Authors note - pretty sure the mistake of i am the greatest writer in the first chapeters AN proved i am in fact not greatest LOL.

The wolf kept nudging me, keeping me moving in the right direction. Or at least I hope that's what it was doing. Maybe he was leading me in the direction of his pack to have me for a snack. I rolled my eyes at my thoughts.

My hand rubbed over my heart and I realized that the aching pain I was feeling was gone.

"Strange." I said. The wolf huffed at me. I turned to look at it.

It nudged me a bit harder so I faced forward and kept moving. The voices were getting closer. I sped up a bit, anxious to get out of the dark forest. The wolf let out a bark and I looked back at it to see it sitting, staring at me.

"What?" I asked, then rolled my eyes. It's a strange animal for sure but no way could it answer me.

"Bella! Bella, where are you!"

Charlie was close. I looked at the wolf and it jerked it's head in my dad's direction. Another small bark and it turned walking away from me at an easy pace. With a humorless chuckle I realized while it didn't get me home, it got me to my dad. I started walking again but stopped after a couple steps. Hands to my knees I let out a gasp as the deep ach hit me again.

"Bella!" Charlie was just a few feet in front of me now. Quickly he grasped my shoulders, making me stand. "Bella! Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

While waiting for me to answer he pulled out a walkie talkie. "I found her!" He said into it then put it away as voices yelled in return asking the same thing he did. Is she okay? Is she hurt?

I stared at him and my lip started trembling. Am I ok? No. Am I hurt? Physically not really. My ass still hurt and the wrapped cut on my arm was throbbing a bit. My feet and legs were screaming at me, tired and sore from all the walking and running they weren't used to doing. I'm sure there were also a few new bruises from my falls.

None of that even touched the pain, the fire that was clawing at my heart getting worse as the moments passed.

I nodded, not voicing my thoughts. "I'm okay, I just…. I got lost."

He wrapped his arm around me. "I got your note when I got home. I waited a couple hours but when you didn't get back I got worried with you out here by yourself."

I looked at him for a moment then realized Edward must have left the note. Did he know I would follow after him? I wanted to see the note. I sped up my steps, anxious to see the words he had written. We were closer to the house than I thought. Soon we stepped out of the trees and were surrounded by people. I noticed Billy Black, his son and others from La Push. A few deputies stood back by the back porch. They nodded at Charlie when they saw us before heading to their cars. Billy wheeled himself closer, taking my hand.

"Are you okay?" His voice was soft but his eyes. There was anger there. That didn't make sense. Anger at me for worrying my dad maybe?

I nodded. "Yes I'm sorry for scaring everyone."

"That's alright." He patted my hand and turned himself toward the small crowd. "Alright let's get out of here and let them rest."

Charlie sniffed beside me. Had I upset him that much? "Thank you everyone." He mumbled, wiping under his eyes.

They all mumbled to Charlie as they left and he hurried me inside, through the back door. First thing I noticed on the table was a small slip of paper. I walked closer to it.

Dad,

Went for a walk through the woods. Be back soon. -Bella.

That's it? That's all he said. The handwriting was perfect, spot on for me but the words made no sense. I wouldn't go walking through the woods alone. Of course I knew why he didn't mention himself, but Charlie should know I wouldn't wander alone in the woods. "Are you hungry?"

Startled, I jumped. "Not really. I think I'd just like to shower and go to sleep."

Charlie sat at the table. "Ok but first why did you go walking in the woods alone? What were you thinking?"

I chewed on my bottom lip then shrugged one shoulder. Do I say I was with Edward? How angry would Charlie be to know he left me in the woods alone after breaking up with me? The desire to protect him hit, but with a surge of anger I realized he left me unprotected in the woods. Of course he couldn't have known I'd run after him… but then why leave the note?

"I wasn't alone," I plopped in a chair as well. "Edward was with me."

Charlie's eyes tightened. "He was with you? Why did he leave you alone?"

I fingered the note, staring at the words. "He took me on the path and broke up with me. He ran off and I tried to follow… to talk to him, but I tripped and lost him. Then I couldn't find my way back. I'm sure he probably thought I'd turn around and go home."

Didn't he? The house wasn't far out of view, but still why take me to the woods?

Charlie sighed. "I thought… well I don't know what I thought but I figured you all broke up since Doctor Cullen has left. Why did he take you to the woods though?"

I looked up. That makes sense of course but still so quickly? "Dad, I don't really know."

Why did he? He left the note, so he had to have some reason to believe I wouldn't make it home. Why didn't he break up with me at home, get in his car and leave? Why leave me unprotected in the woods? I shook my head, eyes watering.

"Can I go to bed?" I stared at Charlie. Hoping he didn't want to talk anymore. The pain in my chest was getting worse. Hot flames of fire licking at heart.

"Sure… but you're…." Charlie struggled with his words. "The breakup… you're ok? Do you need to talk?"

I smiled at my father's attempt at being paternal. "I don't want to talk, dad."

I stood. He nodded. Taking that as permission to leave I went upstairs and straight to the bathroom. I needed to pee something horrible. After relieving myself I stripped off my muddy clothes and turned on the shower, turning it as hot as possible. I spent more time than normal just standing under the stream of water, rubbing at the deep fiery ache in my chest.

Afterward I wrapped a towel around my dripping body and went to my room. Nothing looked different, but something was. I looked at my desk. My gifts from the Cullens were gone. Quickly I opened my CD player. Empty. I yanked my photo album off the shelf and flipped through the pages. All the photos of the Cullens… gone.

'It will be as if I never existed.'

Did he really think he could just take some photos and gifts and I'd what? Forget about the last year of my life? I gasped for a breath, sitting on my bed. How could he! The pain in my chest throbbed. I rolled, curling myself in a ball. Tears started rolling down my cheeks like rain and the pain was getting worse, pulling me under a sea of darkness. I was afraid it would never stop. How could he leave me was my last thought as I drifted into a restless sleep.

"Edward?" I called, my eyes searching but seeing nothing in the dark. I moved forward, stumbling on something my eyes couldn't see. A root maybe. I wiped my now muddy hands on my jeans.

"Edward!" I cried louder, not moving from my spot on the muddy ground. There is no point, I wouldn't be able to catch up to him unless he wanted me to. "Please come back. Please."

A noise to my right startled me. I looked up into the eyes of the wolf.

"I need him back." I cried, throwing myself carelessly at the animal wrapping my arms around it's large neck. It growled.

"Bella."

I jumped up. "Edward. You came back."

"Get away from it."

The wolf let out a vicious snarl in Edward's direction. Edward moved forward and the animal leaped at him.

"No!" I yelled as they collided. "Stop!"

Edward and the animal fought. Growls and snarls echoing as Edward threw punches at the wolf and the wolf bit and scratched at Edward. "Stop!" I screamed. "Please don't hurt him!"

I realized suddenly I didn't know who I was talking to. Was I telling Edward not to hurt the wolf? Or was I telling the wolf not to hurt Edward?

With eyes wide and a scream in my throat I watched as the large wolf ripped off Edward's arm. In response Edward kicked at the wolf throwing it backward. It hit a tree and fell with a low whine.

"No!" I screamed.

I woke up with a gasp, my eyes crusty from last night's tears and wet from the fresh ones my dream caused. What was that? Why would I dream about Edward and the wolf fighting? It made no sense. A wolf wouldn't stand a chance against a vampire.

I rolled over, clutching my chest and looked at the time. 3:07 a.m. I put the pillow over my head, determined to sleep more. Sleep instead of think, I willed myself.

"Bella? Your alarm is going off." Charlie knocked on my door.

I groaned, rolling over to hit my alarm. The door cracked open. He stared at me laying in bed with the towel from last night still wrapped around me.

"Why don't you take the day off? I'll call the school." He offered. "And the Newton's, I can call them as well if you are supposed to work. Just take a day."

I nodded. "That would actually be good, dad."

"Great. I'll take care of it. Just rest and I'll bring a pizza home, yeah?"

I nodded again. He hesitated then walked closer. Leaning down he quickly kissed the top of my head. "It'll be okay, you know."

Charlie has always seemed so closed off, but he's trying. Really trying to be there for me. Or had he always been there and I just hadn't noticed? I frowned at my thoughts, thinking back on the past year.

"Thank you, dad. I mean that. Really." I stood up, holding the towel secure with one hand and giving him a quick one armed hug. He's face turned slightly pink and with a nod he left my room, closing the door behind him. I dropped the towel and got dressed in a pair of black leggings and large oversized green sweater.

The morning moved slowly. I made breakfast but it sat uneaten on the table. I flipped channels but couldn't find anything to catch my attention. I tried reading but the book ended up on the ground after I threw it in frustration. The mysterious pain kept fading, coming back, getting worse, over and over.

Huffing in frustration I threw open the back door and sat on the porch steps. It didn't make sense. Edward said I was his mate. He had waited years for me. I was his mate. How could he leave me so easily? Tears started falling again, partly because of my thoughts and partly because of the physical pain I was feeling deep in my soul at his departure. Maybe he would come back, I reasoned with myself. He said that they left because they had to, that they couldn't blend in here any longer, but maybe he'll come back for me.

My wet eyes snapped up at the sound of a low whine. A whine that sounded vaguely familiar. The wolf was standing just at the tree line. The wolf that I had dismissed from my mind just earlier while trying to watch T.V sure that I had either dreamed of it or conjured it up in my mind. Now here it was staring intently at me.

"Hey." I mumbled, feeling crazy for talking to an animal that didn't act like any animal I'd ever heard of. "Thanks for getting me home last night."

It took a couple steps closer in response. When it stopped it let out a growl and cocked its head to the side. Slowly it laid down and barked at me.

"What?" I asked. It kept barking. I looked around trying to understand. It inched forward a bit, still barking. I realized it was staying in the cover of the trees so my neighbors wouldn't see. Maybe it wanted me to come to it, I thought. Shaking my head at the craziness that was happening, I got up and slowly moved toward it. There was no fear but I knew I should be afraid and that slowed my steps. Why aren't I afraid of this animal? When I got a couple feet from it, I moved to the side where I would also be covered by the trees but a few feet from the wolf and sat down.

It looked at me, narrowing its eyes. Then in a move that definitely wasn't like an animal it's eyes rolled and it huffed, moving closer to me.

I let out a surprised chuckle. A freaking wolf just rolled its eyes at me. I never had animals growing up. Mom is allergic to dogs and I've never been much of a cat person, so I guess I don't really know the natural behavior of any animal let alone a wild one. Still though it doesn't seem to be normal for an animal to express themselves that way.

I looked down. A cold nose was trying to get under my hand where it laid on the grass. It dug under my hand until my hand was laying on its head, almost as if it wanted me to pet it. The fur under my hand was dense but silky soft. I ran my fingers through it.

"It can't be normal for wild animals to seek out the affection of a human." I mused out loud.

The wolf huffed and let out a throaty, growling type sound that resembled a chuckle. What the heck? I sat back removing my hand from the animal. It growled moving closer to my side. It nudged my chest with its nose and with a shock I realized the pain I was feeling was completely gone. When did it stop? I thought back and realized it had stopped not long after I came outside. Almost as if the presence of the wolf stopped it.

Maybe I was hallucinating. Maybe the loss of Edward had driven my mind to conjure up this weird animal. This isn't a normal animal. Nothing about this is normal.

"What are you?" I asked again. In a very dog like way it rolled over to its back, tongue hanging out. I shook my head. Such a strange animal.

"Don't wolves run in packs?" I asked.

It barked at me. An idea struck me. "You understand what I'm saying?" It barked again. "Can you…bark once for yes, twice for no?"

This is ridiculous, I thought. What am I doing? He barked once. For yes?

"Are you saying yes or are you barking for the heck of it?" One bark. "Are you a wolf?" One bark. "Are you a female?" Two barks. "Do you have a pack?" One bark.

"Do you really understand me?" One bark.

There is no way this is possible. Sure animals have their own way of communication but not to the point that they respond to the words humans say right? How can he understand?

"How?" I asked, sitting up. "How is it possible?"

It let out a string of barks. I laughed. He growled. Crazy. This is all crazy. I went back to ask him questions ranging from is the sky blue to if he has a name. He barked once for yes on that and I've been going through names with no luck. I started going through the alphabet to at least narrow down his first initial and got one bark at P. Would it be more of a human or dog type name?

Signing I told him I gave up on guessing and laid back. He crawled closer laying by my side with his head on my stomach.

It may all be insane but laying here with this mysterious wolf not a single thought of Edward had crossed my mind. The pain was gone and hadn't come back and that is enough for me not to question it right now. If I had gone insane, I'm at least going to enjoy this little moment of peace.