*JPOV*

I awoke to a loud pounding outside the front door. I sat up suddenly realizing that I had fallen asleep in my clothes from last night. The insistent pounding continued as I made my way down the hall to answer the door. I yanked a little too hard on the door as I swung it open. The door groaned on its hinges and the wood around the frame cracked. I wasn't surprised to see an infuriated Seth on the front porch this early in the morning. It was barely daybreak.

Seth didn't wait for an invite; instead he just barreled his way past me into the living room. I slammed the door and whirled around to face him. Seth stood with his arms folded across his chest, staring me down. "What's up man? It's barely daylight." I stated as I matched his stance. He growled low in his chest and took a step towards me. I closed the gap between us in one long stride. "I don't think you want to push your luck right now Seth…" I whispered as I clinched my fists to keep from knocking him on his ass. "What in the hell happened last night Jacob?" Seth asked in a strangled voice. I knew then that he was just as angry as I felt. I fought to control my breathing as I stepped away from him and perched on the edge of the couch. "The leech from last night…was that…Bella?" I sighed and closed my eyes in frustration. "Jake you ordered me into silence…if we're going to be the only two people who know about this then you'd better start talking. I want to know everything. How deep is the sh*t this time?" I knew that Seth was right. He deserved to know the truth and as my second in command he would help me protect the lives of our people. I took several deep breaths and cleared my throat. "Yes Seth…that thing…is…was…her" I mumbled as I tried to block the images of Bella's face from my mind. He nodded and fell into Billy's chair. "Ugh…this thing reeks." Seth mumbled as he bolted across the room and grabbed a chair from the kitchen table. I watched as he took a seat and waited for me to continue.

I took my time explaining the events from last night. Reliving the nightmare only made it more real. I had hoped it was nothing more than a dream, but Seth's presence this morning only confirmed the reality of it all. "So what do we do now?" Seth asked as I got up to pace the room. "We'll start by patrolling the perimeters. There will be rotating shifts…right now it will be just the two of us, until I can decide if I want to include anyone else." I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I hoped it wasn't as obvious to Seth. He stood up moments later and walked to the front door. "I'll take the first shift…you need time to get your head in the game." I glared at him and opened my mouth to reply. "No Jacob, just shut the hell up for once. I've watched you suffer. Even after all these years…I know you think you've made progress but you couldn't be more wrong. Seeing her again last night opened up a lot of old wounds and I'd be an idiot and a lousy friend if I pretended not to notice. We need a leader now more than ever Jake and right now you need to deal with your demons…otherwise you're no good to the pack or your people." I just stared after Seth in disbelief as he turned and walked out of the front door.

I collapsed on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Seth was actually right. The instant I saw her last night I felt something inside of me shift. I felt a part of myself come back to life…"the part of me that died along with her all those years ago." I thought as I struggled to my feet. I could see her face clearly in my mind and it sent my heart into a pounding frenzy. I quickly stripped off my shirt suddenly feeling very warm. I fought to recall the anger that I had felt so readily last night …anything to ward off this dizzying feeling as I thought of her. "Focus Jacob…it is your natural enemy, the monster you've been destined to kill. Not Bella…never Bella." I thought as I jogged a few laps around the house, jumping over the small creek as I ran. I searched for ways to keep myself distracted throughout the day; a motorcycle ride into town, working on the rabbit, and cleaning the house. Before I knew it dusk was approaching. Seth would be returning soon to take a break for the night. And then it would be my turn to keep an eye on La Push. I just hoped that I was ready.

Seth met me at the treaty line twenty minutes later. I went behind the nearest tree and phased while Seth changed back to human form. "Everything was quiet today. Not even a hint of leech…" Seth mumbled as he stretched his arms over his head. I nodded in his direction and took off into the trees running the old familiar paths along the edges of the La Push/Forks boundaries. I lifted my nose to the breeze and inhaled deeply. Seth was right…there was nothing but the faint scent of a deer that had passed by hours ago. I continued to run the imaginary lines as the sky changed from a smoky gray to the pitch blackness of full dark. It was eerily quiet inside my head as I slowed down to a fast walk. I didn't know when I broke from the well worn paths. But I was surprised when I found myself standing in the barren meadow. The moonlight shone brightly here and illuminated the trees across the far end of the vast open space. I stood still listening to the sounds of the forest all around me, deeply breathing in the night air. I continued to wander aimlessly, letting my thoughts drift as I padded softly through the trees. Suddenly and without warning the sickly sweet smell filled my senses and I felt the hair all over my body stand on end. When I looked off into the distance I noticed that I had somehow wandered onto the old Cullen property. The lights were on in the second story window. The scent was very strong as I neared the house. "Did they return without my knowledge?" I thought as I crept up as close as I dared to the back of a nearby storage shed. I crouched low to the ground and waited. I felt my heart stop as I saw Bella's face in the window. Why was she staying here, and all alone? I wondered as I continued to watch her. If I could keep an eye on her here, then at least I knew that she was nowhere near La Push or in any danger of breaking the treaty… after all the treaty is one sided…I never agreed to not stepping foot on the opposite side of the line.

I lay there all night, my eyes never leaving the window. I left just before dawn the next morning. I needed to get back to the reservation. There was the pesky realization in my head that I had to return to my mundane way of life. Funny how only days ago it had seemed to be more than enough…and now with her reappearance…nothing else seemed to matter so much anymore.