AN: usual disclaimers apply, I don't own anything but the plot.

Setting: between James' attack and Bella's disastrous birthday. It's summer and she is invited to La Push, there she meets Sam for the first time.

"I meant it when I said I didn't believe in love at first sight. It takes time to really, truly fall for someone. Yet I believe in a moment. A moment when you glimpse the truth within someone, and they glimpse the truth within you. In that moment, you don't belong to yourself any longer, not completely. Part of you belongs to him; part of him belongs to you. After that, you can't take it back, no matter how much you want to, no matter how hard you try." Claudia Gray, A Thousand Pieces of You

Beautiful darkness

1.

Bella was happy, she was finally healed after James' horrific attack. She was free to leave her house and drive her truck, she was finally free from Edward's presence as well.

She sighed and took a deep breath, since she had left the hospital her boyfriend had been glued to her side, only leaving her for small amounts of time just to hunt. Today he had given her a full free day to do as she pleased, Bella had been happy about it.

She never would have thought that she would have been happy to see him leave, but something had changed in her feelings for him after he had sucked the venom out to prevent her change.

It wasn't his fault, Edward had been honest since the beginning about not wanting to turn her into a vampire, but Bella had fooled herself into thinking that eventually he would have agreed because he loved her as much as she did. Now she was realising that she might never be turned, and that didn't sit well with her. She was going to take this day off to really consider whether continuing the relationship. Because right now she was doubting his feelings for her, she had been ready to sacrifice everything for him, but perhaps he really was more interested in her blood than in her as a woman.

Shock rippled through her when she realised that she was really thinking about breaking up with her beloved Edward. However, if they weren't on the same page about their relationship she didn't want to prolong something that was going to end anyway. Every day that passed left her boyfriend at seventeen and her closer to being too old to be seen around with him. It was excruciatingly painful to admit to herself that she might have read too much into their relationship, that she had been swept off her feet by a mystical being showing interest in her.

She had grown up with Renee, and now she could see the pattern her relationship had followed. Just like her mother she had fallen in love with the idea of a man that after a while had turned out not nearly remotely what she needed. Bella thought that she had learned from her mother's mistakes, but now she was seeing it as it was.

She had made the same mistake.

The phone rang, she was shook out of her reveries, and she picked it up. "Swan's house." She said.

"Bells, a little bird told me that you are finally healed. Are you free for a barbecue at my house? We've invited a few friends, and I would be happy to see you too. I've missed you…" Jacob's warm voice told her.

Bella was aware that since she had started dating Edward all her old friends had been left behind. Her love for her vampire had alienated her from the world, but now that she was considering a life without him, it would be nice to start seeing people again. She felt like she was waking up from a long sleep, and now that Jacob had expressed the desire to see her, she couldn't deny that she wanted to see him too. "Sure Jake, shall I bring some food to cook in your kitchen?"

"You make a delicious lasagna, I would love to eat it again." He replied happily.

"Lasagna it is then. I'll leave now, I'll only stop at the supermarket to buy the ingredients. See you soon and … thank you… for inviting me." She whispered.

Bella wrote down quickly the recipe for the Lasagna, and calculated the ingredients for thirty people, then she took her truck and after a quick food shopping she arrived at Jacob's house. His sunny disposition relaxed her, and she decided to put her troubled thoughts away, today she wanted to have fun and reconnect with Jake.

They talked about a lot of things, and they laughed a lot. Jacob helped her cook and while they were waiting for the food to be cooked he finally asked. "So, how are things with your boyfriend?"

She debated with herself, she didn't know whether she was ready to admit out loud that she had made a mistake in dating Edward. She sighed. "I'm not sure, honestly I think that something isn't working between us. I don't think I'm happy anymore."

Jacob was very serious. "I think at our age we're entitled to try out relationships, and see what we like and what we don't. I believe that at seventeen we're definitely not looking for the love of our life…"

Bella smiled then. "How did you get so wise?"

He laughed. "I've been dating a girl, but just a week ago we broke up. It was her choice, not mine, but yesterday another girl asked me out… so I realised that the sea is full of fishes."

She hugged him then. "Try not to break too many hearts Mr. Black."

He hugged her back. "Sure sure." Then Embry and Quill barged in, and stopped when they saw her being held by Jacob.

Quill smirked. "Well, well, well, look who is being lovey dovey in Jake's kitchen."

Jacob rolled his eyes, and Bella giggled. Then she glanced at her friend, and winked. "You caught us Quill, I finally declared my love for Jacob and he told me that he loves me back. I hope you're happy for us."

Quill's stunned expression brought Bella and Jake to burst out laughing. And soon Embry joined them, having caught the joke. Quill watched the three of them laughing at him, and huffed. "Damn, I really believed you Bella."

Bella smiled and went near Quill, she then patted his shoulder. "It serves you right for always trying to embarrass your friends. You should have seen your face."

The boys then left her alone and went to help Billy start the fire in the backyard. Bella had brought the ingredients for cookies as well and she happily went on with her cooking.

When everything was ready, she took one of the lasagna and walked out to start taking the food to the tables. People had already started gathering and she saw that everyone was bringing something. She recognised Harry with his wife and children, and she smiled at them. Then she saw Leah's smile disappear, a scowl had started marrying her beautiful face. Bella turned in the direction of her scowl and she saw three tall Quileulte boys approaching.

The three boys were tall, muscular and overall handsome but one of them, the tallest stood out because even at a distance he emanated a sense of power, danger and strength that caused her heart to double her heartbeats. Her eyes widened when she met the blackest eyes she had ever seen, and for a moment she thought that she couldn't breath. Never had she felt such a strong, powerful, intense attraction to a complete stranger.

The boy, or rather, man had stopped walking and was looking at her with an intensity that was almost scary.

Bella blinked and shook her head, what had just happened? She knew that vampires could enthrall their victims, but this dark haired man was definitely not a vampire. She coked her head on one side, and she knew that he wasn't human either. After all, if vampires existed then other creatures could prowl the world.

He was definitely not human. But what was he?

She saw him turning to look at one of his companions, then after glancing at her once more, he turned his back and quickly left.

The other two came to join the party, eyeing her with something akin to curiosity, but they never approached her.

Bella finally found the strength to move, and after a while she found Jake. Her curiosity about that man was eating at her. "Jake, who was that guy that left quickly?"

Jacob scowled. "That was Sam Uley, annoying and pompous. He thinks he and his goons own the Res. He goes around supposedly looking for the well-being of the tribe. But judging by the way he broke up with Leah, he is just full of crap."

Bella nodded and Jacob went on telling her about his disappearance and how when he came back he looked like the Hulk, and how he had broken up with his long term girlfriend without an explanation.

The party went on, but her mind was stuck on Jacob's words.

Sam Uley definitely looked dangerous, but Bella knew that she was different. Those eyes had pulled her in, and she could almost still feel them on her. If he had beckoned her, she would have gone to him without complaints. It was scary and exciting at the same time, Sam was a mystery she wanted to solve.

She just hoped to have a chance to meet him again.