I could see Sam's mouth moving but I couldn't hear anything. After dropping the bomb to me about Charlie possibly existing as a vampire, I didn't know how I was supposed to react. I never thought of my dad becoming like them. It was something unthinkable.

I felt Sam hold both my arms and shake me.

"Bella! Are you listening?" Sam asked, staring into my blank eyes.

"Y-yes. I'm here," I replied, still shaken. I cleared out my thoughts and asked the question that would explain my presence here in Billy's house.

"How do you know about...their kind?" He should know who I meant by that.

Before Sam could answer me, Paul snorted and stood up with clenched fists. "We've known all along! You think we were born yesterday?!"

He was about to approach me and I felt panic rise up my throat. They were all huge and even the slightest yank could pull my arm from its socket. Sam was as quick as he was and blocked him with his own body. It was like two boulders crashing into each other.

Still meeting Paul's angry eyes, Sam spoke. "Jared, why don't you and Paul sweep the forest again in case we missed something."

Jared immediately got up and pulled Paul's arm. "Come on, Paul. Let's take Embry's place so the kid can have his sleep."

Paul looked like he wouldn't budge. His nostrils were still flaring when he gave me a last, long glare and followed Jared out.

I sighed with relief. I didn't know why he was so angry with me.

I turned to Sam and Billy. "What do you mean 'sweep the forest'? Shouldn't we call the police for this?"

Billy spoke this time. "Bella, listen. Take your seat. You need to relax."

I did as I was told and looked at him quizzically.

"I warned you against going out with one of them because I feared for your life." He sighed deeply. "Well, if you could accept the existence of the cold ones, then you should have no trouble at all with the other half of the myth."

I couldn't stop staring at Sam as Billy told me about the shapeshifters or werewolves as they were more commonly called in their tribe.

"That's how you found me...in the woods that night," I recalled.

Sam only nodded. "After seeing you that way, I can't understand why you forgave him just like that. They're back, aren't they?"

I shook my head and tried to laugh. "No, we're not back together. They're leaving as soon as things are fixed here."

Billy only frowned. Like he didn't believe me. But I knew it wasn't a lie.

Sam proceeded to question me. "Do you know who's doing this? All these murders... They're obviously done by bloodsuckers."

I felt fury for that term and he sensed it. "Sorry. Force of habit."

Immediately forgiving him, I bit my lip and told them about Victoria and why she was hunting me.

"I'm the one she's after," I said.

"I know I can't convince you. But you have to stay here in the reservation so we can watch over you better. She can't come any closer with all of us manning the territory," Sam suggested.

"Wasn't Charlie kidnapped on this land?" I asked sarcastically. "And you expect to keep me away from her so easily? She's gonna get her own way. She has the will to do it!"

"We were not alerted that time. This time, we know who she wants and we know her scent. The pendulum is balanced."

I was still adamant. "Then let her get to me. I'm staying in Forks, in Charlie's house. The sooner she finished with me, the earlier she'll be gone."

"Don't you have any sense of danger around you?" Sam asked me angrily.

Funny he asked that. That question was all too familiar to me.

"The question is – what are we gonna do with Charlie once we found him?" I inquired to change the subject.

Sam replied, "Our first aim is to protect the people, Bella."

I would like the sound of that but not in this situation where Charlie was involved.

"Protecting up to what extent?" I prodded.

They exchanged a look and Paul answered, "We will do what we can to protect the innocent. We cannot waver and lose more lives."

I suddenly knew what he was getting at. I knew it all along.

"That is at all costs, Bella. No matter the circumstances, our duty is to protect lives." Sam's face was still annoyingly serene. "We will have to subdue him if we see him as a threat."

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I looked at Billy for support but he just avoided my glance.

They were not going to make an exception.

"But he's my dad! And Billy! He's your best friend! Is what you're doing human?! You call yourselves protectors?" I spat at the word.

Billy winced but it wasn't enough for me.

"Charlie...He risked his life to save people. He wouldn't...hurt them," I finished.

Sam agreed, "I'm sure he wouldn't, Bella. But you weren't listening. Subduing him will only be our final resort. In case things got...out of hand."

"You mean if Charlie started snatching people in the streets," I said dryly.

Billy spoke, "Bella, nothing has been proven yet. It's just a theory. We're expecting to find his body, but there's no trace at all. That means he's been taken away."

Deep inside my freakish mind, I fervently hoped that he wouldn't be found at all.

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I glanced sideways at Jacob while he was driving. He was taking me back to Forks now and I couldn't help but wonder if this russet-skinned boy with a sunny smile could turn out like Sam and Paul one day. I shuddered at the thought.

Not him. I wouldn't want to see him fighting Edward or Jasper.

Jacob glanced back and grinned. "What are you thinking? Did you take Sam seriously?"

I smiled back. I couldn't help it despite the situation.

"Well, Sam has his reasons for acting that way," I said slowly. No matter how against I was with Sam's decisions, I knew he was still acting for the good of his tribe.

"What did he tell you?"

I decided Jacob still thought of the cold ones and the werewolves as a myth so it was better not to talk about it.

"Just something about their search for my dad," I replied. "Hey, let me ask you."

"What?"

"What if...what if we turned out to be enemies?"

He smiled shyly. "I don't know how that could be possible. I can't ever be angry with you."

My cheeks felt hot with his words.

"Well, let's just say we were. What are you gonna do?" I asked again.

He rubbed his chin playfully while thinking. "I'll bridge a way to make us get along, then. One way or another."

Silently, I wished his words would hold true for long.

A few meters from our house, I could already see the silver car parked along the road but I couldn't see Edward anywhere near. Jacob stopped his car behind it.

"Thanks for the ride, Jacob."

"Sure, sure." He grinned. He motioned to the car with his lips. "Looks like you two are back together now."

I frowned. Why did everybody think that?

"No, we're not."

Jacob raised his eyebrow. "The way he looked at you earlier..."

I sounded a fake laugh. "He's just like that. Well, I have to go in now. I'd better wait for any calls about Charlie."

He nodded. "Okay, see you around. I hope."

I just smiled again but didn't want to give him any hope.

As soon as I sat on the couch, Edward was already standing in the living room, looking really frustrated. He kept pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

Before I could say anything, he spoke first. "Bella, what part of "I'm not leaving you again" didn't you understand? I thought I was already clear about that."

I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me again, "And we're not back together again? After you've let me kissed you?"

I couldn't say anything more after that.

He brought his face closer to me as he said next, "How many times do I have to kiss you so you'd forgive me? Because I'll gladly do it over and over again."

My throat closed. He was dazzling me again. He knew how defenceless I was when he did that trick. I closed my eyes and opened my lips. He breathed on my mouth, tickling my senses. I instinctively clutched his hair to bring him closer. Our lips touched. Soft to hard. Icy to warm. The balance was the sweetest sin this earth had ever witnessed.

I wet his lips and he groaned. I expected him to move away but he just held me, fitting my figure to his firm torso. His lips moved to my cheek then to my throat and kissed it back and forth. My knees trembled.

"Do you want this?" He murmured to me.

I couldn't answer yet.

"Do you want more of this?" He repeated.

"I...don't know," I pulled all my energy just to answer.

He chuckled. "Oh, Bella." He moved swiftly and suddenly I was sitting in his lap. "You have no idea how much I dreamed of this when I was gone."

"I did too," I said wistfully. I bent my head so I could kiss his neck.

"So do you forgive me now? Will you ask me to stay?"

Those seemed the magic words because I jolted and stood away from him.

"Stop that, Edward!" I hissed.

"What?" He asked with an innocent face.

"You know what! You can't keep doing that just because you can!"

He gave me a crooked grin. "I'll try my best to behave. Are you happy?"

"Maybe. Just don't do it again."

He sighed. He looked pained somewhat but I couldn't read him. I'd seen so many emotions play past his face when he left me and now I didn't know which one was real and which one wasn't. But I only knew one thing – Edward couldn't move back to my life any more.