A/N: I couldn't go to work today so I had time to finish the next chapter.

Dates of the history in the last chapter: By 1848 The Koyana & La Push pack were the only surviving remnants of the Western Shifter Empire. 136 years later The Mortmange attacked The Koyana in 1984.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters I'm just taking them for a spin.


Bella was laying in the softest grass she'd ever touched. She reached out with both arms, threading her fingers through the vibrant green ocean around her. "How did I get here?" The thought was gone before she could really grasp it. Bella sighed in contentment as she stretched then curled her arms back into her chest and closed her eyes as the most delicious smell filled her nose. "HhhMmm" she purred "what is THAT." Bella was on her feet without conscious thought seeking to find the source of this delicious smell. "So sweet. Home." Bella was almost drowning in the heat of it. A melodic ringing sound seemed to fill the space around her. Suddenly she was running, chasing something ahead. Still intoxicated by the smell and feel of everything around her. She ran hard, desperate for her prey. "Please" she nearly cried as a hazy figure shimmered just out of reach. "I need-"

Bella woke slowly and much better rested on Tuesday. She had a sense of contentment and was excited to further explore her surroundings. "What an amazing dream, I wish I could remember more of it." She stretched as she stepped out into the morning sighing as the last wisps of her dream faded away. She checked once more that her backpack was properly supplied and headed into the woods behind her trailer.

After walking for 10 minutes or so Bella dropped her pack and undressed, carefully folding her clothes between her water bottles and snacks. Bella swiftly crouched to the ground and whimpered at the familiar feeling of her body reshaping as she called forth her wolf. Bella never could quite decide if the sensation was pleasant or not but either way there was nothing like stepping into her fur.

She shook out her brown-red tinged fur, tail swishing happily at the freeness she felt in this state of being. By regular wolf standard Bella was rather large standing at 4.5 feet tall. By shifter standards she was as runty as an Alpha could be. She knew that a full grown Alpha could grow to up to 6 feet tall once fully matured.

Bella quickly hid her belongings and bounded off to scent and learn the area around forks.

Bella returned hours later well exercised and slightly more familiar with her new territory. Bella had greatly enjoyed this run; for the first time she could remember her demons let her be while in wolf form. On the other hand, her Alpha voice had been very vocal.

"It's kind of small but at least it's mine" came her Alpha voice brimming with pride.

"I'm lucky to have anything at all" Bella thought pitifully to the contrary.

"It's more than you deserve, runt" hissed through her skull as her muscles and bones realigned into her human form.

Bella busied herself with getting dressed and rehydrated. After a snack of ham sandwiches and some time spent watching the sunset she decided it might be time to head home.

As she gathered her belongings from their hiding place Bella thought about what her future might hold.

"Maybe I'll go to college or I could try getting a job in a less wolf dense area of the world. Without my pack bond with Charlie, I don't have to answer to anyone." She thought as she turned to head back to her trailer.

"I could make my own pack." Bellas Alpha supplied.

Bella refused to entertain that thought; pleasant though it would've been. She'd long since accepted the painful reality of how impossible any wolf bonds were for her to maintain. "There could be alternatives though." She mused.

There were two choices she reasoned. She could live the immortal life of a lone wolf stretching her endless freedom to the end of time, or find a human to love and grow old with. Bella frowned. Either option represented a half life for her; a life without love or love without honesty.

"Some choice," Bella stated bitterly as she climbed the stairs to her home. After a filling meal of pork chops and spinach Bella took a shower relishing the warm waters effect on the sore muscles from her shift and run. She was all too happy to fall into bed that night eager for some well-earned sleep.

Bella was back in the sweetly-scented meadow, only this time there was a waterfall rushing into a crystal lake. The bubbling of the rocks had an almost song-like quality as she approached. Bella knelt to dip her fingers into the pool bracing herself for an icy chill but finding only warmth. She looked to the fall once more surprised to see the shimmering outline of a woman behind the water. Bella was unable to make out any features but a pair of golden eyes shining brightly at her. Bella could not help herself, she dove into the pool intent on reaching the woman. As her feet left the shore the woods around burst into flames. The sweet heat in the air quickly turning acrid with smoke. "If I could just hear her voice," Bella thought as though in a trance. But the harder she swam the further from the falls she was. "No! Please, wait!" Bella tried to scream. Suddenly her arms were lead. Try as she might she could not lift them. The water reaching out dragging her down. Bella struggled desperately and she could still see those golden eyes. She knew if she could just reach them she'd be saved.

Bella flinched awake. She looked at her clock the red 12:00 am flashing back at her, she knew sleep would not return easily to her that night.

Having finally fallen back to sleep around 4 am Bella was surprised at how rested she felt when she woke naturally the Wednesday morning. Her surprise turned to confusion as she noticed the lack of an alarm and how high in the sky the sun was. With mounting panic Bella realized she had not set an alarm the night before. Glancing at the clock Bella noted the time "11:00 am...So much for getting there early."

"Suffer, filthy mongrel." Her traitorous mind replied.

Bella ignored the barb as best she could, grabbing the fastest shower possible, dressing and hopping on her bike with a haphazardly packed bag intent on arriving before lunch at the very least.

The rooftops of forks came into view about 20 minutes later. Bella was congratulating herself on making such a speedy ride. At that moment Bellas nose caught a gust of Peppermint and snow-tinged air. Instinctually Bellas inner wolf, and therefore Bella, looked to find the source. She just caught a glimpse of a devastatingly beautiful woman with long blonde hair hurrying after a shorter pixie-haired woman in the direction of La Push. Bella was so stunned at the vision of perfection she'd just seen she rode into a ditch.

"Worthless. Pathetic." Bella groaned both at the voice in her head and the clearly broken front wheel of her bike. Lifting herself out of the ditch and taking stock of her body she was pleased to find no injuries to anything but her pride and her bike. Hoisting the temporarily useless vehicle onto her shoulder Bella proceeded to run the rest of the way through town to school. She drew curious, lascivious and envious gazes alike from the surrounding townsfolk.

With a light sheen of sweat on her brow and just barely out of breath Bella finally arrived to forks high just as a school bell rang out. Bella dropped her bike near the rack, confident that without a front wheel no one would steal it, and proceeded to ask the nearest student where to pick up her schedule and map. She graced him with what she hoped passed for a charming smile for his help. After going into the office, apologizing profusely for being late, Bella checked her schedule against her watch.

"Looks like Lunch just started!" She thought gratefully. "I'll drop my bags at my locker and see what's for grub."


A/N: R & R please. I'm just getting back into writing so I really appreciate the feedback and the interest.