Author's note: I can't thank everyone enough for the support. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 3

I hurtled back to consciousness by gasping for air. Like a bucket of cold water being forcefully poured over me, I was alert but frazzled. Panic set in. I wasn't sleeping in my bed and the walls of the poorly lit concrete room did nothing to help my current emotional state. Grasping my chest, I doubled over in pain. Imagine a rope intricately wrapped tightly around your heart and lungs. Every few seconds, the rope's tension increased as if it were attached to a pulley. I cried out in pain at the most recent pull. As I began to see spots from being unable to fully breathe, the pain receded. I can always feel the bindings; it's just the tension relaxes enough for me to breathe. Exhausted, I fell back asleep.

This kept happening. Waking up to the pain. Struggling to fight the pull. Then, falling back asleep. I knew the pain was connected to my separation from Edward. I think if I was moving at all, the pull might loosen. At least then, I might be moving towards him. Staying here, I had my feet dug into the sand, unwilling to budge even an inch. This pain was worrisome. No where in any of the announcements or materials released by the vampires to "educate" females on the mating process did it discuss a separation pain.

After the last round of pain, I knew I couldn't stay here forever. I had been here at least a full day, but it was time to move. Moving back to the supply shelves, I grabbed a hoodie, a ballcap, a backpack, some dried food, and water. I also made sure to clean my bandages and took some extra medical supplies just in case. Turning off the light, I went up the stairs on shaky legs.

Taking a moment to breathe, I found the courage to slide the lock. Opening the door hesitantly, I saw that the sun was beginning to rise. I slept through most of yesterday and the night. I took a moment to feel the fresh air after hiding underground for an entire day. While the morning dew was cold against my skin, it was refreshing at the same time. The morning sun's warmth kissed my face, and I just smiled. At that moment, everything was normal. I was just a woman enjoying the sunrise. I didn't think about how I needed to get out of here or where to go next. I just let my mind be empty and enjoyed the welcoming sun.

Like much of my life, this moment of happiness didn't last long. Hearing the crunching of leaves from someone walking behind me in the forest, I quickly turned around.

Coming out of the foliage, a dark figure appeared, shaded by the trees from the early morning light. I prepared myself to run, but stopped when I saw it was Jake. He was taller, his hair longer, and definitely not a young high school kid anymore. He also didn't have a shirt on. While any woman would appreciate his physique, all I could see were the bruises and scratches on his stomach.

"Oh my god, Jake! Are you all right? What happened to you?" I said as he continued to walk over to me.

"I'm fine. It was just a small disagreement." Looking around, I noticed that the state of his backyard was not what it was before. The grass was destroyed with huge holes and foot prints both man and animal. There had been a fight here.

"Jake. You need to be careful. I saw a gigantic wolf here. Then, there was a vampire…"

"Bella, stop. I know. I was there." He said as if I was missing the big picture.

"But, how? I didn't see you."

"Yes, you did."

He must have a head injury. I would have seen if Jake had been there. But then, I then looked at Jake again closely. He was so much bigger than the last time I saw him. He seemed different, a raw power about him. I looked into his eyes confused.

Then, it hit me. Those eyes. No way.

"That was you. In the woods. You're the huge fucking wolf!" I took a step back in panic. My hands started to shake in fear from the adrenalin. My body remembered the wolf even though I could clearly see Jake standing in front of me.

"Bella, I'm not going to hurt you. It's still me." He was closer now. I didn't move as he got within arms reach.

He offered me his hand. While bigger and coarse, he still looked like the same Jake from high school. "I need to talk to you, and we don't have a lot of time. Will you come with me and listen?" Shocked and a bit timid still, I nodded my head yes. He physically relaxed.

"Okay. Let's go inside." He led me to his dad's house. It was mostly boarded up from being unused. He got a key that was hidden under a rock and opened the door. Leading us inside, we sat on a couch in the living room surrounded by unopened boxes. He took a deep breath, seeming unsure how to start whatever conversation he wanted to have with me.

I decided I would start instead. "What happened?" I asked impatiently.

"Your mate is what happened." He started and then paused. He shook his head in disbelief.

"He isn't allowed to be on our lands without permission. Seeing you run...well, it gave me more incentive to stand my ground. Vampire mate or not, it was obvious you wanted to be away from him."

He continued, "I made sure to distract him and keep him off track of where you were hiding. You're more of a badass than I remember. I don't know many people who would have the courage to try to outrun a vampire." He brought his hand up for a fist bump. Yep, this was still the old Jake.

Jake continued, "But, he lost it when he couldn't find you. He attacked me. He tore up the forest and accused us of hiding you from him."

"So, he just left?" I asked in confusion.

"No, he was dragged away. When he couldn't find you, he just dropped to his knees and grabbed his head. Another vampire came and picked him up. "

"I still don't understand. So, he's gone." I can't imagine Edward on his knees. From everything I had seen on the news, vampires were unstoppable. I thought he would be on a rampage.

I looked up at Jake. He looked uncomfortable. His hands rubbing up and down his pant legs.

"Ummm...no. Later, a meeting was called. Edward threatened a war if we didn't open all of our land to him to search for you."

Jake continued on to describe a tense showdown between his pack and the vampires. There was apparently a lot of yelling, fighting, and accusations by both parties. Edward had to be restrained for the entire meeting. A vampire named Carisle had to mediate most of the meeting since my mate was too agitated to negotiate. Now would be a really good time to wake up from this crazy dream. In the end, it was decided by the pack Alpha, Sam, that Edward would be allowed access to the land but only the day after.

He continued, "You can't stay here. I'm sorry. It was my alpha's call not mine. Even if you did stay, I don't know how long we'd be able to successfully hide you."

"What do I do?" I asked myself more than to Jake.

"I can't make that decision for you. If you want to hide, I can help you. Or, I can take you to him if you want."

"NO!" I was terrified of what Edward would do when he found me.

"For what it's worth, I think he really cares about you. Even when he was demanding us to give you back, he seemed to be more worried that you were out in the forest scared, cold, and without food. He's terrified that you're hurt."

I felt my heart squeeze as Jake described Edward's behavior. I didn't want him to hurt. He wasn't supposed to care about my wellbeing outside of marking me. He wasn't acting at all like I thought he would. I remember his eyes and how deeply he looked into mine as if I was some rarity. I remembered his elated reaction when I had initiated a kiss and how his grip was firm but always gentle at the same time. No. You can't think like this. Remember, he also took you without asking.

"He just wants what he sees as his." I have to hold onto the anger.

"I don't think that is completely true. He's a vampire and their kind is crazy when it comes to their mates. But, I also believe it should be your choice to be with him. At the meeting, he didn't look well. His clothes were torn up and his eyes looked sunken in. Even his movements were unpredictable, chaotic. Honestly, he looked like a drowning man."

It didn't feel that Jake said these things to make me feel bad. He just stated what he saw. However, his words confused me. I ran because I didn't want to be treated like an object. I didn't want to be owned. I was my own person. Call it naivety, but I wanted to fall in love like any girl dreams of while growing up. Jake talked as if having a mate did involve falling in love. How could Edward love me? Did he actually care about me?

More than anything, I ran to think. I needed time to mediate between my head and my heart.

"I thought werewolves were supposed to hate vampires. At least, that is what the books say."

"Don't believe everything you read," he smiled.

"You're right. Werewolves don't have the best relationship with each other. But, the Cullens, your mate, are a little different. There's a reason we have a treaty with them." He said their last name as if I should know it.

He stopped to look into my eyes. Whatever he saw troubled him.

"Sam, my alpha, sent me here because he knew that I knew where you were. He told me to convince you to go back to him. I can't. So look, I'm going to help you. If you are going to run, you need to keep moving. Keep your head low. Don't attract attention to yourself. He's supposed to be here in a few hours. Do you know how to drive a motorcycle?"

"Ummm, no."

"Okay. I'll teach you."

Jake walked me back into the woods where he had a barn. He showed me how to maneuver the bike. Thankfully, I already knew how to work a clutch. He had me practice a few times in the driveway. Walking to the road, he gave me a helmet and some money. I tried to refuse, but he demanded I take it.

"Bella. Before you go, promise me that you'll be careful. If at any point it becomes too much, promise me you'll go to him or try to come back here."

"I promise." I thought leaving Edward would be simple. If I got away, then I could go back to living my life. I should have known better. Nothing is ever simple.

"Good Luck." I nodded my head in thanks.

I hugged my old highschool friend before taking off on the bike. He had helped me when it was probably better that he didn't. I won't forget his kindness.

I drove south, trying to get as much distance away from Jake's house knowing Edward was on his way. The wind on my hair. The roar of the bike. The winding roads. I focused my mind on those. I didn't have any location in mind other than to keep moving. I only stopped when the pain in my chest became too much. These were becoming more frequent and more powerful. In truth, I was scared. If I decided to stay away from him, would I always have this pain? Would it continue to get worse? Did he feel it too? Was he scared? Was I wrong to run?

I wanted to find some place to think, to just be alone. I had too many questions and not enough answers. As I drove down the road, an entrance to a beach was on the right. Turning, I decided I needed to stop, think, and make my next move.