Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

Things to clear before your feature presentation:

This chapter was made possible by the lovely arisaswordheart for being my wonderful BETA. Remember to check out her stories when you have the time!

Is this story set in the past?

Yes. Yes it is. To pin-point the exact period of time, well, I can't. My history date database sucks. But since this set in La Push, a little Indian village, I was thinking, you know, the period of time when the Spanish conquistadors came to Aztecs and Incas, or maybe a bit before that. The story is this case would be like a bunch civilized human beings and with a bunch of festive traditional, culture, mystical beliefs. Very spiritual

OH! I know an example! It is set in the same setting as the legend from werewolves' spirits. The one that was told to Bella at the bonfire with the third wife.

Is this Bella and Edward love story?

Maybe…maybe not…

Now to your usual programming…

- C H A P T E R T W O ; T H E E N E M Y -

"Unbelievable, Bella!" Jacob said in an exasperated tone, "Honestly! Of all of La Push— ALL of it —you chose to take an innocent walk in the forest!" The sarcasm was deep.

"I wanted to see a deer," I defended myself, whining. I felt like a child as Maid Maria, my maid who had vowed servitude to me when I was five, came to undress me from my muddy clothes and bathed my filthy face and shoulders with a lukewarm wet cloth. Jacob sat on his favorite armchair, pitching the bridge of his nose.

In this sense I felt was I was much younger than him, though I was not. He sat, distressed, as his nostrils flared, attempting to control his anger. Maid Maria gave Jacob a meaningful stare. Threatening him to control his mood swings in front of me, like a mother would to a child.

We were in Jacob newly refurbished chamber (tent), painted with gold and royalty artifacts and statues. A new mat was placed squarely on the floor. I assumed it was his new bed, so I plopped myself on the bed and bit my bottom lip, waiting for his anger to evaporate. Maid Maria left the room silently to give us privacy but glared at Jacob one more time before fully retreating. I was changed now, into a satin smooth tunic Jacob had given to me. It hugged my curves perfectly with the belt and squeezed my upper frame, creating cleavage. I took my seductive clothing into advantage and advanced toward him and give my best soft oily eyes, making me look vulnerable and irresistible.

"You could have asked me," he finally muttered, pretending to not look at me.

"Asked you what?" I inquired innocently.

"You could have just said you wanted to see a deer, I would have gotten you one."

"No. But I wanted to see one alive, not domesticated, not dead on a stick. I wanted to see one in the wild, free and natural."

"You could have just asked." He muttered again.

"Jacob, I don't want you to do everything for me."

"You're my wife! It is my duty."

"Wife-to-be, if you're lucky," I added lightly, "and it is not your duty, just an inclination, a tradition that I don't expect you to follow."

"So you do think me less of a man!" he accused.

"Jacob!" I was exasperated now. "What does that have anything to do with anything else?"

"I was just saying—"

"Where's the vampire?" I suddenly demanded, suddenly curious, suddenly un-swiftly changing the subject.

"He is in hell where he belongs." Jacob spat.

I swallowed my breath to control the gasp from escaping. Jacob had killed my savior? The celestial Greek God I had only met today? The celestial Greek God who possessed beauty from out of this world?

Golden eyes, Golden hair, pale iridescent skin, perfect lips, brows, nose and that well defined jaw line — a seductive image of the angel popped into my mind. Beautiful. Merely beautiful. Those strong, marble, muscular arms that carried me. That cool smooth finger that pursed my lips. His elegant voice, his pensive stare. All gone? That thought made me sadden. For some explicable reason I wanted to cry. I was never a person to express feelings such as melancholy with an audience, but I could feel the leaks of moisture hanging at the rim of my eyes. I wiped them swiftly away with a covered blink before

Jacob could see.

"So he is dead?" I asked to clarify.

"Soon will be," Jacob smirked. "He is in the dungeon, surrounded by fire. His skin will surely burn before the sun rises tomorrow. There will be no other remains but his ashes."

I allowed the deep breath escape from me. My Adonis was still alive, barely though. But the thought made me ease. Surely a vampire with that much control from his bloodlust could fight off some slow-reflexed scrawny humans. He would probably escape tonight, I thought to myself. I believed he could. Merely the thought brought the little cloud of discomfort to wash from my mind.

"Come here," he cooed as he grabbed my wrist and trolled me toward him. He seated me on his lap and gave my shoulder a quick kiss.

"Did the leech hurt you in any way?" he asked. Surely he was teasing me now, for his fingers were going to no man's land. They slowly traced up my legs while his lips planted kisses everywhere on my face.

"Did he hurt you here?" he asked as he kissed my arms, "Here?" and then he kissed my cheeks, "Here?" he nipped the hollowness of my ear,

"Or here?" he kissed the nape of my neck.

He was having too much fun with this. So I decided to tease him back, just to even the score, and I was also uncomfortable by the way he was touching me. It was informal and scandalous.

"Nope, he hurt me here," as I tapped my lips. You wish, a little voice whispered in my mind. I banished it quickly.

"I'll make you forget," he murmured and pressed his lips delicately to mine. Though it felt sweet and warm, it was wrong. I couldn't pin-point the inaccurateness of the kiss, but it was there, prominent and very strong. He tried to kiss me again, but I brushed my lips away.

"What's the matter?" he asked, discouraged by his rejection.

"I'm a bit tried. I think I'll go and rest now" I jumped up from his embrace. But just as I was about to leave, arms wound my waist.

"Lay with me tonight," he murmured.

"I can't," I blushed.

He shook his head then chuckled, "Just lay with me. I ask nothing more. Just be with me tonight, and then you won't have to deal with me for forty days."

I was too tired to refuse. So I allowed him to gather me in his arms and carry me to the cotton-like mat. Then he lay beside me and that was all he did, like he promised. He encircled his arms around me again and cradled me until the candles' light glow was engulfed by the personal darkness before a colorful dream.

There was howling, from a werewolf, and I knew what it was calling. I had heard it many times before. It was calling Jacob's name.

Someone was fiddling beside me and then the secure hold I had grown accustomed to was swiftly gone. I jerked my body up, startled by the next loud howl.

But a pair of strong firm hands pushed me back again into the warm mat. I shot my eyes open to face it. Even in the dark I could see

Jacob determined face. He would only have that expression when in a sight of a vampire. He was already fully dressed, and was about to crawl out of the tent. I wanted to crawl out too, or do anything so he would stay with me, but his firm hands pressed against my body, restraining.

"What are you doing? What's happening?" I asked frantically.

"The vampire escaped," he muttered in hatred, "we have to find him."

A little hope tingled at the fact. I tried not to show it.

"Just let him be. He didn't do any harm to me, nor would he to others."

"No! He deserves to die," he shouted at my face and I cringed.

"Now I want you to go back to your room," he ordered, "It is not safe in mine."

He quickly gathered some spare clothes for me to protect me from the cold outside and pushed me roughly through the door.

"Run!" he shouted before bolting out of the room himself, when another urgent howl sounded.

I did what I was told and ran on to the pathway, then over the fence. I ran to the little creek that separated the La Push royalty to ordinary citizens. I ripped the end of my nightgown so it would be less different to walk through the mud. There was a bridge a few miles away but I didn't want to waste time. Maid Maria would be already panicking. I hated being told what to do and Jacob often had a habit of that. He could be so demanding! I knew I was not in any danger, but he made everything such a big deal. I suppose it was a part of his charm, the overprotective fool. I let a little laugh of satisfaction when finally crossed the creek. I checked myself for scars and surprisingly there was none. I nodded sheepishly to my accomplishment and continued walking home.

As I walked, I worried. And I much as I felt unfaithful to admit it, it wasn't Jacob that was I worried about. It was the vampire I had come to known as Edward.

It felt strange to admire a vampire, but I did. Though our meeting was quick and spontaneous, I felt like I had been waiting for his touch for years. His stare said everything about him. I knew he was a passionate man; there was fire in his eyes. I also could see the loneliness in them, how his eyelids would not open to their full potential. His was compassionate, the way they flattered, and he was unbreakable, as if his stare could penetrate everything.

Thinking about him made my walk change to a slow light stride. I had forgotten about the dangers that Jacob was in. I had forgotten what I was supposed to do. I even forgot my own name.

"Isabella!" a voice yelled with authority.

I looked up to the voice and saw Maria. Her lips sported a frown and her eyebrows and nostrils flared, then her face suddenly changed, it looked scared, petrified almost. Slowly she brought up her right arm and a pointing finger towards me, like someone would if there was a spider in their hair. I touched my head and found nothing scary. I was about to scowl at her for teasing me when an icy hand touched mine.

I turned around and was facing him.

He was shaking, not from the cold I presumed. His body for the first time looked petite. His skin was burnt from head to toe from coal burns, and other scars from poisonous knives.

He used my shoulders for support and murmured, "Help me, please."

Then he collapsed to the ground.

- E N D O F C H A P T E R -