WARNING: This story is not for Jacob fans because he won't be a likeable character as shown in this chapter.

This chapter was a collaboration of sorts with my Beta SarcasticBimbo. She's not a Jacob fan so I gave her the opportunity to express that :) Best. Decision. Ever. Made!

As always, Lotus Wright pre-read this baby and gave me hell for the adverbs. What a dictator! :P

Chapter XV: Legends and Painful Admission

My heart's still pounding after that hot kiss by the most uptight, handsomest, no-longer-confusing, and sexiest guy I've ever known, who turns me on like no one ever has. His lips were like burning ice, melting my body.

It felt so perfect to be in his arms. I want to feel more of him. All of him…

For those few short moments of passionate kissing, I felt alive and whole.

I can't even explain it to myself what these feelings are, but I know that it felt right and electrifying, and I want to kiss him again. This time slowly, to see if the my lips will still burn from it.

Yeah, don't kid yourself, girl. You just want an excuse to kiss those pouty lips.

The way his lips moved against mine was so fiery and hungry that it left me a heaving, panting mess.

I can barely breathe through my excitement at the memory as I drive to La Push, giggling like a pansy ass every time I recall the kiss.

Ugh, must he be so good at it?

Bitch, you did NOT just complain that the hotass can eat face like a fat kid with a cupcake.

Can you, for once, be serious? 'Like a fat kid with a cupcake?' Really?

Fine! He was on you like Honey BBQ sauce on french fries.

Ugh, you don't have a single romantic bone in your body.

I know.

I park in front of the Black house 15 minutes later. I see they've made some upgrades, but overall it still looks the same as it did when I was five years old.

The house is painted bright red, which is very annoying and harsh on the eyes. I wonder who's the genius who chose that color. Besides the paint job, it looks the same.

At the sound of Bob's loud arrival, Jake jogs out with a bright smile on his face.

"It's nice to see you again, Bells. You haven't visited in a while," he greets, opening Bob's door.

"Whoa, Jake! That's a lot of fish fry you've been eating, huh?"

"Just filling up, Bells," he replies, winking.

Last time I saw him, he was only slightly taller than me. Now, Jake is almost Edward's height and has more defined muscles that show through the green t-shirt he's wearing.

Isn't he freezing with just a shirt on?

Honestly, he should've chosen another color because now I'm just going to compare it with the way Edward wore it.

Yup, Edward definitely wore it better, and it matched well with that soft, bronze crazy hair and amber eyes of his.

I'm waiting for a heart emoji to pop up any minute. Biatch, I'm gagging!

Don't be a bitch.

Can't help it, boo.

Ugh, I have to stop thinking about him and those gorgeous eyes and delicious lips.

Fuck, I'm doing it again. Snap out of it, Swan!

"How are you doing? What have you been up to?" I say, walking to the house to greet Billy.

"I'm building a VW Rabbit from scratch. I don't have all the parts yet, so I'm saving up for that to get that baby purring."

His eyes are alight with excitement as he explains the intricacies of combining each different part together as we walk through the door. He stops as I greet Billy and Dad, then walk back outside.

I ask him more questions about the parts and their functions. He seems eager to explain it all to me, which I don't mind, to be honest. I love to learn new things, so this can turn out to be an educational trip for me.

We walk on the beach to a pale fallen tree with long exposed roots spread out like spider's legs. Sitting down, I enjoy the scenery of waves crashing against the shore as Jake goes into his jubilant explanation.

Out of nowhere, Jacob slides closer to me and I stiffen.

It somehow feels wrong to have him sitting so close to me. A flash of bright amber eyes in my mind fills me with a moment's peace and safety. And suddenly, the atmosphere feels off.

"I'm really glad you came, Bells. I've been wanting a chance to talk to you again."

"About what?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you if you would go out with me. I've always liked you, Bella. I think you're hot, and look at me, I mean, I know I am pretty easy on the eyes. We would make a great couple," he says with an arrogant smirk. "The guys around here would be so jealous that I managed to bag a chick like you. Besides, our dads have been best friends forever, so it's a no-brainer that we date."

I stare at him for a moment, taken aback by the epic level of disgust I start to feel. He must mistake my incredulity for acceptance, because he grabs my hand in his sweaty paw, and holds it in a grip so tight I start to feel like I may need to gnaw my own arm off in order to escape.

I open my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, but somewhere at the back of my subconscious, a tiny voice screams at me get to Dad as quickly as possible.

"Look, Jake, I appreciate that you think I'm cute or whatever, but you don't even know me and I sure as hell don't know you, not really. Besides, I am already interested in someone else, and I think he's interested in me. I'd like to see where it goes."

Jacob's eyes narrow and his nostrils flare in fury. His grip on me tightens until it borders on being painful and I desperately try to rein in the fear and anger.

"Who's the guy?" he demands, as if he has any right to ask me.

I can't control my rising anger anymore. Who the hell does he think he is?

"It's really none of your business, Jacob," I reply through gritted teeth as I tug at my hand that he's clutching like it's the one true ring.

"Wait a minute, Bella. Is the guy you're interested in the one who kissed you today?" he growls as his grip on my hand surpasses the point of being merely uncomfortable and becomes painful.

Dad must have run his big mouth off again. I swear he and Billy are like old gossiping women.

"Like I said, it's none of your fucking business. And let go of my hand, you asshole!" I hiss angrily. He's fucking delusional if he thinks I'll provide him with an explanation.

His hand tightens on mine so hard that I know it will leave a bruise, even on my dark skin. And then the determination in his eyes turns to spite as he sneers cruelly at me. "You really don't want to get involved with the Cullens, Bella."

"Why? Why shouldn't I?" I play along, raising an eyebrow.

He lets go of my hand and I snatch it back, placing both hands between my knees after I scoot away from him.

"Do you like scary stories?" he asks in a too-innocent tone.

I roll my eyes at his question.

Is this fucker for real?

I stand up to walk away and he quickly gets up, grabbing my bicep. "Just hear me out. There's something you should know about them!" he exclaims.

"WHAT, JACOB! What could you possibly know about the Cullens that I don't know? How could you even know them, you don't go to school in Forks?" I jerk my arm out of his grip and turn around, but what I hear next stops me in my tracks.

"Bella, they aren't even human!"

"What?" I look back.

"Well, that got your attention, didn't it?" he says with a sarcastic chuckle.

"Just spit it out. I don't have time for dramatics."

"Are you ready to listen, now? Really listen to what I have to say? You've noticed things about them, haven't you? Things that just don't seem right."

"Stop dragging this out and say what you have to say. I wouldn't have stopped if I wasn't going to listen." I wasn't going to admit that I have noticed their oddities to him, but he must've seen something on my face to confirm his suspicion.

"The legends of my tribe are passed down from generation to generation. One of the legends say that we are descended from wolves, and that they are our brothers still. Another legend tells that the wolves protect us from the Cold Ones."

"What are Cold Ones?" I ask.

Jacob seems happier now that I'm asking questions. He's calmer, and I see what looks like relief in his eyes. "The legend says that one of the Cold Ones came to our village over a hundred years ago. The male who came looked like a man, but he wasn't. He had yellow eyes, and he grabbed a young girl. He sniffed at her neck, then bit into it, drinking her blood."

"So, what does that have to do with the Cullens?" I ask, but the answer is formed in my mind a moment later and I gasp. "You don't really think that the Cullens are like these Cold Ones, do you?"

Yellow eyes! Don't you see the connection? He might be right you know.

"Bella, the Cullens are Cold Ones. Blood drinkers. Vampires."

I laugh. "Vampires? Really, Jacob, that's what you've got? You're telling me the Cullens are vampires? Just because they have golden eyes, doesn't make them vampires."

"Their skin is hard, pale, and ice cold, isn't it, Bella? Isn't it?" he asks, already knowing the answer to his question.

I close my eyes and remember what it felt like to have Edward's icy hands gripping me so close yet so carefully, and his cold lips burning on mine.

"He's incredibly strong, too, isn't he?"

My eyes are still closed, and Edward saving me from Tyler's van plays out in my mind. Jacob's answer is so fitting and describes Edward Cullen so well that I resign myself to the fact that he might be a vampire.

"Why tell me this, now? And why should I believe that the Cullens are blood-thirsty monsters you're making them to be? Wouldn't blood-thirsty vampires have killed the entire village to keep their identity a secret. If what you're saying is true, there has to be a concerted effort on vampires' behalf to keep their existence hidden," I argue back, holding on to fraying threads of hope.

"Most of our tribe was massacred, but those few who survived rebuilt the community. And those vampires who attacked weren't the Cullens, they were just nomads passing through. The Cullens don't know that we know what they are, that's why we're still alive."

"Bella, haven't you noticed that the Cullens are never in school when it's sunny? Or that they don't eat or drink anything?"

"They've always been present at school since I've been here," I reply, but that doesn't answer his question because though they were present, the weather was never sunny. And it's certainly true that I've never seen them eat or drink anything at school.

"Fine. Have it your way, but think about it, Bella. They don't eat or drink anything, do they? And I'm telling you to pay attention the next time it's sunny, they won't be in school. I guarantee it."

I walk away with Jacob's voice ringing my ears.

~E&I~

I'm driving home with tears falling from my eyes.

When I went back to the house, I told Dad I was tired. I must have looked terrible because he became worried. I convinced him to stay because I can't deal with anyone right now.

Ugh, why am I even crying?

The tears don't stop even when I reach home and run upstairs to my bedroom. I have to know what's going on.

Wiping my tears, I turn on my laptop and google vampires.

The search engine shows that there are hundreds of thousands of pages devoted to vampires. I sigh; this is going to take a while.

After an hour of research, I find that some vampires share common traits like speed and strength, but only a few vampires have additional abilities, such as shape-shifting. I snort at the last one, picturing Edward turning into a fucking bronze bat makes me cackle. But the first two traits are on point.

I also remember his eyes changing color. Whenever he was angry they would turn black. He has even growled at me a few times. I can still recall it as if it just happened; it's deep, guttural and animalistic.

You were never afraid of his growls though.

What has me scared shitless is that all sources say that vampires drink blood. Have the Cullens been killing people? If so, shouldn't there be reports of missing people?

Maybe they hunt from other areas to ward off suspicion?

At the speed Edward can run, I bet he and his family can feed from another area far away from here.

This is insane! I came here to leave all the bullshit behind and now I'm thrown into a supernatural world of vampires that I have no clue how to escape from.

Leave Forks, it's the safest thing you can do. If the Cullens suspect you know their secret they will kill everyone. Think of Dad!

What about Edward?

I'm too involved with him to leave just like that. I-I think I have feelings for him.

Stop it! Don't be selfish! Think about Dad! We're endangering his life by being here. We have to pack up and move.

But we don't know for certain if the Cullens are vampires! These are just legends and speculations!

Okay, if they don't show up on a sunny day, then that proves what Jacob was saying was true and we have to leave.

Tears fall again as I realize I have no other choice.

~E&I~

The weekend passes in a teary blur. I am depressed, stressed and any small noise makes me jump in fright. If Dad notices anything he doesn't comment.

I feel shitty as I drive to school. Nightmares plagued me the entire weekend, causing dark circles to appear under my eyes.

As if fate is mocking me, today happens to be sunny.

Remember: if the Cullens aren't present we're packing up and leaving.

I want to cry, though I marvel at the idea that I even have any tears left. I've cried myself to sleep for the past two nights over having to leave a guy who may or may not be a vampire.

I park Bob in my usual place and sit inside, waiting with bated breath for the silver Volvo to enter the parking lot.

Please come to school.

Minutes go by as I sit and wait. Five minutes are left until the first bell rings. My heart is pounding painfully as I wait, and wait.

The first bell rings with no sign of the silver Volvo.

A sob escapes me.

I wipe my eyes, grab my backpack, and dash to first period.

None of the Cullens show up later, either.

I'm sitting in the cafeteria with Angela, looking miserable. She tells me that the Cullens usually go camping with Dr. Cullen when the weather's nice like today.

Huh? Camping? What a creative excuse.

So I really did make out with a vampire. Knowing that doesn't repulse me as I expected. Instead, my heart flutters and my stomach fills with butterflies.

*puke* staaahp. You're being such a pansy.

When I nod in acknowledgement she sighs and asks me what's wrong. I tell her that I don't feel well. She assumes I must be getting the flu and worries about me.

She's so sweet. Angela is the only best friend I've ever had and I feel like an asshole, knowing I will disappear without saying goodbye to her.

Alice, on the other hand, lied to me. Even if I weren't leaving, our friendship won't survive the lie.

I feel wretched though.

~E&I~

Charlie texts me, notifying me that he'll be working late tonight because there's been another attack on hikers 100 miles away from Forks.

I pack whatever I can carry in a duffel bag and write an apology note to Dad.

I explain that I tried, but I don't like Forks and I'm going back to Phoenix. I apologize for causing him pain and that I'll call him when I check into a motel.

I don't know what to do about mom. It's not like I know where she currently is. Renee never replied to my email,

She probably forgot about it.

My hands are sweaty as I push on the gas pedal, forcing poor Bob to go beyond his 55 mile per hour threshold.

As soon as I pass the sign labelled "You have left Forks" I relax a bit.

The 101 is shrouded in darkness with trees bordering both sides. The image is intimidating: a perfect place for a vampire.

A second later, something solid crashes into Bob.

I try to hold on to the steering wheel to keep him from crashing, but it's out of my control. Bob swerves at an alarming speed, spinning and screeching before colliding sideways into the trunk of a tree on the side of the road.

My head hits the window with a loud thwack from the force of the impact, hazing my vision.

I grab my head, blinking rapidly to try to clear the black spots in front of me.

The driver's side is against the tree so I can't open the door.

Moaning from the pain, I crawl to the passenger's seat and nudge the door open.

Panting from the exertion and from the pain pounding in my head, I slowly climb down from Bob.

I assess his situation: steam is billowing from under the hood and the side that collided with the tree is totaled.

From the corner of my eye, I see three solid forms materialize from the shadows in the trees.

They are pale, barefoot, and their clothes are clearly worn and frayed. They walk with a cat-like grace, their steps are quick and light, but their shoulders are hunched, as if they are crouching. Their steps are measured, calculated, as they spread out to circle me.

I stare, paralyzed with fear.

There are two men and one woman.

The woman is striking, with curly orange hair that is flowing like a flame on her head.

The two men are complete opposites: one is pale with a blond ponytail and the other has dreadlocks and dark skin that looks faded out.

I feel like a deer being surrounded by jaguars.

As I look into the deep burgundy eyes of the hunters, there is only one thought going through my mind.

I am going to die.

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my 300th reviewer chocl8lips! Thank you! 3