Time passes, even for me. Even when it seems impossible. It passes roughly, sometimes too slowly, and on occasion too fast to enjoy the time you experienced, but pass it does. Even for me.

Raeleigh gasped when my lips melted around hers-sweet and soft-and I felt her back stiffen beneath my hand which was resting on the small of her back. I untangled my other hand from her long, curly hair as my cheeks filled with blood, leaving my face feeling hot despite the terrifyingly cold weather.

"I'm sorry," I muttered quickly, mentally berating myself. Of course she didn't want me to kiss her. How could I have been so unbelievably stupid? Being with Raeleigh made it easy to forget that I was ever heartbroken. Not because being with her made things easier on my heart, but because loving Raeleigh was so effortless, as natural as phasing. But as easy as things between us were, it would, of course, take some time before I could fully be me again.

"No." The opposition came quickly and was accompanied by a little shake of the head. I furrowed my eyebrows and waited for her to continue the thought. "It's not- It's just..." I stared at her face, waiting as she placed the words in order. A pained looked flashed across her face. "Bella," she sighed a moment later.

I gasped this time. Her response surprised me. My answer was immediate and grim. "What about her?" I tried to make it sound like just another boring word, but just ended up emphasizing how horrible it was to think about B-her.

She took a deep, slow breath and stared unseeingly at our entwined hands for a long moment. Her mouth twisted in the tiniest bit. When she finally looked up and I met her eyes, I quickly noticed that they were so different, almost unrecognizable. Harder, like the liquid hazel had frozen solid. My stomach clenched and my brain screamed in protest to this unknown face. "Jacob," she started, her tone firm. "Stop deluding yourself into thinking I don't know. I know you still love her. And married or not, Bella still loves you. Maybe it wasn't in the way you'd hoped, but she still cares. She cares a lot."

There was a pause as I repeated her words in my head a few times, sifting through them for their real intent.

"She…doesn't…love me." The words tasted bitter on my tongue. Hearing the sound of them placed in that order hurt me, but what hurt the most was the realization that my voice was calm and reasonable while I spoke it. The feeling of being heartbroken was so familiar, it had become like Novocain to me now. "I don't-" The denial started before I could check it. This was Raeleigh. She'd see through the lie the moment I spoke - No, the moment I finished the thought of it. This was my chance to lay it all out. It was what she wanted. It was what I needed. I knew my secrets would be safe with her. My heart would stay safe, unharmed.

With a heavy sigh, I gave in.

"Yes, I do still care for her a lot, you're right. And ya know what? A lot of those times, I really wish I didn't. She sees me as her best friend, nothing more. And that's hard to deal with some- no, most of the time." Raeleigh's eyes narrowed a little at my words and I hurried to correct them. "Okay, okay. All the time.

"She's married, it's not my job to make her happy. At one point, it was all I'd ever wanted. But now, it's like...like I make her whole freakin' day just by walking through the door."

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but I couldn't force it down. I felt Raeleigh's eyes on me, searching for my eyes, before I felt her cool hands against my cheeks. Her fingers caught my falling tears as she pulled my face to look at her. She rested her forehead against mine and stared into my eyes. I raised my hands to her face, caressing each cheek and catching her tears. "You're not supposed to be the one crying, Rae."

I wasn't in that healthier place Raeleigh was headed. I wasn't going to be able to fall in love like a normal person. Not when I was bleeding over someone else. No matter how much I tried, or how much I wanted it to, my life was not going to come together like that. The pain made it feel like I was trapped on one of those terrifying nightmares, the one where you have to run, run till your lungs burst, but you can't make your body move fast enough. It was just like that for me. I couldn't run away fast enough, or far enough, without the pain returning to torture me again. There was no escaping it.

Raeleigh laughed one hard chuckle. "I'm not about to sit here and just watch you crumble into a thousand pieces, Jake," she told me in a gentle voice that was forceful at the same time. "If you think I'm going to just sit back and let you go through this agony alone, you're crazier than I thought."

My mind went blank with surprise. There were no words to describe how I was feeling at this very moment.

"I know it's hard for you, Jacob. I understand that - maybe more than you think. Bella's a great kid, but she's not everything you make 'er out to be. She's everything you want and everything you can't have."

I sighed heavily and tried to pull away but her grasp on my face tightened, disabling me from budging free.

"But you have to think positive, even if it seems impossible. You have to remember that Bella is happy. At least she's alive and well…"

Alive. The last words sent a bolt of fury that ripped right through me. It was hard to control; I shuddered viciously beneath her hands. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to keep my breathing steady to control the shaking. It was a good thing I didn't have her delicate face in between my monstrous hands. If I'd lost the slightest control…

"…I know that you love her enough to want her happiness. You just don't want to stick around and watch, and I totally get it. J.B, I want you to know that I don't want to make anything worse for you than it already is. You've already helped me, in more ways than one. Let me help you now."

I was way past being able to respond.

She sighed heavily and repositioned herself so I was looking her in the eye. And then she was suddenly the palliative Raeleigh I've grown to love. "Let me in, Jacob. I want to help you, like you've helped me. I'm happier now, as a apart of your life, than I have been in years. It's all easier with you. Let me in. I can't help you if you don't let me…"

The pleasant edge to her words left me floundering. I hadn't expected to have my anger trumped. "You know, Rae, you might want to rethink that a little bit before you make any final decisions. My head isn't something I'd call homey, or healthy. It's distorted, cluttered, and confusing. And you'd have to suffer right along with me."

She was quiet for a few moments, staring past me now. Her breathing quickened and took on a rugged tone when her throat tightened. "I'd rather deal with your pain than remember and face my own," she said, her words catching in her throat as her tears built up again. Her lower lip trembled and she bit down on it hard to keep it from quivering.

I knew then that I had options. The same options I once offered Bella. I could take the easy way out by following Raeleigh and help heal her heart, or constantly yearn for the girl I was never going to get. My heart ached as I watched the single tear slowly caress Raeleigh's cheek as she continued to stare past me. It was darker outside now; I doubted Raeleigh would be able to see her own hand, even just inches from her face. But with my heightened senses, I saw through the darkness that surrounded us. I could smell the salt in her tears, taste her cool, sweet breath on my tongue as she exhaled slowly.

After a long while, Raeleigh took an easier breath to calm her small sobs and nuzzled her body perfectly against my frame for warmth. As she rested her head against my shoulder, I couldn't help but relish in how perfectly our bodies fit together. She was surprisingly cool against my chest, but that didn't last long. One minute was all it took to put the color back in her cheeks. I ran my finger across her cheekbone, and her skin was wet where I touched it.

"Don't cry," I murmured quickly, holding her tighter against my chest. I kissed the top of her hair; the scent of the woods was there, mixed with the pleasant aroma of her lavender shampoo. It was a nice combination, the sweet lavender with the undertone of pine and fresh dirt.

"I'm not. I'm fine," she protested and I felt her dry her tears with her hand. "It's the uh…salt in the air. Burns my eyes."

"Sure, sure," I chuckled. "It's getting pretty late," I announced after a short moment. "You wanna head back?"

She sighed. "It is pretty late," she said in agreement, but dodged the question entirely. "I'm surprised no one's come to look for us."

Raeleigh fell silent as she mused against my chest. The feeling of her body against mine was so right, like I'd found the missing piece in the puzzle that was my life. She laid her hand over my heart for a moment before she started tracing little designs against my skin. I smiled and began running a lock of her hair between my fingers.

"Hey Jake?" She whispered softly. If it weren't for my supernatural hearing, I wouldn't've heard her at all. I looked down at her in response, finding her big, hazel eyes on me. I raised my eyebrows and waited for her to continue. "Can I ask you something?"

I nodded a little. "Of course."

"I mean," she started and her face twisted into a pensive look. "I mean, without you getting angry with me."

"Yeah," I murmured and braced myself.

She stared up at me for a moment longer before returning her eyes toward the sound of the ocean. "Why, exactly, did you kiss me?"

I sucked in a deep breath and held it there for a moment before slowly exhaling. "You know that day, when we were at the Lodge…"

She was silent at first but then a small smile spread across her face and her cheeks warmed up a little at the memory. "Yeah, of course."

I started to reply but then snapped my mouth shut, unable to explain what I wanted to say correctly. I struggled silently for a few heartbeats and then exhaled. "Do you remember what you told me?" I asked.

I waited, but she didn't answer. A frown line formed between her eyebrows as she concentrated on my question, her lips pressed together in thought.

I sighed. "You know. You told me you felt different when you're around me. That you feel like you can be happy again." My cheeks were burning again as I reminded her.

Despite it being pitch black outside, I watched as her face turned pink at the reminder I'd given her. The color was so beautiful - it hugged my heart warmly against my ribs in an unfamiliar, yet comfortable way. The feeling was unexpected - a little terrifying even - but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Warm hazel eyes - the color of caramel, chocolate, and mint mixed together - rested on my face, more focused than any eyes had ever been, as if they stared into my soul. Heat flooded through my entire body, stronger than ever, but it was a new kind of heat - not a burning.

It was a glowing.

All the pain that had built up inside me came undone as I stared at the russet skinned face staring back at me, and I realized that my world no longer revolved around Bella Swan. I was surprised to find that thinking her name alone no longer pained my heart. All the lines that had held me down were sliced apart, like clipping the strings to a million balloons, in swift cuts. I wasn't left drifting, though I left lighter, unbound. There was a new string that held me where I was. No. Not one string, but a million more than previous. Not strings, but steel cables. Two million steel cables all tying me down to one thing. Bella's gravitational pull no longer tied me to the place where I sat comfortably. It was the angel in my arms that held me here now.

Raeleigh.

Then, there was a new sound. A sound that was unfamiliar to me. It was a frantic pounded, a racing heart…

A changing heart.

A healing heart.

My heart.

When I stared into Raeleigh's eyes, I realized she was everything I'd been searching for in Bella. It seemed to me that the best relationships - the ones that truly last - are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. It's like, one day you find yourself looking at that person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch was flicked somewhere. And that person who was just a friend is suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with.

"Raeleigh…"

I looked back down at her face then, so close to mine. Her eyes were shut and she appeared to be frowning. "Shh. It's okay, you don't have to say anything." She paused for a second without opening her eyes - like she was waiting for me to respond. When I didn't say anything, like she'd said, she went on. "We get off track sometimes, Jake. You know, out of balance. You're supposed to be a part of my life - I can feel that, and so can you. We're just out of balance…too messed up to see straight…"

Her voice trailed off and the assumed frown across her face relaxed until it was just a little pucker. I watched as she fell into a peaceful slumber, curling herself closer to my chest. Her jaw had gone slack and a soft snore made itself known from the back of her throat.

I smiled to myself and carefully got up from the driftwood tree, making sure not to disrupt her sleep. She looked so comfortable curled up in my arms, so at peace. Her face was completely serene and I'd never really taken the time to just stop and really look at her face, but now that I was, I really saw how beautiful she really was. She was so beautiful. No, more than that. Gorgeous. Radiant. Stunning.

Raeleigh stirred in her sleep and repositioned herself in my arms, laying upright with her legs wrapped loosely around my waist, her arms draped over my shoulders, and her face buried in the side of my neck for warmth. I felt her lips move against my neck as she muttered a couple times, but her words were too mumbled to comprehend fully. It came to a point where the only words I could make out were the the's and the and's. Even my own name was thrown in there.

I walked slower on the way back to Emily's. I was in no rush. I didn't really want to go where I was headed. Back to the house where Bella'd gladly welcome me with her infuriating, irresistible smile that broke across her face every time her eyes flashed to me. I braced myself, not wanting to feel the pain I'd tried running from. Back to feeling absolutely alone with it.

Okay, that was a little melodramatic. I knew I wouldn't be all alone, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Raeleigh would have to suffer right along with me. What killed me is that she'd rather my pain than hers. She didn't deserve her peace of mind ruined, but it was, at least, something she understood. Or at least something she claims to understand…

It was earlier than I'd anticipated when I got to the house. I didn't hesitate at this door; I just walked through like I owned the place. Emily's flat-screen was still on, muted volume, showing some chick flick that no one seemed to be watching. It was darker throughout the house too, and it seemed that Nina and Emily were the only ones in the house now, and I could hear their whispers from upstairs, along with their feet shuffling against the white carpet.

I listened carefully, trying to listen to other sounds, the wind in the trees. It wasn't the same, not with human ear. There were a million voices in the wind that I couldn't hear in this body.

But these ears were sensitive enough. I could hear past the trees, to the road, the sounds of the cars coming around that last bend where you could finally see the beach - the vista of the islands and the rocks and the big blue ocean stretching to horizon. The La Push cops liked to hang out right there. Tourists never noticed the reduced speed limit on the other side of the road.

I could hear the voices outside the souvenir shop on the beach. I could hear the cowbell clanging as the door opened and closed, and Embry's mom at the cash register, printing out her nightly report to end her shift. I could hear the tide raking across the beach rocks. I could hear the kids squeal as they icy water rushed in too fast for them to get out of the way. I could hear the moms complain about the wet clothes.

I was listening so hard that Nina's sudden greeting made me jump about two feet in the air. She chuckled at my reaction and glanced over at Raeleigh. Her smile faded and deep creases between her brows formed in thought. My eyes flickered to the sleeping beauty then back to Nina. "Don't worry. She's sound asleep. She stirred a couple times, but I don't think she'll be waking up anytime soon."

She nodded a little, just a small shake of her head, and gestured toward the pull out couch. I gently laid Raeleigh down, removed her socks and shoes, and pulled the covers snuggly over her. She smiled a little before rolling over to her side and mumbled another time. I chuckled to myself and gently kissed her forehead. Far away, a howl rose out of the forest.

Emily sighed. "That's Sam," she whispered and crossed her arms tightly across her chest.

I growled a little before I took of running, not for the dirt path through the weedy hedge, but in the shortest line toward the forest. I hurdled the first line of driftwood and then ripped my way through the briars, still running. I felt the little tears as the thorns cut into my skin, but I ignored them. Their sting would be healed before I made the trees.

I cut behind the store and darted across the highway. Somebody honked at me and yelled something I didn't quite catch. Once in the safety of the trees, I ran faster, taking longer strides. People would stare if I was out in the open. Normal people couldn't run like this. Sometimes I thought it might be fun to enter a race - you know, like the Olympic trials or something. It would be cool to watch the expression on the star athletes' faced when I blew by them. Only I was pretty sure the testing they did to make sure you weren't on steroids would probably turn up some really freaky crap in my blood.

As soon as I was in the true forest, unbound by roads or houses, I skidded to a stop and kicked me shorts off. With quick, practical moves, I rolled them up and tired them to the leather cord I wore around my ankle. As I was still pulling the ends tight, I started shifting. The fire trembled down my spine, throwing tight spasms out along my arms and legs. It took only a second. The heat flooded through me, and I felt the silent shimmer that made me something else. I threw my heavy paws against the matted earth and stretched my back in one long, rolling extension.

I didn't have to tell the pack that I was on my way - they could see the forest blurring past me as I sprinted toward them. I didn't have to tell them that I'd completely given up on Bella, either. The happiness in my head was obvious.

They saw everything - the tears in Raeleigh's eyes; her raspy voice: I'm happier now, as apart of your life, than I have been in years; the thudding of my changing heart: Not a burning. It was a glowing; the kiss - and for once, no one had anything to say.

Their shock was just a silent shout in my head. Completely wordless.

!

I was halfway there before anyone recovered. It was still pretty dark out - the clouds covered the night moon completely - and I risked darting across the freeway and made it without being seen, then they all started running to meet me.

The babble in my head was total chaos. Everyone shouting at once.

Cut 'em a break, guys. We have more important things to discuss, Sam ordered and eyed me for another second before turning his back on us. Paul and Jared moved like shadows behind him, their ears flat against the sides of their head. I followed after a short moment, Embry and Quil on my flanks. Seth was dragging behind with Colin and Brady - the new kids - and Leah had assumed point there.

We met up was about ten miles out of La Push, in a clearing left by the loggers. It was out of the way, wedged between two spurs of the mountain where no one would see us. Once we got to our meeting location, Leah dropped onto her haunches beside her brother while Paul trotted forward to stand by Sam's right hand. I wondered why I was the only one on my feet. My fur stood up on my shoulders, bristling with impatience. Sam's hackles were sticking straight up as he paced back and forth in the center of the ring, and we watched in silence, waiting for him to speak first.

He remained silent. I felt his feelings of agitation while he snarled in low bursts.

I shook my head, feeling unsteady as I rose slowly to my feet - the circling wolf was making me dizzy. The wolf beside me, either Embry or Quil, got up, too and pushed his shoulder against mine, propping me up.

Sam, what's going on? I insisted.

Then I felt his thoughts flicker to me - and not just his, but Embry's and Jared's and mine as well. There were no words spoken, but the silence that filled the air was now full of meaning, so profound and the three of us fully understood. I felt a jolt go through me at the memory in my head of the girl in the woods. The wolf propping me up shuddered at the image I displayed and his legs seemed to buckle under him, but managed to stay on his feet by sheer willpower.

Sam pulled the young girl, her lifeless body, from our minds and put it on display for everyone. Seth winced and took a few steps back as if trying to back away from the image. He didn't deserve this, to have his peace of mind in ruins.

The pack was agitated, on their feet and snarling in low bursts as they circled around us.

How can this be? What does this mean?

Not safe. Dangerous.

We can't allow it.

The pack was pacing in synchronization now, thinking in synchronization, all but myself and three others. I didn't have to look over with either my eyes or my mind to see who sat beside me.

The treaty is broken.

This puts everyone in danger.

I tried to understand the spiraling voices as their unfocused confusion of thoughts began to move together, but it wasn't making sense. The pictures in the center of their thoughts were my pictures, Jared's pictures, Embry's - the very worse of them. The girl's bruises, the nothingness in her eyes.

If they wont stop it, we will.

Protect the tribe.

Protect our families.

I struggled to focus, to pick out individual voices.

There's no time to waste, Leah thought.

It will mean a fight, Quil cautioned. A bad one. There was more excitement in his mind than most of the others. When Quil watched Jasper's instruction those nights, he'd been dying to test his skill against the vampires.

We're more than ready, Paul insisted.

We'll need surprise on our side, Sam thought gruffly.

If we catch them divided, we can take them down separately. It will increase out chances of victory, Leah thought, strategizing now.

Wait, I thought.

The circling paused for one beat, and then they were pacing again. The tension had everyone's fur standing on end. The pacing was quicker now, and the sound of the paws against the brackish floor was sharper, toenails tearing into the soil.

There's no time, Jake, Sam said firmly. The treaty is broken.

You don't know that.

We can't take chances with the unknown in this case, he growled. We can only allow the Cullens to exist while we're absolutely sure they can be trusted to not cause harm. We have to protect the tribe. Protect our families. And I am willing to do anything to make sure no one else gets hurt. When blood drinkers hunt on our land, we destroy them, we take them out, no matter where they plan to hunt. We protect everyone.

If we challenge them, Sam, they will defend themselves well. We have to think about what's best for the pack before we make any rash decisions.

Are you afraid, Jacob?

I growled. Are you so ready to lose a brother? I paused. Or a sister? I tracked on as an afterthought. Think about Raeleigh and Nina. Think about what it'll do to them. You want to protect the tribe and our families? Fine. But this is not the way to go. You'd only destroy the pack over nothing, Sam. We have no proof it was even them. All we have is a lifeless body.

The silence that surrounded us was obvious that Sam had given up on attacking the Cullens. He huffed in frustration and started pacing again, his thoughts more clear now. The pack sat and watched him patiently, waiting for our next assignment. Seth, however, was the only one on his feet as he stared off into the dark forest, his tail wagging nervously. Leah stood up and approached him before touching her nose against his side.

What is it? Leah asked.

Incoming, Seth answered. You feel that? Seth asked softly and took a step closer toward the forest.

Someone's phasing? She asked after absorbing him impressions - the faint, soundless shimmer in the air. One she felt it, we all felt it. Sam stopped pacing and looked in the direction we all now stared.

Feels like it, Paul agreed.

There was a sudden movement in the brush at the edge of the clearing, and then a low whimper that followed. Instinct took over and the pack crouched forward, snarling at the pure white wolf as it trotted into view, its small body weaving through the underbrush. Sam growled at the outsider, his ears flattening against his skull.

Hey, now, the wolf thought and skipped back a step.

A surprised yelp broke through the pack's teeth, even mine, as the wolf stepped closer. It was then when we knew who it was. Someone so unexpected.

No freaking way, Jared and Paul gasped in unison.