Beta: Melody Taylor

Pre-reader: EMHW-Bear

As always, I don't own Twilight…

A/N: I decided to post early because I'm blown away by your reception to this story. All the favorites and follows already. I just… wow! Thank you so much! I hope you all continue to enjoy this story. I still plan to post the next chapter next Wednesday, and then to pick up with the bi-weekly postings as originally intended from there. Thanks for reading!

Billy's sobering face brought them back into check again… "Cold ones. They're back…"

Bella's heart clenched. "I mean I guess it goes with wolves… If werewolves are real, why wouldn't vampires be real?" She babbled on, then realized she should probably shut up. Vampires and Werewolves are mortal enemies. She'd seen Van Helsing.

Casting her eyes to Sam's face, she watched him. He swallowed, clenching and unclenching the hand that wasn't holding hers. He took deep breaths while he tried to calm the shivers Bella could see racing up and down his spine. His deep voice sounded in the quiet of the room, "So, is that what this is, Billy? Am I a werewolf that's s'posed to kill vampires?"

"We probably should talk without, uh…" He glanced at Bella.

Sam scoffed, "I think it's too late to be keeping secrets from Bella, now, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, we'll dig out the old journals and start learning more about this. I know the legends. Hell, Bella knows the legends, too, after the bonfire last month." Billy rubbed the top of his head as he thought. "Sam, if you've phased, then others will. We need to keep an eye on the descendants of the last wolves."

"But why now? Why after all this time? Why didn't you guys phase, Billy?" Sam asked, his brow creased in a frown as he worked to piece it all together.

"I'll search the journals to confirm, but my guess is because you weren't needed until now."

"Are the cold ones really vampires?" Bella couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, they are. They were here many years ago, but they left and I had heard they were back, but was hoping…"

"What am I supposed to do now? Am I supposed to be looking for these… these cold ones… and eliminating them? How do I even do that?" Sam asked. He was fidgeting more aggressively, his leg bouncing hard enough to drive a hole in the floor. Taking her free hand, Bella reached over and idly rubbed small circles into Sam's shoulder while the thumb on her other hand rubbed back and forth across the skin on his hand. It had the intended effect. Sam started to calm down, and his leg wasn't bouncing quite as hard.

Billy rolled over in front of Sam and put his hand on his forearm. "We will cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now, let's just get you practicing how to phase in and out. We know getting mad helps phase to the wolf. What happened to get you to phase back?" Billy asked, leaning back into his chair and folding his hands in his lap.

Sam reached back and rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know. I smelled Bella, so I walked over to her." Closing his eyes, he tried to think. "She helped calm me down. I hadn't been able to rest. I just ran. So, when I smelled her, I just went over to her, and she was soothing, somehow. She didn't freak out or scream. She just talked to me. I dunno, Billy." Sam trailed off in a yawn.

Hesitantly, Bella spoke, "Maybe, um... I think maybe the rest can wait until morning?" Bella asked. "Sam looks exhausted." The dark rings under his eyes showed just how long he'd been running.

Sam's stomach growled loudly. Looking at Billy, Bella said, "Maybe I can drive him home, fix him some food, and we can come back in the morning?"

"You don't have to do that, Bella," Sam said.

"I don't think we will need you tomorrow, Bella," Billy told her. "This is tribal business. I expect I can trust you to keep it secret?"

"Yeah, because anyone would believe me if I tried to tell them," she said with a roll of her eyes. "And Sam, I don't mind. I like to cook, actually."

She walked to the door, Sam following close behind, carrying the folded quilt.

Once out in the night air, they both breathed deeply, and let out a long sigh. Sam seemed to be looking for a lifeline, his hands fidgeting with the blanket, his eyes scanning the tree line, and then looking back to her. He seemed so lost. So Bella grabbed his hand again and didn't let go, even when he was directing her across the small reservation to his house.

They sat in the quiet of the truck for a moment, even after she'd turned the engine off. Neither one knew what to say. Bella looked at Sam and found him watching her.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" he whispered into the stillness.

She didn't hesitate in answering, "If you were going to hurt me, you would have already. I mean, you were a giant wolf. I won't say that I wasn't terrified because you already know that I was." She paused to take a breath and ran her free hand through the ends of her hair that had fallen over her shoulder. "But I'm not scared of you now. I wasn't from the moment I realized you weren't gonna eat me." She gave him a small smile.

She opened the door of her truck and pulled on Sam's hand, urging him to follow her out. She stood in front of the cute house. It was painted a light gray, and the windows in front were edged with navy shutters and trim. The front door matched the shutters. Under the windows were simple flower boxes, but they were empty.

Sam didn't pull a key out or anything. He just walked in. "It's the rez," he said with a shrug. "No one's gonna steal anything from me."

She nodded, not knowing what else there was to say. He led her to the kitchen. "You really don't have to cook for me, Bella. I can do it."

"Sam, look at me." She waited until his eyes met hers and he could see the honesty in her eyes. "I promise I love to cook. And if I cook for you, you can go take a shower and clean up a little bit. I bet you'll feel a million times better once you do."

She hadn't really paid much attention, but he did have dirt streaked across his chest in places and a small patch on his left cheek. She looked back down where he still held her hand, or maybe she still held his, and saw the dirt caked under his nails. There was also dirt embedded in his feet.

He looked down at himself also, and turned a little red, "I'm never this filthy. I'm sorry y-"

"Don't apologize. You've been a wolf for three weeks. You were bound to get dirty."

"Thanks, Bella," he said as he dropped her hand and headed through a small door in a tiny nook that could almost be considered a tiny hallway.

Wasting no time, Bella searched through the cabinets and tried to find something she could make pretty fast. Finding hamburger, sauce and noodles, she decided she could make a pan of spaghetti for him. Whatever was left he could eat the next day. Pulling out the pans she needed, she set water on to boil and made quick work of browning the meat.

She was just finishing when Sam emerged from the bathroom. He had jeans slung low on his hips and no shirt. His hair was still dripping in a few places and his russet skin glistened with the dewy sheen from his shower. A single droplet rolled down his shoulder and trekked down over his pec. It paused in the crevice made between the first two abs, before continuing down to the v that started just at the top of his pants.

Looking back up at Sam's face, she felt her own turn red at being caught staring. She was really beyond being able to help it-he was sexy. "So, uh, I made spaghetti…" She trailed off, not really sure what else to say.

"Thanks. I'll get plates down. You should eat something, too." He reached into one of the cupboards and pulled the plates out, taking the one that was chipped. Then he pulled two forks out of a drawer. He insisted she serve herself first, so she took a small scoop, and left the rest for him. He didn't have many groceries in his cabinets and she didn't want to take too much. Charlie may not have lots of money, but they were definitely comfortable and didn't want for anything.

They ate in silence. Bella finished her small helping quickly and watched Sam eat. Her eyes got bigger with each spoonful he put on his plate. When there was nothing left, he leaned back and patted his stomach. "I don't think I've ever eaten that much in my life." He stared at the empty pot.

"I thought you could eat leftovers tomorrow, but, uh, I think I'm gonna have to bring you more," Bella told him with a giggle.

She stood straight from where she'd been leaning over the counter, and reached to gather the dirty dishes. Sam's big hand on hers stopped her. "I can get that."

"I don't mind cleaning up my mess," she told him as she reached for his dishes, too.

She moved to the sink and started running water to warm it up for the few dishes. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Sam swipe his finger around the edge of the pot and suck the sauce from his finger. "Mmmm, that was really good. Thanks for doing that for me. I really appreciate it."

Bella's eyes stayed trained on his lips, watching as his tongue darted out to collect the tiny bit of sauce on the corner of his mouth. Her gaze darkened as she thought about how his full lips might feel pressed against hers. Shaking her head, she added dish soap to the water and submerged the dishes. Once she was finished, she dried her hands on a towel, and let the water out. She was afraid the silence might be awkward, but they were both consumed with their own thoughts.

Turning to Sam, she leaned on the cabinet. "I should head out," she told him, idly picking at the cuticle of her thumbnail.

"Yeah, probably," he said. "I'll walk you out."

He held the door for her, and followed her to her truck. His hand was on the handle, and his heat surrounded her as he stood behind her. Turning to look at Sam, she leaned her head back to look up into his face. His other arm trapped her in as he rested his hand on the roof.

"I really can't thank you enough, Bella. I'd probably still be running around as a wolf if I hadn't caught your scent." He dipped his head closer to hers and inhaled. "You smell like strawberries. I don't know what it is about you…" He rested his forehead against hers.

All she had to do was raise up on her tiptoes and she would know exactly how his lips felt. Or she could duck away and slide into her truck. She was staring into the depths of his eyes, and his impossibly dark orbs turned darker when he looked at her lips, where she'd pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth.

Sam lifted his hand and traced his fingers lightly down her jaw and curled his fingers around the back of her neck, tangling his fingers into her hair. He gave her time to protest.

She didn't.

Her breath hitched in her chest, and she released her bottom lip; her tongue flicked out to wet it in nervousness.

His head descended, and his lips brushed across hers once, twice, in featherlight kisses. But she reached up and pulled him closer to her, anchoring her hands around his shoulders, arching her back so their lips and bodies melded together. She parted her lips slightly and their mouths moved together.

Gathering her senses, Bella slowly pulled back and leaned her head on his shoulder. Sam buried his head into the nape of her neck and breathed deeply. She could feel puffs of air against her skin and felt goosebumps erupt in its wake.

As their breathing returned to normal, he ran his fingers through the ends of her hair. Lifting his face, he settled one hand on her hip, and used the other to raise her head so he could meet her eyes.

"I know Billy said he didn't need you to come in the morning, but… I, uh, I dunno what you have going on, but… well, if you're not busy-"

"Sam, if you want me to be here, I will be. I can come by here in the morning and we can go over together?"

Releasing the breath he didn't even know he'd been holding, he told her, "That would be great! I don't know why, but I just…"

"I know, Sam. I know," she reassured him, resting a hand gently on his cheek. "Tell me what time, and I'll bring breakfast."

"Do you have a cell phone?"

"Yeah, of course," she pulled hers from her back pocket and handed it to him.

Reluctantly, he released her and called his own phone.

She tucked her phone back into her pocket, and smiled warmly up at him. "Call me in the morning. I'm gonna go home so you can get some sleep."

"'Kay," he said quietly. "I'll see you in the morning. Drive safe, Bella."

She hummed the whole way home, distracted by thoughts of Sam and the way his lips felt on hers.