The continued snowfall slowed her progress dramatically that afternoon. She nearly whimpered with relief as she spotted the Black family crest on a tall wrought-iron gate between two massive but barren trees. They stood out clearly among the surrounding wide trunks of pine and fir covered in glittering snow. Isabella felt like she was about to enter a different world. The closer she came to the gate, the faster the flakes seemed to fall.

As if by magic, the gates sprang open before her, tearing through the wet, heavy snow like knives. Red leaves and pine needles underneath appeared, leaving the eerie impression of massive, bleeding claw marks behind. Bella shuddered at the visual as she led her horse forward.

She blinked in surprise at the stark difference inside the forest. The snowfall was lighter, and the trees created a wall against the wind. Without the cutting wind blowing against her face, Bella felt she could finally take a deep breath. Lower branches of trees had gotten removed to make wide paths, leaving dome-shaped arches through the trees in different directions. The widest of these could fit a large wagon, but the overgrowth made it seem unused for some time.

The gates clanged shut behind them, and a nearby howl pierced the air, startling her horse. Bella pulled back on the reins as she attempted to calm her. The sound of deep, hearty laughter behind her smothered her fear with irritation. Bella turned to face the owner and froze. The giant from the Inn used a pulley to control the gates and then secured the rope to the tree he hid behind.

So much for the cloak indicating my importance .

"Jackass," she grumbled without thought, only earning another laugh from him.

"Jacob will like you," he said with a mischievous grin. "Even though you are not Mary Alice. I daresay he will like you better."

"Have caution with your words about my sister , Sir," Bella said proudly.

"Sister?" He scoffed. "I did not know she had a sister." His tone softened as he added, "But Jasper is a good friend."

His grin widened as he approached her. Heat flooded her cheeks, and she couldn't help but smile back. For a moment, all things seemed frozen as the sunset speared through the trees directly toward the gate. The light brought out flakes of gold in his large, dark eyes, and Bella was at a loss for words. If she had thought he was beautiful before, nothing short of magnificent would suffice now.

She felt roughly yanked back to the present as he stepped closer, reaching for her waist. As if watching herself from outside, he gently caught her weight and lowered her to her feet. The moment passed with the ease of friends who had practiced a thousand times.

Rather than the thanks that she should have given, she wondered, "And Jacob Black? Is he friends with Jasper as well?"

"He is." Now towering over her, he gestured toward the gate, gently taking the reins from her and patting her horse affectionately.

"Then I do not understand why Mr. Black would agree to such an arrangement," she said before turning and gasping at the view.

The setting sun shot through the trees along the main pathway, directly hitting the gate. The Black family crest seemed to glow like fire as the light reflected from shattered pieces of quartz carefully embedded into the frame.

"Beautiful, is it not?"

"Stunning," Bella answered, entirely forgetting her previous question. "Does this always happen at sunset?"

"For four months a year, it will." He sighed. "Tonight begins the third full moon of the cycle. We should get moving. It will be dark within the hour."

Bella had not realized her hood had fallen until he raised it for her. He lifted his own, and his shadowed form suddenly seemed far more threatening. Despite that, she did not fear him.

As they began walking, he asked, "So what is your name, Not Mary Alice ?"

"Bella. Ern… Isabella Swan." She bit her bottom lip to hold back a nervous laugh.

"I trust the cloak has kept you warm and dry?"

"It has."

"And those who greeted you. Did you feel welcome and safe?"

"I did."

"Then it has done its job." He stopped suddenly and scowled as he demanded, "Now, hand it over."

Pardon? Bella gaped at him, clutching her hands tightly to the soft red fur.

"A joke, Mrs. Black," he said and laughed, relaxing his features.

Wonderful. He must suffice as the jester around here.

He teased, "Do you care so much for your finery that you would fight or die for it? Would you have fled from me?"

Bella lessened her grip as she released a deep breath. Her heart skipped rapidly in her chest, and she playfully shoved him as ineffectively as she would have done to Emmett. He cackled.

"I am not Mrs. Black until tomorrow… if he does not hate me on sight for assuming my sister's place. And, no. There are more important things than wealth." Teasingly she added, "I am rather fond of this cloak. The fur is beautiful and warm. I have never seen pelts so fine."

He grinned proudly and asked, "If wealth is not important to you, what is?"

"Family," she answered firmly. "Truth. Knowledge. Loyalty. Kindness. Commitment." Lowering her voice somewhat, she admitted, "Independence. Survival."

She stared in awe as another smile lit up his face. "Yes," he mumbled. "Jacob Black will be exceedingly happy with you ."

Bella blushed at the compliment, unsure why those things were exceptional. Do most honest, good people not value the same things?

Not watching her steps, her foot caught a rut in the path, and she stumbled. Quicker than she could have imagined, he braced her with one arm in time to stop her from colliding with the ground. Her back pressed against his abdomen, and her breasts heaved against his forearm with every nervous, panting breath. He chuckled low in her ear as he helped her stand upright. The sound sent a pleasing shiver up her spine. Heat rushed to her lower abdomen, nearly rivaling the flush spreading across her cheeks.

As Bella turned to face him, he inhaled deeply and looked away. His eyes flickered with gold in what little light remained. He shifted his stance and chuckled. "Keep your eyes on the path, Isabella, or we may not make it there." The redness across her cheeks deepened.

"At least you are safe for the night. Thanks to Paul," he said, pointing ahead. A small cabin was barely visible through the trees. Light from between curtains lit up the outside as smoke curled from the chimney.

Curiously, she asked, "Who is Paul?"

"Paul is one of our guards, but he performs various tasks around the property. One of those is preparing the cabins if we have a guest. The cabins are ready to use at any given notice. They are always well stocked. Anyone who comes through the gate and asks one of our huntsmen to stay will get offered our hospitality."

"And those who choose to trespass?"

"Are the reason that huntsmen and wolves guard the land," he answered. "Anyone who trespasses rather than utilizing our hospitality does not want us to know they are here. That usually means they are up to no good and are not welcome here."

She thought she detected a slight hint of bitterness in his words. Bella would never have imagined herself part of a family so powerful that it needed constant soldiering. She glanced around warily, wondering what inside this wandering forest could warrant the need.

They finished the walk to the cabin in silence. As they reached the porch, a warm hand caught hers as the huntsman helped Bella up the steps.

"You will be safe here tonight," he said and began removing her luggage. "These may be helpful. You should find a hot bath and a meal waiting for you. I hope you make yourself comfortable and sleep well. I will knock for you to rise with the sun, so I suggest sleeping soon."

"Thank you," she nearly whispered. Sleep sounded as enticing as the bath. It had been months since she traveled even half this far. Now, as she thought about it, the exhaustion was setting in. "Where will you stay?"

He chuckled. "I will be close by. Howl if you need anything?"

"Howl?"

"Yes, howl. Try it. It's easy." He crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.

Bella could only grin in disbelief. He wants me to howl? He couldn't be serious. "Are you ever going to give me your name?"

"Wolfe." He waved it off as if his name was unimportant. "I want to hear you howl."

"I… can't. I'm sure I will remember to try if necessary." She did not realize they were moving until her back hit the cabin door. Her pulse quickened as he drew closer, and she tilted her head to look up at him. His movements were torturously slow as he stood nearly flush with her. His bodily warmth surrounded her, trapped as she was by his hulking frame. He smelled like the forest, campfire, and a pleasant-yet-spicey scent she could not place.

Trembling, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, wondering if Jacob Black smelled half as alluring. When she opened her eyes again, she caught him watching her intently. His breath quickened as his gaze dropped to her mouth, and she unconsciously parted her lips. Bella looked at his full lips, wondering how they might feel against her own. Seconds passed like minutes as she remained frozen, waiting.

Her limbs felt weak as his forearm brushed against her side. Suddenly, the door swung open behind her, and her knees buckled. Wolfe caught her for the second time that day. Much to her chagrin, he swept her over his shoulder in a single fluid movement. He chuckled at her slaps and squeals of protest as he carried her over the threshold. He deposited her ungracefully onto a sofa, and she collapsed on her back, panting.

Bella quickly righted herself and smoothed her dress. Brushing loose curls away from her face. "Was that necessary?"

"Probably not." He blatantly stared at her figure for a moment, watching her chest heave while she caught her breath.

Her heartbeat sped up under his scrutiny. Their eyes met as he glanced into her face, and she blushed. Bella looked away to distract herself, taking in the surrounding cabin. She fanned her face with her hands, ignoring his resulting chuckle. Furniture and partitions sectioned the one room into separate areas. A sitting area/bedroom took up the front half of the cabin. To the left of the door was a wide window, and underneath it sat an enormous bed. The hand-carved wooden frame had mattresses piled atop it, then covered with various pillows and blankets. It was the image of comfort and warmth.

A blanket made of pelts, similar to the cloak Bella had worn all day, lay atop everything else on the bed. Bella instantly knew which one she would sleep with that night. She fought back the urge to ignore all else and crawl into the bed.

Nearest the sofa sat a table laden with covered dishes, plates, glasses, silverware, and a single chair.

I suppose I'll be eating alone, then.

Opposite the bed and partially hidden by a partition sat the deepest wooden bathtub that Bella had ever seen. Ribbons of steam danced on top of the hot water. The cloth tub lining was startlingly white, obviously new. A vase full of fragrant and fresh white roses stood between the commode and the washbasin.

In the far right corner stood a cast iron wood stove with hand-carved wooden counters and cabinetry on either side. The 'kitchen' area contained a small stack of firewood for the stove, a metal bucket, and fire irons. Cooking pots hung on the walls above the counters, dark and dented from frequent use.

Finally, Bella spotted a deep basin with a pump spout settled snuggly into the center of the left-side counter. The pipes hung over the stove ventilation to heat the water en route to the basin.

Any water coming from that spout would be near boiling when run slowly. Bella could not help but feel impressed by the clever setup. Even when they still had servants and finery, the Swans had not had hot running water at home. Deep baths required heating water over the fire, and Bella could never seem to get the tub as hot or deep as she craved.

Her irritation was forgotten, and she sighed as she took in the space. I could live alone here happily.

Charlie had called her a wallflower, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Bella was not lonely in her solitary habits. She did not seek false friendships or entertain small talk with most. Bella was not shy or easily intimidated, but she was selective about who she gave her attention to. Losing the servants did not mean to her what it had meant to Charles and Mary Alice. She missed their company more than she minded doing the work.

Still, being tended to as she had been today would be nice occasionally. Bella refused to become idle, however. She hoped her future husband was not disapproving of her doing physical labor - especially in the kitchen, where she fully intended to keep learning. Bella felt similar to her darling brother Emmett, longing to be productive. She could only read through her father's meager library so many times. She did not want an idle existence.

Wolfe cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him. He nodded at the space, approving, and then looked down at her with a soft, sad smile. Wolfe hurried back outside without so much as a goodbye. He left Bella alone as he yanked the door closed, and she tried to calm her pounding heart.

Wolfe had wanted to kiss her. She could feel it in her toes, though she was unsure how. Worse, she had wanted him to - a startling realization once acknowledged. Bella had never kissed a man before. She had never even had a suitor.

She stood and removed the cloak as she became lost in the memory. Wolfe's face had been a breath away from hers as he leaned over her. She shivered as she recalled the chill of the door against the back of her head, suddenly wondering if she was wrong. Had she misread the man entirely? Was it possible to have only imagined the spark cast between them? She was unsure, having no romantic experience to speak of in her young, sheltered life. The thought that she could have imagined it left her disappointed.

And then, as it always does, reality burst her bubble of worrying thoughts.

Are you unstable, Isabella? Have you entirely forgotten your wits at home? You're marrying another man. These men are at least friends, maybe even brothers.

Despite having just met this odd giant of a man, Bella suddenly understood Alice better than ever. Bella had never felt so instantly connected to anyone before. The idea of marrying Jacob Black the following day, when someone had finally caught her attention, made her feel like the butt of a cosmic joke.

And there was naught she could do to change it.