"Hey Billy," I mumbled into my phone, trying to hold it with my shoulder while I backed my truck out of its parking spot. "Did Jake make it home?"

"Yes he is here. He isn't feeling very well." Billy answered. I sighed in relief.

"Okay great. There was a little issue at the party and I was worried about him. He ran off so fast. Anyway can you have him call me?"

"I don't think he'll be calling for a bit. He's pretty under the weather."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "I mean he was warm but he ran off because of a fight. I didn't realize he was actually sick."

"Yeah just hit all the sudden. Strange thing, huh?"

What wasn't he telling me?

"Yeah. Strange."

Billy grunted and yelled away from the phone. "Now just wait a minute Sam! You can't just…" He sighed, trailing off. "Sorry, Bella I'll have Jake call you as soon as he can."

He didn't give me time to say goodbye before the phone clicked alerting me that he hung up. Okay then, I thought, tossing my phone in the seat beside me. What was Sam doing there?

The rest of the week passed quickly. School, work, dinner alone since Charlie was basically living at the station now. I spent most mornings and every evening with my wolf. We'd share whatever I was eating, while I talked about...everything.

Everyday that we hung out I opened up more about my family, school, work and even the family of vampires that left me. I figured if anyone could keep the secrets I swore not to tell it would be my wolf.

I pushed trying to find a way to communicate, but every time he shot me down. In the end though it doesn't matter, being with the wolf brings me a sense of comfort that I can't get anywhere else and spilling my guts to someone that didn't care about the choices I've made felt so good. There's never been anyone for me to talk about the Cullens with. Just unloading about mine and Edward's relationships it felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. The pain from him leaving was still there but I think really talking through all the worries and fears I had when I was with him settled that him leaving was best for both of us, no matter how much the pain licked at my chest.

I had tried calling Jacob everyday, hoping he'd be able to go to the movies with me today but so far Billy says he's still feeling really bad. And in turn Quil has been calling me everyday asking if I heard from Jake.

"Quil, I'm sure he is just fine. Billy said he doesn't feel well." I spoke into the phone, one hand to my ear and the other idly twisting the fur of my wolfs fur.

"No, I know something is going on. This isn't good, Bella." He told me, sighing. "I saw him today, with Paul and Sam. Jake and Paul were arguing about something. I don't know I wasn't close enough to hear, but he… he just doesn't look good. Just go over there with me. Maybe with that two of us Billy will let us in."

I pulled my phone back to glance at the time. I was supposed to be meeting everyone that agreed to go to the movies at Mikes soon. "I sort of have plans….."

"Bella...please?" The desperation in his voice pulled at my heartstring. I wasn't worried about Jake. Even if he isn't sick, whatever is going on is fine. No way would Billy let anyone hurt Jake, but even if Quil was just paranoid, this was really scaring him.

I sighed. Not like I really wanted to go to the movies anyway. Everything in me was telling me this was a bad idea, but really what's the worst that could happen? "Okay. I'll cancel my plans."

"Really? Thank you. Seriously you're the best." He told me. We hung up after agreeing we'd just meet there in an hour. I laid my head against the rail and sighed.

"This is not a good idea." I told my wolf. He lifted his head from his paws and let out a low whine. "Jacob is just fine, I'm sure of it…."

I pulled up to the small house and saw Quil standing in the driveway. He looked tired, he must be losing sleep over this.

"Hey." I called him, as I got out. "Have you knocked?"

He shook his head. "I don't think anyone is home."

"Only one way to find out." I moved past him and went to the door, knocking twice. I waited a moment, listening then knocked once more.

"One second!" Billy yelled. Quil came to stand behind me, looking nervous. The door opened and Billy frowned at us.

"Kids, I told you both, Jacob is sick." He looked at us sternly.

"Look, Billy I don't know exactly what is going on with

Sam and his friends. I'm sure it's nothing bad, but it has Quil freaked out so can we just talk to Jacob? Just for a moment. Just let Quil see that he is ok."

Billy sighed. "He isn't home."

I narrowed my eyes. "I thought he was sick."

He shrugged. "Well, he isn't home."

"Where is he?" I asked, getting irritated. If Jacob wasn't sick why couldn't he just call Quil?

"I truly do not know. With Sam, I'm sure." Billy told me, closing the door as he spoke. "I'll have him call you when he gets in."

I turned to look at Quil once the door was shut. "Can we go home now? I'll give you a ride."

He left the porch, walking toward my truck, shaking his head. "No now we go find them."

I threw my hands up. "This is crazy. We don't even know where they could be, Quil!"

"We'll find them." He told me, jumping in my truck and slamming the door. This is not how I wanted to spend my Friday night.

"Qui, this is getting ridiculous, actually its past ridiculous. We've been driving around for an hour."

"Just turn down this street and if they aren't here we'll go home." He told me, pointing right.

I huffed, turning on to the dirt road as instructed. After a few miles a small blue house came into view. I parked and turned to look at Quil. "Who's house is this?"

"Sam and Emily's." He told me as he opened the door and got out.

"Quil, no this is-" I started to say but he slammed the door, walking shoulders tense to the front door. I sat in the truck not wanting to get in the middle of a fight if one broke out. I thought seriously about leaving him for a second but the poor kid already felt abandoned by his friends, I couldn't just leave him.

He knocked, more like banged, on the door. After a few moments a woman answered the door. I assumed that was Emily. I tried not to stare, I really did but while one half of her face was flawless the other half had three large angry scars running down it. I wondered what happened to her. Something pretty bad to cause such damage to her face. I couldn't hear what was being said but Quil was jestering wildly.

A knock on my window made me jump and when I looked over I gasped. I stared at him for a long moment. He was so different. Gone was the long hair, now it was chopped short. He wasn't wearing a shirt and I questioned the working of steroids cause he looked like he spent years in the gym since I last saw him. A brand new tattoo was on his upper arm. Worst of all though instead of the sunny smile he normally offered me, he was glaring at me. I rolled down my window, gulping slightly.

"What are you doing here?" He practically growled at me.

I stared at him wide eyed. "I-I… Quil… he dragged me

here." I ratted out my friend, slightly scared of the man standing in front of me.

By now Quil had noticed us and was running toward the truck.

"What the hell dude! Where have you been? What happened to 'I'd never joined them', huh?" Quil was angry, so angry he was shaking….whats with these guys?

"Go home." That's all Jacob said before turning and running off toward the backyard.

"No! I deserved to know what's happening." Quil yelled, running after him.

"This is such a bad idea." I groaned to myself, getting out of the car to follow. Once in the back yard I stopped short. Sam and the guys I had seen at the diner were there, along with Embry.

"You two need to go home." Sam said, gently.

"Happily." I grumbled.

"No. I want to know what's happening." Said Quil. "If this is going to happen to me then I should know."

One of the guys, Paul I think, laughed. The sound drew me to him, but once I was looking at him I couldn't seem to stop. He's eyes… there was something strangely familiar about him. Conversation was happening around me, I knew that cause I could see his lips moving, but I couldn't focus on anything but this man's eyes.

"Quil no!" Someone yelled, but it was too late. Quil blocked my view of Paul when he swung back and let his fist fly. Quil yelled out, holding his fist against his body. Paul's eyes were murderous and he was shaking so badly his entire frame was moving.

"Paul, no!" Sam yelled, once again it was too late. Paul was shaking violently and in the blink he disappeared. In his place was a large grey wolf, pieces of cloth falling around him.

'Oh! Oh my gosh.' I whispered and the wolf's eyes snapped to me. My wolf… my wolf..

"Paul, run it off. Come back when you're calmed down." Sam told him. Paul looked perfectly calm, staring at me but shook his head and turned into the woods. Once he was gone I looked around me, realizing that Quil was on the ground staring wide eyed at the place the wolf was standing. Embry was bent down talking to him, but I'm not sure anything was getting through. Three pairs of eyes were on me, waiting for my reaction, I guessed.

"That...that was my wolf?" I asked quietly, unsure if what I saw is truly what happened.

Sam sighed. "Paul is your wolf."

Oh my gosh. Suddenly I blushed a deep red, remembering the things I've told him. Snippets of things I told him ran through my mind as the embarrassment and anger grew.

'Would you think I'm crazy if I told you my ex boyfriend is a vampire? Like a real, blood sucking vampire?'

'He always said it was about his control, but I don't know. He was the first guy to show interest in me so maybe I'm just not attractive.'

'I miss him… a lot, but sometimes I don't know if I miss him enough. What does that mean?'

'I loved him. Really I did… I still do, but I always envisioned this passionate, raw type of relationship and it just wasn't that you know.'

Anger. Red hot angry shot through me. He could have told me at any point. He could have made me stop talking, stop sharing my deepest thoughts and secrets.

"I'm going to kill him!" The angry boiled over. I was angry in a way I've never been before as I screamed. "Paul get your wolfy ass back here! How dare you! Get back here right now!"

"Bella," Jacob touched my shoulder. "He needs to calm down. He'll be back for you to kill later. Come in so we can talk. We can explain."

"No!" I yelled, taking a step away from him. "You have no idea the things I told him-"

Jacob's foot kicked at the ground and he interrupted me. "I kind of do. Pack mind, we can hear each other's thoughts….."

"Wrong time to bring that up, dude." Embry said, shaking his head.

"Are you kidding me!" I screamed at him. It felt like my blood was boiling.

He put his hands up, backing up. "Let's just forget I said anything, yeah?"

I screeched at him, a type of sound I didn't even know my body was capable of flying out of my mouth. I'm pretty sure birds were flying away.