Feet don't fail me now
Take me to the finish line
Oh my heart it breaks every step that I take
But I'm hoping at the gates,
They'll tell me that you're mine

Don't make me sad, don't make me cry
Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough
I don't know why

Choose your last words, this is the last time
Cause you and I, we were born to die

LANA DEL REY - BORN TO DIE

Chapter 29: The Beginning of the End

Lexi

So what do you do when you're a flimsy little human being hunted by a bloodthirsty vampire and your shape shifting boyfriend was hunting him?

I passed the time as best I could, I guess.

I lived my life as I had been – spending time with Brady, going to school, and living normally for the most part – albeit with a few extra glances over my shoulder once in a while. What that would do, I'm not sure – Brady had made it very clear that even if the odds were on my side and I knew enough to run and hide from a vampire that I wouldn't stand a chance.

A few weeks went by, I grew used to the constant patrols around my house, wolf howls, and constant check-ins with Brady. It wasn't all bad though with my dad starting a new project for work and being constantly busy and out of town, so it was nice to have some company. Of course, Patrick was home, but he worked full time. As the fall days grew shorter and shorter, I tried my best to just live my life as normally as possible. It wasn't easy, but I had things to occupy my time.

Regan acted weird for days after her naughty sleepover at Seth's house, and I was pretty sure it had more to do with what had gone down in the bedroom than the wolfy explosion she'd witnessed in his driveway the next morning. No, she seemed to take his wolf-side in stride. It was the other part that I think had thrown her off. It had been a few weeks since she discovered his uh, other job, and she grew distant and distracted.

"Are you okay?" I asked her as the final bell for the day rung. I winced slightly as the shrill noise pierced the air – Forks High still had real bells to signal the changing of the classes, not just a pleasant dinging noise that chimed through the loudspeakers like my old school in California. I smiled to myself as I packed up my books and walked out of our last hour class.

Regan shrugged into her backpack and waited until the rest of the students had filed out of the classroom to glance over at me.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Anything," I replied quickly.

Students filed past us, excited for the weekend. It was Friday – some big football game was set to be played tonight and it wasn't' supposed to rain for once, so everyone was all hyped up. I had no plans to go – I had an after dinner skype session with my little brothers, and then Brady was coming over for a while while my dad and Patrick went to the city for a gala – one of my dad's buildings was hosting its grand openings, and the architect was almost always a guest of honor at those things. I knew he didn't like leaving me alone with my much older, boyfriend, but I'd sat through one awkward as hell sex talk with him and Patrick a few weeks ago. That pretty much left things out in the open. They certainly weren't happy I was in a relationship with someone like Brady, but I honestly think they were more afraid I'd chose living with my mom over the two of them. I felt a little guilty for suspecting that was the reason they pretended to be okay with the idea of Brady, but… come on... most girls my age would leave that one as it was, right?

Regan sighed, her green eyes far away and unfocused for a moment.

"I think I might… how do you know if you might be…"

I waited for her to speak, holding my breath.

"Pregnant?"

I swallowed a lump in my throat. Shit, I had no idea.

"Well, didn't you uh… use, things?"

"Condoms?" she sighed. "No. Because I'm an idiot. I know better. I just got… carried away I guess," she sighed. We paused at my locker, Regan flinging her back against the one next to mine with a clank. "Sue is going to kill me, and Charlie will be disappointed," she groaned

"Do you know for sure?"

"No."

"Then take a test," I offered.

She winced. "But what if I am? That would make it… real."

I gave her a sympathetic glance. "But if you are, then… well, you'll know. Are you sure you are?"

She shrugged, eyeing the last few people milling past us in the hallway.

"No. There's only so many things I can know from a google search, Lex."

I thought about Regan and her problem as I drove home from school. What if I was pregnant? I'd never given a thought to that. We'd been super careful the handful of times we'd done it, but what if we hadn't been? What if I had gotten swept away, in the moment like Regan had, and I was accidently carrying Brady's half human, half wolfy baby?

I shook my head as I pulled into the driveway. I knew I wasn't pregnant – I'd had my period since Brady and I had last been together, and that was weeks ago. With school and my grandmother's funeral and being hunted by a bloodthirsty leech - as Brady called them, I'd been too swept away with the real world to even worry about my sex life, or lack of one. I did however, want to do it again… and sometime soon. The thought of getting Brady all naked and to myself left me more that slightly hot and bothered as I parked my car in the driveway and picked up my too-heavy book bag from the passenger seat.

But still, it was a scary thought. I didn't blame Regan for being completely freaked out at the idea that she could be pregnant. What would she do? I'd met Sue Clearwater – that woman was straight business. I wouldn't want to mess with her, much less break any of her rules. I was fairly certain getting knocked up senior year was breaking at least one of them. What would Regan do? Would she even tell them that it was Seth's? I thought about the fact that she lived with Seth's mother – it probably would come out sooner or later that he was the father of her baby. I couldn't' imagine that ending well.

I chewed my lip like I always did when I worry as I bounced up the side stairs and into the kitchen. Patrick was home – he worked normal hours compared to my dad. He was in the kitchen working on something for dinner, the Food Network blasting in the background. I pushed my anxiousness aside and chatted with him about my boring day at Forks High for a moment before stealing a few cookies from the cabinet and making my way to the computer desk in the corner of the kitchen. I skyped with my little brothers for a while as I waited for dinner, trading knock knock jokes and funny faces with them through the screen. I missed my little brothers. I was a lot older than both of them – Grant was six and Dylan had just turned nine, so they were 'little' to me in every sense. I know they don't understand yet what happened between my parents, and my heart ached for them in the years to come. Would they ever understand why my dad made the choice he had?

Glancing over at Patrick, I watched him hum to himself and cook. Neither he nor my father was what I would consider flamboyantly gay – not that I had any issues with that, but they could definitely pass for two middle aged guys who were just friends. I suppose that was because they had lived in hiding for most of their lives, denying who they really were to the rest of the world. I wasn't sure what my mother told my brothers about my dad and Patrick. I hoped she hadn't done any damage to their picture of him, but what could I do? They would be here for Christmas this year. It was finally my dad's turn to have them for a major holiday, and I knew we planned to do it up big. Tons of lights, decorations, and I'm sure more presents and toys that were completely necessary. As I watched them laugh and make faces back through the screen at me, I knew it would be worth it.

Patrick and I ate a quiet dinner together, just talking together and making our normal jokes. It was nice, I realized. He was like a second father to me – calm, laid back, and he let me get away with a little more than my dad normally did. By the time he showered and dressed to meet my dad in the city, it was dark out, and I knew Brady was due soon.

"Be good," he sighed, dropping a quick kiss to the top of my head.

"How good?" I challenged playfully.

He rolled his eyes, straightening his tie.

"Not as good as your father would be, but better than I would be?" he asked, giving me a charming smile. He straightened out, cocking his head to the side. "Be a good girl. Be smart, and responsible… and make sure Brady is out of the house by the time we get back. Does that work?"

I nodded, shrugging my shoulders at him.

"That works."

He frowned, taking a step closer. I was sitting at the kitchen counter, trying to be responsible by finishing my trig homework early. I was really killing time before Brady appeared, and the house would be empty, but Patrick didn't have to know that.

"You okay?"

I sighed, setting the mechanical pencil down on the granite countertop.

"I will be. Just a lot on my plate for right now. Looking forward to Thanksgiving break."

He nodded in understanding.

"How are things with Brady?"

I let a grin crack my solemn façade. "Good," I sighed. "Really good."

"You being smart?"

I glanced up at him, nodding in earnest.

"Yes. I trust Brady. A lot. He really cares about me. About what's best for me. I… I really love him, Patrick. And I think he loves me. Does that seem… weird?"

He sighed, rolling his eyes as he fiddled with his fancy cufflinks. He was dressed in a jacket and tie, his tasteful shoes squeaking slightly on the tile floor as he leaned against the doorway of the kitchen and watched me with a somewhat rueful gaze.

"No. You're an amazing girl, Lexi-Belle," he smiled, using his nickname for me. "It's a little strange to see you boss that six foot-something man around and watch him catch shit from your father, but… no, it's not strange that a guy would find you awesome. Not strange at all."

X0x0x0x0x0x0x

I settled on pretending to do my homework while the kitchen television played in the background. I'm not sure why, but suddenly the Food Network was suddenly groundbreaking compared to my trig homework. I would occasionally glance back at the scribbles and doodles in my notebook, but most of my focus was on avoiding doing any actual work after Patrick left.

I heaved a sigh, trying to go back to my work.

Suddenly, there were shouts coming from the front lawn. Frowning as I heard Brady's familiar booming timbre mixed with another one that was equally loud, I pushed back from the chair and made my way over to the window. Peering out, I saw Brady on the side lawn, the misty rain that had started to fall giving the large yard an eerie look. Making my way to the side door, I pulled on a hoodie that was hanging on the coat hook before unlocking the door and stepping outside.

Three pairs of eyes turned to face me – Brady, Jake, and his girlfriend, Renesmee. I felt instantly awkward and out-of-place in the midst of three perfect, majestic looking supernatural beings. Jacob and Brady with their tan, perfectly muscular bodies, and Renesmee with her long, bronzed curls and flawless pale skin. Talk about feeling out of place.

"Um, hi."

Brady looked fuming mad, while Jake didn't look any happier. Renesmee winced slightly and offered me a tiny wave, but quickly turned her attention back to the tension rolling from Jake and Brady. She crossed her arms around her middle as she stood awkwardly in-between them. She looked like she was in the absolute last place she wanted to be, and I quickly put the pieces together.

I looked from Jake to Brady, sensing the tension boiling between them.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Brady snapped. He quickly shot me an apologetic look for his tone, but his hands on his hips and his nearly black eyes told me he was far from fine. He looked positively seething. Nothing good ever came out of that look.

"Brady…" Jacob warned.

"Don't," he snapped again. "I did what I had to do. That leech was messing with me, and I had to show him that I'm not afraid to show his ass what's what."

"Brady, you know how dangerous that is!" Renesemee chimed in with her melodic voice. Her eyes were pleading with him as I stepped down onto the driveway and walked over to them.

Jacob and Brady were shirtless, wearing only muddy tennis shoes and ripped athletic shorts. A light, misty rain was falling against the black backdrop of the lawn, but I could still see Brady's wild eyes in the faint light from the front porch. Steam rose up from his skin. He'd shifted recently, I could tell.

"You're in danger?" I asked him, giving an accusatory stare. "I thought we said no more of that?"

He snarled in response.

"I'm done when the leech stalking you is in ashes at my feet!" he spat.

"Brady!" both Jacob and Renesmee pleaded, their panicky tones quickly interjecting.

"What?" he snapped. "She knows what's hunting her. We don't keep secrets."

"Still," Jacob warned, glancing at me. "We don't need to worry her. Lexi… listen, we had an incident tonight-"

"Don't sugarcoat it, boss. I started a war that I intend to finish."

"Brady-"

"Listen!" Brady roared, dodging around Renesmee to stand in Jacob's face. "if it was her-" he pointed at Renesmee, who looked utterly baffled and helpless – "If it was her he was after, this entire pack would be doing round the clock patrols with half of that vampy family of hers until we caught him, ripped him to pieces, and burned him. I want the same for him for messing with Lexi!"

"You need to calm down. This isn't the place to discuss this," Jacob replied sternly. Renesmee nodded in agreement, her eyes flashing to mine.

"Don't tell me what to discuss, alright?"

"Brady, you've made this a game for him. Alright? Are you happy now? You've made this a sport for him, and he's not going to stop until he gets when he wants or we kill him."

"So what's your point?"

Jacob shrugged, glancing at me, then at Renesmee.

"We need backup," he replied quietly, his dark eyes somber.

Brady made a disgusted sound.

"So you're suggesting we just… call in the other leeches to clean up our mess? Since we can't do it?"

"Hey," Renesmee spoke up. "Watch it," she added lowly. Then I swore I heard the beautiful girl growl under her breath.

"Whatever," Brady snapped, glancing at me. "I can take care of this myself. I'm not calling in backup. I don't need it and neither does the pack. We can handle this on our own. And if you don't agree with me then… then I'll handle it on my own."

"Brady," Jacob tried to reason with him. I felt my insides clench. Brady had explained to me the rules of the pack – Jacob was the Alpha, the leader. He could order him to do anything if he wanted to. I knew Brady didn't have to agree with it and that it would be almost physically impossible for him to disobey one of Jacob's Alpha commands. But the soft, pleading timbre of the hulking man's tone let me know that he didn't want to order Brady to succumb to his wishes. He didn't want to make the call and order Brady to obey him.

"Jacob," Brady argued. "This is my battle. Let me fight it. We don't need help. We can kill this fucker on our own."

Jacob sighed, obviously defeated.

"But what if we can't?"

Brady looked over at me, then back at Jacob as his question sank in.

A fresh wave of fear crawled over my limbs, prickling my skin. I didn't want to be afraid – I wanted to trust that Brady and the pack would protect me and that everything was going to be okay because honestly who was hunted by a bloodthirsty vampire? The fear I'd known before was displaced compared to this. It was different kind. It was more of a foreign fear of reading a scary book and then hearing something go bump in the night.

But this…this was different.

Brady was angry and seething, but I could see beneath it all that he was afraid more than anything.

He was panicking because my life was in danger, and I was seriously being hunted by something that wanted me.

Wanted my blood.

I sniffed, shuddering slightly as the feeling settled over me and things became clear.

I was in real danger.

0x0x0x0x0x0x0x

Jacob and Renesmee melted into the trees, their two seemingly different bodies seamlessly disappearing into the foliage; Renesmee was slender and almost willowy in stature, and Jacob was so tall and bulky with muscle they almost didn't look natural. But they moved with a grace that I could only wish for. Once they were gone, I turned to Brady. The brilliant floodlights on the corner of the garage shone brightly into the yard as I shivered next to him. It was dark out and misting a light rain, the lights making Brady's outline look positively treacherous.

Glancing out at the dark woods, I tried to shudder and forget what was lurking out there.

Waiting for me.

"Come inside," I pleaded.

Brady obliged. I could still feel anger on him, but what else could I do? I knew better than to try to talk - his bold, brash, think-later-act now side down. He followed me in, but I didn't want to talk.

I felt numb, like suddenly tomorrow would never come – I could only think in the now.

"Come upstairs."

"You don't know when your dads will be home."

I tried to force a smile. "Isn't that the fun?"

If he wanted to argue, he didn't. He let me lead him up to my bedroom and merely watched as I closed the door and leaned my back against it.

"What's this about?"

I shrugged. "Don't feel like being alone, s'all."

He nodded.

"Sorry about that out there."

I smiled. He'd cooled down in the short walk up the stairs. He sat on my comforter, his wet pants soakig into the material slightly. He thought better of it, standing with a jolt and giving me a sheepish look.

"It's okay," I chuckled softly. Crossing the room, I reached my hands out in front of my in the dim light. The only glow was from a silly strand of Christmas lights I had already hung around my bedframe. Not that it mattered – Brady looked ravishing in any light, especially to a girl who could count the number of times on one hand she'd been ready to ravish something. I felt like a schoolgirl around him – like a kid with a new bike that I couldn't ride yet because my training wheels wouldn't allow me. I could enjoy him somewhat, but I could tell not in the way he deserved. As self-deprecating as it was, I knew Brady had slept with girls who were gutsier and showier in bed than I was or even had the knowledge to be.

Imprint or not, that was more than intimidating.

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking down as my hands met his zipper. I glanced down at the fastening, then up at him.

"Nothing."

Unzipping them slowly, I pushed them to the floor. He was already half hard and growing rapidly.

"Doesn't look like nothing," he slowly drawled.

I let my eyes drift up to meet his. Liquid pools of chocolate stared back at me, waiting to see what I would do. He held his breath as I reached out and brushed my hand against his hard length.

"Maybe it's not. Is that alright with you?"

Before he could answer, I pushed him gently on the shoulders. Bending to my touch, he fell back lazily on my bed. His bare, tan skin glowed against the white fabric of my comforter. My double bed was small for the both of us, but I didn't mind.

I dug in my nightstand, producing a condom. After Regan's pregnancy scare, I'd insisted we never find ourselves as unprepared shape shifter admirers ever again. We'd been red-faced and unable to look at the surly old clerk at the pharmacy in the eye, but we'd each walked out of there with a package of Trojan Magnum condoms all the same. Maybe the clerk thought we were kidding ourselves by buying the larger brand, but we knew better. Regan didn't want to even buy them given the state of things with Seth, but I'd practically insisted.

Brady raised an eyebrow.

"You've got plans I don't know about?"

I straddled his waist.

"I have an agenda, yes."

With clumsy hands, I unwrapped the package and fumbled getting the rubbery thing on him. If Brady minded my inexperience, he didn't mind. He did that thing where he held his breath and watched me like I was his favorite superhero or something as I slid it on. My hands shook, but not from nerves. From need. He began pushing my clothes down and off and away as I secured the condom to the base of him. When it was finally done and we were naked, I leaned down and practically shoved my mouth against his.

We both let out a sigh as our lips came together. It almost sounded like relief. He slowly pushed up inside of me, inching his way slowly before I forced him to hurry it up. Giving in, I lowered myself all the way down into his lap. He rose up to meet me, his body surging against mine in the most blissful way. The discomfort was gone and all that was left was bliss.

For the first time in a while, I finally felt like everything might be okay.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"I could ride you," I offered, sliding into the cold seat of Brady's truck the next morning.

He smirked at the double meaning before slamming the passenger side door shut.

I gaped at my own use of words as he walked around to the driver's side and opened the door. He fired the engine up with a dull roar and continued smiling to himself.

"I mean like… on your back. In wolfy form," I snapped, crossing my arms.

"Oh, I know you can ride me," he chuckled. "And it's technically in wolf form. What's with this 'wolfy' word you've made up? Wolf form, woman. Wolf."

I slapped his arm and turned away to stare out the window as he pulled out onto the main road. We drove for almost half an hour, winding our way through the frosty landscape. Fall was slowly disappearing and fading into winter, I realized. As harsh as the weather in Washington could be, it was beautiful. The last of the fall colors were tinged with an icy frost that morning, the temperatures dipping unseasonably low the night before. Brady had called me early this morning claiming he had something to show me. I of course followed along happily, eager to hold onto the morning high I had woken up with. Brady had to be gone before I woke up, but I was still riding the wave of bliss from the night before.

To say I was anxious to remember my troubles and return to real-life was an understatement.

When we arrived at the beach, I was surprised. The late fall wind whipped around us as we stepped away from his truck, but I didn't care. What he'd brought me to see was positively beautiful.

The beach of La Push was rocky, the shoreline littered with jagged stones and not at all sandy like the beaches back home. Large boulders lined the shore, the rock formation housing jagged stacks of broken trees and branches that had been thrown against them with the force of the waves. It was calm today, but I'd seen the choppy black water bring in swells that would make California surfers jealous.

But Brady hadn't brought me to the beach to see the waves.

It was late morning and the tide was low. The air was cold, but I would brave it to look at the sight before me. My rain boots crunched against the rocky shore as we made our way closer to the water to have a look.

The sunlight was fighting its way through the heavy clouds of La Push, trying its best to shine through. Bits of rays would succeed, shining down onto the rocky shoreline that was covered in bits of ice. The waves had frozen mid-leap in some places, the icicles forming against the rocks in little glittering waves. The way they glittered in the patches of sunlight almost didn't look real. I smiled as more sunlight broke through the clouds, casting a bright glow onto the already breathtaking scene. More and more pieces of frozen waves caught the light. The scenery was breathtaking.

"I love it," I smiled, glancing over at him.

He gave me a knowing look.

"Was patrolling along the beach before you woke up. Saw that it finally froze. Thought you'd like it," he mused. I felt his arm go around my shoulders. He was in a ratty pair of jeans and tennis shoes, but was finally wearing at least a sweatshirt. His body heat seeped through the clothing. I leaned against him and stared out at the postcard scene before me.

I scanned the shoreline where the jagged rocks met the forest. Even in the daylight, the woods of La Push could seem dark and daunting.

"We safe here?"

He glanced up, his eyes doing the same. He nodded.

"We're on Quileute territory. I think the pack has pissed on every tree between here and Forks, so yeah."

I wrinkled my nose. "So?"

He gave me a cocky grin. "So, it reeks like wolf. No vamp in his right mind would come on this land. Smells like death as far as they're concerned."

Shaking my head at his words, I turned back to admire the view before me.

"This is so pretty. Nature freaking rocks," I laughed.

He chuckled. "Says the girl who told me last week she would scream if it snowed before December."

I wrinkled my nose.

"I just hate the way everything freezes and dies here. And it gets so cold it like… hurts your skin to even go outside."

Brady pulled me around to his front, wrapping his arms around my sides.

"You like the heat, do you?" he teased.

I grinned, leaning up on my toes. I pressed my mouth to his and couldn't fight the tingles that shot up my spine at our contact.

"Something like that."

He grinned, kissing me again. He pulled away with a groan as his phone began to vibrate in his jean pocket. I stepped away, letting him answer. I wrapped my arms around my middle and watched the tide as it lapped at the icy rocks, slipping further and further down the shore with each passing minute. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched Brady flip his phone off and send whoever it was directly to voicemail.

I didn't have to ask who it was. Brady had been avoiding talking to his father for weeks now. As someone who had a super close relationship with my father, I couldn't imagine going weeks at a time not speaking to him. Sure, Brady's dad was an asshole, but he seemed like he wanted to at least work on their relationship. Wasn't that at least a start?

I kicked at a pebble. Brady was too stubborn for that. I loved him with my whole heart, but I hated that part of him – that part that would argue to refuse to compromise until he was blue in the face. It was a part of him that I didn't particularly like, especially times like now.

"You gonna answer him ever?"

Brady slid his phone back into his pocket and grunted.

"No."

I sighed. "Brady, he's your dad."

"Irrelevant."

"No, it's really not," I argued. I knew it was fruitless to try to convince him otherwise, but I had to at least try. It killed me to know that Brady was holding onto a grudge with his dad.

"Listen… I… I know he's done some bad things to you and your mom, but…. he's been trying to get in touch with you for weeks now. Aren't you the least bit curious to know why?"

He shook his head.

"No. And he can go to hell."

"Brady…"

"Lex, you don't know him. You weren't there all those years when he abused us. He made my mom feel like shit and made me feel about as unimportant as he could. I was an inconvenience to him, Lexi. I was never good enough to amount to anything, and as far as he's concerned, I never will be."

"But he seems like he's sorry…"

"Yeah, and what do you want to bet he wants something? He always does. You know when the last time he was nice to me, to my mom?"

I was quiet, my eyes staring down at the shore. Brady was making me feel about two inches tall right now, and I hated it. I was just speaking my mind. My frustration grew the more he spoke.

"It was when he wanted me to build the carriage house for your dad. He thought it would be a good income with a hot new architect in town. And what do you know? Your dad chose him to help restore more than one building downtown, as I recall. Coincidence? No, Lexi, it's not. He used me to get something for himself. That was the last time my dad was nice to me. He told me not to fuck it up in fact."

I paused, sighing in defeat. "Brady, I didn't mean to-"

"Just… back off it and leave it alone, okay? I'll talk to him when I'm good and ready. Spoiler alert – that'll be never. Just let it go," he snapped. The tips of his ears were bright red and his eyes were dark – I'd pushed a button.

I turned and stomped up the beach, no longer caring if Brady was offended or not. The rocks made my rain galoshes slip and slide against them, and I probably looked ridiculous, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get away from that gigantic ass, and let him think about how much of a gigantic ass he was being.

What the hell? I thought. I was only trying to help. I loved him. I wanted him to be happy and fix things with his father. Was that so bad? Brady acted like it was against the law that I wanted him to have no more demons in his life. He was over his past – I loved him for who he was despite of what he'd done. I'd helped people see that there was more to him than just a man-whorish drunk who slept around and snapped at people. He was a person, a person worth loving and having as a friend. Brady was a good person to have on your side when you needed someone. I wanted others to see that too.

I broke into the woods, the ice-fringed ferns snapping at my knees as I tromped through them. I wouldn't go far – I just wanted to give him space enough to realize that I was pouting because he'd snapped at me without even listening to what I had to say. I wasn't about to let him get away with that crap anymore, no sir.

I knew we'd make up – we always did. He'd say he was sorry for being an ass, and he'd be sincere about it. He still had a hell of a temper that could crack at the drop of a hat. I never worried he'd lash out and hurt me. Somehow I knew with Brady, I'd always be safe.

I made my way just barely inside the line of the trees – I could still see Brady's outline on the beach. He was facing the water, staring out at the tide.

I shook my head. I would let him stew for a while before going to see if he would come to his senses. Eventually I knew he would.

I wove around a few of the tall, ancient trees, brushing my fingertips against the chilled moss that grew up the sides. As much as I hated winter here, the frosted scenery around me was rather beautiful. The clouds had won the battle with the sun and were once again making the scene look like something out of a gloomy nature documentary, but I could still appreciate the beauty of it all.

I stopped suddenly, feeling strange. Like I was being watched.

I wasn't alone.

Turning, the first thing I saw across the small clearing were his blood red eyes.

My breath caught in my throat.

The world around me seemed to freeze.

I stared at him, a feeling of iciness settling into my bones. He stared at me with his red eyes, his pale skin sticking out against the lush greens and browns of the forest in which we stood.

I froze. It was the man I'd almost hit with my car a few nights ago. I wasn't crazy – it was him. This must be the vampire that was hunting me.

He looked at me like a cheetah would a turtle – and I knew enough about vampires by now to know my odds were just about the same.

"Uh," my voice caught in my throat. "Hello."

He didn't say anything. He just stared. I gulped.

"What… what do you want?"

He didn't speak. Instead, he took a step closer, then another. I backed up, my limbs jolting into movement. My eyes were held in his bloody looking gaze, unable to look away. I stumbled backwards, my hands shaking with fear. I felt my teeth rattle in my head as he stepped closer and closer. He didn't look anything like the Cullens I'd seen, or even Renesmee. He was graceful and beautiful, but more terrifying than anything I'd ever seen.

I suddenly realized that he was about to be the last thing I'd ever see.

I choked with fear.

"Brady," I whispered, my teeth still rattling slightly. My voice wouldn't cooperate. Damn it, why wasn't I screaming? My shape shifting boyfriend was just down the beach. He could save me! He could come, he could…

I tripped on a tree root, careening backwards against the base of a redwood tree. I gasped, the jolting motion of falling scaring my voice into action.

"Brady!" I screamed, the tone wavering. "Brady!"

The vampire shook his head.

"He will be too late."

I heard myself whimper as my fingernails dug into the muddy ground beneath me. I was trapped between the tree and my killer. Hope seemed like a distant dream.

He stepped closer. I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Brady!"

Thank you to NinkyBaby for beta-ing!

Hope you enjoyed this one - difficult to write, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same! Thank you for reading!