Chapter Eight

By noon I felt like I accomplished most of the things on my to-do list. I’d had a good nap, went shopping with Angela at the nearest convenience store for necessary toiletries, and avoided Paul at all cost. Not that I was scared of him, I just didn’t want to see the glare that would mark me a vampire girl. He was convinced that within those few minutes I smelled like the enemy, I had become the enemy, and I really didn’t need that. Seeing as how I was withholding information I felt like an enemy. It wasn’t as if I didn’t try to tell someone. During our trip into the real world, I tried to tell Angela, but each time I opened my mouth the words seemed to stick in my throat.

I couldn’t tell her because I knew the minute I did, I would beg her not to tell anyone, and when the truth got out it would endanger her. Not that I was sure I was in danger of being kicked out to begin with, but I would disappoint Charlie. Heck, I was already disappointing him, he just didn’t know it.

Guess I needed to learn how to keep a secret better.

If the truth did get out, and I was certain it would, especially with the way Paul eyed me on his way to his room, then not only would I be in trouble but also the Cullens’.

Wait, wait, why did I care about them? I was done with them. Carlisle nursed me back to health, saved my life, and I moved on. So why was I keeping the stupid number?

In all honestly, I had no fucking clue. Because I could use it? For what? I never wanted to see those vampires ever again. I should rip it up, burn it—I don’t care how it’s done, I had to do it for the safety of our group. For my safety. And I guess . . . for the Cullen’s safety, as well. I hated it, but I was scared that if someone found out who the number belonged to, it would lead them straight to the Cullen household and the people who so kindly took care of me would be killed.

No, I have to stop thinking this way! Who cares about a coven of vampires—it doesn’t matter what they did for me, I’m not doing anything for them, and I’m certainly not going to see them again. Ever. I hit my head against the wall, hopefully getting back a bit of my common sense in the process, and heaved a sigh. The number was still in my back pocket, I was still obsessing over it, and I still couldn’t make up my mind. I just had to get out of the house, shoot a gun, smoke a cigarette—something to get my mind off it. Maybe I could ship off to California sooner rather than later. Angela already offered to rent me space in her suitcase; the little necessities I bought today would show up a few days later. I’d get the shakes soon if I didn’t have some action.

Speaking of action, where was Jake? He was around when he offered me his bed to take a nap and when I woke up two hours later he was no where to be found. He was gone for four hours and Billy showed no concern at all. That was a little fishy to me. If my kid went missing in a big city I would throw a fit and get the police involved. But Billy was sure he would come back sooner or later, and Charlie agreed with him, so who was I to worry?

“Bella, hey, are you okay?” Angela shook my shoulder gently and I snapped back to earth with a jump. She stepped back. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you but you were looking a little pale. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied with a sigh.

“Ever since you showed up you seem a little different. Have you talked to anyone about him?”

“Who? What have you heard?”

“Seth. Your dad told me about the attack. I figured you wouldn’t share such personal feelings with a stranger like the doctor, but we’re friends, you can talk to me.”

Oh, Seth, right. Not that horrible dirty secret gnawing at the back of my head. That doesn’t exist.

I shook my head. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet, Angela. Maybe after this mess if over, when I have time to sit and think, then I’ll consider talking about it. Until then . . . I can’t.” I can’t lose this reason to fight.

She smiled gently, just like she used to back in the high school cafeteria when that boy looked at her. What was his name? He always followed her around, too afraid to actually say anything to her. If I recall he died in a car crash sometime last year. I thought that smile died right along with him.

“I understand, Bella, really. Talking about it can be hard sometimes. Just know that I’m here for you, and that my offer will be there. Take it up whenever you want.”

“Thanks Angela, you’re a great friend.” I stood from the sofa and gave her a quick hug. Eventually I’d have to talk about it, all of it, and if I had to do it I’d definitely share with Angela. I used to share everything with her and Jessica. Lauren not so much—I stopped sharing the personal things with her after puberty hit. She was envious I had boobs while she had none, and when Lauren gets jealous she’s anything but nice.

“We’re all in this together, right? We all need someone to lean on once in a while. Hey, why don’t you get some fresh air? Jake was going to teach me hand-to-hand combat out back, want to join?”

She had already informed me earlier that Charlie had taught her to shoot a gun, and that she wasn’t at all a bad shot, but watching sweet Angela throw a punch? This I had to see. The girl wouldn’t even squish an ant.

I followed her out the door in the kitchen to the surprisingly spacious yard behind the house. There was barely an incline, meaning the house had been basically built on top of the hill. The grass was stunning shades of green despite the fall season already in effect, the leaves turning colors on the trees. The brown fence stretched so far into the patch of trees that I was sure the end didn’t even exist. And strangely enough, there was a giant man stretching his legs in the yard like he hadn’t been missing for hours.

He stood and waved. “Mornin’, Bella,” he called. “How are you feeling?”

Why did everyone keep asking me that? Did I really look that bad? I thought I looked normal enough after my shower. I plopped onto one of the patio chairs sitting on the porch and said, “Just great, that power nap did wonders, thanks.”

He jogged towards the porch and leaned against the wall giving me a cocky smile. “You know you’re really cute when you sleep. You talk and everything.”

I felt the blood rush to my face. Talk? I thought I outgrew that habit. It was the number one reason why I barely went to sleepovers when I was younger; the next morning the other girls would make fun of me for mumbling my crush’s name throughout the night, or some other very embarrassing thing. Oh god, what if I said something at Cullen’s house? I went that whole time without thinking about it! I could have whispered plans during the night and the Cullens’ could have heard.

But they never mentioned anything about my sleep talking. If I was lucky, my subconscious was smart to stay quiet in the face of potential danger.

“I d-don’t know what you’re talking about,” I stammered, fighting hard to get the blush off my face.

“Please, no reason to be coy, you did it as a kid too. It was cute then and it’s definitely cute now.” He waggled his eyebrows.

Angela giggled and I tried to choke out a laugh but I wasn’t convinced it was all that funny. He stretched languidly and it was then I noticed he was only wearing a pair of beat up, faded jean shorts, all those muscles rippling and glistening in the sunlight—what little there was. He was crazy going around barefoot and without a shirt in such chilly weather; fall was in the air, it was the perfect time to get sick. We weren’t in California yet.

The two moved further out into the yard and the height difference between them couldn’t have been more laughable. Jake towered so far over Angela’s head she had to crane her neck to look up at him. I relaxed in the plastic chair as I watched him run her through basic drills and couldn’t help the peace that fell over me. I wished it was a blanket that I could throw over my head whenever I wanted. It was so quiet out here even with the city just down the road, but it wasn’t the usual quiet of Forks where you could hear the monsters lurking outside your window. This quiet was tranquil, the kind that was perfectly accompanied by chirping birds and babbling brook, maybe throw in some harp music for fun. Yeah, just like that.

I closed my eyes with a smile.

Maybe I didn’t want to go back to Forks; maybe I wanted to stay right here in the peace and quiet. Forget everything that ever happened.

Seth’s face flashed behind my eyes and I jumped out of my chair in surprise. I definitely had to get out of here. This place would drive me crazy. I wasn’t meant to idle in peace, I was meant to kill. I had to find Charlie and tell him I was leaving.

“Where are you going, Bella?” Jacob called just as my hand touched the doorknob. I could’ve ignored him, should have, but instead I turned back around to face the giant.

“I’m going to find Charlie, continue with your lesson,” I said.

“Well hold on. Do you need a refresher course? You’ve been out of commission for a while, you might be rusty.”

I waved him off. “No thanks. I’m good.”

“Then how about a little help? She’s got the basics. Why not put her to the test?”

“You can’t fight a vampire hand-to-hand, anyway. If they get that close, you obviously did something wrong.”

Angela giggled—seriously, giggled like a five year old. This girl was planning on killing vampires? She’d be lucky if she made it ten minutes in the field.

Jake had a goofy grin on his face, the one that said he was up to no good, and I stepped away from the door. “Then how about a friendly spar?”

He couldn’t be serious. Did he realize he was five heads taller than me? And about two houses wide through the upper body. He’d kill me—dislocate a bone with a simple flick of his wrist. Oh yeah, I could take him.

I jumped off the porch, stretching my arms as I joined the truck in the yard. I couldn’t rely on strength here, I had to be quick and use his momentum against him. Sure, no problem at all beside the fact there was no way I could flip someone as big as him. Hopefully he didn’t know how to use his body, that all his muscle was just for show.

“I think we can go one round, for demonstration purposes,” I said with a smile.

“A demo, sure. Just remember who made you eat sand when we wrestled as kids. You were a wimp!” He laughed.

“Only because you cheated! Angela, you might want to watch from the porch. I have a feeling I’m going to throw this fool all around the yard.”

“You get him, Bella,” Angela laughed, high-fiving me as she passed.

Jake kept his feet together, his back straight with his fists loose near his face while I sunk to my usual stance; feet shoulder-length apart, right foot forward, and fists close to my face. If he was taking such an amateur stance I knew he would be no match; with a single punch I could spin him and have him on his back. Yet he could be playing me, making me believe he was only a bar brawler. I could definitely see Jake smashing stools over someone’s head—that is, if anyone dared to try him.

We stood about a yard away from each other, both of us with a smirk, knowing what the other was up to. I wouldn’t move and neither would he. If I moved first he could easily grab me and shove my face into the dirt. If he moved, I had the chance to jump out of the way. I stood on guard, waiting for him crack. He was getting antsy, juggling his weight from foot to foot. Just a little longer and he’d give.

He did.

Jake faked left, my fists came up, nearly blocking my sight, but I saw him throw his weight right and jumped out of the way. I felt the breeze from his right hook brush my gut. I used my momentum to make a quick roundhouse kick, hoping I could topple him with a single hit. He didn’t even flinch as he blocked my foot with his arm.

As if watching in slow motion, I saw the smile spread on his face as he rushed me. It felt like I couldn’t get my foot down fast enough and he tackled me onto the ground. I struggled to get out from underneath him, his muscles nearly smothering me; he even had an arm around my neck until I elbowed him in the ribs. I had the upper hand while he focused on the pain. I threw my fist into his jaw and rolled us over, keeping a hard weight on his stomach and grabbing his hands. The smart idea would have been to roll away as soon as I was clear, it’s easier to defend on your feet than on your knees, but I was feeling overconfident and hadn’t felt this kind of rush for a while. Fighting with Jake was invigorating.

Angela cheered from the porch as we caught our breath. Jake grinned up at me and I couldn’t help it, I smiled right back. I was sure we were thinking the same thing. It was great to see Jake again, I really missed him and all the crazy antics we got into; like the time we stole an ATV from the Yorkie’s house and smashed mailboxes in the dead of night. The story didn’t have a happy ending, but it was fun and I would do it again if I could. Man, fighting beside Jake was going to be great, even if a part of me was opposed to the idea. He was younger than me, he shouldn’t be risking his life, he should be in school.

“Hey you two, stop horsin’ around!” Billy called from the porch. “It’s lunch time, come eat.”

“Hurry Bella, before Paul eats it all!” Angela followed Billy back inside the house.

I stood, stepping off to one side of Jake’s body, and offered him a hand up. His warm palm wrapped around mine and with a wink he pulled me onto the grass, immediately using his weight to keep me down. I half-heartedly kneed his back but he quickly leaned back and held them down. Big mistake.

“You know it’s been a while since we’ve actually played together,” he breathed. “I miss hanging out with you, Bella. I hate that you got wrapped up in this. Why don’t you stay in California when we get there? It suits you. Remember when you used to complain Forks was green compared to Phoenix? You’ll love Sacramento.”

“Why do you care?” I panted. Where was this even coming from?

“Because I’m scared for you, Bells. You shouldn’t be fighting vampires, leave that to the other guys.”

Bells? I hadn’t heard that nickname for years. It was kind of touching . . . but then his words sunk in. “I can’t fight because I’m a girl, is that it?”

“No! That’s not what I meant at all, I just—”

I jammed my fingers into the weak skin of his throat and took pleasure in the way he choked. I pulled myself out from under him, stomping towards the house. Forks may not have been my favorite place when I first moved there, but it slowly became my home and there was no way I was going to sit back and let someone else fight my battle. Jake didn’t even deserve to be in our operation—when was the last time he was in Forks? It was my battle, not his.

Jacob was still trying to catch his breath when I slammed the door. Angela sat at the round table with a cup of tea in her hand and concern on her face. I waved her off as I sat across from her. I did not need the counseling.

Paul came from the living room and grabbed the chair beside Angela and I was surprised to see he wasn’t glaring at me. In fact, he looked a little embarrassed about something. His eyes flickered between me and the table until I finally had enough and slammed my fists on the table.

“What? Do you have something to say to me or not?” I barked. Yeah, it was a little uncalled for but I wasn’t exactly feeling friendly thanks to Jake. Not that Paul deserved my friendship after what he did, but why couldn’t men just come out and say what they want?

Paul sunk into his chair with wide eyes, shaking his head, and then he realized I was a girl and sat up straight. His eyes got that hard glare that seemed to be glued onto his face. “You don’t have to bite my head off,” he snarled. “You are the most temperamental bitch I’ve ever met.”

Charlie happened to choose that time to step away from the stove where he was doing heavens-know-what; honestly, I was a little worried if Charlie was trying to cook, he had the ability to burn cereal—I saw it happen once. He set a platter piled high with grilled cheese sandwiches in the middle of the table and subtly punched Paul upside the head as he withdrew. I tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle my smile. Dads’ rock.

I dropped Paul’s problem and pulled one of the steaming sandwiches onto the plate in front of me, poking curiously at it. There was no way it was edible. Charlie couldn’t learn to cook even if he made a time machine, went back to his childhood, and started from there.

Angela confirmed my fears. “You’re so lucky, Bella. Your dad is an awesome chef. He can make anything and it’ll taste good.”

He made a time machine! I raised an eyebrow at Charlie. “Is she talking about you?”

He chuckled, ruffling my hair before returning to the stove. “Sue gave me some pointers, said I was a natural. I can even cook my own steak now.” He seemed way too proud about that.

I took a small bite and was immediately assaulted with melted cheesy goodness. It was surprisingly delicious for being so easy to make, but perhaps it was the knowledge that Charlie would no longer depend on me or Sue for meals that was really good. I didn’t mind cooking for him but when he always wanted fish, yeah, that got annoying. Guess old dogs can learn new tricks. Note to self: buy Sue an awesome present as a thank you.

“It’s good, and I’m proud of you, but don’t you think you went overboard, Dad? We don’t have an army here,” I said.

Angela snorted a laugh. “We don’t need an army with the way Jacob and Paul eat. I’ve watched them put away two whole pizzas each. You’ll be surprised by how much they eat.”

I shrugged and dug into my sandwich as Jake came through the door, slamming it so hard the frame broke. Impressive. He apologized, said he’d fix it later, before sitting heavily in the chair next to me. I shuffled my chair further around the table away from him for more elbow room. Jake grabbed five sandwiches from the platter while Paul was working on his eighth. How could they possible put so much away? They were huge, sure, but that much grease had to be bad for anyone.

Charlie took the last chair beside Angela with his own plate of food and coffee. He used to drink a ton of beer once he quit the force but put the cans up when he realized it slowed him down; a bloated, drunken fool was a vamps favorite flavor. The rumor was that the vampire could get drunk from the blood.

The table was quiet enough I was starting to feel uncomfortable. It was thick and tense, and it didn’t help that I had two guys glaring at me. Paul’s hatred was unnecessary, but I was pretty sure Jake and I weren’t going to be on good terms for a while. He could apologize first. I felt bad we were fighting but there was no way I was apologizing first; he started it, calling me a weakling, saying I couldn’t fight. I’d show him.

“Bella, hun, Bella!” Charlie snapped his fingers in front of my face. I blinked, snatched from my angst. “You feelin’ okay? The sandwich was harmless, you know.”

I glanced down at my plate to find my half eaten sandwich in pieces. Guess I hadn’t been paying attention. I shook my head, trying yet failing to dispel the thoughts. “I’m sorry, Dad. Did you want something?”

“No family relation, remember that, but I’ll let it go for now. I figure now is the best time to brief everyone about the situation in Washington, so you know what you’re going into.”

Suddenly a few arguments seemed very small. I sat up in the chair, breath hitched, eyes wide as I waited for the news. What was happening in Forks? Did they know we were missing? They had to by now; half the cattle of Forks had moved out that night.

“I’ve got reports that the vampires aren’t taking our disappearance very well; it was a big hit to their supply, they’ve been depleting the blood banks in Port Angeles. Unfortunately, because the town is nearly empty, La Push is starting to be the focus objective of the vampires. They had attacks every night last week.”

“Any injured?” It was unusual for the vamps to go after La Push. From what we knew La Push was neutral territory to the vampires, they didn’t really mess with it. But it showed how desperate they were. Not many were left in La Push; a lot of families got out early, claiming they’d return when the vampires were dead.

“A few, but their okay now. Only two dead.”

“What else did you learn?”

“Some houses of the resistance were burnt down as a cover story for the disappearing act. Ours was one of them. They already told Renee we’re dead.”

My heart sank to my stomach. “Did you call her?” The house that held so many memories, so many possessions, was gone. All the pictures of my friends in Jacksonville and Phoenix, the letters they sent—they were ashes.

Charlie shook his head before finishing off his coffee. “It’s not worth it, you know that. It’s better she thinks we’re dead rather than worry about us. Actually, I think we had good timing this year. The vampires are frenzied trying to gain control of Forks again; they’re scattered, and we know where they put their feet up during the day.”

“How did our men uncover that? Do we have a hostage? Did one of the bloodwhores finally talk?” I asked excitedly.

It was against vampiric code for a vampire or one of its minions to give out a nests’ location. Trying to get a bloodwhore to shut up about her protector was impossible, but no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t get her to give up the information. Getting a Renfield to talk was just as impossible; they were bound to the vampire as food, informant, and protection—whatever protection a vampire can get from a human.

“Something like that,” Charlie replied. “What matters is that we have the information, not how we got it.”

“So all I have to do is stop in California, pick up the equipment and go to this location. Where is it? We can hit ‘em hard and move onto Port Angeles before they can blink.”

Charlie grinned and rolled his eyes. “Can’t rest for a minute, I swear,” he mumbled. Louder, he continued, taking in the whole table, “They’ve made a nest in Newton’s Outfitters. Apparently they’ve converted a part of the basement to a living space. There are numerous entry ways now but none that we can reach without an escort.”

“They guard the entrances?” Paul asked.

“Unfortunately. They may be onto us and are setting up defense, which will make infiltration much harder.”

“How are we all getting into Forks? Since you guys got out, they have to be watching the roads for suspicious people coming in. There’s no way we can just drive through,” Jacob said with a frown.

“Of course not,” Charlie replied, way too nonchalant. “No one needs to worry about transportation. You all have tickets to California and Sam is there to make sure you get your equipment then he’ll share the operation with you.”

“Wait,” I interrupted. “I thought you were coming with us. What are you going to do?”

“I’ll be in Port Angeles helping another group. We’re hoping to take both locations at the same time and slowly make our way to Seattle, exterminating any vampire in the way. The plan is to have the three cities purged and back in our control within a month.”

A month? There was no way we could do it in that short time span. We still didn’t even know where the main base of operation was. It had to be somewhere in Seattle, but that’s as far as we could guess.

The clock on the wall chimed—it was one of those annoying bird clocks, every hour had a different bird call—and Charlie jumped up from the table.

“Is everyone packed? It’s about time you all got the airport,” he said. “Don’t want to miss your flight.”

Angela, Paul, and Jacob begrudgingly moved from the table while I stayed seated. My stuff was still nicely folded inside the store bags; Angela could shove them inside her suitcase. Suddenly I wasn’t sure I could do this. Charlie planned for a month. We weren’t professional killers; this would take at least half a year, maybe more. Our intelligence was lacking in Seattle. What was going on there? Was the big bad vamp behind this mess really even in Washington?

I knew we couldn’t just take Forks and be happy with it. If we didn’t knock out the surrounding areas, reinforcements would show up and push us back. We had to take it all in one go—for our peace of mind.

When everyone disappeared into their rooms and it was just Charlie and I left in the kitchen, I gathered the dishes on the table and joined him at the sink. Maybe I was only a little hesitant because he wasn’t going to be there. I wasn’t sure who I would be working with besides Paul and Jake. I always fought with my dad, but he was going to Port Angeles and that was final. If he didn’t trust me, if he knew they didn’t need his help, he’d go with me. But maybe Port Angeles was worse off than Forks. It was bigger, it could hold more vamps; they’d need all the help they could get.

So why was I suddenly nervous?

I bit my lip, an annoying childhood habit I couldn’t break, as I grabbed a glass and the carton of milk from the fridge. I didn’t know what to say yet and I had a feeling Charlie could tell something emotional was about to happen. He waited until I was finished with my drink before he spoke.

“I know you’re upset I’m not going to Forks but Bells, you know how important this is,” he said softly. The last time he called me Bells was when I visited him in the summer with Renee, when I was five. “They need me in Port Angeles.”

“I know, I know,” I pouted. “I just . . . I know you love doing reckless things and I worry about you.”

He chuckled. “Worry about me? You should worry for yourself; I’m used to working in stressful environments, you’re used to little things like high school. I’m worried for you. Have you even thought about how this will affect you when it’s all over? I’m scared you’ll never live a normal life. You should have listened to me when I told you to go back to your mother.”

“I’m not worried about it; I know once the vamps are dead everything will go back to normal. I’ll go to school, I’ll get a job—normal.”

“The psychological effects, Bella.”

Oh. That I hadn’t thought about. Could I live in a place that didn’t have me checking over my shoulder every ten seconds? Knowing someone monitored everything I did? Worrying that a monster could waltz through the front door at night and kill me?

“I’ll be fine,” I argued weakly. I had no idea if that was true. I wasn’t sure I could do it.

Charlie frowned, obviously looking right through me. He didn’t push it, though; now was not the time for fighting. “We’ll see. You better get moving. The sooner you get to Sacramento, the sooner you’re on your way to Forks to kill those bastards.”

“Are you heading out tonight?”

“Yup. Billy will finally some peace and quiet around here.”

“But he’ll be by himself here. I thought he was a social butterfly kind of guy.”

“Well apparently he won’t be all alone; he met a woman a few months ago. She’s a nice lady, real good for him.”

“Wow! I didn’t even know he was looking,” I laughed. The tension dispersed briefly.

“He says she snuck up on him,” he said with a short laugh.

The kitchen grew uncomfortable again. Jacob came through and told me to get moving in the friendliest voice he could muster—fine, maybe I can apologize first and prove I’m a bigger man than him—but I waited until the three of them were all in the living room. Charlie wasn’t big about affection but he was going to get some whether he liked it or not.

Without warning I hugged him tightly around the waist. It was going to be short but when I went to pull away his arms wrapped around my shoulders. This was a first for him.

“Take care of yourself out there,” he said quietly. His voice was thick with emotion.

“You too; please be careful,” I said with a shaky voice.

“If it makes you feel any better, Sue will be there to keep me out of trouble. There’s no reason to worry about me. Now get movin’; those vamps aren’t going to kill themselves, you know.”

I released him and wiped my eyes; I wasn’t crying but it sure felt like it. He touched my shoulder.

“I love you, Bells. Be careful.” As soon as he said it the emotional father was gone and replaced with the no-nonsense one; the one that could survive anything, kill anything, and had a strong daughter.

But I couldn’t resist the little girl inside. “I love you too, Daddy.”

I ran out the door.

Chapter Seven

Carlisle said the bus would stop at an auto shop and true to his word I was standing in front of a tire center. Seeing such a busy town despite the early hour was surprising to me, a genuine case of culture shock. Sure, I’d been to Seattle plenty of times in my childhood, but even then everything was kept under careful control. The people in Portland were loud and so energetic it was refreshing! No one was afraid here, no one had an evil angel lurking over their shoulders; they sat around just being themselves.

The last time I went to Seattle, maybe three months before the escape, the only noise in the streets were car engines and birds; walking into a coffee shop had the familiar calls of orders and murmured conversations, but there was always an underlying tension. I wasn’t sure exactly what people talked about in Seattle but I know whenever Jessica was ordered to go out after school, she grabbed me, and all we talked about was her protector. I never even saw the vamp but every time I saw Jess she looked paler and her neck was always covered in fresh bruises, a few silver scars already visible. Despite her constant donation she was never any thinner; he had to make sure she kept up appearances, after all.

Portland was a wonderful fairytale to my ears. People gossiped, people yelled, they pushed past me on their cell phones, car horns blared and I saw several people lugging musical instruments around. It was only six o’clock in the morning yet already it was so lively.

I made my way towards Hancock with a small smile on my lips. The city was barely lit, I was walking down a sidewalk bright with headlights and streetlights, the sky partly clouded but the coming indigo still visible. No stars, though, it was too bright. In Forks around my neighborhood with its missing streetlight, when the clouds cleared, you could see everything in the sky—stars, planets, satellites, comets mistaken for shooting stars. I used to spend the night at Seth’s house on the rez with his friends, and whenever the sky was clear we’d go to the beach, build a bonfire and listen to old Quileute legends. We’d fall asleep on the warm sand during one tale or another and wake up snug as could be in a big pile at Sue’s home. Then in the morning we would get a huge pancake breakfast, stuffing our guts full of Sue’s chocolate chip pancakes.

What happened to those days of innocence? Why did we have to grow up and become aware of the nightmares that surrounded us? When I was little I worried enough about my first zit and getting a job—sure, throw some vampires into the mix. Just what we all needed.

Northeast Hancock Street wasn’t even awake. I stood at the corner of the street and stared down the road, taking in the sights. Cars were parked along the road instead of in their empty driveways, trees grew without a care, the heavy limbs laying on rooftops and scraping windows; some were far over the houses I wondered how many birds nested there, having the best view of the city. The houses were mostly one-story, squat and built into a hill on one side. It was . . . amazing. I loved the atmosphere of it all, kind of like home.

I stood under a streetlight, pulling back the sleeve of the coat to read the faded address; at least I was in the right area. I followed the street with the house number repeating in my head. It had to be down this row.

At the opposite end of the block, there on the hill side of the street, was a quaint little red house. It kind of resembled a barn if only it was bigger, but just like the rest of the houses it had one story. I checked the number on the mailbox three times before climbing the steps, anxiety bubbling in my stomach. I wasn’t afraid of any of our contacts, we were all in this together after all, but Billy was Quileute, which meant he was basically a super soldier. Because of their legends they were ready to fight against anything and he would surely recognize the smell of a preserved corpse on me.

I took a deep breath and pushed the doorbell, almost wishing everyone in the house was a heavy sleeper. Why was I even here? I had enough money to buy myself a ticket to California, and I could probably bum a few bucks off our dealer to get back to Washington. My mind made up, I turned and was on the second step when I heard the house shift and the door creak open.

Turning back around, I was met with a wide bronze chest and measly pair of boxers. The guy was huge, and ripped, and made me feel entirely way too small. It couldn’t be Billy, could it? He didn’t look like a Billy to me—William I could believe, but not Billy.

He wiped his hand over his face and gave me a lazy, lopsided smile. “Can I help you, little lady?”

I bristled at what he assumed was cute and was tempted to show him I was more than just a little lady, but then I remembered I only had ten shots and there was no way I could take that guy hand-to-hand. So I stayed firmly on my stair as I watched his black eyes travel over my form then immediately straighten up in a defensive posture. Crap, can’t pretend I’m the Avon lady now.

“I’m looking for Billy Black, does he live here?” I asked.

“Who wants to know?” His voice was colder now, his entire demeanor changed in an instant. He must’ve realized the tiny bulge under my arm.

“Bella.” Simple enough; if it was a trap, I was only a girl named Bella, not Charlie Swan’s daughter, not part of the resistance group that successfully escaped Forks, Washington. Plain old boring Bella.

My name seemed to set something off in his mind. He relaxed again and gave a brighter smile, every part of him coming to life. “Bella! Old Quil told us you were coming by. How have you been?” He waved a hand in front of his face. “Whew! Has anyone recently told you that you reek?”

Yeah, definitely Quileute super senses. I stepped onto the porch and he recoiled, hand covering his mouth and nose. “Sorry, it’s the jacket. Had to hide my gun somehow.”

“Spoil of war, I get it. From that monster who tried to kill you, huh?”

I nodded mutely. Sure, let that story go around, it was better than admitting the truth. Heck, any story was better than the truth.

“Well get on in here,” he said as he stepped aside. “Your dad is waiting on you.”

I brushed past his warm chest on my way into the house. Stepping through the door I was immediately standing in the living room; loveseat, a couch, a rocking chair, TV sitting inside an entertainment stand surrounded by DVDs, all the usual. The only thing on the walls in this part was a single piece of artwork by the window. It was small but not cramped; it was really homely with its white walls and blue carpet.

No pictures, no separate personality—that was a big rule. My dad didn’t even have a picture of me, his only little girl, in his wallet like most fathers. Photos were a runaway’s worst enemy.

The big man shut and locked the door before motioning me further into the house. Off the living room was the kitchen, and beyond that was a hall of doors, but we didn’t even get that far because sitting at the table with a cup of coffee was my dad. I couldn’t help grinning at the sight of him. He was alive, without a scratch, and happy to see me, too.

“Hey kiddo, congrats on the second life,” he said affectionately. “How are you feeling?”

I ran to give him a hug, just to make sure he was real, and he indulged me for a second but Charlie was never one for public affection and gently pushed me away. “So much better now that I know you’re okay. I thought since you took the Bloodmobile they wouldn’t stop chasing you until you were dead. Hey, what did you do with that thing, anyway?”

“Set it on the state line rigged with C-4. Starting up the engine certainly gave them an explosive surprise.”

I laughed. Yeah, Charlie was hardcore like that. Detonating C-4 in a public area was dangerous, especially if he did it with people around, but it would burn the vampires nicely. Blow them into smithereens and fry up all the pieces. Depending how much Charlie used, and knowing him it had to be a nice pile, I’d say we had a few less vampires to worry about.

The floor shuddered and before I had a chance to blink I was pinned to the wall by two hands. One foot dangled in the air while I had just enough time to pull the other up, slamming it into his stomach, but it didn’t stop him; he was so close my knee brushed my chest.

I wasn’t the only one who reacted to the man. Charlie was out of his chair, his .44 magnum pointing dead center at the guy’s temple.

My captor was as furious as he was tired; the darkness of his skin did nothing to hide the bags under his eyes. I wasn’t sure if he was attacking me because I was loud and he was trying to sleep or if we had an old rivalry, although I’m pretty sure I’d remember meeting someone as big as him. He was as big and muscled as the guy I first saw, they could have been twins with their body types and close shaved hair.

“Put my daughter down, Paul,” Charlie said carefully. It was his cop voice, the one that talked bank robbers into releasing their hostages and giving themselves up. I wasn’t sure it would work on this guy.

“Your daughter, the one you claimed was a cold-blooded killer, is a fucking vampire?” he growled. His arms shook but not with the effort to hold me on the wall. This guy seriously hated vampires, and for one second I was a little worried he would hurt me.

I pushed the fear away and replaced it with anger. “Do I look dead to you?” I asked, wishing I could get my foot onto his chest instead of pushing against his stomach. It wasn’t doing anything except cramping my leg. “You either put me down or get a bullet through your brain.” Or worse. I was pretty sure that .44 could blow his head into little pieces.

“You smell like a vampire, and yeah, you look a little pale to me.”

“If I was a vampire I’d have crushed your head by now. It’s the jacket, numb nuts, let me go.”

“Oh a spunky vampire, what luck! Makes killing them a challenge.” His hands tightened infinitesimally around my shoulders and I might’ve imagined it, but there was a distinct pop and a flash of pain raced up my neck and down my arm.

Charlie noticed, and he wasn’t happy. He holstered his gun and disappeared behind the big guy. One meaty thud later, Paul bowed backwards, yelling in pain and released me. I dropped onto my abused, bony butt and rolled out of the way as he turned for Charlie.

I was nearly run over by a man in a wheelchair who seemed just as aggravated as the rest of us.

“Paul, what are you doing? Do you know what time it is?” he asked. He didn’t even raise his voice but Paul immediately stopped his attack. “It’s six o’clock in the morning, go back to sleep. You need it.”

“I can’t sleep with a vampire in the house,” he replied tersely. Tremors were still racing through his body but he pulled himself upright, out of an offensive position to face the new man.

The man in the wheelchair looked down at me, and I was almost sure I met him somewhere before, but I couldn’t place it. Was this Billy? Wait, Billy Black . . . Billy? . . . no wonder the name seemed familiar! This was Jacob’s dad! When I visited Charlie over summer vacation he took me to the reservation where I used to play with Jacob and Seth, the whole gang, but when I moved to Forks I learned Jacob and his dad moved some years before. Huh. I guess I forgot about them with all the chaos of my life.

Billy drummed his fingers on the chair arm. “Are you blind? It’s Bella, not a vampire.” He offered me a hand up and I carefully pulled myself to my feet. “Look at how much you’ve grown. I’d never guess you’re the same clumsy girl I used to know.”

I rotated my shoulder with a grimace; a little uncomfortable but otherwise manageable, which was good because I was over being hurt for a while. “I’m not the same girl. I haven’t tripped over my feet for a few weeks, at least.”

He laughed, the guy by the sink chuckling as well. Was that . . . Jacob? No way. He was about as scrawny as Seth the last time I saw him, and he said he was growing his hair out. But it had been years since I last saw him, things change in a blink of the eye, so he probably had it chopped for better managing. Wow, he looked so incredibly different.

Paul punched the wall with enough force to shake the house and add a nice gaping hole in the drywall. Billy voiced his agitation but Paul was already running out the door, leaving yet another mark as the door slammed against the wall. I stared after him, Jacob went to close the door, and turned to Charlie with all the questions I wanted to ask right on my face.

“Paul has some anger management problems, that’s all,” he answered. “He doesn’t like strangers, and you do smell like a vampire.”

“It’s true.” Jacob came back to the kitchen with a sheepish grin. “When you came knocking I thought I was talking to a vampire for a second, but then I knew it was you, just before you told me. I mean, who can forget Bella Swan?”

“Uh-huh,” I agreed awkwardly. I could easily forget. I was boring, normal Bella—well, used to be. Then I became vampire hunter Swan. “But maybe I need some introductions around the room, just so I know who I’m working it. I remember you, Billy, but this guy I’m not so sure. Are you who I think you are?”

Charlie laughed an all-out belly laugh. I’d never heard him laugh like that. What was so funny? He plopped back into his chair and sipped his coffee before replying, “I said the same thing when I first saw him. Doesn’t look a thing like that scrawny Jacob, does he?”

Oh my god, it was really him! I stared, jaw on the floor, as my eyes traveled up and down what had become Jacob Black. The young boy I knew had blossomed into a six-foot-something wall of muscle with perfect abs. His face had a hint of the old Jacob, those high cheek bones and almond shaped eyes, but his jaw was sharper, squarer, and there was a certain maturity to his face that I only saw in my friends faces having been through a bad fight. Jacob hadn’t been in Forks for a long time, he didn’t deserve that kind of weight in his eyes.

I kept myself from hugging him—I was excited to see my childhood friend but, dang, he could crush me with those arms—by taking a seat across from Charlie at the table and instead offered a smile. “It’s great to see you again, Jacob. It’s been years.”

“No kidding! You should’ve wrote or something. When I heard about the vampires I was worried about you guys. At least there were guys at the rez to help you out.”

“Sam’s been a great help,” Charlie answered. “He definitely knows how to take charge and get things done, same with Jared, but Paul was a little bit more of a handful than I liked. I thought we’d have to tranquilize him a few times.”

“Paul’s always been like that but I agree he’s been getting worse recently.”

“I’m worried about him. He used to be a good kid, he wasn’t all that violent.”

“You know what the problem is; there’s nothing we can really do about it, it’s all up to him. He just needs to see Sam.”

“Why? What’s wrong with him?” I asked.

“It’s nothing you need to worry about, Bella,” Billy said. “Are you hungry, thirsty?”

Avoiding topics already? I just got here and already I was kicked out of the know. “No thanks. If anything I’d rather have a shower.”

“Angela’s here, if you want to borrow some of her clothes, you know she’d let you,” said Charlie.

Angela Weber, daughter of a pastor, was one of the most sweetest zealots you’d ever meet. She was devoted to killing all vampires thanks to her upbringing making her believe they were all demons who deserved to go back to hell. She didn’t do a whole lot of the killing but she was great at undercover work. Her family was one of the few who didn’t give in to a protector, and as far as I knew they all fled Forks. Hopefully none of them were hurt getting out.

“I don’t want to wake her up,” I replied. Although Paul might’ve already taken care of that with the huge commotion he made.

“Then how about you tell me about this lease on life thanks to the doctor that found you? What was his name?”

I bit my lip. What could tell them? I had a Quileute super solider standing in the room and one just outside, who openly hated vampires and was volatile; out of everyone sitting around I was confident Paul would be the one to kill me for saying I spent a week and a half with vampires, trusting them to feed me when I couldn’t walk, trusting them not to kill me while I slept. I didn’t kill them before I left and I accepted a gift from one—what did that say about me? Fuck.

Lie your head off, Swan! “Carl . . . Collins. Dr. Carl Collins from Legacy Emanuel Hospital,” I answered hesitantly. “He said he found me on the side of the road. I don’t remember a whole lot after I killed that vampire. Guess I made my way towards the highway and collapsed.”

“Well, he’ll certainly be getting a card from me for taking care of my little girl. What about Seth, was he with you?”

“Mike didn’t say anything?”

“No, why?” His voice took an edge that said he knew exactly why. It’s not like I could keep denying it. The more I did, the worse it would be when I had the chance to sit down and think—when all this craziness was over.

I recounted what happened on the highway, Charlie nodding along with the parts Mike and Tyler explained, yet when I described the vampire grabbing Seth, I learned they must have conveniently left that part out. For whatever reason I felt I had to defend myself for not saving him. I didn’t have a clear shot after all, and Tyler was closest to join the fight. I should have crawled over the seat but it still would’ve pulled him out, probably in hopes one of us would follow and get flattened by traffic.

The kitchen was silent for a long time. Jacob and Billy were clearly upset but Charlie’s expression was neutral as always. He perfected the cop face; he wouldn’t let his emotions show no matter the situation. I sunk into my chair with a sigh. Now that the truth was out there someone had to tell Sue. Old Quil was probably hounded by her questions after our conversations, and I had been the one to let Seth . . . die, I felt it was my responsibility to tell her. She deserved to know instead of holding onto false hope her son would check in.

Billy was moving towards the phone on the wall with the hole.

“No, Billy, let me tell her,” I said, jumping out of my chair.

“Why on earth would you want to do that? It’s not your duty to deliver bad news,” he replied with a frown.

“I know, but it’s not your duty, either. I was the one who failed Seth so I should do it.”

He waved a hand at me, shooing me away. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re just a girl and there was nothing you could do; you didn’t want to shoot him, you didn’t fail him. Jake, take her and get her some clothes.”

Jacob immediately took my arm and pulled me down the hall of doors. I struggled with every step but his grip was tight, all those muscles effectively dragging me despite my heels digging into the floor. He pushed me into the third door on the right, turned on the light, and slammed the door. I took in my surroundings—a usual guy room, complete with messy bed and gaming system, not to mention blue walls—before turning back to Jacob. He was leaning against the door looking as uncomfortable as I felt.

When had I ever been alone in a guy’s room? Probably two months ago, talking strategy with Mike. How embarrassing was it that I could be naked in front of three guys but feel completely out of place standing with a guy who I haven’t seen since I was seven, and we were both dressed? Well, I was dressed. Those boxers really couldn’t pass as suitable clothing.

“Um. . . .” I failed to think of anything to say. What was there? I just came from a vampire’s house, showed up on the porch of an old friend’s house, was manhandled by an enraged human, told my dad one of my childhood friends died, and now the awkward tension in the room was threatening to crush me. Jake knew Seth from yesteryears, he had to be feeling down about the news, so maybe that’s why he was reacting so slowly.

“Clothes, right. Sorry. I’ll get them, you stay here. Angela won’t mind,” he said robotically. Yeah, definitely fighting off emotions.

I sighed in defeat and took a seat on his bed while he ducked out of the room. No use trying to sneak out, I could hear Billy on the phone in the kitchen. It was my fault, right? I had the ability to save him. He didn’t have to die.

The weight of the situation pressed against my head, my temples throbbing. Trying to shake the thoughts away made them stick closer. Crushing, mocking me.

All the time we spent at First Beach, the random excursions through the woods in my backyard where we would immediately be scolded by Charlie, the time we were nearly attacked in Port Angeles for back-talking a vampire. His father’s memorial, all the time I spent at his house helping the family cope. His smile, his laugh, the way he punched my shoulder like I was just one of the guys. None of it would ever happen again. He was gone.

Jake’s return surprised me; I jumped at the sound of his questioning voice, “Bella, are you okay?”

I looked up into his brown eyes, saw my reflection there and immediately stood from the bed, wiping my eyes on the jacket sleeve. He caught me crying. I definitely wasn’t comfortable with that.

“I’m fine,” I said weakly. Clearing the emotion from my throat I tried again. “I’m fine, Jake. Did Angela care that I’m stealing her stuff?”

“Nope, she said feel free to use her toiletries too; it’s all sitting in the bathroom. Here.”

He held out the clothes while I tore the jacket off, letting it hit the floor. I grabbed the clothes—a pink tank top with lace around the neck and jeans, not something I would wear, but beggars can’t be choosers. I kept the clothes at a distance so they wouldn’t stink as bad as the rest of me and went for the door. I stopped inside the doorway, turning back to face him.

“You do laundry around here?” I asked.

“Yeah. You want those clothes washed?” he asked.

“That’d be great, thanks Jake. After all it’s the only pair of underwear I have.” I laughed.

He laughed uncomfortably. “Go ahead and steal one of my shirts so we can start getting the stink out of this house.” Jake stepped outside the room, closed the door behind him.

I set the top and jeans on his bed and stole a shirt from his closet, unbuckling myself from the shoulder rig. He could give my gun to Charlie, who would probably inspect and clean it. I stripped out of my clothes, slid into his shirt, which was so large it almost touched the floor hanging from my shoulders, and took one last look at the jacket. That number was still in the pocket, I didn’t rip it up yet. Should I get rid of it? Carlisle did help me, and he seemed sincere about ever needing his help again.

No, no, no, bad Bella! I shook my head. Get that thought right out of your mind, no vampire would willingly help a human; if they did, it was no doubt a trap. I wasn’t a sucker. I pulled the small pouch out of the coat pocket and turned it over in my palm. There was a good amount of money in here, we could use that, but I had to get rid of the number. They were vampires, they never had a permanent residence so why would the number be his? It probably dialed the vamp hotline—an easy way to track and attack victims.

Jake knocked on the door. “Bella, are you done in there?”

No time to think about it, guess that was my answer. With a sigh, I shoved the slip of paper into Angela’s jeans and set the pouch next to my gun. They’d think the pouch was from Dr. Collins so I didn’t need an excuse for that, but the phone number . . . nah, they wouldn’t question that either. Well, maybe Charlie, because he was suspicious like that.

I gathered the fresh clothes and opened the door, brushing past Jake—which felt more like squeezing with how big he was—into the hallway. He pointed me in the right direction and I ducked into the small bathroom, slammed the door and drew a deep breath. Keeping the number felt like betrayal. I was betraying the very people I trusted with my life by not telling them anything that happened when I was in the Cullens care. It could backfire. My friends wouldn’t trust me, and that was important during this time.

No, everything would be okay. A shower makes everything better, being surrounded by live humans after a week and a half of self-exile was definitely a plus, but being around old friends was perhaps the best thing I could ask for. I had to keep moving forward, had to keep my head above the water. I’d get back to Forks and kill those monsters for Seth. Tomorrow I’d be in California surrounded by extended family and we will move for Forks, slide right under their radar, and take them out before they could blink. But for now, I could enjoy where I was. I needed something real and normal and alive. I was safe here. I’m sure Seth wouldn’t mind if I rested a bit before I brought hell to the vampires.