"Forget the Cullen's. All Victor wants is her!" Damon commanded. Sure enough, half a second later I could hear Damon and his minions close behind me. I had to get them away from the Cullen's. Now that Carlisle and his family knew, they would be able to defend themselves properly. They were strong but I still didn't want Damon anywhere near them.

The trees blurred as my speed increased. I couldn't keep this up forever. I needed to lose them. The air around me sparked with energy. If I couldn't out run them, I would eventually have to fight them. I was coming to a cliff. I was running out of time and options. Without thinking, I jumped. My hands gripped onto a branch that was sticking out from the cliff. I could hear the rushing waters below me, threatening to swallow me whole if I fell. It didn't take long to hear pursuing footsteps. I held my breath and said a silent prayer that they were too caught up in the chance to smell me.

"Where the hell is she?" One of them sounded out of breath.

"Damon is going to kill us if we lose her. Come on, she probably went that way." Another said, sounding frantic. Damon wasn't with them?

I listened to their footsteps grow more and more distant until I could no longer hear them. I finally hoisted myself back onto solid ground and collapsed, exhausted. I closed my eyes. One minute lying here couldn't hurt. I was so tired. I only needed a second to rest before I went back to make sure Damon wasn't anywhere near the Cullen's.

"Did you lose them?" A voice said from behind me. My heart jumped into my throat. I spun around to see Damon materializing in front of me. He loved to show off his gift. Damon could turn himself and anyone else into shadow. It was the reason he was one of my dad's favourites and had lasted so long in our coven.

Damon moved towards me slowly, a lopsided grin on his face. "Leave me alone Damon. I'm not going back." I had tried to sound strong and sure of myself, but my voice shook and come out in a whisper. The way he walked, it reminded me of a jungle cat stalking its prey. His movements were smooth and quiet and in seconds his body was inches away from mine. I closed my hands into fists to stop them from shaking.

"That was quite the show you made back there. You just never give up, do you?" He lifted his hand and for a second I thought he was going to hit me. Instead his thumb stroked my cheek, a loving, caring gesture. I found myself unable to take my eyes off of his.

"Nope," I responded and knocked his hand away. For a moment, I thought I saw hurt flicker across his face, but it disappeared too quickly and I decided I must have imagined it. His smile didn't waver and he took a step closer so our bodies were touching.

"That's just one of the things that I love about you." I took a step back.

"Stop saying that. I don't love you, you don't love me, and I am not going back." I was happily surprised when my voice didn't shake that time. I sounded strong and determined. Suddenly his eyes turned ice cold and my confidence shattered. I realized that I could see through him. He was changing into shadow.

Desperate, I flung my arms out, sending a strong wave of energy at him. It passed through his body and hit a tree instead. The tree exploded, sending pieces of bark flying. Damon was already in his shadow form. I searched the dark for him even though I knew it was useless. The wind suddenly kicked up around me. I raised my arms in front of my face instinctively.

"No!" I screamed as an invisible force slammed into me. Shadow slithered up my body like a snake, consuming me, becoming a part of me. Of course I fought against him, which was another mistake on my part. As long as you don't fight it, being changed into shadow, it wasn't painful. In fact, it was a thrilling experience. I know because when Damon and I were together, he had turned me into shadow many times. It had made me feel closer to him. If you fight the change, it becomes extremely painful, but I couldn't stop myself from fighting. "Let me go!" I begged him but my voice was caught in the winds. Pain seared through me as Damon slowly changed me to shadow, enjoying my suffering.

I knew the change was complete when I couldn't feel the ground anymore. I looked down and saw that we were several feet above the tallest trees. I could feel Damon all around me. The smell of him filled my lungs, mixed with the night. My head was spinning and I continued to struggle.

"Are you sure you want me to let you go? It's a hell of a drop if I do." Damon's words traced across my mind. I whimpered but stopped struggling.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded. His laughter vibrated through me and I shuddered. He sped through the trees, leaving me disorientated.

"Don't worry, love, you aren't going home. Not yet anyway." He assured me. Confusion rushed over me. "This game is just getting interesting. I wouldn't dream of ending it now. But by the end of it, I assure you, my sweet that you will begging to come back to me." His words were not a threat, but a promise.

All of the sudden, I was on the ground again. I wasn't a shadow anymore. I was on my hands and knees, nausea consuming me. It took me a second to realize that I was in front of the Cullen's house again. I would have been grateful if I wasn't so terrified.

"Carlisle, come quick! Roxanne needs help!" I heard Alice shout in the distance, followed by a number of footsteps rushing to my aid. My whole body was shaking more out of fear than cold. A pair of hands pulled back my hair and out of my face. I didn't understand why until a second later when I threw up all over their driveway.