Disclaimer: I seriously don't own Twilight, even though I wish I did… Ps… There's still room for one more person to help take over the world!

Hey guys! Sorry for the late update, but I've been busy with exams and choosing my subjects for gr.10 and it's been hectic here at my house.

Well, Deadly Secrets is coming to an end, and I hope these last few chapters will have you sitting on the edges of your seats…

*-Returning The Lost 1-*

Numbness…
Exhaustion…
Relief…

Those were the emotions and feelings rushing through my body as I dragged my bruised bare feet across the rocky, sandy ground.
A car's light temporarily blinded me as it drove by – the force of the wind pulling the black cloak from my barely dressed body. I shivered from the cold, tugging the cloak closer to my body, covering the bare flesh and the dark bruises that covered it.
I pulled the hood of the cloak over my head and almost puked as the horrific stench drifted towards my nose. Even if I had puked, there would not have been anything to throw up.
I hadn't eaten in days, the last time I drank something was almost seventeen hours ago. I didn't have a clue as to what day it was, nor what month. I was pretty sure that it was either late at night or early in the morning.

Another car passed by, illuminating the 'Welcome to Forks' sign.
Behind it, he forest I was familiar with towered high in the sky.
I sighed. I was home, finally home!

With the little amount of energy I had, I sprinted across the road – the forest in my sight.
I stumbled over tree roots, rocks slicing into my aching feet, but the pain didn't register in my brain. I had been through much more pain than cutting my feet. I staggered further into the forest; letting the sounds I longed for envelope me in a hug of warmth and familiarity. I breathed in deeply, passed the odor of vampire emitting from the cloak, until I found the rich piney scent of the trees and the mixture of animal scents. A ghost of a smile whispered over my cracked and dry lips, and I licked them to moisture the skin. I stumbled blindly through the dense forest, listening for any sound of danger.
A soft, rushing sound echoed from my left and I followed the sound. After a few minutes of stumbling, I reached the source of the sound.
A river.
A bubbling river filled with sweet, sweet water.
I hurriedly climbed down the small cliff, desperate to reach the flowing liquid at the base of the ravine. At the back of my mind I registered the fact that I was at the Treaty-Line, but I was too busy gobbling down the fresh water to care. I drank handful after handful, soaking my too-small shirt – but I didn't care!
I was home – away from those things – and I was able to drink fresh water. After I had guzzled down more than two liters of water, I stared across the river.

Home.
Family.
Him.

With those images I regained my strength. I had to get home to my family – and more importantly, him. I gathered the long cloak up in my arms and stepped inside the flowing stream.
I shivered.
It was beyond freezing, but the coldness urged me forward and I was across the river in a matter of minutes. I wrapped my arms around myself to salvage some body heat, and after I regained feeling in my feet; I climbed up the side of the cliff. Mud and dirt collected underneath my nails and fell in my already-dirty hair. I heaved myself up over the side of the cliff and fell back, staring up at the dark sky – not a cloud in sight. With slurred movements, I stood up and began walking again.
Faint scents reached my nose and I stumbled and tripped over the forest floor quicker than before – not caring about all the noise I was causing. I winced and whimpered as something sharp dug into the base of my foot. I slid down a nearby tree and pulled my foot up to see the damage. A slim stick prodded from my foot, and red liquid slowly trickled from the sides. I wiped away the mud and dirt and bit my lip as I pulled the stick free; gasping as I threw it away from my. Blood oozed from the wound – confirming the depth of the injury. I tore off a piece of the cloak and gently wrapped it around my foot. I tied a knot at the top of my foot and wiped stray tears from my cheeks; smearing them with more mud.

Crack.
Snap.
Crack.
Growl.

My head whipped to the side, searching for the intruder. Slowly, images flashed through my mind. Snarling, ripping, pain, glowing eyes, sharp teeth, growling, blood, more snarling.
I shook the memories away, and focused on my surroundings. There were so many hiding spots for predators and my mind raced with the possibility of vicious animals scenting my blood. I just wish I could shift. I'd get home faster and safer if I could shift. But it's been so long since I've made the change.

I was so immersed in my internal battle of shifting-or-not-shifting that I hadn't realized the snarling beast closing in on me until it snarled and lunged at me. My eyes snapped to the animal and I screamed in fear, grabbing it by its muzzle just seconds before it bit into my face. "No, no, no! Please, no." I sobbed, tears streaming down my face as I fought with the animal.

More images flashed before my eyes: Teeth, red eyes, fangs, ripped flesh, red on white, chains, pain, sickness, dark room, ugly beasts chasing me, fear, rough hands, confinement…

The wolf lunged forward again, snarling. I struggled to keep my grip on its silver muzzle, saliva dripping down my arms. Its warm breath fanned my face as it growled, and it smelled like…cotton candy?

The silver wolf backed away before charging again, this time from a different angle. I staggered away from the tree – a stupid move, I know – and braced myself to try and catch its muzzle again. At the last minute, the wolf turned its head sideways and its teeth sunk into my forearm. I cried out in pain, tears streaming down my face, "Please! Please, stop! Leave me alone! Please!"
The wolf growled and met my eyes at the same time a sickly sweet scent hit my nose.
The water I had drunk at the river spewed from my mouth, luckily hitting the ground beside me instead of the growling animal. I dry heaved after the water had left my stomach empty, my eyes watering from the puking and the pain caused by the wolf.

"Let her go." A velvet voice commanded. The wolf growled in anger and released my arm, circling me and the tree.

I wiped away the tears blurring my vision and screamed again. One of them had followed me! One of them had survived and came after me to finish me off. The images flashed again as I sobbed, clutching my bleeding arm to my chest.
"Please, please. I never did anything to you or your kind. Please just leave me alone." I whispered, scooting closer to the tree. The wolf growled as I moved, and I flinched.

"What are you doing on this land? Nomads aren't allowed to pass through Forks." The vampire stated, his voice soft and deadly.

"I-I'm not a nomad!" The wolf snarled at me, and I shrunk back against the tree.

"You're not part of my Coven or any I know. So, you must be a nomad." His voice hardened.

Coven? He though I was a-a…

"I don't belong to a Coven! I-I live here, in LaPush." I glanced up at the vampire and sucked in a breath. He looked soo familiar. I ignored the growling wolf and sorted through my memories until I reached his face.

"E-Edward? Edward Cullen?" My voice quivered with hope. He'd help me get home.

He stared at me with a calculating gaze, a frown on his pale face. "How do you…" He trailed off, his eyes growing wide. He rushed towards me so fast all I saw was white. I winced and tried moving away, but he just shushed my sobs and picked me up.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise. I'm gonna take you to my home so that Carlisle can help you." He began moving, not as fast as he had when he approached me, but fast enough that the wind blew the cloak's hood off.

I shook my head. "No, no! I-I wanna go home. Please, just take me home." I begged, looking up at him with pleading eyes. His golden eyes softened and he glanced back at the confused wolf trailing behind us.

"Would you tell Carlisle to meet me at the Blacks' house?"

The wolf cocked its head to the side and narrowed its gaze at Edward, then at me.

Edward sighed. "Just go, Nero."

The wolf, Nero, huffed and glared at me once more before shooting off to the Cullens' house.

Edward changed his course and sped up, barely jolting me as he ran towards my house. "Don't worry, Sophy. I'll get you home."

And even though he was a vampire, I trusted and believed him – something that was difficult for me to do after the things I'd been through since I was kidnapped…

That's the end of this chapter, I'll try and update as soon as possible, but I'm writing Mathematics tomorrow and other subjects this entire week, so I won't really have time to write.

Feel free to leave a review, if ya want. Thank you all for reading this story!

*Lovies…
~Sophy Moon~