A/N: Hey guys! Sorry, I'm a little late posting again. I've been struggling with time management so sorry! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I meant to check in with you guys last week, but I was on a bit of a time crunch, so I just posted and left lol. Anyways, I hope you all are staying safe and preparing for the holidays! Here's the next chapter...enjoy!

Three pairs of bright red eyes glow iridescently only a few feet ahead of us. The two men and Carlisle share what can only be described as the most tragic excuse for small talk. The woman next to them has her eyes glued to me. The only break in her gaze is when she rolls her eyes at this ridiculously crude conversation.

Although I find myself completely horrified by her presence, I can't help but agree. We all knew what brought them here. I wish they'd just get to it already.

"I am Laurent," I hear the olive-skinned man say, but I don't dare take my eyes off of the woman. Even with Edward and his family standing guard, I do not feel safe in the slightest with her so close to me. "And this is James and Victoria."

Victoria. Finally, a name to a face.

The woman—Victoria, her eyes shine like freshly-shed blood as she continues to stare at me. When she realizes I'm studying her as well, the smallest of smirks pulls at the corner of her pink lips.

Strangely, learning her name makes her seem more human. Of course, she's not. That much is evident in every fiber of her being. But she was human. Once. Which means somewhere deep down, she still has thoughts and desires, just like any other human. She has emotions and motivations.

Victoria is just as frightening as she was when I first saw her. But now, she's corporeal. The fight will still be hard. But all those thoughts and desires—feelings. They can be manipulated. We can use them to our advantage.

"Do you have room for three more in your game?" I detect the slightest hint of a European accent on his tongue, but it's too faint to pinpoint where. "We'll play nice."

Carlisle, the epitome of cool, calm and collected, responds in a smooth and even tone. "Unfortunately, we were just leaving."

Edward, who I'd almost forgotten was holding me close to his side, is too eager to jump on his father's cue. He's already started moving us backward and his grip is too strong to fight, but I flinch anyway as he moves in fear of the motion bringing too much attention.

The blonde one, James, only proves me right as his eyes shift over to us. "Tsk, tsk."

Edward's hold tightens in response, causing me to whimper quietly behind my lips. A sound I know doesn't go unnoticed by the three vampires in front of us.

"You know we can't let you do that," James purrs.

Emmett chuckles confidently. "Is that so?"

James nods his head toward my figure, half hidden behind Edward. "What are your plans for her?"

"She's one of the special ones." It's the first time Victoria's spoken since arriving. Not only does her voice chill me to the bone with her sweet, girly pink bubble gum tone, it also baffles the hell out of me.

Special ones?

"Aw, sweet girl." Her eyes look me up and down the same way a snake eyes up his next meal. "You don't know?"

I know a reaction is exactly what she wants. Instincts tell me to stay unmoving, keep my face emotionless. But the fear that these three strangers know more about me than I do is too unsettling.

I look to Edward, for only a fraction of a second, but it's not subtle enough for them. The action brings the three vampires to a bout of laughter and despite the anxiety they're very beings bring, I feel the anger pool in my cheeks.

"My, my," Victoria hums, breaking her gaze again to look at James.

"Adorable," he says quietly to her. "Isn't she?"

A low, guttural sound rumbles next to me. I barely have enough time to figure out the noise had come from Edward before everything starts to move faster than I can comprehend.

In a blink of an eye, I find Esme has replaced Edward's spot by my side and the rest of the Cullens have all rushed forward, crouching in front of us in a defensive position while Victoria, James and Laurent lunge toward them, anger and avariciousness swimming in their blood red irises.

"Easy." Laurent is the first to speak, eyes darting from Edward to Carlisle, to me and then back to James and Victoria. "I can see we've been outnumbered."

He stands straight, forfeiting his fight, but James and Victoria stay put. The Cullens don't let down their guard, keeping their focus on all three of them until Laurent snaps, "James!"

The blonde pulls away, but not before glaring at Laurent. But he and Victoria follow his lead, silently backing away and admitting defeat until completely out of sight.

The optimist in me, wants to call a spade a spade, and celebrate their exit, but I know it's only wishful thinking. Once they're gone, I let my hysterics take over. My heart pounds freely in my throat and short labored breaths escape my mouth as Edward pulls me away from the group and back toward the car.

"What's happening?"

He shoves me into the passenger's seat almost painfully and buckles my seatbelt. "Not now, Bella. We've got to get you out of here."

"I need to know," I manage to pant through my sporadic breathing. "Tell me what just happened!"

He throws the gear shift into drive and the force nearly slams my head against the seat. I don't remember seeing him move from my passenger door to the driver's side, but it's the least of my worries at the moment. "It's James! I read his mind."

There's a small ounce of relief that it's not Victoria we're running from, at least not yet. "What did you hear?"

"He'll never stop," he mumbles softly to himself and I wonder if I was even supposed to hear it.

"Stop what?" I ask in a panic. "Stop what, Edward?"

"You don't understand, Bella!" He slams his fist against the wheel. "It's a hunt! It's his obsession. He'll never stop coming after us."

My whole body goes cold. I can understand the logistics of a hunt when referring to Edward and his family. And while I had already known that other vampires are out there and most of them fed on human blood, I'd never imagined it could be me. I never thought that I would ever be hunted.

"I'll get you out of here," Edward swears to me, writhing his hands around the wheel as he speaks., "I'll take you somewhere and—"

"No!" I shout, loud enough to startle the both of us. "No, we have to turn back!"

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Charlie!" I scream at him as if the answer is obvious. "It's the first place he'll look. We have to go back!"

"Exactly, Bella. It's the first place he'll go. Do you hear yourself?"

"I won't leave him behind." I swallow the bit of bile that rises to the back of my throat at the thought of anything happening to him because of me. "He could be killed."

"What do you even plan on doing if we turn back?"

Clenching my teeth, I force myself to take a shuddering breath and calm my speeding heart. "I'll think of something."

Back at my house, I race inside, despite the nerves that turn violently in my stomach. Edward idles impatiently at the end of the driveway while I slam the door open, startling Charlie, who I know had been waiting on the couch.

"Jesus, Bells! What—?" His words stop cold on his tongue, when he sees my face.

Tears, or sweat, or possibly a mixture of both stain my face. All the better for what I'm about to say. "I'm leaving."

"Wait a minute!" Charlie follows as I stomp my feet up the steps and into my room. "What happened tonight, Bella? Are you going to Angela's?"

"No, I'm leaving." Hearing Angela's name doesn't hurt as much now as it did before. With James hunting me, I know I've made the right decision. "Mom invited me back home, and I'm going."

"What?" Charlie shifts his weight on his feet as he watches me shove clothes into my school bag. "You're not going to Arizona!"

"I am." Shoving past him, I move to my closet and grab the only other pair of shoes I own and throw those in my bag too. "I'm sick of this place."

"Damnit, Bella, you have to talk to me!" I continue to move around him as he frets. "Did you and Edmund break up or something?"

"Edward," I correct him instinctively and then wonder if I should lie about this too. "Yeah...no. I don't know, Dad! It doesn't matter, I'm leaving. Tonight."

Charlie tries to block me from the door, but I duck under his arm and trot down the steps. "You're not leaving, Bella, and that's final! Whatever happened tonight, it doesn't change the fact that you can't handle the heat."

He's got this whole spiel prepared, ready to remind me what he went through when I cracked my head open on the pavement a year ago and everything he's sacrificed to care for me. He retired early, he sorted my medicine, he cleaned the piss and shit off of me after each episode. I'm fully prepared to ignore him, race out to Edward's car before he can finish.

That's all thrown out the window when Charlie grabs my elbow by surprise, turning me to face him. His stress and fear and frustration is so overwhelming, I'm about to rip my arm away, desperate to separate myself from him. But I know there is nothing I can say to convince him to stay home and let me go. I'll have to force him.

"Talk to me, Bells," he says, taking advantage of my sudden silence. "We can fix this."

Charlie keeps his hand there and I let him. I let his emotions flow through me, connecting us physically and mentally. I meet his eyes with mine, only letting myself feel what he feels. When I'm sure the link between us is strong, I speak.

"Stay home."

"Stay home?" he repeats. "Okay, I can do that."

"Let me go back to Mom's."

Charlie nods. "Alright. I can do that."

"You won't panic."

"No." He smiles softly. "I won't panic."

"You won't go to Billy's tomorrow."

"I'll stay home," he says.

Removing my arm slowly, I feel Charlie's influence fade, but his eyes are still a bit glazed over. Worried I'd melted his brain, I wave my hand in front of his face. "Dad?"

"Huh?"

I glance over my shoulder, out the window at Edward who waits in the car. "Are you okay?"

He blinks a few times and I can hear my words echoing in his head. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good."

"You're good?" If there weren't a vampire hunting me, I'd feel proud of myself. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Bells, I'm alright." He pats my shoulder gently. "Go, have fun at your Mom's. I'll see you soon, right?"

Suddenly, my stomach clenches with anxiety. When will I see him again? When will James get tired of hunting me? Or is this the beginning of the end for me? "Yeah, Dad, of course. I'll see you soon."

"I love you, Bells."

I open the front door, pausing again as I shoulder my bag. "I love you, too." And then I turn my back and leave him alone and falsely at peace.

When I get back to the Volvo, I share a look with Edward, hoping he can understand my silent questions. Judging by his dark eyes, I know he does and I'm correct in saying James had been nearby and heard every word.

We've successfully baited a vampire. I never thought I'd have that crossed off on my to-do list, yet here we are.

Next to me, I catch Edward's dark eyes in the dim light. Whether they were from the intensity of the situation or lack of nutrition, I don't know. Either way, there isn't much time to do anything about it.

The entire drive back to Edward's home is silent. Between Edward fuming over my reckless decision to go back for Charlie and me watching the rear view intently for a certain blonde figure, there weren't many words that needed to be spoken.

It's not until he pulls into the garage, that I whisper, "Is he…?"

"He can't hear us," he replies, answering my inarticulate question. "But he's close, so we'll have to be quick."

Nodding, I give myself no time to think or panic or worry by jumping out of the seat, swinging my overloaded school bag over my shoulder and following him inside the house where the rest of his family wait for us.

"Alright, what's the plan?" Emmett barely gives us time to walk all the way inside before approaching us with the darkest expression I've ever seen him wear. In fact, seeing him at all without that shit eating grin is disturbing. "We killin' anybody tonight?"

"What?" I look between Emmett and Edward, completely stunned at how easily they tossed that idea around. "Kill them? You can't, it's too dangerous!"

Jasper looks at me for a second too long, probably wondering if it's appropriate to coax me into a calm state, before saying, "We've had to fight our kind before. It's difficult, but not impossible to kill."

"I've never agreed with killing another creature," Carlisle adds, holding Esme close to him.

Edward makes a sound, a mixture of a hiss and a groan. "Even a sadistic one like James?"

Rosalie asks, "What if he kills one of us first?"

It's a valid question, but none of us are given enough time to respond when Jasper and Edward race toward the front door.

Esme is first to take Edward's place again, and I eagerly hide behind her tiny frame as I watch a dark, olive-skinned figure approach the door.

"Stop!" Alice yells, quickly meeting up with them. "He's not with them. He's come to help us."

Curiously, I watch from behind Esme as Jasper opens the door and invites Laurent inside.

"What do you want?" Edward sneers at him, every muscle in his body ready to pounce on the off chance that Laurent is here under false pretenses.

"Please," he starts with a small smile, nearly making my blood boil with his arrogance. "Do not misunderstand my intentions."

"Why are you here?" Carlisle asks, softer and calmer than Edward's original tone.

"I've come as a courtesy to you," he answers, easily. "I'm no longer interested in James' game, and thought it'd be worth stopping by considering your...attachment to the human girl here."

Laurent's eyes linger on me for a moment and I glare back at him, daring him to try something here.

"James has unparalleled senses," he goes on. "He's absolutely lethal. And the woman? Victoria?"

How could we forget? I bite my tongue, to keep the words from slipping. Esme must feel the tension in me, stepping even further in front of me to keep me hidden from his line of sight.

"Don't underestimate her."

Edward opens the door again, roughly this time. "If that's all, you can leave."

"Wait, Edward." Carlisle stops Laurent from leaving, scribbling something on the back of what looks like a business card. "If you're sincere in saying you're finished with James, give them a call. They're close friends of ours."

I can only assume he means the Denalis. The cousins Edward had mentioned a few weeks ago. The idea of Laurent turning himself around didn't sit very well in my mind, but at the moment, it's not very high on my priority list. As long as he stays the hell away from me, I couldn't give two shits about what he's up to.

Once he's left the house, and there's no sign of an ulterior motive, Edward returns to my side.

"Take off your jacket," he says.

Not needing a reason why, I comply and wait for him to explain while he takes the fabric from my hands and tosses it to Rosalie.

"What the hell is this?" She scowls at me as if I'm the one who threw it at her.

"I need you to wear it," Edward answers for me. "Track Bella's scent away from us while I drive her south."

"No!" Rosalie and I surprise ourselves by responding in unison. Apparently, it's more surprising for her, as I'm quicker to recover.

"James knows we're together," I tell him. "He'll expect us to be together. Even if he falls for it, he'll figure it out when he sees you're not there."

"She's right," Carlisle agrees, earning a sharp sigh from Edward. "We'll need to be smart about this."

"Well, what the hell do you suggest?" He throws his hands up and lets them drop audibly at his sides. "Let her go alone?"

"Of course, not," I assure him. "But I'll have to partner with the person he'd least expect me to be with."

"Like who?" Edward asks.

Pursing my lips, I look to Rosalie, who lifts a brow in return.

"You better think again," she scoffs.

With no time to argue, I roll my eyes and move on to the next. "Fine. Jasper?"

"Jasper?" Edward is quick to object, leaving me stupefied, but going by Jasper's expression, he'd been expecting it. "No, absolutely not."

"Why not?" I ask angrily, the small window of time seemingly growing smaller and smaller by the second. "We're running out of options here!"

The words seem to be stuck on the tip of his tongue, but I have no patience to help coax it out of him and instead brush his arm off of my shoulders.

"If you can't give me a reason, then I'm overruling your objection." Readjusting my bag, I look at Jasper. "You in?"

He glances at Edward, gauging his reaction before nodding. "I'm in. You got everything you need?"

Showing him my bag, I nod. "Yeah, I'm good. But what about Angela?"

Edward groans again next to me and I have to remind myself that punching him would hurt me more than it would him. "Damnit, Bella, what about her?"

"She's my friend," I emphasize. "Someone needs to watch her. And Charlie."

"Rosalie and Edward will lead James away," Carlisle decides, seeing that no one else is coming up with ideas. "Esme and I will watch over your father and I'll send Emmett and Alice to keep an eye on your friend."

"Why?" Rosalie suddenly snaps, looking me up and down, similarly to the way Victoria had, but less hungry and more disgusted. "What is she to me?"

Edward, Alice and Jasper are quick to retort, but Carlisle holds up his hand, signaling them to stop. He simply says, "Bella is family now. We protect our family."

The disapproval is still evident in her eyes, but so is her profound respect for Carlisle. While I don't understand her blind hatred, I do understand that their family wouldn't be in this mess had it not been for me. And I understand the drastic measures I'd be willing to take—that I am taking to keep my family safe. If nothing else, Rosalie wants the same for her own family.

"Okay," she whispers, sliding the jacket over her arms and around her shoulders.

"Here." I take the hat I'd nearly forgotten Esme had given to me and offer it to Rose. "You'll want to hide your hair."

Though on board with the plan, she still had no intentions of speaking to me, choosing to snatch it from me without a response.

Jasper pulls Alice close to him, speaking only loud enough that she can hear. Saying goodbye, probably. I hate the idea that this might be the last we see of each other. In fact, I push it far from my mind and tell myself instead that I will not say goodbye. I will not say it, because I will be back.

Alice kisses him three times on the lips before letting him go. "I love you."

"I love you, sweetheart." Jasper finds me in my internal battle and gestures toward the garage. "Let's go."

I follow him back out and fight the butterflies that flutter restlessly as Edward tails me somberly.

He helps me into the passenger's seat and I roll the window down before he's even finished closing the door, desperate to keep him close. I have to remind myself that splitting up had been my idea in the first place and I kick myself for it as he leans down, head halfway through the open window.

"I'm so sorry, Edward." I feel my eyes burn and don't bother trying to keep the tears at bay. I let them fall down my cheeks and drop onto my forearm as I reach to grab my last fistful of his hair. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

He shushes me gently, suddenly calm and unworried. Had it not been for his black eyes, I may have believed him. "Don't cry, love. You know none of this is your fault."

I shake my head at him. "If anything happens to you—"

"I will come back to you," he promises. "You are my life now."

My stomach churns and I fight the urge to vomit. I don't want to say goodbye. This can't be goodbye. Yet the words keep coming from his mouth and I can't stop them. All I can do is cry and choke on my own bile.

"I love you, Bella."

His words are enough to bring me to a halt. "What?"

"I love you," he repeats. Although his eyes stay dark enough that I can see my own reflection, I'm still able to pick out the emotions swimming freely in them. He means every word and I'm left here shell-shocked.

This is the part where I say it back, right? Why can't I find my voice?

"We need to go, Edward," Jasper voices impatiently. "I'm sorry."

Edward pulls away, nodding silently. I still can't get myself to speak even after Jasper shifts the gear into drive and speeds away. I watch Edward get smaller and smaller through the back windshield until the winding driveway takes him out of sight completely and I'm left to watch the trees.

As I stare out into a sea of fallen leaves, I still refuse to let myself believe it may have been the last time I'd see him. And I absolutely do not allow myself to think it may have been my only chance to say it back.

No. No, I'd see him again.

He promised me.

"You feeling alright?"

I look at Jasper, nearly forgetting he'd been so close this whole time. I turn around and allow myself to sit properly in my seat before asking, "What kind of car is this?"

He laughs softly. "It's Alice's Porsche." He shifts into third gear as if to show off and I feel the engine shudder underneath of us before picking up speed. "She runs smooth, doesn't she?"

"Yeah," I say, though I wouldn't know either way. "Are you nervous?"

"You are," he comments, eyeing me shortly before focusing on the road again.

"Right." I try to take a deep breath, remembering his sensitivity to emotions. "Sorry."

"As long as we stick to the plan, everything will be fine." His voice is soft and he lets his southern dialect drawl at the end of his sentence. But his eyes are as dark as Edward's, telling me he's just as worked up as the rest of us. "You just let us handle everything."

I try to find comfort in his attempt to reassure me, but the anxiety only grows. I decide to busy myself with my phone, quickly putting it to my ear. It'll be a long drive, anyway.

"Who are you calling?"

I don't bother answering, knowing he'll find out soon enough. I don't expect her to pick up so I'm not surprised when I get her voicemail. "Hey, Ang. It's me. I know I haven't exactly given you any reason to want to talk to me right now, but I need you to listen, okay?"

Jasper clears his throat awkwardly as I start to tear up again.

"I need you to stay home this weekend. I can't tell you why, but I need you to trust me. I need you to trust that I have a good reason. I hope we can get back to the way we were. I love you."

The words came easily when talking to Angela. Even indirectly. Why it was so hard to say it to Edward, I'll never know, but I try not to let myself dwell on it as I hang up the phone.

"She'll be alright," he says once I've shoved the phone back in my pocket.

"She better be."

Four and a half hours and a plane ticket later, I find myself standing in front of the reception desk of the Hilton Resort in Phoenix, Arizona. Renee and I had spent our fair share sleeping in hotels, but the Hilton had always been well out of our price range.

But, price is clearly not a worry for Jasper and his family as he continues to wave hundred dollar bills around as if they're twenties.

"Two queens, please." He slides two large bills across the table and I remind myself that the loss of two Benjamins is nothing compared to risks we face. Yet, the lower middle-class girl in me winces internally.

Soon enough, we're handed our keys and finally step foot into our luxury suite.

Jasper moves toward the sofa by the window and sits heavily in the seat. His eyes are still as black as night and I wonder if he's worried about Alice.

I move to sit next to him, happy to distract myself from my problems to help someone else and stop short when I see him shift every so slightly further away from me and closer to the window.

"Oh!" God, how could I have been so stupid! It had been so obvious. Edward and his family hadn't hunted for days. The color had nothing to do with nervousness and everything to do with hunger. "I'm so sorry, I'll move."

"Hey, Bella, don't take this the wrong way," he starts, looking up at me tiredly. I can see the dark circles forming underneath his eyes and wonder if maybe vampires do need sleep after all. "But can you try to control your emotions? It's starting to give me a headache."

"Are you hungry?"

His hesitation is answer enough. "You don't have to worry, Bella. I won't hurt you."

"What?"

Jasper runs his hand roughly through his blonde hair. "I know I'm new to the diet, but I've got it under control."

"No, no, that's not why—" The words fall off my lips as I remember the way Edward had been so quick to protest against Jasper taking me. Edward didn't trust him alone with me. "I'm sorry about what Edward said back there."

Jasper brushes it off as if it's nothing, but I can see it bothers him more than he lets on. "He worries about you."

"That doesn't mean he shouldn't trust you," I argue. "I'm sorry if I offended you, I didn't mean it to come off the way it did. But if you need to hunt, I'll be alright for a few hours."

"Edward will kill me if he finds out I left you."

"What he doesn't know won't kill him." Standing from the sofa, I move to give him more space, though I imagine there's only so much I can do about the scent that's likely all over him by now. "Look, if you're going to protect me, I need you on your A-game."

He smiles softly at me, nodding after a moment. "I'll think about it."

"Better than nothing, I guess."

"Why don't you get some rest?" He hands me the bag I've left on the sofa. Suddenly the effort of standing and walking away seems futile, looking at the pile of clothes that have my scent all over it. "We'll be here for a while."

"I'm not sure my head is in any shape to let me sleep," I tell him honestly. "But I'll try."

"I'll wake you if anything happens," he promises. "Goodnight."

"'Night, Jazz."

The sheets in the bed are cold from the air conditioning that pumps out just above on the ceiling. I fight the shivers and wrap myself in the comforter, hoping my body will heat up the blankets soon.

I could get up and turn the AC off, but the cold keeps me occupied. It keeps me from dwelling on the words I didn't say to Edward, and the risks of losing everyone I care about.

But instead of thinking of those things, I'm left to focus on warming the blankets so I can sleep comfortably.

I don't think I'm asleep for five minutes before I hear Jasper open the door.

"Bella! Bella, wake up!"

Sitting up straight, my mind is alert again. "I'm up, I'm up! What's going on?"

"It's Alice." He swallows thickly. "She's missing."