. You saved me."

"No." Jacob snarled, "The Cullens saved you."

I blinked and swallowed. "What?"

"Cullen and Pixie were leagues ahead of us." Jacob explained lowly, "They caught the leech's scent at Newton's and alerted us all. Cullen heard the leech's thoughts and located you first. He engaged Red-Eyes for a solid twenty seconds before I managed to get on the scene and take the enemy by surprise."

"Twenty seconds." I echoed faintly, "You were only seconds behind. It isn't that big of a deal, Jake. It's okay. I'm fine. You're fine."

"Seconds mean the difference between life and death." He snapped, "It's a huge fucking deal, Bella."

He was growling deeply in his chest as he pounced off of my bed and began to pace entirely too fast. I pushed down the sense of dizziness that suddenly wanted to overtake me. Jacob struck me with an accusingly dark glare. He huffed, "Your life is damn well important deal. Too important."

He took a breath and explained in a rush, "We have to pull you from Newton's. I'm sorry, but you have to quit. We need to narrow down your comings and goings while also increasing your protection. When you aren't at school, I need you at my house. I can keep multiple wolves on you there. At school, you'll have Cullen and Pixie indoors. Blondie and her Boytoy will take point in the surround woods instead of monitoring all of Forks."

I mumbled, "Okay."

Jacob went on as if he hadn't heard me. "I don't want you alone. No more grocery shopping after school without somebody at your side. No more walking across parking lots at night. Actually, no more traveling by yourself at night at all."

"Okay, Jacob." I replied testily. "Just calm down and breathe, yeah?"

He let out a huff and continued his pacing. I stood up and made my way to him on weak legs. Jacob glanced at me as I came to stop right in front of him. My hands reached up and smoothed over his shoulders. His skin was hot and silky beneath my trembling fingers. I looked him in the eyes and whispered, "I thought I was going to die. I asked him to kill me here, in Forks, because the idea of dying anywhere else was horrible to me. As crazy as it sounds, I didn't want to part from you in any way. I had too much time to think about how you and Charlie would cope without me. My mind was making all kinds of sick decisions. It was terrifying, Jacob. You're missing one crucial thing right now."

Jacob swallowed heavily. "What's that?"

"I'm not dead." I whispered, "I'm alive and I'm here with you."

"Yeah." He croaked and blinked rapidly. His eyes watered. He cleared his throat and reached down, scooping me up and holding me tightly to his chest. My ribs ached and my shoulders shook, but I refused to complain. "I love you, Bells."

"And I love you, Jake. Do you know what my mind kept circling back to over and over again with that vampire?"

I listened to the thrumming of Jacob's heart. His voice was a deep bass as he replied, "What did you think of?"

My cheeks went hot and I tucked my face closer to his chest. I whispered shyly, "I kept thinking of the other night. I kept thinking about how stupidly tragic it was that I would die without knowing what it felt like to…to be with you."

His breath caught in his throat. He rumbled, "Are you saying you want to…?"

"Yeah." I murmured.

"Bells, you're hurt." He whispered with a sigh as he kissed the top of my ear.

"I want to," I insisted with a hot blush, "but only if you want to."

"I do." Jacob quietly said, "I really do."

I rubbed my cheek against his pectoral and whispered, "Then, kiss me. Love me."

Slowly, Jacob laid me back upon the bed. And he did.