A/N – I hate writing Pack-speak. I just can't find a way to do it without it being awkward….. So sorry bout that lol.

Paul POV

BELLA! I jumped up from where I had landed with my bike. I quickly took stock of where were exactly I was. Side of the road, edge of the forest, mile marker 79. Ok. As I sprinted into the forest, I stripped my clothes, quickly tied them to my ankle, and phased. Jared was on patrol.

Hey Paul, I thought you were spending the day with Bella?

I quickly ran through the events of the last several minutes and felt him stop in his tracks.

Where are you?

His voice took on a serious and almost deadly tone. I showed him my location and heard him howl as he began to make his way to me. I felt Sam and Embry phase in quickly and I replayed the events one more time. As they were heading my way, I began sniffing around, trying to find a scent, any scent. I was never more thankful that this part of the highway was less traveled so I could make my way up to the asphalt and start.

I caught the scent a few dozen feet from where the bike went off the road and I followed it into the woods. Bella and vamp. The vamp felt so damn familiar, but I couldn't place it properly, my brain was stuck on Bella. Unfortunately, it only went a few feet in before it disappeared completely. It didn't turn, it didn't keep going, it just vanished!

Sam – What the hell? How can it just disappear?

Me – I have no idea, but it's gone.

By this time, they had made it to my location and were sniffing around too. After not finding anything different, we all phased back and met at my bike. I couldn't be still though. I paced back and forth, my mind whirling. Someone had Bella. They took her right off my back and I had no idea how it happened. And they've completely disappeared. No, they couldn't have disappeared. They're here somewhere, they have to be. Sam looked at me, his face a resolute mask. "Paul, we'll get her back." I just glared at him. Damn right we were and then I was never letting her out my sight.

"Trees"

I looked at Embry who was gazing up at the tree tops. "Huh?" He turned his eyes towards me. "They went up through the trees. Probably to avoid leaving a scent that we could track." I just gaped at him. Shit, why didn't I think of that! "So how do we find them?" Embry shrugged and sighed. "Well they have to come down eventually. We have to think logically." Fuck this kid is smart. "So start thinking!" Sam and Jared chuckled at me, but I just glared at them. I had no patience at this point, my imprint was missing.

"Ok, who ever took her had to be familiar with the area to be able to go into the trees and come down safely. Since the Cullens are gone, that could rule them out, but I wouldn't bet on it. Probably best to start there, start with what we are familiar with." Sam nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, that would be logical. And if they aren't there, we'll head to the Swan place and start tracking her scent." Even as he spoke, I was stripping to phase.

We ran at break neck speed towards the Cullen land. My mind was on repeat Get Bella, Find Bella, Be safe Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella. I knew I was driving the guys crazy, but they let it go for now. I was so in my head, I didn't catch the new scent until Sam mentioned it. Vamp, close, human feeder. FUCK I do not need this! I start scenting around, but it's so faint I can't track it. I lift my head to sky to get a better trace of it when I catch sight of what looks like fire dancing above me. Trees! I shout at my pack mates. They stop and look in the direction my nose is pointing. The fire I am seeing is her hair, long, curly and fire red. Her arm catches a ray of sunlight and the sparkles almost dazzle me. Almost. It took .003 seconds for me to realize that this bloodsucker could have my Bella. And I was going to catch her.

We moved simultaneously towards her. She paused in her running and looked down at us. Sam phased back human and pulled his shorts on. Normally we would be kill first ask questions later, but we were missing a pack member and this vampire may have some answers. "Well, well, well, looks like those legends were true." Her voice was sugary sweet and nauseating. I couldn't help but pace back and forth below her growling lightly. She could be wasting our time. There was no telling what was happening to Bella.

"Leech, you have two choices here. One, you tell us where Bella is and we kill you quickly. Two, you mess around, play your little leech games and we make you tell us where Bella is and we kill you slowly. Take your pick." Sam's voice was commanding as he folded his arms across his chest looking up at the leech in the trees.

Her high pitched laugh set my teeth on edge. "As if I would tell you if I had her, much less let you catch me. However, it turns out we are after the same thing. You want that precious, oh so delicious smelling human, I want her mate." My growl became more pronounced at the mention of Bella's supposed mate. "What do want with her mate?" Sam asked. I couldn't understand how he was so calm about this. This was my imprint, my WORLD they were speaking so casually of. "He stole my mate!" Her voice became a low hiss, deadly in its intent. "He took my mate's life, my precious James. I will have my vengeance!"

Sam stood there a moment contemplating his next move. I was still pacing under the leech, just itching for her to slip up, make one mistake so I could take her down. "Do you know where he is?" She looked at Sam curiously. "I followed him from here all the across the country and back. I don't know why he returned here, except for his little human. I suspect he is near the Cullen place, but I have not been able to determine where. The area is permeated with the smell of dead animals and wet dog." She wrinkled her nose at us. Embry chuckled in our heads.

Sam nodded. It seemed Embry's idea was spot on. "We will follow you there. You will not touch a single human, especially not Bella. Once you are finished, you will disappear from Washington. If I so much of hear of you even thinking about returning anywhere near here, you are dead. If I see one strand of your hair within spitting distance of the boarder, you are dead. Do we have an understanding?"

She seemed to contemplate it for a moment. I could tell she was weighing the options. Then her eyes turned sad, her bravado dropped. He face became so heartbroken I almost felt bad for her. Then she spoke in a whisper so low that even with our enhanced senses it was hard to hear. "Life without my James really is pointless. I know he wasn't pleasant, but he was mine. I want my revenge. I want the person responsible for this dead. That Cullen should have never brought a human into our world. She should never have been there to tempt James. It's HIS fault. He dazzled her, he lured her. He will pay and pay dearly." Her voice had grown stronger while she was speaking. She gazed at each of us, holding our gazes for a moment. "I will help you. And you won't have to worry about me returning afterwards. I just ask one favor of you." Sam nodded for her to continue.

"Kill me. Put me in the fire after he is burned out. I do not want to exist on this earth anymore. My time has finally come; I will have no more reason to go on once I have my retribution."

We stood there in shock for a few moments. I could see the sadness in Sam's face and feel it in Jared's thoughts. We knew the feeling well. None of us would be able to continue with our lives if our imprints were gone. It really would be a mercy killing. Sam looked up at the desolate vampire in the trees. "Alright, help us find her and you are more than welcome to Edward. Just let us get her safe first." She only nodded and turned to make her way to the ground. Then she was off like a shot.

Sam phased and as we ran after her Embry's thoughts mirrored our own. Am I the only one that feels like we've made a deal with the devil? I chuckled at him. Well Embry if it means we get Bella back. I don't really care about the devil. I want my mate and I want that fucker dead.

A/N 2 – So we have a meeting with Victoria and hunt for Bella. I apologize again for the wait. I have been fighting a concussion, then upper respiratory and sinus, and am currently sitting here with a neck brace trying to get whatever was knocked loose in my inner ear back into place. Super times! Will be working on the next chapter as soon as this is back to normal….well normal for me lol.