CHAPTER ONE

Jacob had never run so far in his life.

It had been days since he had seen a human, days since he had phased. His long hair was matted and dirty and he didn't care. He didn't care about anything.

He wasn't even sure where he was.

The air was cool here, but he could tell that he was far from Washington; he was exactly where he wanted to be- far from everything.

The woods here were different, drier with less foliage but still just as thriving. Coyotes were the dominant predator, until now.

The werewolf wandered slowly through the forest, considering his options.

He couldn't go back- he just couldn't. Not with Bella planning to marry that, that thing. But he couldn't leave the pack, either. Who was kidding? They would probably find him anyway. He hadn't heard their thoughts since early yesterday, but that didn't mean that they had no way of locating him. And what about Billy? Jake couldn't just leave him...

The boy trotted around a bend in the trees and was startled to find that he was no longer alone. A girl was sitting a few feet in front of him.

Not sitting, actually, she was laying- facedown- on the ground, with her light brown hair fallen over her arms. Her small frame looked even smaller in the big woods, and Jake feared for her. She couldn't have been safe here. And even more, she was crying.

The wolf took a step forward, not really knowing how to comfort her, or if he even should. A twig snapped under his massive paw and her head jerked up, locking onto his eyes.

He had never seen a girl more beautiful. Her blue eyes glittered like jewels, and her skin was smooth and dark. She was perfect, in every way imaginable. At first she appeared startled, but then her expression shifted into a strange type of peculiar amusement. She smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Here in the woods, with her sun-kissed complexion and high cheekbones, she looked exotic, mysterious. Jacob tried to tell himself that he was just used to animals and that's why her human beauty seemed so extraordinary, but he knew better. It wasn't just her face; it was her.

Their eyes stayed locked as, slowly, the girl pulled herself to a standing position. She was tiny, Jacob noticed, smaller than Bella, too small to be alone in the woods. And that was when Jacob noticed...

"Willow!" A sharp voice croaked, cracking the silence of the woods indefinitely. Her eyes widened and her mouth creased into a thin line. Jake saw blood dripping off her luscious lips, and the bruise forming across her cheekbone. Suddenly, he was shaking with fury.

She didn't answer the man, but instead looked around, as if searching for an escape. She motioned for Jacob to run, but he knew damn well he was not going to flee and let whatever was approaching hurt this girl.

Besides, it was too late.

"I called your name." The man spat, entering the clearing and glaring at Willow. He was thin and tall with a head of chopped, dark hair and tattoos lining his arms. She nodded her head; the frightened mien had vanished.

"And I chose not to answer." She said softly, her voice like music in Jake's ears.

What was happening to him? Had he imprinted? Considering how he ended up here, Bella drama and all, it seemed unlikely. But then looked back at Willow- her swollen lips pursed into a angry line- and felt nothing but intense adoration.

"What is with all this defiance?" The man asked. "Have you forgotten what you promised?" With a grin, he stepped forward. Willow's brave facade fell and, for just an instant, Jake saw a flash of vulnerability flit across her otherwise stony face.

Instinct took over and Jake stepped forward with a low growl. He wasn't going to let that man hurt her, even though he didn't really know who she was. The man, bewildered, turned to face the large wolf. He took a deep breath, but was clearly not afraid and smirked as he pulled a small gun from his back pocket.

"No!" Willow gasped, jumping in front of the large animal.

"Really?" He asked, clearly amused. "You're going to protect a dog? Of all times to grow a conscious, Willy." He chuckled and Willow flinched, thinking of the past. And of the future.

"You always have to fuck things up." She said, and the man stared at her, eyes narrowed. "Why don't you just shoot me, too?" Willow continued, grasping at the straws that would keep this animal safe. "Come on, Lex, I don't matter to you. I'm just some trophy, right? Come on, shoot us both!" Jake couldn't see her face, but her hands were shaking at her sides.

"Willy, get out of my way." Lex rolled his eyes, grabbing her by the arm and shoving her towards a tree across the clearing. Her small body hit the trunk then collapsed to the ground. She whimpered in pain.

Lex raised the gun, but Jake was too quick. He jumped, grabbing the gun in his mouth, and knocked the man to the ground with a thud. Jake growled again, this time with more force, and Lex got up, running from the clearing, not even glancing back at his so-called girlfriend.

Jake looked at Willow, who was still lying on the ground; she rolled over to look at him, unafraid.

"He's going to kill you, you know that, right?" Jake made a noise meant to be a snort, but it sounded more like a growl. Willow, still wide-eyed, pulled herself up to a sitting position, crossing her legs.

"I'm serious; it's not safe here." Instead of leaving, like he knew he should, Jake stepped closer. The mere presence of her made him feel a bit more human, more alive. He took another step and Willow inched a small ways back.

"Friends, right?" She asked, staring the wolf down. She had just survived her psycho-abusive boyfriend; no way she was going to let herself be taken out by a wolf. Jake turned then, and ran into the forest. He wasn't planning to leave her, but he wanted to be with her in a different way. Words couldn't describe how happy he was that he hadn't taken the sweatpants off his ankle.

When he walked back into the clearing Willow startled a bit. She jumped up, giving a small groan, and Jake decided that if she was hurt, he was going to find that asshole and rip his head off.

"I won't hurt you." He said, holding his hands out to prove he was unarmed.

"Don't be offended if I have trouble believing you." Willow said viciously, standing straight, staring him in the eyes. Then she froze; there was something about his eyes, his deep, brown eyes.

"Don't be afraid." Jake said, stepping closer.

"Get away from me!" She ordered and he froze while Willow worked the clues out in her mind.

"How- you can't- I just--" Willow tried to ask a question, but the words wouldn't form in her mouth. If she was right, then her life was about to get about ten times more complicated.

"I'm a werewolf." Jake said, guessing her thoughts. It wouldn't be the strangest thing she'd ever seen, that much was true.

"So you aren't human? At all?" She asked, taking a small step forward. Jake laughed in spite himself and shrugged.

"I'm Jacob." Willow nodded her head, looking around.

"Willow." She whispered, her voice still lost in her shock. "So, you--you can...?" She struggled again for words and her forehead crumpled in confusion.

"Turn into a wolf." He said these words slowly, not wanting to do anything to scare her. She seemed to have already been through one hell of a night. Willow stood quietly, thinking about his words.

Absorbing them, finally, she nodded her head.

"That's fucking weird." She decided, looking up into Jake's eyes, he chuckled. "But okay." She said again, swallowing. "I'm Willow."

"Yeah, I got that." Jake grinned.

"Oh, god." Willow gasped, thinking more clearly about the fact that he was the wolf in clearing. "You saw all of that?" She was embarrassed that someone had been there to witness her humiliation.

"Thanks for saving me."

Willow snorted. "Yeah, I did so much." She spat, sliding down to the ground. Her body hurt and she didn't want to stand. Jake came and sat beside her.

"You didn't just stand there and let him shoot."

The girl was quiet for a minute, her mind racing.

"Where are you from?" She asked suddenly, looking at his dark skin and dark hair; he wasn't from around here. But she needed to know, for sure, before anything else.

"Washington." Willow stared at him, wide-eyed. Washington?

"That's pretty far." She observed, rubbing her fingers across the grass.

"Where are we?" He asked, obviously a bit embarrassed. Willow gave him a bemused look, her head cocked to the side.

"You're in New Mexico."

"Oh." Jake said then laughed. Willow was looking at him, a half-smile on her pretty face, waiting for him to explain. "I ran here." He said, his eyes finding hers.

"Ran? All the way from Washington?" Willow's voice was amazed, but she did believe him. She had a strange feeling that she would believe anything Jacob told her, she wondered if it was the same on both sides. The words love at first sight crossed her mind, but she shook it away.

"I was running from something." He said, his voice strong. Willow smiled, a gust of wind blowing her hair around her face.

"Well, did you get away?"

Jake reached up to brush the hair out of her eyes, his warm hand grazing her cheek instead. "I'll let you know." He grinned.

The thought of Bella still hurt him, but it was bearable now. Now, with Willow here, he was pretty sure he could survive anything.