A/N: Geeze, I'm turning these out pretty fast. I'd really love it if you could, after you read, say something really quick. I'd like to know what I'm doing right or wrong! Don't make me beg!

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4. Hmm...that's interesting...

I woke up early the next day. I had driven into the night back from home, before stopping at a rest stop near the address Billy gave me. I needed to sleep, or I would not be able to understand anything these Cullens or Jacob told me.

I turned the car on, stretched, and put it in gear. I decided to drive a little into the forest before getting out and phasing. After about five minutes, it seemed I was deep enough in. I got out of the car and put the keys on the seat. I doubted anyone would be looking around in the deep woods for abandoned cars that actually worked.

I decided that I would walk around human a while before phasing. I used my heightened senses to navigate around the traffic and the people at the rest stop. Cursing my bad directional skills, I realized that I had no idea which way to go. Maybe, I thought, it would be better if I phased. Animals are better at tracking and direction.

Without thinking, I phased then and there. At the exact same time, I cursed loudly, although not sure whether I said it out loud or in my head. I had forgotten to take off my clothes first. At least I had remembered to bring clothes with me; I'd just have to come back before talking to anyone.

It felt good, and I didn't want to admit it, to be a wolf again. The feeling was incredible. I felt as if I had been in a closet with no room to stretch, and I was finally free of it. I could feel every muscle in my legs moving in harmony, pulling and stretching to move me forward. I felt truly alive.

As I ran, I thought. I turned everything over in my mind that I had learned about myself since that fateful night. I also remembered something Billy Black had mentioned while telling me the story of the Quileute wolves; he said that they could read each other's minds. That gave me an idea.

I listened as hard as I could with my mind for any sign of another consciousness. I did not hear anything for about ten minutes as I ran, until...

I can't believe this, Vince?! Really, Leah have to imprint on Vince?! I mean, vampires aren't so bad, especially Edward, but VINCE?! That vamp's bad news. And she's my sister dammit.

I quickly tried to think of something else, so it did not seem like I was trying to intrude. But I needed to talk to someone in the pack, so I decided the sooner, the better.

Hello? I thought tentatively.

Nothing. The other pack member, a boy of course, was quite distracted with the problems he was worrying about, and so apparently could not hear my tiny, insignificant thoughts. I could sense, as if by a pull of a thread, where the thought was coming from, and decided that it would be my best bet to find the source. I plunged deeper towards the thoughts.

Suddenly, a new smell caught my attention as I ran, one that did not belong with the smells of the forest life. It smelled like ammonia, and it stung my nose. Not only that, but it also brought this new feeling, that I needed to protect myself. I felt the hair rise on my back. Well, nothing unusual has come up yet, might as well follow this, I thought. I shook off the feeling and turned to follow the new trail. It led deeper into the forest, away from the sounds of the cars and people at the rest stop. The forest became darker the deeper I went, but with my wolf eyes I could see just fine.

After five minutes of following this new, strange scent, I heard something to my left. It was very faint, and I could have just dismissed it as a squirrel running up a tree or a bird taking flight, but the smell had made me paranoid. I stopped dead and turned in the direction of the sound. The smell grew stronger, and I heard a twig snap somewhere in the distance. I looked around, deciding what to do. I concluded that I should hide first, to see what this new entity was before I decided how to deal with it.

I launched myself behind a conveniently placed boulder, and waited. I listened intently as the sound of wind rushing past something small, the size of a small human, came closer and closer.

Suddenly, behind me, there was a loud snapping sound that interrupted my intense thought. I jumped two feet in the air in surprise, and turned to face the source of the sound and now overwhelming smell; I almost barked in laughter.

In front of me stood a small, pixie-like girl who could be no more than seventeen, though she was the size of a ten-year-old. She had sharp, angled features, and spiky hair that stood out in every direction. She also wore a frustrated look.

"Please, do not run," the pixie-girl said in a high, bell-like voice. "My name is Alice Cullen. I will not hurt you."

I relaxed visibly so as to show that I understood.

"I know you cannot answer me unless you phase, and I doubt that you would want to phase in front of me without clothes. If you could follow me, I can help you with that. But we need to talk, strange wolf. You are a girl," she added in a thoughtful tone, "and maybe you could fit in mine or Esme's clothes. Either way, you should follow me."

I bowed my head once in a nod, and then followed her as she sprinted back the way she had come.

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A/N: I never thought I'd finish! I had a bout of writer's block today when I was trying to write this, but it finally worked out! I'll get chapter 5 out as soon as I can!

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