What the pack didn't know was that the Cullens had a returning visitor. James had gone with his companions to visit the Denali coven. When he was ready to leave Alaska, he was the only one who wanted to go.

Laurent had found his mate in Irina. The two had both been searching so long. Laurent was not partial to the animal diet, but he would do whatever it took to stay with Irina.

Victoria was looking for safety and security. She hadn't felt safe with James in ages. He was always dragging her into dangerous situations. In Denali, Victoria could envision a family again and a stable life. The coven there was understanding of her need to feel safe. They too had bad encounters with the Volturi. They wanted to stay hidden just as much as she did. She did not mind the animal diet. Tanya was drawn to her and Victoria wanted to see if they had a future together.

Thus, James returned to Forks alone. As a human, James was an animal tracker. As a vampire, he had hunted humans and vampires. There were not many challenges left to him.

James enjoyed hunting animals in the wild forest around Denali and around Mount Olympus. It brought him back to his roots as an animal tracker, like before he was turned. The animal hunt gave him a sense of nostalgia.

There was no challenge for him in Alaska, though. There were no people within a 50 mile radius of the coven's home. Forks had a good balance. There were people, but he thought he could meet the challenge and abstain.

He used the time in Forks to meditate on what to hunt next. He had heard about werewolves in Canada. He had also got wind of strange beings in the Amazon, half human, half vampire. He wasn't sure if they were legends or not, but he thought it might be worth looking into. Carlisle had the largest vampire library outside of Volterra. Between him and Edward, surely they could point him in the right direction.

Edward and James became unlikely friends. Edward found his single mindedness on tracking almost pure. It was relaxing. Most minds were erratic, jumping from topic to topic, but James' mind was peaceful to Edward. He and Edward would often hunt together. Still, James' presence in Forks did provoke an unexpected response on the Quileute reservation.

~O~

A month had passed since Bella last saw Leah, but she was on her mind constantly. Bella was on patrol one Friday evening when she noticed a shimmer in the pack mind. Someone had phased in, but no one was declaring themselves.

Hey, who is that? She asked.

Bella could tell that it was a stranger to her. It was a kid. He was confused. Bella stopped and howled. One by one, the guys flashed into the pack mind.

What's up, Bella? Paul asked.

Someone new joined but they're not talking.

Sam spoke in his musical alpha timber. Who's there?

Quil Ateara the fifth.

Where are you?

The kid was looking at the woods behind the Clearwater's house.

What were you doing with Leah? Bella asked. She was pissed. Her legs were moving her toward her imprint's house, ready to protect her by any means necessary.

Paul tried to cut in. Bella, Quil's a kid. He's close to Seth's age.

Leah? Quil sounded confused. I was hanging out with Seth.

Bella wasn't paying attention. She was running at top speed, narrowing in on her destination. Her mind was brimming rage and violent ideation.

Bella, stop! Sam commanded.

Bella froze a few yards from the new wolf. She was in a crouch, ready to pounce, ready to rip his throat out. The new wolf was trembling, seeing this lightning bolt of a white wolf coming at him, reading the bloodlust from her mind.

Jared, take Bella home, Sam said.

A brown wolf approached Bella. She was snarling at the new wolf but could not advance on him further. It was like her legs were bolted to the ground whenever she tried to get closer.

Bella, let's go! Jared commanded in his beta timber. Bella followed the brown wolf toward her newly finished house. The door was locked. "Where's the key?" Jared asked.

Bella thought for a minute. She hadn't been to the house in about four days. That was when the pack had thrown her a housewarming party. Everything was complete, ready for her to move in. Still, she slept in the driftwood log.

She checked under the welcome mat. The key was there. She swung the door open to let Jared in. They both sat on the couch that Sam's mom had asked him to take to the dump.

"Quil is friends with Seth," Jared told her. "Leah's car wasn't even home. I think she was working."

"Oh."

"What is happening between you two?"

"Nothing," Bella said, moping with her head in her hands. "She hasn't talked to me since she saw the wolf. Don't you think I would have told you if something changed?"

"If you're not seeing her, what do you care if she's seeing Quil?"

"She's mine!" Bella's face was all rage all over again.

"Oh, are you two exclusive now?" Jared asked sarcastically.

Bella closed her eyes, trying to push away her misery. "How could we be? She won't even talk to me. She's afraid of me!"

"Have you tried to talk to her?"

"She ran away from me!"

"The imprint feels what the wolf feels," Jared repeated again.

"You guys keep saying that but it doesn't make sense!" It was stressing Bella out whenever they said that to her. It was obvious that Leah did not care about her the same way she cared about Leah. It made her feel like there was something wrong with their imprint bond.

"Tell me, what does it mean?" Jared inquired, finally beginning to understand.

"You're trying to say that she wants me as much as I want her, but there's no way."

"Not exactly, Bella," Jared said kindly. "We're trying to say that the two of you absorb each other's emotions. So you've been sad and uncertain and hopeless since she walked away. I have a hunch that you are absorbing her emotions."

Bella sat up straight on the couch, then jumped to her feet. It was like a lightbulb went off over her head. "That makes sense, actually."

"I don't think it's good for you two to be apart," Jared said. "I think you're both wallowing in her misery."

"I thought it was my misery because she rejected me."

"That is probably adding to it, but she's absorbing that misery too, pulling it into her own."

"How do I end the misery, Jared?" Bella whined.

"Fucking talk to her Bella! Where is your confidence? You used to pull in so many chicks. What are you doing?"

"I don't want them. Just her."

"Then get her," Jared encouraged. "You gave her space. Good job. Now give it another go."

"How?"

"I can take you to the diner to see her," Jared offered.

"No, I'll go by myself."

~O~

Bella stood outside of the diner for a minute, psyching herself out. She half wished she had brought Jared. He would have pushed her in.

She stepped in and took inventory of the room. Leah was in a far corner refilling coffee. About half of the tables were empty. There was only one guy at the counter.

Bella was waiting for Leah to see her, waiting for her response. Would it be fear?

Leah turned around. Without looking up, she filled the coffee at the next table. She stood up straight and headed for the counter, scanning the room to see if anyone needed her.

Her eyes passed over Bella, then snapped to Bella's eyes.

There was no fear.

There was only sadness.

Bella pointed to a seat at the counter. Leah nodded. Leah handed her a menu when she got to the counter.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Leah asked.

"Coke, please. When do you get off?"

"In an hour."

"Can I talk to you then?"

Leah nodded. "I'll be back in a minute for your order, if you're getting anything."

Bella nodded.

Leah put down her drink, then brought food to a table. Bella looked over the menu, but she already knew what she wanted to order.

"What can I get for you, Beautiful?"

Bella looked up at Leah, jaw dropped. That had to be a good sign, that she called her that. "Double bacon cheeseburger with fries and a side salad."

"What dressing for the salad?"

"Ranch."

Leah nodded, jotting everything down in her little notebook. "The salad will be out shortly."

Bella watched Leah go to the back room. She could see through the window that Leah was making her salad. Leah brought it out with the dressing on the side.

"How have you been?" Leah asked, stretching her arms behind her.

"Miserable, you?"

"Miserable, but that's the same as usual. What happened to make you miserable?"

Bella looked up at her and couldn't stop her eyes from watering.

Leah looked so concerned. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry I scared you," Bella said.

"I overreacted. I've got to tend to this table," Leah said, pointing with her head.

Leah grabbed some plates from the kitchen and walked them to one of her tables. Another customer asked for a check so she went right to the register, walking past Bella briskly.

Bella was finished with her salad before Leah got back to her.

"So what's going on?" Leah asked. "What's got you down, Beautiful?"

"You didn't want to see me. That's it, Leah. That's what got me down."

Leah sighed. "Bella, we had two dates."

"So you weren't sad after you ended it?"

"I didn't say that. I just…" Leah looked distracted by something in the corner where Bella couldn't see. "I've got to get that."

Leah grabbed the coffee pot and went to the far side of the diner. Bella sipped her coke.

Leah came back and dropped off the double bacon cheeseburger with fries, then went to the cash register. She walked away again.

Bella ate the burger while Leah was away. She'd eat the fries when Leah could talk. Fries were easier conversation food.

Leah came back a minute later. "Has anything else been happening?"

"Yeah, but nothing that I can talk about here. What's been happening with you?"

"I passed my theater class."

"That's awesome, Leah! I never had a doubt. It must feel good to have that behind you."

"It does. I finally graduated."

"But you're still miserable?"

Leah put her elbows on the counter. She rested her head on her hands so she was face to face with Bella. "I broke my own heart when I ran from you that night."

"You broke mine too."

"I was afraid you'd say that."

"Why were you afraid of that?" Bella asked.

The bell over the door chimed. Leah stood up straight. A whole family came in. Leah smiled widely but it was one of those smiles that didn't reach her eyes. She led them to an empty booth. She got menus and took their drink order.

Then she had to fill and deliver their drinks. They knew what they wanted to order. By the time she had submitted that to the kitchen, one of her other tables was ready for their check.

When Bella saw that the hour was almost up, she asked for her check. She wanted to make sure Leah got the tip.

"It's on me," Leah said.

"You can't do that!"

"I already did."

"Can I at least tip?" Bella asked.

"No, I took care of that, too."

Bella scowled.

"What are you going to do, eat me?" Leah asked playfully.

Bella let out a seductive growl. "So fucking tempting."

"Can I drive you home?" Leah asked.

"I'd love that. I've got the house finished."

"Oh, nice. I've got to clock out, so don't move a muscle."

"Ok." She didn't move a muscle.