As I blended back into the crowd, I continued to search for Alice. I had to tell her what just happened. She wasn't going to believe it. I couldn't believe it myself. My heart was still beating rapidly, I was a bit disoriented as I searched. I was going unhinged. Suddenly I felt a hard hand wrapping around my wrist. Jerking me to an abrupt stop.

I turned, my heart dropping into the pit of my stomach. Mike Newton. He stood in front of me, clearly drunk. He swayed slightly, a desperate look on his face. My blood ran cold as I ripped my hand away from him.

"What the hell do you want?" I grumbled, letting my eyes cast downwards. I waited to feel the pain that came when I usually looked at him. I was surprised when I felt nothing. All I could think of was the sight of Alpha Edward. It was as if our bond had melted away my bitter feelings towards my ex.

"Bella, I'm so glad I ran into you, I wanted to talk, if that's okay?" He replied with a bit of a slur. He couldn't seem to focus his eyes on me. Again, he tried to grab at my hand, but I pulled my hands behind my back quickly.

"There is nothing to talk about,"

"Don't be like that babe, it was a one-time thing, a mistake. I'll never do it again. I promise. I can't get you out of my head. Please give me another chance." His breath smelled of pure alcohol. I knew that I had to get away from him soon, he was a real nightmare when he was drunk. I still had the scars to prove it. Looking back, I'm glad he ended up cheating on me, it made me open my eyes to what an asshole he really was.

"Look, don't call me that, I don't want to talk. I need to find Alice." I tried looking around him, hoping to spot her and make my escape. But even more people were showing up to the party. It was getting so congested; I could barely move an inch from where I stood.

"You can't really blame me, you never… I mean… Rosalie wanted to have sex… and if you weren't willing to give it to me… can you really blame me for looking elsewhere?"

It wasn't that I didn't want to ever have sex, but it never felt like the right time. Mike had been asking for it for months, but I just wasn't ready. I should have realized when he stopped asking, it wasn't out of respect for my wishes. He got what he needed from Rosalie.

"Listen, I don't even want to have this conversation. I need to find Alice. You know how she gets when she drinks."

Mike began laughing, his stupid, annoying laugh. It was so loud a few people turned around to stare towards us. "Why didn't you say so, I know exactly where that little defective imp is."

I glared at him coldly. "Don't call her that, just take me to her."

He waved his hand, unbothered by my cold stare. He cleared a path through the crowd, leading me away from everyone. As the music got quieter, the further we walked away, I felt chills run down my spine. I had a bad feeling. We headed deeper into the woods; it was much darker out here. The only light was the moon shining brightly overhead. I would have felt much calmer, being away from all the people, but I couldn't shake the feeling that Mike was up to something. Still, I followed. Alice was the only thing on my mind.

Relief washed over me as I saw Alice, leaning over a fallen tree log, noisily vomiting. She was groaning and trembling slightly. But what raised a red flag, was the fact that her dress was hitched up, exposing her naked backside. Her panties were wrapped around her ankles.

"What the hell did you do to her?" I turned to growl sharply in his direction.

Mike chose this moment to spring himself onto me. He had me pressed up against a tree. It knocked the breath out of me as he pressed his hips hard against me. There was a hard bulge digging into the back of my dress. His hands moved quickly, shifting my dress up to reveal my underwear.

"Shh, don't ruin the moment. I've been dreaming of this for years. Alice was a pleasant experience, sure. But I'm sure you will be better." He purred in my ear.

"No! Get off me, leave me alone!" I desperately tried to clutch onto my underwear, but he was much stronger. I felt the fabric rip into shreds. "Please, don't!"

He laughed freely; his lips moved to my neck as I heard the zipper of his pants fly downwards. The sound was deafening. A lump in my throat started as my heart knocked hard in my chest. Sweat dripped down my neck.

This can't be happening. I didn't want my first time to be like this. Not with him. Not here. My body couldn't take the strain, I felt like I was about to pass out. Tears rolled down my hot cheeks as I screamed out for help. Please, let someone hear me.

His hand roughly covered my mouth. "Enough of that, I don't want to hurt you. Take it with some dignity. Your little friend didn't put up this much of a fight."

I couldn't believe he did something so despicable to Alice. I never thought that he would do something like that. Yes, he was a major asshole, but I didn't know he was capable of rape.

He was losing patience; I could tell he wouldn't be holding back much longer. His grip changed to my hips. There was a splitting pain with the contact. He growled darkly. Just as I felt his hips shift, there was a loud feral growl that erupted from behind us. Suddenly Mike's hold on me slipped away. My legs gave out on me, I sank to the ground, breathing hard. I was saved.

I quickly pulled my dress down and crawled over to where Alice was. She groaned as I grabbed a hold of her. Lightly I pulled her panties back up, giving her some privacy. Once I was sure she was alright, I turned back to see who had come to our rescue.

My heart skipped a beat as my eyes locked on Alpha Edward, he had his hands wrapped around Mike's throat, fury was clear on his face. His body was trembling violently. His men lingered nearby, not bothering to assist. It was clear that he could handle the situation.

"You filthy animal, I should kill you right here." Edward growled, his hold on him tightened. Mike was coughing harshly, clawing at Edward's hands. He couldn't even speak; his face was going pale. Fear clouded his eyes.

"Let him go Edward," A firm voice called out.

I searched further out, taking note of Sam stomping over. Now he had the appearance of a true alpha. His expression was no longer calm and laid back. He just studied the situation, with a deadly serious gaze.

"Why should I," Edward glowered, not taking his eyes off of Mike. "He was just in the process of attempting to rape a defenseless woman."

"This is a situation involving the La Push pack, outsiders can't intervene. It just isn't your place." Sam urged. He looked over to Alice and I. His eyes widened slightly, his shoulders heaved as he began to tremble as well.

Edward gritted his teeth, growls tumbling past his lips.

Slowly, he withdrew his hands, letting Mike fall to the ground. He turned to lock eyes with Sam. "It is my place, if it deals with my imprint."

My heart squeezed in my chest. I had the urge to run to his side, but I couldn't leave Alice alone like that. I stayed still by her side, rubbing her back as she continued to puke her guts out. Alice had a very low tolerance to alcohol. I just wish that I would have made it to her in time. Before Mike got a hold of her.

Sam went to Mike, taking by his collar, before turning to exchange looks between me and Edward. His brows pulled together with a heavy sigh. "Is that so, well this complicates things. Mike will stand trial here, if you wish to be there to decide his fate, I'll speak with the elders to get your permission."

"Be sure that you do, my men and I will make sure these two make it home safely." Edward roughly brushed his hands through his thick bronze curls. He still looked highly pissed. His eyes were still cold as he approached the two of us. His men trailed behind him, seeming disgusted, but much calmer.

"Emmett, carry the sick one," He ordered.

The biggest guy moved fluidly over and lifted Alice up with ease. He was very gentle, even though his size was suggested he was a brute. He glanced at me sideways. "Don't worry, she is safe with me. Where should I take her?"

I swallowed, still dizzy by the stress of everything that just happened. I couldn't find my voice right away. Edward noticed my hesitation and moved to crouch down next to me, his eyes softened. "Give her a second Emmett, she just went through something traumatic."

With him being so close, I felt myself relax a bit. I could feel our imprint, it felt like a warm blanket was wrapped around me. Protecting me. My hand reached out hesitantly, until I made contact with his hand. I knew that I barely knew this man, but it felt like we've been friends forever. He didn't feel like a stranger.

The touch of his skin brought a shiver down my spine. He watched me anxiously, lightly stroking the top of my hand with his thumb. There was a slight tremble of my arms, but I could feel myself beginning to calm down.

"It's alright, I… um… she should probably go home, after everything that's happened. She really should be with her family right now." I said looking over to my best friend.

Alice stirred in Emmett's arms, looking over to me with her baby blue eyes. "No, please don't take me home. My parents are going to kill me. Just take me back to Bella's place." She begged.

I shook my head stubbornly. "No Alice, please listen. Mike… raped you… you need to go home. Your parents are going to want to know about all of this. I'll be there as soon as possible."

Alice began to weep quietly, nodding her head.

I was relieved that she didn't argue any further. I directed Emmett to her house and like a ghost, disappeared into the night. The other man remained behind with Edward, his expression staying stoic. I never heard him speak, but I had the feeling that he was a gentle soul as well. Not quite as big Emmett, he was leaner, more boyish. Possibly younger. There was a peaceful aura around him.

Edward stood now, his eyes scanning over my body. "Can you walk?"

I didn't want to appear weak in front of my mate, so I attempted to stand. But I couldn't feel my legs. With a bit of effort I moved to my knees, but couldn't quite push myself to my feet.

Wordlessly Edward lifted me from the ground, bridal style. I clung to his chest, my body naturally melted into his strong arms. He looked down at me with a mixture of concern and anger. "Don't push yourself too hard."

I nodded, cautiously letting my head rest on his shoulder.

Tonight had been too close of a call. So much has happened. I was terrified. I didn't know what Sam had in mind with Mike. They weren't particularly friends, however, Sam and Rosalie had a slight relationship. It wasn't clear how much trouble he would really get in. But for Alice's sake, I hoped they would punish him harshly. It's what he deserved.

Edward took me home, it didn't take very long, but I enjoyed every second of it. I didn't want him to leave. But I knew he couldn't stay. I wasn't sure when my mother would return from her little vacation. My father was always around, popping in to check on me. So, Edward being here would probably cause some concern.

"Jasper, stay here and watch for any signs of trouble." Edward said as he walked onto my porch. The man bowed his head slightly, before taking his position. We entered my dark house. It was so quiet and empty. It always felt so lonely when my mother was gone. But I've grown to accept it. I didn't mind spending some time on my own.

"Are you sure that you're going to be alright?" He spoke as he lightly placed me on my bed.

I nodded stiffly, forcing a smile to my face. "I'll be perfectly fine, it's Alice that I'm worried about."

He didn't respond for a moment, just analyzing my face. His hand came out lightly to brush my cheek softly. "I promise, I'll never let something like that happen to you again."

My face warmed under his fingertips. I believed every word. He set me at ease. I leaned into his touch. "Thank you, that really does make me feel better,"

He flashed a crooked smile. "I have to leave, there are a few things I'd like to discuss with your alpha. But I'll return as fast as I can. I'll leave Jasper here to guard your home for the time being."

"That's really not necessary,"

"It's not up for debate, I won't leave you here unprotected." He gave me a firm look.

I could see there was no point in arguing. So I just shrugged my shoulders, giving in. I didn't have the energy to argue. I just wanted to take a bath, crawl into bed and forget this entire day happened. Well… some parts of today at least.

"Alright,"

He nodded, a smile returning to his handsome face. "I'll be back," That was the last thing he said as he walked out of my room. My heart ached as I watched him go. I missed him almost instantly. Once I was sure that he was gone, I silently let a few tears fall. The events of today had finally surfaced. Realization had sunk in. I almost was raped today, by a man that I had once thought I loved. How could I ever find the courage to trust in people again?

A/N: I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Leave a review if you are looking forward for the next chapter.