B-POV

I was startled awake by the sound of a light knock on my door. It was concerning because I didn't remember falling asleep. I fought against my drooping eyelids for most of the night, unwilling to be unconscious in this strange place. I was upset to learn I had failed.

"Bella?" a female voice called from the other side. "Can I come in?"

She didn't wait for me to answer. I sat up as a tall girl with an athletic build stepped into the room. I assumed this was Sam's fiancée, Emily. Balancing a tray on one arm, she lightly shut the door behind her. I fixed my gaze on the coffee table in front before she could turn her attention to me and kept it there.

"Oh my god. I am so sorry you had to sleep squished on that little couch," she fretted. A tray piled with steaming blueberry muffins was placed on top of the one that held the snacks I didn't touch. "I told Sam to show you how to turn it into a bed. That's what the sheets are for! Ugh. I don't know how he could have forgotten."

Probably because he was too busy being annoyed at me for refusing to cooperate.

She sighed, indignantly. "I'll show you tonight. Don't worry." To my complete and utter surprise, she perched beside me on the couch and took a muffin for herself. "You should have one. They're still warm from the oven."

Though I logically knew I should eat, my stomach rolled at the sight of food. Even the smell of coffee drifting out of the carafe was unappetizing.

Emily either didn't see my grimace or chose to ignore it. With polite—almost professional—detachment, Emily served me a muffin, coffee, and a glass of water. As she did so, she held up the conversation all on her own, telling me about her night and the one patron at the gym who would not leave, despite her closing signals. She didn't expect anything from me, unlike Jessica who would have needed to occasional nod or hum of approval. Just as Emily poured herself a second cup of water, Sam entered the room.

"Sam! She hasn't eaten her breakfast yet."

I caught the wry smile on Sam's face before I turned my attention back to the table. "Something tells me she isn't going to indulge you, Em."

There must have been something sympathetic in his expression because, despite his tone, Emily tilted her chin up for Sam to give her a peck.

"Things looking different in the light of day?" Sam asked me.

I said nothing.

"We're giving you the chance to be on the good side and do the right thing." Sam's voice began to rise, but he brought it back down. "Call him. Tell him where you are.".

"Sam…" Emily started.

"Maybe this will get you to talk."

I held my lips tight. They could do whatever they wanted to me. I waited patiently for my mouth to be gagged or for bamboo splinters to be shoved under my fingernails. But all I heard was an oath muttered under Sam's breath and a few moments later, the sound of a ringer on speakerphone.

Curiosity got the better of me. I peeked up to see what was happening. Sam sat on the very edge of the chair he sat in the night before. He held his face in one hand. In the other was a cell phone. He stretched his arm out all the way, so the phone was as centered between the three of us as it could be.

On the second ring, the person picked up.

"Bella?"

His voice cracked my fractured heart in two. In that single word, I could hear how scared he was. And so, so desperate.

"Bella? Sweetheart, where are you!?"

I set my jaw. I knew what they were trying to do. It was my cell phone in Sam's hand. They hoped I would break from the sound of Edward's voice and beg him to save me. Little did they know the sound of his voice only solidified my resolve. I would never let them touch him.

Edward's next words were much quieter. I had to grip the cushion of the couch to keep myself from going towards the phone. "Can you not speak?" Then, his voice grew unbelievably tender. "It's okay, Baby. Everything will be alight."

I glanced up at Sam, to see if he still felt the same about killing such a docile creature. His face was carefully blank. Emily, on the other hand, had her head down. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulder, hiding her face from me. Good. She should feel ashamed.

Edward continued to croon into the phone, as soft and sweet as a lullaby, "Don't be frightened. We'll be together again soon. We always find each other…" He recounted one of our favorite dates—the one at the largest independent bookstore. I accidentally dodged him for an entire hour so effectively, Edward thought I was purposely avoiding him. Our reunion in the romance section threatened to put the books on the shelves to shame. I suspected Edward would continue speaking for as long as I stayed on the line, thinking I called him for the comfort of his voice, but Sam hung up the phone. His gaze bore into mine, fury leaking through the poker face.

"If you have her phone, just text him the address," Emily suggested, meek and uncertain.

"She wouldn't know the address. He would sniff out the trap," Sam guessed, correctly. "That's why I wanted her to talk to him. I don't know what she would say."

"If you text him, you don't have to sound like her. She would be trying to hide that she's communicating so it would make sense if things were short and abbreviated—purposefully add in some typos. It might even make him more desperate to get to her."

Sam nodded, thoughtfully. "I'll have to ask Jake where he got her from."

"Good plan," Emily patted his knee. Sam left without another word to me.

"You must think we're awful," Emily mumbled, helping herself to another muffin. This one, she cut open into two halves. She buttered both sides, drizzled honey on one, and left the other closer to me.

I did think they were awful.

"I'm sorry he got to you first. And for so long. Or, at least it sounded like you two have a history. When did you meet Edward?"

My bottom lip quivered. I tucked it between my teeth—I refused to cry in front of these people. All my memories of him were suddenly replaced by his voice on the phone, broken and lost.

"It doesn't seem like it, but we are trying to help. I would have strongly opposed the kidnapping if I had been involved in the decision. I mean, a little conversation goes a long way…" I could hear the frown in her voice. "But the boys really thought this was the best way to get you safe and keep you that way. That's what Sam wants. To keep you safe. He wants to keep everyone safe."

If I wasn't trapped in the room against my will, I would have told Emily how sweet her obvious affection and admiration towards Sam was. I would have compared them to my feelings for Edward. In any other circumstance, we would have bonded at that moment.

"I was attacked by a werewolf." My head snapped up at her confession. I had been so careful to avoid her gaze, it was the first time I saw her face. I quickly swallowed the gasp that came from the sight of the three ghastly scars slashed across her pretty, delicate face. "Sam saved me."

I wouldn't know what to say to her even if I was on speaking terms with her.

"It's how we met, actually. A typical love story. Girl meets boy. Boy meets girl. Girl gets attacked by supernatural beast and an ancient, buried Hunter gene emerges from boy."

It sounded ideal to me. But I wasn't the one who had to bear a scar like hers for the rest of my life.

"It's why he's so dedicated," she explained, "I support him as much as I do because what Sam and these boys do is prevent anyone else from ending up like me. All the girls out there who don't have a Sam to protect them." Girls like you, her eyes seemed to say. "Your boyfriend might be good to you, but who's to say he's not hurting someone else?"

"He wouldn't…"

Emily took a thoughtful bite of her muffin. "Maybe he doesn't now, but Bella…"

"He's never going to hurt anyone. He feeds from the blood of animals. His entire coven does."

This surprised her. "Really?"

"Yes," I said, desperately. I didn't bother to tell her I would love him just as fiercely even if he did feed from people. From me. "You can tell by his golden eyes."

"Golden eyes…" she said to herself. Her eyebrows pinched together as if she were recalling something from a distant memory. Then, she met my gaze once more. "You're sure about this?"

I perked up, hopeful. "Yes! No one in his coven wants to bring harm to anyone! They didn't get to choose what they are—but they do choose to hold onto their humanity in whatever way they can. Please, Emily. He's innocent. You don't need to hurt him."

"I'll see what I can do," she said, slowly. Uncertain.

She didn't seem to believe me. The only change in her expression was the exaggeration of her pity. She probably thought I was the juice box for an entire coven of vampires, tricked into thinking they were harmless. With that, Emily left both trays, the carafe of coffee, and a pitcher of water for me. Once the door shut softly behind her, I leaned back on the sofa with a huff. As kind as she was, Emily wasn't going to be any help. If anything, she would be more willing to get Edward here and killed to rescue me from my delusions.

I would have to figure out a way to get Edward's family here. They had a psychic at their disposal. Surely there was a way for me to catch her attention. Edward alone would be too risky. After he punched Jacob in the face, I couldn't trust Edward to think rationally when I was involved. I was fairly certain Alice's vision of him covered in blood was the outcome of Edward finding me alone.

That could never happen.

Before I could formulate a good plan, the doorknob turned again. I hoped it was Emily again, back to learn more about vegetarian vampires, but I deflated when Jacob's head stuck through the door. He turned back, as if he were checking to make sure no one saw him coming to see me.

I stared at him darkly as he crossed the room.

"Bella," he said in that overly familiar tone. The one he had no right to use.

He didn't join me on the couch like Emily or sit on the accent chair like Sam. He knelt on the floor in front of me. He was large enough that he was perfectly at my eye level.

He sighed. "I get why you're mad at me."

A thousand scathing remarks came to mind. I suppressed the urge to say any of them. Edward once told me Jacob wanted my attention more than anything. If I ignored him, maybe he would go away.

"I think I know how to make it up to you." He held up my cell phone. "I convinced Sam to let me contact your leech. It wasn't difficult. After all, I was the one who drove you. I know what you saw. Plus, I know you best."

He had the audacity to wink at me.

"Now, I can message him everything he would need to know to bring him to our doorstep. Or," he paused dramatically, "I could send him the wrong address. Send him to the opposite side of the state."

I knew my eyes lit up at the idea of sending Edward far, far away from the Hunters. Proud of himself for getting a positive reaction from me, Jacob's smile quirked to the side. "You like that, huh? Well, for me to do that for you, I'll need you to do something for me."

"Anything," the word fell from my lips, unbidden.

"Go away with me," his dark eyes shimmered in the low light. "Leave your vampire. Convince Charlie you needed a year off. Start a new life with me."

I wondered what on Earth made Jacob think I would leave Edward and my father for him.

He must have seen the question on my face because he answered it. "Think about it, Honey. You're the only key the Hunters have to him. With you gone, they have no leverage. He'll leave. They'll lose his trail, and I'm willing to bet he won't make it easy to find him again."

It was true. If Edward left me, I would have to leave. The memories of him would haunt me to insanity. Edward would suffer the same fate if he remained in Forks. He would leave. Heartbroken, but alive. It was a trade I was willing to make, but I didn't understand why Jacob would allow a vampire to go free.

"Why would you let Edward go?"

"Honey," he lifted his hand and placed it against my neck. "Because I love you."

I recoiled from his words and his touch.

"Believe me," he laughed to himself, "No one was more surprised to learn that than me… But there's something about you, Bella," he shook his head in horrified disbelief. "I can't get you out of my mind. You were sweet and shy back in the day with your books and flannels—it was so cute. And now, you're as charming as ever with this burst of confidence I can't ignore. I need to be with you. I would do anything to be with you."

Anger bubbled and boiled over in the form of tears. "Except be seen with me in public."

His black eyes softened in a way that I couldn't stand to look at. "Don't you listen to anything I've said? Everything I do is for you." He sounded like he truly believed his ridiculous claim. "I can look past…" he looked me up and down with barely concealed distaste, "…but I can't expect everyone to."

My mind immediately went to all the times Edward lovingly alleviated me of those fears. Not only on the afternoon when we shared our first kiss, but on our first, few dates that followed. He could sense my hesitation and if his reassuring touches weren't enough, he would whisper the words in my ears again.

That girl is only wondering where you got your hat.

That couple is ogling at the building behind you.

Stop worrying… He would kiss my hair, my nose, my cheek. Trust me…

Edward might have hated his telepathy, but it was a gift to me—the gift of truth. Whenever I needed it, he revealed the thoughts around us, so I knew no one cared enough to think anything of my shape or of our relationship. And if they did, their opinions mattered little to nothing.

Jacob cared. Possibly, more than I ever did. "I can't stand thinking about what people say when you're with him. Even if he weren't a bloodsucker, I could kill him just for putting you through that."

Trust me… the ghost of Edward's voice whispered in my ear. I clung to it. "So, what? We're going to run away together and you're going to lock me in a room?"

"I would never lock you in a room, Honey."

I didn't feel the need to point out the obvious.

"We would be together at home, as much as you want. And of course, with a restrictive diet…"

I tuned out the rest of his insults. To think he truly thought his feelings were those of love. Edward loved me. He loved every inch. If I lost a hundred pounds or gained a hundred more, his feelings would remain the same. I doubted anyone in the world felt as loved by their partner as I did by Edward.

Edward would scour the Earth for me. Of that, I was certain. I was also certain Edward would give up his own limbs to see me safe. Which meant I could not allow him to come near the Hunters. It was too dangerous. But, if Edward found me alone with Jacob—which I knew he would—it would be a much fairer fight.

I could not believe what I was about to say. "I'll go with you."

Jacob's face immediately brightened. It would have been sweet if he was any other person on Earth. "Really?"

I nodded.

Edward loved me. I was never more confident in that love than when I was while listening to Jacob's insane confessions. Even here, far from him, I could feel the comfort and security that came with that all-consuming, irrefutable love. I had no idea how I ever doubted it in the past, but I didn't doubt it anymore. I could be with Jacob long enough to ensure his safety. Once we were settled in whatever godforsaken place Jacob planned to drag me to, Edward would find me. Then, we would never be apart again.

E-POV

Pine needles shattered across my face as I sped through the dark forests circling a secluded home. The mental voices inside were unfamiliar and innocent, as they considered canceling the plans they made earlier that week.

I quickly moved on.

Searching.

Searching the lonely, lakeside cabins, the secluded beach houses, and the farmstead homes. The houses that were far apart, nestled deep in the woods. The old mobile homes with rusted vehicles out front and the large homesteads of those who wanted privacy. Around the thick hemlock trees draped with moss and over rivers.

For hours I pushed my own thoughts to the back of my mind, searching through everyone else's for signs of her. I would search every homestead in the country if I had to. In this world. I would sift through the thoughts of every, single person until she was in my arms again. I wished I could say the dedication was purely noble, but as I often was, I was being selfish. The moment my mind wandered too close to Bella, all would be lost. I needed to find her, not mourn her, like my heart was inclined to do.

The sun broke through the morning fog and began to filter through the thick canopy when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I took a deep breath through my nose, unsure if I could handle another cryptic phone call from Bella. To say it was gut-wrenching to hear her silence would be an understatement. But if she needed the comfort of my voice in her state, I would give it to her. I would cut out my own vocal cords and hand them to her if she needed me to.

I was both relieved and devastated to see Alice's name on the screen. It was a relief and a burden in another way because a call from Alice meant a call from the future. I wasn't sure I was ready to know what lay ahead.

I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping for good news.

"Edward!"

I immediately smiled.

"You saw her," I breathed.

"Yes!"

I collapsed onto the woodland floor, head in my free hand. "God, thank you."

"You're welcome," Alice chirped. I could hear the grin in her voice at her own joke.

"Someone made a big decision," Alice said. It was often the case. "Whatever it is, it brings Bella to the mall in Tacoma."

"The mall?" I clarified.

"Yup! The Capitol Mall."

I didn't need to ask how Alice knew which mall. My sister had every mall in the area memorized. All she needed was a glimpse of an interior and she would know where it was. Convenient indeed that Bella would end up in the realm of our psychic's expertise.

I rubbed my temple. "How soon?"

"Night, I think. Bella was worried they were about to close."

That didn't mean nighttime. Raised in a small town, Bella was convinced everything closed at 5 and if she stepped foot in any establishment after twilight, she would be gunned down. I told Alice as much. She laughed.

"I'll go and wait for her."

Alice said she would wait for further instruction, and if she didn't receive any the family would meet me there.

I glanced up at the sun and took off in the appropriate direction. Even though Alice's vision of Bella in the mall could happen at any point in the future, it was still something. I would wait there for days if I had to. Besides, Bella at a mall most likely meant they were acquiring her provisions for a long stay. Hopefully, the Hunters would take care of her comfort sooner rather than later.

I was halfway to the mall when I realized I didn't need to be there yet, if Bella wasn't due to arrive until dusk. That meant I would spend most of the morning and the whole afternoon sitting and waiting.

Or, I could use that time to keep looking.

The plan wasn't as ridiculous as it was when I had the entire continental United States to search through. Alice's vision narrowed down my search, significantly. Down to the area where this mall would be the most convenient place to shop. Certainly, the Hunters wouldn't go out of their way for a shopping trip. I could search the residential areas that met those qualifications.

I knew the safest and smartest thing to do would be to wait at the place I knew Bella would be. However, the thought of getting to her now was far too tempting to ignore.

A few hours.

I would give myself three hours to look for Bella. Then, I would go to the mall, wait until closing, and pick up my search again until the next day.

Decided, I allowed instinct to take over, trusting it to prevent me from running into a tree or through a building, and listened to the world around me through the eyes and ears of my gift. For decades, my idea of perfecting my power was to have the voices pushed back until they faded into a low, indistinguishable hum. Easing Bella's fears, hanging around Bella's friends while keeping an ear out for Jacob, and being more integrated into human society forced me to perfect the other aspect of my gift. Listening for relevant thoughts.

I utilized all my practice with Bella and pushed it to the limit to turn the hum of voices into distinct, comprehensible thoughts, like an excavator sifting through sand for one, hidden gem.

It only took two hours.

Then, I saw her.

It was merely a memory of her in someone's mind but the image of her still took my breath away.

In this person's memory, her brown eyes were wide with panic. I whimpered, pathetically. My sweet, brave girl. Another mind pictured the same image of her, at a different angle. A third person had another vision of Bella in their mind. She was disheveled, the whites of her eyes red and glassy. Her thick hair was pushed behind her ears. Still so, so lovely.

I stalked closer to their thoughts and found myself at a small, red house. It was low on the mountain, right in the middle of a standard neighborhood. The house was on the cul-de-sac, tucked further in the woods than the others. These Hunters were firm believers in "Hidden in Plain Sight," it seemed.

I climbed into the trees. Like a panther, I prowled along the branches. The Hunters were all in one room. A dining room, I could see through one of their eyes. Finding Bella in the house wouldn't be as easy, but it wouldn't be difficult either. I studied the pitched roof. It had two dormers I could use to hide behind, even in the daylight. It was midday, but the clouds were thick. In fact, it would start to rain at any moment. I would be safe.

Though hunters were as fast and strong as me, their hearing wasn't nearly as sensitive. Still, I moved slowly and carefully as I crept across the roof. Then, right below me, I heard a small sigh. A sigh I could pick out in a crowded room.

Bella.

I did it.

I found Bella.

I pressed my hand against the shingles, reverently. "I'm right here, Sweetheart."