Prologue

Jacob's POV

Monday morning and the world had thrown me a curveball. Ready to step out the door, a new email notification stopped me in my tracks. Isabella Cullen's name glowed on the screen, and I felt a chill. Thirteen years had passed since I'd last heard from Bella Swan. Frankly, I never anticipated hearing from her again. Sure, tidbits of her life had dribbled in through Billy and Charlie, despite my constant reminders that I didn't care. Bella and Edward had managed to bring a half-vampire, half-human child into the world. According to Charlie, now hitched to Sue and privy to all the details, the demon child was supposedly charming. I'm pretty sure I remember Paul hurling into Emily's trash bin the day Sam reported this story. Can't blame him.

Since then, the Cullens had faded into the background. I graduated high school, got my business degree at the University of Seattle, and returned to La Push when Sam decided to hang up his Alpha hat, passing the torch to me. Life was good - a car mechanic by day, pack Alpha when duty called, surrounded by my friends and family. But just when life was finally good and peaceful, those bloodsuckers had to nose back into La Push. I swear, it's like they had a sixth sense or something. I clicked open the email.

Jacob,

Charlie gave me your email address. It feels weird to be writing to you. I would have called, but I'm sure you would have hung up before I could finish any sentence. You can't have changed that much.

My daughter, Renesmee, has decided she wants to spend her summer off from school in Forks to spend time with her grandfather. You probably heard that she is what we call a hybrid: she is half vampire, half human. She eats a combination of human food and blood; however, she feeds exclusively on animal blood and has never harmed a human. She is enrolled full-time at the University and spends most of her time around humans.

She is already aware of the treaty and will not cross into your territory. I assumed it would, however, be best to warn you she would be coming, should the pack come across her scent if you patrol closer to Forks.

Feel free to call me if you need more information; Charlie, of course, has my phone number. I would love to hear from you anyway, but I understand if you don't.

Warm regards,

Bella

This brought us to today. The bloodsucker rolled into Forks today. We expanded our patrol perimeter to catch her when she headed out for a hunt. Personally, I'd have sent her packing on the spot, treaty or not. But the tribe had voted to stick to the old agreement. Still, as the pack leader, I figured a little old-fashioned hazing wouldn't hurt. The treaty didn't say anything about that, right?

Chapter 1

Jacob's POV

Leah was on patrol when the demon spawn finally decided to run out of Forks to hunt. Always the fastest runner, Leah was closing in rapidly as the rest of us followed suit, mentally sharing her peripheral vision. About 200 meters ahead, a pale female came into view, definitely swift but struggling to match our wolf speed.

Suddenly, she boldly halted in her tracks, apparently deciding to wait for us to catch up. As Leah caught up with the bloodsucker, we could now make a clear assessment of the creature. She seemed a bit older than a teenager, maybe around 20 years old. Her flushed cheeks revealed the exertion of the chase, and a discernible heartbeat echoed in the air. Long waves of darkish bronze hair framed her face. Even mid-hunt, she looked like one of those supermodels I occasionally glimpsed in my sister's fashion magazines. I couldn't help but think that the child had way more Edward than Bella in her.

"Jeez, she might be half bloodsucker but… She's hot."

Embry's remark reverberated through the pack's thoughts. Seth chuckled, while Leah, Quil, and I emitted low growls. At the sound, the female spoke up.

"You're one of the Quileute's wolves, right? It's nice to meet you. I'm Renesmee Cullen," she said.

Her voice had a melodic quality, but Leah's growls only intensified at the sound of that last name. The girl could probably sense the rest of the pack closing in fast. The pace of her heart picked up slightly, yet she played it cool, her tone calm and collected.

"I'm certain I'm at least a few miles from La Push's territory, but perhaps, you would like me to go even further? That's not a problem," she continued.

Damn Cullens and their fake-ass politeness. Finally making it to the clearing with the rest of the pack, I noticed the girl slowly turning away from Leah to face all of us. Her stance shifted from friendly to defensive. I steeled myself for the usual stench of rusty blood and decomposing flesh that usually came with vampires, but to my surprise, she smelled nice – both salty like the ocean and sweet like vanilla. Vanilla?! Get it together, Black.

Teeth bared and snarling, I approached the girl, taking it slow to send a clear message: sure, she might be allowed on Forks' turf by some treaty crap, but that didn't mean we'd be rolling out the welcome mat. Facing her now, I took a good look at her face.

I came to a sudden halt, feeling as if a train had slammed into me. Those eyes—I'd seen that exact shade of chocolate brown before. It was almost comical how I once considered those eyes pretty on Bella, now realizing how utterly stunning they looked on this girl's flawless face. Despite my initial intent to intimidate her, I found myself involuntarily lowering to the ground.

This couldn't be happening. After nearly 14 years as a wolf, it seemed impossible that I had just imprinted. And on a vampire, no less. The daughter of my sworn enemies. Disgust and anger surged within me, conflicting with this newfound urge to avoid frightening the girl. The internal battle raged on, tearing at the very fabric of my being. Already, I sensed myself transforming into one of those pathetic imprinted wolves, prioritizing the feelings of their imprints over themselves or the pack.

Speaking of the pack, their thoughts were screaming in my head almost as loud as mine.

"Jake, that's amazing!" Seth exclaimed. He had always been too buddy-buddy with the Cullen Clan for my liking. I brushed off his opinion without much thought.

"If we think about it, this makes sense. I never understood your old obsession with Bella Swan. It must have been the imprinting all along," Quil explained ever the most logical one in the group.

"Disgusting," Leah scoffed. As usual, she and I were on the same wavelength.

It all was too much. My initial plan to bully the girl was fighting against my new overwhelming desire to stare at her, to phase back and talk to her. Of course, my anger won. I took off running, leaving my pack and this fucking awful situation behind me.

Renesmee POV

I had about two hours left on my drive, so I used the time to call Charlie and give him a heads-up about my imminent arrival in town. Despite my plans to stay at the cottage my grandma Esmee had built in Forks for my parents over a decade ago, Charlie insisted I join him for dinner. This dinner would be my first encounter with my grandma-in-law Sue and her son Seth.

Heading down for the summer from Sacramento, where I attended Stanford Law School, I could have opted for a quicker plane journey. However, the thought of abandoning my 1960 Cadillac Eldorado for the entire summer was unbearable. Plus, I enjoyed the drive, and I didn't need many pit stops for sleep or food.

The sky hinted at an impending rain shower, and a part of me already yearned for the mild, sunny climate of the Bay Area. Having reached maturity at 8 years old, I'd pleaded with my parents to let me venture off to college on my own. Don't get me wrong, I loved my parents, but growing up in a family where your dad can read your thoughts, your uncle knows your every mood, and your aunt can predict the outcome of your smallest choices can be suffocating. Leaving for college was initially daunting but exhilarating. For the first time, I was independent—I could make friends, and keep secrets! After my undergrad at Yale, I moved to Stanford for law school. Although my summer internship was remote, I chose to spend it in Forks. Grandpa Charlie wasn't getting any younger, and being my only human relative, I wanted to make the most of the time I had with him.

I rolled into Forks with three hours to spare before dinner. Despite not feeling particularly thirsty, I decided to go on a hunt. After the long 10-hour drive, I was itching for a good run. My feet touched the grass with grace, and I shot off like a rocket. I took a deep breath. God, the forestry climate of Washington State smelled so much better than the dense city I had come from. The scent of pine, damp earth, and distant rain was a nice change. A wild and rich scent also beckoned a couple of miles ahead. A grizzly bear, perhaps? Now that sounded appealing.

Suddenly, a new sound disrupted my hunt: the crisp snap of twigs under powerful paws. I felt a surge of adrenaline, my senses heightened as I realized I was not alone in the pursuit. A swift, primal instinct warned me of a formidable presence, a predator matching my every move. The exhilaration of the hunt shifted to a pulse of unease.

Though I'm half-human, I usually had no trouble keeping pace with most of my vampire family, although my stamina lacked. This creature felt different. Its pursuit was relentless, and the rapid thud of its paws resonated with a determination that sent shivers down my spine. The chase intensified, the forest closing in around me. My mind raced, attempting to fathom the nature of this pursuer. The legends shared by my family echoed in my thoughts, tales of Quileute shapeshifters.

I stopped on a dime as my chase came fully into focus. There it was—a grey wolf, its eyes gleaming with intelligence that transcended mere instinct.

"You're one of the Quileute's wolves, right? It's nice to meet you. I'm Renesmee Cullen."

The wolf emitted a menacing low growl, and from the recesses of my mind, I sensed others approaching. While I was not the strongest physically, my uncles had instilled in me a solid foundation in combat, and my gift was a potent one. Over the years, I had perfected the ability to project my gift without physical contact—I could make others see my thoughts from a distance. In a fight, this came in handy as I could confuse my adversary by projecting different distracting scenarios. Although I felt confident I could handle this lone grey wolf, the prospect of facing a group was an entirely different challenge. I focused on staying calm.

"I'm certain I'm at least a few miles from La Push's territory, but perhaps, you would like me to go even further? That's not a problem," I said, maintaining a diplomatic tone.

As I spoke, the rest of the pack arrived in the clearing. Five massive wolves stood around me. The largest one, unmistakably the alpha, approached at a deliberate pace, growling menacingly. Knowing I wouldn't stand a chance of outrunning the entire pack, I turned to face him directly. Striving to match their intimidating presence, I summoned my most confident expression and locked eyes with him.

If he weren't trying to kill me, I might have admitted that the big russet wolf had nice eyes. The haunting shadows cast by the ancient trees painted an eerie yet captivating picture. For some reason, I couldn't look away. The tension hung thick in the air as we maintained eye contact for what felt like an eternity. Then, all of a sudden, the big wolf surrendered and lay on the ground. The rest of the wolves erupted in a series of howls and grunts. I remained silent, bewildered. The big wolf, who had been so imposing just moments ago, suddenly ran away, the rest of the group following suit.

What the hell had just happened?