A Twilight fanfiction novel

A Twilight fanfiction novel
Written by SheeWolf85
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot
are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously
copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.
This story is rated for adult content, including violence, language, and explicit sexual situations.
~Chapter One~
Imprinted
“I’m going for a walk,” Renesmee Cullen said as she slipped into her jacket. “Anyone want to come
with me?” She pulled her dark auburn hair up into a pony tail, put some lip gloss on, and walked to
the kitchen where her aunt, uncle, mother, and father were playing cards. “Anyone?”
“Renesmee,” Edward, her father, turned in his chair to look at her. “Your mother and I will be leaving
the day after tomorrow, then you get three whole months to explore. Are you sure you want to go for
a walk now?” He cocked his head to one side, and Renesmee smirked when his hair—the same
color as hers—shifted with the movement. He had one large lock standing up straight.
She nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. It’s such a beautiful day, Dad; I don’t see why everyone wants to stay
inside.”
Bella, her mother, smiled and shook her brunette head. “It couldn’t have anything to do with the
walk we all took yesterday, could it?”
Renesmee smiled. “No, not at all.” She’d decided to take a nap the day before instead of walk with
the rest of the family.
Jasper chuckled. “Let the girl go for a walk. As long as she’s home for dinner, I don’t see the
trouble.” He winked at Renesmee, and she nodded her thanks. Her uncle had always been there to
help her get what she wanted.
Edward and Bella looked at each other for a moment. “Okay,” Edward said finally. “You can go. Be
back by six. You have your cell phone?”
Renesmee held up the tiny phone and nodded. “Of course. Do I ever go anywhere without it?”
Bella smiled. “Be careful.”
Renesmee nodded and turned to walk out the door. She skipped down the wooden steps of the
house that had once belonged to her great-grandparents and breathed in a deep breath of the brisk
Washington air as she made her way around the side of the building to go into the forest. Her aunt
and uncle had moved into the old house after her grandmother died, and she and her parents visited
occasionally. It had been over a year since her last visit, but she still knew the way the meadow her
family had held picnics at many times.
It really was a beautiful day. Even in June, bright sunshine was rare for Forks, Washington, and she
wanted to celebrate it. She laid down in the soft grass and stared up at the sky, admiring the
contrast between the dark green of the trees and the light baby blue of the sky. There wasn’t a
single cloud in sight. She sighed happily to herself and thought about the months she had ahead as
her fingers picked lightly at the grass.
Her parents had been married for twenty years. Although they had been married on New Year’s, her
father’s work as a surgeon in Chicago had forced them to work out a schedule to do something
1
special for their anniversary. That something special was a three-month trip to Italy, where her
mother had always wanted to go. Renesmee was eighteen and capable of taking care of herself,
and had they planned on only being gone for a few weeks, she would have stayed at home. Under
the circumstances, her parents felt it was safer for her to stay with her aunt and uncle, Alice and
Jasper Whitlock, until they returned. If she was being honest with herself, Renesmee felt the same
way.
It wasn’t only because she wasn’t sure she was ready to spend three months alone. She had also
missed her aunt and uncle and was looking forward to being with them. She thought of all the things
they’d do. She and Alice would undoubtedly go shopping in Port Angeles a few times, and Jasper
would take her fishing. She wondered how hard she’d have to beg to get him to show her how he
cleaned his guns. When she was younger, she was shown only enough to know that she needed to
respect the weapons. She was never allowed to touch them, even after she turned sixteen years old.
She sat up and laughed to herself when she realized she had made a small pile of grass on either
side of her. She shook her head at herself and stood up. She swiped the grass and dirt off her
pants as she began to walk around. She’d been thinking too much again and forgot to appreciate
the scenery. She checked her cell phone for the time and smiled when she saw she had over an
hour and a half before she had to go back. She slipped the phone back into her pocket.
The evergreens all around her were tall and majestic. She held out her hand as she passed them,
slowly dragging her fingertips along the rough bark. She closed her eyes as she walked, allowing the
cool breeze to clear her mind as she listened to the sounds around her. Birds chirping and small
animals skittering around as they talked to each other. She had once wondered what would happen
if she wandered too far into the woods. She opened her eyes and dropped her hand to her side as
she recalled what had happened to her grandfather. That story proved what would happen.
Her grandfather was Charlie Swan, chief of police in the small town of Forks for many years. He was
a good husband to his wife, Renee, and an even better father to his two daughters. Renesmee was
six years old when it happened. She felt like she had never gotten the full story, but she was told
that her grandfather was on a search for an animal that had killed four people when he was killed
himself.
Renesmee wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head to push the thoughts away. She
often had to remind herself to think of the happy times she had with her grandfather. She had been
too young to remember much.
She realized as she sought out the sounds of the wildlife again that it had all but stopped. She
stopped walking and listened harder. She heard the wind in the trees, but no animals. Her brow
furrowed as she looked around. This was unusual.
~*~
The forest was beautifully quiet. The silence bothered some people, especially Embry, but Jacob
Black found that he enjoyed the lack of noise. It was rare to experience a moment with no
distractions from his inner thoughts. Even those were strangely calm as he walked along the familiar
path. Sniffing the air and sweeping the trees was second nature to him; he didn’t even have to focus
to know that nothing unwanted was around.
2
There was a time in the beginning that he didn’t want the fate he had been given. He would have
given anything to be removed from the cherished bloodline that forced him to share in a duty he had
never believed in nor wanted. As the son of the Quileute chief, Billy Black, he didn’t have a choice.
When an ancient native magic mixed with hand-me-down wolf genes when he was sixteen, he
learned quickly that all the legends he had once laughed at were nothing but fact. There was no use
denying or trying to escape the fact that he, Jacob Ephraim Black, was the first shape-shifter of his
generation. He was to be Alpha to however many Shifters would follow him. He didn’t want to
accept it. He had no choice.
Now, fourteen years later, Jacob enjoyed the mission. He took pride in every aspect of his position
and recognized the responsibility he had been charged with, having a pack of three other Shifters. It
had been a shock when he killed his first Bloodsucker. The creature created out of hatred from the
venom of an evil spirit so many thousands of years ago. It had been awkward at first, learning how
to direct and channel his new strength. Now he was in complete control of himself at all times.
Jacob liked the hunt. He liked the rush of adrenaline and the power surging through every cell in his
body as he took down another enemy. As much as he enjoyed it, however, he found that he
appreciated the moments of quiet inner reflection when there was a dull patrol.
He realized a moment later that he had passed the borders of Quileute territory. There was no need
to go forward; he was only sworn to protect his land and his people. As he began to turn, his heart
lurched in his chest. A knot began to form in his stomach, and it seemed to be urging him to
continue on the path he had been walking. Jacob had learned to never question his intuition. He
didn’t fight against the pull.
Instincts had never led Jacob astray. The handful of occasions that he had ignored them had gotten
him into more trouble than he cared to remember. He knew there was something up; something was
going on that he needed to see or do. All the same, he was confused when nothing was happening.
There was only more silent forest. The animals around him hid in their homes and stayed quiet,
knowing that a dangerous predator was near. It didn’t matter that he would never waste his time
one something as tiny as a bird or a squirrel.
A few moments later, he began to pick up on something. It was a sound he knew well; a human
heartbeat. The scent that accompanied it was tangy and bitter. Fear. He was surprised when his
stomach turned. He didn’t usually have a reaction to the scent. It was something he just got used to
after shifting for so long. There was something different about this, though. He continued on toward
the person and soon found himself at a meadow, staring at the back of a pretty young woman. She
looked around five-foot-six with an auburn pony tail. She was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a
black, cotton jacket with a hood. There was nothing odd or strange about the sight of a girl in a
meadow. He’d seen it a million times. She was probably lost, which would explain why she was
afraid. The thing that confused Jacob was the way she seemed to glow. It was so subtle that even
he wasn’t sure it was really there. At the same time, he couldn’t deny that the sunlight radiated off
of her.
The tug in the middle of his body had gotten more intense, and he had to stop himself from walking
out and exposing himself. Humans, especially the ones from Forks, were not kind to overgrown wild
animals. He’d had more bullets put in him than he cared to remember before he stopped trying to
help them. He wanted to shift, but he didn’t have any clothing to put on. It was something he rarely
forgot, but it had somehow slipped his mind this time. He sighed to himself and forced his paws to
take him a step backward. The action caused an involuntary whimper to rise up his throat.
3
What the hell, Jacob, he thought to himself. You’re Alpha; you have more control than that!
The young woman gasped and turned around. Her eyes were huge and brown, and the moment he
looked into them, the glow around her turned to a spark. A million points of light swirled around her
and into him, and a bright burning flamed through him. It started where the tug had turned into a
violent yank that forced a step forward and flashed through his entire body. Had he been in human
form, he would have fallen to his knees. He could barely breathe, but somehow this woman in front
of him was all the air he’d ever need. As he stared at her, the world began to shift. The ground was
no longer beneath him and the sky was no longer above. Everything around him disappeared,
leaving only her and him together in this moment.
The forest suddenly reappeared when she stumbled backward a few steps. Her heartbeat sounded
like it was about to pound out of her chest as she let out a small cry. The fear flowing around her
was intense, and the most incredible urge rose up in him like he had never felt before. He loved his
pack, his tribe, his father . . . He loved everything he had ever stood for and fought for. But he had
never felt a need to protect anything as fiercely as he felt now. This new compulsion carried him into
the meadow. He surveyed the area more vigilantly than he could remember ever doing. Nothing
would get past his notice.
Renesmee had never seen a larger animal in all her life. At least not up close. The wolf was larger
than a horse, and it stood there looking around with such intensity that she could swear she felt it.
She had never been more frightened. She somehow knew that this was how her grandfather had
died, and now she was going to share the same fate. A part of her wondered why it hadn’t lunged at
her yet. She wanted to get out of there, but her feet refused to do what she told them to. She
fumbled as she attempted to pull her phone out of her pocket. When she finally got it, her fingers
betrayed her again. The phone fell to the ground halfway between her and the giant animal.
Overwhelmed by panic, Renesmee finally regained control of her legs and turned to run. Her feet
caught on an uneven patch of ground, and she fell to her hands and knees in the grass. The wolf
growled, and she gasped wildly as she threw herself onto her back. She was too frightened to
scream, and she raised her arm to cover her eyes, praying she died quickly.
Jacob realized that it was him she was afraid of when she reacted so violently to his unintentional
growl. Watching her fall to the ground made him wish harder than he’d wished before that he had
human arms to catch her. He wanted to introduce himself and learn her name and figure out where
the hell to go from there. He knew exactly what had happened. Imprinting was just another of the
tribe’s legends that he had once laughed at. Laughter turned to dread the first few years of being a
Shifter. Forcibly falling head over heels for your soulmate without even a chance to get to know her
first? It didn’t sound appealing to him. As time went on, he learned to just accept it for what it was
and wait for it to happen to him.
Renesmee carefully peeked out from under her arm when nothing happened for several long
minutes. The wolf was still there, but it had laid down on its stomach. Its giant paws stretched out
in front of it, stopping only three feet away from her. She swallowed thickly and took a deep, uneasy
breath. Maybe if she screamed now, her uncle would come out with his guns. She instantly felt bad
for thinking that; this wolf obviously wasn’t going to kill her if it hadn’t already. There was no reason
or rhyme for trying to injure it. She put her arm down and carefully shifted to sit up. The wolf
watched her closely, and she couldn’t help but feel a sense of eerie familiarity. There was something
odd about its eyes, but she couldn’t say for sure what it was.
4
As she sat there watching the wolf watch her, she began to look it over. Even laying down, it looked
like it would be as tall as her. Its fur was dark reddish-brown. It licked its nose and laid its head
down on its paws. She sucked in a quick breath and stopped herself from scooting back. She was
still okay. Her eyes strayed down to its paws, and she felt a little uneasy at the sight of claws that
were probably bigger than her fingers. She looked back up into its eyes.
“Um . . . hi?” she said. Her voice shook. “I . . . wow. You’re not going to hurt me, are you?”
Jacob wanted to reassure her that not only would he never hurt her; he would protect her until his
last breath. He grunted, annoyed that he couldn’t speak in a way she’d understand, and just shook
his head.
Renesmee wasn’t sure what to think when the wolf shook its head. It was a blatant move, as if it
had truly understood what she’d said. She let it go; the thought made her uneasy. She was quiet for
a minute, but somehow it felt like she should say more. “I’ve never talked to a wolf before. I don’t
know what to say. Um . . .” She felt ridiculous, but decided to just ignore it. She was alone; no one
else would ever have to know she might be a little crazy. “Well, first of all, my name is Renesmee.”
Jacob perked up when she mentioned her name. He could feel her calming down, and it pleased
him when she continued speaking. He sighed contentedly and just let the sound of her voice wash
over him.
As she told the wolf about Chicago, she felt the strangest urge to try to pet it. She licked her lips for
courage and got onto her knees. It didn’t pull back or even seem on guard at all as she carefully
reached out her hand. She realized that it could probably rip her arm off at a moment’s notice, but
nothing happened when her fingertips met the course fur on its muzzle. She got more brave and
inched forward on her knees as she slipped her hand up to the wolf’s forehead.
“I can’t believe I’m petting a wolf,” she said quietly, mostly talking to herself. “My parents wouldn’t
believe it either.” She decided not to tell anyone about this encounter. Not only would they not
believe her, but her father would undoubtedly make up some excuse to either take her with them
just in case. It would just be easier if they didn’t know. She looked up when the wolf’s ears perked.
It didn’t open its eyes or lift its head, but one ear twisted around toward the trees at its left.
Another presence in Jacob’s head alerted him to another Shifter taking their wolf form. The essence
of the thoughts that passed between them told him that it was his beta, Quil Ateara.
Jacob, what the . . . Whoa. Quil stopped when he caught on to what had just happened with his
Alpha. All the legends said that imprinting was the strongest and most powerful thing any Shifter
could experience, but he hadn’t believed it. Seeing it through his Alpha’s eyes made him
understand.
Jacob huffed. Whoa is right. What’s up?
I hate to break up your little powwow, but you need to come home.
Jacob growled. He didn’t like being told what to do by anyone, least of all someone in his pack, but
even more he didn’t like being told to leave Renesmee.
Renesmee jumped back when the wolf rumbled. Either it was going to change its mind about killing
her, or something was around that was upsetting it. “What is it?” she asked.
5
Give me a minute.
This is serious, Jake. Your father interrupted Claire and me for this.
An image of a dark-haired woman stripping against the post of a bed flashed between the two
wolves. Jacob sighed. One bad thing about sharing thoughts through the pack mind was that
nothing was blocked. No matter how private or embarrassing, everyone saw everything.
Important or not, he couldn’t leave yet. He needed more time with her. I said, give me a minute.
Fine, but I’m not shifting back.
Jacob growled again. You’ll do what I tell you to do, Quil. Go back to my place and let Billy know I’ll
be there soon. And leave some shorts on the back porch.
Quil mentally rolled his eyes. Yes, O Mighty Tallest. Whatever you say. After an image of a sarcastic
salute, Quil’s presence disappeared.
Jacob licked his nose and looked at Renesmee. She was staring at him with wide brown eyes, and
he sighed to himself. He couldn’t leave her. He had to, of course, but he couldn’t. He forced himself
to his feet and shook himself off. Renesmee held up her hand to block her face from the grass flying
off of him, and she giggled. The sound made him shiver in the best way. He looked around the
meadow, searching for any dangers. He wanted to tell her to go home so she wouldn’t be out here
alone. Since he couldn’t speak, he leaned his head down and gently nudged her foot with his nose.
Renesmee furrowed her brow. It was obvious that the wolf wanted something. She was unnerved
again at how much it seemed to comprehend. She stood up slowly and spotted her cell phone on
the ground right next to the wolf’s huge paw. She knew she’d never have a prayer of explaining a
crushed phone, so she quickly leaned down to pick it up. The wolf was staring at her again when she
stood back up. Its eyes bore through her as if it could see straight to her soul. She coughed
nervously. “I, um . . . I should probably get home. You know, my parents are probably wondering
where I am.” She checked her phone. There was still a half an hour before she had to be there, but
somehow she felt better with the excuse she’d given.
The wolf grunted and took a step closer to her. She swallowed, and her eyes widened when it
lowered its massive head again and nudged her stomach. She lifted her hand and ran her fingers
through its fur a few times. “Maybe I’ll see you sometime again? I will be here for three months.” It
nodded, and she fought a shiver. “Goodbye, Wolf.”
Jacob nodded again, and a little piece of himself broke off when she turned to walk away. He wished
he could walk her home. Business was business, though, and he had an idea of what Billy and Quil
thought was so urgent. With one final look at Renesmee’s retreating figure, he put himself back
together as much as he could and ran back home.
~*~
“What’s so serious and important that it couldn’t have waited a few more hours?” Jacob asked as he
walked into the house. He brushed his black hair away from his forehead, but no matter how many
times he repeated the action, it always came back.
6
Quil stood next to Billy in his wheelchair in the living room. Billy had a mixture of pride and
impatience in his eyes.
“You got a present,” Billy said. “It’s in the kitchen.”
Jacob had figured as much. He and Quil went to the table where the square, foot-tall mailing box sat.
Before he opened it, Jacob checked the address. “No return address.”
“Did you expect one?” Quil asked. There never had been a return address.
Jacob huffed. “No, I guess not. Let’s get this over with.” He opened the flaps and looked inside for
only a second before turning his head away with a disgusted grunt. He no longer felt queasy at the
sight of blood or severed body parts, but this was a little extra gruesome.
“Brain stew, anyone?” Quil asked.
“Aw, Quil, that’s gross. Shut up.” Jacob closed the box and checked around inside the box. “No
letter this time. I guess he thinks he’s finally got his point across.”
Quil shook his head. “If he thought that, the demented fucker wouldn’t send anymore of this shit.”
“You think. Jesus Christ, if I at least knew where the hell these were coming from . . .” Jacob trailed
off, not even sure how to finish the sentence.
“You’d sit back and feel sorry for the schmuck who had to play donor, but you wouldn’t do anything
about it.”
Jacob’s ebony eyes flashed to Quil’s ochre ones. “I would go after him and kill the fucker like I’ve
sworn to do,” he growled.
“You’ve sworn to protect La Push and its people, just like the rest of us.” Quil knew this was a
sensitive subject, and he didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes—least of all his Alpha—but they all
knew what would happen if one Shifter went alone. “Leaving it to go after one Bloodsucker is not
doing it.”
“So we just keep letting him get away with that?” Jacob pointed to the box.
“What other choice do we have, Jacob?” Every few years, they received a gift. It was never at the
same time, and it was never expected. But every time it happened, Quil and Jacob got into the same
argument. “He knows that the Shifters won’t leave the area unprotected. He also knows that if he
pisses you off to the point that you leave the pack by yourself, you’ll be almost as vulnerable as that
guy.” Quil jerked his thumb toward the table. “Without an alpha, we would be, too.”
“I’d make you Alpha before I left, Quil.”
“Jacob, shut up. You’re not going anywhere.” Jacob and Quil turned to see Billy wheel into the room.
“You got another one, huh? What is it this time?”
“You don’t want to know,” the two Shifters said in unison.
7
Billy chuckled. “I’ll believe you.”
~*~
Jacob grunted again, frustrated. He was trying to sleep, but all he could do was wonder what
Renesmee was doing at that moment. It was after well midnight, so she was probably sleeping. If
she was, he wondered what she was dreaming. He hadn’t done much but think about her since he
saw her in the meadow. He remembered how the sun had made her hair shine and her skin
shimmer. He remembered the way her laughter bubbled out of her and echoed around the clearing.
It rang in his ears as he thought about her. He would give anything to hear it again, or to see her
smile and her eyes beam with happiness.
He closed his eyes and let thoughts of her run through his head. Eventually he drifted off to sleep
and dreamed of her holding his hand as they walked along the cliffs of First Beach. When he woke
up again, clouded sunlight had brightened the room. His stomach growled, and he got up to find
something to eat. As he surveyed his cabinets, he thought about Renesmee again. He wondered
what she would be eating for breakfast. He grabbed a bowl for some cereal and sat down at the
table. He remembered the exact shade of her eyes and how her hands felt running through his fur.
“Who’s winning?”
Jacob looked up with a start to see Billy wheeling himself up to the counter. “What?”
“You were having a staring contest with your breakfast. I was just wondering who was winning.”
He looked down at his cereal, furrowing his eyebrows. “I guess I’m not really hungry.” He wanted to
know where she was staying and if she was safe there. Was she happy?
“Jacob Black, not hungry? What’s next?”
Jacob smirked and took his bowl to the sink. “Fire and brimstone, maybe?”
“What’s on your mind, Jake?” The question was asked with a tone that let Jacob know his father
knew exactly what was on his mind.
Jacob turned around and stared at Billy with intense eyes. “Nothing.” He would make his father
admit he already knew.
“You know, you’re usually a pretty good liar. Even if Quil hadn’t spilled the beans last night, though, I
can see it in your face and the way you carry yourself. Is she pretty?”
Jacob huffed. “Beautiful.”
Billy waited for his son to say more, but the silence only stretched on. “Okay, so what’s she like?
What does she think of you?”
“She’s from Chicago, visiting her aunt and uncle while her parents go on some vacation. She
probably thinks I’m huge and hairy.” He wanted to know what she would think of him as a man.
Would she be frightened like she was with him as a wolf, or would she trust him?
8
Billy laughed. “Well, where does she live? When will you see her again?”
Jacob hated not knowing the answers. He shrugged and pushed away from the counter. “I don’t
know.”
“You know what this means, right?”
It meant a lot of things. It meant he was more Alpha now than he had ever been before. It meant
every single part of him had been irrevocably changed. A part of him felt more powerful than it ever
had before while another part sat staring at the gaping hole inside him where she belonged. Until
she was his—truly his—he couldn’t be complete. “No, Dad; what does it mean?”
“It means you better warn the others. Now that you’ve imprinted, the rest are fare game.”
“I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.”
“I’m going fishing today with Harry. Do you want to come?” Billy already knew the answer, but he
never felt right if he didn’t at least give his son the offer.
Jacob squeezed Billy’s shoulder. “No, thanks, Dad. The rest of the pack needs to know what
happened yesterday.”
Billy nodded. “Good luck, Son.” He patted Jake’s hand and wheeled away to get ready for fishing.
Jacob picked up the phone to call Quil and get the pack together.
“So you’ve imprinted, huh?” Embry said as they all sat around Jacob’s living room.
“That’s not really the point of this,” Jacob said.
“Yeah, but it’s more interesting.” Embry never understood why they all had to sit around and talk
about some box that none of them could do anything about. So some person got killed by a psycho.
Big deal. If it wasn’t on his land, he wasn’t concerned about it.
Seth sighed. “This means any one of us could be next, doesn’t it?”
Quil laughed. “You make it sound like we’re standing in line for murder. It’s imprinting, Seth. It’s a
good thing.”
“Yeah, but I’m in love with Natalie. I don’t want to imprint and have to leave her.”
Jacob leaned over to pat the youngest member of the pack’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Seth. You
could very well imprint on Natalie. You know it can’t happen for you until it happens for me. Even if
you don’t, though, there’s nothing that says you have to imprint just because I have.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“Why am I the only Shifter who hasn’t fallen in love?” Embry asked. He ran his fingers through his
chin-length black hair. “Everyone around me is talking about some girl they’re madly in love with,
and all I’ve got are stories of the last chick I slept with. It’s pretty pathetic. You guys are seriously
missing out on some fine ass.”
9
“I think you’re the defective one, Embry,” Quil said. “You’re the one missing out on the connection
that would make you happier than a tight pussy ever could.”
“No way, man. It’s better to be unattached. That way you get the joys of fucking without the hassle
of pretending you like the girl.”
Jacob growled. “That’s enough.” The rest of the Shifters were silent as they looked at their Alpha.
“We are not here to bicker about who has the best love life. We’re here to talk about a brain in a
box. You can argue about shit that doesn’t matter when we’re through. Until then, focus, or I will give
you a command to go without sex for a week. Do I make myself clear?”
Quil, Embry, and Seth nodded, and they got down to business. There wasn’t much other than
alerting the rest of the Shifters of the situation and trying to get ideas on how it could be stopped. Of
course nothing viable was mentioned. Jacob hadn’t thought it would, but he had to give it a shot.
After the rest of the pack left, Jacob took a piece of twine from his room and ran out the back door
toward the trees. He tied his pants to his ankle and shifted. On his way back to the meadow where
he’d seen Renesmee, he made a plan to follow her scent and the very least, find out where she was
staying. He couldn’t deny that he hoped he’d be able to see her again.
10
~Chapter Two~
Found
“Don’t go into the forest at night. Try not to go into town alone; you don’t really know the area that
well. No going to Port Angeles by yourself. Don’t stay awake all night partying.”
Renesmee smiled. Her dad was giving her the list of ‘rules’ for her staying with her aunt and uncle.
She knew it all already, but she listened anyway. They were leaving the next morning, and she knew
she would miss them.
“Now, Edward,” Alice chimed in. She was a tiny pixie with a brown hairstyle to match and large gray
eyes. “You know me. Sometimes I stay up until four o’clock in the morning just talking to my sister
on the phone. What makes you think Renesmee and I aren’t going to do the same thing now that
we’re together?”
Edward glanced at her. “If she’s doing it with you, that’s a different story. Just no going to someone
else’s house to do it.”
Renesmee laughed. “I don’t even know anyone else around here, Dad. Who would I go party with?”
Bella looked like she was going to say something but decided to drop it. She met eyes with Alice,
and they both smirked.
“That’s beside the point.” Edward knew he was being a little overbearing. He wasn’t trying to be. He
just knew that his daughter was growing up too fast—she was eighteen years old already!—and he
wanted do what he could to keep her safe while he still had the chance.
“I know, Dad. What else do you have for me?”
“Don’t go near the gun room. Not even close to it.”
Jasper interrupted that time. He came into the room pulling his blond hair back into a pony tail and
stood next to his wife. The height difference was almost laughable. Alice was a mere five feet and
two inches while Jasper was six feet. “It’s on the way to the kitchen, and we don’t have an
alternative route. What do you suspect she should do if she wants to eat?”
Edward sighed. “You know what I mean, Jasper.”
“I think you mean you don’t want her near my weapons. That, I can do. I can’t tell her not to go to the
kitchen because she’ll pass the gun room.” He winked at Renesmee, and she smiled back.
“Whatever. Last but not least, don’t go anywhere by yourself at night. Especially the forest.”
“You said that one already, but I promise I won’t go anywhere at night, I won’t go into town by myself,
I won’t stay up all night partying with people I don’t know, and I will do my best to stay away from
Uncle Jasper’s guns.” Renesmee nodded her head resolutely. That pretty much covered everything.
11
Edward smiled and held out his arms for a hug. Renesmee took the invitation. “I’m going to miss
you, Pumpkin.”
“Edward, you forgot one thing,” Bella said.
“What’s that, sweetheart?”
She smiled and pushed a lock of her daughter’s hair behind her ear. “Remember how much we love
you and call us often. We’ll call you, too.”
Renesmee nodded and held out one arm to hug both of her parents together. “I promise.” They
hugged each other silently for a few minutes.
“Who’s hungry?” Alice asked.
Bella pulled back. “I’m starving. You guys?” she looked between her husband and her daughter.
They both nodded.
“How does pizza sound?” Jasper asked. Everyone agreed. Alice called and ordered the pizza while
everyone else sat in the living room and moved on to different conversations.
“Your flight leaves at ten in the morning, right?” Jasper looked at the Edward.
“Yes. We’ll probably want to leave fairly early to get checked in and through security and everything
else.”
Alice came in and plopped down on the couch next to Jasper. “We’re going to have a lot of fun. I
promise that your daughter will be safe, but I also promise she’ll have a great time.”
Bella smiled while Edward and Jasper continued to talk about flight plans. “I know you will. It’s just
weird, you know? She hasn’t been away from us for more than two weeks before. This is a little
scary.”
Alice nodded. “Of course it is, honey. But we won’t let her get slaughtered in some weird way. We’ll
keep it conventional.”
“Thanks, Aunt Alice. I appreciate that,” Renesmee said, rolling her eyes.
“Anytime, dear.” Alice leaned over and patted Renesmee’s knee. “So, do you guys have a tour or
something planned? Or are you just going to see the sights as you see them?”
Bella lit up with excitement. “We have a tour planned. I’m so stoked.”
Renesmee sat back on the couch and listened to the two conversations. She had been told more
than once that she was like her grandfather; she was happy not being a part of the conversation.
She was content staying silent until she had something to say. As everyone else talked, she thought
about the wolf she had seen in the meadow. She had thought about it off and on since she left the
meadow and had even dreamed about the night before. She had kept to her plan and hadn’t told
anyone about what she’d seen. How could she even explain it? “I saw a wolf in the meadow” didn’t
seem right. She saw an enormous wolf with the most beautiful russet fur that seemed more
12
cognizant than any other animal she’d ever seen, wild or tame. She remembered the way it looked
at her; it seemed like it was really seeing her. Like there was some part of it that was human.
She shivered and brought her attention back to her family talking around her. Her dad and uncle
had somehow changed topic, and Jasper told Edward about the mechanisms of a new rifle he had
recently acquired. Bella was telling Alice about the sleepless nights she was looking forward to on
her anniversary vacation.
The pizza finally arrived, and everyone went to the kitchen to eat. After dinner, everyone decided to
go to bed early. Jasper was taking Edward and Bella to the airport and Renesmee was going to drag
Alice with her to town so she could look around and do a little shopping.
“Goodnight, Mom. Goodnight, Dad. See you guys in the morning.” Renesmee gave each a hug and a
kiss.
“Goodnight, sweetheart.” Bella was still unsure if she was going to be able to handle three months
away from her daughter. She could tell Edward was just as hesitant. But, this was just as much for
Renesmee as it was for them, and Bella knew her daughter would be safe.
“’Night, Aunt Alice. ‘Night Uncle Jasper,” Renesmee called down the hall as she slipped into her
room. She heard Jasper say “’night” before she closed the door. She flopped down on her bed and
looked around the room. It wasn’t huge, but it was the one she’d always used anytime she came to
visit. It had a beautiful mahogany dresser, a matching desk and nightstand, and a queen-sized bed.
There was a window that slid up, and she got out of bed to look through it for a moment. It looked
out over the forest, and she found herself wondering where the wolf was at that moment. She undid
the brass lock at the bottom and slid the pane up, leaning out just a little bit to breathe in the cold
air. It smelled like the trees and the ocean. She smiled to herself and closed and locked the
window, then she got into her pajamas and went to bed.
~*~
“Are you ready yet?” Alice asked, putting her hands on her hips.
“Just about. I think. I feel like I’m forgetting something.” Bella turned to look at her husband.
Edward just shrugged his shoulders. He had learned long ago to keep far away from the checklist
when it came to his wife. She would always think of something else related to something on the
checklist and stress about it for hours. He kept a mental checklist, and so far, they had everything
plus a few things.
Bella scanned the room once more just to make sure and took a deep breath when she didn’t see
anything she had forgotten.
“Bella, you’re almost as bad as me. Let’s get your stuff into the SUV.” Alice picked up a suitcase and
walked out the door.
“I’m not as bad as her. Am I?” Bella asked, looking at Edward again.
“Not nearly,” he said, kissing her forehead. He took her hand and led her out of the bedroom. She
made another scan before finally leaving. Her eyes watered when she saw Renesmee helping to get
their bags into the SUV. She was being dramatic, pushing with her shoulder as Alice and Jasper
13
laughed at her. Jasper finally took over and rearranged everything so it fit with enough room left over
for everyone.
“Are you ready for three whole months free of your daughter?” Renesmee asked as she walked in
the door. The look on Bella’s face said she wasn’t. “Oh, Mom, it won’t be that bad. I’m eighteen; I
can handle a while without you guys. I’ll miss you both terribly, but I’ll survive.”
“You’ll miss us?” Bella asked as she pulled her daughter into a tight hug.
“Of course, Mom. How could I not?” She squeezed her mom’s shoulder, getting a little teary-eyed
herself. “I love you. You’ll have so much fun in Italy that you won’t even notice me gone.”
“I doubt that. Have fun, okay? Call me if you need anything at all. It doesn’t matter what time it is.”
“I promise.” Renesmee squeezed her mother one last time. Edward was there waiting when she
pulled away. He pulled her into a bear hug.
“Dad,” she gasped. “I can’t . . . breathe!”
He chuckled and loosened his grip. “I love you, sweetheart.” He kissed her forehead.
“Love you, too, Dad.” She hugged him back tightly.
Alice came back in. “You guys are ready to go. All we need now is you two in the car.”
“Take care of my baby, Alice,” Bella said, hugging her sister.
“Of course, Bella. You just worry about your trip and keeping the spark of love alive between you and
my brother-in-law.”
Bella sniffled. “Okay. Love you, Alice. I’ll miss you, too.”
“Pssh. As if you don’t go months without seeing me anyway.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “You
know I’ll miss you, too. Edward, you take care of my sister.” She stood on her toes to kiss his cheek.
“I wouldn’t dream of anything else. You take care of my daughter.” He knew she would.
Bella walked out of the house with her daughter. “Jasper, keep her safe.”
Jasper wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her shoulders. “Don’t you worry, Bella. Your
daughter is in capable hands. She will be fine, and so will you. Just remember that it’s only three
months. When she goes off to college, it will be four years.”
“Gee, thanks. That’s just what I wanted to hear,” Bella said, rolling her eyes. She turned to see Alice
and Edward walk out the door.
“You guys finally ready?” Jasper asked.
Edward looked at Renesmee. She was ready. He was ready. He took a deep breath and nodded.
14
After another round of hugs and goodbyes, Edward and Bella finally climbed into the SUV.
Renesmee watched as the car pulled out of the driveway and went down the street, waving until it
was out of sight. She sighed deeply and turned to Alice.
“You okay?” Alice asked.
Renesmee sniffled and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. “I think so.” Alice hugged her. “I
miss them already. Is that pathetic?”
Alice laughed. “No, silly. They’re your parents, and you’re thinking of the three months they’ll be
gone.” Renesmee nodded, clinging to her aunt. “Do you want to stay here, or do you still want to go
shopping? It’s up to you, honey.”
Renesmee pulled back and wiped her face again. “I think shopping. It will help lighten my mood.”
“Great. Let’s go get ready.”
Fifteen minutes later, they were in Alice’s green Toyota, driving toward Port Angeles.
“Where should we go first?” Alice asked.
“Why don’t we just go to that strip mall thing and see what looks good when we get there?”
“Sure thing.” She put on some music, and they both sang along. The mood was already lighter with
excitement.
Renesmee hadn’t forgotten how small the strip mall was in Port Angeles, but it still made her laugh.
She was so used to seeing the large row of buildings in Chicago. “Where should we go first?” she
asked.
“Wherever you want. Pick one.”
Renesmee looked up and down the street until she decided on a clothing store. They perused the
store, walking around and between racks. They both held up various items, either deciding to try it
on or making a joke about which couch it was made from.
An hour, four shirts, and two pairs of pants later, they put their purchases in the car and went to the
bookstore. “You’re too excited about books, you know,” Alice said as they walked in.
Renesmee laughed. “I can’t help it. You know my dad. And his dad.”
“Yes, but they’re doctors. Doctors are notorious for the epic library thing. Are you going into the
medical field?” Alice was honestly curious about her niece’s plans, but made the question
lighthearted.
Renesmee shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I do know that I would kill for a library like the one in Beauty
and the Beast.” As they walked into the bookstore, she smiled. The entire place smelled like old
paper. “This reminds me of Grandpa Carlisle’s medical library,” she told Alice.
15
“I know. Do you remember how you used to play with his books?” She laughed at a particular
memory. “When you tore a page out of the medical dictionary he’d inherited from his grandfather, I
thought he was going to go postal.”
Renesmee giggled. “I never meant to tear it. I just wanted to see it, so I tugged it. Besides, who lets
a five-year-old play with a book like that?”
Alice just laughed, and they began to look over the shelves. When Renesmee saw one that she
liked, she smiled and picked it off the shelf and thumbed through it before decided if she would buy
it or not. She had saved her allowance over the last few years and had a hefty sum to play with. She
had set aside a specific amount for the trip to make sure she didn’t let herself get too excited about
spending.
Alice watched her. She had found a few that she wanted as well, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted
all of them or just one. She was about to pull another one out when her phone rang. She looked at
the screen and smiled at Jasper’s name. He had said he’d call when Bella and Edward were safely
in the air.
“I’ll be right back; it’s Jasper,” she said, tapping Renesmee on the shoulder.
“Kay.” Renesmee didn’t look up from her book. A few minutes later, the bell on the door chimed and
someone came up behind her to take a book from the shelf. She felt weird suddenly, like she
wanted lean back into the stranger. She turned to see who it was and nearly dropped her books.
The man behind her was huge, much taller than her Uncle Jasper. His skin was rich coppery-brown
and looked smooth. He was wearing a pair of military camouflage cargo shorts and a black wife
beater. The tank top was tight and showed off the defined muscles in his chest and arms.
She finally forced herself to look up. He was staring at her with a look of hard intensity that nearly
scared her. There was something about him, though. Something in his eyes that made her relax. Or
was it his smile? It was friendly and made him seem a little more approachable. His black hair fell
over his forehead, nearly meeting his eyes.
Jacob watched Renesmee look him over, too happy to have finally found her to care that she didn’t
say anything. He had found her house the night before and heard her voice as she talked to her
parents about their plans. If it hadn’t been for Embry shifting and needing his help with two
Bloodsuckers, he would have stayed the night there at the tree line. She had talked about going to
town with her aunt, and when he went to the house and found everyone gone, he could only hope
that’s where she was. He had been so relieved when he found her scent, and he followed the musky
vanilla trail around until he finally saw her in the bookstore.
He had wanted to stride up to her and grab her in a tight hug, but he reminded himself over and over
again that she didn’t know him. He was a wolf to her. So instead, he walked up behind her,
pretended to be interested in a book, and waited for her to turn around. He couldn’t deny that he
stared at her, his eyes wandering down her body. She was wearing an off-white, long sleeved shirt
and a pair of brown jeans. Her auburn hair was down, and he wanted to run his fingers through it.
When she finally did turn around, he smirked to himself and watched her check him out.
“Hi,” he said after she met his eyes. His deep voice made her smile. “I’m Jacob. Jacob Black.” He
held out his hand for her.
16
“Hi.” She couldn’t explain why she suddenly wanted to hug him. “I’m Renesmee. Cullen.” She
rearranged her books to take his hand and was shocked by how hot his skin was. It was a little
unnerving; a person that warm should be in bed, not standing before her looking like the image of
health.
“That’s an interesting name,” he commented. She blushed and looked down as she tried to pull her
hand away. He couldn’t let her. Not yet. “I mean, it’s nice, don’t get me wrong—”
“No, it’s okay,” she said. “It’s not common, I know. My mom mixed my grandmothers’ names
together.” She shrugged.
“It’s nice. At least you know you’ll never have the same name as someone else, right?”
She smiled, and it made his knees weak. “I guess you’re right.”
“Are you new here?” He tried to think of what he should say if he hadn’t ever met her before.
“Um, kind of. I’m staying the summer with my aunt and uncle while my parents take a trip to Italy.”
“Nice. Do you like it here?”
She nodded awkwardly. “Yeah, I guess. I mean, I’m originally from Chicago, and this is so tiny
compared to that.”
Jacob nodded. “This is big compared to what I’m used to. I’m from the rez.”
Renesmee shook her head. “I’m sorry; I don’t know what that is.”
He smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll forgive you since you’re not from around here. It’s the Quileute
reservation about eight miles west of Forks.”
“That’s where I’m staying. Forks, I mean. My aunt and I are just out here for shopping.” She was
almost surprised at how pleased she was to have come today so she could meet him.
“I’m sorry, Renesm—” Alice came back in the store and stopped in her tracks when she saw her
niece holding hands with one of the largest men she had ever seen. She tried not to overreact. She
forced a smile and put herself right next to Renesmee. “Who’s this?”
Renesmee pulled her hand back and instantly missed the heat from his. “Um, this is Jacob,” she
said. “He’s from the . . . Quileute?” She wasn’t sure she was pronouncing it right. Jacob smiled and
nodded. “The Quileute reservation.”
Jacob was proud to hear the name of his tribe from her lips.
“Jacob, this is my aunt, Alice.”
He smiled at Alice. He’d seen her before, but it was in the woods; she wouldn’t recognize him. She
was a sweet little thing with too much energy for her own good. “Hey, Alice.” He offered his hand to
her.
17
“Hi, Jacob.” Alice wasn’t sure her hand wouldn’t get crushed, but she took his hand anyway. He was
surprisingly gentle. He let go of her hand and turned back to Renesmee. She recognized the glint in
his eyes, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to rip her niece away and go back home or if she wanted
to encourage what was happening. She looked over at Renesmee. She was staring at Jacob with an
echo of the same adoration. “So, Renesmee, are you about ready to go? I’m getting hungry.” She
decided that she wouldn’t do either. She would see how things went and keep her mace on standby.
Renesmee tore her eyes away from Jacob. “Um . . . I guess.” She glanced up at him again. “It was
so nice meeting you. Maybe we’ll see each other again?”
Jacob couldn’t let her walk away again. “Yeah, absolutely. Where you guys headed?”
“Bella Italia, I think.” She glanced at Alice. Alice nodded, but wasn’t sure she wanted Jacob to know
that. “Yeah.” Renesmee bit her lip to keep from inviting him to join them. It wasn’t hard to tell Alice
wasn’t sure about him. She had to say more, though. “What are you doing today?”
Jacob shrugged. “I was just running an errand for my dad. I’m done, though, so I’m not in a hurry.”
Renesmee looked at Alice, pleading. She leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Can I invite him?”
Alice’s eyes widened, and she whispered back. “You don’t even know him.”
“He’s nice.”
“You think he’s nice. But look at him; he’s huge.”
“Please? He might say no. Wasn’t it you that said a girl has to explore every option?”
Alice sighed. She had said that. And she had been given more flack than she cared to remember
about Jasper and his guns when they first got together. She couldn’t assume that this man was a
danger just because he was bigger than Goliath. “Okay.”
Renesmee smiled widely and hugged her aunt. “Thank you.” She turned to Jacob, who was smirking
at her. As much as she wanted to invite him, she was suddenly nervous. Her mouth went dry and
her stomach bottomed out. “Um, Jacob. If you’d like, you can . . . join us?” She almost choked on
her words, afraid that he would say no.
“Sure, I’d like that,” he said, not giving her a chance to change her mind.
“Well, okay then,” Alice said. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”
“Wait, I need to pay for my books.” Renesmee gestured to the armful of books she had.
“Oh, right. I left some up at the counter, too.”
As they went to the cashier, Jacob thought about all the ways he could convince her to see him again
after today. He could just throw her over his shoulder and take her with him. He smiled to himself at
the thought. However the day worked out, he could already tell she felt something for him. Even if
she wasn’t sure what it was or if she tried to deny it, it was there. He could smell it.
18
Renesmee put her books down and glanced up at Jacob as he leaned against the counter. He folded
his arms across his chest, and she noticed a tattoo that she hadn’t seen before. She pointed at it.
“That’s pretty cool.” It wasn’t anything she’d ever seen before; just a strange circular design.
Jacob glanced down. “Oh, that? Yeah. Thanks.”
“Does it have a meaning?”
“Yeah, it’s the symbol of my tribe.”
She nodded and smiled. “That’s awesome. You’ll have to tell me more about that sometime.”
“Sure.” He was thrilled that she seemed interested in the design and that she wanted to see him
again.
They paid for their books and left. Alice took Renesmee’s arm, and Jacob walked on the other side
of her. Alice didn’t know much about the boys from the reservation, but she did know that they rarely
got into trouble. She told Renesmee about what Jasper had said; her parents were safely on the
plane.
Renesmee glanced up at Jacob and smiled. He smiled back and touched her wrist, hoping she’d
take his hand. With a flutter in her stomach, she did. She had to wonder if it meant the same thing
to him as it did to her.
When they got the restaurant, the waitress seated them quickly. Renesmee wanted to scowl at the
girl; she seemed a little too friendly with Jacob. She was pleased with the way Jacob didn’t respond
to any of the other girl’s hints. His eyes stayed on her even when he replied to the waitress’
questions.
“So, Jacob, you’re from La Push?” Alice asked as she opened her menu.
He nodded. “I am.”
“How do you like it there?”
“It’s nice.”
“My husband and I go to First Beach every so often. It’s really beautiful out there.”
“Is that on the reservation?” Renesmee asked. She was lost.
Jacob smiled. “Yeah. La Push is the name of the area, and First Beach is where everyone goes to
swim, surf, or cliff dive.”
“So what brings you all the way out here?” Alice asked.
“An errand for my dad. He wanted me to check on something. I called him about it before I ran into
her.” He smiled at Renesmee. She smiled back as she peeked over her menu.
“Have you decided yet?” the waitress asked in a friendly tone, looking at Jacob. He gestured for the
women to order first. Renesmee knew what she wanted. She was really hungry, but she was
19
suddenly terrified of eating in front of Jacob. She should have thought about that before she invited
him. She inwardly rolled her eyes at herself for being such a girl and decided that she wasn’t going
to starve herself just because the guy was gorgeous. She placed her order and glanced at Jacob.
She liked that almost every time she looked at him, he was smiling back at her.
Jacob placed his order on a separate check. Alice liked that he wanted to pay for himself, but she
felt bad since they had invited him. She let it go and tapped Renesmee’s arm. “I’m going to little
girls’ room; I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Having fun yet?” Jacob asked when she was gone.
Renesmee nodded. “Yeah. I’m glad you could come.”
“Me, too. What are you going to do after lunch?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. Probably walk around town a little bit then go back to their house.”
“Would you mind if I walked with you?” He reached over and held his hand out.
She smiled and took it. “I would really like it if you did.”
They were both quiet for a minute as they stared at each other. Every moment she spent near him,
she felt more and more attracted to him. She didn’t think it was all about his looks; every part of her
was just drawn to him like a magnet.
“So your parents are going to Italy?” Jacob asked as he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.
She nodded. “Yeah. It’s their twentieth anniversary.”
“Nice. How long will you stay here then?” He didn’t like pretending that he didn’t know, but he didn’t
want to explain how he did yet, either.
“Three months. They’ll be getting back the first part of September before my birthday.”
“Oh, when’s your birthday? And how old will you be?” This was something new, and he leaned
forward in his seat.
Renesmee smiled. “It’s September fourteenth. I’ll be nineteen. What about you?”
“February twentieth. I’ll be twenty-six.” He hated lying to her about his age, but he had a feeling his
real age would freak her out a little bit. Either the biological one or the chronological one.
Perpetually sixteen was a little weird to explain, and thirty-one would undoubtedly be too old for her.
Alice came back followed closely by the waitress with their orders. Renesmee reluctantly took her
hand back so she could eat.
20
~Chapter Three~
The Pet Store
After lunch, Renesmee told Alice she had invited Jacob to walk with them while they explored the
town. Alice had already figured he would be there, so she didn’t mind.
They walked around the stores aimlessly for a while, Alice and Renesmee talking excitedly about
things they found. Jacob thought it was funny when both girls went wild over a pair of shoes. He
would never understand women and shoes, and he told them so.
Renesmee laughed. “It’s okay, Jacob. My dad once said it’s like the theory of dark matter or
quantum gravity. Many people have their opinions and theories, but very few actually understand.”
Jacob laughed out loud and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to hug her to him. Alice was
surprised when her niece all but disappeared in his embrace, and she couldn’t help but glare at him.
He released Renesmee and rubbed her back for a second before letting his arm fall back to his side.
He had noticed Alice’s hostility and recognized that she could make it very difficult for him to see
Renesmee again. He hated giving in to someone else’s authority, but there was no doubt she was
the Alpha between the two girls. He wanted Renesmee more than he wanted to show his own
dominance.
Renesmee sighed when Jacob pulled away. His hug had felt so good and so warm. She wanted to
ask him about his skin, but she wasn’t sure how to bring it up. As they walked, they came to a pet
store, and she begged to go inside.
“All right. Just remember that I am the queen of the pout, and it will not work on me,” Alice said as
they walked in.
Renesmee just laughed. She had learned her pouting ability from Alice. Jacob followed them
hesitantly. He knew what to expect in a store like this. Renesmee cooed and went straight to the
cage with the kittens. One of the associates came over to open the cage for her and reached in for a
small gray cat that was playing with a ball. She smiled as she held the animal to her chest. Alice
tempted it with her fingers, laughing as it swatted at her. Renesmee turned to Jacob and smiled
brightly up at him. “Isn’t he cute?” she asked.
Jacob nodded, but he couldn’t wipe away his grimace. “He’s cute.”
The kitten looked up at Jacob and hissed, digging its claws into Renesmee’s shoulder at the base of
her neck. She yelped, and the associate grabbed the kitten to put it back in the cage.
“I’m sorry, they don’t usually do that,” he said reassuringly.
“Are you okay?” Jacob asked. He tried to pry her hands away from the wound to see it.
“I think so. Oh, God, that thing has sharp claws!” She scowled at the kitten, but noticed that all four
cats in the cage were eyeing Jacob with their tails puffed out. “I take it cats don’t like you?” she
asked.
21
He shook his head. “Not really.” He was fighting every instinct he had to shift and attack the cat for
harming his imprint. He finally managed to get her hands away from the scratch and sucked in a
breath when he saw it. The skin around the four marks was red, and they were all bleeding. “You
should clean this up before it gets infected.”
Alice was amazed by the reaction the cat had to Jacob. She noticed a few other animals around the
store acting weird, too. The birds were chirping loudly as they bobbed their heads up and down, and
some of the dogs were barking and growling. “I’ll take her to the bathroom. Be back in a minute.”
Jacob nodded. “I’ll wait outside.” He went out to the curb and took a deep breath to calm himself
down. He knew Renesmee was fine, but even that tiny wound made him feel like he was losing
control. He hadn’t lost control of himself in over ten years. He sat down on the curb and put his
head down on his arms, just trying to stay calm.
“That was so weird,” Alice said quietly when they got into the bathroom.
“No kidding. Did you see his eyes?” Alice shook her head. “They were . . . weird.” Jacob’s eyes had
been dark since she met him, but there was something about them after the cat scratched her that
was harsher and more piercing than before. It reminded her strangely of the way the wolf had
looked at her.
“We’ll have to put some Neosporin or something on this when we get home. Stupid animal got you
really good.”
“I don’t think I like cats anymore,” Renesmee laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. The warm paper
towel stung against the tears in her flesh.
Alice laughed and finished up. “I think it’s about time we head home, honey. It’ll be late enough to
start dinner by the time we get back.”
Renesmee nodded. She didn’t want to have to leave yet, but she knew it was time. They walked out
to meet Jacob. He stood up when he saw them come out and winced at the marks on Renesmee’s
shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly, gently touching the skin around the scratches.
She shrugged. “It’s okay. Why did they do that, though?” She wasn’t sure if he knew, but the look in
his eyes said he did.
Jacob wanted to confess everything right then. He couldn’t do it with Alice standing in earshot and
strangers passing by, though. “It’s kind of a long story.”
She nodded. “Maybe you’ll tell me sometime?”
“Maybe.” He smiled at her.
Alice cleared her throat. She didn’t want to be rude, but they needed to leave.
“My aunt and I need to get back home,” Renesmee said, looking down. She glanced over at Alice
and hoped she would give them a few minutes to say goodbye.
22
Alice got the hint. “I’m going to call Jasper and let him know we’ll be on our way soon. Be back in a
second.” She walked far enough away that she could keep an eye on them but still give them some
privacy.
“I’d like to see you again,” Jacob said as he brushed her hair behind her shoulder.
Renesmee smiled up at him. “Me, too.”
“Maybe we could meet here again? I could take you to dinner or something. Or I could come get
you.”
“There are a few little restaurants in Forks if you wanted to come get me.” She didn’t want him to
have to drive all over hell and back just to take her to dinner.
“That would be fine. When should we get together?”
Renesmee bit her lip and thought about it for a second. “I’m going fishing with my uncle tomorrow,
and I think he wanted me to help him with some things around the house. Is next weekend too
late?”
“Of course not; that will be fine.” He wondered why she asked that. He was at her mercy, one
hundred percent.
“Thank you. Next Saturday then? Maybe you could come out earlier and we could hang out for a
while?”
Jacob nodded. “That sounds good. Noon?”
She smiled. “Perfect.” She gave him directions to get to her house, and he said he knew the area;
he should be able to find it easily.
Alice came back over and felt bad when her niece gave her a sad look. “It’s time to go, honey.” She
turned to Jacob. “It was nice to meet you.” She held out her hand.
“You, too, Alice.” Jacob shook her hand and turned back to Renesmee. “I’ll see you soon, okay?” he
said, pulling her into a hug.
“Okay,” she breathed. His grip was tight, but she wrapped her arms around his waist as hard as she
could.
Jacob reluctantly pulled back and walked the girls to their car. He opened the door for Renesmee.
“Be safe,” he said. He touched her cheek before she got in.
“I will. You, too.”
He just smiled and closed the door once she was in. He stepped up on to the curb so they could go
and watched as they drove away. Once they were out of view, he headed toward the trees to shift
and follow them to make sure they made it safely.
23
Renesmee looked out the window and sighed dreamily as she thought about Jacob. She didn’t like
that she had to wait a whole week before she could see him again, but she knew it was going to be
worth it.
“That much, huh?” Alice asked.
“What?”
“You like him that much.” Renesmee blushed, causing Alice to laugh. “He was very polite and nice.
He was also very hot.” Alice laughed again when Renesmee tried to hide her instant smile.
“I’m telling Uncle Jasper that you said another man was hot.”
“Well, that’s not exactly what I mean, but he was very good-looking. No, didn’t you notice the
temperature of his skin? It was flaming.”
“I noticed,” Renesmee said with another dreamy sigh. Jacob’s warm hug was only one of the things
that she had been thinking about as the scenery flew by.
“You got it bad.”
“I can’t deny it. He’s going to pick me up next Saturday, by the way. We’re going to have lunch or
something, so just plan on me not being there.”
Alice nodded. She wasn’t sure at which point throughout the day she knew, but somehow she got the
impression that they would be seeing each other again. “All right, just make sure he stays long
enough to meet Jasper. I don’t want to tell your parents that you went out on a date without the guy
being properly scared out of his mind.”
Renesmee laughed. “Yeah, Dad with his knives and Uncle Jasper with his guns. Between the two of
them, I may never get married.”
“Sure you will, honey. One day you’ll meet a guy who loves you more than his penis.”
They pulled into the driveway and went inside. “Welcome back,” Jasper said as he kissed his wife.
“Did you ladies have fun?”
Renesmee couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her lips. Alice chuckled.
“Uh-oh. What did you two do?” He noticed the scratches on Renesmee’s shoulder. “What
happened?”
“We didn’t do anything,” Renesmee said. “I just met someone and got scratched by a cat in the pet
shop.”
“Oh . . . and who did you meet?”
“Jacob.”
24
Jasper laughed at the blush on her cheeks. Alice filled him in on who Jacob was and the
spontaneous cat attack. “And I guess he’s coming over Saturday to take her out. On a date.” Alice
looked at Jasper pointedly.
“I get to meet him, right?” he asked. “Make sure he knows how to treat a lady.”
“You’re going to threaten him, aren’t you?” Renesmee asked.
He shook his head. “No, but I will let him know—nicely—that if he hurts you in anyway, I happen to
have a vast selection of various weapons with which I could, potentially, make him regret it.”
Renesmee rolled her eyes. “That would be threatening him.”
“So it would. But I will do it nicely. I won’t be like your dad.”
Renesmee laughed out loud as she walked into the kitchen with her aunt. “You better not. I kinda
like him. Although, even if you did sit there sharpening your knives and talk about which body parts
a blade could cut through, he’d probably do the Crocodile Dundee thing and pull out a bigger knife.”
Jacob just seemed like he wouldn’t be afraid of anything.
Alice giggled as she started to pull ingredients out for dinner. “Renesmee, will you grab the milk,
please?” she asked. Renesmee nodded.
“If he thinks he can outgun me, I’d like to see him try.”
They all cooked dinner together and sat down to eat. After dinner, Alice helped Renesmee clean and
bandage her scratches.
“They still hurt,” Renesmee complained.
“I know, honey. They should be healed by your date, though.”
Renesmee smiled at the thought of actually having a date with Jacob. Alice just laughed.
After she was bandaged, she excused herself to her bedroom and tried to read one of her new
books. She couldn’t seem to get through a few sentences before she thought of Jacob again. After a
few minutes, she gave up on the book and turned to lie on her back. She stared at the ceiling as she
remembered every detail of the day. Only six more days until she could see him again. The more
she thought about him, the longer those six days seemed. She sighed. Jacob . . . Jake. She
wondered if he would be upset if she shortened his name. Jake seemed to fit him more than Jacob.
25
~Chapter Four~
Fishing
Renesmee woke the next morning excited to spend time with her uncle. She had always thought he
was one of the greatest people in the world; he was smart and funny and helped her with her history
class. She got dressed and walked downstairs to the smell of waffles. She smiled; she hadn’t had
Alice’s waffles in a long time.
“Good morning star shine,” Jasper sang jokingly.
Renesmee rolled her eyes. “You know, just because I sang that song in fifth grade doesn’t mean you
have to tease me about it for the rest of my life.”
“I am your uncle. Therefore, it is my official duty to remind you of your embarrassing moments every
chance I get.” He ruffled her hair as she passed by him, and she tried to duck away. Alice smiled
warmly and handed a plate to her niece.
“I made them just for you. Enjoy them.”
“Aunt Alice, you have no idea how much I’ve been looking forward to your waffles. Do you have any
fruit?” she asked, digging in the fridge.
“On the table,” Jasper said, wielding the spoon for the berries.
Renesmee cooed excitedly and went to the table. “Thank you.”
“Sure thing, sweetheart. I’ve got to go work. You two have fun today and catch lots of fish.”
Jasper stood up to kiss his wife goodbye. “We will. Plan on having fish tonight, okay?”
“Okay. See you guys.” Alice hugged Renesmee before she walked out the door.
After breakfast, Renesmee and Jasper got ready and loaded their fishing supplies into the SUV.
Jasper handed a case to her when they got in the car. “You get to pick the music. Nothing stupid.”
Renesmee laughed and flipped through the CD’s to find one she wanted. Jasper approved of the
one she chose. A while later, they pulled up to a clearing near the lake where they fished. They got
out of the SUV and unloaded their things. “This is where your dad taught me how to fish. Your
grandfather taught him.”
Renesmee nodded, and they found a place to set up. Jasper showed her how to get the pole ready
and string the hook. “Do you want to bait it?” he asked as he held out a worm.
She wrinkled her nose at it. “Do we have to use worms? Isn’t a little . . . cruel or something?”
Jasper laughed. “We’re going to be killing fish, and you’re worried about the worms?”
26
She took a deep breath. He had a point. “Okay, I’ll try. How do I do this without skewering myself?”
She took the hook from him.
“There’s no trick; you just slide the worm on there. I’ll do the first one and show you.”
“Okay.” She took the worm and looked at it with a grimace.
“Pay attention.” She watched as he held up his hook and impaled the worm. Her gut churned when
it curled up on itself. “Now you try.”
She took another breath. “Okay, little guy. Here we go. You better catch me a big fish.” She held up
the worm and pushed it onto the hook. “Ugh, that’s gross.”
“But you did it perfectly,” Jasper said. “Your dad told me stories about your mother. The first time
she baited a hood by herself, she stuck her finger more times than she did the worm.”
Renesmee shook her head. That sounded like her mother.
“Okay, now let’s cast our lines. I’ll show you, and you follow my lead. Pull back, and release.” He
showed her both steps and watched as the hook sailed out and splashed into the water.
“All right. Looks easy enough. Pull back and release.” She threw the pole forward. The hook went
half as far as Jasper’s had, but it landed with a plunk in the water. She smiled triumphantly, and he
held his hand out for a high five.
“Great job, Renesmee.”
Twenty minutes later, she was bored out of her mind. Jasper had caught two fish, but nothing had
bitten her line yet. He was lounged back in his chair, just resting. She sighed and leaned forward to
put her chin in the palm of her hand.
“Bored?” Jasper asked.
“Can’t we just to the Texan thing and shoot them?” she asked.
He laughed. “I’m Texan, and I’ve never shot a fish.”
“That’s because you learned to fish out here. If you had learned in Texas, I bet you would have.”
He just shook his head with a smile. She wiggled her pole like she’d seen him do a few times, then
started to look around. “Hey, Uncle Jasper. If I stay close, can I go for a walk?”
He hesitated, squinting his eyes. “I don’t know.”
“Please, Uncle Jasper? I won’t go very far, I promise. Just a little ways into the trees. I’ll stay where
you can see me at all times.”
Jasper took a deep breath and caved. He had no willpower when it came to her. “Fine, but you will
stay where I can see you. Remember if you can’t see me, I can’t see you.”
“Thank you.” She jumped up and gave him a quick hug. “Love you.”
27
“Love you, too.”
She ran over to the trees and sighed as she touched the bark. It drove the boredom away and made
her happy again. She walked around a little bit, always making sure she could still Jasper. He
looked over at her every now and then, and she raised her arm to make sure he could see her.
Fifteen minutes later, she saw something moving in the trees. She turned to see what it was, and
her eyes widened when she realized it was the giant wolf. It was facing to her left, walking slowly as
it sniffed the trees. She looked back at Jasper quickly before taking a few steps closer to the wolf.
She was so close she could reach out touch the fur of its back leg when it turned to look at her. She
gasped and froze.
“Hi,” she said softly. She found herself reaching out to touch its nose as she stared into its eyes.
She could almost swear she had seen them somewhere else before.
Before her hand made contact, the wolf growled and turned to walk the other way.
“Hey, wait,” she called. She followed it, determined to figure out where this familiar feeling was
coming from.
Shit, shit, shit, shit! Jacob cursed over and over again. He was tracking a Bloodsucker; she couldn’t
be out here. He kept his eyes and ears perked up, searching for any sign of it. He knew she was
following him, and he tried to make sure he led her in the opposite direction of the putrid scent. He
couldn’t scare her into staying away, no matter how much he wanted to.
“You know,” Renesmee said as if she was talking to a person. “My uncle is going to kill me when he
finds me.”
The wolf stopped and turned around again, facing her. It sat down, looked up at the sky, and
howled. She covered her ears, cringing away from the deafening sound.
‘Sup, boss? Embry said after he’d shifted.
You called? Quil shifted.
Get your asses out here and find this fucking Bloodsucker. Jacob showed the others the situation he
was in.
On our way.
It took only two minutes for Embry and Quil to reach the area. Jacob stared at Renesmee for a
second before he got up and led her to a small meadow where she would be safe long enough for
him to shift back to human. Once she was standing in the clearing, he took off and ran into the
trees. He could hear her uncle calling for her, asking where she was and if she was okay. He was
afraid she’d get into too much trouble for her own good if she wasn’t found soon.
“Wait,” Renesmee called as the wolf ran off. It was too fast for her to even begin following, and it
had disappeared before she could take one step. She stared after it for a moment before she
looked around the trees. She realized then how lost she really was. She had no idea which direction
she had been heading, and didn’t know which way to go back. She was too afraid to start wandering
28
around. She pulled out her cell phone to call her uncle, but huffed when it had no signal. Of course
not, she thought angrily. She sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest. She swore that if she
made it out of this alive, she would never go into the woods by herself again. She thought of Jacob;
she had to make it through so she could see him on Saturday. Tears welled in her eyes, ands he
closed them tightly. The silence of the forest around her was unsettling. A few seconds later, a twig
snapped. She jumped and looked up, trying to see through the trees. She didn’t hear anything else
for another second, ands he shuddered as she put her face down on her knees.
“Renesmee?”
Her head snapped up when she heard a familiar voice. Relief flooded through her when she saw
Jacob stepping out of the trees.
“Is that you?” he asked, pretending to be surprised to see her. Quil and Embry had gotten the leech
just before he shifted to human, and he was much more comfortable with her out here.
“Jacob,” she breathed. She stood up and ran to him, and he lifted her as she threw her arms around
his shoulders. “I am so glad to see you.” Her voice shook as she spoke.
He held her tightly around the waist, savoring the feel and smell of her. “What are you doing out
here?”
She cried against his shoulder, so relieved that he was the one to find her and not a hungry wild
animal. Jacob set her back on her feet and pushed her shoulders gently. “Hey, are you okay?” He
couldn’t stand her tears or the fear pouring off of her. She looked up at him, and he wiped under her
eyes carefully.
“I got lost. My uncle took me fishing, and I got bored so I went for a walk. Then I was following this
wolf and didn’t pay attention to where I was going. I’m so scared.” She sniffled and looked down. It
was then that she realized he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and she found herself staring at him.
“It’s okay, Renesmee. I can help you find your way back.” He bent down a little to see her eyes. “All
right?” He smiled encouragingly.
She sniffled again and nodded. “Thank you, Jake.”
“Where we you before you started wandering around?”
“Over by Wentworth Lake. My uncle told me to stay where I could see him. And I did, until I saw the
wolf.” She shook her head at herself.
Jacob took her hand and started to walk. “You walked a long way. You’re about a quarter of a mile
away from there.” He squeezed her fingers gently.
“I’m so dead.”
“I’m sure your uncle will forgive you. Eventually.” He listened to the forest around him, heading
toward the sounds of her uncle desperately calling her name. “So why did you follow the wolf?”
Renesmee shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d seen it before and somehow I just . . . I don’t know. It seems
familiar to me somehow. That sounds crazy, I know.” She rolled her eyes at herself.
29
“It doesn’t sound crazy to me. Of course, my tribe is descended from wolves.” He smirked and
wondered if now would be a good time to tell her what he was.
She looked up at him with wide eyes. “Really?”
“Yes, really. The legend says a pack of eight wolves was transformed into humans by Q’wati. He
gave them the power to shift from humans to wolves.”
She shivered. “Like werewolves?” she asked carefully.
“Shape-shifters, actually.”
“But they changed into wolves, which would make them werewolves.”
He smiled. “If you say so.”
“So what were you doing out here?” she asked, trying to change the subject.
Jacob frowned to himself. “Just walking. I hike through these woods all the time.”
She nodded. “I bet you know all the best trails then, don’t you?” She looked up at him with a smile
in her eyes, and he just couldn’t be upset. He could tell her about himself another time.
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“I think I see my uncle.” She was so relieved and terrified at the same time when she saw him in the
trees with his rifle at his side. “Uncle Jasper!”
Jasper turned toward the sound of her voice and raised the rifle toward the man she was with. Jacob
shivered with the need to shift and protect his imprint from the gun. He forced himself to stay calm
by focusing on the fact that it was pointed at him, not Renesmee. She wasn’t in danger as long as
the man was a good shot. All the same, he wanted her as far away from it as possible and pushed
her gently to the side.
“Renesmee, come here,” Jasper said. He kept his eyes on the man that may or may not have had
something to do with his niece’s disappearance.
“Uncle Jasper, please put the rifle down. This is Jacob. He helped me find my way back.” She knew
that he wouldn’t put his finger on the trigger until he had to, but she had never felt as sick as she did
with the gun pointed at Jacob.
Jasper lowered the weapon, eyeing Jacob suspiciously for a moment. “Jacob, as in the guy you met
in town?”
Jacob nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Where did you find her?” Jasper put his arm around Renesmee and hugged her tightly. He hadn’t
noticed she was gone until he heard a howl in the trees. When she didn’t respond to him calling her
name, he grabbed the rifle and went out to find her.
30
“Not too far from here. About a quarter of a mile from where she says you were fishing.”
Jasper nodded and turned to look at Renesmee. “Quarter of a mile?”
“I’m sorry. Please don’t kill me?”
He chuckled. “I won’t kill you. I’ll leave that your aunt.” He laughed again when she groaned. “Thank
you, Jacob, for bringing her back.”
“Anytime, although I doubt she’ll be wandering off anymore.” He looked at her pointedly when he
spoke. She shook her head vehemently.
“Damn right, you won’t. You’ll be lucky if you get out of the house again until your parents get back.”
Renesmee looked up at her uncle with wide eyes. “But what about Saturday?” She deserved to be
grounded, but she didn’t want to have to tell Jacob she couldn’t go on their date.
Jasper sighed. “We’ll talk it over with your aunt.”
She nodded. That usually meant yes, but this time she couldn’t be sure. “Um, Jacob? Can I get your
phone number so I can call you about Saturday?” She walked up to him and took out her phone to
type in the number he gave her.
“Let’s get back home,” Jasper said.
Renesmee sighed. “I’ll talk to you later, Jake.” She reached up to give him a hug, and he pulled her
in tightly.
“Be safe,” he said seriously. “I mean it.”
“I will. You, too.” She reluctantly pulled away from him and gave him one last smile before she
turned away. She walked with her head down, and neither she nor her uncle said anything as they
packed the fishing supplies back up. Renesmee noticed there were only three fish in the bucket.
Jasper sighed and turned to Renesmee before starting the car. “I’m mad at you,” he said gently.
“But I am far more relieved that you’re okay. You know I love you, and nothing you could do will ever
change that. The same goes with your aunt and your parents. All the same, you scared the shit out
of me.”
She raised her eyes to look at him, trying to hide her tears. “I’m really sorry.” Her voice caught.
“I know. You got lucky, Renesmee. Very lucky. Do you know what could have happened to you if
Jacob hadn’t brought you back? You could have been lost out there for days.”
She nodded and sobbed quietly. She felt Jasper’s hand on her shoulder and leaned into him. “I’m
so sorry. I didn’t mean to run off, Uncle Jasper. I was chasing this huge . . .” she hesitated. She
knew he wouldn’t understand if she told him what she had really been after. “Butterfly, and before I
knew it, I found myself in this meadow. I realized I had gone a lot farther than I wanted to.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her the best he could across the wide space. “I
know you didn’t mean to. You have to be more careful, though. Just because you know the woods
31
around our house doesn’t mean you’ll never get lost. It would kill me if something happened to you.
Not to mention what your parents would do to me.” He kissed the side of her head. “Promise me you
won’t run off again.”
She nodded and sat up to wipe her eyes. “I promise.”
~*~
Renesmee picked at the fish on her plate while Alice and Jasper ate quietly. Alice had been
surprised that there had only been three fish, and Renesmee tried to hide when Jasper explained
what had happened. Alice hadn’t said much, but it wasn’t hard to tell she was angry.
“Aunt Alice?” Renesmee asked tacitly
Alice raised her head to look at her niece. She was more disappointed than angry, and terrified of
what could have happened. “Yes?”
Renesmee cleared her throat. “Um, first, I want to say that I’m sorry for what I did. It was stupid, I
know—”
“Yes, it was stupid. Very stupid.” Jasper placed his hand over Alice’s to calm her down.
“I’m sorry. I want to know if I’ll still be able to go out with Jacob on Saturday.”
Alice stood up and took her empty plate to the sink, unable to speak for a moment. She went back
and put her hands on her hips. “You want to go out with Jacob after nearly getting yourself killed?”
“Aunt Alice, I—”
“Don’t interrupt me. Your uncle and I promised your mother and father that we would take care of
you. You promised your uncle you would stay where he could see you. What did you think was going
to happen, Renesmee? Did you expect to get off with just a slap on the wrist?”
“No, but—”
“You could have gotten killed!” Alice threw her arms up. Jasper got up and stood behind her, putting
his hands on her shoulders. “What would I have told your parents if you never came back?” Her eyes
watered, and she swatted away a tear. “I thought you had more sense than that. It’s scary out
there, honey. Your grandfather died by animals out there, and he knew what he was doing!”
Renesmee cried silently. She knew she deserved everything she got. After a moment, Alice took a
deep breath.
“Please don’t ever do that again.”
“I promise.”
Alice held out her arms, and Renesmee stood up to go to her. As they embraced, Jasper wrapped his
arms around both of them.
32
“We love you, Renesmee,” Alice whispered. “So much.”
“I love you, too.”
They were silent for a moment as they held each other. Alice eventually pulled back, breaking the
hug. “Now, about Saturday.” She wiped her eyes. Renesmee nodded, expecting the worst.
“Because Jacob pretty much saved your life today, I think we could let him take you out. What do
you think, Jasper?” She turned to him.
“I agree. If not for him, we might not have her with us right now.”
Renesmee smiled brightly. “Oh, thank you! Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, honey. But, you are not to leave this house until then without Jasper or me with
you. Understood?” Alice raised her eyebrows.
“Yes, ma’am.” Renesmee wiped her face and hugged both her aunt and her uncle tightly. She
helped clean up the kitchen, then went to get her phone and call Jacob.
“Hello?” a strange voice answered.
“Um, hi . . . Is Jacob there?”
The voice hesitated. “No, he’s not here. He just left. May I ask who’s calling?”
“This is Renesmee. Could you have him call me when he gets back?”
“Sure.”
She gave the man her phone number and prayed Jacob called back soon. She opened a book and
read for a while before getting out her laptop to play a few games. An hour and a half later, the
phone finally rang. She smiled when she saw Jacob’s name on her phone.
“Renesmee?” he asked when she answered.
“Yeah. Hi, Jacob.” She somehow felt so much better when she heard his voice.
“Hi. How are you?” He wanted to know what her aunt said so he knew what to do. If she said no,
he’d just have to find a way to sneak Renesmee out. He wasn’t going to miss seeing her on Saturday
no matter what it took.
“I’m okay. I talked to my aunt, and she said I can still go with you on Saturday.”
Jacob smirked. “Good, I’m glad to hear that. Did she give you too much trouble?”
“Oh, I got reamed. I guess I deserved it, though.”
“They just love you, Ness.”
She furrowed her brow. “Ness?”
33
“Uh . . . Yeah. Renesmee’s kind of a long name and all, so I found a way to shorten it.” He hoped it
didn’t upset her.
She smiled. “I’ve never had a nickname before. Well, my dad calls me ‘Pumpkin’, but I don’t think
that counts.”
“So you don’t mind?”
“I’ve called you Jake before.” She shrugged. She liked the name he’d given her. And, he was right; it
was much easier than her full name.
“Yeah, but my name’s Jacob. Almost everyone named Jacob goes by Jake at least once in their
lifetime.”
Renesmee just laughed. “I don’t mind it, Jake.”
“Good.”
There was a pause for a moment. “I’ll see you Saturday afternoon, right?” she asked.
“Of course. I’m looking forward to it.”
“So am I.” She wasn’t sure what else to say.
“Be safe, Ness.”
“You, too. See you soon.”
“Yes, you will. Goodbye for now.”
“Bye.” She closed her phone and felt her eyes tear up. She missed him already. A part of her
wanted to laugh, but she didn’t care. Jacob was something special. She curled up on her bed and
took a deep breath as she thought of all the things she wanted to do on Saturday. If absolutely
nothing else, she was going to kiss him.
34
~Chapter Five~
First Date
Renesmee stared at herself in the mirror Saturday morning trying to decide between two shirts.
There was the tank top with thick straps and low neckline that would really show off her body, or
there was a long-sleeved cotton shirt that fit well but wasn’t as revealing. She knew exactly which
one her mother would tell her to choose. She also knew which one her fiery aunt would pick. With a
sigh, she put on the tank top. With her jeans, it didn’t look that bad.
Once she was dressed, she went down the hall to the bathroom and scowled at her hair. She
thought about straightening it, but it wouldn’t do any good with the humidity. She brushed it through
and pinned the top part back, then she pulled out her makeup bag.
At eleven-thirty, she went to find Alice in her bedroom folding laundry.
“How do I look?” she asked.
“You look very pretty,” Alice said with a nod of approval.
“Is the shirt too much? I don’t want to give him the impression that I’m a slut or anything.” She put
her hands over her breasts to cover them more.
Alice laughed. “Honey, you’d have to do a lot more than put on a tank top to look like a slut. I think
this looks very nice and shows just enough skin to let him know you’re interested.”
Renesmee nodded. “Okay. I’m so nervous.”
Alice put down the shirt she had in her hands and went to her niece. She took her hands in her own
and squeezed gently. “That’s because he’s obviously special to you. Just remember that you are
beautiful and totally worth it, okay? You’ll be fine.”
Renesmee took a deep breath and nodded again. “He’s going to be here any minute. Where’s Uncle
Jasper?”
“I believe he’s in the gun room, waiting for your date.”
At eleven-fifty-five, the doorbell rang. A new swarm of butterflies raced through her stomach as she
answered the door. She stared up at Jacob, not sure what to think other than ung. He was in a
black t-shirt that clung to every muscle he had and dark blue jeans.
“Good morning, Ness,” he said as he looked down at her. “You look beautiful.” He had never seen a
sexier sight than his imprint in a revealing shirt and tight jeans.
She blushed. “Thank you, Jake. You do, too. I mean, not beautiful, but . . .” her mind had turned to
mush, and she wasn’t sure how to get it back. “You know, hot. Handsome. I’m sorry.” She shut her
mouth and stepped back so he could come in.
35
Jacob smirked and stepped inside. “Don’t worry about it.” He touched her cheek. “Are you ready to
go?”
“Yes, but my uncle has something he wants to show you before we take off.”
“Sure.”
She hollered to let Jasper know that her date was there and smiled shyly up at Jacob. A second
later, Jasper came around the corner. “Hello, Jacob.” He held out his hand.
Jacob nodded. “Hello, sir.”
“I have something I’d like to show you before you run away with my niece. Follow me?”
“Sure.” He turned to Renesmee. “We’ll be right back.” He touched her cheek again before following
Jasper. He was not prepared for what he saw as he walked into a room just off the hallway. The
entire room was lined with guns. He didn’t like Renesmee being in a house with so many weapons.
“Are these loaded,” he asked.
Jasper shook his head. “No, but they can be at any moment. The ammunition is locked in a
cabinet.”
“Is Renesmee ever in this room?” Jacob felt marginally better knowing they weren’t armed, but he
couldn’t forget that they were still dangerous. He lightly touched a derringer beside him.
“No, she’s not.” Jasper had to say he was impressed that the first thing Jacob thought of was
Renesmee’s safety. “Some of these weapons, such as the musket and the .58 caliber rifle, are
authentic from the civil war. Others, such as the 9mm Ruger and the Remington Alaskan Ti, are
more modern. I am familiar with each gun in this room, and I can arm and fire almost every one of
them before most people could even think about running.”
Jacob nodded. After learning that Renesmee wasn’t near them, he allowed himself to look around
the collection. He was impressed. “There’s a lot of firepower in this room. I assume you’re telling
me this because I’m taking your niece?”
Jasper smiled. “You catch on quick. I just want you to understand how important she is to us.”
“Honestly, Jasper, I would have been a little concerned if you had just let me take her without a
warning.”
“Take care of her,” Jasper said. He decided that he liked Jacob.
“She’ll be safe with me.”
The men walked back out to the living room, and Renesmee stood up from the couch. She had been
scared that her uncle would scare Jacob away. Instead, he walked up and put his arm around her
shoulders.
“Are you ready to go?”
36
She smiled brightly. “Yes, I am.” She called a goodbye to her aunt and uncle, and Jacob opened the
door for her. “So where are we going?” she asked when they got in his car.
“I thought I’d take you to the Kalaloch Lodge for lunch. After that, we can wander around town, or
whatever you’d like to do.”
“That sounds great.” She was so excited to have this time with him.
They pulled up to the restaurant, and Jacob got out to open her door for her. He held his hand out,
and she took it, lacing their fingers together as they walked into the building. It wasn’t busy, and
after a few minutes, Renesmee started to look around for anyone that could be a waiter or host. A
gangly man finally came out of the kitchen with a wide smile. He almost jumped when he saw that
he had people waiting.
“Just two today?” he asked. Jacob nodded and checked the man’s name badge. John. He narrowed
his eyes at John and took his hand from Renesmee’s to place it around her shoulders. The waiter
grabbed two menus and motioned for them to follow him. Jacob let her take her seat first, then got
in the booth beside her. He was only a little more comfortable with her further away from the other
man.
“Can I get you anything to drink or any appetizers?” John asked. Jacob didn’t like the way his eyes
flickered to his imprint’s chest. He put his arm around her again and pulled her a little closer.
Renesmee ordered a root beer, and Jacob just wanted water. John nodded and walked away.
“Did you notice the ring on his finger?” Renesmee asked as she smiled up at Jacob.
“Yes, why?” She attempted to shrug, but his arm was too tight around her shoulder. He immediately
released her and put his arm on the back of the booth. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
She giggled. “No, you didn’t. I just thought was funny that he’s married and you’re getting
territorial.” She couldn’t deny how good it made her feel, though. She felt special.
Jacob just shrugged. A man was a man, no matter how married. John came back with their drinks,
then disappeared into the kitchen. The couple decided what they wanted then set aside their
menus. Renesmee leaned into him again, turning slightly to push her face into his shoulder. His
arm came down to rub her back gently. As she breathed in the scent of whatever cologne he was
wearing, she finally admitted to herself how much she had missed him. It wasn’t normal. She
sighed heavily; it didn’t matter if it wasn’t right.
“Are you okay?” he asked. Her sigh was not what he had expected to hear. He didn’t want her to be
anything but happy. He leaned back a little so he could see her face.
She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded. “I’m okay.”
He didn’t believe her. He pushed her up and tilted her face up with his fingers under her chin.
“What’s wrong, Ness?”
“It’s stupid.”
“I don’t care; please tell me.”
37
She stared into his dark eyes for a moment before she took a deep breath. “I really missed you.”
She waited for him to laugh at her. Instead, he just smiled and kissed her forehead. Her stomach
flipped at the warmth of his lips against her skin.
“That’s not stupid,” he whispered. “I missed you, too.” He was only too thrilled to know that she
thought of him when they were apart as well.
She tried to scoot closer, and his arm tightened around her. “Really?”
He nodded once. “Very much.”
Renesmee lifted her hand to touch his cheek. She was amazed at how his eyes seemed to grow
even darker as he stared back. She realized a moment later that either he was moving closer or she
was. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he was about to kiss her. Her eyes were drifting
closed when her cell phone started to ring. She jumped, surprised by the sound, and Jacob silently
swore he would break it if it ever interrupted him like that again.
She dug the phone out of her pocket and looked at the screen. She smiled, and every trace of
annoyance vanished. “Hi, Mom,” she said excitedly.
“Hi, baby. Did I call at a bad time?”
She glanced up at Jacob and smiled. “Um . . . No. How are you?”
“I’m fine. You’re dad’s fine, too. We’re having a blast so far; taking a lot of pictures. I miss you.”
Bella sounded happy and sad at the same time.
“Aw, I miss you, too, Mom. What are you guys doing now?”
“Getting ready for bed. It’s just after nine here. It’s what . . . noon there?”
“Yeah, just after.”
John came up to the table with his note pad. “Are you ready to order?” Jacob nodded and ordered
for them, making sure to let the waiter know that Renesmee didn’t want tomatoes.
“Where are you?” Bella asked.
“I’m at the Lodge for lunch.” She took a deep breath, a little nervous about what she knew she was
going to have to say.
“Oh, I remember that place. We used to go there a lot when I was school. Who are you with? Is Alice
there?”
“No, Aunt Alice isn’t here. I’m, um . . . I’m actually on a date.” She bit her lip. Jacob rubbed her back,
and she calmed down almost instantly.
The line was silent for a moment. “A date?” Bella asked.
38
“Yeah. Don’t freak out, okay? I met him on my first day into town with Aunt Alice; the day you guys
left. He’s really nice.” She could feel her face flaming having to talk about Jacob with him sitting
right there.
“Okay. Well, what’s he like? What’s his name?”
Renesmee was actually relieved she was telling her mother instead of her father. She glanced up at
Jacob and swallowed. “He’s, um . . . He’s really nice. His name is Jacob.” Jacob smiled and kissed
her forehead again.
“Will I get to talk to him sometime?” Bella was curious about this man that seemed to have caught
her daughter’s eye.
Renesmee felt the color drain from her face. “Mom, please don’t do this right now,” she begged.
Jacob smirked to himself. He wanted to tell her that he wouldn’t mind talking to her mother, but he
didn’t get the chance.
“I didn’t mean now, sweetheart. I just meant eventually.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Eventually, yes.”
“Okay. Have fun, baby. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Mom. Tell Dad I love him.”
“I will. Bye, sweetie.”
Renesmee snapped her phone shut and buried her face in Jacob’s shoulder. He stroked her hair
gently. “That was obviously my mom,” she said. Her voice was muffled by Jacob’s shirt. “How do
mothers seem to have this sixth sense about timing?”
He laughed. “I don’t know. I’ve never really had to deal with that before.”
She pulled back to look up at him. “I bet your mom is totally awesome, isn’t she?”
He looked down for a moment. “I don’t know, actually. She died when I was a kid.”
She covered her mouth with her fingers. “Oh, Jacob, I am so sorry.”
He pulled her hand away and held it in his. “Don’t worry about it, Ness. You couldn’t have known.”
She just shook her head and planted her face in his shoulder again. “I’m still sorry.”
He kissed her head. “It’s still okay.”
She smiled to herself and took a deep breath before she sat back up. “So tell me about your tattoo.”
She lifted his sleeve to look at it. “It’s your tribe symbol, right?”
“Basically, yes.” He moved his arm around her and tucked the fabric up at his shoulder so she could
see the whole design.
39
“So does that mean that everyone has one of these?” She tried to imagine kids and elderly women
sporting tattoos.
He smirked. “No, just a few of us.”
She nodded. “What’s the meaning?”
“Do you remember what I told you about my tribe that day in the woods?” She nodded again. “If you
look closely, you can see it’s two wolves in a circle around the moon with a human hand inside of it.”
He pointed out each part of the symbol. Renesmee was amazed at how much detail was put into it.
“It’s to remind us of where we came from and that the animal isn’t too far away.”
She shuddered. “So is there a reason that this ancient god made the tribe from wolves? Why not
deer or something like that.”
“He wasn’t really a god. More like a spirit. In English, you’d call him the Transformer. Do you not
like wolves?” He wondered why she would have sat with him or chased him if she didn’t like the
animal.
“It’s not that. I think they’re very pretty and all that. It’s werewolves I don’t like. All the shifting and
the full moon and everything.” She shivered.
He was confused and sad by her confession. Why would he imprint on someone that wouldn’t like
him if she knew what he was? “Would it help if I said that they weren’t werewolves? No full moon
was required and silver bullets would just make them laugh.”
She stared at him with wide eyes. “That’s even worse, Jake. An indestructible werewolf that can
transform at any time is much scarier.”
He pursed his lips. “They’re not werewolves, Ness. They’re shape-shifters. There is a huge
difference.”
She sighed and decided to put it behind her. It was pointless to get into an argument over his tribe’s
history, and she wasn’t going to let it get between them so soon. “Okay, you’re right. Shape-shifters.
But they’re still scary.”
For the first time since he could remember, he wanted to cry. The one person that needed to know
what he was would be scared off if he told her. He felt like his ancestry had just kicked him in the
balls.
Renesmee noticed the tension in the air between them and how he seemed to have closed himself
off. She felt like a jerk. He had opened up to her to tell her something about himself, and she had
been nothing but a bitch about it. She licked her lips and touched his arm. “I’m sorry.”
Jacob looked down at her. He wanted to stay upset, but he just couldn’t. One look into her brown
eyes, and she was forgiven whether he liked it or not. “Don’t worry about it, Ness.” He could only
hope that someday he could teach her how to accept it and not be afraid anymore.
“No, I should worry about it. I was mean. I shouldn’t have been so insensitive about your legends. I
really am sorry.” A part of her was glad that he had forgiven her so easily, but another part wanted
him to tell her to grow up.
40
“It’s not your fault that you’re afraid of those things. There’s nothing to be sorry for, okay?” He
kissed her forehead.
They both looked up when John showed up with their food. “Can I get you anything else?” he asked.
“No, thank you,” Jacob replied. John nodded and left.
“It smells good. Thank you, by the way, for telling him what I wanted. And for telling him to leave the
tomatoes off.”
“You’re welcome. So tell me more about you, Ness.”
She shrugged. “What do you want to know?” She looked up at him.
“Everything.”
“Hmm, well, that might be a little difficult. Um . . . My name is Renesmee Marie Cullen, but I prefer
you to call me Ness.” She smiled at him. “I was born in Chicago and been there all my life, but my
parents and I came up to visit at least once a year until my grandparents died. Since then it’s only
been every few years.” She paused for a minute to take a drink. “I graduated high school early
because I got a list of all the assignments and did them ahead of time. I love sushi, but it has to be
from a restaurant; I can’t stand it when it’s homemade. When I was young, I wanted to be a secret
agent for the CIA. That ended when I realized I would have to kill people.”
Jacob laughed. “What music do you like?”
“I like pretty much everything, but my favorite is jazz and blues. What about you?” She wanted to
know everything about him as well.
He shrugged. “I don’t listen that often. When I do, it’s usually whatever’s on the radio. I haven’t
found anything that I really don’t like, though.”
“Why is your skin so warm?” she finally asked.
Jacob paused. For a moment, he wasn’t sure what to say. “I, uh . . . I don’t know.” He cringed
inwardly. “My temperature is just naturally warmer than other people’s.”
She nodded. “Has it always been that way?” She wondered if her dad knew what could cause that.
“Yeah.” He couldn’t stand it. Lying to her was not right. He should be able to tell her everything, and
she should be able to handle it all. That was part of the imprint.
Renesmee noticed the way he seemed to clam up again. She felt bad for pushing him to talk about
it. “What about school? Did you go to class on the reservation?”
“Yeah, I did. Graduated there, too.” He didn’t mention that he was forced to drop out at sixteen and
finish a few years later.
“Do you have any plans for college?”
41
He shook his head. “No. My place is on the reservation, and that’s where I’ll stay.”
She couldn’t say why she liked that so much. “I don’t have any plans yet either. I’ll probably start
looking into when my parents get back, though, and start something at the first of the year.”
Jacob nodded and ignored the urge to tell her she would probably end up staying on the reservation
with him. When they finished lunch, they went back out to the car. “What would you like to do now?”
he asked.
“I don’t know. We could go to a park or something.” It was cloudy like usual, but the rain hadn’t
started yet.
“If you’d like.”
He pulled into the parking area for the park, happy to see it deserted. He got out and opened her
door for her again, then reached into the back and pulled out a blanket. They walked out onto the
damp grass, and he spread the blanket before they sat down.
“It’s really pretty out here. Even with the clouds.” Renesmee looked up and smiled at the gray sky.
“Not as pretty as you,” Jacob heard himself say. He inwardly rolled his eyes. She blushed, though,
and he loved the way it made her brighten up.
“Thank you.”
He smiled and laid down on the blanket on his back. “It’s only the truth.”
She bit her lip and moved to lay down beside him. She put her head on his shoulder. “Is this okay?”
He was thrilled that she was coming to him like this. He had her lift up to put his arm around her
then pulled her a little closer. “Of course it is.” He traced his fingers up and down her arm.
She snuggled closer to him, wrapping an arm around his chest to hold him tightly. She closed her
eyes and turned her face to inhale more of his scent. He smelled like earth and trees and passion.
She tried to get even closer, but she wasn’t sure if she could without climbing on top of him. She
wasn’t opposed to the idea, but she didn’t want to give him the wrong impression. She sighed
deeply.
“What are you thinking?” Jacob asked quietly.
“I’m thinking about getting closer. And how I don’t want to say goodbye to you later.” She blushed
and tried to bury her face in his chest. He laughed, and the sound reverberated around her in the
most amazing way.
“I don’t want to say goodbye either.” As much as he wanted to run away with her, it wasn’t possible
yet.
She took a deep breath. “How are we going to make this work, Jake? I’m leaving the state in three
months.”
42
Jacob furrowed his brow and turned on his side to see her better. “Ness, do you want to try? Be
honest with me.”
She felt a hard tug in her chest that made her eyes tear up. “Yes, I do. But I’m scared. I’m afraid
that with what I feel now, this will turn out to be the best thing in my life, and I’ll have to leave you in
September.”
He smiled and kissed her forehead. “We’ll figure it out. I’m not giving up on this without a fight,
Ness. Remember that, okay?” What he really meant was he would kill anyone who tried to take her
away from him, but he didn’t want to scare her again. He had three months to convince her not to
be afraid of him and to stay.
“I . . .” Renesmee snapped her mouth shut against the strongest desire to tell him that she loved
him. It’s too fast, she thought. A part of her couldn’t even believe she had thought the words so
soon.
He traced her jaw line from her ear to her chin. “You . . .?” he prodded.
“I’ll fight, too.”
“That’s good to know,” he said softly before he leaned into her and placed his lips gently on hers.
Her eyes widened in surprise for just a moment before they slid closed and she kissed him back. His
lips seemed warmer than the rest of him, and she melted into the intoxicating heat. She tensed
when he opened his mouth and tried to deepen the kiss. As much as she wanted his kiss, they were
in a public place. His tongue was persistent against her lips, and she pushed against his shoulders.
Jacob pulled back. “Are you okay?”
She nodded and blushed when she saw two other people had shown up with their children. One of
them, a younger boy that looked around six years old, was staring at them as he sat near a tree
eating a sandwich.
“Yeah, but . . . the other people.” She tilted her head toward them.
He had heard them arrive but ignored them. He wanted to tell her that he didn’t care, but the way
she looked at him made him give in. He moved back and nodded. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry.” She trailed her fingers up his arm, and he shivered.
“It’s okay.” He kissed her lips softly and rolled over onto his back.
They both looked up at the sky for a few minutes before a drop of water landed on her hand that was
resting on his chest. It wasn’t long before it was drizzling.
“Should we go?” Jacob asked.
Renesmee nodded and sat up. They both got back into the car, and she sighed.
“What’s the matter?” he asked. He hoped she wasn’t getting bored with him.
43
She looked at him. “Nothing. I was just really comfortable out there with you.”
He smiled and took her hand. “If you’d like, we can walk around town for a while. I think there’s an
umbrella in the back.” He didn’t care about getting wet, but it was in there for his dad.
She smiled. “I’d like that.” She squeezed his hand.
As they walked up and down the streets, they pointed out different houses and buildings to make a
comment about it.
“That’s my aunt’s flower shop,” Renesmee said. The building was gray with a sign that read
‘Whitlock Floral’ hanging above the door. “Know anyone who needs a job? She’s been looking to
hire some more help since it’s getting so busy.”
Jacob shook his head. “Maybe you could pitch in?”
“Jake, don’t give her that idea, please? I love my aunt and all, but being around flowers all day is not
my idea of a good time.”
“You like walking in the trees,” he pointed out.
“Well, yes, but that’s different. It’s not arranging flowers for cantankerous old witches.” She laughed
at the look on his face. “I’m talking about the customers, of course; not my aunt.”
“Of course.” He smiled and leaned down to kiss her head. “What does your uncle do?”
“He works on occasion at the museum in Seattle. He’s a history buff and really big on weapons and
things from the civil war. He helps to restore exhibits when they come in or give tours when Maria,
the usual guide, can’t come in. He usually only has to go in a few times a month.” She thought it
was the perfect job.
“That sounds pretty nice.” Now Jacob understood all the guns.
“Yeah, he likes it. It was nice for me growing up, because any time I had questions, I’d just call him
and he’d explain it in a way that made sense. He was part of the reason I was able to graduate
early.”
“Do you know what you might want to do? Any interests?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I’ve thought becoming a chef like my grandma, but then a part of
me wants to be a doctor like my dad.”
“You should do both.”
She smiled and looked up at him. “Why?”
He shrugged. “Because you’d be really hot in the kitchen and with a white coat and stethoscope.”
She blushed. “I’ll consider that.”
44
They walked in silence for a few minutes, passing a few people rushing to get out of the rain. Some
of the buildings were familiar to her while some she didn’t think had been there the last time visited.
They came to and old blue house and Renesmee stopped to look at it.
“Do you know this house?” he asked.
She looked at him. “Yeah, this was my grandpa’s house.”
Jacob wasn’t sure what to say for a minute. “Your grandfather was Charlie Swan?”
“Yeah, my mom and aunt were his daughters. Did you know him?”
He shrugged and avoided eye contact. “I met him once or twice. He was a good man.” He rubbed
her back.
“Does anyone live here now?” she wondered. It looked like it was falling apart.
“It doesn’t look inhabited.” He didn’t smell anything around it but dirt and mold, but he didn’t tell her
that.
Renesmee looked up at the window that used to be her room when she would stay over. It had been
the room her mother grew up in. The window was cracked, and the paint around it was peeling. She
could see the blue curtains behind it. A faded memory, no more than a still picture now, of looking
out the window when she was five years old while Bella brushed her hair came to her mind. She
took a deep breath and turned to Jacob. “Can we go?”
He nodded and led her away. “Of course.” There had never been a question of where the
boundaries of the pack’s protection were. His ancestors had sworn to protect La Push and only La
Push. As he watched his imprint look up at that house and remembered what had happened to the
man, he made a new pact. Even if it was only his pack and his generation, the boundaries would be
pushed out to Forks. He would not let another member of her family die the way Charlie had.
“Tell me something, Jake,” she asked. She moved a little further into his side as they walked.
“Anything.”
She smiled. “No, I mean just tell me something. I don’t care what it is.” She looked up at him.
“Oh, um.” He pursed his lips. “When I was eight, I fell out of a tree and broke my leg.”
“Ow. Why did you fall?”
He smirked. “Because I was being a dumbass trying to act like a monkey. I felt the bone crack when
I landed, too.”
She cringed. “That doesn’t sound pleasant.”
He chuckled. “No, it really wasn’t. I had to have the cast on for six weeks. It got signed by everyone,
though.”
45
They walked around for a while longer until Renesmee started to get hungry. “Do you need to be
home at a specific time?”
“Yeah, my aunt said to be home by nine. Personally, I think it’s stupid that I have such an early
curfew, but rules are rules.” She shrugged.
He smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Do you want to stop at that diner we passed?”
She nodded. “That sounds good. Thank you, Jake.”
He ducked quickly to kiss her lips. “Anytime, Ness.”
The waitress was a middle-aged woman that Renesmee didn’t feel threatened by. She did blush
when the woman gave her a wink and walked away with their orders. Neither of them said much as
they ate. When they were finished, she leaned against his shoulder.
“When can we get together again, Jake?” she asked as she looked up at him.
He leaned down and kissed her lips. “As soon as possible.”
She liked that answer. “So does that mean tomorrow, or what?”
He tightened his arm around her. “Probably not tomorrow. I have something I need to take care of
on the reservation. Monday afternoon?”
“That should be okay. Uncle Jasper is supposed to go to the museum Monday, and Aunt Alice will be
working. I’m sure I can convince them I’d be better off with you than alone. They adore you after my
little stunt in the woods, by the way.” She smiled and pushed her shoulder against him playfully.
“Yes, well, everyone adores me sooner or later,” he teased. She laughed, and he loved the sound of
it. “Are you finished? It’s about time to get you home.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Jacob paid the check, and they left. They were silent on the ride as he held her hand tightly on the
clutch. He tried to prepare himself for the moment he would have to walk away. It didn’t matter that
it would only be a day; it killed him that he even had to say goodbye at all. He pulled up to her house
and turned to her.
“Are you ready to go in?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to say goodbye, Jake.” Her chest tightened, and she gripped his
hand harder.
“I know, Ness. I don’t either.” He leaned forward and brought her hand to his lips. “Just remember
that I will be here to see you on Monday.”
“I know. I’m just scared that . . .” she hesitated. She knew she’d see him, but she couldn’t seem to
convince her heart.
“Ness, look at me,” he said softly. She met his eyes. “Are you afraid you won’t see me again?”
46
She nodded, and her eyes watered. “Terrified.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her as close as he could over the console. “Would it
help if I told you that I will stop at nothing to see you again? I mean nothing.” No matter who I have
to kill, he thought. He wished he could tell her about the imprint so she would know that she had
nothing to be afraid of, but he would also have to tell her what he was.
She smiled and stared into his eyes. They pierced through her in the best way, and while something
inside her felt exposed, she had never felt safer than she did when she was with him. “I love you,
Jacob.” Her eyes widened when she realized what she said. “I’m sorry, I—”
“I love you, too, Ness.” He touched her cheek and smiled. Those words had just made all the
unpleasant parts of imprinting disappear. “I know, it’s really fast. But it’s right. I feel it, don’t you?”
He knew she did.
Renesmee wondered where the catch was. How could she have something so perfect? Then she
remembered her parents. September was the catch. She took a deep breath and nodded. “I feel
it.”
Jacob pulled her closer and covered her mouth with his. She felt another hard tug in her chest and
tried to scoot closer, but the console stopped her. She furrowed her brow and wrapped her arms
around his neck. He grunted and tried to pull her closer, but she whimpered in pain and pulled back.
“Jake, I think we need to get out of the car. I can’t get close enough.”
He smiled and opened his door. She didn’t wait for him this time and just got out, meeting him at
the front of the car. He took her to the door, under the overhang, and pressed her against the wall.
She didn’t hesitate to throw her arms around his shoulders as he bent down to reclaim her lips. She
let out a breathy moan when he opened his mouth, and their tongues connected. The tightness in
her chest finally loosened, and she felt like she was right where she belonged. She gripped her
fingers in his hair and tried to push herself higher, further into him. He wrapped one arm around her
waist and put his other palm against the wall. Just as he was about to lift her up, someone cleared
their throat loudly.
Renesmee pushed on Jacob’s shoulder, and he pulled back reluctantly. He was disappointed to see
her uncle standing in the doorway. Had it been anyone else, he could have made them go away and
went back to what he was doing. She pushed him a little harder to get him to step back and
straightened her shirt.
“Uncle Jasper . . . hi . . . Um, I’m home.” She smiled sweetly, trying to act innocent.
“So I see. Are you planning on coming back inside any time soon?” He raised one eyebrow.
She blushed and licked her lips. “Yeah, probably.” She really wanted a few more minutes with Jacob.
She turned back to him and squeezed his hand. “I had a great time, Jake. Thank you for
everything.”
He smiled, but it was forced. He was not ready for this. “It was my pleasure, Ness.” He leaned down
and kissed her lips one more time. “I’ll see you Monday, okay?”
47
She nodded. “Yeah, Monday.”
Jacob pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear, “I love you.”
She shivered and kissed his cheek. “I love you, too.”
He pulled back, but he couldn’t leave. “Be safe, Ness.”
She nodded. “You, too.”
He smiled, glanced at Jasper once, then forced himself to turn around and go back to his car.
Renesmee walked inside and took one more glance at Jacob’s back before the door was shut. She
pressed her back against it and closed her eyes. Monday, she repeated to herself. Monday
afternoon. She would see him again in less than thirty nine hours.
“So would you care to explain what just happened?” Jasper asked.
Alice walked into the room with a curious look on her face. “Why? What just happened?”
Renesmee bit her lip. “I kissed him goodnight.” And confessed that she loved him, and all but made
out with him against the side of the house.
“That was not just a kiss goodnight.”
“I’m confused,” Alice said.
Jasper turned to her with his arms crossed. “He had her pinned against the wall with his tongue
halfway down her throat.”
“Oh. Yeah, that’s not a kiss for a first date. Why?”
Renesmee sighed. “Look, I may be young, and you may think I don’t know what I’m doing, but I do.
It’s not like we were undressing or anything. I know my boundaries, and I won’t let him cross them
just because he’s cute. He was very respectful, very kind, and very protective the whole day. I really
like him.”
Alice walked up to her and took her hands. “Honey, listen to me. It’s not that we don’t trust you,
okay. Although, raging teen hormones and all, we probably shouldn’t. It’s him we don’t trust. You
don’t know him that well, and some guys are really good at pretending to be exactly what the girl
wants until it’s too late for her to back up. All we’re asking is that you be careful, okay?”
“I promise I’ll be careful. But I’m going to ask you guys to really trust me. I’ll take mace along with
me if you want, but don’t freak out if I want to be with him. I mean, I really, really like him.”
“Be with him as in . . .” Alice asked, squinting her eyes.
Renesmee rolled her eyes. “As in occupy the same space at the same time.”
Alice smiled. “I think we can do that. What do you think, Jasper?”
48
Jasper nodded. “Sounds reasonable. But, I don’t care what your dad says, I’m teaching you to fire a
gun.”
Renesmee laughed. “That would actually be great. I’ve wanted to learn for a long time.”
“Good. So what’s this about Monday?” Jasper asked. Alice raised her eyebrows.
“Well, we both wanted to do something again soon. He has something he has to do tomorrow, and I
know both of you guys will be busy on Monday, so we decided to get together then.”
Alice pursed her lips. “What will you guys be doing?”
“I don’t know. But remember, you’re trusting me? Maybe you can show me your guns tomorrow?”
Renesmee said, looking at Jasper.
He smiled. “I’ll show you a gun tomorrow.”
“Perfect.”
Alice hugged her niece. “We love you, honey.”
“I know. I love you guys, too.”
After she went to bed that night, Renesmee stared up at the ceiling and thought about the kiss she
had shared with Jacob. She remembered once feeling like a boy’s tongue was warm, but Jacob . . .
his was hot. Hot and wet, and she couldn’t get enough of it. Her whole body reacted to the memory,
and she sighed delightfully to herself. She knew what Alice meant about guys pretending to be what
they weren’t. She’d known a few of them in her short time dating. She just couldn’t get over how
right it felt with Jacob. Everything was perfect when he was holding her. She smiled and closed her
eyes. Monday afternoon. It seemed like forever.
49
~Chapter Six~
Forest
The rest of the weekend went by slowly. Renesmee was disappointed when she didn’t get to shoot a
gun with Jasper on Sunday. Instead, he went over the rules of gun safety and how to respect the
weapon. Monday morning was a whir of activity as both Alice and Jasper got ready for work.
“Have fun today,” Alice said as she grabbed her purse.
Renesmee smiled and nodded. “I will.” She wasn’t sure what time Jacob was coming over, but she
started to get ready after everyone else was gone. She hoped he was planning something where
they could be alone. The sky was cloudy, but the rain hadn’t started to fall yet. She dressed in jeans
and a long-sleeved silver sweater.
Jacob showed up at noon. Renesmee was in her room upstairs and let herself have a moment to
squeal before she went to let him in.
“Hey,” she said softly as she stared up at him.
He stepped inside and shut the door behind him. He was amused by her excitement but wouldn’t let
her know he’d heard her. “Hey. You look nice.”
She looked down at herself and blushed. “Oh . . . thanks.” She smiled and looked at him in jeans
cut off and frayed at the knees and a t-shirt. “Aren’t you freezing?”
Jacob chuckled. “No. I don’t get cold. I’m hot, remember?” He touched her cheek.
She put her hand over his and nodded. “I remember.”
He leaned down and kissed her lips softly. “I love you.”
Renesmee reached up to hold his shoulders. “I love you, too. And I’ve missed you.”
He kissed her again, pulling her closer with his hands on her waist. “I missed you, too.”
“So what are we doing today?”
The increased sound of her heartbeat and faint smell of her arousal made him want to cancel his
earlier plans and just stay in the house with her. He had to remind himself that she wasn’t the
typical imprint all the legends talked about. He remembered Quil’s excitement when he shared the
news that he’d imprinted on Claire. That was typical. She was surprised when she found out she’d
been dating a Shifter for three years, but she took the news calmly and still loved him. Jacob felt bad
enough lying to Renesmee about the simple things; he couldn’t seduce her without first explaining
his situation.
He cleared his throat and kissed her once more. “I thought we’d go for a walk. There’s a meadow
not far from here that I think you’d like.”
50
“Sounds like fun.” As long as she was with him, it didn’t really matter what they did. She was happy
that they weren’t going to be around other people, though. She wanted him all to herself. “Do you
know if it’s supposed to rain?”
He smirked. “It’s Forks, Ness. It’s going to rain.”
Renesmee pulled back. “Yeah, you’re right. Let me grab my jacket. Are you sure you’re okay?”
He walked with her to the small closet in the hallway. “I’m sure.” He took the jacket and held it up
for her.
She slid her arms in then turned around and stood on her toes. “Thank you.”
He kissed her nose. “You’re welcome. Are you ready to go?”
“Almost. Let me just grab my keys, then I am.”
Jacob let her walk away, and soon they left.
“Where’d you park?” she asked, looking down the road for his car.
“I didn’t; I r—” He stopped himself, nearly choking on the need to tell her the truth. He cleared his
throat and kept up the lie. “I was in the area anyway, so I just walked.” He shrugged.
She nodded, ignoring the sensation in the pit of her stomach that said he was lying. “Oh, okay.
Which way to this meadow?”
He took her hand and hesitated just a moment before he led her around the back of the house and
into the trees. They were quiet for a while. Renesmee looked around the trees and breathed in the
crisp air, and Jacob watched her. She heard a few birds chirping and even saw a squirrel run up a
tree. After a moment, she squeezed his fingers.
“So I talked to my dad,” she started. “About your temperature. He’s a doctor.”
Jacob raised his eyebrows. “Okay?” He couldn’t see how this could turn out well.
She cleared her throat. “He says it could be something with your hypothalamus. Have you ever been
to a doctor about it?”
He wanted to tell her it wasn’t any of her business just to get her off the subject. He made the
mistake of looking down at her, though. She was staring up at him with curiosity in her brown eyes,
and he gave in. “Yeah,” he lied. “I’m healthy as a horse.” Or giant, shape-shifting wolf.
She quirked her lips. “Hmm. I mean, that’s good. I’m glad. It’s just confusing.”
“Yeah, I guess I’m a medical marvel.” If she only knew.
She took a step closer to him and hummed. They were quiet again. Jacob loved watching her as she
took in the nature around her. She was beautiful, and he loved seeing her smile and hearing her soft
giggle when she saw something amusing. He could hear Seth padding around, but knew he was far
51
enough away that Renesmee couldn't see him or hear him. He was only there as a precaution
anyway.
“Tell me more about you, Jake,” Renesmee said. She looked up at him.
He shrugged. “What do you want to know?”
“I don’t know. Tell me what it’s like living on a reservation.” She really just wanted to get to know
him better.
Jacob pulled in a deep breath and thought about his answer. “Um, well, it’s . . . normal, I guess.”
She nodded. “What’s it like having a chief? Is he like your president?”
He smirked. “I guess you could call it that. There are similarities, I guess. Mostly it’s just . . . A whole
lot of responsibilities.”
She cocked her head to the side. “What do you mean?”
“Well, remember when we were talking about the legends on Saturday?” This whole thing was so
interconnected, and had no idea how he was going to separate it enough that he didn’t accidentally
say too much.
“Yeah.”
“Okay, so the chief of the tribe is always a direct descendent of the first chief.” She nodded in
understanding. “There are a few others that run hot like me. The council says it’s because we’re all
direct descendents.” He was proud of himself for finding the middle ground.
“So you’re a direct descendent?”
“Yes, I am.”
“How many are there?”
“Four altogether.”
She nodded. “So how do you decide who is chief?”
“Bloodlines.” He shrugged. “I’m the only one whose bloodline came directly from the first chief. The
rest are from the other Shifters.” He winced. “I mean from the others who were supposedly Shifters.”
“So since you’re the only one, you’ll be chief someday?” Renesmee had to admit she was
impressed.
“Actually I am currently the chief.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Really?”
He nodded. “Really.”
52
“Aren’t they supposed to be old and wrinkled?” She asked the question before she realized that her
words might have been offensive. “I’m sorry, Jake, that was—”
“No, it’s okay.” Even though a part of him wanted to be upset, her eyes wouldn’t let him. He kissed
her forehead. “I suppose, going by basic traditions, I shouldn’t be chief until my father passes away.
It didn’t work that way, though.” He hesitated; he was already in way over his head. “It’s
complicated.”
Although Renesmee wanted to ask him to explain everything, she could tell he didn’t want to.
Instead of prodding, she leaned her head on his arm as they walked. “What’s it like being the
chief?”
Jacob was relieved that she didn’t ask anymore tough questions. “It’s interesting. A lot of important
decisions to be a part of. Some of it can be a little boring, but mostly it’s . . . challenging.”
“Does anyone not like having you as chief since you’re so young? How long have you been chief
anyway?”
He stifled a groan and took a deep breath instead. So much for no tough questions. “Everybody’s
very supportive. They know it was decided by our heritage. I’ve been chief since I was sixteen.”
“Wow, sixteen. That’s incredible. Was it scary for you?”
“Terrifying.” That, at least, was the truth.
They were silent as she thought about a younger Jacob trying to take on all his new responsibilities.
“Did your dad help you? Is he still a part of it?”
“He did help, and he’s still on the council.”
Even when she told herself to leave it alone, her curiosity won out. “Why did you take over as chief
so young?” She looked up at him and furrowed her brow.
Jacob grunted and rubbed his free palm over his face. He could only hop around the truth so much
before he let too much slip. Renesmee licked her lips. “I’m sorry, Jake. You can tell me to mind my
own business.”
“No, Ness, don’t say that. I just wish there was an easy way to explain it, that’s all.” He took his
hand from hers and wrapped it around her shoulders. “The way my tribe works, each person on the
council, including the chief, should have certain . . . they should be able to do certain things. Not
every generation is capable, so when it was discovered that I could . . . do these things, I became
chief in place of my dad. It wasn’t even a choice, but I don’t regret one moment of it.” Anymore,
anyway.
She nodded again and wished she could understand better. “What do you have to do?”
He knew she was going to ask that. He stared straight ahead for a minute, trying to think of
something to say instead of the truth.
“Nothing illegal, though, right?” she asked. It was obvious he didn’t want to explain.
53
Jacob smiled, grateful that she didn’t push it. “No, nothing illegal. We’re almost to the meadow; just
a few more yards.”
Renesmee hadn’t been paying much attention, but she realized when she looked ahead that it
wasn’t the same meadow she’d visited before. With a burst of excitement, she glanced up at him
before she started to run. Jacob caught her arm. Although he knew it was probably safe, he couldn’t
let her run out into an open field like that without at least checking it first. She turned and looked up
at him quizzically.
“Let me go first, Ness.”
She furrowed her brow. “Why?”
He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Because you never know what’s in the woods, and I would
never forgive myself if something happened to you.”
She wasn’t sure what to make of his comment or his cautiousness. As he walked ahead of her, she
began to think about the wolf she’d seen before. Could he be talking about it? She shuddered; it
had never seemed to be a danger before, but how could she know what it really wanted?
Jacob sniffed the air and scanned the area with his ears. He heard all the normal wildlife and Seth;
nothing else. He knew it was irrational to be so careful, but this was his imprint he was protecting.
What was logical or realistic didn’t matter.
“It’s okay,” he said, turning to Renesmee. “It’s safe, Ness, come on.” He beckoned to her with his
fingers.
Renesmee went to him. “Wow, Jake,” she breathed as she looked around the meadow. The ground
was covered in wildflowers of every color. “This is beautiful.”
“I knew you’d like it.” He brushed her hair behind her shoulder and watched her take in her
surroundings.
She walked around for a moment, taking in the trees and looking up to see the clouds. She turned
back to him. “So it’s safe?” she asked. He nodded and started to walk toward her. She smiled
deviously. “I bet you can’t catch me.” She ran for the other side of the huge meadow, knowing he
probably wouldn’t have any trouble getting her.
Jacob shook his head with a smile, gave her a three second head start, then went after her. He went
easy on her at first so he could watch her as she ran, laughing and smiling. She was radiant.
“Come on slow poke!” she teased. “Is this too much for you?”
She didn’t realize she was playing with fire now. Jacob growled in response to the taunt and caught
up to her easily. Her eyes widened when he grabbed her around the waist and lifter her over his
shoulder. She screamed, laughing as she kicked her legs.
“Put me down!”
“I can’t do that. You called me a slow poke.” He poked her side. She squealed and tried harder to
wriggle out of his hold. “Oh, ticklish, huh?”
54
“No, Jake; don’t!”
Her pleas fell on deaf ears. He stopped and knelt down, flipping her back over. With his hand
behind her head, he laid her down quickly and straddled her legs. She screamed again, laughing
and trying to push him away as he tickled her sides.
“Jake, stop . . . please . . . I can’t breathe!”
He pulled back and sat up for a moment, looking down at her as he rested his hands on her hips.
Her face was flushed and sweaty, and her heart sounded like it could pound out of her chest. Her
eyes were bright, and her smile was breathtaking. She rested her hands on his as she caught her
breath. His eyes grew darker as he stared at her. She felt the shift in the energy around her and
trailed her fingers up his arms as he leaned down over her. He wrapped one arm under her waist as
their lips met; his other moved up to rest his weight on his elbow beside her. He kissed her deeply,
and her arms tightened around his neck to hold him close.
Renesmee tilted her head to kiss him deeper, her tongue moving with his. She moved her leg,
pressing it against his knee and hoping he would let them change position. She needed him to be
closer to her. Jacob lifted his knee and placed it between hers. Without breaking the kiss, he settled
himself between her legs. She whimpered breathlessly as the weight of his body on her caused a
hot wave of desire to flow through her. She lifted her chin when he left her mouth to explore her
neck. Her fingers gripped his hair, and she shivered and moaned when he licked her under her ear.
Jacob stifled the growl building in his chest and kept a tight leash on his desire. The smell of her
need and her hands pulling him closer nearly overtook him. He continued moving down, unable to
stop even when he told himself he should.
“Jacob . . . Jake, we need to stop,” Renesmee said as his lips grazed over her breast. It was too far
too soon. A part of her was surprised she even let him get that far.
He slid up to kiss her lips gently. “Yes we do.” He moved to her side to lie next to her. She turned to
face him and smiled when he lightly grazed her cheek with his fingers. They were silent for a while,
just looking at each other and listening to the sounds of the woods around them.
A drop of water landed on Renesmee’s arm. She looked down at it, then up at the sky. It was darker
than before, the clouds heavy with precipitation.
“Time to go,” Jacob said softly. He got up and helped her stand before leading her out of the
meadow. By the time they reached the trees, the rain was pouring down.
“I guess this is what we get for coming out, huh?” she asked, looking up at him and squinting as the
rain hit her face. He just chuckled at her.
The walk back seemed much shorter, and soon they were coming out of the trees behind her house.
They were both soaked when they reached the overhand over the front door. Jacob shook his head,
sending drops of water flying. Renesmee laughed at him as she wrung her out her hair. She looked
at him and bit her lip; his clothes clung to his body and his hair seemed pasted down. It hung in his
eyes, and he brushed it to the side. She smiled; he looked cute like that. She could see the steam
rising off of him, and somehow it just made him more appealing.
55
“What?” he asked. He didn’t mind her looking, but he had to do something to divert his attention
from the way the water made every scent, including her lingering arousal, that much stronger.
“Why is it that you get to look like a Calvin Klein model when you’re wet, and I look like a drowned
rat?” she asked as she turned to open the door.
Jacob watched her and admired the way her clothes clung to her body and her hair stuck to her face.
Her mascara had run a little bit, and any other trace of makeup was gone. “You’re pretty damn sexy
for a drowned rat,” he said, closing the door behind them.
She gave him a look. “That’s not even true. I’m going to go change; I’ll be right back.”
Jacob smirked to himself and watched her ass as she went up the stairs. He took a few deep
breaths to calm himself down, then went to the downstairs bathroom to wring his clothes out. He
was done before she was, so he took the liberty of looking around. In the living room, he laughed
quietly to himself when he saw the DVD case An American Werewolf in London sitting on the coffee
table. He had once liked the movie and was grateful that his transformation was different. The sting
of his was painful enough; he didn’t think he could handle a slow one. He picked up the case and
looked at the back, laughing to himself.
“What’s so funny?” Renesmee asked when she came back down. He turned around and showed her
the case. “Oh, yeah. They watched that last night. Have you seen it?”
“Yes, I have. It was pretty good. You didn’t watch it with them?”
She shuddered, and he pretended he didn’t notice her nipples harden under the light blue t-shirt
she’d changed into. “No, I didn’t watch it. I’ve seen it before, though. It gave me nightmares for a
week.”
Jacob smiled sadly and wondered what she would think of his transformation. “What would you like
to do now?” he asked. He put the case down and walked to her.
She shrugged, although she already knew she wanted to snuggle up to him and have the possibility
of more kissing. “I don’t know . . . maybe we could watch a movie or something?”
He nodded and leaned down to kiss her lips. “What would you like to watch?”
She slid her hands up his chest to his shoulders, surprised when his shirt wasn’t as damp as she had
thought it would be. “I don’t care. Anything that’s not scary.”
“Let’s see what you’ve got.”
They decided on a drama. Jacob laid down on the couch and held her in front of him as it played, his
hand on her stomach. She put her hand over his and interlaced their fingers. When the movie was
over, she shifted to her back and smiled up at him.
“Thank you for watching it with me.”
He kissed her nose. “It was torture.”
56
She laughed and squeezed his fingers. “I’m sure it was.” She reached up with her free hand and
brushed his hair out of his eyes. “You’re cute with your hair all messed up like that.”
Jacob snorted. “So are you.” He tugged on a loose curl that had come out of her pony tail.
She rolled her eyes. “Mm-hmm.”
“I want you to come to a bonfire with me next weekend,” he said as he looked down at her.
“A bonfire? Like a party?”
He smiled. “Yep. There’ll be lots of food and storytelling.”
She cocked her head to the side. “What kind of stories?”
He kissed her lips. “Our legends, as told by my dad.”
She bit her lip and hesitated. She wanted to get over her fear, but it wasn’t as easy as she hoped.
She felt she should be honored that he’d even asked her to go.
“Please come.” He wasn’t above begging. “I think maybe if you hear it the way it’s meant to be told,
you won’t be as scared.”
She couldn’t let something as insignificant as a little fear stand in her way. “I’d love to.”
He smiled and kissed her again. “Great. It’ll be fun.” His ears perked up at the sound of a distant
howl. He wasn’t sure Renesmee would be able to hear it. It was a distinct call for help from Seth.
He sat up, pushing Renesmee back. “I need to go.”
She got up, confused. “Why? What’s wrong?”
There was another howl. Embry. Jacob pulled Renesmee close and kissed her quickly. “Stay inside.
I’ll call you. Love you.”
She furrowed her brow and called after him, but he didn’t turn around. The door slammed behind
him. She took a deep breath and looked around. What the hell was that all about? As she tried to
think of anything he could be so worked up about, she put the movie away and straightened up the
living room.
~*~
Jacob was furious. He knew from the look on Renesmee’s face as he left that he’d have to have a
damn good explanation when he saw her again. If he couldn’t tell her that he had to help his pack rip
apart a group of five Bloodsuckers, what could he say?
Just tell her you really had to take a piss, Embry offered.
Yeah, you’re fucking hilarious. The two sat watching the purple smoke rise from the segmented
remains of their enemies. She’s not stupid, Embry.
57
Well, not that stupid anyway.
Jacob growled and stood up on all fours, turning toward the other wolf. What the fuck is that
supposed to mean?
Embry laid down and whimpered. Sorry, dude. I just meant she hasn’t figured out what you are yet.
Jacob sat back down and licked his nose. I’m a good liar.
Only because you have to be. Nobody aside from those directly linked by council, bloodlines, or
imprint could know the truth about the Shifters. Jacob and Seth were lucky; they both had parents
on the council and didn’t have to keep the secret. Embry and Quil, however, had to hide their truths
from their parents. Since Quil had imprinted on Claire, he could tell her.
That still doesn’t help me. Unless I come up with a decent story, she’s not going to listen to me. I
can feel it. Jacob laid down and sighed, the sound a deep rumble in his chest.
Talk to Quil. He’s the only other one with an imprint; he’d be better to help you than me.
You’re here and he’s not, so shut up.
Embry mentally rolled his eyes. He tried to keep his thoughts mostly to himself from then on as his
alpha ran over scenario after scenario. He still hadn’t thought of anything by the time the remains
had smoldered to ashes and they could go home.
58
~Chapter Seven~
Excuses
“Why don’t you just tell her the truth?” Billy asked as he and his son sat on the couch pretending to
watch a game.
Jacob had no interest in the TV. He huffed at his father. “You don’t understand, Dad. The truth
would get her running away from me faster than any lie I could come up with.” He dropped his head
into his hands and sighed.
“So what lies have you come up with?”
“Absolutely nothing I think she’d actually believe. She’s smart, Dad. I think she already knows I
haven’t been honest with her, and I really don’t want her to think I’m up to something sneaky.”
Billy nodded. “Have you considered the fact that she’s your imprint and would accept you?”
Jacob stood up. “Yes, I have, and it’s bullshit. She’s my imprint, but I need time to convince her that
not all myths and legends are scary and that she can trust me.” He ran his fingers through his hair
and silently grumbled when it just fell in his eyes again. He really needed a trim soon.
“Then use me.”
Jacob furrowed his brow. “What?”
Billy shrugged. “Use me. Say you forgot you needed to refill my medicine and I’d die without it.”
Jacob scoffed. “You wouldn’t die without pain meds, Dad.”
“She doesn’t know what pills I take or whether my life depends on them. You haven’t got anything
better.”
It was true. And it would probably work. It had potential, anyway. Jacob smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”
Billy smirked and held out his hand. “I’ve got your back, Son.”
Jacob slapped his dad’s palm. “I’ll be back later.”
“Jacob?”
He stopped just before he walked out the door and turned. “Huh?”
“You do realize it’s ten o’clock at night, right?”
He hadn’t considered the time. “No. I have to check on her, but I’ll tell her tomorrow.”
Billy nodded and saluted his son before he left.
59
Jacob took the time to tie his sweats to his ankle before he shifted and ran to Renesmee’s. The
house was quiet with only the porch and kitchen lights on. He looked through the sliding glass doors
leading into the dining room and sighed when it was empty. The room she was staying in was dark.
He could only assume she was already asleep. He laid down and licked his nose as he thought over
his excuse several times, searching for any faults. He hoped it worked and that she’d still want to
see him. With another deep sigh, he rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes.
~*~
Renesmee picked at her breakfast the next morning, still unsure what to think about the way Jacob
had left the day before. She’d talked to her aunt about it when she got home. Alice offered a few
scenarios, but nothing really sounded right to Renesmee. In the end, she just hoped she heard from
him soon and that he could give her a real explanation.
“Why so blue?” Jasper asked as he walked in to get a drink. Alice had gone to work already, and it
was just him and Renesmee.
She shrugged. “I don’t know.” She set her spoon down and pushed the bowl away before she
looked up at her uncle. “Just confused.”
Jasper nodded. “Ah, about Jake? Alice told me about that.” He wasn’t sure what to think. He knew
the chances of a reasonable explanation were decent, but he still didn’t like seeing his girl upset.
“Yeah. I just hope I hear from him soon. Is that stupid? I mean, I barely know him, he ran out, and
I’m already prepared to forgive him.” She shook her head. “It seems stupid.”
Jasper reached out and covered her hand on the table with his. “I don’t think it’s stupid. I think that
you should hear him out and make sure he’s telling the truth before you go ahead and let it go, but I
don’t think you should hold it against him if there was a legitimate reason.”
“Thanks.”
He patted her back. “Sure thing. I have a few articles I need to go through; I’ll be in my office if you
need anything, okay?”
She smiled and nodded, then tried to eat some more of her cereal. Before she could get through
three bites, there was a knock on the door. She furrowed her brow and got up. She figured it was
probably one of Jasper’s friends.
“Hi,” she said, surprised to see Jacob. Like the last time she’d seen him, he was only half dressed.
This time he didn’t even have any shoes on. “Are you okay?”
He nodded. His nerves made him jumpy, and he didn’t like it. He wanted to get this over with and
decide where they stood now. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. How are you? Are you okay?” He walked in
and closed the door behind him before he pulled her into a hug. She didn’t resist, and he could only
take it as a good sign. “Ness, I’m sorry about yesterday.” He kissed the top of her head. “I should
have explained what was going on. I remembered that I’d told my dad I’d pick up one of his
prescriptions for him.” He swallowed thickly and hoped she accepted his lie.
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Renesmee sighed in relief. She’d known it had to be something important. She leaned back to look
up at him. “Is he okay?”
“He’ll be okay. It’s a, um . . . It’s a heart medicine. As long as he takes it, he’s fine.” Jacob shrugged
like it was nothing.
“Well, I’m glad you remembered, then.” She smiled and tried really hard to ignore the way his skin
felt against her fingertips.
He kissed her nose then her lips. “I’m sorry I ran out like I did. I was afraid the pharmacy would be
closed before I could get there.”
She nodded. “Did you make it in time?”
“Yeah, it wasn’t a problem. Everything’s fine now.”
“Good.” She stood on her toes for another kiss. “It’s okay to tell me what’s going on, Jake. Don’t
run out like that again, okay?”
Jacob swallowed. He wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He couldn’t promise he’d never do it again
when there was a damn good chance he would. As long as she wasn’t in any danger, he’d leave to
help his pack whenever they needed him. He looked into her eyes and found himself nodding.
Anything to keep that smile on her face. “Okay.” Dammit.
Her smile widened, and he didn’t care about the lies. He pulled her closer and kissed her again.
After a moment, she pulled back.
“My uncle’s here,” she whispered.
He nodded covertly and bent to put his forehead against hers. She lifted her hands to the back of
his neck to hold him there. “Okay. When do I get to see you again?”
She pursed her lips and thought for a moment. “Thursday? Jasper wants to teach me about guns
and how to fire them, but I’ll be free then.”
Jacob wasn’t sure he liked that. He didn’t want her near them, but he tried to convince himself that
she would be safer around them if she knew how to handle one. “Thursday will be fine. I’ll call you.”
Neither pulled away. Renesmee started to play with his hair, running her fingers through it softly.
“Sounds good.”
“You’ll still come to the bonfire with me on Saturday, right?”
“Right.”
He smiled and kissed her. “Good.”
“I love you,” she said softly, keeping her voice down so her uncle wouldn’t hear.
“Me, too, Ness.”
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After a few more kisses, they finally pulled apart. Jacob stretched his back and popped his neck.
Renesmee cringed. “Ouch.”
He chuckled. “Didn’t hurt. It felt good.” He did it again.
She flinched again. “Oh, Jacob, don’t do that. It’s terrible for your joints.”
He liked her concern a little too much. Just to keep it coming, he started to pop his fingers. “My
joints are fine.”
She put her hands over his and met his eyes. “Please?”
He sighed and nodded. “All right.”
“Thank you.”
He smirked. “Yeah.” He couldn’t keep his hands off her. He pulled her close again. She fitted
herself against him and looked down when she stepped on his foot. She was wearing her warm
socks and wondered how he wasn’t freezing.
“Why are you barefoot?” she asked as she looked up at him again.
He shrugged. “It’s June. Nobody wears shoes in the summer.”
She raised her eyebrow. “It’s also raining and about fifty degrees outside. It might be summer, but
it’s cold.”
He took her hand and placed it in the middle of his chest. “Ness, I don’t get cold, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember. How hot are you, anyway?”
Jacob immediately regretted bringing it up again. “Uh . . . I’m not really sure, actually.” He could only
imagine her reaction if he told her the truth. She seemed to accept that he was a few degrees hotter
than normal; he knew she’d suspect something if she knew he ran a constant one-hundred-and-ten
degrees.
Renesmee leaned forward and kissed his chest next to her hand. “I have a thermometer; we can
check.”
He grabbed her waist as she tried to pull away. “No, not now.”
“It’s just in the bathroom, I can—”
“Ness.” He made her look at him. “No.” He didn’t intend to use the tone he used to command his
pack.
Her whole body shivered when he said that word. There was nothing she could do but obey. She
nodded and licked her lips, her eyes caught by his that seemed on fire. “Okay.”
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He knew from experience that his alpha tone didn’t affect other people the way it affected his pack.
He could intimidate, but he couldn’t make others do something. The way his imprint succumbed to
him made him feel stronger. It was a surge of dominance and lust that nearly overpowered him. He
cleared his throat and kissed her as gently as he could, then pulled back. “Thank you. I should go.
I’ll see you Thursday?”
Renesmee nodded, a little confused and still feeling like mush from how badly she wanted him to
take every part of her. He touched her cheek briefly then left.
She stood in the living room staring after him as her heartbeat slowed to normal and her body began
to relax. She felt like she could sink to the floor and turn to pudding. She didn’t care that something
seemed dubious about the way he refused to let her take his temperature. She found she didn’t
even care to know what it was anymore. She just wanted him to come back and speak to her like
that again. Hold her close and claim her as his own.
“Did I hear Jacob?” Jasper asked as he came into the room.
Renesmee jumped and turned to him. “What? Oh, um, yeah. That was him. He was here. He came
here to, um . . .” Why had he come again? “To explain, I think.” She furrowed her brow. Was that it?
“Right, yeah, of course.” She shook her head in an attempt to clear it. “He came to tell me that he
ran out yesterday because he forgot that his dad needed a refill on his medicine and he wanted to
make it before the pharmacy closed.”
Jasper nodded slowly. Something was up. “Are you okay?”
She blushed fiercely and looked down. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” She made a sad attempt at
appearing normal.
“Because you’re acting strange. Where’s Jacob now? Is he still here?”
She took a deep breath and clasped her hands together to keep them from fidgeting. “No, he’s not.
He had to go.”
He looked her over for a second. “All right. You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m great. I think I’m going to take a shower or something. I probably need it. Or maybe a nap. I’m
kind of tired, and I didn’t really sleep well last night.” She realized she was just talking for the sake
of talking and stopped to check herself. She cleared her throat and smiled awkwardly. “So I’ll see
you later.” She half-waved and turned to run up the stairs.
Jasper stared after her for a second. “Yeah. Okay.” He shook his head to himself and walked back
to his office. “Girls.”
~*~
“So how many is this now?” Embry asked as he leaned forward and flicked Seth’s leg.
Seth cringed and leaned over to punch Embry’s arm. “Ten, and it still fucking hurts, jackass.”
Jacob smirked. “Only ten? Man, I hit ten after the fifth year.”
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“Obviously I’m more careful than you were. Damn, those guns are brutal.”
Embry snorted. “They would be brutal if they could actually do permanent damage to you. That little
scratch’ll be healed in an hour.”
“It’s still cool how you can push the bullet back out, though.” Seth shifted to look at the healing
wound in the side of his calf. He’d been trying to spy on Natalie with dwindling hopes that he would
imprint on her this time and got caught by a hunting duo. The initial sting of the shot wasn’t really
anything compared to the healing. He could literally feel his muscles reconnecting. It was morbidly
fascinating, but it hurt like a motherfucker.
Jacob took a drink of his beer. “I think Embry gets shot purposely just to do that.” They were at
Seth’s place just for a few drinks and to bullshit about pack life. Quil had opted out in favor of
spending time with Claire.
“No way, asshole. It might be cool, but I’m not a fucking masochist.”
“How many times have you been shot? Honestly?” Jacob asked.
Embry shrugged, trying to play it cool. “I dunno.”
“Fifty-two times. You’ve been shifting for ten years, and you’ve been shot fifty-two goddamned times.
I think you like it.”
“What about you, O Mighty Alpha?”
Seth just looked between the two, enjoying the banter.
Jacob huffed. “Forty, but I’ve been shifting for fourteen years and had to learn all the ways to avoid it
so I could teach you idiots. Seems Seth’s the only one who actually listens to me.”
“Him and your girlfriend.” Embry raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, I heard about that.”
Jacob growled and leaned forward. “Leave her out of it.”
Embry shrugged again. “You got it, Boss. Just sayin’ that Seth’s not the only one.” He rested back
against the couch and opened a new beer. He could safely argue that one of the best things about
being a Shifter was the ability to consume as much alcohol as he wanted without getting drunk. It
was second only to the amounts of pussy he could score at any given time.
“Isn’t it about time for your patrol?” Jacob asked pointedly.
Embry pointed at Seth. “It’s his turn.”
“He’s injured. Get going.”
“Dude, he’s fine and I have—”
“Now.” The command in Jacob’s voice was undeniable.
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Embry huffed, but he got up to leave. Jacob smirked.
Seth chuckled when the door slammed. “Nice one.”
“He was right; you’re not the only one.” He stood up. “I expect you ready to take his place tomorrow
morning.”
Seth nodded and held up his fist. “I’ll be there.”
Jacob bumped his fist against Seth’s, took the last swig of his beer, and left.
~*~
Renesmee brushed her hair for what felt like the twentieth time trying to make it perfect. She was so
eager to see Jacob again. For two nights, she’d dreamt of him and his voice. It might have only been
a single word, but it had an effect on her like she’d never thought possible. Before that word, that
tone in his voice, she had known she was attracted to him. She loved him. But now . . . she wanted
him more than she had ever wanted anyone before.
She took a deep breath and put the brush down. It wasn’t going to get any better. Her red curls
were still frizzy and looked like she hadn’t done anything at all to them. Frustrated that her hair
wouldn’t just cooperate, she tied it back in a pony tail and went to get her shoes on. Jacob had
called only ten minutes ago to let her know he’d be there soon to take her on a date to Port Angeles.
They were going to see a movie and have some dinner, then he’d bring her back. It wasn’t really the
activity she would have chosen, but she could admit that it was a good thing they wouldn’t be alone
with an opportunity to get too close. They hadn’t even known each other two weeks yet and she
already wanted to give herself to him completely.
Finally ready, she bounded down the stairs to let Jasper know she’d be leaving soon. He was in his
office researching something for the museum. She knocked lightly on the door.
Jasper turned to see his niece in the doorway. “Hey. You outta here?”
“Not yet. Soon, though. He called to say he’s on his way about ten minutes ago.” She shoved her
hands in her pockets.
He got up to give her a hug. “Have fun. Don’t stay out too late. You’ve got your phone?”
She pulled it out to show him. “Yep. And my mace.” She pulled that out as well.
He smiled. “Good girl.”
They both turned when there was a knock at the front door.
“That’s him. See you later.”
Jasper waved. He was really trying to give her the freedom he knew she needed and deserved, but it
was so hard to just let her go with a man he didn’t know. It only made it harder when the guy was as
big as the Hulk and she liked him more than a simple crush. It was obvious in the look on her face
when she talked about him. Jasper and Alice had talked about it and admitted to each other that
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they’d been too hard on her. Too controlling. It was hard to be anything but when Renesmee was
the only child their family had been able to have. He and Alice had never been able to conceive, and
only two years after Renesmee was born, the same cysts that caused Alice to have an early
hysterectomy landed Bella in the hospital. Neither of them wanted to admit she wasn’t a child
anymore.
He listened to Renesmee greet Jacob. A few words were exchanged, then they left. The door shut,
and he took a deep breath. She would be fine. Renesmee was not the only one emotionally
invested in the relationship. Jasper had seen how Jacob looked at his niece. He wasn’t after a piece
of ass, he was after her heart. She’ll be fine.
“So what movie are we going to see?” Renesmee asked as they got in the car.
Jacob squirmed in the driver’s seat, trying to get comfortable again. He didn’t like being so confined,
especially after a long run. “I don’t know what’s out, so I figured we’d just see what’s playing and
decide together.”
She liked that idea. “Sounds good.”
He took her hand and held it as he drove. She paid extra attention to her breathing to make sure
she didn’t start panting. Being so close to him was nice, but she really didn’t want to be so far away.
She wanted in his lap. She licked her lips and smiled when he glanced at her.
“You okay, Ness?” He knew what was going on. He could smell it, and it made things . . . difficult.
He was glad they were going somewhere that he’d have to control himself.
She nodded. “I’m fine. I love you.”
He squeezed her hand lightly. “I love you, too.”
As he drove, Renesmee let her eyes wander over him. It seemed like a long time since she’d seen
him wearing a shirt. The thin, white t-shirt he was wearing now left very little, if anything, to the
imagination. He had a silver chain around his neck that she’d never seen before. It disappeared
under the fabric, though, and she wasn’t sure what was on it.
Jacob noticed her staring at his neck and figured he might as well show her. It wasn’t like he ever
intended to keep it a secret anyway. He took his hand from hers and pulled the chain over his head.
He handed it to her with a smile.
“I saw you looking.”
She blushed and took the chain. “Thanks.” She held it up to look at the two dangling dog tags. They
were plain silver. One had Renesmee’s name and the other had the words “My Love.” She smiled
and looked up at him. “That’s sweet.” She handed them back to him.
He took the chain and slipped it back on. “I made them so I’d always have you close to my heart.”
She felt like she could melt. “You made them?”
“Well, no, actually Quil did. He’s my, uh . . . friend.” It felt strange to use such a vague word for his
beta.
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Renesmee nodded. “That’s still so sweet. Do you think he’d make some for me?”
Jacob smiled. “You want a set?” He liked the idea of having a part of him on her like that.
She beamed. “Of course I do. I’d love it.”
“Then I’ll ask him.” He knew Quil would do it. He’d made them first for himself and Claire, and Jacob
really liked the idea. The use of dog tags was a personal joke between Quil and his imprint that
Jacob was disappointed he couldn’t share with Renesmee yet. Still, he liked that she wanted him
close to her like he had her.
When they made it to Port Angeles, Jacob opened her door for her and held her hand as they walked
up to the theater. They took a few minutes to look over their options.
“See anything?” Jacob asked.
Renesmee wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know.” She looked up at him. “How do you feel about mushy
romance?”
He raised an eyebrow and gestured to his dog tags. “How do you think?” It wasn’t anything he’d
pick on his own, but he’d do it for her.
She smiled. “How about that one about the wedding?”
He lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. “You got it, babe.”
Twenty minutes into the movie, Renesmee regretted choosing it. She should have known that a
romantic story would have sex scenes. She held Jacob’s hand tightly and crossed her legs to at least
try to control herself. It became ten times as difficult when he leaned over to whisper in her ear.
“I love you,” he said softly. He felt her shiver, and her intoxicating scent grew stronger. He kissed
the side of her head and sat back.
She looked over at him and cursed the seating for not having the kind of arm rests that moved. She
couldn’t do anything about the barrier, but it couldn’t stop her from getting as close as possible. She
scooted as far as she could in her seat and rested her head on his shoulder. He smiled and put his
arm around her. They stayed that way, their fingers entwined together over her stomach, until the
movie was over. When she looked up at him again, he kissed her lips.
“Did you like it?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, it was cute. Did you?”
He really didn’t. He didn’t think the leading man fought hard enough for his girl. It was stupid; if a
man loved a woman the way he claimed to, he should be able to handle a little competition. Instead
of commenting on all the faults, he just nodded. “Yeah, it was pretty good. Are you hungry?”
“I’m starving.”
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They left the theater and walked down to the restaurant. It was the same one they’d gone to on the
day they met. They sat together on a booth and talked as they ate. All too soon, it was time to leave.
Renesmee was tired, and it was a long drive.
As much as she wanted to stay awake to have more time with him, the rhythmic noise and
movements of the car lulled her into sleep before they’d made it halfway. Jacob smiled as he looked
over at her. He hoped she’d had a good time.
“Ness, wake up.” Jacob shook her shoulder lightly when they’d made it to her house.
Renesmee looked up and sucked in a deep breath. “What?”
“We’re here, baby. Time to wake up.”
She yawned and stretches as much as she could in the car. She clung to his arm as he helped her
the few yards to the front door. Before she opened it, she smiled up at him.
“Thank you so much for tonight, Jake. I had a lot of fun.” She reached up to hold his shoulders and
stood on her toes for a kiss.
Jacob deepened it briefly, then pulled back. “I did, too. I love you.”
“I love you, too. I’ll see you Saturday, right?”
He touched the tip of her nose. “Absolutely. I’ll be here at six to pick you up.”
“Sounds good.” She didn’t want to end this night. She wanted to invite him in and ask him to keep
her warm. Instead, she kissed him a few more times then turned to open the door. She glanced at
him over her shoulder. He touched her back, got one more kiss, then forced himself to leave.
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~Chapter Eight~
Bonfire
“What is it that you’ll be doing?” Alice asked when Jacob came to pick up Renesmee for the bonfire.
“Just your old-fashioned bonfire. There’ll be a ton of food, and we’ll sit around the campfire listening
to stories.” He tightened his arm around Renesmee’s shoulders. “Instead of scary stories, though,
they’ll be the tribe’s legends.”
Alice smiled at Jasper. He nodded. “That sounds like fun. What time do you think you’ll be back?”
Jacob shrugged. “Not sure, but I don’t think it should be any later than midnight.”
“All right. See you later.”
Renesmee took the drive to the reservation to calm down and remind herself that Jacob’s opinion of
her was the only one that really mattered. She still hoped nobody really disliked her.
“Are you sure they’re all okay with me coming?” she asked as he parked the car.
Jacob nodded. “Of course I’m sure. I’m the chief anyway, remember? They couldn’t do shit even if
they didn’t like it.”
She hadn’t forgotten about it, but the reminder helped to calm her nerves a little. “Thank you.”
He squeezed her hand as he parked the car. Renesmee looked out the car at the darkening sky,
confused. Jacob smirked when she looked at him. “We’re going to Second Beach; it’s a little bit of a
hike to get there.”
She frowned. “How much of a hike?”
He smiled and got out of the car. She got out as well, and he took her hand when he reached her.
“It’s not far, don’t worry. You won’t even have time to get tired.”
Somehow she doubted that. She followed him anyway and was pleasantly surprised when the trees
ended and exposed the most beautiful beach. It had been a long time since she’d been to a beach
like this one. There were already several people there, a few sitting around the blazing fire while
others set food out on two large picnic tables or ran around near the water. Jacob watched
Renesmee’s face as they walked. She stepped closer to his side, trying to hide herself.
“Welcome to Second Beach,” he said.
She smiled up at him. “It’s so pretty. It’s cold, though.” It hadn’t been when they left the house, so
she didn’t think she’d need her jacket. She hadn’t taken the ocean’s cooling effect into
consideration.
He chuckled. “You got me, Ness. You’ll be fine.”
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He led her down a sandy hill to the picnic tables and took some apple slices from a large fruit tray.
He offered one to her, and she took it.
“You weren’t joking about there being a ton of food. How many people are coming?” She looked
between the two tables; there had to be enough to feed fifty or sixty people comfortably.
“This is it. We’re the last ones to show up.”
She looked around. “Are you serious? There’s not even twenty people here.”
“We eat a lot.”
She snorted. “I guess.” She cleared her throat and realized how rude she sounded. “I’m sorry.”
He leaned down and kissed her. “You’re forgiven. Come meet the pack.” He cringed when he let
the word slip. “My friends, I mean.”
He took her near the fire where Quil was sitting with Claire and Billy. Quil stood up and smiled.
“Hey, Jake, you made it. I was beginning to wonder.”
“Mm-hmm. Quil, this is Ness, my girlfriend. Ness, that’s Quil, the one that made the dog tags.
That’s his fiancée, Claire, and this is my dad, Billy.”
Renesmee was a little taken aback at how much Quil looked like Jacob. There were differences, of
course. He wasn’t as tall, and his eyes were golden brown as opposed to ebony. His skin was just as
dark, though, and his hair black. She supposed that came from being a Native. She held out her
hand and was shocked when he was just as warm as Jacob. She looked up at Jacob and
remembered what he’d said about a few others having the same heat. She cleared her throat and
smiled. “It’s so nice to meet you all.” Billy winked at her when she shook his hand. She wasn’t sure
why she was surprised when he wasn’t warm like Jacob.
Claire smiled kindly. “I’ve heard so much about you, Ness. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
Renesmee smiled, but she was confused. She didn’t understand why Claire should hear so much
about her when she’d heard nothing about Claire. “Um . . . yeah, you too.” She didn’t know what
else to say. She felt out of place suddenly and shrank back against Jacob. He wrapped his arm
tightly around her. He could feel her discomfort and bent to kiss her head.
“How about I show you around? There’re more people to meet.”
She nodded and looked up at him. “I’d like that.”
He kissed her again and stepped back.
Claire looked up at Quil as the other two walked away. “Why doesn’t he just tell her?”
Quil smirked. “You spent your whole life growing up around our legends, Claire. You were somewhat
prepared. Can you imagine what it would have been like if you’d never heard one of our stories
before and I just came up and told you I’m a Shifter and you’re my soulmate?”
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“So he’s hoping she’ll accept it if she hears it first then he tells her it’s all true?”
Quil shrugged. “I guess.”
“I hope it works. She’s nice.”
He bent and rubbed his nose against hers. “Not as nice as you.”
She rolled her eyes with a smile. “You’re too sweet.”
Jacob showed Renesmee around the beach and introduced her to Seth and Embry. Embry was
wearing a white wife beater, and she noticed he had the same kind of tattoo that Jacob did. The
other two were wearing t-shirts like Jacob, and she couldn’t tell if they did. It wouldn’t have surprised
her if they did. She met Harry and Sue Clearwater, Seth’s parents, and was again surprised when
neither was as warm as their son. Everyone she met was nice, but she was still amazed by how
much Jacob and his friends looked alike. Even Seth—as small as he was comparatively, and with his
light brown eyes—could have passed as a brother to Jacob. After she met a few more people, she
began to realize what it was. It wasn’t just the heat they all shared; it was in their eyes and the way
they held themselves. None of them could affect her the way Jacob did, but they still seemed as
naturally powerful.
After the introductions had been made, Jacob left her on the beach to help Sue and Quil get a few
more things. She crossed her arms over her chest, already cold, as she sat in the sand and watched
the sun setting over the waves. She had felt out of place before, but now she really wondered why
Jacob loved her. The other women there were dark-skinned like he was and so much more beautiful
than she thought she could ever hope to be.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” Embry said as he sat next to her.
She looked up and smiled as much as she could. She wasn’t sure what to think of Embry. He was
nice, but just in the time she’d been there she’d seen him drink four beers. He didn’t seem even
slightly tipsy, but she wasn’t sure if she could trust what she saw. He pushed his chin-length, black
hair behind his ears and pulled the cap off yet another bottle. She was amazed at how easy it
seemed for him. She had to have a towel or a bottle opener to get into the soda bottles her dad
sometimes bought.
Embry saw her staring at his bottle and offered it to her. “Want one?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you. I’m not twenty-one yet.”
“Me neither.” He chuckled to himself and leaned back on his elbows. The fact that he was
perpetually sixteen was hilarious to him. It was only funnier when he thought about Seth being
forever twelve.
Renesmee furrowed her brow. “Jacob told me you were twenty-six.”
Embry took a drink. “Yeah, well, Jacob’s not considering my inner child.”
She smiled, and her eyes trailed down his body stretched out before her. He was nice-looking, but
she found herself comparing him to Jacob. Embry wasn’t as tall or as impressive. She realized when
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she saw his bare feet that she’d just checked out another man. Not only that, but her boyfriend’s
friend. Shame made her cheeks turn red, and she cleared her throat. “It is really pretty.” She
gestured to the sunset. “I’ve never seen the sun go down over water like this before.” A cool breeze
made her shiver. “I just wish Jake hadn’t left. I’m cold.”
Embry sat up and scooted closer. “I’m hot, too. Come here.”
She glanced at him suspiciously. “I don’t know . . .”
He put his arm around her. “I’m not trying to come on to you, Ness. Jake’s like a brother to me; I
wouldn’t do that to him. Not to mention I know what he’d do to me if I did.”
She tried to relax. “Thank you.”
He rubbed her shoulder. “No problem. So what do you think of all this so far?”
She shrugged and shifted a little closer into his warmth. “It’s nice.”
He laughed. “You don’t sound very convinced.”
Renesmee sighed and looked at him. “I’m confused, I guess. I mean, Jacob has explained all this to
me, like how you’re all friends and the theories of why you’re all so warm, but I don’t get it. Why are
you so hot?”
Embry smirked. “I have good genes.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s, uh . . . it’s complicated, y’know?” He didn’t like having to step carefully around
his words. “And it is actually in the genes. We’re all direct descendents of the ancient council.”
“Yeah, Jacob said they thought that had something to do with it.” She sighed again. “I love him
regardless; I just wish I knew for sure. My dad said the only time he’d ever seen anything like a
person running high constantly without a fever is someone doing drugs, but then he said that if it
were drugs, Jacob—and you, I guess—wouldn’t look as good as I apparently told my mom he did.”
Embry laughed. “I can tell you it’s not drugs.”
She was starting to feel more at ease and leaned into Embry’s shoulder. “I believe you.”
“Has Jake told you about our legends?” He knew the answer already, but he had to pretend he
didn’t. It was annoying.
She pulled back and nodded. “Yeah, kind of. That’s why he invited me, I think. He thinks hearing
them a different way won’t scare me. I’m already nervous. I don’t like things like werewolves and he
knows that. I’m trying really hard to be supportive, though. I don’t want something silly like that get
between us.”
He nodded. If only she knew how important this was to Jacob. He could honestly say he felt bad for
his alpha.
72
Jacob and Quil set the coolers down on the picnic tables. “Anything else?” Jacob asked.
“That’s it,” Sue said with a smile. “Thanks, boys.”
Quil nodded and left to find Claire again. Jacob looked over at the beach where he’d left Renesmee.
He froze for a brief second when he saw her sitting next to Embry, his arm around her. She was
smiling at him as he said something. His fingers lightly grazed her arm. Jacob growled and fought
the urge to shift right there to just to get the threat away from his imprint.
He closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair as he took a deep breath. Embry wasn’t a
threat. Not like that; Renesmee wasn’t in danger. The sight of his fingers on her arm replayed in
Jacob’s mind. That wasn’t casual, friendly behavior. Not for Embry. That was a way to get closer.
Too close. His imprint.
Mine.
Jacob took another deep breath and made his way over to Embry and Renesmee. Embry looked up
when he heard someone approaching. The look on Jacob’s face made him pull away and stand up
immediately.
“Jake. Hey.”
Renesmee looked up, relieved to see Jacob again. His expression confused her, and she stood up
next to Embry. “Is everything okay?” she asked.
Jacob took her hand and pulled her close to him. He kissed her deeply, reaffirming his control over
the situation. She whimpered in surprise, but it didn’t take long for her to accept his sudden
exuberance. She kissed him back and held on to his shoulders until he pulled away.
“Everything’s fine, Ness. I just missed you, that’s all.” He kissed her again, softer this time, then
looked at Embry. His arms were crossed over his chest as he smirked at the couple. “Embry and I
need to talk.” His voice was rough to let Embry know it wasn’t anything to laugh about.
Renesmee shivered. “Okay. Hurry back this time.”
He touched her cheek. “I will. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
He turned to his pack mate. “Come on.”
Embry hugged Renesmee a little tighter than he needed to. “See ya.”
“Embry!” Jacob called. “Now.”
Renesmee sighed and sat down again. She wondered what was going on that had Jacob so irate.
Jacob led Embry up the hill and into the trees, far enough away that Renesmee wouldn’t be able to
hear them. After a quick glance her way to make sure she’d stayed put, Jacob turned to his pack
mate.
73
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he demanded.
“What?” Embry was confused. All he’d done was talk to the girl. Jacob had made it clear they were
supposed to make her feel welcome.
“Do you think I’m fucking blind? I’m not an idiot. Why, in the name of all that is fucking holy, were
you touching her?”
Embry relaxed. “Come on, man; she said she was cold. You weren’t there, so I warmed her up. I’m
no idiot, either, and I really don’t feel like dying any time soon. She’s hot, but she’s yours. I got that.”
Jacob growled deep in his chest and shoved Embry as his spine shivered with the need to shift.
“Don’t look at her. Don’t talk to her, don’t even fucking think about her.”
Embry pushed back. “I think you’re taking this whole thing a little too seriously, Jake. Chill the fuck
out.”
“She’s my imprint. You back off. Remember who your alpha is, Embry. I can and will command you
to cut off your own balls if you don’t stay the fuck away from her.”
Embry held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I get it, Boss.”
Jacob narrowed his eyes for a second before he walked away. He went back down to the beach and
sat next to Renesmee. He felt better with her close to him. She looked up and smiled.
“If you’re cold, you can sit by the fire,” he said as he put his arm around her shoulders. “You don’t
have to sit out here all alone.”
She leaned into him. “I know I can.” She sighed and scooted closer to his side. “What did you need
to talk to Embry about?”
He didn’t like hearing that name on her lips. He clenched his jaw and stared at the ocean for a
moment before he answered her. “Just some tribe business.” He looked at her.
She nodded. She knew there was something else there, but she wondered if maybe it was
something she couldn’t know about. Thinking that just proved even more that she shouldn’t be
there. She smiled as much as she could and looked down.
“What’s wrong?” He started to play with her pony tail dangling down her back.
She sighed again. “I don’t know. I feel . . . You know that saying ‘outside looking in’? That’s how I
feel. I don’t belong here.”
Jacob gritted his teeth. “Did anyone say anything to you to make you feel like that?”
“No, everyone’s been really nice.” She looked up at him. “I can feel it, though. This whole thing is
so new to me and everyone looks like they fit. Quil and Claire, for example. They look like they
belong together. You and I . . .” She took his hand and held it against hers.
He felt like he was drowning. He made her look at him again and kissed her lips. “I told you before
I’d fight for this. I wasn’t lying. Does the difference in our skin color really mean that much to you?”
74
She shook her head quickly. “No, that’s not at all what I’m saying. That doesn’t matter to me. I’m
just saying that I stick out like a sore thumb here and I wonder why you love me when you could have
someone as beautiful as Claire.”
He let out a relieved breath. “Ness, baby, I love you because you’re . . .” My imprint. My soulmate.
My life. “Special to me. The Quileute people believe that sometimes a man just knows when he
meets that one woman. You’re my one woman.”
She smiled. “Your people aren’t the only ones to believe that. Every fairy tale ever told involves
some form of love at first sight. Even I . . . I feel it. I love you, and I think I knew it when I saw you in
the book store. I just don’t know how we can be so sure about something so soon.”
He kissed her again. “I am. Do you think I would have invited you to a sacred gathering if I wasn’t
serious about how I feel about you?”
Her brow furrowed. “Sacred?”
“Not just anyone can come to one of these, Ness. Only the council and a few select people they
invite. That’s why there’re not a lot of people. It’s not your usual party; we’re here to hear the tribe’s
most spiritual legends.”
Her eyes widened. “Jacob . . .” She was beginning to realize what she’d gotten herself into. She had
thought it was going to be a normal storytelling like the ones she’d seen in movies. It was obvious
that it meant so much more than that to him. “I’m sorry, Jake; I didn’t understand how significant
this is.”
“Do you regret coming?”
She shook her head. “No. No, Jake, I could never regret this.” She got up on her knees beside him
and put her hands on his face. She smiled and pushed his hair out of his eyes before she gave him
a deep kiss. “I’m glad I came.”
“I am, too.”
“Can I ask you something, though?”
“Of course.” He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.
“Everyone here is either on the council or has been specifically invited by someone who is, right?”
He nodded. “Haven’t they all heard it before, then? I mean, I’m not trying to say they shouldn’t. I’m
just curious.”
He touched her cheek lightly as he answered. “Yes, everyone here has already heard the legends.
It’s kind of like how a Christian would go to church, though. Every devout Christian has already heard
the scriptures and the lectures, but they go every week regardless. We don’t tell these legends for
entertainment. It’s our past; our heritage. It’s our time to honor our ancestors and ensure that we
never forget where we came from.”
She nodded. “Why doesn’t the whole tribe come?”
75
He pursed his lips for a moment. “The tribe knows the stories, but I guess I could compare it to a
meeting for priests or elders or whatever. There are times when just the few of us come to
strengthen our ties.”
“That makes sense.”
“Yeah. Come be a part of the crowd, Ness. Everyone will love you when they get to know you.”
He helped her up, and they went to fill their plates and sit by the fire. Renesmee listened and
observed as several conversations went on around her. She noticed Embry sitting across from her
and smiled at him. He looked away.
Jacob hadn’t been joking when he said they ate a lot. Not everyone did, but he and his friends
seemed to eat enough for four or five people each.
“How are you not bursting?” Renesmee asked as Jacob started on his fifth hot dog.
He shrugged. “I was hungry,” he said around a mouthful of food. He swallowed and leaned in to kiss
her. “I’m a guy, Ness. Typically we could devour a whole cow. Besides, you have special occasions
where you gorge yourself. Don’t tell me you don’t; I do know what Thanksgiving is.”
She furrowed her brow. “Do you not celebrate Thanksgiving?”
“Some of the tribe does, I guess. I don’t, but it’s a personal thing. Why should I be happy about
White Man taking over my ancestors’ land?” And his people not being able to do anything about it
without fear of exposure.
She had never considered what it would be like for a Native American. “I, um . . .” She looked down.
“I guess that makes sense.”
He nudged her shoulder. “My point is that eating twice what we normally would is half the idea of
one of these things.”
She smiled up at him. “I guess I should get some more then.”
“Absolutely.” He kissed her and let her get up.
After they’d eaten, the mood surrounding the group seemed to change. Everyone grew quiet, and all
attention was brought to Billy sitting next to Jacob. He sat up straighter in his wheelchair and
glanced at his son before he brought his hands together on his lap. Renesmee leaned into Jacob’s
side and waited.
“The Quileutes have always been a brave and courageous people. The first Quileutes were eight in
number, transformed from the Great Q’wati from a pack of wolves. The Spirit taught the small tribe
everything it needed to know to thrive and gave the three most powerful men two important gifts.
The first was the ability to walk among the spirits as Spirit Warriors. The second was to transform
themselves back into their original wolf forms. They defended their land with courage and pride.
“These three Shifters learned that when they continued to change forms, they did not age. Even
when they fell in love and had children, they never grew old. They found that they could control this,
however, and began aging again to be with their wives as they grew old.”
76
Jacob tightened his arm around Renesmee and looked at her. She smiled and kissed his arm, then
turned her attention back to Billy.
“Generation upon generation passed until the brave Taha Aki became Chief. He was a fair Alpha
who took his position with great pride. As much as he loved his wife and children, he felt a strong
duty to lead the tribe and his small pack of Shifters. He was very sad when his wife grew old and
passed on. His children grew, and some joined the pack when they reached the age of maturity.
Taha Aki married again in his seventieth year as Alpha. Still, he felt that his obligation to the tribe
was greater than the mortal need for a woman. Another century passed before Taha Aki met his
third wife.
“The woman was a Quileute. He had met her and known her as she grew. On the eve of her
eighteenth birthday, he saw her in the forest. It is said that he fell to his knees, captivated by her
beauty. He fell in love with her like no one had ever loved before. He called it Imprinting, for she left
a powerful and permanent imprint on his heart, mind, body, and soul.”
Jacob shifted and glanced at Renesmee’s face. She had a small smile on her lips, and it made him
happy to see it.
“She loved him back and became his third wife.
“It was during the time of the third wife that the Cannibal Spirit Dask’iya returned to the land of the
Quileutes. She coaxed five children into the forest and devoured them. Even as Spirit Warriors, the
Quileutes could not defeat her. They called upon Q’wati to aid them in the protection of their land,
and he came and banished her.
“To spite the Benevolent Spirit and the Spirit Warriors, Dask’iya plotted revenge. She spit on an
apple and turned it black, then she cut it into ten pieces and fed one to a different person across the
land. Those that ate the cursed fruit soon felt her venom spread through their body, turning them
into a living stone. Their hearts stopped, leaving them thirsty for blood, and their eyes turned red.
The creatures wreaked havoc upon the land, killing many people and creating even more of their
kind. They were fast—so fast it was difficult to see them move—and much stronger than any human
or Shifter.
“The Shifters once again called upon Q’wati for help. He was unable to fight the bloodthirsty
creatures, but he made the Shifters bigger, stronger, and faster so that they could. All members of
the tribe bearing the ancient bloodlines were made to shift and protect their people.
“A great battle took place. Because of their new abilities, the Shifters were able to destroy their
enemies and drive them away. When the fighting ended, it was learned that Taha Aki’s own wife had
been bitten by one of the creatures. As she writhen in the pain of the venom, she begged him to end
her life before she could turn into one of them.
“Taha Aki could not do it. She was his imprint; the most powerful and sacred of bonds was shared
between them. His oldest son, Yaha Uta, could not bear the thought of his father allowing this
travesty. He Shifted and killed the woman before her heart stopped beating.
“Rage unlike anyone had ever experienced rose in Taha Aki at his son for what he’d done. Grief and
torment drove him forward, but Yaha Uta was not a coward. He knew he had done what had to be
done. He was not proud of his actions, only relieved that another monster was not allowed to live.
77
They fought tremendously, Taha Aki unable to forgive. He could not listen when Yaha Uta tried to
reason with him. He was beyond logic. Yaha Uta realized that this was not a fight that could be won.
Even if he relented, Taha Aki would not stop until he was dead. Yaha Uta was the stronger Shifter,
and he killed his father.
“He was not proud to take his place as Chief and Alpha. Over time, although the memories never
faded, the pain did. Yaha Uta swore to protect the Quileute lands and people from the demon
creatures. It is an oath we still honor today.”
Billy fell silent. Renesmee glanced around, looking at each face illuminated by the fire. She shivered
and pushed herself further into Jacob’s side. The story had not relieved her fear, only heightened it.
Jacob kissed his imprint’s head with a sigh. “Are you okay?” he whispered. He could smell her fear
and feel her trembling.
She shivered again and shook her head. She was sure it was only her imagination, but the feeling
around the fire was mythical. If she let herself get carried away, she could almost believe she really
was in the presence of werewolves. It was almost enough to make her move away from Jacob. She
repeated over and over in her mind that she was safe and it was all just a story. Every sound she
heard made her heart jump, especially if it came from behind her. She could only imagine the
bloodthirsty creatures from the story—she shivered again as she thought of them—creeping up on
her.
Conversations began to rise through the group. Jacob rubbed Renesmee’s back and kissed her
head again. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugged and pulled back. She didn’t see how he thought the stories would change how she felt
about werewolves. If anything, she was more afraid of them now. She looked up at him and sighed.
“I think I should go home, Jake.”
His heart fell. He should have expected it. He wanted her to stay with him longer. “Are you sure?
There’ll be some other things going on.”
She looked around again and saw Seth and Quil laughing together. Something in their faces made
her shiver. She saw Embry, and the same thing happened. It was silly, because they hadn’t
changed, but she could swear there was something there. It made her heart race, and it was a little
harder to breathe. She rubbed her arms and looked back up at Jacob. For a moment, she thought
she might scream. She imagined what it would be like if Jacob turned into a wolf before her.
She stood up. “I need to go home.” Her voice was thin.
Jacob nodded and stood up with her. As they said their goodbyes, Jacob ignored the questioning
looks his pack gave him.
“I’m sorry I frightened you,” Billy said as he shook Renesmee’s hand.
She shrugged. “It’s not your fault. I’m sorry I’m such a wuss.”
Billy smiled. “In time.” He looked at his son pointedly. “In time.”
Jacob nodded.
78
“I really am sorry,” she said as he led her back through the trees to the car. Every sound in the forest
seemed louder and more threatening than it had around the fire.
He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. He wanted to be angry. The evening had not turned out
the way he had hoped. “Don’t be sorry, Ness. I probably should have known better than to think
you’d just magically get over it.”
She looked at her feet, and he sighed. Finally they made it to the car. She felt a little more secure
but not much.
“Why didn’t you tell me there would be vampires in the story?” she asked as he drove.
He glanced at her. “Bloodsuckers. I didn’t think about it.”
“What’s the difference between a vampire and a bloodsucker?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to
know.
“Same as the difference between a werewolf and a shape-shifter. Hollywood says a vampire bursts
into flame or turns to ash in sunlight. Bloodsuckers don’t; they’re fine to walk around in sunlight.
Hollywood also says a vampire sleeps.”
She swallowed. “But Bloodsuckers don’t?”
He nodded. “Right.”
“Oh, God.” She felt even sicker.
He squeezed her hand lightly. “What?”
She sniffled and tried to hold back her tears. She could feel something behind her even when her
back was pressed firmly against the seat of the car. It was the same feeling she got after she
watched scary movies. Something was going to get her. “First the werewo—I mean, shape-shifters—
are scarier than usual, and now the damn Bloodsuckers walk around in daylight and don’t sleep.
What next? They can’t be killed with a stake through the heart?”
He cleared his throat. “No, actually they can’t.”
She rolled her eyes. “It was a rhetorical question, Jake. I really don’t want to know how
indestructible they’re supposed to be. I’d like to have at least a little chance of sleeping tonight.”
Jacob rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb until they reached her house. If it hadn’t been so
dark out, she wouldn’t have waited for him to open her door for her. The porch light was not on, and
she nearly panicked the short walk to the door. Her fingers fumbled in her pocket trying to find her
key.
The smell of her fear was overpowering. He couldn’t stand the sight of her shivering and sniffling.
He put his hands on her shoulders from behind and bent to kiss her ear.
“Calm down, Ness. I’m sorry you’re so scared, but I promise you’re safe. I would never let anything
hurt you.” He kissed her again.
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Renesmee nodded and took a deep breath. She finally managed to unlock the door and walked in.
She breathed a sigh of relief when the room was bright. The door shut behind her, and she pushed
herself against Jacob. He held her tightly, and she started to realize how silly she was being. Of
course Jacob wouldn’t hurt her or let anything happen to her.
“How was it?” Alice asked as she walked in. “You guys are earlier than I expected. It’s not even ten
o’clock yet.”
Renesmee peeled herself away from Jacob and nodded. “Yeah, I had to come home.”
Alice noticed her niece’s tears. “What happened? Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. The stories were just scarier than I had thought they would be.”
Jacob rubbed her back. “It was kind of my fault; I didn’t really warn her.”
Alice nodded. “Yeah, she’s kind of a pansy. No offence, Renesmee.” She winked.
Renesmee smiled. “None taken; I know I am.” She turned to Jacob. “Your dad’s probably
wondering where you are.”
He shrugged. “He can wait a few minutes. You’ll be okay tonight?”
She wasn’t sure, but she nodded anyway. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“Call me if you need anything, okay?” He pulled her close and kissed her.
She held his shoulders and nodded. “I will. Have fun at the rest of your party.” She glanced around
to make sure Alice had left the room before she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He didn’t want to leave. It went against every instinct he had to walk away when
she was still so scared.
For a moment, Renesmee wondered if she’d sleep better with Jacob beside her. As much as she
liked the thought, she knew there would be no hope of getting it past her aunt and uncle. Even with
the freedom they were giving her, they wouldn’t agree to let a man stay the night in her room with
her. Instead of bringing it up, she kissed him again.
“You should probably go.” She so wished he didn’t have to.
“Yeah, I guess I should.” He didn’t tell her he’d be back in a few hours, parked in the trees behind
her house. “Sleep well, Ness. Remember that nothing will hurt you. If it makes you feel better,
pretend I’m there to protect you.”
She smiled. “I’ll do that.”
He bent to kiss her one last time before he left.
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~Chapter Nine~
Nightmares and Sickness
The forest was dark and quiet. Too quiet. The only sounds were her labored breathing and frantic,
pounding heartbeat. The cool air bit easily through Renesmee’s thin jacket and made her shiver.
She stood in the middle of an unfamiliar meadow with her arms crossed over each other. She
rubbed her biceps, trying to warm herself up as she looked around for anything she recognized. It
was too dark to make out anything other than a vague outline of the trees. She looked up at the sky;
the moonlight barely showed from behind the thick clouds, and she couldn’t see a single star.
A twig snapping in the distance made her gasp. She turned her head in the direction she thought the
sound had come from. As she stared into the trees, panic began to tighten in her chest. She
couldn’t be sure if it had come from her left or in front of her. She took a step backward.
“Ness, what the hell are you doing out here?” Jacob asked. He stepped out of the trees and walked
to her.
Instead of the relief she had thought should wash over her at the sight of him, she only felt more
uneasy. He took her shoulders and kissed her forehead. She shivered. When she looked up at him,
she began to tremble. His eyes burned bright gold. She didn’t dare hold eye contact. She realized
as she looked down that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. He had on only a pair of jeans that had been cut
off at the knee.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said. His hands tightened their hold. “You need to go home.”
“I don’t know where I am,” she said softly. “I can’t go home.”
Before he could reply, the clouds thinned and parted, revealing a bright, full moon. Jacob stepped
back from her quickly.
“Run,” he said quickly. His voice was low and thick.
She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
She could only stare in shock as Jacob’s body convulsed. At first, he seemed to curl in on himself,
still standing but hunched over as he heaved in panicked breaths. He yelled in anguish as he
suddenly flung himself back up, his spine bending at an unnatural angle. His shoulders, arms, and
hands changed before her eyes, growing thick black fur and claws on his fingers. Something inside
her cringed at the sound of his bones cracking and growing. His legs buckled backward, bending the
wrong way at the knees, and he fell forward on his hands and feet. He still screamed as his face
distorted, elongated and grew large teeth.
Renesmee still stood staring at him until the transformation was complete. Standing before her was
a wolf, black as night with the same glowing gold eyes she’d seen on the human Jacob only moment
before. He growled loudly and licked his nose. A sort of a dark, twisted chuckle rumbled in his chest
before he growled and lunged at her.
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Renesmee sat up screaming. Only a second later, her aunt Alice rushed in to see what was wrong.
Alice sat on the side of the bed and smoothed her niece’s hair. “It was just a nightmare, honey,” she
said softly.
Renesmee sniffled and nodded. “I know, but it felt so real.” Even now, she could feel the tingle in
her back when the wolf laughed at her.
“I think you should skip the scary stories from now on.” Alice felt bad for her niece. It was obvious
she loved the boy, but she didn’t know if she could stay with someone whose very culture and history
scared her the way Jacob’s scared Renesmee.
“I think you’re right.” She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I woke you up. What
time is it?”
“Three o’clock in the morning. Try to get some more sleep.” Alice kissed Renesmee’s forehead. “No
more nightmares.”
Renesmee nodded and laid back down. After Alice left, she got up to quickly check the window. She
made sure it was closed and locked tightly. Before she turned away, she caught sight of the moon
hidden behind the clouds. Her eyes scanned the trees quickly, but she couldn’t see much through
the darkness. She shivered and took another deep breath. She felt as though she were being
watched. With another shudder, she made herself walk away and go back to bed.
~*~
“I don’t get it,” Jacob growled mostly to himself. Billy sat at the table playing Solitaire and listening to
his son as he paced the living room and ranted. “I’m Alpha, right? I’m the one who’s supposed to
lead this whole fucking operation and be an example to everyone else. I’m supposed to know
everything there is to know about being a goddamned Shifter. All those fucking legends talk about
imprinting like it’s something so fucking fantastic. I look at Quil and Claire and think maybe they’re
right. But . . . Fuck!”
Jacob clenched his fists and growled deep in his chest. He had stayed the night outside Renesmee’s
house as he usually did, but he had to force himself away after she’d had another nightmare. He
knew what they were. He could feel it in his gut.
“How in the name of God did I imprint on her? Why her? She’s so fucking afraid of me that she has
nightmares. She’s not an Alpha’s imprint.”
Billy picked up a three of spades and put it in its place above the other cards. “Are you saying you
regret imprinting?” he asked as he pulled another card from the deck.
Jacob stopped and rubbed his face with the palm of his hand. “I don’t know.” He sighed. “Yes. No.
Maybe. Fuck, I don’t know. When I think about her, all I see is her happiness. I want to be near her
and do everything I can to please her and make her happy. I fucking love her, Dad. So much. If I
was a man—just your normal, everyday, human man—I think we’d be good for each other. But I’m
not.”
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He sighed and went to sit down at the table next to Billy. He watched the game for a few moments,
gathering his thoughts.
“I just wonder if somehow I made a mistake. Maybe I was supposed to imprint on another girl in the
forest, but I ran into her instead.” His heart hurt as he said it. He couldn’t imagine being with
anyone else, even if it didn’t seem logical.
Billy put the card he was holding down and looked at his son. “You know as well as I do that
imprinting is never a mistake. Give her time, Son. I seem to recall it took you several months to
accept what you are and even longer to embrace it.”
Jacob scoffed. “So you’re saying this is my punishment?”
“Does it feel like a punishment?”
“Sometimes it does, yeah.” He leaned back and looked up the ceiling for a moment. “But at the
same time, no, it doesn’t. It feels like a challenge.”
Billy nodded. “It is a challenge. Imprinting does not mean she has to fall head over heels in love
with you in an instant. It still takes time to build a relationship. Quil and Claire already had that
relationship, so of course things are going to move faster for him. It’s your job to be what this girl
needs and love her more than anyone else.”
“How can I be what she needs when the simple idea that I exist at all gives her nightmares?”
Billy sighed. “You can’t be the first Shifter to ever doubt his imprint, Son, but I have never heard one
story that ended with it all being a mistake. Have you?”
Jacob shook his head slowly. “No, I haven’t.”
“Just give her time. Treat the relationship as if you were human and show her beyond a shadow of a
doubt that you’re no harm to her. Prove yourself, then tell her.”
“Thanks, Dad.” He got up and patted Billy’s shoulder. Before he walked out, he tapped a ten of
hearts and moved it to a Jack of spades.
~*~
Wednesday morning, Renesmee sat at the table eating her cold cereal with Jasper reading the
newspaper next to her.
“Not much sleep?” Jasper asked.
Renesmee sighed. “No, not really.”
He nodded without putting the paper down. He really wanted to tell her to either get over it or break
up with the boy, but he didn’t have the heart. This whole thing was important to his niece, and
unless she was getting herself in trouble, he’d just be supportive of whatever she decided to do.
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They were quiet while she finished her breakfast. She took her bowl to the sink, and before she
could tell Jasper that she’d be in her room for most of the day, there was a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it,” she said. She raised her eyebrow at Jacob standing in the doorway. She wasn’t even
surprised when he was only wearing a pair of faded jeans.
He raised his hand in a half-formed wave. “Hi.”
“Hi. Can I ask you why you don’t call before you come over?” She wasn’t sure why, but his sudden
appearance annoyed her. She was happy to see him, but she wished she had been warned
beforehand. She hadn’t even brushed her hair yet.
Jacob looked down for a moment. “I, um . . . I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it.”
She sighed. “Well, you’re here now; you might as well come in.”
He closed the door behind him and lightly hugged her. There was something different about her
scent, and he knew immediately what it was. A little extra hormone that made him hold her tighter
and kiss her harder. It wasn’t fair of her to tease him with her fertility. He took a deep breath and
reminded himself that it wasn’t her fault.
“How are you?” he asked when he finally let her go.
Renesmee shrugged and led him to the living room where they sat on the couch. “I’m okay, I guess.”
“You guess?” He put his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm gently. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed and leaned into him. “I don’t know. Maybe I do. I haven’t gotten much sleep the last
few nights because I’ve been having these nightmares. I just don’t really feel like myself.” She
shook her head and turned a little bit to curl up against him.
He kissed her head. “I’m sorry to hear that, baby. What are the nightmares about?” He listened
intently, hoping she would say something other than what he suspected.
She shrugged weakly. “You’ll laugh at me.”
He made her look at him. “I swear I won’t laugh.” He kissed her lips. “You have my word.”
She stared into his eyes for a moment. She knew she could trust him, but she still didn’t want to
admit to him just how much the bonfire had scared her. Finally she licked her lips and nodded.
“The stories from the bonfire. It’s usually you and me in this really dark meadow, then the moon
comes out and you tell me to run before you change into this huge black wolf and attack me. I had
one where it was one of other things . . . the Bloodsuckers. It was kind of the same thing, but instead
of you it was too fast to see it. All I saw was its red, glowing eyes.”
Jacob tightened his arm around her. Her nightmare was worse than he’d thought. “I would never
hurt you, Ness. Never.”
“I know you wouldn’t, Jake, but you turned into a werewolf. They’re not usually known for being
cuddly lap dogs. They go around ripping people’s throats out.”
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He sighed and sat up a little. “Ness, listen to me. The Shifters don’t do that. We’re not werewolves.”
He cleared his throat and took a quick second to make sure he didn’t say anything to scare her even
more. “The legends are about shape-shifters. They don’t hurt anyone, ever. They don’t go on insane
murder sprees just because they’ve changed into a different form.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand, Jacob. I heard the stories, and I know what they’re
supposed to do. That doesn’t change the fact that I’m terrified of them. I’m sorry. I really am.”
Jacob avoided looking into her eyes. He didn’t want to give in on this so quickly this time. “Couldn’t
you try? I know it scares you, but this is where I come from. This is my heritage.”
“I am trying. I’m sorry if it doesn’t seem like it just because you’re so used to everything. It’s all new
to me, okay? Could you cut me a little slack and be patient?”
He clenched his jaw. “I’m not known to be a patient person, Renesmee.”
She sat back and tried to ignore the churning in her stomach. “What does that mean?”
He shook his head, still avoiding eye contact. “It means I don’t like waiting. I really wish you would
just get over it.” He couldn’t believe he’d actually said it. He swallowed and waited to see how badly
he’d just upset her.
Instead of the rush of anger Renesmee had expected at his comment, all she felt was her heart
breaking. A wave of sadness made her eyes fill with tears. She stood up and tried to hide her hurt.
“I’m so sorry to disappoint you.” She wanted to say something scathing and hurt him. She couldn’t
think of anything, so she just turned around and left the room. She went to the kitchen, not
surprised to see that Jasper had gone into his office, and opened the fridge just for something to do.
Jacob sighed and stood up slowly. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. He went after her and leaned
against the counter as he watched her stare blankly into the fridge. She sniffled a few times before
she finally turned around. She wasn’t surprised to see him, only relieved that he hadn’t left. She
pushed herself against him, and he held her tightly.
“I’m sorry, Ness,” he said softly.
She nodded and pulled back. “Me, too.”
“I know you’re trying, and so am I. I want to be patient and wait for you to be okay with all this. It’s
just frustrating, because I love you so much and want you to be happy with me.” He bent to kiss her
lips. “I’ll try harder.”
She smiled. “I will, too. I know it’s frustrating, and I’m so sorry for that.”
“Can I ask you something?” He rubbed her back. She nodded. “Just out of curiosity, are you
Christian?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I am. I’m not like a bible thumper or anything, and I don’t go to church
regularly, but I believe in Jesus Christ and God. Why?”
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He kissed her again. “I want you to think about something, okay? You know the story about how
Jesus was crucified and resurrected three days later?”
“Yeah?”
“So He came back from the dead, right?”
She nodded. “I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”
“So since He came back from the dead, doesn’t that make Him a zombie?”
She snorted. “No, of course not. He was resurrected by God to give His people everlasting life.”
“So you say. Or, rather, so your bible and your church says. I could still stand by my ground that any
person who dies and crawls out of the ground three days later is a member of the undead. I’m
saying this because I want you to understand what it means to me when you call the Shifters from
my heritage werewolves. There is a huge difference between the Quileute shape-shifters and
werewolves, just like there is a huge difference between a zombie and someone who was
resurrected.”
She hadn’t thought about that. She felt bad that she had inadvertently offended him so many
times. “I’m sorry.”
He hugged her tightly. “It’ll be okay, Ness. Just promise me you’ll stop calling them werewolves.”
She nodded against his chest. “I promise. Do I just call them Shifters?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
She looked up at him, and he kissed her. “When do I get to take you out again?”
She smiled and shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you have plans Saturday?”
Friday and Saturday were his patrol days that week. He figured it shouldn’t be hard to rearrange
schedules. “I’m free.”
“Maybe we could go for a walk to that meadow again Saturday afternoon?”
He nodded. “That sounds great.” He kissed her again.
Jacob left a little while later saying he needed to check on his dad. Renesmee sighed and went
upstairs to read for a while. She thought about what Jacob had said about the Shifters and
comparing them to werewolves. Even though she wasn’t devout, she had to admit she felt a little
insulted when Jacob called he Savior a zombie. It made her realize just how different the two really
were. She had hoped that the revelation would make her less afraid, but she was dismayed to find
she was still scared when she thought about the Shifters and the Bloodsuckers. She hoped it would
just take a little bit of time to convince whatever part of her brain had been ingrained with this notion
that things that were less than human were terrifying.
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When Alice got home that evening, Renesmee was going to help her make dinner. Alice told her to
go sit down after she’d sneezed for the third time.
“I made sure I turned away and covered my mouth with my elbow,” Renesmee said.
Alice smiled. “I know, honey, but there’s no need risking getting something all germy. I’m fine to
cook by myself.”
Thursday morning, Renesmee was surprised when she woke up unable to breathe through her nose.
She had thought she just got into something, but it was clear from the pressure in her head and
dryness in her throat that she was getting a cold.
“Figures,” she grumbled to herself. She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror and sighed. “You
better be well again by Saturday,” she told her reflection. “I’m not cancelling on Jacob.”
By Friday, she had a cough, a headache, and a stomach ache to accompany her stuffy head. Both
her mom and her dad had given her advice when she talked to them on the phone.
“How likely do you think it is that I’ll be all better by tomorrow?” she asked Jasper as she sipped
some tea Friday afternoon.
Jasper shook his head. “I really don’t know. I don’t want you running around outside if this sickness
isn’t gone, though.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I know. I just really don’t want to disappoint Jacob.”
He patted her hand on her cup. “You don’t really think he’d be upset about it, do you?”
She chewed on her lip for a moment. “No. At least I hope he wouldn’t. But I know I’ll be
disappointed if I don’t get to see him.”
She called Jacob that evening to let him know she was sick and may not be able to go with him. She
felt terrible when she had to leave the message with his dad because he wasn’t there.
“Tell him I said I’m really sorry.”
Billy smiled. “I know my son, Ness. He’d say it’s not your fault, get some rest, and feel better. I’ll
ask him to call you when he gets home if it’s not too late.”
“I’d really like that.”
Jacob wasn’t able to call her. After his patrol, he just went to sleep under Renesmee’s window in the
trees behind her house. He knew she wasn’t feeling well, especially when he heard her getting sick
in the night. It hurt his heart and made him wish he could come up with some kind of logical
explanation for showing up in the middle of the night. He couldn’t, and neither could Seth who was
restless and had gone for a midnight run.
He finally went home Saturday morning to get some clothes and figure out what to do to make
Renesmee feel better. Before he could walk out, the phone rang. Billy was in the living room, so he
grabbed it.
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“Yeah?”
“Jake?” Renesmee said, holding the phone to her ear.
The sound of her voice so fragile made his stomach churn. “Hey, Ness. I’m sorry I didn’t call back
last night; I got home really late.”
She sniffled and coughed. “It’s okay. I’m afraid I have to cancel our walk today. I’m a lot sicker than
I thought I was. I’m sorry.” A wave of dizziness made her whimper and sit back against the couch.
Worry flared in Jacob’s chest at her whimper. He took a deep breath. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think I’ll be all right. I’ve just got to get over this.”
His jaw clenched. He already knew he wasn’t going to let her wait out her sickness alone. “All right.
Feel better, baby. Would you like some company?”
She closed her eyes. “I don’t want to get you sick.”
He huffed. “I have an immune system like you wouldn’t believe. Can I come over?”
She wanted to see him so badly, but she looked like hell and probably smelled worse. “I don’t know,
Jake . . .”
“Please?”
She figured it couldn’t hurt to just see him for a few minutes. “Yeah, I guess. I look gross, though.”
“You’re beautiful, just like always. I love you. I’ll head out soon. I just have to do something first.”
She smiled to herself. “Okay.”
They hung up, and he started to think of things that made a human feel better when they were sick.
He personally had not been sick in nearly fifteen years; he couldn’t remember what he liked. The
only humans he spent any length of time with were Billy, Claire, and Seth’s parents. Billy was a
grumpy jackass when he was sick, preferring to be left alone to wallow in his misery until he felt
better. Claire, on the other hand . . .
Jacob ran out of the house to visit Quil. He pounded on the door and waited.
Quil came to the door half in alarm and half in annoyance. He knew already it was Jacob and that it
wasn’t a pack emergency. If it had been, he would have howled. “What’s going on?”
“What does Claire like when she’s sick?” Jacob demanded.
Quil shrugged. “I dunno. Soup, I guess. Why? Ness still sick?”
Jacob nodded. “Yeah. She threw up a bunch last night. It sounded painful. I don’t know what to do
for her.” He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.
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Quil put his hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “Claire goes through tissues like there’s no tomorrow when
she doesn’t feel good, and she likes to cuddle with that little bear I got for her after we first met.
She’s also usually pretty cold if it’s a fever, but you can’t stay too close because even if she’s cold,
her brain could still be overheating. Keep her body warm, but make sure she’s not uncomfortable.”
“Thanks, Quil.”
“You got it, man. Go take care of her.”
“Could you do me a favor and talk to Seth and Embry for me? Howl only if it’s deathly important.
Stress this point to Embry for me: if I have to leave Ness for something stupid, I’m going to be
pissed.”
Quil smirked. “Yes, O Mighty Tallest.” He faked a salute.
Jacob chuckled and left. He went into town and picked up some tissues, then spent some time
looking over the store’s selection of stuffed animals. He didn’t really see anything he liked. He
finally picked up a brown monkey with a head almost as big as its body. It had a certain charm, and
he hoped she’d like it.
He finally made it to her house and knocked on the door. Jasper answered and raised an eyebrow.
“Hello, Jacob.”
“I hear Ness is sick.” He held up the tissues and monkey. “I came to see her.”
Jasper had to admit he was a little impressed. He stepped back to let Jacob in. “She’s on the
couch.”
Jacob nodded his thanks and went to the living room. His knees almost went out on him when he
saw his Ness laying on the couch, tangled in blankets. He could tell immediately that she wasn’t
suffering from just a simple cold. Her face was paler than usual and covered in a thin layer of sweat.
He could smell cough syrup, vomit, and something he hadn’t expected. Blood. His stomach turned.
“Ness, baby, are you okay?” he asked as he walked over to her. “What’s wrong? This is worse than I
thought.” He somehow managed to stop himself from ripping the blankets off of her in order to find
the source of the bleeding.
Renesmee tried to sit up. She managed to prop herself up on her elbow. “Aunt Alice and Uncle
Jasper say I have the flu.” She sighed then coughed. “I feel like shit warmed over.” She cringed and
whimpered as her body seized up in a tight cramp.
Jacob kneeled on the ground in front of her. “Is it your stomach?”
She shook her head when she was able to relax. “No, it’s, um . . . cramps.” She blushed. She didn’t
like admitting to him that she was on her period. It had started that morning as if her body was
trying to add insult to injury. “I told you I look gross.”
Jacob breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh. I already told you that you’re beautiful, and I still say that.
You’re always beautiful. I brought you this.” He gave her the monkey. The smile that spread across
her lips made him happy.
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“He’s so cute. Thank you.” She hugged the stuffed animal.
“What can I do?”
She laid back down and fought a shiver. Her whole body felt like ice, but her head was a ball of
flame. “You don’t have to do anything.”
He rubbed her back. “Ness, I can’t let you suffer alone. I brought you these, too. Quil says Claire
goes through them a lot, so I figured you couldn’t have too many.” He gave her the tissues.
She tried to laugh, but it led to a violent coughing fit. Jacob helped her sit up and lightly patted her
back until it was over. She crossed her arms over her stomach and involuntarily leaned into his
warmth.
“Thank you. I really don’t want you to get sick, though.” She tried to pull away, but Jacob held her
close.
He kissed her head. “I told you, Ness. My immune system is legendary. I won’t get sick.”
She turned slowly to look at him. “Are you sure?”
“Very sure. Tell me what I can do to help.”
Renesmee sniffled and nodded. “I’m freezing. Do you think you could lay with me for a little bit and
keep me warm?”
“I’d be happy to.”
He laid down behind her and made sure she was covered and well-heated, but also that her head
wasn’t too close to his chest. He kissed her temple and whispered in her ear. “I love you.”
She smiled and nodded. “Me, too.”
Jasper stood in the doorway to the living room just watching. Alice came down the stairs to check on
her niece but stopped when Jasper held up his hand. He mouthed the word “quiet” and gestured for
her to come up slowly. She went to stand beside him and looked to see what he was staring at. She
smiled at the sight of Jacob lightly holding her niece. She was still bundled up in the blanket that
was now over him as well, and his hand grazed her arm slowly from her shoulder to her wrist and
back.
Alice looked up at Jasper. “That’s so sweet,” she whispered.
He smiled. “He loves her.”
She nodded. “I wouldn’t doubt she loves him, too. Let’s give them some privacy.” She tugged his
shirt lightly, and he followed her.
Renesmee brought her knees up and whimpered as another cramp sent a wave of agony through
her. Jacob slid his hand around her waist to her stomach. “What can I do?” he asked.
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She shrugged weakly. “I don’t know. It hurts constantly, but these stupid cramps are unbearable. I
can’t take anymore Tylenol or Ibuprofen or anything; I’ve already taken my maximum dose for the
stupid flu.”
He kissed her cheek and started to rub in small circles. “I wish I could help.”
She smiled. The heating pad her aunt had tried to give her earlier hadn’t done anything, but it didn’t
really heat that well and she couldn’t keep it in place. “Maybe you can.” She put her hand over his
and pushed down to her lower belly. “Rub right here.”
He did as she asked. “How’s that?”
It felt good, but it wasn’t as warm as she had hoped it would be. “It’s okay.”
Jacob remembered something he’d once seen in Quil’s thoughts. He was nervous to try, but he
needed to make Renesmee feel better. A year ago, when Claire was in a similar situation, he had
rubbed her stomach under her clothing. Her voice had echoed in Quil’s thoughts as she told him
with a flirt that it felt better with skin to skin contact. It was the flirt that had really stuck with Quil,
but Jacob was glad it had. Renesmee was wearing a pair of loose, cotton pajama bottoms. It would
be easy enough to slip under, but it felt so wrong to do it without asking.
“Can I try something?” he asked.
“What is it?”
He swallowed and moved his fingers to brush along the waistband. “I want you to know that I’m
asking only because I want to help. Would it help if I was touching your skin?”
She turned her head to look at him. “You mean under my pants?” Her stomach fluttered in a way
that could have been the flu or excitement; she wasn’t sure which.
He nodded and kissed her cheek. “I swear I’m not being creepy.”
She smiled. “I believe you. Yes, you can do that.” She wasn’t sure why she believed him, but she
truly felt comfortable letting him do what he asked. It only felt more right when the slightly increased
heat and pressure soothed the pain a little more.
“Try to sleep, honey. You look tired.”
She pushed herself back a little bit into his warmth and nodded. “I am very tired. I feel like I haven’t
slept at all for two days. I just can’t get comfortable.”
“What about now?”
She just nodded again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, which caused another
coughing fit. Jacob patted her back lightly until it was over, then resumed his gentle massage on her
lower stomach.
“I love you, Jacob. Thank you for coming over.”
He kissed her head. “I love you, too. Get some sleep.”
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It wasn’t long before her breathing evened out. He kept up the massage and watched her face for a
moment while she slept. He shifted a little bit to rest his head on the arm of the couch. He just held
her lightly and closed his eyes. Even though she was sick, it still felt so right to be with her like this.
He just hoped she felt better soon; he couldn’t stand to see her in pain.
A while later, Alice and Jasper came to check on Renesmee. She was still asleep.
“How long has she been sleeping?” Alice asked.
“About a half an hour, I think.”
She nodded. “It’s good that she’s resting. Thank you for coming out. How long are you planning to
stay?”
Jacob shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t have any plans for tonight or tomorrow. If she’s okay with it,
I’d rather not leave her.”
Alice looked at Jasper. He cleared his throat. “You mean you want to stay the night?”
Jacob didn’t see a problem with it. “If it’s okay with her, yes.” He knew from the looks on their faces
they weren’t sure about his intentions. He carefully propped himself up on his elbow, making sure
he didn’t disturb Renesmee. “Look, I care for her very deeply. I understand that we just met and all
that shit, but I love her. Please don’t look at me like you think I’m going to take advantage of her.
She’s sick and in a lot of pain. I just want to help her.”
Alice and Jasper looked at each other again. It was easy to see that Jacob was telling the truth. They
decided to agree and let Renesmee make that decision. They also made it clear that they would be
checking on her several times throughout the night. Jacob agreed that was a good idea.
Renesmee didn’t wake up until after five o’clock that night. She was sweating and had to use the
bathroom. Jacob helped her up and stood outside the bathroom door to wait for her. When she was
finished, he sat at the kitchen table with her while she sipped some soup Alice had made.
“I’m glad you’re still here,” she said.
He smiled and touched her arm. “I’ll be here as long as you need me.”
Her brow furrowed. “What about your dad?”
“He’s fine; he doesn’t need me all the time.”
“His heart?”
Jacob cleared his throat. “Yeah, I asked Quil to check on him every few hours. He’s fine.”
Renesmee nodded, relieved that he wasn’t sacrificing his dad’s health out of concern for her.
“Good.”
There was an awkward silence for a few minutes as Jacob tried to figure out how he would tell her he
was staying the night. Renesmee continued to eat her soup, unwilling to admit to him how good it
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felt that he would make other arrangements for his dad just to be with her. After a moment, he
decided to just put it out there and see how she took it.
“I’m staying the night.”
She looked up at him, surprised. “What?”
He leaned down with his elbows on the table. “I’m worried about you, Ness. I know it’s just the flu,
but you don’t know how bad it hurts me to see you in pain like this. I want to do whatever I can and
stay with you as long as you need me.”
She reached out and took his hand. “Jake, that’s so sweet. I’m not so sure my aunt and uncle will
be okay with it, though.”
“I’ve already talked to them.” He shrugged. “They’re okay with it.”
“Are you serious?” She wondered briefly if this guy had some kind of hypnotic powers she wasn’t
aware of. She hadn’t thought Alice or Jasper would approve something like that.
Jacob nodded. “Yes. While you were asleep. There are conditions, of course. You’ll be checked on
regularly throughout the night by one or both of them, and we’re staying on the couch rather than in
your room.”
“How in the world did you talk them into that? I mean, sure, neither one of them are as strict as my
dad, but I haven’t even known you a whole month yet.”
“I called them out on their assumption that I wanted to take advantage of you. I’m just here to help
you, Ness. I would never hurt you or touch you in any way that you didn’t consent to.”
She squeezed his fingers lightly. “I know, Jake.”
Her trust in him felt so good. “I love you.”
She looked around to make sure neither Alice nor Jasper was around to hear it. “I love you, too,” she
whispered.
Jacob smirked. “They know. You don’t have to hide it.”
“They know? When did that happen?”
“When I told them to stop looking at me like I was a creep. I told them.” He picked up her hand and
kissed her knuckles. “Don’t be mad at me.”
Renesmee smiled. “I’m not mad. Just surprised, I guess. Mostly that they didn’t freak out and ask
you to leave.”
“Baby, I can be quite persuasive.” He winked.
She tried to laugh, but it ended in coughing. “I know.”
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When she was finished eating, she and Jacob went back to the couch. She laid down for a while and
tried to enjoy the feel of his arms around her. It wasn’t long before she felt lightheaded and her eyes
began to droop.
“One thing I can say,” she said sleepily. “I don’t feel like my uterus is trying to kill me anymore.”
Jacob chuckled. “That’s good, honey.” He kissed her head. “That’s very good. Try to sleep some
more.”
She was out within a few minutes. He hoped she rested well again. He closed his eyes and listened
to the sounds around the house. There was a rodent in a wall in the kitchen. A rat from the sound of
it. Water dripped slowly somewhere in the basement. Alice and Jasper were talking up in their room.
“I’m just saying it’s a little creepy,” Jasper said.
Alice sighed. “I get that, Jasper, I really do. But don’t you remember us? I knew I loved you the
moment you bumped into me.”
He chuckled. “No, you didn’t. You yelled at me; that’s hardly love. But I do remember there was
something about you. This tiny little woman on her own in Pennsylvania. I had the urge to follow you
and protect you.”
“You and your shiny guns.”
“Is it really my fault we met while I was touring the National Civil War museum? I don’t think so.”
“It is, however, your fault that we ended up eating together at that diner.”
They were quiet for a few seconds before Jasper took a deep breath. “You and me aside, Alice, I’m
worried about Renesmee. She’s going in hard with this guy.”
She furrowed her brow. “It thought you trusted him.”
“As a man, yes, I trust him. As my niece’s boyfriend, no. That’s completely different.” He shook his
head.
“Oh, I see. So, it’s not even close to the same situation as you and my dad?”
Jasper grunted. “Don’t bring that up, please.”
Alice made him look at her. “Jasper, baby, you have to look at this at all the angles. According to my
dad, you were the greatest man on earth until he found out you had a collection of rifles. Then,
suddenly, you were the worst undiscovered serial killer that ever existed, and I was your next victim.”
“That’s not even close to the same thing. Jacob is nice, but have you seen him? He could . . . I just
think about him and her alone, and it scares me.” He looked down. “It really does.”
Alice smiled and kissed his cheek. “I don’t blame you. I can’t say that I’m all for a physical
relationship between them myself, but you have to admit that there is a deep connection there. The
way he looks at her reminds me greatly of the way you look at me.”
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“They’ve known each other a month. Not even that.” Jasper just didn’t know how to process this
information. Even though Renesmee was not his daughter, he still felt like he was going to lose her.
Alice took his hand. “We knew each other for four months before we were married.”
“This is completely different. And he’s seven years older than her.”
She laughed. “Really? You’re bringing in age? You’re eleven years older than me.”
He pulled away. “Are you going to contradict everything I say? I’m worried about this, Alice. How are
you not the slightest bit concerned?”
She smiled and scooted closer to him on the bed. “I am concerned. I just don’t think it’s a good idea
to point out all the bad things and completely overlook the good. I remember how I felt when my dad
accused you of all those horrible things when I knew in my heart you were the man I loved and
wanted to be with forever. I don’t want to hurt her like that.”
Jasper hadn’t thought about how it would make Renesmee feel. He nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re
right.”
She kissed him. “Of course I’m right.”
“Thank you, I guess, for not letting me turn into your dad.”
“You’re welcome. Should we go check on them?”
He nodded. “Yes, we should.”
Jacob smirked to himself and kissed Renesmee’s head. He really didn’t care what they decided to
throw at him. They could accuse him of anything. As long as she continued to trust him and believe
that his intentions were pure, he could withstand anything.
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~Chapter Ten~
Intimacy
“How are you feeling?” Jacob asked when Renesmee woke the next morning.
She shrugged weakly. “I don’t know. I think maybe a little better.” Her head and chest felt clearer,
but she was still dizzy.
He helped her sit up. She propped the stuffed monkey against the back of the couch and stood up.
She held Jacob’s arm as she walked to the bathroom. Like before, he waited outside for her. As he
listened to anything but her, he thought about how good it had felt to hold her in his arms all night
and wake up next to her. It was something he wanted to repeat every night and morning for the rest
of his life.
Alice and Jasper had done what they said they’d do and checked on Renesmee several times during
the night. It woke him up each time, but he pretended he didn’t hear them.
When Renesmee was finished, he helped her to the kitchen table. Alice and Jasper were already
awake. Jasper was at the table with a cup of coffee, and Alice was in the kitchen pouring herself a
cup.
“Good morning,” Alice said happily. “How are you feeling, sweetie?”
Renesmee shrugged and leaned against the table. Jacob sat beside her and pulled her onto his lap.
“I don’t know yet. My stomach isn’t turning.”
Alice sat next to Jasper. “Are you hungry at all?”
Renesmee shook her head. “No.”
Jacob rubbed her arms. “You should at least try to drink something so you don’t get dehydrated.”
He kissed her shoulder.
“He’s right.” Alice nodded. “Would you like some tea?”
“I don’t think I can drink anymore tea. Maybe some Sprite?” She leaned back against Jacob and
sighed. “Or maybe some really strong whiskey.”
Jasper snorted. “Not while you’re sick. If you think throwing up was bad before, you have no idea
how bad whiskey can be on an already upset stomach.”
Renesmee laughed which led to a cough. “I was only mostly joking.”
Alice set a glass of Sprite in front of her niece. “Jasper wasn’t. Have you ever had alcohol?”
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Renesmee nodded and took a sip of her soda. “Once. It was a year ago. Don’t tell Dad, though. He
doesn’t know about it.”
Jacob smirked and kissed her head. “And you didn’t want to drink beer the other night because
you’re not twenty-one yet.” He clicked his tongue. “You’re holding out on me.”
She leaned back again. “Hardly. It was prom, and the guy I was with talked me into taking a few
sips of his drink. I think it was vodka or something. It was nasty, whatever it was. I didn’t even drink
enough to get tipsy.”
He wrapped his arms around her stomach. “When you turn twenty-one, I’ll show you the good stuff.”
She smiled and looked at him. “Thanks.”
He kissed her nose. “You’re welcome.”
Jasper cleared his throat to get their attention. Alice kicked his foot. “We won’t tell your dad.”
Renesmee sat up and got her drink again. “Thank you.”
“So how’s your dad doing, Jake?” Jasper asked. Alice looked at him sideways.
Jacob nodded. “He’s doing well.”
Jasper raised an eyebrow. “Renesmee says he has a heart condition?”
“He manages it just fine.”
“That’s good to hear. You know, Renesmee’s dad is a wonderful doctor—”
“He’s fine, Jasper. Thank you for your concern, but our doctors on the rez are more than capable.”
Alice pursed her lips together. “Of course they are, Jacob. Jasper didn’t mean to offend you.” She
put her hand on her husband’s shoulder and squeezed tightly. Jasper looked at her questioningly.
“No offense taken.”
Renesmee leaned back again and sighed. “Can you believe that I’m still tired?” She turned her
head to look at Jacob.
He kissed her forehead. “Yes, I can. You’re still sick, baby. Can you try to drink a little more before
you lay down?”
Alice got up and left the room. Renesmee nodded and sat up again to take a few more sips. When
Alice came back, she had the thermometer. Jacob tensed for a moment before she announced that
she had to know if her niece still had a fever. Renesmee groaned but accepted the metal end under
her tongue. Jacob leaned back in the chair.
“Ninety-nine-point-one. You don’t have a fever anymore, sweetie. Very good news. Hopefully soon
you’ll be all better.”
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Renesmee smiled. “Thanks, Aunt Alice.”
Alice nodded and cleaned the thermometer. As she did, she wondered curiously what Jacob’s would
be. Renesmee had told her about the strange way he’d avoided it before. She wanted to know, but
she didn’t want to put any more tension in the room. Jasper meant well, but he knew how to make
things awkward. Instead of asking, she went to put the thermometer away.
Renesmee laid down for a while longer, Jacob still at her side.
“Are you sure there isn’t anything else you’d rather be doing?” she asked as they got situated on the
couch.
“There is, but they all involve you not being sick. Until then, I’m determined to help you feel better.”
She smiled and turned so she was facing him. Her face was inches from his and her body pressed
against him. There was something so different about it that made her breath catch. She suddenly
wanted nothing more than to kiss him wildly and wrap her legs around him. The place between her
legs seemed to be begging for it, craving some friction. She cleared her throat and scooted back an
inch.
“Thank you. You’re so sweet to me, Jake.”
He smiled and leaned in to kiss her lips. She pulled back suddenly, and he furrowed his brow.
“What?” he asked. His arms around her pulled her close again.
“I might not have a fever anymore, but I’m still sick. Don’t kiss me like that yet.”
He smirked and leaned in again to claim her lips. She stiffened until he pulled back. “I’ve told you
twice now that I’m not going to get sick. When will you believe me?”
She furrowed her brow and pushed on his chest. “When you don’t get sick. Jacob, don’t do that. I
told you not to kiss me.”
Shame filled him in an instant. His eyes widened, and his arms loosed their hold on her. “Ness, I’m
sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” His gut churned at the thought of kissing her without her
permission. “It was wrong of me to assume that you’d only asked because you’re worried. Forgive
me?”
Her annoyance softened. She lifted a hand and touched his cheek. “Of course I forgive you. I want
to kiss you, Jake, I really do. But, I am sick and I don’t think you really understand that you’re
vulnerable, too. You’re not some superhuman. My dad is a doctor; I have learned a lot more about
disease than I care to know. You’ve probably already caught it.”
He smirked and kissed her forehead. “I love you, baby. I love that you’re so concerned. I promise to
load up on anti-flu medicine, okay?”
She sighed and scooted down to lean into him and rest her head on his chest. “Okay.”
He tightened his arms around her again and pressed his lips to the top of her head. “Get some more
rest, Ness.”
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She nodded slightly and closed her eyes.
Sunday night, Jacob was restless. He didn’t like being so disconnected from his pack, even if the
time was spent with his imprint. He still had a duty to lead them. He called his dad to see if he had
any news, but none of the guys had reported anything major. Just the usual news that the forest was
clear.
“Are you okay?” Renesmee asked that evening as she sipped some soup. She was feeling so much
better. Her whole body felt the strange mixture of weakness and strength that accompanies the end
of an illness. She was even a little hungry again.
Jacob nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.” The more he thought about being unable to shift, the more it upset
him. He needed to get out of the house. He sat next to Renesmee and wrung his hands together in
an attempt to calm himself.
Renesmee reached out and put her hand on his arm. “No, you’re not. What’s wrong? Is it your
dad?” She’d heard Jacob talking to him earlier
He met her eyes and sighed. “No, it’s not my dad. I love you, Ness, and I’m glad I got to be here for
you, but I guess I’m a little eager to get home.”
He was relieved when she smiled and nodded. “I understand, Jake. I don’t know how I can possibly
thank you for what you’ve done yesterday and today. You can go if you want to, though.” She had to
admit to herself that she would be a little sad to see him go, but she couldn’t ask him to stay when it
was so obvious he wanted to leave. She truly did understand. He had a life outside her.
Jacob leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I’ll call you tomorrow morning. Rest well tonight, baby.
I want to take you out again soon.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
He squeezed her fingers lightly before he walked away. Renesmee sighed and smiled to herself as
she took another sip. Even after spending so much time with him, she couldn’t wait to see him
again.
As Jacob ran around the house toward the trees, he made sure he stayed out of sight from the
sliding back door. Once far enough in, he stopped for a moment to listen for any other people before
he stripped off his clothes and shifted.
―I’m telling you, Seth, this imprint business isn’t all it’s—Oh, hello there, almighty Alpha.
Jacob grunted at Embry. What have I missed?
Seth mentally chuckled and thought through a brief summary of the last two days. He had taken
over Jacob’s patrol as planned, but nothing exciting happened. Embry tried to impress some girl in a
low-cut top and Daisy Duke shorts, but she wasn’t interested. Embry had complained about it for
two hours straight.
She was hot! Embry tried to defend himself.
Shut up, Embry. Seth, keep going.
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Seth started where he’d left off. As the images and thoughts rolled through his head, Jacob walked
toward Embry near the borders of La Push.
Quil and Claire had set a date for their wedding in October. Claire still hadn’t told her parents about
the engagement. She was nervous to do it, afraid of what her father might do. Seth still hadn’t given
up on Natalie, but he had finally lost hope of imprinting on her. The last time they’d spoke the night
before, she told him she couldn’t sit on a fence and wait for him. He either wanted her or he didn’t.
He hadn’t made up his mind yet if he wanted to risk it.
Dude, I’m telling you, it’s a waste of time. Just go out with her a few more times, fuck her, and call it
quits.
Jacob growled. Embry, back off. Quit distracting Seth when he’s on patrol. What the fuck are you
doing out here anyway? Jacob walked up and sat next to him.
Embry mentally shrugged. I’m bored.
Aren’t there some girls at a bar you could be seducing?
Embry licked his lips. Yeah, I guess. Sex would be more fun than this shit right now. Haven’t seen a
damn bloodsucker in days. It’s getting annoying. Hey, by the way, how’s Shorty doing?
Shorty? Jacob and Seth thought in unison.
Your imprint, Jake. The sick chick. How’s she doing?
Jacob growled again and stood up. Her name is Renesmee, Embry. You don’t get to give her a
nickname.
Embry stood up as well and turned to face his Alpha head on. Are you fucking serious? This imprint
business has turned you into an asshole, you know that?
A brief memory of Renesmee and Embry at the beach flashed through Jacob’s mind before he was
able to stop it. The jealousy and anger attached to the image did not escape Embry’s notice.
Quil and Seth talked to her, too, Jake. Why are you picking on me?
Should I go? Seth asked nervously. He didn’t want to witness a fight between his packmates.
No, Seth. You’re on patrol; you focus on that. Embry, I know you. I’ve seen in your fucked-up head,
and I know how you see women. Renesmee is not on the market, no matter what is going on
between us. He took a step toward Embry. She’s not a conquest, not a game. She’s my imprint.
Embry ducked his head, but he didn’t give up. I get that, Jake. Dammit, I’m sorry if I made you think
I was after her. We were just talking. She was cold, so I warmed her up. That’s all.
The regret and determination in Embry’s thoughts were pure; he was telling the truth. Jacob felt the
emotions Embry had for Renesmee; a sort of brotherly affection and protectiveness surprised Jacob.
He searched Embry’s thoughts for any trace of lust towards Renesmee. There wasn’t any. He
stepped back and sat down.
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You’re forgiven. She’s feeling much better.
Embry nodded. Good to hear. He wouldn’t admit it even in a direct thought, but he had been
worried about her. Jacob caught the feeling, though, and huffed in amusement. Am I still forbidden
from using nicknames for her?
Why Shorty?
Embry grunted a laugh. Cuz she’s short.
Jacob licked his nose. Fine. He stood up again to run with Seth for a while until he felt he could
relax again.
It was after midnight when he got home and went to bed. His room had been too small for him for
years, but neither he nor his father could afford a larger home, and he wasn’t about to make Billy
give up the larger room. He felt especially cramped this night as he remembered how it had been to
have Renesmee in his arms. He sighed and rolled to his back. He wondered what it would be like to
have her in his room with him. Without the watchful eyes of her aunt and uncle, and without her
being sick or on her period, he wondered if she’d allow him to touch her, undress her. He shifted
uncomfortably, already getting aroused at the thought of pulling her sweat pants down over her hips.
He wanted to know if she shaved or if she went natural. A soft growl rumbled in his chest at the
thought of seeing her exposed to him.
He took a deep breath and shook his head. He didn’t want to touch himself; he wanted her to do it
for him. Doing it himself wasn’t satisfying enough. He closed his eyes and squirmed again, trying to
put thoughts of Renesmee’s body out of his mind and relax.
~*~
“Renesmee, honey, can we talk for a minute?” Alice said Wednesday evening. Since she’d gotten
home that day, she’d listened as her niece told her about how Jacob had invited her over to his
house for dinner on Saturday. It made her happy to see her niece so happy, but she was a little
concerned about how eager she seemed.
Renesmee’s smile faded. “Um, yeah. What’s up?” She felt so much better than she had earlier that
week. Almost all traces of the sickness were gone, and she felt more energetic than before.
Alice and Renesmee sat down on the couch. “Okay, first of all, let me just say that I know I’m not
your mom. I’m not trying to step on toes, and I’m sure she’s probably already talked to you about
this several times, but I have to say it. Things between you and Jacob seem to be getting pretty
serious.”
Renesmee nodded. “They are. I know it’s fast, Aunt Alice, but I really love him. When I’m with him, I
belong there. It’s like, everything I think a home should be—safe, familiar, comfortable—I feel like I’m
home with him.” She shook her head and looked down. “It sounds weird even to me, but that’s how
I feel.”
Alice took her hand. “To be honest with you, Renesmee, it doesn’t sound weird to me. I remember
when I first met your uncle. Things moved very quickly between us. Maybe even a little faster than
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yours and Jacob’s in some respect. But I was older than you, too. I was twenty-five when I met
Jasper.” She paused a moment and sighed. “I’m not saying that we never made any mistakes. We
made plenty. A few of them almost destroyed us before we really got going. I want to make sure you
don’t make those mistakes.”
Renesmee furrowed her brow. “What do you mean? What mistakes?”
“I’m talking about sex, sweetie. I know you probably don’t want to hear it, but Jasper and I got
together really fast. We didn’t have a stable foundation to keep us grounded, and all the emotions
we tried to deal with afterward were almost too much.”
“So are you telling me not to have sex with him?” She wasn’t sure she could promise that.
Alice smiled. “Not exactly. I know how teenage hormones are. What I’m saying is that I would prefer
it if you built a good foundation with him before you made that move. Obviously Jasper and I made it
through, so I believe it would be possible for you and Jake as well. I don’t want to see you
heartbroken, and I don’t want to see Jacob get shot for hurting you.”
Both women laughed. Alice pushed a lock of Renesmee’s hair behind her ear. “Just make sure it’s
right, honey. And don’t ever tell your father I’m saying this. If it ever comes up, I told you that if you
have sex, you’ll get Chlamydia and die.”
Renesmee laughed out loud and nodded. “I completely understand. Dad would flip out.”
“Also, if you do decide the time is right, please use a condom.” Alice squeezed her niece’s hand.
Renesmee nodded. “I promise.”
Alice smiled and leaned forward to hug Renesmee. “Thanks, honey. Are you taking any birth
control?”
“Yeah, Mom got me started on it last year.”
“Okay, good. Do you have any questions?”
“No; I can’t think of any.” Renesmee shook her head.
“Are you sure? Losing your virginity can be a confusing thing, no matter what the textbooks say.”
Renesmee blushed. “I’m not a virgin, actually.”
Alice was shocked. “What?”
“I did the cliché thing and gave it to the guy who took me to prom.” She shrugged, but her face was
burning hotter.
“Oh . . . do your parents know?”
“Mom does. I told her about it after Luis broke my heart. We both decided it was best that Dad
didn’t know yet. Luckily nothing . . . happened. He talked me into doing it without a condom, and I
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was really scared for several months. That was part of the reason she wanted me to start birth
control.”
Alice sighed. “Oh, sweetie.” She hugged Renesmee again. “I want you to remember something,
okay? If a guy ever tries to talk you into doing something you don’t want, he’s not the one. A real
man wouldn’t ask his girl to do anything she’s not comfortable with.”
“Amen to that,” Jasper said as he walked in the room. “Did Jacob do something?”
“No; Renesmee and I are just talking. Do you mind?”
He sat down. “I don’t mind at all.”
Alice smacked his arm. “Nice try. Hit the road.”
He frowned for a second before he got up and left. Alice turned back to Renesmee.
“Promise me you won’t let Jacob push you.”
“I promise.” That was one she could stick to.
“Thank you.” She pulled Renesmee into one last hug.
~*~
Renesmee sat on her bed Saturday afternoon trying to find her courage. She wasn’t sure if she and
Jacob would be alone at his house or if his dad would be there, but either way, she was nervous.
Alice’s talk a few days prior had made her really think about making that move with Jacob, and not
just in a spur-of-the-moment, hormone-driven way. She had thought of the pros and cons along with
all of the possible consequences. Every time she did, she came to same conclusion that she was
ready.
The few times they’d been together on dates or walks in the woods, she’d felt an undeniable lust for
him. She couldn’t be completely sure, but she thought he felt it, too. The way he’d taken care of her
when he was sick made it obvious in her mind that sex wasn’t all he was after. He truly cared about
her.
She had a few more hours before Jacob would come to get her. She’d taken a shower and, after a
lengthy inner debate, shaved everything that a girl could shave. Now she worried that Jake would
think she’d look too young. She closed her eyes and put her face in her hands. Maybe her nerves
meant it really wasn’t the right time. She took a deep breath and stood up to figure out what she
would wear. As she picked through her clothes, she made up her mind that she would see how the
evening went. If she got the opportunity, and it felt right, she would make her move. Otherwise, she
would keep her decision to herself for the time being.
Jacob arrived to pick her up at five-thirty. She was surprised to see that he’d worn a t-shirt and
shoes this time.
“Hey, Ness. How are you?” He hugged her and leaned down to kiss her.
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She felt like it had been years since the last time she’d kissed him. She stood on her toes to press
her lips harder to his. She blushed when he pulled back. “I’m great; how are you?”
He rubbed her back. “Never been better. Are you ready?”
Renesmee nodded and pulled back to get her purse. “Yeah, I think so.” She turned to call out to her
aunt and uncle that she was leaving.
Alice came down the hall. “Bye, sweetie.” She hugged her niece. “Do you know when you’ll be
back?”
Renesmee looked at Jacob. He shrugged. “I’m not sure,” he said. “Does she have a curfew?”
Renesmee gave Alice a pleading look. Alice sighed. “No, I guess not. Just have her home sometime
before tomorrow, okay?”
Jacob smiled. “I can do that.” He pulled Renesmee close to him and kissed her head. “Don’t worry,
Alice; she’s safe with me.”
Alice nodded. “I know. Have a good time, honey.”
Renesmee nodded, and they left. She was a bundle of nerves again as they got in the car. Jacob
wasn’t sure what she was afraid of, but he didn’t like the anxiety pouring off of her. He took her
hand and kissed her knuckles, then held her fingers as he shifted.
“Are you okay, baby?” he asked.
Renesmee sucked in a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”
He gave her a sideways glance. “What’s wrong?”
She hesitated for a moment before she sighed. “Is your dad going to be there?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Yes, why?”
“I guess I was just wondering if we were going to be alone.” She looked at her lap as she spoke.
“Ness, look at me.” She did. “Are you uncomfortable with this? Coming to my house?”
She shook her head. “No. I guess I’m just nervous. You know, the only time we’ve really been alone
recently is in the woods.”
“Baby, I’m not taking you home with me to try anything. I just don’t want to have to deal with other
fuckers salivating over you.”
Renesmee looked up, surprised, and met his eyes. “Me?”
Jacob chuckled. “Yes, you. You’re sexy whether you want to admit it or not.”
She shivered with delight. “Thanks. You need to watch the road, Jake.”
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He shifted in his seat and smirked to himself. “Sure.”
At his house, he kept hold of Renesmee’s hand as he led her inside. She smiled to herself when he
had to duck to get through the door. Billy was in the living room watching the television. He waved
when they came in.
“Hey. Food got here about five minutes ago; it’s on the table.”
Jacob nodded. “Thanks.” Renesmee looked up at him curiously. He smirked and kissed her. “I
can’t cook worth shit, so I had something delivered.”
She giggled. “I see.”
“There wasn’t much to choose from around here, so I hope this is okay.” He opened the bag. “This
came from a restaurant on the rez. We have Chinese Moose, floral green salad, and wojapi for
desert.”
Renesmee raised an eyebrow. “Moose? And what’s wojapi?”
“Moose is excellent; try it before you knock it. Wojapi is like pudding but better.”
“So is this like your tribe’s traditional food?”
Jacob nodded. “Yep. I don’t know why they call it Chinese Moose, but it’s not Chinese. I remember
my dad making this when I was a kid.”
Billy wheeled into the kitchen as Jacob set some plates on the table. “Don’t put one out for me,
Jake; I’m going to Harry and Sue’s for dinner.”
Jacob stopped for a second. His eyes flashed to Renesmee then back to his dad. “What? Why?” He
wanted the time alone with Renesmee, but he didn’t want to make her nervous like she had been
earlier.
Billy smiled and folded his hands together on his lap. “Well, you know, you have your girlfriend over,
and I don’t want to get in the way or, uh . . . interrupt anything. You two will have more fun without
an old man around.”
Renesmee blushed, but she didn’t say anything. An awkward silence hung in the air for a minute
before a truck pulled up outside and honked. Billy sat up straight and put his hands on the wheels of
his chair.
“So, I’ll see you kids later. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He winked at his son and turned around
to leave the room.
“Well . . .” Jacob started after his dad left. “Uh, that was unexpected.”
Renesmee smiled nervously and cleared her throat. “Yeah.”
“You okay?”
She nodded and looked up at him. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
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He ran a hand through his hair and silently cursed when it fell back into his eyes. “You were nervous
earlier. I just don’t want you to think I planned that, because I didn’t. I thought he’d be here all
night.”
She stepped close to him and reached up to hold his shoulders. “I believe you, Jake.” He put his
hands on her hips and leaned in to kiss her. “I’m not nervous; it’s just a little embarrassing that your
dad thinks we’ll be . . . you know.” He was probably right.
Jacob smirked and kissed her again. “I know what you mean. Are you hungry?”
“Yeah.”
They sat down, and Jacob opened each container. Renesmee had to admit everything smelled good.
She was confused when she dished the salad.
“Are those flowers?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yes. Rose petals, marigolds, and dandelions, I believe.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Okay.”
He chuckled. “Just give a chance, Ness.” He reached over and picked a marigold head off her plate.
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it.” He held it out for her.
She figured if she was going to eat moose, she might as well try the flowers, too. She met his eyes
and opened her mouth to take the blossom. His eyes darkened as she slowly sucked on his fingers.
She pulled back and blushed. He licked his lips.
“It’s not bad,” she said after she swallowed. “Interesting flavor.”
He nodded and picked up his fork. He wanted to get through the meal as quickly as possible. He
was happy to hear her compliments about the food; once she tried it, she liked it. The wojapi was his
favorite. It was only more of a turn-on when she closed her eyes and moaned happily when she
tasted it.
When they finished eating, Renesmee helped him clean up.
“Thank you for all this, Jake. It was really nice getting to taste some of your traditional foods.”
He pulled her close to him. “It was my pleasure, Ness.”
She reached up to push his hair of his eyes so she could see him better. It fell right back as soon as
she moved her hands. She smiled. “You need a haircut.”
He shook his head, purposely making his hair dangle in his eyes. “A trim, maybe.”
“That’s what I meant, yeah. I don’t want you to cut it all off; just enough that I can see your eyes
again.”
He bent and kissed her lips. “Why don’t you do it then?”
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She laughed. “You want me to cut your hair?”
He shrugged. “Just the front part. I get it all crooked when I do it.” Not that it had ever mattered
much to him.
“There’s a reason I go to a hairdresser to get my hair done, Jake. I can’t do it either.”
He pouted. “Please?”
Renesmee doubted any other person could make puppy dog eyes as well as Jacob could. She
sighed. “Sit down.”
He smiled widely and got the scissors and a comb for her before he pulled a chair close to the sink
and sat down. For a brief moment, she thought about straddling his lap, but decided against it. She
took a deep breath and got to work. It only took a few minutes. She didn’t dare cut more than what
hung in front of his eyes. When she was finished, she pulled the comb slowly through the rest of his
hair. He took hold of her hips and pulled her a little closer.
“Thank you.”
She set the comb aside. “You’re welcome.” As she looked down at him, she realized something.
She smiled widely and put her hands on his shoulders. “I’m taller than you.”
He chuckled and squeezed her sides lightly. “Don’t get used to it.”
She bent and kissed his lips. “I’ll just take advantage of it while I can.” She kissed him again and
deepened it quickly. He reached up and threaded his fingers through her hair. She did the same to
him and grabbed a fistful. He sat up straighter and wrapped one arm around her to pull her closer.
The way she was bent didn’t give her room to sway. She lost her balance and gasped in surprise as
she felt herself falling. She clutched his shoulders, surprised when she fell in his lap.
He chuckled. “I’ve got you, Ness.”
She smiled, a light blush spreading across her cheeks. “Thanks.”
He kissed her softly. “Anytime.” He touched her cheek and held her waist a little tighter. If the look
in her eyes wasn’t enough to convince him she was turned on, her scent was absolute proof. “Would
you like a tour of the house?” He really only wanted to show her one room.
She licked her lips and nodded. She hoped he meant what she wanted him to mean. She got up
and he followed. He brushed his shirt off, clippings of hair falling slowly to the ground.
“I should probably take this off, huh?” He peeked at her.
She wanted to rip it off herself. Instead she just nodded again. “Yeah, probably. It’s going to be
impossible to get all the hair off, and it’ll just be uncomfortable.”
He smirked and pulled it over his head. She watched him shake it out and drape it across the back
of the chair he’d sat on. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles, then he quietly led her around
the table to a short hallway.
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“That’s the bathroom.” He pointed to a door on his right. Directly across the narrow hallway was
another door. He opened it and stepped inside. “And this is my room.”
Renesmee’s stomach flipped excitedly as she went in past Jacob. The room was tiny; she could
barely believe he even fit in it. The bed was a mattress on the floor that took up nearly all of the
space save for a small walkway to open the door and put in a dresser. She turned to look up at him.
“It’s, um . . . cozy.”
He snorted. “You don’t have to sugar-coat it. It’s tiny as hell. It’s all I really need, though.” He didn’t
tell her that he rarely stayed the night in here anymore. He preferred to be near her.
She nodded and put her hands on his chest. “Think we’ll both fit in here?”
He shut the door. “Yes.”
She giggled and pulled away. “Is the bed comfortable?” She wasn’t sure it would be, but she laid
down anyway. She got on her back and looked up at him. “Not bad.” She lifted her chest to bounce
a little bit.
Jacob watched her in fascination. She was radiant with her auburn hair spread out under her and
her brown eyes watching him playfully. Her shirt had ridden up a little, exposing a thin line of flesh
above the waistband of her jeans. She bounced again, and he couldn’t help but notice the way her
breasts moved. He cleared his throat and knelt down beside her slowly.
Renesmee caught his eyes as he leaned down. She was caught by their intensity. Her smile faded
as he moved over her, one arm on either side of her shoulders supporting him.
“I love you,” he said roughly.
His voice made her shiver. She reached up to put her hands on his face. “I love you, too.”
He kissed her deeply but slowly, taking his time and exploring her mouth. Her hands slid down his
neck and around his shoulders to hold him tighter, hoping to pull him closer. He shifted his weight to
one arm and allowed himself to get closer as his other hand slipped down her side to her hip and
back up. He didn’t hesitate to cup her breast when he reached it. She sucked in a quick breath and
shoved her chest up, hoping to encourage him. He squeezed lightly, eliciting a moan from her. The
sound made a shiver run up his spine.
Jacob broke the kiss and pulled back. “Is this okay?” he asked as he squeezed again.
Renesmee was panting as she nodded. “Very much okay.”
He smirked and kissed her jaw. “Good.” He worked a path down her neck, barely stopping the growl
that was building in his chest at the sound of her whimpers. He licked her throat just above the
pulse point and closed his eyes. She tasted so good. A mixture of sweet and salty that drove him
crazy. He did it again and sucked lightly on her flesh.
“Oh, my God, Jake,” she cried. She wished he would get between her legs.
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As he kissed her lower, he slipped his hand down and under her shirt. He looked up briefly to make
sure she was okay before he pushed her bra up over her breast. She nodded eagerly. He groaned at
the feel of her naked against his palm.
Jacob and his heat and kisses were clouding her mind. She didn’t seem to care about anything but
what he was doing to her. She wanted more, though. She wanted to get rid of all of their clothing
and finally become one with him. The thought reminded her of the condoms Alice had given her that
she’d stuffed in her purse. She was suddenly anxious, unsure of how she would ask him to stop so
she could get one.
He noticed her tense and pulled back to look up at her. “Are you okay?”
She licked her lips and nodded. “Yeah, um . . .” She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.
Jacob moved to her side and slid up to be next to her. “Ness, baby, listen to me.” He touched her
cheek and waited for her to open her eyes. She did and met his uncertainly. “Don’t feel obligated. I
want you, baby, but it would kill me if I hurt you.”
She smiled and reached up to cover his hand with hers. “I don’t feel obligated. I want you, too. I’m
just scared because I don’t know how to ask.” She looked down.
He made her look at him again. “Ness, can I make love to you?”
She blushed brightly as she nodded. “Yes, but we need a condom.”
He kissed her lightly. “I have some.” He got up to dig one out of the top drawer of his dresser. While
he was up, Renesmee took off her shirt and bra. He laid down next to her again and pulled her
close.
“I’m nervous,” she blurted. She took another deep breath to try to calm down. “Really nervous.”
Jacob nodded and combed his fingers through her hair. “That’s okay, baby. Are you a virgin?”
She swallowed thickly and shook her head. “No. It was only once, though, and a long time ago.”
She peeked up at him and pushed herself a little closer.
“It’s okay, honey, I just needed to know.” He started to rub her back in a slow circuit from her
shoulders to her hips and back. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
She took a moment to think about it. As she did, she snuggled close and put her face on his chest.
She took a breath to smell his fiery skin. It felt so good against hers. She kissed him near his
shoulder and smiled when his arms tightened around her. She loved knowing that he wasn’t going
to push her for an answer. It made her think of what Alice had said. She knew that if she said no,
Jacob would wait. She didn’t want to do that, though. She realized that she really did want to go
through with it. She wanted to get that much closer to him. She kissed him once more before she
pulled back and looked up at him.
“I’m sure I want to.”
He nodded and trailed his hand around her side back to her breast. “I love you, Ness.”
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She licked her lips and put her hand over his. “I love you, too, Jake. Make love to me.”
Those words made him shiver with desire. He wanted to take her, claim her. A sharp tug in his gut
made him calm down and take it slower. He realized as he kissed her that he wanted to take his
time and really show her how strong a connection they had. He pushed her gently to her back and
kissed a path to her breasts. Her nipples tasted better than he had imagined. Each squirm of her
body and whimper she made only got him more aroused. He looked up at her briefly as he shifted
position and started to work his way down further.
Her breath caught as he unbuttoned her jeans. She closed her eyes and reached up to grip the
pillow as he pulled the pants off. The heat of his hands as they travelled slowly back up her legs was
intoxicating. She tensed only for a moment when he spread them. He leaned down and kissed her
stomach, and she made herself relax.
“Are you okay, baby?” he asked. He kissed her hip.
Renesmee took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m okay.” She swallowed. “I shaved.”
He smirked and kissed her thigh. “I noticed. Did you do this just for me?” He lightly cupped her
womanhood.
She gasped and nodded quickly. “Yes.”
Jacob slowly slid his fingers down to find her clit. He kissed her thigh again and pulled back to watch
as he touched her. “You are so fucking sexy, Ness.” He pushed a finger inside her and looked up to
see her face. Her eyes closed, and she whimpered again. “Do you like that?”
“Oh . . .” She grabbed her breasts and nodded. “Very much.”
He chuckled to himself and added another finger before he leaned in to lick her. Each sound she
made and the taste of her only aroused him more. His fingers still inside her, he kissed and licked
his way over her hip and up her stomach to her breast. She squirmed against him and moaned
again. He moved further upward until he reached her mouth. He slipped one hand under her and
continued to work her body with the other.
“Ness?” he said roughly.
She met his eyes and bucked her hips. “Huh?”
He smiled. “I need you, baby.”
She nodded. “Me—” She gasped and threw her head back. “Goddammit. Me too, Jake.”
He pulled his hand free and got up quickly to get rid of his pants. Renesmee swallowed as she
looked up at him. She had a pretty good idea of what average was, and that was not it.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said, still breathless.
After kicking the jeans off, Jacob sank to his knees on the bed beside her. “What?” He reached over
and got the condom.
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She licked her lips and looked up at him. “I guess it only makes sense. The rest of you is huge.”
He grinned and ripped open the package. “You can take it, baby. Don’t worry.”
She blushed and watched with fascination as he put the condom on. Curiously, she reached out to
touch him. He groaned and allowed her to explore him.
“We’ll go slowly, Ness. You can be on top if you want.”
She couldn’t take her eyes off her hand on him. “Why would I want to be on top? I’m not really that
experienced.”
Just her light touch felt so much better than he had imagined. He was eager to get inside her. He
laid down and pulled her up close to him. “It’s not really about experience; it’s about control. If
you’re on top, you control how fast we go, how deep I get, and you can take your time getting used to
it.” He kissed her deeply and squeezed her hip. “It’s up to you.”
She nodded. “I kind of like the sound of that.”
He rolled to his back and helped her get situated on top. He licked his fingers and touched her
briefly before helping her get everything positioned. She gasped as she started to slide down his
length. His eyes closed tightly and fought every desire he had to flip her over and take her. The
instinct to do what she needed was stronger. He held her hips to keep her steady as she slowly
worked her way down.
It took longer than she had hoped, but eventually she was able to sit down completely. She smiled in
triumph and leaned forward to kiss him. She began to move slowly, setting a rhythm to get more
comfortable. Each movement seemed easier than the last, and soon all sense of discomfort faded
away.
Jacob had believed Quil when he said making love with his imprint was unlike any other experience,
but he hadn’t realized how true it was. It was as though every single past encounter had
disappeared; it didn’t matter because it wasn’t with Renesmee. No other woman could touch the
heightened pleasure, both physical and emotional.
Renesmee had once said she’d make love with Luis after her senior prom, but that was wrong. This,
what she was doing with Jacob now, was making love. It gave a new dimension to the words. It
wasn’t just sex or just an animal urge being satisfied. It was joining of their souls in a way neither
had ever felt before. Jacob opened himself to her and let their connection flow. He felt her in every
part of his being. Nothing had ever been so incredible or intense. The closer they got to their
release, the more urgent their movements became.
“Oh my God, Jake . . .”
Her words and moans were too much. He couldn’t hold on much longer. He held her hips tighter
and pulled her down on him harder. “Fuck, baby . . . come for me.”
“I think . . . I’m—Oh, Jesus Christ.” She threw her head back and curled her fingers against his
stomach as her release tore through her. His back arched, and he barely managed to stop a growl
as he came along with her. She rode out the orgasm as long as she could before she fell on top of
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him. She felt like her limbs had turned to pudding. Panting, she kissed his chest and closed her
eyes.
Jacob wished they could stay in that position all night. The condom was uncomfortable, though; he
had to get up. He pulled out and rolled over to get out from under her. He kissed her lips softly and
got up. He tossed the condom and laid back down beside her, still breathing heavily. She snuggled
up to him and kissed his chest.
“I love you, Jake,” she said softly.
He kissed her head. “I love you too, baby.” He wanted to ask her to stay the night. Stay forever. As
much as he wanted it, he knew he couldn’t yet. Not when she still believed he was a normal human.
He sucked in a huge breath and let it out slowly. A part of him couldn’t believe he’d made love to her
before she knew the truth. She’d given him—the human—permission, but would she still have made
love with him if she knew what he really was? It would kill him if she regretted it.
Renesmee noticed him tense up. She propped herself up on her elbow and smiled down at him.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yeah.”
She furrowed her brow. “What’s wrong, Jake?”
He sighed. “It’s nothing, Ness.”
She shook her head. “You’re lying to me. Please tell me.” She bent to kiss him. “You don’t regret it,
do you?” Her tone was teasing, but he didn’t smile. After a moment, he met her eyes. Her smile
faded. “Do you?”
He finally shook his head. “No, baby; I don’t. I’m worried that you will.”
She leaned over him. “I thought about it a lot this past week. I decided a few days ago that I wanted
to make love. You were so perfect, Jake. Thank you for being patient with me.”
He tightened his arms around her. “I wouldn’t be anything different.”
“I know. I don’t regret it.”
Not yet, he thought. A part of him wanted to say it now. He rolled to his side to face her and kissed
her lips softly. She smiled and touched his face. As he stared into her eyes, he realized how
precarious his situation was. It wasn’t even a question anymore; he knew she would leave him when
she discovered the truth.
“I need to tell you something, Ness,” he said seriously.
She nodded. “Okay.”
The right thing to do would be to tell her. The decent, respectable thing. He just couldn’t. He was
selfish and needed more time with her. He hugged her tightly and took a deep breath to smell her
hair. “I love you so much, Ness,” he whispered. “I love you, and I need you.” She hugged him back
for a moment before she moved back to see his eyes again. “I need you to know something. No
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matter what happens, I’m always here. I will always love you, and I will always protect you. Please
don’t ever doubt that.”
She smiled and nodded again. “I never will.” She still felt like there was something he wasn’t telling
her. She could see the truth of his words in his eyes, though, and didn’t question that he would do
what he said. She hoped he just needed some time.
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~Chapter Eleven~
Encounter
“How are you doing, honey?” Bella asked. “We’ve talked about me for an hour; I want to hear about
you now.” She was enjoying her vacation, but it was hard to be so far away from her daughter.
Renesmee smiled at the ceiling as she laid on her bed. She sighed happily and hummed. “What do
you want to know?”
“Everything. How are you doing? Are you bored? Are you keeping busy? How are things with you and
that guy?”
“Oh, Jacob and I are doing great. We had dinner at his house last Saturday; he fed me Native
American food. I ate moose and flowers. It was really good, though.” She sat up and ran her fingers
through her hair. That night three days ago had replayed in her mind so many times, and she still
couldn’t find anything about it that wasn’t perfect. She reached over to the nightstand and picked
up a silver chain necklace with the dog tags Jacob had given to her the next night. One said
“Forever” and the other had his name. “I’m keeping pretty busy, I guess. Not like so busy my
schedule’s packed, but busy enough. I read a lot and sometimes go to town with Aunt Alice.” She
held the phone away from her ear for a second to slip the necklace on.
“That sounds like fun. I miss you, sweetie.”
“I miss you, too, Mom.” She really did miss her parents, but she was surprised to find a part of her
didn’t want them to come home. “Only two more months.” Her stomach twisted. She didn’t want to
think about how little time she had left with Jacob, but she couldn’t push it away.
“It sounds like forever.”
Renesmee swallowed and took a deep breath. “It’ll go by fast, Mom. So why are you and Dad in
separate rooms?”
“No reason. He wanted to watch a show, and I wanted to talk to you, so I came in the bedroom. Do
you want to talk to him?”
“I’m actually getting pretty tired.” She faked a yawn. “Tell him I love him and I’ll talk to him next time,
okay?”
“Okay, sweetie. Get some sleep. It’s so weird to think it’s already eleven at night there. It’s only
eight in the morning here.”
“Yeah, but you’re a day ahead of me. Go enjoy your Wednesday, and I’ll enjoy my Tuesday night.”
“All right. Goodnight, honey.”
“’Night, Mom.”
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They hung up, and Renesmee put her phone on the nightstand. She sighed and laid down again.
She began to fidget with the dog tag chain as she wondered what she could do to keep her
relationship with Jacob after her parents came back. She could choose to just stay with him, but she
knew it would tear her mother and father apart. She decided she would ask Alice for advice. She
knew her aunt and uncle’s story; she’d heard it several times over the years.
Alice, having graduated college, decided to take a personal trip to see the United States before
settling into a career. In Pennsylvania, she was nearly run down by Jasper who was in a hurry to get
to the Civil War museum. He’d spent his life and career researching and cataloguing memorabilia
from that time period, and had taken a vacation to finally see the museum itself. They argued at first,
and he offered to make it up to her by giving her a tour of the city. She accepted, and he impressed
her with his knowledge and southern charm. She ended up staying with him for two months before
her mother became gravely ill. He accompanied her home and met the rest of her family. He saw
how much happier she was in her home town. He didn’t have a family or anything to look forward to
in Texas, so he applied for a job at the Seattle museum. When he got the position, he and Alice
moved into her grandmother’s home on the outskirts of Forks and were married a month and a half
later.
Her parents’ story was so different. Neither of them had rushed into anything. They had met in the
summer when Bella was sixteen. Edward was twenty-three and taking a break from college. They
met on the beach and began talking. Bella was enamored by his talk of helping others and
becoming a doctor. They kept in touch through letters, emails, and phone calls over the next two
years. After Bella had graduated high school, she took a vacation to Chicago to visit her pen pal. He
was in his last semester of college and had an internship at the local hospital. They both felt an
attraction, but neither acted on it, and soon she left to go back home. For four months, they kept in
contact until he asked her to see him again. She accepted, and they began dating. The longdistance relationship didn’t deter their love from growing, and they would meet up as often as they
could. It was a year later when she discovered she was pregnant that she officially moved in with
him, and they were married three months later.
Renesmee smiled to herself as she realized the one thing they all had in common. Her aunt, her
mother, and she herself all found their loves while on vacation.
She rolled to her side and squeezed the monkey Jacob had given to her. She turned it around to
look at its oversized eyes. “What should I do?” she asked. She paused for a moment as if expecting
it to answer. After a moment, she sighed and turned off the lamp. “I guess whatever I’m going to do
can’t happen tonight.” She pulled the covers up to her chin and tucked them around the monkey.
~*~
Jacob stared at the box Wednesday morning, confused. Barely a month had passed since the last
token they’d received. It was rare to receive two in a three-year span, let alone two within a month of
each other. If it weren’t for the handwriting and lack of return address, he would have assumed it
was an ordinary package.
He set it down on the table and leaned down to sniff it. There was nothing other than the bland
scent of the cardboard. He sighed, shook his head, and went to pick up the phone. After he’d called
Quil and told him to round up the other two and get to his house, he opened the box.
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Inside laid a lock of brown hair, silver chain with one half of a locket, and a picture. He pulled the
paper out and looked at the photograph of a pretty young brunette with hazel eyes. It looked
almost like a school picture. Around her neck was a silver locket with the letter H in delicate script.
He turned it over and looked at the back. Sophie Harris from Colorado. Jacob furrowed his brow and
tapped the paper against the table. The Bloodsucker didn’t usually slip up like that and give clues to
his whereabouts. It was either a sign that he was getting sloppy, or he wanted Jacob to see it.
“What’s up, Boss?” Quil asked as he and the other two walked in.
Jacob stepped aside so the others could see what they’d gotten.
Quil furrowed his brow. “Are you shitting me? We just got one.”
Jacob nodded. “I know. The girl’s from Colorado.” He held out the photograph.
“At least it’s not gross like the others,” Seth offered. “You’d figure he’d send her heart or
something.”
Embry took the picture. “I know this girl.”
Jacob, Quil, and Seth looked at him. “What?” Jacob demanded. “How?”
Embry shook his head. “No, I don’t mean I know her as in I met her; I’ve seen her picture before.
The girl I was with last week had some pictures on her dresser. This girl was in two of those
pictures.”
Jacob narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. And I also know that she’s the girl’s cousin. A word of advice: never ask a girl you
want to fuck about the shit in her room. She’ll never stop talking.”
Jacob snatched the picture back. “He knows.”
Quil quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“I mean this wasn’t just some random girl he picked up. He knows she was Embry’s girl’s cousin.
This fucker doesn’t do coincidence and you know it.” This was bad. If the Bloodsucker was watching
them . . . He slammed his fist on the table. It splintered.
“Jake, man, calm down,” Quil said.
Jacob turned to Quil. “No, Quil, you don’t understand. If he knows how this girl is indirectly
connected with Embry—which he does—he’s been watching us. He knows about Renesmee, and he
knows about Claire. Do you really think the goddamn leech is going to leave them alone?”
Quil’s eyes widened. “Claire?”
“Yes. Fuck!” A shiver ran down Jacob’s spine. “Quil, go find Claire.”
Quil didn’t hesitate to run out of the room. Jacob stood stoic in the kitchen, unsure of how to
proceed. One thing was absolutely certain: he couldn’t wait any longer to tell Renesmee the truth.
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“What should we do?” Embry asked.
Jacob swallowed. “I have to go talk to Ness. You two . . . I don’t know. Find something to do. Make
yourselves useful. Search the forest. Something.”
Just before he left the room, the phone rang. He thought about ignoring it. As he started to walk
away, Seth answered it.
“Jake?” He turned around. Seth held out the receiver. “It’s Ness.”
Jacob’s stomach plummeted as he took the phone. “Thanks. Hey, Ness.” The other two Shifters
left.
“Hi, Jacob.” Her voice was perky. It soothed his nerves, but only slightly. “How are you? Are you
busy?”
He cleared his throat. “No, actually, I’m not busy. I was just thinking about coming to see you.”
“That would be perfect. My uncle got called in to the museum today, so we won’t be out shooting.
I’m here alone.” She tried to sound sexy.
His hands tightened convulsively. “I’m on my way.”
“Okay. See you when you get here. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
They hung up. Jacob took a few minutes to breathe before he left. As he ran through the woods, he
thought of different ways he could tell her. He just prayed she didn’t freak out the way he knew she
would. He had to make sure she knew he wasn’t going to hurt her. She might even need proof. He
doubted it, but he couldn’t tell her in a place that he couldn’t shift if she did.
He reached her house and shifted back to his human form, pulled on his shorts, and walked around
the house. The sun was shining; he wondered if he could use that to his advantage. He knocked on
the door and waited anxiously for her to answer. He breathed a sigh of relief when she finally did.
“Hi, Jake,” she said happily. “Come on in.” She stepped back.
He walked in and shut the door behind him before he pulled her into a tight hug. She wrapped her
arms around his shoulders and giggled when her feet left the ground.
“I missed you,” he explained.
She kissed his cheek. “I missed you, too.”
He set her back down. “It’s a beautiful day out, Ness. Why don’t we take a walk?” He had weighed
the risks and decided that it would be better all around to get everything out of the way at once.
He’d avoided it far too long.
She cocked her head to the side. “That sounds good. Are you okay?” He seemed tense.
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He nodded. “Yeah, I’m all right, baby. I’m just . . .” He sighed. No more lies. “No, I’m not. I’m sorry.
I really need to talk to you, and I’m nervous as fuck about it.”
Her eyes widened, and she took a step back. “What do you need to talk to me about?”
“It’s about me. I’m not breaking up with you if that’s what you’re afraid of. I swear I’m not.” He took
her hands and kissed her knuckles. “I just really need you to come with me and listen. Please,
baby?”
She swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, okay. Is everything going to be okay?”
He wished he could answer that. “I honestly don’t know, Ness.” He knew he’d do everything in his
power to keep her safe, no matter the cost. “What do you need to get ready?”
She looked down at herself. “I, um . . . I just need to get my shoes. Is it cold out?”
He couldn’t help but smirk. “For you, probably. Take a jacket just in case.”
She got her jacket out of the closet and stepped up to him. “Okay, I’m ready. Where are we going?”
He took her hand. “I figured we’d go to our meadow. It’s not that far away.”
“Sounds good.” She pushed away her nervousness and followed him out the door.
As they walked through the trees, Renesmee noted how pretty everything was in the bright sunlight.
She could hear the birds singing and various animals moving around in the woods. She took a step
closer to Jacob and rested her head on his arm over his tattoo. Jacob smiled down at her.
“It’s so beautiful out here,” she said peacefully. “So different from Chicago. The trees, the animals,
the sounds . . . it’s all so wonderful.”
Jacob rubbed her back. “It really is.” He bent to kiss her head. “Ness, do you believe me when I tell
you that I’ll never hurt you?”
She looked up at him skeptically. “Yes. Why?”
He sighed. “Because I don’t want you to be afraid of me. I would never do anything but love you. I
mean that, Ness. Everything I am—every trace of my heritage—exists to keep you safe. I need you to
understand that.”
They reached the meadow and walked in a few feet before they stopped and turned to each other.
He lifted her hands and kissed the back of them.
“I believe you, Jake, but I don’t understand why you think I don’t.”
He framed her face with his hands. “Because I don’t want you to be scared. All of my tribe’s legends
about the Shifters and the Bloodsuckers are true, Ness. I’m a Shifter.”
Her brow furrowed as she tried to take in what he’d just said. The words made sense, but she had a
hard time processing them. “What?”
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He kissed her lips. “I’m a Shifter. I can change into a wolf and kill Bloodsuckers. They’re the only
thing I kill, though, Ness. I exist to protect, not to harm. It’s why I’m so warm and why I can’t get
sick.”
She saw the truth in his eyes, but she didn’t want to believe it. It wasn’t even possible. His legends
were just myth; science fiction. They weren’t real. She took a step back, her heart already starting to
pound. “No you’re not.”
He reached out again to touch her, but she backed up again. “Ness, please. Don’t do this; don’t
freak out on me. You know me, baby. You know I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I also know that you’re not a Shifter because they don’t exist. Why did you bring me out here, Jake?
To scare me? Well, good job; you’ve succeeded. I’m scared. Now take me home.” She crossed her
arms over her chest and faced the trees.
“Do you need proof? I can give you—” A howl in the distance caught his attention. He turned toward
the sound and listened hard for a second. He heard Embry and Seth running, their paws crunching
the leaves beneath them. There was another sound; the faint rush of air that was a Bloodsucker on
the move. “Fuck.”
Renesmee looked up at Jacob. As conflicted as she was about what he’d told her, she couldn’t deny
the flutter of fear that something was wrong. He was upset, and it hurt her to see it. “What is it?”
she heard herself ask. She was pretty sure she didn’t want to hear the answer.
Jacob held up his hand. “Shh.” He listened harder to see if he could tell how far away they were.
His human ears weren’t as sensitive as his wolf ones. He didn’t want to shift unless absolutely
necessary; he needed to be able to tell Renesmee what to do. He estimated they were far enough
away that he could at least get her out of the woods. He turned and took her shoulders to push her
as gently as he could into the trees. “Go. Move.”
The command in his voice was unmistakable. She shivered with a mix of fear and desire and did as
he’d said. Before they made it ten steps, a white blur flashed twenty yards ahead of them. The wind
that followed almost choked him. He moved them quickly back to the meadow. A growl rose in his
chest at the thought of a Bloodsucker so close to his imprint.
Renesmee jumped at the sound that rumbled around her. She looked at Jacob with wide eyes; she’d
never heard a human make that noise. “What was that?” She wasn’t sure if she was talking about
the sound or the blur.
Jacob clenched his jaw tightly and tried to think of something to fix this. He shouldn’t have brought
her out. He should have known it would be too dangerous. He had just wanted to give her the proof
he knew she’d need. He listened again and tightened his arm around Renesmee. Embry and Seth
were much closer, but so was another Bloodsucker. “Fuck it,” he said. He pushed her against the
nearest tree. “Ness, listen to me very carefully. Stay right here. Don’t move.”
She nodded involuntarily and shivered again as she gave in to his authority. She pressed her back
harder against the tree. “Okay.”
As another gust of wind brought the putrid, decayed scent of the Bloodsuckers with it, Jacob turned
and let the wolf in him come out. Renesmee stared in shock as the man she loved shivered and
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seemed to burst out of his own skin. Shreds of clothing and tufts of fur floated to the ground. In his
place stood the same russet wolf she’d seen several times. Her wolf. Her eyes watered. He wasn’t
lying. It was all true.
Before she had time to process how she really felt about the situation, the Jacob-wolf growled loudly
and flattened his ears against his head. He seemed to be watching something in the trees. She
jumped and gasped as another white blur flickered across the meadow. The wolf launched after it,
kicking up dirt and leaves in his wake. Renesmee closed her eyes and raised her arms to shield her
face from the debris. There was a terrible shriek and a loud crack followed by a muted whimper.
She stood up straighter, hoping to see something and make sure Jacob was okay. A white rock flew
out of the trees and landed ten feet from her. She put her hand on the tree to make sure she didn’t
move too far away and leaned forward. Another shiver ran through her when she identified the
object. One finger was missing, but it was undoubtedly a pale human hand. She covered her mouth
to keep from screaming or throwing up. She was just beginning to realize what the blur had been.
How fucking positive are you that they had nothing to do with him? Jacob demanded as he gathered
the pieces of the Bloodsucker he’d destroyed. Embry and Seth were doing the same.
They were too sloppy, Jake, Seth thought. If they were with Cai—
Don’t say that name. Don’t think it. Jacob refused to hear it.
If they were with him, they would have been better at hiding themselves. They probably would have
been better trained, too; harder to catch.
Seth had a point. Still, Jacob didn’t want to take any chances. We’re doubling patrols until this
fucker is found. I’m sorry, guys, but this means you two are going to be doing most of the work. Quil
has to stay with Claire, and I have to stay with Renesmee if she’ll let me.
Couldn’t you just put the girls together in a safe place somewhere? Embry asked. Kill two birds with
one stone?
If Ness will still look at me after this, I’ll talk to her about it.
He was still missing one of the creature’s hands. He sniffed around and cursed when he realized it
had gone into the meadow. He’d been watching Renesmee out of the corner of his eye as he did
what he had to do. She sat on the ground with her back against the tree he’d put her against and
her knees pulled up tight against her chest. It was obvious from the way she shivered and the
sounds she made that she was crying. With a heavy sigh, he walked out to retrieve the missing body
part. On the way, he found a finger. He picked it up and tossed it as best as he could toward the
pile. He kept his eyes on her and moved slowly toward the scent of the hand.
Renesmee looked up when she heard footsteps. She gasped and tried to push herself back further
when she saw the wolf walking toward her. A small part of her was so relieved to see that he was
okay, but another, much larger part was terrified. Her hands gripped the fabric of her pants tighter
the closer he got. His eyes, so familiar in a way she finally understood, burned into her. He finally
stopped ten yards away and sniffed the ground. She watched as he picked up the hand between his
teeth and turned to carry it back the way he’d come. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or
disappointed that he wasn’t back for good.
Would one of you grab some clothes for me? Jacob asked as he dropped the hand on the pile.
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Yeah, I got it, Jake, Seth answered. He took off toward the reservation and disappeared from
thought a few moments later. When he returned, he showed Jacob an image of the black shorts
he’d taken.
I really don’t care, Seth; anything works. Thanks. You want to burn this fucker for me, too?
Seth dropped the shorts next to his alpha. Sure. Embry, you got those two?
Yeah, I’ll be fine. They’re close enough I can watch both.
Jacob nodded at Seth. Thank you.
Yeah, man. Good luck with her.
Jacob shifted and pulled on the shorts. He took a moment to start the fire so Seth didn’t have to,
then he patted Seth’s side and walked away.
Renesmee was still against the tree where he’d left her. He took a deep breath and went to face the
fire.
She looked up and was almost surprised to see Jacob coming toward her as a man once again. She
tried to stand up, but her legs gave out on her and she plopped back down.
“Are you okay?” he asked a few yards away.
She shook her head. “No.” Her voice was barely a whisper. Her hands shook as she tried to dry her
face. “No, I’m not.”
He stepped a little closer and knelt down. “Baby, I need to get you home. Can you stand?”
She tried again, but her legs wouldn’t work. “No.”
“Can I carry you?”
She weighed her options. She could allow Jacob to carry her, or she could wait in the forest for her
strength to return. The latter sounded best until she realized that there were probably more of the
blurred Bloodsuckers around. As scared as she was of Jacob’s ability, she was even more terrified of
getting eaten. “Yes.”
She closed her eyes tightly when he leaned forward to pick her up. He stood up and cradled her
against his chest. He took her home and set her down on the couch. He sat down next to her, but
she tried to push away from him. He scooted to the other end.
“I’m really sorry, Ness,” he said softly.
She cleared her throat and nodded, but she wasn’t sure what to say. Everything she thought she
knew was turning out to be something different. Confusing pieces of a puzzle that seemed out of
place suddenly made sense, and yet it seemed like everything she believed had been turned upside
down and dumped on its head.
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“I honestly didn’t want you to find out like that. I wanted to wait and have time to work you up to it.
It couldn’t work like that, though.” He sat forward and met her eyes. “I swear to God that I didn’t
know those Bloodsuckers were out there. I would never have taken you out if I had known. Please
believe me.”
She nodded again, still not sure how to respond. A part of he wanted to doubt him, but she honestly
did believe that he wouldn’t put her in danger like that.
“Are you okay?” he asked. Her silence worried him.
She shook her head and finally spoke. “No, I’m not. I feel sick.”
He nodded and moved closer. She pushed herself into the cushion away from him. He sighed and
scooted back again. “Come on, baby, you know me. You know I’m not going to hurt you. You know
I’m here to protect you. There’s nothing for you to be afraid of right now.”
Her brow furrowed. “Nothing? I’ve just learned that my boyfriend, the man I love much more than I
should, isn’t even human! I’ve . . . Jesus, Jake, I made love to you. We had sex, and you’re telling me
now that you’re part wolf? How . . . I don’t understand how I’m supposed to deal with this.” Her
voice shook. “It’s not even just that. I was making plans to stay with you longer because my parents
are coming home in two months. I don’t think I can now. I honestly don’t think I can.”
Desperate, he leaned over and put his hand over hers. “Don’t make that decision now, Ness.
Please, baby.”
She pulled her fingers out from under his and ran them through her hair. “I need time, Jake. I need
time, and I need space.”
“Don’t shut me out,” he pleaded.
Her eyes flashed to his. “Don’t shut you out? What about you? You’ve lied to me since the day we
met!”
“What was I supposed to tell you? Would you have been more likely to accept me if I had told you
that first day?”
“I don’t know!” She threw her hands into the air. “I don’t know, Jake. But please, tell me how I’m
supposed to accept this now?”
“Ness—”
“I can’t just ignore what I saw. I can’t just wave my magic wand and make it all better. It doesn’t
work like that.”
They were both silent for a moment. He knew he had to give her time if he had any hope of keeping
her or protecting her. He finally nodded and stood up. “Think it over,” he said softly. “Give me a
chance, honey. I told you I wouldn’t give up without a fight. I can’t just let you go. I love you.” His
eyes watered, and he blinked quickly to make the tears go away.
Renesmee straightened her legs and tested her strength, ignoring Jake’s offered hand as she stood
up successfully. She walked with a wobbly step to the door and opened it. “I don’t know if time will
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make it okay.” She looked up at him as he came toward her. Her heart broke in to smaller pieces
when she saw the tears in his eyes.
He touched her cheek lightly. “I’m not asking you to make everything okay, Ness. I’m just asking you
not to give up on us yet.” His voice broke, and a tear fell down his cheek. He looked down and
sniffled.
“Oh, Jake,” she whimpered. Seeing his pain was somehow worse than anything else that had
happened that day. She found herself reaching out to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He
leaned down and rested his forehead on her shoulder. She did the same. She wondered briefly if
this would be the last time they would embrace.
“Please?” he whispered.
“I promise I’ll try. I can’t promise anything else.”
“That’s all I’m asking.” He lifted his head and lightly pet her hair. “I love you.”
“I know.” It killed her not being able to say it back, but she wasn’t going to lie to him or give him
false hope. Her eyes filled with tears again. “Be safe, Jake.”
He nodded and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “You too, Ness.” After a moment of hesitation, he
made himself leave.
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~Chapter Twelve~
Visitor
Renesmee sat on the couch thinking over everything that had happened that day. She was still in
shock, unable to work through her emotions and figure out how she really felt about the situation.
She jumped when the front door opened, but forced herself to relax when she heard Alice humming
to herself.
“Hi, sweetie,” she said happily. “How are you?”
Renesmee wasn’t sure how to respond. She nodded. “Um . . . I’m okay.” She cringed inwardly; it
wasn’t even slightly convincing.
Alice put her purse in the recliner and sat next to her niece. “What’s wrong?”
Tears began to flow again. She couldn’t tell Alice the truth, but she wasn’t sure what to say. “I . . .
Jacob and I . . .” she couldn’t say they broke up. No matter how conflicted she was, she knew deep
inside that she did still love him.
“Did he hurt you, Renesmee?” Alice put her hand on Renesmee’s arm. “What happened?”
Renesmee shook her head. “He didn’t hurt me. We just, um . . . we had an argument.” She paused
to try to work out her lie.
“About what?” Alice prodded.
“About his legends,” she said carefully. “He really believes them like they’re real.” They were real.
The scene from earlier when Jacob literally burst replayed in her mind.
“Why is that something to argue about? Native American legends aren’t just scary stories,
Renesmee. They’re a real part of their heritage, like us and our stories about Noah or Moses. It
doesn’t surprise me that he believes they’re true.”
Renesmee sighed. “But they’re not, Aunt Alice.” She looked up and shook her head. “I know they’re
more than just stories to tell at bedtime, but they’re not supposed to be true. I mean, I’ve heard the
story about Noah and the ark more times than I can count, and it’s part of my religion, but that
doesn’t mean I honestly believe one man saved two of every animal on the planet from drowning
because God flooded the earth.”
Alice patted Renesmee’s hand. “Honey, you’ve got to try to look at this objectively for a moment.
You told me that Jacob is pretty much the chief, right?” Renesmee nodded. “So it’s part of his job to
carry on the traditions and legends. Of course he’s going to believe them. Can you imagine a church
president or pope who doesn’t believe their stories are true?”
“No, not really.”
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“I’m not trying to tell you how to handle this between you and Jacob; that’s for you to decide. But
personally, I don’t think it would be wise to break up a good thing over a belief.” She leaned over
and hugged Renesmee. “Do you know why it scares you so much?”
Renesmee reluctantly nodded her head. “Yeah. Grandpa Charlie.”
Alice furrowed her brow. “Your grandpa? Why?”
“Because he was killed by animals. I was five, remember, and some stupid kid in my kindergarten
class was rude and made a joke that it was probably a werewolf. Then a week later, I snuck in the
room while Mom and Dad were watching An American Werewolf in London. I remembered the
woods out here and how perfect they would be to hide things like werewolves, and it all made sense
to me at that time. I know it’s stupid, Aunt Alice. Don’t laugh. But all while I was growing up, I’d
think of things like werewolves and vampires, and I’d imagine all the different ways they could have
killed him.” She sniffled. “I never could make the thoughts go away. And now Jacob wants to tell
me that he’s a Shifter and turns into a giant wolf, and that things like almost indestructible
Bloodsuckers exist. All I can think of is Grandpa Charlie and how he died in that forest somewhere.
It’s like all those childish thoughts are coming back again, and maybe I’m next.” She wiped her face
and shook her head again.
Alice hugged her tighter. “Honey, I’m sorry.”
Renesmee tried to shrug. “I just need time to think it through and see how I really feel about it. I
love him, Aunt Alice. I love him so much. Some part of me says I shouldn’t; it’s too soon to decide
that he’s the man I want to spend my life with, you know? I’m only eighteen, and there are so many
things I haven’t experienced yet. But, on the other hand, I feel so empty when I think about going
back to Chicago. Like my heart is literally breaking into pieces. I don’t know what to do.”
“I wish I could help, Renesmee. I think this is something you’re going to have to work out on your
own, though. All I can say is don’t throw it away if you can save it, okay? If it’s true love, it will work
out. Sometimes you have to fight for it, though.”
Renesmee nodded. “I know. Thank you, Aunt Alice. I love you.” She wrapped her arms around her
aunt’s waist and hugged tightly.
“I love you, too.”
~*~
Jacob sighed and rested his head on his paws Wednesday night. He had heard Renesmee talking to
her aunt earlier. She was in her room now. Her light was still on, and she was talking quietly to
herself. He wished he could see her, touch her.
There hadn’t been any activity in the forest since the three Bloodsuckers earlier. Quil had all but
moved Claire in with him that afternoon. She was scared, but she trusted him to keep her safe.
Jacob was jealous of his pack mate but happy that Claire was taken care of. Quil tried to be
supportive; he hoped Renesmee came around soon.
Jacob looked up at the window when she turned her light out. He sighed again and listened to the
forest around him. He sniffed the air. Still nothing out of place. She had a nightmare again that
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night. Each scream and whimper made him cringe. Alice comforted her, and soon she was able to
sleep again.
The next day, Renesmee went to town with Jasper to pick up a package from the museum. Jacob
went as well, but kept to the trees as much as possible. He kept track of her using her scent, her
heartbeat, and her voice. He resumed his post in the trees behind the house when they returned
home.
Jake, you gonna stay there forever? Embry asked.
Until she’s ready to talk to me again, yes.
Embry sighed. We need to plan something. We can’t just wander around aimlessly. He’s going to
find a way in unless we get our shit together.
Jacob tried to ignore his pack mate, but he couldn’t. He knew Embry was right. Give me until she
goes to bed tonight.
Embry mentally saluted. You got it, Boss. Your house?
Yes. How’s Billy?
He’s worried about you and Shorty. Other than that, he’s fine. Annoying as ever.
Jacob huffed a laugh. Good to know. He turned his attention back to the house when he heard the
thud of Renesmee’s footsteps running down the stairs.
“Uncle Jasper,” she said hurriedly. “Have you seen my dog tags?”
“What?” He sounded distracted.
Renesmee put her hand on the doorframe of his office. “My dog tags that Jacob gave me. Have you
seen them?” She had taken them off the night before and forgot to put them back on.
Jasper shook his head. “No, I haven’t. Are you okay?”
She sighed. “Yeah, I’m okay. I just . . . I was just thinking about him and I wanted to put them on,
but I can’t find them. I put them on the nightstand last night.”
“Maybe they fell off. Check under the bed.”
She nodded. “Yeah. Thanks, Uncle Jasper.”
He smiled. “Anytime.”
Her footsteps were slower, heavier as she went back to the room. She had searched everywhere,
including under the bed. They couldn’t have just walked away. At least she still had the monkey.
She picked it up off the bed and hugged it tightly.
The fact that she had wanted to wear the dog tags gave Jacob hope. He listened to her move around
in her bedroom and hoped she was still thinking about him. He stayed around and watched her
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through the sliding glass door as she ate dinner. She looked sad. He wished she would smile. After
she went to bed that night and her light turned off, he made a silent promise to return after they’d
made a plan, then he left.
~*~
The moon shone brightly in the forest. A man in a uniform trudged through the trees holding a
flashlight and cursing softly to himself when he nearly lost his footing. Renesmee walked behind
him, trying to catch up. She ran awkwardly, tripping over everything from rocks to roots to her own
feet.
“Grandpa, wait,” she said breathlessly. “You’re too fast.”
Soon they came to a small clearing, no larger than five paces wide. He stopped and shined the
flashlight around. Renesmee finally reached him and put her hand on his arm. He smiled down at
her and patted her fingers.
“Don’t you worry, Squirt; you’re safe with me.”
She didn’t feel safe. The woods all around them were misty with an ethereal, moonlit glow that
made them seem threatening and ominous. She looked around nervously and licked her lips. “I’m
scared.”
He nodded. “You don’t need to be. I know these woods like the back of my hand.” He took a step
away, into the clearing. “I’ll show you that you don’t—”
Before he could finish his sentence, a white blur flew through the trees and plowed straight into him.
Renesmee screamed when he landed on the forest floor, a human-looking figure hunched over him.
It was so white it glowed in the moonlight. When it looked up, it had glowing red eyes and dark blood
dripping from its chin. She screamed again and tried to get to her grandfather. He lay on the ground
writhing in pain. His face was contorted in a silent cry. His throat had been ripped open.
In the distance, she heard two wolves howl. The creature made a terrible sound like a gurgling hiss
and lunged at her.
Renesmee sat up straight in bed, sweating and panting. She wiped her brow and took a few
moments to calm down. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It wasn’t even one o’clock yet.
She sighed and shook her head at herself. Her throat was dry, so she swung her legs over the side
of the bed to get up and get a drink.
A movement in the corner of the room by her dresser caught her attention. It was faint, barely even
a whisper, but still all she could think about was the red eyes and bloody chin from her dream. Her
heart began to pound again as fear twisted in her gut.
“Who’s there?” she asked. She leaned forward on the bed to concentrate on the darkness.
The sudden movement of a shadowy figure dashing to the window made her jump and let out a
squeak. The figure stopped at the window. Renesmee stared with wide eyes at a man in a black
robe. The soft moonlight reflected off the ashen skin of his face. His white hair looked stringy and
stopped just past his shoulders. He turned to look at her. Her eyes widened at the sight of his—
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bright red and glowing in the dim light. She scrambled back on the bed to press her back against the
wall and pull her knees up to her chest. It’s just a nightmare, she told herself. A sick, twisted
nightmare. She couldn’t take her eyes off him.
His lips twisted into an evil smile before he took a slow step toward her. She couldn’t move. He held
out a hand, and she tried to shrink back or to the side, but she couldn’t; she was frozen with shock.
His hand hovered over her arm for a brief second before finally making contact. His freezing touch
caused her jump. It seemed to break the spell. She closed her eyes tightly and screamed. The
touch disappeared. She curled herself up on the bed and screamed again, her sobs breaking it into
short wails.
“Renesmee, honey,” Alice said as she rushed into the room and turned on the light. These
nightmares were getting worse. She couldn’t stand to see her niece so frightened. She pulled her
close on the bed and rubbed her arm. “Honey, calm down, baby. It’s okay.”
Renesmee shook her head wildly. “No . . . a man . . .”
“What?”
“Someone was . . . in . . . here.”
Alice petted Renesmee’s hair. “Calm down. You’re hyperventilating, honey. You need to breathe.”
Renesmee sat up and shook her head again. “There was someone. A man . . . with white hair . . .
and red eyes . . . I saw him.”
“It was just a nightmare, sweetie. There’s no one in here.” She looked around. The window was
closed, and the room was empty aside from them. “No one, honey.”
“I saw him, Aunt Alice. I saw him. He moved so quickly, and his hand . . . his . . . it was like ice. Oh,
God . . . I saw him.”
“Honey, look at me.” Alice put her hand on her niece’s cheek. “Nobody’s in here. It was just a
dream, and you’re safe.” She kissed Renesmee’s forehead. “You’re safe here.”
Renesmee realized that Alice wasn’t going to believe her. She shivered. “You’re probably right.”
Alice nodded. “Yeah. It was just a dream. Do you need a drink?”
“Yeah.” She got up. “I’ll get it, though. Go back to bed. I’m sorry I woke you up.”
Alice stood up and hugged Renesmee. “I just wish these bad dreams would stop. Get some sleep,
honey.”
“You too.” She sighed when Alice left the room. She was too afraid to go downstairs. She was tired,
but she didn’t know if she dared to try to sleep again. She’d probably have nightmares for the rest of
her life just from what she’d seen that night. She looked over at her window and shivered. She was
almost positive that it had been a Bloodsucker in her room. The red eyes . . . She just hoped it was
gone.
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She walked to her dresser where it had been standing at first and looked around for anything out of
place. Sitting on top was her silver chain from the dog tags that had gone missing. She smiled and
almost picked it up when she noticed the tags were still missing. On the chain instead was the front
half of a silver locket with the letter H in fancy script. She put her hand down, afraid to touch it. She
was almost certain the creature had planted it there and had probably expected her to pick it up.
Instead of falling into whatever trap it might have set, she walked away and looked around the rest
of the room.
Her head started to spin with fatigue as she stood in the middle of the carpet. She knew she should
sleep, but she was so afraid to. Instead, she walked to the window. The trees outside had an eerie
glow from the moonlight, and she shivered again. Her thoughts went to Jacob. Was he out there,
fighting the Bloodsucker she’d seen? Did he even know it was nearby?
She sighed and made sure the window was locked before finally going back to the bed. She yawned
and scooped up the monkey before she laid down. “You need a name,” she said as she held the
monkey in front of her. Its huge eyes seemed to smile at her. She kissed its head. “Maybe
Bananas? No, too cliché.” She quirked her lips. “Jacob’s middle name is Ephraim; maybe that’s
what I’ll call you. It seems old-fashioned, but I think I like it.” She kissed it again. “Yes, I think I will.
Goodnight, Ephraim.” She hugged it tightly and pulled the covers up to her chin. She closed her
eyes and tried to ignore the silence in the room that caused her ears to ring.
~*~
Jacob returned to Renesmee’s house just before dawn. It took longer than he had hoped, but finally
they had come up with a plan that everyone could work around. He was more than happy to stand
watch on Renesmee’s end of the forest. He sniffed around the trees and laid down when nothing
seemed out of place. He listened as she got up to start her day. She seemed tense as she ate
breakfast. She didn’t make eye contact with either her aunt or her uncle as she told them she’d be
in her room for the day. He heard her door shut and the buttons on her phone beep. As tuned as his
ears were, he couldn’t make out any noises on the other end of the line.
“Hi, Billy. Is Jacob there?”
His ears perked up and his heart skipped a beat. He had clothes with him just for this purpose; he
really hoped she was ready to talk to him again.
She sniffled. “I just really need to speak with him. Could you ask him to come see me?”
He didn’t wait to hear more. He shifted to his human form and pulled on his pants before sprinting
around the house.
Renesmee ended her call and sighed. No matter how much she wanted to deny that Jacob’s fantasy
world existed, she just couldn’t anymore. It was real, and the night before was only more terrifying
proof of it. Her arm still tingled where the Bloodsucker had touched her, but she wasn’t sure if it was
in her mind. She didn’t know what to do next; how to keep them away from her. She hoped Jacob
got the message soon and came to see her. She closed her eyes and prayed she wasn’t too late;
what if he’d given up on her?
A knock on the door downstairs startled her. Her stomach fluttered with hope that it was Jacob. She
made it halfway down the steps before Jasper opened the door.
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“Hey; I came to see Ness,” Jacob said anxiously.
Jasper folded his arms over his chest. “Didn’t she break up with you?”
“I didn’t break up with him,” she interjected. She met Jacob’s eyes and let out a shaky breath. He
seemed so much more intimidating than usual. “We just, um . . . He came here because I asked him
to. We needed to talk.”
Jasper nodded and took a step back. “Okay.”
Jacob nodded at Jasper and walked to the steps. Renesmee stood on the last one. “Are you okay?”
She licked her lips and glanced quickly at her uncle. “Let’s go talk in my room.” She led the way up
and closed the door quietly behind them.
As soon as Jacob entered the room, he knew why Renesmee had called him. The faint, lingering
scent of the Bloodsucker hit him like a slap in the face. He growled unconsciously at the thought of
one so close to his imprint when he obviously wasn’t around to protect her.
Renesmee shivered at the sound. “Could you not do that?”
He cleared his throat. “Sorry. What happened?” He took a step closer.
She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t know, to be honest. Last night I woke up and
there was this man in my room.” Her eyes watered as she remembered it. “Just before, I’d had the
most horrible dream.”
Jacob sat next to her and rubbed her back. “Tell me about the man, Ness. What did he look like?”
“He was . . . I don’t know if he was tall or not. I think he was, but not as tall as you. He was really
pale, and he had white hair. His eyes were so red. They glowed. And h . . .” She stopped and took a
deep breath as she leaned into Jacob’s arm. “He touched me. His fingers were so cold.”
Jacob closed his eyes and took a moment to calm down. There was no doubt in his mind that he
knew who the Bloodsucker was, and that he’d been watching to know when to visit her. “Did he hurt
you?”
She shook her head. “No, but it was horrible. I’m so scared.”
He tightened his arm around her. “Did he say anything? Was anything out of place or missing?”
“He didn’t say anything, but my dog tags had been missing.” She stood up and went to her dresser.
He followed. “This was here.” She still didn’t dare touch the chain.
Jacob picked it up and stared at it for a second. If there had been any shred of doubt in him, it would
be gone now. The implication was obvious; the Bloodsucker intended to take Renesmee. A small
part of him wondered why she was still here, but he truly didn’t care. As long as he still had a chance
to prove he would protect her.
“Do you know what it is?”
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“Yeah. He’s fucking with me.”
“What do you mean?”
He sighed and went back to the bed. He beckoned for her to sit next to him. She did and looked up
at him expectantly. “This particular Bloodsucker, Ness . . . He knows me.” He met her eyes. “We,
um . . . we’ve met before.”
Her brow furrowed. “When? How?” This just kept getting weirder, she thought. She tried to imagine
any scenario in which Jacob would meet and not kill a Bloodsucker. She couldn’t think of any.
He leaned forward and rubbed his face with his palms. “I knew I was going to have to tell you
someday, I just really wished it wouldn’t be for a long time. Please promise you’ll try not to hate me
any more than you already do.”
“Oh, Jake, I don’t hate you. It’s just taking some time to get used to all of this. I mean . . . you’re a
Shifter. That’s not something a girl hears every day.”
“I know, baby.” He sat back and pulled her closer to him. She tensed but didn’t try to move away.
“Twelve years ago, a group of four Bloodsuckers came through La Push. I’d been shifting for two
years, and Quil had been shifting for one. It was just the two of us—”
“Wait,” Renesmee interrupted. “Twelve years ago you would have been thirteen. So you were eleven
when you started . . . this whole thing?”
“No. Do you remember when I told you about the council and the certain things we have to do?”
“Shifting is that certain thing isn’t it?”
He nodded. “Yes, it is.”
She sat back. “So you were eleven when you became chief?” she asked incredulously. “You could
have told m—”
“No, Ness, I didn’t lie to you when I said I was sixteen. When we start shifting, we mature physically
very rapidly, but other than that, we don’t age.”
She took a second to think about what he’d said. “So you’re sixteen years old right now?”
“Yes.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Wow . . . I, um . . . I don’t even know what to say. That’s a little freaky,
Jake.”
“I know. I’m sorry, baby. If it makes you feel any better, I’m thirty years old chronologically.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “That really doesn’t help.”
“Do you see why I had to lie about that, though? You wouldn’t have believed me if I said I was
sixteen, and you can’t tell me thirty wouldn’t have been a little off-putting for an eighteen-year-old.”
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She sighed. “Yes, I understand why you lied about your age.” She let him pull her closer again. “So
this thing with the four Bloodsuckers twelve years ago . . .”
He cleared his throat. “Yeah. It was just Quil and me at the time. The Bloodsuckers had been
hunting and had their . . . they had a human with them. Quil took two, and I tried to take two. I was
only able to get one. The other . . . he broke my back and three ribs before he ran off with the
human.” He still remembered the way the Bloodsucker had used the human as a shield, somehow
knowing Jacob wouldn’t hurt him worse.
Renesmee gasped. “Oh, my God, Jacob . . . How long did it take you to recover?”
“We heal very quickly. We have to; injuries like broken bones and shit are common. I was fine within
a day.” He shrugged as if it were nothing and leaned in to kiss her head.
“What happened next? Was the one that got away the one that was here?”
“Yes. About two weeks later, I got a package in the mail. It was a badge and a gun from the chief of
police he had taken with him along with a letter to rub it in that he’d gotten the best of me.”
She knew exactly what he was saying. “It wasn’t him,” she said forcefully. She stood up. “My
grandfather was killed by animals, Jacob.” The nightmares from her childhood as well as the one the
night before came back to her. Red eyes and bloody chins . . .
Jacob stood up with her and put his hands on her shoulders. “I’m so sorry, Ness.”
“Why didn’t you go after him? Was he still alive? Did he suffer? Oh, God . . .” She wanted to run
away, but she found herself stepping closer and shoving her face into his chest. “Not like that.”
“I couldn’t go after him. I had no idea where he went, and if I left the pack, I’d be helpless. I couldn’t
ask Quil to leave the reservation unprotected for my own purposes. The pack and the tribe are
bigger than me, baby. More important.”
“But it was my grandpa.”
“I know, baby. If I’d known . . . I don’t know.”
She nodded. She couldn’t blame Jacob for her grandfather’s death. She still wanted to deny it had
happened the way he said.
“We get things every few years. Tokens from him to remind us yet again that he thinks he’s better
than us. I’ve always wanted a chance to stop him, but there’s never been any way to track him down
without putting my pack or my tribe in danger. Wednesday, he sent what I consider proof that he’s
been watching us. The other half of this locket was in it.” He held up the chain. “It was why I had to
tell you about me. I wanted to wait until you got more comfortable with me, but I couldn’t. He knows
about you and how much you mean to me.”
She squeezed her arms around his waist. “I’m scared.” Her voice broke.
“I know, baby. I am, too. I swear, though, that my pack and I will keep you safe.”
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“What does he want?”
He shook his head. “I wish I knew. All I know is that he left this here to fuck with me. He wants to
get under my skin and prove once again that he’s better. It won’t happen, baby. We’ll catch him
before he hurts you.”
She looked up at him. “I’ll try to trust that.”
He pulled her gently back to the bed and sat down with her beside him. “Thank you.”
They were both quiet for a few minutes, unsure of how to proceed. She smiled uncertainly and
cleared her throat.
“Thank you for coming out. You got here fast.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I was pretty much already here. I’ll come whenever you need me, Ness. I
promise that.”
She leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder. “I appreciate it.”
He turned his body to face her and made her look at him. “I love you, Ness. I’m still yours, and I’m
still fighting.”
Her eyes watered. Somewhere inside her, she knew she should let go of all of her hesitation and just
be happy with him. It wasn’t as easy as she thought it should be. “I know, and I’m sorry.”
“Is it because I lied to you, or because I’m a Shifter?”
Her heart hurt as she shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know. I wish I could tell you what it was and
fix it, but I can’t. I wish I could let it go. I do love you, Jake. I really do. And no matter what happens
between us, I would like to be able to call you my friend. I know that doesn’t help. It probably feels
like a slap in the face to you, and I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you.”
He sucked in a deep breath and nodded. She was wrong. It wasn’t like a slap in the face; it was
more like a kick in the balls and a shot through his heart. Still, he knew demanding more of her right
now would only push her away. He just hoped she would be able to work through everything soon.
“I should probably get back out there. There’s a lot of forest to watch.” He stood up and touched her
cheek. “If you need me, Ness, just holler. I’ll be right out there.” He gestured with his head toward
the window.
She furrowed her brow and stood up next to him. “How long will you be there? What if he comes
back tonight?”
“I’m not leaving, baby. Last night I had to leave to make a plan with the pack, but tonight I’m not
moving an inch unless it’s to rip his sorry ass apart.”
“You can’t just stay the night in the woods, Jake. You’ll get cold.”
He smiled and took her hands and put them on his chest. “Even if I were to stay out there as I am, I
wouldn’t get cold. You know that. I’ll be a wolf, though; I’ll have a warm fur coat.”
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The scene from the meadow when he shifted in front of her ran through her mind. She nodded and
looked up at him. “Okay.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Be safe, please. I don’t
think I could bear it if you got hurt.”
Jacob took a chance and leaned down to kiss her lips softly. “I will. You too. Stay inside please.”
She wasn’t sure how she felt about his kiss, but she didn’t want to be angry. She decided to accept
it. “You don’t need to worry about that. I’m going to stay in my room all day today.”
He nodded and pulled her into a hug. “All right. I’ll see you soon, baby.”
She walked with him down the stairs and said goodbye one last time before she shut the door. She
sighed and turned to press her back against it.
“How’d it go?” Jasper asked from the kitchen.
Renesmee shrugged and walked in to lean against the counter next to him. “I don’t know. I think it
went well, but I still don’t know what to do.”
Jasper patted her hand. “Give it time, Renesmee. A rushed decision is usually a bad decision.”
“Yeah. I’m going to go read for a while, I think.”
Jasper nodded, and she went back to her room.
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~Chapter Thirteen~
Missing
Three days passed. Over the weekend, Renesmee was too afraid to leave the house even to go
shooting with Jasper. She feigned a headache and convinced them to stay inside with her. They
played games, watched movies, and talked. She realized over those days how little time she had
actually been spending with them. It felt good to have that time with them, but as the hours passed,
she grew more and more anxious about what could be happening in the forest. She hadn’t heard
from Jacob, but she hadn’t tried to call him either. She figured he probably wouldn’t be home, so
there wasn’t much point.
Monday night after her aunt and uncle had gone to bed, Renesmee was restless. She was tired, but
she couldn’t sleep with the thoughts running through her head. She wondered how safe it really was
out there when her aunt went to work or when Jasper went fishing or shooting. She was pretty sure
Jacob was protecting them as well, but he couldn’t be everywhere at once. He couldn’t ask the rest
of his pack to look after them and leave the tribe open. She chewed on her lip for a moment before
she decided she needed to talk to Jacob about it. Maybe he could calm her nerves. She wasn’t sure
how to do it. With a sigh, she got up and went to the window. She pushed it open and leaned out to
rest her elbows on the sill.
A movement in the trees below caught her attention. Fear knotted in her gut and she stood up
straight. She was about to pull back and close the window when the figure moved into her view,
looking up at her. She sighed and leaned down again, smiling at the russet wolf.
“Jake?” she whispered. She felt silly; like he could really hear her. She was surprised when the wolf
nodded. She sighed again. “Are you okay?” She kept her voice down.
Jacob nodded again. He was more than okay, and she had smiled at him.
“I need to ask you something. Should I come down there?”
Jacob shook his head and backed into the trees to find his clothes. He shifted and pulled the pants
on, then jogged out to see her again. “Back up,” he said.
Renesmee did, not sure what he was planning. He used the rain gutter and the brick siding to climb
up and slipped into her room.
“Hi.”
She smiled and nodded. “Hi. How’s, um . . . how’s everything going out there?”
He shrugged. “No news yet. I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you we got him.”
She took a step closer. “It’s okay. Knowing you’re out there makes me feel a little safer.”
He reached out and touched her cheek. “You don’t know how good it is to hear that, Ness. You’re
always safe with me.” He stared into her eyes for a moment, waiting to see what she would do. He
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wished she would come closer and let him kiss her. Instead, she looked down and cleared her
throat.
“I have a question.”
Jacob sighed and sat on the bed. “Okay.”
“This weekend with my aunt and uncle . . . are they okay? I mean, are you protecting them as well?”
He patted the side of the bed, and she sat next to him. “Here’s what I figure, Ness. This
Bloodsucker is out to prove he’s better than me. He wants to fuck with me, and I think he knows the
best way to do that is to fuck with you. By association, your aunt and uncle are important to me, too,
but nothing in this world could ever be what you are to me. I really doubt they’re in any danger. I’ll
keep an eye on them when I can, but you are my main concern.”
She leaned into his shoulder and nodded. “Thank you. I wish this was over. I don’t like being scared
to even leave the house.”
He put his arm around her and squeezed lightly. “I know, baby. I’m sorry.”
She looked up at him. “It’s not your fault, Jake. Thank you for being here, though.”
He brushed her hair behind her shoulder and kissed her forehead. “I’m always here for you. I should
get back out there, though. I don’t want to miss anything.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” She stood up. “Be safe.”
He got up beside her and hugged her tightly. “I will. You too, honey.” He went to the window. “I love
you.”
Renesmee smiled and watched him jump out. A second later, he disappeared into the trees. She
leaned out again and relaxed when she saw him come back into view as his wolf and sit at the edge
of the trees. It was getting easier to think of Jacob as a Shifter. It didn’t seem so scary anymore
when she looked at the huge wolf and remembered the times they’d had together. She recalled the
first time they’d met in the meadow, then again when she’d gone fishing with her uncle. The more
time she had to think about things, the more she realized that she still loved Jacob the way she had
before. She came to understand exactly why he had waited to tell her and why he had done it when
he had. She yawned and chuckled when Jacob did, too. She hoped he was getting enough sleep.
He had told her that he and his pack took shifts to make sure everyone was at the top of their game.
She had seen a sandy brown wolf and a silver one with dark gray specks, but she didn’t know who
was who yet.
She realized as she stood there staring at Jacob’s back that she had made her decision. She knew
who and what he was, and she was done hiding from it. It had been five days since she found out
the truth, and he still hadn’t given up on her. He still loved her and still promised to keep fighting.
She recalled the night they made love and how perfect everything was. Once she got over her fear,
she began to understand how well they truly fit together.
She licked her lips and thought about waiting for the morning to tell him. She couldn’t, though. He
had been so patient; he deserved to know as soon as possible.
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“Jake?”
He turned to look at her. Just as she took a breath, the wind blew the scent of a Bloodsucker past
his nose. His ears flattened against his head and he growled. Whatever she needed would have to
wait. He sniffed the air and scanned the trees, listening intently. Renesmee’s heartbeat had sped
up; she caught his reaction to something around him. He heard her close the window and lock it,
then her footsteps as she all but ran to her bed. He finally caught the sight of a blurred figure in the
trees and took off after it.
He caught up quickly and was disappointed to see black hair. He had hoped it was the other one.
Once he got close enough, he launched himself at it, gripping its shoulder as they landed. It reached
around with its free arm and clawed him across the face. Jacob lost his grip and yelped. The
Bloodsucker wheeled around, wrapping an arm around Jacob’s leg and twisting, snapping the bone
easily. Jacob howled in pain and sunk his teeth into the Bloodsucker’s leg. He lifted it up and
slammed it against the ground, using his paw to hold it down.
What’s going on? Embry asked. He’d heard his alpha howl and was the first to shift. He saw through
Jacob’s eyes what had happened and calmed down. A broken leg was nothing, but it was painful.
He was about to shift back when the Bloodsucker twisted again and bit Jacob just above the broken
bone. Oh, shit. He ran to help his alpha.
Between the two Shifters, the Bloodsucker didn’t stand a chance. It was in pieces within minutes.
They both shifted after all the pieces had been collected. Embry started the fire as Jacob inspected
his arm.
“You need to go see Sue about that,” Embry said. “Get it taken care of.” A bite from a Bloodsucker
was the only thing that could really harm a Shifter. It was similar to a human being bitten by a
venomous snake or spider; if left untreated, it would spread and continue to weaken them until it
finally killed them. Seth’s mother was a medicine woman and had been taught by her grandmother
how to treat the Shifters’ wounds.
Jacob shook his head after he’d set the bone. “No, I need to get back to Ness.”
Embry looked up, shocked. “What? No. Go see Sue and get that fixed.”
Jacob bristled. “Who’s the alpha here?”
Embry laughed without humor. “Who’s the idiot? Let me go, I’ll keep an eye on Ness. I’m not letting
you kill yourself like this for her.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. You were bitten. Get your ass out of here now, Jake. I don’t give a fuck that you’re
my alpha, I’m telling you to go.”
Jacob took a step closer. “Back off.”
Embry rolled his eyes. “All right, fine. Have it your way, Jacob. Go back to her and let the venom eat
you alive so you can’t do shit for her when he finally does show up. What a fucking great idea.” He
shifted and shook himself off before he sat down and stared intently at the fire.
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Jacob stared at Embry for a second before he sighed. He looked down at his arm. It was already
starting to burn. “You’re right. Keep her safe for me, Embry. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He
shifted and ran back to the reservation. By the time he made it, his paw was throbbing so hard it
made him limp.
Embry waited until the Bloodsucker had burned to ashes, then he put the embers out and buried the
evidence before running to Renesmee’s. Her bedroom light was off. Nothing sounded or smelled
out of place, so he laid down and sighed. He knew how important this was to Jacob. He didn’t need
to imprint to know it would kill Jacob if anything happened to Renesmee. He had already promised
himself that nothing would happen. She would be fine, because Jacob was his best friend and it
would kill him to see his alpha in that much pain.
~*~
Alice woke up Wednesday morning with a strange feeling of foreboding. She shivered and turned to
her husband. She shook him lightly and laughed when he mumbled about waking an irritable Texan.
She kissed his cheek and got up, stretching as she went to the stairs. She started the coffee and got
out two cups, adding cream and sugar to hers. She yawned and pulled out the ingredients she
needed to make pancakes. Having Renesmee over made her want to cook breakfast more often. It
was nice to do it for her husband every now and then, but it felt like a real treat to be able to do it for
her niece. She had started to mix everything together when Jasper walked in. He wrapped his arms
around her waist and bent down to kiss her neck.
“I love you,” he whispered.
She turned her head and kissed his lips. “I love you, too. Will you pour the coffee?”
He nodded and went to do what she’d asked. Alice finished the first few pancakes and set them on
the table for Jasper. She checked the clock on the wall and glanced at the door to the kitchen.
Renesmee was usually up by now. She’d been acting so strange the last few days, though. Alice
hoped everything was okay. She finished the next few pancakes and set them next to Jasper for her
niece.
“Renesmee, your breakfast is ready,” she called. There was no answer. Alice frowned. “I’m going to
go check on her.” She went up and lightly tapped on Renesmee’s door. “Are you up yet, honey?”
When she didn’t hear anything, she slowly opened the door. “Renesmee?” She expected to see her
lying on the bed, but it was empty. Alice’s brow furrowed, and she stepped into the room. She
looked around; there was no sign of her niece. She went down the hall to check the bathroom. The
door was open and the light was off. Puzzled, Alice went back downstairs.
“Did you see Renesmee before you came down?”
Jasper shook his head. “Nope. Isn’t she up there?”
“She’s not. Her purse and phone everything was still in her room. I don’t think she’d go anywhere
without them.”
“Maybe she went to talk to Jacob or something.” Jasper shrugged.
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Alice pursed her lips. It didn’t seem like something Renesmee would do with the way she’d been
acting like she was afraid to leave the house. “I don’t know. I’m going to call him.”
Embry had heard the conversation and made it to the reservation in record time. He shifted and
threw on his pants before running to Sue’s. He hadn’t heard from Jacob yet, but he hoped he was
well enough to do something.
“Embry?” Sue said, surprised, when he all but burst in the door. Jacob was on the couch grumbling
about having to wait. Sue had done what she needed to help him and had told him he couldn’t leave
for another hour to make sure all the venom had been killed. He looked up.
“What’s going on? Why the hell aren’t you at Renesmee’s?”
Embry winced. “Because she’s not there.”
Jacob stood up. “Don’t get funny with me, Embry. I’ll rip your arms off.”
Embry stepped back. “I know, I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. Everything was fine when I
went to her house after you came here, then Alice and Jasper got up this morning and she wasn’t
there. I heard them talking about it.”
“What the fuck do you mean she wasn’t there? Where the hell did she go?” His stomach heaved.
He wasn’t waiting. “Thanks for your help, Sue.” He went to the door.
She put her hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Jacob, wait—”
“No. You don’t understand, Sue. If something happened to her . . . I have to find her.” He left and
ran to the trees. The shift stung worse than normal, and his arm still hurt, but he pushed it aside.
He had only one focus now.
Embry looked at Sue apologetically and shrugged. “Sorry. Seems shit’s going down. See you later.”
Alice hung up and sighed. “Billy says she’s not there and hasn’t seen Jacob in a while. I don’t know
what to think.”
Jasper stood up and pulled his wife into his arms. “You don’t think, maybe . . . maybe Jacob does
have something to do with it?” On one hand, it didn’t seem right to think of Jacob doing something
like taking Renesmee, but on the other hand, they didn’t know him that well.
“I don’t know.”
A hard knock on the door made Alice jump. She looked up at Jasper, and they both went to answer
it.
“Where is she?” Jacob asked desperately. He had hoped Embry was joking or had misunderstood
something, but he knew the instant he reached the house that he wasn’t. He couldn’t hear her
heartbeat, and her scent wasn’t fresh anymore. He pushed past them into the house and sniffed the
air.
“Um . . . Did Billy talk to you?” Alice asked.
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“No. Where’s Ness?” He wasn’t above scaring them into giving up any information they had.
Jasper pushed Alice behind him. “We haven’t seen her this morning. We thought maybe she was
with you.”
Jacob met the other man’s eyes for a moment, staring him down. “She’s not.” He turned and ran up
the stairs to her room. He could smell the Bloodsucker as soon as the door opened. He growled and
shook his head, forcing himself to focus. After a deep breath, he started to look around. The lock on
the window had been broken. There was a scrap of fabric on the floor beside the bed that looked
similar to one of Renesmee’s shirts. He bent to pick it up and continued his search. On the dresser
was a piece of paper folded in half. He braced himself and picked it up. The handwriting was fancy,
pristine cursive.
Jacob,
What a fun game we’re playing. I hope you’ll forgive me for sneaking around
as I have; it seems your numbers have doubled since the last we met. Of course
you understand I must be careful.
Your lovely Renesmee is well. I will do my best to make sure she does not die
at my hands. I would very much like for you to see what I’ve in store for her,
but I can’t have you getting in my way. You understand. Simply follow the
scent.
Until we meet again,
Caius
Jacob crunched the letter in his hand and growled again. She had to be somewhere close, probably
right under his nose.
“Did you find anything?” Alice asked as she and Jasper walked in the room.
“Yes.”
“What?” Jasper asked. “Do you know where she is?”
Jacob shook his head. “Not exactly, but I know who took her.”
Alice’s hand flew to her mouth. “She was kidnapped?”
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“It’s a little different than that, but basically yes. She was taken against her will.”
“Let’s go find her then.” Jasper turned to the door.
Jacob put his hand on Jasper’s shoulder. “No. It’s going to be more difficult than that.”
Jasper turned and looked up at Jacob suspiciously. “What do you mean? She’s my niece, and I’m
going to help find her.”
Jacob sighed. He was losing precious minutes. “She was taken by a Bloodsucker—a vampire, if you
will. I’m a Shifter. I don’t have time to explain everything. You can’t come with me, but I will find
her.” He took a step, but Jasper got in front of him.
“You can’t expect me to believe that, Jacob. I want to know what has happened to my niece!”
“Jasper, I’ve told you what happened. Get out of my way.”
Jasper crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell me the truth. Where is Renesmee? I know you’ve got
something to do with this.”
Jacob narrowed his eyes. “I did tell you the truth,” he growled. He took Jasper’s shoulders and
pushed him aside then sprinted down the stairs.
Jasper ran to his room and grabbed his Ruger. He slapped the magazine into place and cocked it as
he ran after Jacob. “Alice, stay in the house,” he called. She was shaking as she sat on Renesmee’s
bed. She wasn’t sure if she believed Jacob or not, but she prayed Renesmee would be okay.
Jasper ran out of the house and saw Jacob round the corner. He tore after him, calling his name.
“Jacob, stop! I don’t want to have to shoot you.” He stopped and raised the gun, aiming at Jacob’s
legs. He swallowed and called to Jake one more time before he fired.
Jacob cried out when the bullet hit him. He stopped and walked back to Jasper, working his muscles
to push the bullet out as he did. Jasper lowered the gun and swallowed. He watched as Jacob
reached down and got the bloodied bullet. He took Jasper’s hand and put it in his palm.
“That hurt,” he growled. He pushed away and ran three steps before he shifted. He howled as he
disappeared into the forest.
Jasper’s mouth dropped open. He stared in the direction Jacob had gone for a few minutes before
his legs gave out on him. He fell to his knees and looked down at his hand. Pieces of his shorts and
tufts of fur were scattered on the grass in front of him.
“Jasper?” Alice called tentatively. She had heard the shot and came out to see what all had
happened. She saw Jasper on the grass and ran to him. “What happened?”
Jasper looked up at her, still in shock. “He was telling the truth,” he said softly.
Alice sat on her knees beside him. “Are you okay?”
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He nodded. “Yeah. I shot him. He came back and gave me the bullet like I’d shot him with a Nerf
gun.” Jasper sighed. “Then he . . . transformed or shifted or phased or whatever. Right there in
front of me. Those were his shorts.” He pointed at a piece of gray fabric.
Alice kissed his shoulder. “Do you think he can find her?”
He met her eyes silently for a moment. He didn’t know what to think about any of it. He felt so
helpless. “I hope so.”
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~Chapter Fourteen~
Master Plan
Renesmee woke up slowly, fading in and out of consciousness. She blinked and turned her head to
the side. Her vision was blurry, but she didn’t recognize anything around her. She took a deep
breath and attempted to sit up. She was too weak to move much. Confused, she tried to remember
what had happened.
She had realized that she was still in love with Jacob and wanted to tell him. Just when she was
going to, he’d growled and looked to the woods like there was a Bloodsucker around. She didn’t wait
to see what was going on; she’d closed and locked the window before getting in her bed, terrified for
Jacob. She’d held Ephraim close and prayed her Shifter would be okay. A few moments later, she’d
heard a click and a snap then her window slid open. She had thrown the covers off, hoping that it
was Jacob. Of course it was too much to wish for. The white-haired Bloodsucker stood staring at her
with a sadistic smirk. She drew in a breath to scream. He had streaked across the room and put his
freezing palm over her mouth.
“Hush,” he said. His voice was little more than a hoarse whisper. “I can’t have you alerting the
Shifters yet. Don’t worry; I won’t hurt you much.” He pulled a syringe from his cloak and smiled
again. Renesmee whimpered and tried to wriggle away from him, but his arm was immovable. She
closed her eyes tightly and screamed as best as she could when he pushed the needle into her
bicep. He put the syringe away and stood up with her. Her head was clouded by the time he
reached the dresser. She saw him take out a piece of paper and set it on top. He smiled at her
again. His face became blurry, then everything went dark.
She shook her head in an attempt to clear it and understand more. The space around her was still
unfocused, but she was able to see objects more clearly. She was in what looked like a room in a log
cabin. It was empty aside from her, a metal cart with various things set out, and the table she’d
been laid out on. She took a slow breath and noticed the scents of alcohol, wood, and something
sweet she couldn’t place. She tried again to sit up. When she couldn’t, she lifted her arm. It felt like
it weighed a hundred pounds. She looked at her hand for a moment before she put it back down
and closed her eyes. Aside from the weakness, she seemed to be okay physically. She wasn’t in any
pain, at least. She sighed and thought of Jacob. She had to trust that, somehow, he would find her.
~*~
Jacob followed the scent trail, dedicating every vengeful though to the Bloodsucker and what he was
going to do to it once it was found. The letter kept running through his mind. What had the
Bloodsucker meant by I will do my best to make sure she does not die at my hands? If Jacob found
her in anything less than perfect condition, he would make damn sure the Bloodsucker suffered as
slow and painful a death as he could give.
Found anything yet? Quil asked. It was hard for him to focus with his alpha’s thoughts and the
strongly conflicting emotions attached to them. He knew exactly how much Renesmee meant to
Jacob; he’d be just as lost if it had been Claire.
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No, but I still have a trail. Simply following the trail was just as easy as Jacob had imagined it would
be. The damn Bloodsucker had left several scent trails. It was up to Jacob and his pack to find the
right one. You guys?
I lost my trail a few yards back. Still looking for anything else, Seth answered.
I still have a trail, too, but I haven’t found anything. Embry sniffed the air again and grunted. Fuck.
Scratch that; lost another one. He stopped and sniffed around, hoping for anything that resembled
Renesmee’s scent.
Jacob growled. If he didn’t actually need every Shifter to find his imprint, he would have castrated
Embry and sent him to another country. He’d already promised to do just that if Renesmee was
harmed. Jacob couldn’t help but think of all the possibilities that could have happened if he’d gone
back himself. He could have protected her.
Or maybe you both would have been killed, Quil thought. It wasn’t his fault, Jake.
Jacob growled again.
I got something else, Seth announced. He followed it east.
When we do find her, the fucker is mine, Jacob said harshly. And if he’s done anything to her, none
of you will touch her. That is an order; I’m not having any of that first imprint bullshit. He shivered at
the thought that she could have been bitten. It didn’t seem like something the Bloodsucker would
do if he wanted to play with Jacob. He was probably torturing her instead. Jacob shook himself and
sniffed again to keep his trail.
~*~
Renesmee listened intently to the silence around her. It was eerily quiet. Her whole life had been
filled with noise. Even in quiet moments, there was always some noise around her. In Chicago, it
was the sounds of cars, trains, airplanes, or people chattering in the distance. Here in Washington, it
was the sounds of birds singing or insects chirping. She had taken all those sounds for granted; they
were always there like background music. Now, as she listened for even the tiniest flutter, there was
nothing but the sound of her own breathing. The silence was deafening.
She had no idea how much time had passed. It could have been hours or days before she finally
caught the faintest of sounds. It was a creak so miniscule she wouldn’t have heard it if she hadn’t
been concentrating so hard. She opened her eyes and gasped at the sight of the white-haired
Bloodsucker standing on the other side of the room next to the door.
“Good morning,” he said in a soft, musical voice. It seemed nothing like the raspy whisper from the
last time she remembered seeing him.
“Who are you and what do you want?” she demanded.
He smiled and came closer. She tried to jerk away when he put his hand on her ankle, but he held
her securely. “Renesmee . . . that’s an interesting name. I know a lot about you, you know. I know
you came from Chicago with your parents. I know you did well in school and that you were
considering staying in Forks for the Shifter. Your grandfather, now that was a surprise for me. Who
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knew the one person who could prove my point the clearest is the granddaughter of the first person I
ever took from Jacob. It’s almost too perfect, isn’t it? He did tell you about me, didn’t he?”
She wasn’t sure how to respond to him. She licked her lips and tried to sit up. He pushed her back
down and chuckled.
“Don’t try to get away, Renesmee. I’m surprised that he didn’t tell you about me.” He clicked his
tongue and placed his hand on her knee. “My name is Caius. I grew up in Roma, Italy in the late
eighteenth century. My sire—the one who changed me—once believed he could control me, but of
course I was the one with all the power. I defeated him easily and went on my own. I’ve always had
a heart for science. I studied the effects of the venom and why it had changed me as it had. I did
countless experiments to try to find an antidote just to say I had one. I’ve come close, but my
subjects died instead of turning back to human.
”In my wanderings and discoveries, I learned of the Quileute Shifters and came to study them twelve
years ago. Your boyfriend and his puppy killed my fellow scientists, but I escaped. It was so much
fun teasing him.” Caius stepped over to the metal crate and picked up a vial and a syringe. “I
studied them from afar instead and watched their movements. I read their histories, and the more I
learned, the more intrigued I became. An immortal with a heartbeat and ability to heal themselves
quickly? What a fantastic thing. I’ve enjoyed my experiments, and it would only be better if some of
my subjects regenerated as quickly as the Shifters could.” He filled the syringe with the liquid and
tapped the air out. “So I’ve spent the last ten years perfecting this. My failed attempts were sent to
your Shifters in one form or another. Now I believe it is ready, and who better to run the final test on
than the alpha’s imprint?”
Renesmee’s eyes widened. A million thoughts ran through her head at once. She remembered the
bonfire, and Jacob’s words before the stories were told. The Quileute people believe that sometimes
a man just knows when he meets that one woman. You're my one woman. Had he been telling her
then that he’d imprinted on her? It seemed so obvious now; the way they’d fallen in love so quickly
and how hard he fought for her . . . Her eyes watered. How could she have put him through all that?
“Jacob’s going to kill you,” she spat. “He’ll rip you apart.”
Caius chuckled. “I highly doubt that, dear Renesmee. I’ve bested him for twelve years. He’s too late
anyway.” He took her arm and pushed the needle through her skin. She gasped and tried to pull
away. “When he sees you again, you’ll either be dead or immortal. It’ll be interesting to see if he or
his puppies kill you. If they don’t, and you survive, you’ll thank me later. Why would you want to live
your life as a mortal? Disease, famine, and death; you don’t have to worry about these things as an
immortal. And with a heartbeat, you’ll be much more fun to play with.” He put the needle down and
looked at the door. He was silent for a second before his face turned into a sneer and he hissed.
“Seems we’re going to have company ahead of schedule. Damn that dog.”
Renesmee clutched at her arm and cried out. It was already beginning to burn. Dull heat spread
from the area up her arm to her chest. She heard the growl before the door crashed down and the
huge russet wolf came through.
“How nice to see you again,” Caius said with a sneer.
Jacob’s eyes went to Renesmee on the table. She looked at him with an expression of pained terror
that made his stomach heave.
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Focus, Jacob, Quil said. You want him, you got him, but do it now.
Jacob shook himself and growled again. Quil, Embry, help me get him. Seth . . . He wasn’t sure he
could trust any of his pack to take care of Renesmee until the Bloodsucker was dead.
I got this, Jake. I’ll get her somewhere safe. Trust me. Seth stepped up beside his alpha. Trust me.
“You’re too late,” Caius said with a calm façade. He moved slowly around the table, putting it
between himself and the Shifters. “She’s already been injected. Is it really worth it now? Very soon,
she’ll either be dead or a half-human Bloodsucker. A few days perhaps will tell us if it’s worked.”
Jacob couldn’t let himself look at her again. Not when all he wanted to do was shift and carry her
away himself. It was too dangerous still. He shook himself again and lowered his ears. Quil, Embry,
follow my lead. Seth, get her out of here as soon as we’ve got the fucker out of the way.
The pack acknowledged the command. Seth stepped back and let the others do their job. Caius’
smile disappeared when the shifters came toward him. He jumped to the ceiling and dug his fingers
into the wood, clawing a hole to slip through. Pieces of lumber fell to the floor, just missing the table
Renesmee was on. Jacob cursed. He wasn’t going to let Caius get away again. The three Shifters
went after him, catching up easily this time.
Once they were out of the room, Seth shifted and walked over to Renesmee. She was crying silently,
holding her arm as though it were broken. He put his hand on her shoulder, and she jerked away,
looking up at him with frightened eyes.
“Hi,” he said. “Remember me? I’m Seth. I’m going to get you out of here.” He picked her up. She
was shaking and tense. “You’re safe now, okay?”
Renesmee could just barely make out what he was telling her. She knew who he was and that he
wanted to help her. She tried to relax, but the burning had already spread through most of her body.
It hurt in a way she had never experienced before, like she was literally bursting into flame on the
inside. Seth carried her out of the cabin. In the distance, she heard the Bloodsucker’s screams.
She cringed and tried to cover her ears. She pressed one ear to Seth’s chest and listened to his
heart. The rhythmic thumping didn’t do much to block out the other sounds. She wasn’t sure where
they were going or how long it would take to get there. As the pain spread further and deeper, she
began to feel woozy. Her head started to spin. She clutched at Seth’s arms to keep from falling,
even though he had a steady hold on her.
“You’re okay, Ness,” he told her. “I’ve got you.”
It was the last sound she heard before everything went black.
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~Chapter Fifteen~
Changed
Jacob sat on the side of his bed next to Renesmee with his head in his hands. He still didn’t know
what to do. He had pushed everyone away, demanding to be left alone with her until she woke up.
He sent Billy to stay with Harry and Sue, and he had given the strictest command to his pack to stay
away from the house until he said otherwise. He didn’t know what would happen when she finally
opened her eyes again, if she ever did. The only comfort he could take was that her heart was still
beating and she was still breathing.
It had been two days. Alice and Jasper had called several times, worried about their niece. He
understood, but he refused to let them see her. He explained the situation as best as he could and
promised to bring her back if it was safe.
His head jerked up when she whimpered. He turned to see her still unmoving on her back. He
waited for a moment, hoping she would make another sound. She was silent. He sighed and
resumed his position with his head down and his hands gripping his hair.
He recalled the moment they’d found the cabin. He could hear her heart beating frantically, and her
fear was more intense than he had ever experienced before. Once he, Embry, and Quil had caught
up to the Bloodsucker, he was torn. He needed to get back to Renesmee, but he couldn’t let Caius
die quickly. Quil had suggested Jacob let him and Embry take care of the Bloodsucker, but Jacob
couldn’t do that. It was his fight; he had to finish it. He accepted Quil’s help but made Embry sit
aside.
Embry had felt useless. He had apologized countless times; he did feel bad. A part of him agreed
with Jacob that it was his fault, but he couldn’t think of anything he could have done differently to
change the outcome. He had heard hearts beating, her scent had still been fresh, and there was no
trace of any Bloodsuckers.
As much as Jacob had wanted to shred the Bloodsucker inch by inch, it took too much time. He
allowed himself to get a fraction of the revenge he so craved, then he ended it. Embry was assigned
fire duty.
Seth hadn’t been sure where to take Renesmee. The cabin was ten miles east of Forks. He could
have walked back to the reservation, but he didn’t have any clothes and he didn’t want to chance
someone seeing a naked man carrying an unconscious woman through the woods. It was begging
for trouble. Instead, he’d found a small cave formed from the tree roots and laid her gently inside.
He’d shifted then to let his alpha know where she was.
Jacob had started pushing the others away as soon as he reached them. He growled, showing his
teeth, and stood between his imprint and his pack mates. They both left. Quil went to get Jacob’s
car, and Seth went to keep Embry company. Jacob had shifted once they were gone and checked
Renesmee over. Her whole body was hot, even to him. It scared the shit out of him.
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He wanted to argue when Quil showed up with the car, but Quil was right. It would be easier, faster,
and smoother for her to take the car than try to carry her or balance her, unconscious, on his back.
Jacob gave in but made Quil run home.
Renesmee whimpered again. Jacob sat up and reached over to touch her arm. Her skin had started
to cool at a rapid rate the day before. She’d never felt cold to him before; she was just the normal
temperature of a human. She was cold now, though. He had her covered with three blankets, but it
didn’t seem to do much to warm her. There were other changes as well. Her skin was lighter in
color, and her hair more vivid bronze.
“Ness,” he said softly. He took her hand and lifted it to kiss her knuckles. “Please come back to
me.”
~*~
Renesmee felt like she was floating in an endless, black sea. Everything around her was dark. Her
heart pounded almost painfully against her ribcage and it was difficult to breathe. Her throat burned
every time her lungs sucked in air. She had heard herself whimper, and each time made the fire get
hotter. It was dim compared to the blaze she’d felt before. She didn’t know how long ago that had
been. It felt like ages.
A hot hand touched her arm. She could smell Jacob all around her. It was the only thing that made
breathing bearable. “Ness.” The voice was soft, but she had never heard a more beautiful sound. It
made her heart hurt to know that she hadn’t lived to tell Jacob that she truly loved him. The heat
moved her to hand, then she felt familiar lips against her fingers. “Please come back to me.”
She realized with a start that it was Jacob speaking. His voice sounded so different. It was so rich
and vibrant, even in those few short words. Her gut churned. She wanted so badly to be with him.
Why couldn’t she open her eyes? She couldn’t move at all. It had to be a dream. Just another
terrible dream that she was sure to escape from soon. And when she did, she would hug Ephraim
close to her and rush to tell Jacob about her decision.
The heat disappeared from her hand. She felt cold again, and suddenly so sad. She wanted to cry.
~*~
Jacob didn’t understand how time could pass so slowly. Before all this happened, it ran normally. An
hour lasted sixty minutes. It seemed an hour now would have been a whole day before. His clock
seemed to have stopped working. It read five-thirty-two in the evening, then what felt like thirty
minutes later, it read five-thirty-four. He was going crazy. According to the clock, it had been two
hours since he’d last heard Renesmee whimper.
He hadn’t moved from his spot next to her. He refused to until she woke up. His stomach growled,
but he ignored it. He had managed to sleep a little since he brought her home, but he wasn’t tired
regardless. He just wished something would happen.
Renesmee sucked in a deep breath, and Jacob perked up. She moaned softly as she exhaled. He
turned on the bed and folded one leg under him so he could face her better. He rubbed her arm
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gently. He stared at her face intently, praying that she did something. Her brow furrowed
infinitesimally, but it was enough to give him hope.
“Baby, come back to me,” he said. He leaned in a little closer. “I love you, Ness. I need you to wake
up.”
Her eyebrows twitched again followed by her lips. He smiled and brushed his fingers over her cheek.
She turned her head into his touch. His eyes watered.
“Please, baby.” He lightly kissed her lips. “Please.”
She turned her head again and sucked in another deep breath. “Ephraim,” she whimpered.
Jacob felt like jumping for joy because she had spoken. He didn’t understand why she’d said that
name, but it didn’t matter. She was finally waking up.
“Ephraim?” Her brow furrowed deeper, and her hand twitched.
“Baby, it’s me. Jacob.” He kissed her lips again. “I’m here, honey.”
She whimpered. “Jacob?” She wanted so badly to open her eyes and see him. As she tried, she
thought about him and everything she remembered. His smile, his kiss, the heat of his skin, and the
way his eyes burned through her in the most delicious way. The way he made love to her and
protected her. His warmth enveloped her hand again, and she managed to squeeze back.
Jacob was a mixture of happily surprised and uneasy when her fingers tightened on his. He’d always
felt her touch; there had never been a moment when she touched him that he didn’t feel it. But he’d
never felt the pressure from her grip. She could have wrapped her hands around his and squeezed
with all her strength and it wouldn’t have been more than a gentle hold to him. Now he felt the
pressure she was exerting. It wasn’t much, but it was there. He once again pushed away the
unnerving thought that his Renesmee had changed far more than he could anticipate.
“Yes, baby. It’s me. I love you, Ness.” He kissed her knuckles.
Those words made her so happy. She wanted to say them back, but even the single words she’d
managed to utter so far had hurt her throat.
“Baby, can you open your eyes?”
She focused all of her willpower to come up from the darkness that seemed to want to swallow her.
She was determined to do what Jacob had asked. She felt triumphant when her eyelids began to
flutter open. The light was painful yet bearable. She whimpered again, this time from joy. His face
was so close to her. It was Jacob, but he looked different. Brighter, sharper. His eyes were so much
more intense than she remembered, and she could pick out every facet of brown and black in them.
She could see each individual eyelash and the varying shades of dark brown and black in his
eyebrows and hair that fell over his forehead.
His smile faded, and his eyes grew darker. His heartbeat started to pound harder. She realized with
a start that she could actually hear it. It wasn’t just the steady thump; she could hear the blood in
his veins. Her mouth watered.
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Jacob stood up and took a step back. He pressed himself against the wall to make sure he had
himself under control. He had known she’d be different. He had expected the worst. But when she
opened her eyes, he couldn’t see Renesmee in them. They were bright, vibrant orange with a dark
mahogany ring around the edges. They were not Renesmee’s eyes.
Renesmee stared at Jacob, confused. She didn’t know what had just happened. One moment she
was so happy to see him and the next she truly thought she might bite him. Even still, the sound and
scent of his blood was overpowering. She wanted it, but she didn’t understand why. She was
relieved when he moved away and she could no longer reach him.
“Jake?” She said softly. She looked him over and saw a scar on his arm that she’d never noticed
before. She cocked her head to the side. It was a dark, jagged line about an inch long in the middle
of his forearm. As she wondered where it had come from, she also began to notice other things like
each individual hair on his arm and the lines between his thumb and forefinger. Things she’d never
paid attention to before and wouldn’t have been able to pick out from across the room. Even a room
as small as Jacob’s.
Suddenly everything became clear to her. A pit of fear opened in her stomach as she realized that
she hadn’t been dreaming. Everything had really happened. The Bloodsucker, the injection, the pain
. . . everything. She closed her eyes and remembered what Caius had said. When he sees you
again, you'll either be dead or immortal. It'll be interesting to see if he or his puppies kill you. If she
wasn’t dead, then the serum had worked. She was Jacob’s enemy. She was a monster. The sound
of Caius’ screams replayed in her mind along with the scene from the meadow when Jacob had first
shifted to protect her. There was no doubt in her mind that he had torn Caius to pieces. Was he
going to do that to her now? She looked up at him. He still stood against the wall taking even
breaths. Her eyes burned as they filled with tears.
Jacob watched her closely to see what she would do next. He was surprised when she started to cry
and turned her body to face the wall. It was obvious that she wasn’t going to attack him, and it made
him relax. He took a deep breath and sat on his knees on the bed. He put his hand on her shoulder.
She pulled away from him with a sob, and his heart broke again.
“Ness . . .”
“Don’t call me that,” she said. She sniffled. She couldn’t bear to hear his nickname for her when all
it reminded her of was what could have happened if she hadn’t been so selfish and stupid.
“Why not?” he demanded.
She didn’t dare look at him. She had been so horrible when all he’d done was save her life. She felt
nauseated at the thought that he was going to have to end it now. “Because I’m not Ness. Not
anymore. I don’t know what I am.”
Jacob sighed and laid down behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back
against him, ignoring her protests. He kissed the top of her head. She smelled mostly the same, she
knew who he was, and she hadn’t gone after his blood yet.
“You’re still my Ness,” he said softly.
She shook her head but didn’t say anything else. She allowed him to hold her, telling herself that
she should enjoy it while she could. After a moment, she turned around slowly. He loosened his
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arms just enough to let her get situated, then the tightened them around her again. She pressed her
face into his chest and took a deep breath. The scent of his skin sent a warm shiver down her spine
and into her abdomen. It contrasted drastically with the scent of his blood, which made her throat
burn wildly. She listened to his heartbeat and vowed to herself that she wouldn’t be what Caius was.
She was different; she would never taste a drop of blood. She would die first. As she made that
decision, she remembered another she had made.
“I love you, Jacob,” she blurted. “I’m so sorry. I love you so much.”
Jacob closed his eyes and smiled. Those words made almost everything worth it. “I love you, too,
Ness.” He kissed her head again. They would just have to find out what was different about her and
accept it. Everything he knew so far wouldn’t be too hard. Her eyes were a little freaky, but they
would just take some getting used to.
“I’m so sorry for everything I said and did. I wanted to tell you.” She pressed herself closer and
sniffled. “I wanted to tell you before all this happened, but I didn’t get a chance. I love you so much!
And now it’s too late.”
He pushed her back despite her attempts to stay close. It was difficult; he wasn’t used to having to
actually put effort into moving her. “It’s not too late, Ness.” He made her look at him and shivered.
“Don’t say that, please. I love you, and we will work through this together.”
She shook her head. “How? I’m not . . . I’m not me anymore.”
He bent his head to kiss her lips. “Yes you are. You’re still you, because if you weren’t, you wouldn’t
love me.”
“I don’t understand. I’m a monster, Jake. You have to . . .” The screams echoed in her head again.
“You have to kill me.”
He growled and took her chin to make sure she kept eye contact with him. “Don’t ever say that
again,” he commanded. She shivered and whimpered with a strange sort of ecstasy that came from
his dominance. “Nobody will lay a goddamn finger on you. You’re mine, Ness, and I will protect you
forever.”
She nodded as best as she could. He felt a surge of pride and lust when she gave in to him. The
scent of her arousal grew stronger as he pressed his lips to hers. She lifted her hands to his
shoulders and pulled him closer. She rolled to her back and moaned when he shifted his weight to
hover over her. His heat felt heavenly all around her, and his scent was driving her wild. There had
always been something about his earthy, musky scent that she loved, but now it seemed multidimensional. It wasn’t just a single smell like she had once thought. It was his skin and his breath
and his sweat, but there was something deeper that made her heart pound harder. He opened his
mouth to deepen the kiss. In those few delirious moments, being overtaken by him was all she
cared about. He left her mouth to kiss her throat. She felt his hand on her breast.
Then suddenly he stopped. He pulled away with a gasp. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but she
noticed it immediately. His arm was bleeding. She licked her lips and fought every new instinct she
had to savor the blood there. She had bit him. She sat up and quickly grabbed the hem of her shirt
to wipe her mouth.
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“Jacob . . .” She didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t intended to hurt him, but she couldn’t say it
was an accident either. She knew better. It was what she was now.
Jacob waited for a second to see if his arm would start to burn. He didn’t blame Renesmee for what
happened. They would just have to be more careful. It was probably for the best anyway; they
should figure out this new part of her before they lost themselves to physical desire. He took her
hand and sat next to her.
“It’s okay, Ness.”
She shook her head. “How is it okay? I bit you! I tried to drink your blood.”
He put his unwounded arm around her shoulders. “It’s okay because we should have known better
than to do that. It wasn’t all your fault.” He kissed her head. “And it’s not burning, so I think we’re
good.”
She furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”
“Bloodsucker venom is poisonous to Shifters. If we get bitten and don’t treat it, it could kill us. I’ve
been bitten a few times, and every time it starts to burn within the first few minutes. My arm feels
fine; it’s starting to heal already. I don’t think you’re venomous.”
Renesmee looked up at him and sighed. “Venomous or not, I’m—”
He interrupted her. “Ness, we’re not going through this again. According to what the fucker said, you
should be a half-human Bloodsucker. I’m not going to lie, Ness, it sucks. No pun intended. But we
can’t do anything about that but move forward and try to figure it all out so we know what to do
next.”
She pulled away and got on her knees in front of him. “So you’re just going to accept this? I’m not
even human anymore, and you’re just going to say you don’t care?”
Jacob took a second to think about his response. “It’s not that I don’t care. I do care. What else am
I supposed to do, though? Do you want me to push you away and demand time to think about it like
you did to me?”
The reminder hurt. She looked down and shook her head. “No.” She deserved it, though.
“I don’t even know how much of you has changed. Why can’t I be with you and help you adjust?” He
leaned forward to touch her cheek. “I love you, Ness.”
She put her hand over his. “I love you, too.” She remembered what Caius had said about her. She
licked her lips. “Am I really your imprint?”
He smirked. “Finally figured it out, did you? Yes, you are. I was hesitant to just say it because I
didn’t want you to think I was trying to force myself closer before you were ready.”
She scooted closer to him and kissed his lips. “I understand everything now. I wish so much I had
been smarter; maybe all this wouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“I forgive you, Ness.” He kissed her again. “How are you feeling right now? Does anything hurt?”
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“My throat does. It burns, but not like it would when I got sick. It’s . . . like I’m thirsty and haven’t had
water for months.” The mention of thirst and the memory of his blood made the flame get hotter.
She cleared her throat. “Aside from that, no. I feel wonderful. I can see and hear everything so
much clearer.”
“You’re stronger, too. Do you want me to get you a drink?” She nodded. “I’ll be right back.” He
kissed her and got up.
She sat with her back against the wall and waited for him to get back. She lifted her hands up to
look at them. They still looked like her hands, but they were three shades paler. She noticed the
absence of a small scar she’d had since she was six and frowned. It had always been at the base of
her right index finger. Just a thin line from playing too roughly with one of her friends’ cats. She
wasn’t sure why it was gone or if she should be upset about it.
She looked up when Jacob came back in the room with a cup in his hand. He sat down next to her
and gave it to her. She took it with a smile and brought it to her lips. It smelled awful, like chlorine
and fluoride. She wrinkled her nose and took a sip anyway. She grunted and spit it back into the
cup.
“What is this?” she asked. She held it away from her like it was poisoned.
“It’s just tap water.” He took it from her and sniffed it. It smelled fine.
“It tastes like rusted metal.” She shuddered. “Do you have something else? Maybe a soda or
something?”
He had a feeling he knew what she needed, but the thought made him queasy. “Yeah, I think so.
Are you hungry?”
The thought of food made her nauseous. She nodded anyway. “Yeah, I could try to eat something.”
They went to the kitchen together. She leaned against the counter as he opened the fridge and
searched for something that might sound good to a half-Bloodsucker. He got an idea and stood back
up quickly.
“Do you want to go hunting with me?” he asked.
Renesmee was startled by how quickly he moved to her. Her heart jumped as she moved back and
growled. The sound shocked her. Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hands.
Jacob was surprised, too. He took a slow step toward her. “It’s okay, baby.”
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. She didn’t move her hands. “I don’t know what happened.”
“I moved too fast and scared you. I won’t do it again.” He took her wrists and gently pushed her
arms down. “It’s okay now.”
She nodded and stepped closer to push herself against him. His arms held her tightly. “I’ll try not to
do it again.”
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Jacob kissed her head. “Do it all you want, just don’t attack me, okay?”
She couldn’t help but smile. “I promise.”
He pushed her back to see her face. “So do you want to go hunting with me? You’re part
Bloodsucker now, so you probably want some blood, right?”
She stared at him for a moment, not sure if he was joking. “Jacob, I can’t do that! I won’t be like
that.” She stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. “I can’t believe you would even
suggest it. I’m not like him.”
He put his hands on her shoulders. “You’re right; you’re not like him. But I still don’t want you to
make yourself suffer. If you need blood, we’ll find it. Humans aren’t the only things around here that
have it. My pack and I often hunt deer in the area. You could try that.”
She was still uncertain. She didn’t like the idea of drinking blood from any creature, human or
otherwise. The thought of it made her sick, but at the same time, she knew she craved it. She
wondered if it would give her more control to be with Jacob the way she wanted. “What if it doesn’t
work?” she asked.
“Then we’ll think of something else. How will we know unless we try? Please, baby; let me help you.”
He touched her chin and leaned in to kiss her lips.
She sighed. “All right. I’ll try.” She put her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms tightly
around his waist.
He squeezed her lightly. “Thank you.”
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~Chapter Sixteen~
The Hunt
“Do we just . . . go hunting?” Renesmee asked. They were still in the kitchen. Now that the idea was
in her head, she was getting eager. The thought of what she would likely be doing frightened and
excited her at the same time.
Jacob shook his head. “No. There are a few things I need to do first.” He made a mental checklist
of everything, including updating his pack about the situation. He was hesitant to do it; he wanted to
keep her to himself and away from any possible threat, no matter how small.
She cocked her head to the side. The tiny crease between his eyebrows worried her. “What’s
wrong?” she asked.
“Just thinking.”
She stepped up close to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “About what?” She met
his eyes and pretended she wasn’t couldn’t hear his heartbeat so clearly.
He sighed and held her waist. “About the pack and how I’m going to keep you safe. I think we’ll go
up north, away from everyone.”
She shifted her weight and stepped back. “I wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
Jacob lightly touched her cheek. “I know you wouldn’t do anything intentionally, Ness. All the same, I
can’t risk your new instincts getting the better of you.”
She nodded. “I understand. What are you thinking about your pack?”
He pursed his lips. “You remember the legends from the bonfire?”
She nodded and again and swallowed. “You’re afraid they’ll kill me?”
“Try to. I just don’t know if I can trust them. They’ve said they’ll stand behind me like a pack should
no matter what happens, but Quil’s the only one who can even start to understand why I’m doing
things the way I am.” He rubbed his forehead and sighed again. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m
doing.”
Renesmee stepped close again and touched his cheek. “If it’s any consolation, Jake, I think you’re
doing great.”
He smirked and kissed her. “Thanks, Ness. I need to let them know what’s going on, then we’ll head
north. Do you want to try to run?”
She looked down at her legs. “I don’t know. How far are we going?”
“As far as we can. Probably up by Canada.”
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Her jaw fell open. “You want me to try to run that far?”
He shrugged. “I figured it wouldn’t hurt to see if you could do it. If you don’t want to today, we can
do it another time.”
She narrowed her eyes skeptically. “Can you run that far?”
He chuckled and rubbed her back. “Daily. I’ve run further chasing a Bloodsucker.”
She sucked in a deep breath. “Can we leave experiments for another day? Canada’s . . . I mean, it’s
right there, but that’s miles away.”
He kissed her cheek. “Yes, we’ll do it another day. For hunting, though, we really should go as far as
we can. Why don’t you ride on my back and I’ll carry you?”
“I think I can do that.” She nodded. “Okay.”
“Good. Do you need anything, or are you ready to go now?”
Renesmee looked up at the ceiling for a moment, trying to push her nerves aside. “I think I’m ready
now.”
He took her hand and led her toward the door. As they passed the living room, she caught her
reflection in the black screen of the television. She stopped in her tracks and stared. Even in the
darkened image, she could tell she wasn’t the same as she had been.
“Ness?” Jacob asked.
She pulled her hand from his and walked quickly to the bathroom. She flipped on the light and
gasped as she looked in the mirror. The face staring back at her was unfamiliar. Logically, she knew
it was her, but she looked so different. Her skin was bright and smooth without a single blemish, her
hair was more vibrant and healthy than it ever had been before, and her eyes . . . She couldn’t look
at them directly. They weren’t real; they were horror-movie eyes. She looked down at the sink and
tried to take a deep breath.
She jumped and growled when something unexpectedly touched her back. Jacob held his hands up
in a gesture of surrender.
“It’s just me.”
Tears burned in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head and took a small step closer. “It’s not your fault, baby.”
“Why didn’t you tell me I look so hideous?”
“Hideous? No, Ness, you’re beautiful.”
She stood up straight and gestured to her eyes. “Look at me! This is not beautiful. This is
horrifying.”
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Jacob shook his head again and reached out to take her hand. “No, it’s not. They’re just going to
take some time to get used to, that’s all.”
Renesmee squeezed his hand and stepped forward to press herself against him. He held her tightly
and kissed her head. She sniffled and nodded against his chest.
“I know.” She pulled back enough to look up at him. “Did you ever read scary stories when you were
little?” He nodded. “I remember one in particular I read was about a boy who woke up one day and
he wasn’t the same person. It described him looking in the mirror for the first time and panicking
because he wasn’t the same. That’s how I feel. I know what you’re saying, Jake, but I’m still
scared.”
He nodded again and touched her chin as he leaned down to kiss her lips. “I know you’re scared,
Ness. We’ll get through this together, though, okay?”
She took another deep breath. “Okay.”
He took her hand again and lifted it to kiss her knuckles. “Let’s go hunting.”
She nodded and followed him out the door. “How will you tell the pack what’s going on?” It felt
weird to refer to Jacob’s friends as “the pack.”
“They can hear me when I’m a wolf. Kind of a telepathy thing.” He led her a few paces into the
trees.
“So you’ll . . . shift and tell them?”
“Yep. After I let them know what’s happened, I want you to get on my back and hold on tight.”
She smiled. “Okay.”
He kissed her and took a few steps back to take off his shorts. She wasn’t sure why she felt she
needed to avert her eyes, but she stared at her feet until she heard a distinct tearing sound. She
shivered and looked up to see her giant, russet wolf standing before her. She shivered again as an
unexpected twinge of fear rose so quickly and powerfully in her chest she nearly ran. Her heart
pounded so hard it hurt. She forced herself to stand exactly where she was as she looked him over.
Jacob wished he had the ability to speak as a wolf in a way Renesmee would understand. It was
obvious she was afraid, and he wanted to reassure her. He lightly nudged her arm. She took a deep
breath and reached up to touch his muzzle. As she explored the texture of his fur between her
fingers, Jacob gave Quil the update and a warning to stay far away from both Renesmee and him as
she hunted.
I have to say it, Jake: That’s fucking weird.
Jacob growled. You’d feel differently if it were Claire.
The pained surprise in the other Shifter’s thoughts was harsh. I get it, dude. Leave her out of this.
Just give the others the message.
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Quil acknowledged the request, then his presence was gone. Jacob shook himself and looked up at
his imprint. She looked worried.
“Is everything okay?” she asked. His growl scared her.
Jacob nodded and nudged her again before crouching down so she could get on his back. She
climbed up carefully, paying extra attention to her feet and her grip on his fur so she didn’t hurt him.
Once she was situated, he headed north. She leaned forward and tightened her grip as he started to
run. The forest passed by so quickly she was surprised that the trees didn’t blur. She could see the
crevices in the bark and every detail in every leaf as if she were standing still.
The sounds of the forest were just as surprising. In addition to Jacob’s heartbeat—thicker and
stronger than when he was a man—she could hear the wind and different animals. The scent of the
earth, rich and damp, was like home. Soon she picked up on another scent. It was blood, but it was
different from Jacob’s. It didn’t smell as sweet, but it still made her mouth water. Something deep
inside her wanted to go after it. She tightened her grip on Jacob’s fur and buried her face in the back
of his neck.
He slowed to a stop when they got close to a small herd. Her crouched down and waited a moment
for Renesmee to relax and climb down. Once she did, he glanced at her and nudged her arm before
taking slow, silent steps toward a clearing. She held his fur as if she were holding his hand, fighting
with herself to keep from running ahead and possibly scaring something away. The closer they got to
the sound and smell of blood, the hotter her throat burned.
Jacob stopped and stooped down again. She looked at him for a moment before she swallowed and
took a few more steps forward. Through the trees, she could see four deer grazing. Her heart
fluttered. She took a moment to stall and remind herself that she was stronger now. All of her
instincts told her she could do this. She took a slow, deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment
to try to get in the right mindset. She let her senses take over and tell her what to do. She opened
her eyes and without conscious thought, picked out the deer she wanted. Once she’d made her
decision, logic was forgotten. She lunged forward with a speed that surprised Jacob. He watched
with equal parts pride, worry, and curiosity as she tackled the second largest animal. It didn’t stand
a chance. She snapped its neck and buried her teeth into its jugular. He stayed still while she
finished, afraid to startle her.
Renesmee pulled back when she’d drained the animal. She opened her eyes and stared at it for a
moment as she began to realize what she’d just done. She looked over at Jacob with tears stinging
in her eyes.
“I did it.” She wasn’t sure if she was more disgusted or satisfied.
The look in her eyes hurt his heart. He looked around quickly and shifted back to human, then he
pulled on his shorts and walked over to her. She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around
his neck.
He held her tightly. “Do you feel better?” he asked gently.
She nodded reluctantly. She did feel better physically, but she hated herself. They were quiet for a
few minutes before he leaned down and kissed her head.
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“You did great, baby.”
She shook her head. “I’m horrible.”
“Ness.” He pushed her back and leaned down to meet her eyes. “We can’t change what happened
to you, but we can’t give up either. You need to eat to stay strong.”
She shook her head again. “I’m a monster, Jacob.” She looked at the deer for a moment before she
closed her eyes. She just couldn’t accept that she had killed it for nothing.
Jacob couldn’t bear to hear her talk like that. “No,” he said strongly. “Look at me, Renesmee.”
She shivered under his authority and opened her eyes.
“You’re not a monster. The Bloodsucker that did this to you is the monster. Don’t you dare think
about giving up.”
She stared into his eyes intensely for a moment. Everything that she loved about him stared back.
She reached up to cup his cheek. “I won’t give up.”
He pulled her closer and leaned down to kiss her lips. He moved back and grimaced. “Deer blood
tastes funny without the meat.”
She smiled sadly. “I’m sorry.”
He sighed. “How are you feeling right now?”
She took a deep breath and did a quick assessment. Her throat hurt, but it was a small ache
compared to before. Her stomach was full. “I think I’m okay. I’m not . . . thirsty, I guess. My throat
still hurts a little, though.” She frowned. “Will that go away?” She looked up at him curiously.
He pursed his lips. “Honestly, I don’t know. I hope so.” He didn’t want her to be in pain all the time.
“What should I do with the deer?” She felt bad just leaving it there.
“There’s not much we can do with it. The scavengers will get to it. I’ll take care of it so it doesn’t
look so suspicious.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Suspicious?”
“Yeah. It’s pretty obvious right now that it didn’t die a natural death or even by a normal predator
around here.”
She didn’t want to think about how he was going to fix it. Instead, she just nodded and pretended
everything was all right. “Okay.”
“Do you want to wait over there?” He pointed in the direction they’d come.
She stood on her toes and kissed him quickly. “Yeah.”
“When I’m done, you can ride back, okay? Do you want to do any more hunting?”
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“No, I’m done. Could we stay out here for a while, though? It’s so pretty.”
He touched her back. “Sure.”
She nodded again and walked away until she couldn’t see him anymore. She sat down by a tree and
closed her eyes. She wished her hearing wasn’t so clear. Even with her hands over her ears, she
could still hear what Jacob was doing. After a moment, the sound was replaced by him padding up
to her. She looked and sniffled before climbing onto his back. She held on tightly like before and let
him take her wherever he wanted to go. Before long, he stopped and let her down. She smiled at
the stream and the relaxing sound it made.
“This is really pretty, Jake,” she said as she looked around.
Jacob walked over and got a drink. Renesmee smiled at him, somehow amused at the way he
lapped up the water. He glanced at her and gestured with his head toward the stream.
She grimaced. “I don’t want any; thank you.”
Jacob sighed. He hadn’t brought her here to get a drink. She was a mess, and he knew she’d want
to clean up. He touched his nose to the front of her shirt.
She looked down. “I don’t want—oh.” She was surprised by how much blood was there. She
touched her face and grimaced at the red stains on her fingers. “Oh.” She went to the water and
leaned over to wash what she could. She couldn’t do anything about the mess on her shirt, although
she tried. When she’d finished, she sat back. Jacob laid down beside her and curled his body
around her. He didn’t want her to get cold. She leaned into him and rested her head on his huge
shoulder.
“I love you, Jake. Thank you for everything.”
He wanted to say something she’d understand. Instead, he bumped her leg with his nose. She
smiled and snuggled closer to him. She was starting to feel tired. It confused her; she’d just spent
two days sleeping. She yawned and began to lazily twist Jacob’s fur in her fingers. He laid his head
down on his paws and gave her a while to rest before he took her home.
~*~
I don’t want everyone here at once, Jacob thought harshly. It’s bad enough I have to let any of you
see her.
Quil sighed. You can see my thoughts just as clearly if not clearer than I can see yours. If you can
pick out any trace of hostility toward her, I’ll be surprised.
You were hostile before.
No, Jake, I was surprised. As in, it’s freaky and I know you think that same thing. I’m not going to do
anything to her. Fuck, I have my own imprint, Jake. Do you think I’d do anything to hurt yours when I
know how hard you’d fight to protect her? Even if I did want to hurt her—which I don’t—I’m not that
damn stupid.
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Jacob didn’t want to admit his pack mate was right. Seth and Embry?
Lay off Embry, man. He was doing his best whether you want to admit it or not. He probably saved
your damn life. Quil huffed.
Jacob groaned and looked toward the house. Renesmee was sleeping. She’d gone to bed when
they got home from the hunt.
Okay. You come here when she wakes up. Just you. If everything works out, I’ll let the rest of the
pack see her. Several scenarios ran through Jacob’s head as he thought the words.
I like that plan. You’ll see, Jake; everything will be fine.
~*~
“Jacob, please sit down. You’re making me nervous.” Renesmee’s heart was beating painfully
against her chest as she watched him pace the living room.
He looked at her for a moment before he went to sit on the couch next to her. “I’m sorry, baby. I just
don’t know if I’m really ready for this.”
His anxiety only made her more uneasy. “Why did you tell him to come then?”
“I want this over with.” He’d told Quil to come and have the rest of the pack on standby just in case.
She nodded and tried to relax. They both looked up when they heard footsteps approaching. Her
stomach churned, and she met his eyes. He stood up when there was a knock at the door.
Jacob let Quil in. Renesmee kept her spot on the couch, too terrified to move. Quil stepped in,
forcing Jacob to take a few steps back. He kept himself between his beta and his imprint, staring
Quil down and daring him to do anything stupid.
Quil took a deep breath and held his hands up. “I’m here. I’m not going to do anything. Can I say
hi?”
Jacob didn’t relax. He moved back another few steps and looked back at Renesmee. She licked her
lips and raised one hand in an awkward wave.
Quil smiled. “Hey. How are you doing?”
She shrugged. “I’m doing, I guess.”
He hesitated a moment when she looked up and met his eyes. He had seen them before through
Jacob’s thoughts, but it was different seeing them with his own eyes. He took a deep breath and a
step backward. A part of him wanted to tell Jacob he’d lost his mind. That girl wasn’t Renesmee
anymore. On the other hand, after everything Jacob had shown him, he couldn’t deny that she
wasn’t anything like the Bloodsuckers they fought.
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Renesmee tensed and looked at Jacob when Quil stepped back. He moved to put himself in front of
his imprint. “Quil?”
Quil looked up. “I’m all right.”
Jacob narrowed his eyes. “You know you’re no match for me.”
“I know. You have my word, Jake; I’m not going to do anything. It’s weird as hell, but she’s still . . .
partly human.”
Jacob growled and took a step forward. “She’s fine.”
Quil held his hands up. “Okay. I believe you.”
Jacob took a moment to watch Quil closely. He turned when Renesmee put her hand on his arm.
She stood up beside him and swallowed, her grip on his wrist so tight her knuckles were white.
“I’m sorry this happened,” she started.
Quil shook his head. “It’s not your fault, Ness. I guess it’s just a little freaky.”
She nodded. “It’s very freaky.”
He wasn’t sure why her agreement made him calm down a little more. “I won’t hurt you, and neither
will the other two.”
She looked up at Jacob. He nodded. He was beginning to feel better about the whole situation. He
didn’t feel right separating himself from the pack, but there hadn’t been any other way to ensure
Renesmee’s safety. She held her hand out to Quil.
He looked at her hand for a second before he smirked and shook it. “Everything will be okay,” he
told her.
She nodded. “Thank you.”
He looked at Jacob. “You want the others to come in?”
Jacob took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah.” He was hesitant to leave Renesmee. He looked at
Quil.
“I’m not going to touch her, Jake, and you know that. If I could let them in, I would, but you have to
be the one to withdraw the command.”
Renesmee furrowed her brow. “What command?”
Jacob squeezed her hand lightly. “I made them all stay away from the house until I knew for sure
what you would be like.”
She smiled and leaned into him. She hadn’t imagined the lengths he would go to in order to protect
her. “You should go let them in.”
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He leaned down to kiss her. “I’ll be right back. Quil, keep your distance.”
Quil took a step back. “You have my word.”
After another deep breath, Jacob nodded and left. Renesmee clasped her hands in front of her and
tried to smile at Quil.
“So I guess this whole thing has pretty much uprooted the pack?” she asked sadly.
Quil shook his head. “No. There are very few things that could break the bonds of the pack. Killing
someone’s imprint is one of those things, but there’s no reason to hurt you.” He shrugged and
shifted his weight. “It’s a change, of course, but in the end we’re still the same pack we were before.
The dynamics haven’t changed.”
“That’s good to hear.” She took a deep breath. “Do you really think the others will be as accepting
as you are?”
He nodded. “Probably more. Embry’ll love you just because you’re not dead, and Seth couldn’t hold
a grudge if he tried.”
She wanted to ask why he thought he’d taken it the hardest, but she was distracted by the other
Shifters’ footsteps. She took a deep breath and turned toward the door. Jacob came in first and
took his place in front of her. She took his arm and stepped up to his side.
Embry smiled widely and spread his arms as he approached quickly. “Hey, Ness!” He wasn’t going
to let Jacob’s attitude with him get in the way of his happiness that she was okay.
Her eyes widened, and she stepped back with a growl. Everyone stopped. Jacob put his arm out in
front of her and glared at Embry.
“Whoa.” Her reaction shocked Embry, but he had already counted on her being more like an animal.
“You okay?”
She licked her lips and nodded. “Yeah. That happens when I’m startled.”
Embry chuckled. “Get used to it, Shorty.”
She furrowed her brow and looked up at Jacob. “Shorty?”
Jacob shrugged. “Embry’s insane.”
“Oh. Okay.” She turned back to the others.
“Love the new eyes, by the way. What a freak show.” Embry reached out and touched her cheek
lightly. “Can you still see?”
She snorted. “Duh. In fact, I can see ten times better than ever. All of my senses are better than
before.”
“Cool.”
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Seth stepped up and pushed Embry back. “Quit hogging; you aren’t the only one happy to see her.”
He held out his arms. “I’m glad you’re okay, Ness.”
She smiled and let go of Jacob to hug Seth. “Thank you. I am, too.”
“How’d the hunting go?”
She went back to Jacob. “It went well, I guess.” She half-shrugged.
“Can you keep up with Jacob?” Embry asked.
“I don’t know. We haven’t tested that.”
“Okay, guys, that’s enough.” Jacob wrapped his arm around Renesmee’s shoulders. “You’re not
here to play Twenty Questions.”
Quil shrugged. “How else are we going to get to know her, Jake?”
Renesmee looked up. “I don’t mind it. They can ask me anything.”
Jacob kissed her and nodded. “Okay.” As long as she was okay with it. They sat down on the couch,
and the others found space around the room.
“Can you eat normal food?” Seth asked.
She grimaced. “I don’t know yet. I can’t drink tap water, that’s for sure. I haven’t tried eating
normal food, but I do know that it doesn’t sound appealing at all.”
“Have you tested to see if you’re venomous yet?” Quil asked.
Jacob answered that one. “Yes. She accidentally bit me earlier when she first woke up. I’m fine; not
even a tingle. She’s not venomous.”
Quil nodded. “Good. When are you going to see how she reacts to humans?” Quil had no doubt that
Renesmee was okay and that Jacob would help her control herself, but he was hesitant to think
about her near humans, especially Claire.
“I don’t know yet,” Jacob said. “I want to understand a little bit more before we do that.” He hugged
her tightly.
“You’ve got a heartbeat, which is awesome,” Embry said. “But you’re also really pale like one of
them. What else is like them?”
Renesmee licked her lips. “I don’t really know.” She looked up at Jacob.
“You know about the obvious things, Embry; what do you want to know?” Jacob asked.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but can you be hurt? Like can your skin break?”
She shrugged and pinched her arm. Her skin reacted like it always had before. “I guess so. I don’t
really want to test it.”
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Embry chuckled. “I don’t blame you. Let me know if or when you figure it out.”
She nodded. “Sure.”
“What was the change like?” Seth asked.
“I don’t really know. I think I was unconscious for most of it.” She told him about waking up and
fearing Jacob would have to kill her.
“We were all worried about you. I’m glad you didn’t change too much.” Seth reached forward and
patted her knee.
She put her hand over his. “Thank you.”
He turned his hand over and held her fingers. “You’re not very cold. You’re not as warm as you were
before, either, but at least you’re not a block of ice.”
She smiled. “I kind of felt like it when I woke up.”
Jacob pulled her in a little tighter. “How are you now?”
“I’m okay. I have all my space heaters around to keep me warm.” She looked up at him with a grin.
He chuckled and kissed her lips.
“I’ll bet the sex is epic now,” Embry said. Renesmee’s eyes widened, and she coughed in surprise.
The others turned to look at him blankly. “What?”
“I’m still mad at you, Embry,” Jacob said roughly. “Don’t forget I can shred your ass.”
Renesmee looked up at him. “Why are you mad at him?”
Jacob took a deep breath and explained what had happened. He showed her the scar on his arm
again where he’d been bitten. He still blamed Embry for letting Caius get to his imprint.
She shivered and looked over at Embry. “That’s not really fair, Jake.” Embry met her eyes. He
hadn’t expected her to stand up for him.
“How so?”
She turned to look at Jacob. “I would have been gone already either way. It wasn’t very long after
you went after the Bloodsucker that Caius showed up.”
He winced. “Please don’t say that name.”
“Why not? He’s dead, right? So it doesn’t even matter. You told me in the forest that Caius was the
monster that did this. Don’t go blaming Embry if I can’t blame myself.”
Seth and Embry glanced at each other nervously. They all knew if it had been one of them to
contradict their Alpha like that, he would have gotten defensive. Quil understood why Jacob
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remained silent. Jacob stared into Renesmee’s orange eyes intensely. He didn’t want to admit that
she was right. He needed to have a target; someone to be angry with. At the same time, he knew
she had a point. He’d already considered the idea that the Bloodsucker in the woods was just a
distraction.
Jacob looked at Embry. The silence in the room stretched on. Renesmee waited for Jacob to think
about what she’d said. She watched him as he stared at Embry, his eyes dark.
Seth cleared his throat. It sounded so loud to him. “You know she’s right, Jake,” he said softly.
It was another few seconds before Jacob nodded slowly. “Yeah. I know.” He wasn’t ready to
apologize, though.
Embry sighed in relief. He gave Renesmee a thankful glance. She smiled at him.
“Back to your appetite,” Quil started. “How are you doing around all of us?”
Renesmee shrugged. “I’m okay. You all smell good. It’s weird, though, because I can pick out
differences where I couldn’t before.”
“I bet I smell the best,” Embry said with a smirk.
She reached out her foot and kicked his knee. “Nope. Jacob does. Always has.” She kissed Jacob’s
jaw. He smiled and kissed her lips.
“How’s your throat?” he asked.
“It burns. It’s stronger around everyone than it was with just you. It’s kind of like that dry feeling I’d
get when I needed a drink, but it’s much worse.”
“Do you think you need to hunt again?”
She pursed her lips. “I don’t know. My stomach still feels full. I don’t know what to go by; if it’s just
my throat or if I would feel hungry like before.” She glanced around the room at the others’ faces.
They all seemed supportive.
Jacob nodded and ran his fingers through her hair. “I’ll leave it up to you, baby.”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m okay. I don’t want to go right now; maybe a little later
before bed?”
“All right.”
They talked for a little while longer before Jacob kicked everyone out. He wanted to have Renesmee
to himself again. After they left, she smiled up at him.
“You realize I’m here to stay, right? You can have alone time with me all the time.” She wasn’t
complaining; she wanted to be with him just as much.
“Yeah, I know. All the time does sound good, though.” He kissed her and lightly trailed his fingers
over her arm. “How are you feeling?”
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She licked her lips. “I’m okay. My throat . . . I think I need to go hunting again.” She looked down,
ashamed.
He made her look at him again. “Then let’s go hunting.” He kissed her lips and stood up.
She took a deep breath and went with him. They went to a different area just as secluded as the
first. She got an elk that time and was surprised when she was able to take it down as easily as she
had the deer before. When they returned home, she cleaned up and changed into another of
Jacob’s shirts.
“I think I need to get some clothes soon. I don’t want to ruin all of your shirts.”
He snorted. “I don’t wear them anyway. Consider them all yours.”
She smiled and brushed her hair before walking across the hall to his bedroom. “Jake?”
He looked up at her from his spot on the bed. “Yes?”
“Where is your dad?”
“He’s staying with Sue and Harry for a while. I want you to have a chance to get used to this a little
bit before I introduce you to humans.” He held out his arms and beckoned her to come to him.
She did and snuggled up beside him. “Do you think I’ll be able to control myself?”
He turned on his side to face her and kissed her nose. “Yes, I do, as long as we do this right. You’re
still very much the same Ness I imprinted on and fell in love with, baby. You’re stronger than you
think you are.” He let his hand slide down her side to her hip where he pulled her in a little closer. “I
love you.”
She smiled and kissed him. “I love you, too. Thank you.”
“Let’s give it another day, then we’ll see about bringing Billy home for a while.”
“That sounds perfect. Will everyone be here?”
He pursed his lips. “I don’t know yet. I’m torn, babe. He’s my dad, and I don’t want to see anything
happen to him, but you’re still my number one priority.”
She furrowed her brow. “So you’d sacrifice him for me? That doesn’t sound right.”
“No, baby, I wouldn’t sacrifice him. It’s tricky. I want everyone here to help protect him, but at the
same time, if any of them hurt you, I’d kill them.”
She licked her lips. “If you have so much confidence in me, why are you worried about them hurting
me?”
He sighed. “See what I mean about it being tricky? We’ll have to see how it all plays out, baby.”
She could live with that. “Okay. Just promise you won’t let me hurt your dad or anyone else.”
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He hugged her tightly. “I promise I’ll do my best.”
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~Chapter Seventeen~
Animal
Jacob sighed contentedly and looked down at Renesmee’s sleeping face. She was snuggled into his
side, her head on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead and smiled when her brow twitched slightly.
Life couldn’t get much better than this, he thought. He finally had his imprint beside him, safe and
happy. All of the events that had led up to this moment faded into the background. None of it
mattered anymore because she was okay.
If he wanted to think about it, he knew that it really did matter. There were still a lot of things that
needed to be done. Jasper had called again almost as soon as Renesmee had fallen asleep. Jacob
updated him and felt only marginally remorseful that he hadn’t done it sooner. Her uncle wanted to
know when she could go home. Jacob had almost laughed. She was home. It was something that
he needed to discuss with her, though. He couldn’t make that decision for her, and he doubted
she’d thought much about it since she woke up after her change.
He didn’t want to think about it, though, so he pushed it all aside and focused instead on her steady
heartbeat and soft breathing. The feel of her body against his and the delicate whimper she’d let out
every so often as she exhaled. He tightened his arm around her just enough and kissed her head
again.
“I love you, Ness,” he whispered.
She moaned softly and pressed herself closer to him. He smiled. Bliss. He put his free hand over
hers on his chest and sighed. He still wasn’t tired, but he had to be at the top of his game to help
her through whatever came up. There was no doubt in his mind that they’d just scratched the
surface of her new identity. He closed his eyes and tried to relax.
~*~
Renesmee woke slowly and yawned. The first thing she noticed was heat. It was everywhere, inside
her body and out. The outer heat felt good; it was natural and comfortable and home. The inner
heat scorched her throat. The scent beside her was smooth with a promise of relief from the horrible
fire. Something inside her disagreed; she knew that scent, and it was not food. Logic had nothing
on instinct. She drew in a slow, deep breath, sucking in the delectable aroma and letting it lead her
where she needed to be. Before she even opened her eyes, she bit down, sinking her teeth into
warm, soft flesh. The flow of thick, rich blood tasted like heaven.
Then it was gone. Startled, she opened her eyes and drew back. Jacob was sitting on the bed
beside her, a grimace on his face as he held his hand over his bleeding shoulder.
Shame filled her in an instant. “Jake—”
“I’m fine, Ness.”
She furrowed her brow. “Why do you always say that? I’ve bitten you twice now.”
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“And it’s probably going to happen a lot more. I say that because it’s true. See? I’m not bleeding
anymore.” He showed her the wound. It was already scabbed over.
Renesmee pursed her lips. “Okay, so you’re fine now. What would happen if I bit your throat?”
He shrugged. “Probably the same thing. Should we go hunt?”
Something dawned on her then. She stared at her lap for a moment, gathering her thoughts before
she answered him. “Yes, I think we should. But, Jake . . . Have you eaten anything since I woke up?”
Jacob nodded. “Yeah, I ate last night after you went to sleep.”
“Will you get something else before we leave? I’m not the only one who has to stay strong. Either
that or eat with me when we go.” She couldn’t imagine her sweet Jacob hunting like she did, eating
a deer raw, but she knew he had done it before.
He nodded. “I’ll eat with you. Are you ready to go now?”
She shook her head. She was sure her cheeks were red. “I need to, uh . . . You know . . .” She got
up and kissed him before slipping out of the room and across the hall. He smirked and got up to
take care of his own business outside.
~*~
The forest whipped past at a nearly blinding speed. Renesmee was beginning to understand that
when they’d hunted the day before, Jacob hadn’t run as quickly as he could. They were both getting
more comfortable with the ride, though, and she felt she could hold on much easier than before.
When he stopped, she took a moment to steady herself before she climbed down. She knew what to
do now. She walked slowly and quietly toward the unsuspecting animals. Her heart still fluttered
with sadness when she thought of what was about to happen. She licked her lips and pushed it
away. She took a deep breath, letting the scent envelop her, then she made her choice and let
instinct take over.
Something happened as she leapt toward the deer. It jumped back, startled by a sound Renesmee
hadn’t been aware she’d made, then it began to run. A strange desire flared in her gut. It was
excitement, annoyance, and possession all wrapped up in one. She found herself pushing harder,
chasing after the animal. As it weaved and zigzagged through the trees, she watched and predicted
each movement. She was pleasantly surprised by her new agility. She used the trees to her
advantage, pushing off them to spring ever closer to her prey.
The deer finally made its fatal mistake. It hesitated a fraction of a second, giving her the chance to
lunge and wrap her arms around its neck. She twisted quickly, and the animal was dead. She didn’t
hesitate to begin drinking, highly satisfied with the chase and the result. Euphoria danced in her
veins and she moaned happily as the blood soothed her throat.
She sat back and looked around when she finished. She wasn’t sure where she was now or how far
she’d gone. She sniffed the air and smiled when she caught Jacob’s scent. Instead of calling out to
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him, she decided to try to find him. She listened closely to the sounds around her before she began
her search. He was somewhere close. She tried to be sneaky as she got up and followed his trail.
Jacob smiled to himself as he watched her. He had never been more proud of anything in his life as
he was when she chased down the deer. She was radiant and sexy as hell bounding through the
trees. He wasn’t sure how fast she really was now, but he doubted she’d be able to keep up with
him as a wolf. He shifted back to his human form and slipped on his shorts before locating her again
and moving in the opposite direction.
Renesmee felt a thrill run down her spine when she heard Jacob shift. Her first thought was that
something was wrong, but then he started moving away from her. She realized that he was going to
play with her. She did her best to contain her excitement as she followed. When she thought she
had him, he turned unexpectedly and ran faster. She laughed and tried again to catch up to him.
Jacob wasn’t used to being chased. He was the hunter, not the hunted. He told himself to relax and
let her enjoy this. She was faster than he’d first thought, and he found he actually had to try to keep
ahead of her. She was smart, too; she never made the same mistake twice.
Then suddenly, she was gone. He didn’t hear her footsteps behind him anymore. He slowed down
to give her a chance to catch up, but she didn’t. He stopped and looked around. He could hear her
heart, but he couldn’t tell where it was coming from.
“Ness?” he called. He walked back a few steps, searching the trees. “Where’d you go?”
He sniffed the air. Her scent was all around him still. There were other forest scents, but nothing
alarming like humans. He heard nothing; no footsteps or leaves rustling. Her heartbeat told him she
was somewhere close. Not knowing where had him on edge.
“Ness, this isn’t funny; where are you?”
Renesmee watched him from above, her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. She thought it
was hilarious. She’d jumped into the trees when she realized she wasn’t going to catch him from the
ground. It had worked perfectly. Now she just needed to wait for the right moment. He dragged his
hand through his hair and sighed. She slipped silently down a branch and prepared herself.
Jacob shook his head, berating himself for letting her get out of his sight. He shouldn’t have run
from her. Without warning, he was tackled by something fast and hard. Something deep inside him
overrode his first instinct to shift. Instead, he flipped himself over and growled loudly as he pinned
his attacker to the ground. Renesmee smiled brilliantly up at him.
“Hi, Jake.” She was thrilled. Not only had she been able to pull off her attack, but now he held her
helpless. It was even better than the chase.
He loosened his grip on her arms immediately. “Ness . . . what was that?”
She attempted to shrug. “That was fun.”
He chuckled, already more comfortable and relaxed now that he had her in his sight again. “You had
me worried for a minute.” He leaned down and kissed her. In that moment, his inner animal
realized just how vulnerable she was to him. He pulled back enough to look down at her. “Damn,
Ness . . .” Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright, and her hair spilled around her in a seductive,
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copper mess. On top of all that, the run through the trees and branches scraping past had ripped
her clothes in all the right places.
Renesmee shifted enough to see what Jacob was staring at. She couldn’t help but giggle. She laid
her head back down and jutted her chest out. “Tempted?”
He met her eyes and felt her shiver. “So much more than that.” He kissed her again. One hand left
her wrist and slid down to finger a tear near her neckline. “Did you get hurt?”
She shook her head. “No. I don’t feel any pain at all.”
He nodded. “That’s good. You’re so fucking sexy.” His hand continued down to her breast. He
pinched her nipple, exposed from her torn clothing.
She licked her lips and looked around. “How fast do you think we could get home?”
“Not nearly fast enough.” He squeezed her roughly and repositioned himself between her legs. “I
need you right now.”
“Here?”
He nodded and kissed her neck roughly. Her moan made him harder. “There’s nothing around but
wildlife. We won’t get caught.”
She swallowed and gave in to desire. “Okay.”
Jacob pulled himself away from her to stand up and take off his shorts. As he did, she got up to take
her own off as well. He grabbed her up in a frantic kiss, so eager to finally be inside her again. Her
arms and legs wrapped around him.
She pulled back a little when she tasted his blood. His lip was bleeding. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He shook his head and pressed her back against the nearest tree. “Don’t be.” He kissed her softly
one more time then reached down to get himself into position. “I love you.”
She kept eye contact with him as he slipped inside. Her body jerked when it was too much too fast.
She whimpered and licked her lips. “Slower, Jake.”
He nodded and tried to keep himself under control. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back,
moving slowly until he was all the way in. “Goddammit, you’re fucking tight.” She wasn’t as pliant as
she had been before. It added a different dimension and a new level of pleasure.
Renesmee arched her back and fisted her hands in his hair. “Is it different from the last time?” she
asked breathlessly.
He nodded and kissed her. “Yes.” Another kiss. “And no.” His arms tightened around her, holding
her closer to his body as he gave in to the desire for more friction. “Fuck, Ness . . . It’s still . . . Jesus .
. .” It was too difficult to focus on words. Instead, he dipped his head and kissed her throat.
There was a part of her that wanted to know if he liked it better now or if he preferred her as a
human. Even though she couldn’t do anything either way, something deep inside her needed to
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know. Concentrating on the differences she felt was getting harder by the second as he overtook
every one of her senses. He bit her throat, and it seemed anything that wasn’t making love
disappeared. She let herself get swallowed by the rising passion in her gut.
“Come for me, baby,” he growled against her neck. She moaned louder and buried her face in his
shoulder. He winced when her teeth broke his skin, but the slight pain made every bit of pleasure
more intense. As she lost herself, her teeth dug deeper and harder. He tried to shrug her off, but it
only spurred her on. He wanted to just let her do what she wanted, but the pain was becoming more
of a distraction than an enhancement.
“Ness, stop,” he said in her ear. “Baby, stop biting me.” He kissed her head and pushed against her
with more force.
Renesmee heard his voice, but the words were jumbled. She only felt and tasted as everything in
her world spiraled toward paradise. She was so close she could feel it beginning to tighten in her
abdomen.
Jacob rearranged his hold on her against the tree and grabbed her hair with one hand. He pulled her
back and winced again. He growled as he pushed her harder against the tree and kissed her cheek.
He watched her face as she came undone. Her whole body tensed and tightened around him. The
sensation pushed him over the edge.
Renesmee felt like she’d turned into melted butter as Jacob slowly pulled out and set her back on
her feet. She licked her lips and looked up at him apologetically. He just smirked and kissed her
head. She inspected his shoulder silently. Like every other time she’d bitten him, he was fine. She
kissed the healing mark and leaned back against the tree for support.
“How are you?” he asked.
She took a deep breath and moaned softly as she exhaled. “To say I am deliriously happy would be
an understatement.” She smiled up at him. “How are you?”
“I’m Fantastic.”
“I really love you.”
He leaned down to kiss her lips. “I love you, too.” He stepped back and picked up his shorts.
She followed suit and picked at her shirt. “What should I do about this?”
He pursed his lips. “I don’t know. Should we just run home and see how much more will fall off by
the time we get there?”
She couldn’t help but giggle. “Sure. Before we do, though, should we find my deer? And did you
eat?”
“No, I didn’t. Give me five minutes and I’ll take care of both.” He pushed his shorts down again. “I’ll
be right back.”
“I’m not sure where we are or where I left it.”
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He shrugged. “I can find it. Just don’t go wandering around, please. You already scared me once
today.”
She smiled proudly. “Like you couldn’t find me just as easily.”
“True.” He kissed her. “But stay here. I’ll be back in a minute.”
She took his pants for him and watched as he shifted and ran off. She sighed and sat down to wait.
She thought about going after him, but she figured she probably didn’t want to see him eat or what
he was going to do to the deer. The thought of it was strangely fascinating and yet disgusting at the
same time.
A few minutes later, she heard him padding up to her. She smiled and stood up. He shifted and got
dressed again.
“Feel better?” she asked.
“Yeah. Everything’s taken care of. Are you ready to go?” He kissed her.
“Yes. Which way is home?” she asked.
He looked around for a moment. “It’s pretty much a straight shot that way.” He pointed southwest.
“Do you think I could find the way if I was in the lead?”
He nodded. “Sure. Just pay attention to where you are and the scents around you. If you start to
think you might be lost, just say something and I’ll set you straight.”
She smiled deviously. “In that case . . . I bet you can’t catch me!” She kicked into a run, leaving him
behind.
~*~
Renesmee stared at the pile of clothing on Jacob’s bed and sighed. While they were out hunting that
morning, Seth had been at her aunt and uncle’s house getting some of her things. She felt so
terrible for not even thinking about them. She lifted a shirt and brought it to her nose. She
remembered distinctly the smell it used to have. A little bland, but fresh and soft. It was the
detergent her mother always used. Now it was anything but bland. She wasn’t sure what each scent
was, but one was her aunt’s perfume and another was distinctly cotton.
She put the shirt down and turned into Jacob’s arms behind her. He held her tightly and hoped she
was okay. He hadn’t expected clothes to bring up this reaction.
“Are they okay?” she asked.
Jacob kissed her head. “I’ve talked to your uncle a few times. They’re worried about you, but they’re
fine.”
She looked up at him. “Do they know?”
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“Yes. I explained everything when you went missing.” He lightly touched her cheek. “As soon as we
make sure you’re safe around humans, I want to take you to see them.”
She sniffled and nodded. “What if I’m not?”
“You can’t think like that, Ness. You’re doing so well with everything and you have incredible control
of yourself.”
“Except in the mornings and when we have sex.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “We’ll work on both, and before you know it, you won’t have anything to
worry about.”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”
“I have faith in you, baby. You’re going to be amazing.” He bent to kiss her lips. “Try to trust
yourself.”
“I’ll try.” She hugged him and turned back to the bed. She stripped off the ragged remains of her
shirt and torn pants to get new clothes on. “What am I going to tell my parents?” she asked without
turning.
Jacob put his hands on her shoulders. “Do you want to tell them the truth?”
She knew exactly how her father would react. Their trip would end early so he could come home and
tell her she’d gone crazy. Her mother was more open to new ideas and suggestions; she might need
to see her daughter, but she wouldn’t deny the possibility. “Not right now.”
He nodded and kissed the back of her head. “When are they coming back?”
“September third—almost a month and a half.”
Jacob sat on the bed and pulled her down beside him. “I think you have a few choices. One, you can
talk to them like you normally would and break the news when they get back; two, you can try to
prepare them by dropping little hints every now and then; or three, you can just get it over with now
and deal with the consequences.”
She nodded and leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder. “I don’t want to ruin the rest of their
vacation. They both waited so long to take it. I think I’ll wait.”
His arm tightened around her. “Okay.” He kissed her head. “When they come back, we’ll think of a
good way to tell them.”
“Thank you, Jake.”
He nodded again. “You know I’ll always stand beside you no matter what you choose.”
She smiled and leaned back, pulling him with her. She turned on her side to face him and stretched
her arm over his chest. Being in his arms felt so good. She had to say she was grateful for the
enhanced senses. Without them, she’d never be able to really appreciate him. His scent, the feel of
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his skin against hers, and even his steady breathing were so much clearer to her than they ever had
been before. She kissed his throat and sucked in a slow breath to savor the warm smell of his blood.
“Jake, can I ask you something?”
He looked down at her and nodded. “Anything.”
“When we made love earlier . . . Was it better than when I was human?”
Jacob thought about his answer before he spoke. “Yes and no.” He turned on his side and smirked
at her raised eyebrow. “Hear me out, okay? Both times we’ve been together have been amazing.
The first time with you will always be one of the most incredible experiences of my life. If we’re
talking just the physical aspect of it, it was more intense this time. Your body is . . . well, you’re
tighter, which feels better. But it’s so much more than that for me. The connection I have with you is
the same. On an intimate level, Ness, I don’t know if I could decide which was better.”
She reached up and touched his cheek. “You’re not just saying that?”
“Of course not.” He pulled her closer. “I love you, baby. Human or half-human Bloodsucker, that
doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that you’re mine and I can keep you safe and happy.”
“Thank you.” She kissed his lips.
“Always, baby. What about you? Did you like it better in the woods or our first time?”
She blushed and smiled with embarrassment. “I don’t know. Both were extremely satisfying.”
He chuckled. “I’m glad to hear it.”
She pushed herself a little closer and sighed as she relaxed against him. “I know Billy knows about
me, but what about Harry and Sue?”
“Yeah, they all do. Everyone you met at the bonfire already knows.”
She took a deep breath. “Okay. And we want to bring Billy here tomorrow evening, right?”
“If you’re comfortable with it, yes.”
“I just don’t want to hurt him.”
He put his fingers under chin and met her eyes. “You’re going to be fine, baby. Trust yourself like
you did during your hunt today.”
She licked her lips. “But I was chasing blood then.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Doesn’t matter. You were smart and strong and you could do anything.
That’s who you are, Ness. It’s who you’ve always been, but I don’t think you saw it before. See it
now and don’t give in to those little fears. I’m here, and I won’t let you do anything you’ll regret.”
Renesmee tried to believe him. She nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
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“Thank you.”
~*~
“Try to calm down, Ness,” Jacob said softly. “If this is going to work, you need to relax.”
“But Billy’s on his way, Jake. Aren’t you even the slightest bit nervous?” She paced the living room
as she waited to find out just how much of a monster she truly was.
He sighed. “Yes, I am nervous. But I’m also positive that you will do great. Come sit down with me.”
“I don’t think I can sit down right now.” Something deep in her chest wanted to run. She barely
managed to keep it under control.
Jacob got up with her and took her hand. “Take a deep breath.” She did. “He’s my dad, Ness. Just
remember that. He knows about all of this, and he’s been extremely supportive.”
She looked up at him. “Is he afraid to come here?”
He scoffed. “Are you kidding me? He’s looking forward to this. I talked to him earlier on the phone; I
don’t think he’s been as excited about anything in a long while. Maybe when I imprinted, but that’s a
little different.” He lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. “He knows what he’s getting into, baby.”
She took another breath and the thought calm her down a little. “Okay. He’s on his way, right?”
They both turned toward the door when they heard a truck. Jacob smiled. “That would be him.”
Renesmee closed her eyes and nodded. “I can do this.”
“Yes, you can.”
She inhaled deeply and almost moaned at the smell. It was mingled with others, but it was fresh and
rich. It made the tingle in her throat turn into a searing fire. She looked up at Jacob and took hold of
his arm. “Don’t let me hurt him.”
He leaned down to kiss her lips. “You know I won’t.” His arm wrapped around her shoulders tightly.
Renesmee smiled as she listened to Quil and Seth helping Billy out of the car. Embry opened the
door and walked in first.
“Hey, Ness. How’re you holding up?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I’m all right.”
“Good.” He turned to poke his head back out the door. “Come on, guys.”
“We’re coming,” Billy said. “If these two galoots would get out of my way.”
“Billy, we’re—”
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“Shut up, Quil. She’s practically my daughter-in-law, and I want to see her.”
Renesmee couldn’t help but smile when Quil sighed. Finally they made it to the door. The three
Shifters blocked the way for a brief moment. She had to wonder if they were doing that purposely to
build suspense or if they actually thought she might do something.
“Dammit, get out of my way before I kick you,” Billy grumbled.
Jacob chuckled and nodded. They moved to let Billy in. Renesmee was surprised by a rush of
happiness and a desire to hug the old man. She took a second to breathe and test herself. She
wanted his blood, but no more than she wanted Jacob’s or any of the other Shifters’. She tried to
pull away from Jacob, but he held her tightly.
“I’m okay,” she said. She looked up at him. “I really am.”
Jacob met her eyes for a second before he let her go. He watched her closely and the others closer
as she bent down and wrapped her arms around Billy’s neck. He hugged her back, patting her
shoulder a few times.
“It’s nice to see you, Ness,” Billy said with a smile. He hadn’t had any doubts that she would be fine
after Jacob had called and explained the situation.
Renesmee smiled. She was so proud of herself. She told herself over and over again that he wasn’t
as durable as Jacob. She couldn’t afford to slip with Billy like she could with his son. “You, too. Are
you okay? I mean, with this?” She gestured to her eyes.
Billy waved a hand. “Women are always over-sensitive about their appearance. You’re as beautiful
as you ever were.” He touched her cheek.
She smiled. “Thank you.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek, then got up and went to stand by
Jacob. “I’m okay!” She was thrilled.
Jacob hugged her tightly. “I knew you would be.”
She looked at the other Shifters. Embry and Seth were pleased, but Quil still seemed unconvinced.
She cleared her throat and looked up at Jacob. She wasn’t sure what to do now.
Billy wheeled himself past his son. “Well, now that I’m home, I might as well have some decent
coffee.” He went into the kitchen and began going through things to get what he wanted.
“Thanks, guys,” Jacob said, nodding to his pack. “You can go now.”
Quil hesitated. “You sure?”
Jacob narrowed his eyes. “Don’t test me, Quil. She’s fine.”
The other Shifter nodded and turned to leave. Seth and Embry followed him.
Billy came back into the room a few moments later, a coffee mug resting in the cup holder on his
chair. “Don’t just stand around like there’s nothing to do. Sit down and fill me in. What’s new?”
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Renesmee tugged Jacob’s hand to get him to sit next to her on the couch. “Everything’s new,” she
said.
Jacob smiled. “Not everything.” He kissed her cheek.
She blushed. “You know what I mean.” She took a deep breath and looked at Billy. “I’ve killed two
deer and an elk with my bare hands.”
Billy nodded. “That’s impressive. But, I’m afraid you still have a ways to go to catch up to me. In my
day, I hunted to keep food on the table. I have thirty-two deer, five elk, and seven rabbits under my
belt.”
“You didn’t kill them all with your bare hands, though, did you?” she asked skeptically.
He smirked. “Almost. I just had a little dagger.”
Jacob coughed. “Don’t lie to her, Dad. You had a huge knife.”
Billy scowled. “I could have done it with a little dagger.”
Renesmee laughed. “I don’t doubt your hunting skills, Billy. I’m pretty sure at the rate I’m going, I’ll
catch up to you in no time. Except the rabbits.”
Jacob tightened his arm around her shoulders. “You might like them. I wouldn’t exclude them until
you’ve tried one.”
She snorted. “You’re encouraging me to hunt down and kill an innocent little Thumper?”
He shrugged. “You’ve already gotten an innocent little Bambi; why not?”
“Gee thanks, Jake; that’s just the image I need.” She frowned and crossed her arms.
“Don’t think of cartoon characters when you’re hunting, Ness,” Billy suggested. He gave his son a
dirty look. “Think of rabid rabbits and deer gone bad.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “I’d get rabies.”
He smiled and leaned forward to pat her knee. “Do whatever makes it easier for you.”
She put her hand over his. “Thanks.”
Jacob sighed and kissed her head. “How are you feeling?”
She looked up at him and shrugged. “It hurts.” She touched her throat. “Almost like a sunburn on
the inside.”
“Do you need to hunt?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s just the smell.”
Billy took a sip of his coffee. “I assume you’ll be staying here from now on?”
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Jacob looked down at her. She seemed uncertain. She licked her lips and glanced at Jacob. “For
now?” she asked.
He nodded. He wouldn’t make her uncomfortable by pushing for a more definite answer. “For now.”
Billy nodded. “All right. What time is it?” He looked at his watch. It was going on seven o’clock in
the evening. “I guess I should probably get going. You want to take me back to Harry and Sue’s?”
He looked at Jacob.
Renesmee leaned forward. “Billy, just because I’m here doesn’t mean you have to leave.”
He smiled serenely. “I know that, honey. I want to give you two your privacy. Let you get a little more
settled, then we’ll talk about me coming back for good. I’ve already talked to Harry and Sue, and
they’re both fine with me hanging around.”
She felt terrible for causing so much disruption. She looked up at Jacob, silently begging him to
make things right. He touched her chin and leaned forward to kiss her lips.
“Don’t worry about anything, Ness. The old man knows what he’s doing. I agree with him; I think it’s
best for a little longer. We know you’re okay, but there are still some things we have to work on.”
She remembered the day before when she couldn’t talk herself out of biting him. She nodded and
looked down. Better him than Billy. “Okay.”
“When do you want to take me back?” Billy asked.
Jacob looked at Renesmee. He didn’t want to leave her. She smiled up at him.
“I’m fine here if you want to go.”
He pursed his lips. “I’ll have Seth come back.” He stood up and went outside to get his pack mate.
Renesmee smiled nervously at Billy. “He’s overprotective.”
Billy chuckled. “You don’t have to explain him to me. I’ve seen him through this whole imprinting
process; I know he’s overprotective.”
She wasn’t sure why she was surprised that he knew about the imprint. Then she wondered about
something. “Did you ever imprint?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No. I never had the gene, so I never shifted. My father did, though. Shifted, I
mean. He didn’t imprint. Or if he did, I was never told about it.” He shrugged. “I never got to see it,
though. Sometimes I wish I could have.”
Renesmee nodded. “Did Jacob know about his grandfather?”
“Yes. I don’t think he believed all the stories about the great Chief Ephraim until he started to shift,
but he grew up hearing the stories.”
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She smiled. She liked the idea that her monkey was named after Jacob’s grandfather. Then she
frowned; she hadn’t seen it in the things Seth had gotten from her aunt and uncle’s house.
Jacob came back in and sat next to her. “Seth’ll be here in a minute.” He took her hand and kissed
her knuckles. “I heard you two talking.”
She wasn’t sure why she blushed. “I was curious.”
“You should be. It’s not just my past anymore, Ness. Those stories are every bit a part of you now as
they are me. Ask all the questions you want.”
“Thank you. I don’t have any more right now, though.”
He nodded. “Just speak up if you do.”
Billy watched the other two proudly. He could see in his son a sense of completion that hadn’t been
there before. It made him happy to see everything falling into place, even if it was a little strangely.
He turned when Seth came in.
“You ready to go, Old Man?”
He chuckled. “Ready as I’ll ever be. You want to take that for me, Jake?” He handed the coffee
mug to his son.
Jacob took it and nodded his thanks to Seth. Seth nodded back and wheeled Billy out. Renesmee
followed Jacob to the kitchen.
“I’m kind of hungry,” she said softly.
He nodded as he rinsed the cup out. “We’ll go hunting in a minute.”
She stepped up behind him and shook her head. “No, I mean I’m actually hungry. I don’t want to go
hunting, I want to eat something.”
He put his arm around her and kissed her head. “What do you want?”
She thought about it for a second. “Something meaty. And it kind of sounds disgusting, but
something raw.”
He smirked. “Doesn’t sound disgusting. Remember that you’re an animal now. You won’t be eating
fancy cooked meals anymore. Let’s see what we’ve got.” He stepped away from her to open the
fridge. He pulled out a package of ground beef. “Too processed?”
She sniffed it. “It smells disgusting.”
“I could cook it.”
She grimaced. “You’d probably be the only one eating it.”
“Would you try some?”
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She sighed. “Yeah, I guess.”
He kissed her lips. “I’ll try to make it good. It might be a good idea to bring back a deer or two each
week. We can hang them in the garage like my dad used to.”
“I agree.” She stood back and let him get to work.
“Remember, I warned you before that I can’t cook worth shit. It’s not going to be elaborate.”
Renesmee laughed. “Don’t worry about it, Jake. Can I help?”
“Nope. Just sit back and watch me work substandard magic.” He chuckled and kissed her one more
time.
She pushed herself up to sit on the counter and watched him as he moved around the kitchen. She
decided after a few minutes that she definitely liked the sight of him fixing a meal for her. It wouldn’t
matter what it ended up tasting like; the fact that he was making it was a thrill to her.
When it was finished, Jacob got a few plates down and put some on hers. “Here you go.” He turned
to hand it to her.
She took it and smiled at the unrecognizable glob. “What is it?”
“I call it mush. It’s also known as ‘shit on a shingle.’”
She nodded. “My mom made this when I was a kid. I haven’t had it in a while. Thank you.” She
picked up the fork he handed to her and took a bite.
“What do you think?” he asked after his third bite.
“It’s . . . Um . . .” She wasn’t sure how to tell him what she really thought of it.
“You can tell me it’s nasty, Ness; I won’t be hurt.” He winked at her.
“Let me put it this way, Jake: I don’t think I’ll be eating human food again for a while. I think it’d be
good if I weren’t like this.” She gestured to her body. “But I am.”
Jacob set his plate aside and walked up to her to take hers. He put it on the counter beside her and
kissed her lips. She was closer to his height now. She put her hands on his shoulders and took a
deep breath of his scent.
“Don’t fight it, Ness. Do you know how long I fought this whole Shifter thing? I was miserable for
years until I finally accepted that I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. It’s who I am and who I was
destined to be. Be who you are, baby. If you want to go hunting to get some meat, let’s do it. Don’t
make yourself unhappy, please.”
She sighed and nodded again. “Okay. I do want fresh meat.”
He kissed her lips one more time before he pulled back. “Then let’s go.”
“What about this?” She gestured to her plate.
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He shrugged. “Put it in the fridge. I’ll eat it later.” He put the food into a container and set it in the
fridge, then he took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Ready to go?”
She nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
~*~
“I have a question, Ness,” Jacob asked as he crawled into bed beside her. The hunt had gone well,
and she’d gotten the meat she craved.
She laid her head on his shoulder and nodded. “What is it?”
“Since you did so good with Billy today, I wanted to know how you feel about going to see your aunt
and uncle soon.”
She looked up at him. “I don’t know,” she said hesitantly. “I want to see them, but . . . I don’t know.
It’s scary, even though I don’t think it should be.”
He nodded. “I know, honey. Just remember how incredible you were today.”
She smiled. “I did do a pretty remarkable job, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did. Why don’t you think about it tomorrow and let me know what you decide.”
“I can do that.” She kissed his lips and settled down again. “I love you.”
His arms tightened around her. “I love you, too.”
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~Chapter Eighteen~
New Life
“I can do this.” Renesmee took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for the meeting with her aunt
and uncle. “I can do this . . . Oh, God, Jacob, I can’t do this.” She sat on the bed and covered her
face with her hands.
Jacob sat next to her. He hated to see her so nervous. “Ness, you can do this. Remember how good
you did with Billy, Harry, and Sue? This won’t be any different. They’re just humans.”
She looked up at him with terrified eyes. “They’re just humans I’ve known all my life. They’ll take
one look at me and hate me.”
He kissed her head and pulled her closer. “No, they won’t. They love you, and they know what
happened. They’re prepared for this, baby.”
“What if I hurt them? I did well with the others, but what if this is the time I go crazy?”
“What if nothing happens and you’re freaking out over nothing?” He pulled her onto his lap. “Honey,
they’re your family. You can’t shut them out. They just want to know that you’re okay.”
“I’m scared,” she admitted.
He rubbed her arms gently. “I know, baby. I’ll make you a deal. Come with me now to see your aunt
and uncle. If they don’t love you and accept you as much as they did before this happened, I will let
you decide what you get. You can have anything you want; we can hunt something other than elk or
deer, you can go on a shopping spree, or you can do weird and kinky things to me.”
Renesmee laughed. “That sounds like something you would want.”
Jacob smirked. “It’s win-win. But, if they do love and accept you the way they did before, then you
have to promise that you never doubt yourself again. You can’t call yourself a monster or tell me that
you’re not yourself anymore. You are one hell of an amazing, kick-ass woman, Ness. Let yourself
believe that.”
She considered Jacob’s conditions. She knew she would have to face Alice and Jasper eventually.
She nodded and looked up at him. “We have a deal.”
He smiled widely and kissed her lips. “Great; let’s go.” He took her hand, and they walked out the
door to the car.
“I don’t understand why we can’t run,” she complained.
He smirked as he opened the door for her. “If you rip your clothes to shreds again, you’ll be mostly
naked by the time we get there. Are you sure you want your aunt and uncle to see you like that?”
“Good point.” She got into the car.
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The ride was comfortably silent as Jacob held Renesmee’s hand on the stick shift. She watched the
trees fly by, a mixture of excitement and fear churning in her gut. She tried to ignore everything but
the freedom she felt in that moment. It was the first time she’d left the reservation since her
change. Even though she knew she wasn’t a prisoner, she didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of
going anywhere on her own.
When they pulled up to the house, Renesmee was scared again. She turned to look at Jacob with
wide eyes.
“Everything will be okay,” he told her. He squeezed her fingers. “Trust me.” He pulled her close and
kissed her.
She nodded. “I trust you.” They got out of the car, and he took her hand again. “Do they know
about my eyes?” she asked urgently.
He made her look up at him. “Yes, baby. I’ve told them about all of your changes. Please don’t
worry.”
She took a deep breath and held his hand tighter. “Okay. I’m ready.” She told herself over and over
again that she’d already met three humans without any trouble at all. This should be no different.
And yet it was; those other three didn’t know her when she was young; she hadn’t played with her
grandfather in their back yard. And most importantly, they all knew about the legends long before
she changed.
Jacob knocked on the door. Renesmee’s heart rate sped up almost painfully, and she turned to bury
her face in his chest. He held her tightly as the door opened.
Alice was the first to rush out. She was so happy and relieved to see her niece that she didn’t stop to
remember what Jacob had told them. She was easily startled and needed time to ease into the new
situation. Alice stepped forward and threw her arms around Renesmee.
“Oh, honey, I’m so glad—”
Renesmee should have expected such an energetic greeting. She wasn’t prepared, though, and the
sudden onslaught made her push herself closer to Jacob and growl. Alice stopped short at the
sound. Jasper took her shoulders and pulled her back against him.
Everything was silent. To Renesmee, it felt like ages before anyone spoke. She was ashamed and
still nervous; she didn’t dare turn around to face her aunt.
Jacob leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Are you okay, Ness?” he asked.
She shook her head. She wanted to be, but she wasn’t sure how to make it happen.
“I’m sorry,” Alice said.
Jacob shook his head. “It’s okay. Just give her a second.”
Jasper and Alice stepped back into the house, and Jacob led Renesmee in. He leaned his head
down and kissed her ear. “Ness, baby, it’s okay,” he whispered. “Everyone’s all right.”
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Renesmee took a few more deep breaths and pulled back to look up at Jacob. Her eyes burned with
tears. “I’m so sorry.”
He touched her cheek and kissed her lips. “Don’t be. How’s your throat?”
She shrugged. “It burns.”
Alice furrowed her brow. “What’s wrong?”
Renesmee turned slowly to face her aunt. She smiled sadly and watched Alice’s expression change
from worry to shock. She licked her lips and squeezed Jacob’s hand. “My throat hurts, because, um
. . . certain smells kind of make me thirsty.”
Jasper reached forward and grabbed Alice’s arm. He believed Jacob when he said Renesmee was
still mostly her former self, but the girl standing before them barely looked like his niece. He wanted
to pull Alice behind him and protect her.
“Thirsty?” Alice said. “What would you like? We have juice, water, milk, soda . . . take your pick.”
“Got any spare blood?” Renesmee asked ruefully. She tried to smile, make it a joke, but it didn’t
work.
Alice shook her head. “No, why would we have spare blood?”
“It’s what she has to drink now,” Jacob offered. “She’s been doing a great job adapting.” He rubbed
her forearm with his free hand.
Renesmee looked up at him, unsure of what to do next. He kissed her forehead and pushed her
forward gently. She swallowed and turned back to Alice.
“I’m sorry I growled at you. I was—still am—scared.”
Alice smiled. “Honey, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Come here.” She held out her arms for a hug.
Jasper tensed and watched his wife pull Renesmee into a hug. He looked at Jacob, satisfied to see
him just as tense. It made him feel a little better knowing he wasn’t the only one concerned.
“Oh, my gosh,” Alice squeaked. “You’re much stronger, sweetie. Watch the grip.”
Renesmee pulled back quickly. “I’m sorry.”
Alice waved her hand. “I’m fine.”
Jasper swallowed and took a breath before he stepped forward. “What about me? Do I get a hug?”
Renesmee smiled and went to him. “Of course, Uncle Jasper.” She was more careful with him.
“We love you, Renesmee. We’re so glad you’re safe.”
“I love you, too. Both of you.” She wiped her eyes when Jasper moved back.
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Alice sucked in a quick breath. “Well, what are we doing standing around? Come in and sit down.
Stay a while. I made snacks, but I guess you probably won’t want to eat them?”
Jacob smiled. “I’ll eat them.”
They went to the dining room and sat at the table. Renesmee sat on Jacob’s lap. Alice brought in a
plate of fruit, crackers, cheese, and a dip she’d made.
“So how are things?” Renesmee asked.
Alice sighed. “It’s been very difficult to focus on everything with you gone. Knowing that you’re safe
with Jacob is probably the only thing that’s kept me sane. The flower shop is getting more business,
though. I hired another two people yesterday, so that should help.”
“That’s good to hear. Good luck.”
“Thanks. What about you? How is everything? What’s the biggest change? Apart from your eyes, I
mean.”
Renesmee shrugged. “It’s going, I guess. I’m doing the best I can. Jacob’s been a huge help.”
Jacob smirked and kissed her head. “Everything is so different, though. I kill deer with my bare
hands now.” She held her hands up as if to demonstrate.
Alice and Jasper were silent for a moment, not sure what to say. Renesmee looked at her lap and
put her hands down. Jacob hugged her waist. “She’s a very efficient hunter. Hasn’t missed one.”
He wasn’t going to let her feel ashamed or guilty for doing what she had to do.
Alice licked her lips nervously. “Do you just hunt deer?”
Renesmee shook her head. “No. I’ve taken down a few elk, too.”
Jasper was trying to accept this as reality. “Maybe we could hunt together sometime?” He hadn’t
hunted in what felt like a lifetime, but the idea of having fresh meat had always appealed to him.
“No.” Renesmee immediately shook her head. “I’m sorry, but no. I follow scents, and to be honest,
your blood smells better than any deer could.”
He nodded. “I see. Okay, well, what do you do with the meat?”
She smiled. “Sometimes I eat it, sometimes Jake does. We could give you some, though.”
“That’d be cool. Elk is good.”
They talked more about Renesmee’s new changes and how she was adapting to them.
“Who’s up for a game of cards?” Jasper asked a while later.
“Poker?” Renesmee asked. She hadn’t played in a long time.
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“You know Alice hates that game. She doesn’t know what a poker face is.” Alice stuck her tongue
out at him. He chuckled. “Don’t do that unless you intend to use it.”
Alice laughed. “Later, dear.”
“How about King’s Corners?” Jasper suggested.
“I love that game,” Renesmee said happily. “Do you remember when you taught me to play, Uncle
Jasper?”
“I do. You were a horrible cheater.”
“I was a kid; what did you expect?”
“Well, you can’t cheat this time. Are you and Jacob going to be one?”
She turned to look back and Jacob. “Do you mind if we’re one? I don’t want to move yet.”
He kissed her nose. “I don’t know how to play this one, so you can teach me.” He scooted the chair
a little closer to the table. She nodded and leaned back against him as Jasper dealt the cards.
Throughout the game, Renesmee felt herself relaxing further. It was nice to laugh with her aunt and
uncle, and to do something so normal.
“So are you planning to stay here or go back with Jacob?” Alice asked.
Renesmee stared at her for a moment, not sure how to answer. Jacob rubbed her arm gently. She
sucked in a deep breath and shrugged. “I’d like to go back with Jake. At least for now.” She looked
down at her cards.
Alice nodded. “That’s fine, sweetie. I was just curious. You might want to take some of your things
with you, though, like your cell phone and some more clothes. You’ll probably need them. Will you
come out and see us more often?”
“Of course.” It was a promise she felt confident making.
They finished the game when Jasper won. Alice yawned as he started to clear everything up.
“We should probably go,” Jacob said. He didn’t want to make Renesmee leave, but he also didn’t
want to keep Alice and Jasper up.
Renesmee nodded. “Yeah, probably. Will you come up to the room with me while I get some stuff?”
He nodded. “Of course, baby.”
Jacob and Renesmee walked up the steps to Renesmee’s room. She sucked in a breath, smelling
the air. She was surprised when she could still pick up on faint traces of the Bloodsucker that had
changed her. An involuntary growl rumbled in her chest.
“Are you okay?” Jacob asked.
188
She turned to him. “Yeah. I’m sorry; I didn’t expect to smell him.”
“It’s all right, Ness. The scent lingers for weeks, but it weakens every day. Even if you didn’t already
know, you’d be able to tell it had been a while by how faint it is.”
She looked around the room and sighed when she saw her monkey on the bed. She smiled and
went to pick it up. She sat on the edge of the bed and hugged the stuffed animal. Jacob smiled and
went to sit next to her.
“You like that thing, huh?”
She held it out. “Of course I do; you gave him to me. I even named him after you. Well, kind of. His
name is Ephraim.”
“Ah, so that’s why you said my grandfather’s name when you were waking up after your change. I
wondered about that.” He reached out to push her hair behind her shoulder. “I’m glad you like it.”
Renesmee got up to grab an empty suitcase from the corner of the room. “He’s definitely coming
with us.” She placed the monkey reverently in the corner of the case then went to get some more
clothes and her books. Once it was filled, she picked up her purse and her cell phone from the
nightstand. The battery was dead, so she made sure to grab the charger as well.
“I think I’ve got everything,” She said a moment later as she zipped up the suitcase.
“You can always come back if you realize you forgot something. This is not your only visit.” Jacob
stepped up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Remember that, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
He kissed her head and reached around her to get the suitcase.
“I can take that, Jake.”
“I know you can, but I’ll do it. You still need to say goodbye to your aunt and uncle.”
He was right. They went back downstairs. While Jacob was putting the suitcase in the car,
Renesmee found Alice and Jasper in the kitchen.
“We’re ready to go,” she said.
Alice went up to her. “Have a good night, honey.” She hugged her niece. “I love you so much.”
Renesmee hugged her back gently. “I love you, too.”
"Take care, Renesmee,” Jasper said as he hugged her. “Come back soon, okay?” He squeezed her
gently.
“We will. I love you.” She reached up and kissed his cheek.
“I love you, too.”
189
Jacob came back in and put his arm around Renesmee’s shoulders.
“Take care of my niece,” Jasper said as he shook Jacob’s hand.
Jacob nodded. “You know I will. Are you ready, baby?”
Renesmee nodded. They left a moment later.
“How are you?” Jacob asked on the ride home.
She shrugged and turned to look at him. “I’m all right, I guess. I’m glad it went well.”
“I told you it would. Remember our deal?”
She smiled. “Yes, I do. I’m an amazing, kick-ass woman.” She wasn’t sure if she really believed it,
but it felt nice to say it.
“You ride a shape-shifting wolf through the forest and take down deer with your bare hands. Who
else can say that?”
She giggled. “I don’t imagine many other people.”
He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “No one else. Just you, because you’re incredible.”
“Thanks, Jake.”
“Are you thirsty?”
She nodded. “Let’s get my stuff in the house first. I’d like to plug my phone in, then we can go.”
“Sure, babe.”
When they got home, Jacob carried the suitcase in. Renesmee opened it and pulled out her phone,
its charger, and Ephraim. She set the monkey on the bed and searched around for an outlet. Once
her phone was charging, she turned to Jacob.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
He took her hand, and they left.
After another successful hunt, the two returned home. Renesmee checked her phone to discover a
new text message from her mother. She felt herself get colder as she stared at the name on the
display.
“You okay, babe?” Jacob asked when he saw her standing there, looking at her phone with an
expression of devastation on her face. “What’s wrong?”
“My mom,” she whispered, unable to look away.
“Is she okay?” He went to her and glanced down at the screen. His brow furrowed in confusion.
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She shook her head. “I don’t know . . .” She wasn’t sure how to say what she felt. She’d made a
deal with Jacob, but now she wasn’t sure she could keep her end. Her thoughts went to September
when her parents would return to find their daughter wasn’t their daughter anymore.
Jacob sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, then he pulled her down gently so she sat beside him.
“Ness, we’ve been through this. You’re their daughter; you’re still Ness. You decided you wanted to
wait until they come back to tell them, so we’ll deal with it when it comes up. Remember our deal,
and trust me, okay?” He kissed her temple.
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. I can do that.”
“In the meantime, look at that message and see what she has to say.” He gestured to the phone.
Renesmee nodded again, but it took a few seconds for her to work up the courage to open the text.
Just checking on you. Haven’t heard from you for a little while. Call me when you get a minute. Love
you. BTW, your father and I are still having a blast! Love you.
Her eyes watered. She looked up at Jacob. “What should I do?”
“Call her. If you don’t, she’s going to get worried and call Alice and Jasper, then you’ll end up feeling
bad about putting them in that situation. Call and tell her everything’s okay.” He held her a little
tighter. “I’ll sit right here with you if you want.”
She nodded and kissed him. “I do want.” She sniffled and found her mother’s number. She took
another deep breath and hit the call button. More tears stung her eyes as the line rang. She tried to
bury her face in Jacob’s chest, and he stroked her hair.
“Hi, baby!” Bella answered excitedly.
Renesmee’s throat tightened so hard she wasn’t able to answer for a moment. Jacob kissed her
head and whispered into her ear. “Talk to her, Ness.”
She nodded and pulled back. She cleared her throat. “Hi, Mom,” she finally managed.
“What’s the matter?” Bella asked, already concerned.
Renesmee heard Edward in the background asking what was going on. She closed her eyes tightly.
“I just miss you, Mom. And Dad. I’m okay.”
Bella let out a relieved sigh and told Edward everything was okay. “I miss you, too, Renesmee. Just
think! Only a little over a month left. I’ll be sad to leave, but I’m so anxious to see you again.”
“Me, too. How’s Dad?”
“He’s been worried about you. I’ve managed to thwart three different plans to leave early.” Bella
laughed when Edward grumbled. “We’re both doing well, though, and having a ton of fun.”
Renesmee nodded. “That’s good to hear.”
191
“How are things between you and that Jacob guy?” Bella asked. “By the way, I’m putting you on
speaker now since your dad has asked me a hundred times what you’ve said.”
Renesmee felt her cheeks burn, but she pushed aside her embarrassment. Her attachment to Jacob
was one thing she felt secure preparing her parents for. She glanced up at him as she answered.
“We’re doing really great. He’s so amazing putting up with all of my crap.”
Jacob chuckled and kissed the top of her head. He knew she meant so much more than her mother
could comprehend.
“Is that him?” Bella asked. She’d heard him laugh.
“Yeah, he’s here with me.”
“Hi, Jacob,” Bella said loudly. Renesmee pulled the phone away from her ear. “Edward, say hi.” He
did, but it didn’t sound as welcoming as Bella had.
Jacob smirked. “Hey,” he said.
“Are you two keeping out of trouble?” Bella asked.
“They damn well better be,” Edward said.
Renesmee swallowed, and Jacob just laughed again. “We’re doing our best,” he offered.
“We could come home tomorrow,” Edward said. “If you need us to, Renesmee, we’ll be there
tomorrow.”
“No, Dad, we’re okay, really. You and mom need to enjoy the rest of your time in Italy.”
Bella snickered. “See, I told you. She’s fine.”
Edward grumbled again.
“So how are Alice and Jasper doing?” Bella asked, changing the subject. “I haven’t talked to them
since the last time I talked to you. Last I heard, though, Alice was trying to hire someone else. Do
you know if she did?”
Renesmee was grateful for the change in conversation. “Yeah, she hired someone a few days ago. I
guess they’re working out okay so far.”
“That’s good. I’ll call them a little later.”
“Tell me more about Italy,” Renesmee said, not sure if she wanted to end the call soon or talk
forever.
“It’s so wonderful!” Bella started talking animatedly about the places she and Edward had seen and
the things they had done.
~*~
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“Today is the thirtieth, right?” Renesmee asked urgently.
Jacob looked up at her. She’d burst into the room after being in the bathroom. Her heart was racing.
He furrowed his brow and looked at the calendar on the wall by the door. July thirtieth. It had been
two and a half weeks since she woke up after the change. He nodded. “Yes. Why? Is everything
okay?”
She shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair as she started to pace the tiny hallway.
Jacob got up and went after her. She let him hold her lightly.
“I’m late,” she whispered. She knew he’d heard her.
“What do you mean, baby? What are you late for?” His arms tightened around her.
She pushed away and fisted her hands in her hair. She looked up at him with panic clear in her
orange eyes. Neither their brightness nor the dark ring around the edges had faded. “No, Jacob. I’m
late. My period.”
The words sunk in immediately, and Jacob stood shocked. He knew exactly what she was saying, but
he was clueless about what to do next. “So that means you’re pregnant?” he asked.
Tears stung her eyes as they overflowed. “I’ve been late before, but never a whole week. It can
fluctuate a few days every month, but generally it’s right on schedule. Not a whole week. I didn’t
realize it was missing until today. What am I going to do, Jake? What if . . . what if it happened
before I changed?” Another life flashed in front of her. She saw herself as she had been before
Caius changed her, baring Jacob’s children. They were healthy, happy, and normal, maybe even
destined to one day shift like their father. But now . . . She was afraid of what her new genetics
would do to a baby.
Jacob cleared his throat. He was afraid of the same thing, but he wasn’t going to let it get to him. He
went to her again and pulled her gently into his arms. “Whether it happened before or after, this is
our baby. Everything will be fine. I’ll call Sue and see if there’s anything she can do for you.” He
leaned down and kissed her head. “Just calm down, okay?”
Renesmee nodded. “Okay. What would Sue be able to do for me, though?”
He shrugged as he pulled away. “I don’t know. She learned how to be a medicine woman from her
grandmother; maybe there’s something she could do. Some kind of advanced test or something. I
don’t know.” He didn’t like that answer, but he took her hand and walked with her to the phone.
She was about to suggest going to a doctor before she realized why she couldn’t. It was the same
reason Jacob and his pack went to Sue when they needed medical help. Where Jacob’s temperature
was high enough to kill the strongest man in a matter of hours, hers was several degrees lower than
normal. He was a walking flame, and she was an ice cube. Aside from that, they’d learned her skin
was nearly impenetrable. She doubted they’d even be able to draw blood. She listened
absentmindedly as Jacob talked on the phone. She wondered if a regular pregnancy test would even
work with her. She guessed it would just be trial and error. As her thoughts wandered, something
else occurred to her. Jacob hung up before she could say anything.
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“She says she doubts there’s anything she’d be able to do, but we can still go over if we want. I think
we should.”
Renesmee licked her lips and nodded. “I would like to. Jake, what if I’m not pregnant?”
He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
She looked up at him. “What if I’m late because I don’t have a period anymore?”
He paused for a moment to consider what she’d said. He knew that no matter what, she was his
imprint and he would love her through anything. Still, the thought that they might not be able to have
children because of the deranged Bloodsucker filled him with a strange sort of saddened rage.
There was no use yelling about it, though, especially not at her. She hadn’t done anything wrong. He
clenched his jaw and stared at the floor for a second to get his emotions in check before he looked
up and met Renesmee’s eyes.
“Then we deal with it,” he said quietly. “But first, we have to find out.” He held out his hand, and
she took it.
The walk to Sue’s was quiet. Renesmee had taken to wearing dark sunglasses any time they left the
house for any reason after she’d been asked four times if she was wearing contacts. Once they
reached their destination, she took them off and stood next to Jacob in the living room. The place
smelled of pine, vanilla, human blood, Shifter, and a trace of chemicals.
“I’m really not sure what I’ll be able to do, but I think the first thing to do is a pregnancy test,” Sue
said. She held a box out to Renesmee. “Go take this and I’ll see if I can find anything else in any of
my books.”
Renesmee nodded and left to take the test.
Jacob sighed and sat down on the couch. “She’s also concerned she might not have . . . you know . . .
her cycle anymore because of the change. Is that possible?” He clasped his hands between his
knees and waited on baited breath for Sue’s answer.
Sue shrugged. “You know I can’t say for sure. I know what I’m doing when it comes to you and the
other Shifters, but Ness is not a Shifter.”
He nodded. “I know. I just wish I could take her to a doctor. Someone who knows about all this
Bloodsucker shit and could tell me if she’s pregnant or not.”
Sue nodded and sat next to him. She put her hand on his wrist and squeezed gently. “It seems to
me that the change has made her much more like an animal.” She paused and looked at him. His
brow furrowed; he didn’t understand what she was saying. She smiled. “What I mean is, not every
animal has a menstrual cycle. Some, like cats, have an estrous cycle. Instead of bleeding, their
body absorbs the endometrium.”
Jacob looked at her for a moment. “First of all, what? Second, how do you know that?”
She laughed. “All you really need to know is that instead of bleeding, their body absorbs it. I know
that because I worked in a veterinarian’s office for fifteen years.”
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He’d almost forgotten about that. “Oh, yeah. So you think she might be extrouating or something?”
“I’m just saying that if she’s become more like an animal, it might be possible. I also think unless the
test is positive, it’ll be impossible to tell right away. It’s just another option.”
They both looked up when Renesmee came back in the room. She’d heard everything Sue and
Jacob had said and really hoped the older woman was right. She held up the test. “It’s negative,”
she said sadly. After the moments of shock, disbelief, and fear had worn off, she found she was
excited. Now she wasn’t sure what to feel.
Jacob got up and went to her to pull her into a tight hug. “It’s okay, honey,” he said softly yet firmly at
the same time. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held tightly. She told herself at least
she had options. Only one of them would be true, but at least she could still have hope.
Sue didn’t have anything else to offer. They made a plan to gather as much knowledge about
Bloodsuckers as they could. Jacob had learned a lot in the last fourteen years, and he was sure his
pack could have picked up other things. Instead of going home, they went into the forest where
Jacob could shift and call his pack. He wanted to figure this out as soon as possible.
~*~
Over the next few weeks, Jacob and his pack tried a new patrol tactic. Instead of killing a
Bloodsucker at first sight, they followed them, observing and learning. They never let them leave
alive, though. Embry didn’t like the idea, but he knew why they were doing it. Seth thought it was
fascinating and ended up learning the most. Quil only did the job because Jacob needed him to. He
didn’t care what the Bloodsuckers were like; he just wanted to make sure none of them got near
Claire.
So far, they had learned that Bloodsuckers traveled in groups of two or more. It still wasn’t clear if
they had any relationships with their group, but the Shifters theorized there was some kind of
familiarity or kinship within the groups. There had been a few altercations between two groups. Seth
had been patrolling and noted how they fought like cats, growling and hissing as they tore at each
other with teeth and claw-like fingers. They fought to the death, never allowing a Bloodsucker from
another group to live. Embry had laughed at that; they were already dead.
Renesmee wanted to help, but Jacob refused to let her.
“Jake, that’s ridiculous. I can take care of myself.”
“I don’t want you near them. End of story.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m the reason you and the guys are doing this; don’t you think I’m curious,
too? Maybe I want to see it firsthand.”
“Ness, I know you’re strong, but you’re not stronger than they are. If I can pin you down when I’m a
man, they’ll have no trouble hurting you.” He was trying to make her see things his way.
“You only pin me down because I let you.”
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Her words and the defiant tone she’d used stirred up a tight hostility in his chest that made him
growl. He turned to her and pushed her against the wall. Her heart beat harder against her chest as
she looked up into his dark eyes. “Don’t test me, Renesmee,” he growled, the full impact of his
Alpha command in his voice.
She didn’t have any choice but to obey him. She didn’t want a choice. She nodded and licked her
lips. “Okay.”
He shook his head. “I’m not fucking around with your safety. You stay here, and I promise you will
know everything we know.”
She nodded again. The command in his voice made her knees weak and her body heat up. Her
hands slid up to his shoulders to pull him in tighter, but he didn’t budge. She tried again only to feel
him retreat. He took a step back and pushed her hands down to her sides. Her eyes widened with
worry; had she upset him that much?
“Jake—”
“You think you let me pin you down? You don’t think I could hold you if I wanted to?”
She understood, and a hot wave of desire crashed over her. She knew she was playing with fire, but
she couldn’t help but push it. “I could get away easily.”
He raised an eyebrow. It disappeared beneath the hair falling over his forehead. She pressed her
legs together, eager to see what he would do next.
“You, me, outside, now.” He turned and walked away, knowing she’d follow.
She walked behind him obediently until they were hidden in the trees. She smiled to herself and
decided to push him even further. Before he could turn around and tell her what to do, she ran and
jumped on his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his hips.
“Gotcha!” she cried.
Jacob should have known she was going to do that. He had planned on asking her to fight against
him, try her hardest to get away. Instead, his already heightened need to dominate flared. A growl
erupted in his chest. He lifted his arms to grab hers and flip her over him. Once her feet touched the
forest floor, she twisted away from him.
“Come and get me, Jake,” she taunted.
He knew she didn’t really understand what she was doing to him. He wasn’t playing around
anymore. This was no longer the fun game she thought it was. The only thing keeping him from
shifting was the knowledge that she was his imprint, and he would likely hurt her if he did. Instead,
he ran after her and caught her easily. She attempted to twist away again, but she only lost her
balance. He let her fall onto her back in the leaves and dropped down to pin her. His legs held hers,
and his hands gripped her forearms firmly. He held her arms over her head. She tried to push him
back which only caused him to tighten his grip. His eyes focused on her face and watched her
expression carefully as it changed slowly from resolve to defeat.
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She’d been so sure she could get away. As she struggled, she realized how wrong she’d been. He
had to work to keep her down, but he did it. She really was helpless beneath him. The knowledge
was somehow more erotic than anything they’d done before. She looked up into his eyes, surprised
by their intense fury. His face was hard, reflecting his unwavering determination to hold her.
“Jake,” she said softly. She licked her lips. “I’m stuck.”
It took a moment for a slight smirk to spread over his lips. He nodded. “I know.”
“You were right; I’m helpless.” She squirmed again, but this time it wasn’t to get away. She needed
him to move between her legs.
Jacob could smell exactly what was going on. The scent of her arousal turned him on, but he wasn’t
willing to acknowledge it yet.
“Are you going to challenge me again?” he asked.
She shivered at the Alpha tone in his voice. “Probably.” She couldn’t deny it. “But not anytime
soon.”
He leaned in just a little bit. “I’ll win, Ness. Every time.”
She grinned and decided it would be best not to argue with him right then. “Maybe.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t push it, Ness.”
“I’m not. I just said maybe.”
“Mm-hmm. We need to go home.” He didn’t want to release her yet. The satisfaction of holding her
truly immobile was intoxicating.
She licked her lips. “Do we? Can’t we stay here?”
He shook his head. “No. It’s too close to other people.”
She blushed, and her heart began to race faster. “What if I said I don’t care?”
His eyes darkened as another soft growl rumbled in his chest. “I care. Your body is mine to see,
Ness. You want another girl to see me naked?” He didn’t mention their agreement to use condoms
again. They weren’t sure if the protection would even do anything if she wasn’t pregnant, but until
they figured out what exactly was going on with her, they had to try something.
When he put it like that . . . The thought made her own growl of possessiveness rise in her chest.
“No.”
“I didn’t think so.”
Her hands clenched into impatient fists. “Let me up, then, so we can go.”
He still couldn’t move. He shook his head. “This is your fault, Ness. I have you, and I can’t let you
go.” He smiled and kissed her.
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She smiled deviously. “I know you can smell my desire, Jake. I can smell yours, too. You want me.”
She decided to play with a different kind of fire. “You want to rip my clothes off layer by layer until
I’m helpless and naked under you. Then you want to taste my skin and squeeze my breasts.” She
jutted her chest out a little bit to emphasize her point. “You want to make love to me, hard and slow,
and feel my body tighten around you.”
He almost gave in right there. Instead, he got off her and picked her up. “You’re dangerous, Ness.”
She laughed as he carried her back home.
198
~Chapter Nineteen~
Home
Renesmee sighed softly and nuzzled closer to Jacob’s side. His arm tightened around her. She
pressed her face into his neck and placed a kiss there. Out of all the places she’d ever been, either
fully human or only half, Jacob’s bed was her favorite. She loved to lay naked with him, feel his warm
body against her and his strong arms hold her. Her favorite time was at night when it seemed they
could be alone forever. It was morning now, and they’d have to get up soon. She didn’t want to, but
it was unavoidable.
It had been four weeks since she realized she had missed her period, and it still hadn’t shown up.
She felt no different physically, but she didn’t feel comfortable making any diagnoses on her own.
The pack had learned a lot about Bloodsuckers, but nothing had been helpful or led them to any
conclusions other than only time would tell. The patrol experiments stopped, and the Shifters went
back to their old ways.
Jacob turned his head and kissed Renesmee’s forehead. “You okay?” he whispered.
She nodded. “Yeah. Just thinking.” She watched her fingers dance on his chest for a moment
before she looked up at him. “Do you really think that estrous thing is possible?”
He shrugged the shoulder she wasn’t on. “I don’t know, baby. You know I’m still holding out hope
that you’re pregnant.”
She smiled and leaned up to kiss him. “I know. I am, too, I think.” She laid her head back down and
sighed again.
Jacob stared at the ceiling as his thoughts and hands wandered. One traveled lightly across her arm
draped across him and the other explored her bare hip and backside. “Your dad’s a doctor, right?”
he asked.
She nodded. “Well, technically, he’s a surgeon, but yeah.”
He looked down at her. “Does that mean he has more access to medical equipment?”
Renesmee raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Could he do some kind of test to see what’s going on?” He started to get excited; maybe there was
a way to figure this out after all.
She leaned up on her elbow. He didn’t like the pensive look on her face. “It might not work like that,
Jake. He’d have to know what he’s looking for to do any kind of tests, and we just don’t know if the
results would be the same now as they would have been if I was still human. Besides that, he’d have
to take my blood, and I don’t think he could.”
“He could try, though, right?”
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She stared into his eyes for a moment, not sure how to respond. He was basing his hope on
variables and unknowns, and she wasn’t sure she could do the same thing. She could believe that
her father would at least give it a shot. She gave Jacob a small smile and nodded.
“Yes, he could try.”
Jacob pulled her back down for a kiss. “That’s good.”
She settled back down on his chest and kissed his neck. He held her tighter and closed his eyes to
savor the few moments of peace he had left before they had to get up.
~*~
Renesmee stared at the phone and took a deep breath to try to calm down. She knew this would
have to come eventually. She typed a message back to her mother and sighed when she put the
phone back down. Jacob was gone on pack business, so she couldn’t tell him the news yet.
Her parents had just gotten checked in to the airport in Rome. They’d be back in Washington the
next day. She shivered and laid down on the bed to wait for Jacob.
They had a plan. She would wear her sunglasses and wait at Alice and Jasper’s house while Jasper
went to get Bella and Edward. When they returned, she would try to get through greetings and
introductions without raising suspicion, then when things had settled, she’d break the news. She
wasn’t sure how it was going to go over. She was confident that her mother would at least hear her
out. Her father, on the other hand . . . It was him she was mostly worried about. She’d hidden
herself from him for so long in fear of disappointing him. He wasn’t mean or controlling, but he could
be overbearing. Renesmee just didn’t want to be the cause of any arguments. She had a feeling he
wasn’t going to accept what she was. At least not up front.
She told Jacob about her fear when he got home. He held her and promised her dad would love her
no matter what. He’d make sure of it.
The next day, they got up early to hunt and get ready for the big day. Renesmee felt like time was
frozen yet moving so much faster than usual at the same time. They finally made it out to the car and
got in. She took a few deep breaths and looked over at Jacob in the driver’s seat. He smiled and
took her hand to kiss her knuckles.
“Remember, Ness, our deal still stands. You’re an amazing, kick-ass woman.”
She couldn’t help but smile back. “Thank you, Jake.”
As he drove, she let her thoughts wander. She couldn’t contain them. She squeezed his hand and
sighed as she looked out the window.
“What are you thinking?” he asked. He knew it had something to do with her parents.
She glanced back at him. “Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper knew. My parents don’t. They think I’m still
cute and innocent. What would you do if you left for three months and came back to find out your
daughter was slaughtering deer with her bare hands and sucking their blood?”
200
“I’d try not to piss her off.”
“This is serious,” she whined.
“I know, Ness. So am I. That’s all there is to it, babe. They’re not going to run screaming, and
they’re not going to turn you away like you did to me.”
She flinched. “Do you really have to bring that up?”
Jacob licked his lips. “I’m not trying to rub it in. It’s just something that happened, no matter how
much you want to deny it. I’m not upset about it anymore, Ness, and you shouldn’t be either. Yeah,
a lot of shit wouldn’t have happened if you had decided to just trust me, but think of all the good
things we have now instead of the what-ifs, okay?”
After a moment of silence, Renesmee nodded. “Okay.” She still felt terrible. No matter who had
what planned for any amount of time, it was her fault Caius was successful. She closed her eyes
tightly and remembered the sounds of his screams as Jacob ripped him to pieces. She had to keep
in mind that even though the serum had worked, Caius hadn’t won. “Okay,” she repeated.
Jacob rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “I love you, baby.”
She smiled up at him. “I love you, too.”
Her stomach fluttered when they pull up to Alice and Jasper’s house. Jacob opened her door for her
and took her hand again. “Remember that they’re not here yet. You’ve still got another half hour.
Let’s go in and relax a bit.”
She nodded and followed her in. They greeted Alice, who had stayed behind to be with them while
her husband went to the airport. They sat down on the couch in the living room, and Jacob pulled
her close. She relaxed against him for a moment before she thought of something.
“They know Jake’s going to be here, right?” she asked.
Alice came in with a soda for Jake and one for herself. She nodded and sat down next to Renesmee.
“Of course they do. Your mother was very curious about that, by the way. She asked me twice if
there were any diamonds involved. I assured her that you two are just inseparable.”
They talked for a while about their plan. Renesmee stiffened when she heard Jasper’s SUV on the
highway. Jacob rubbed her shoulders and told her to calm down. He reached in his pocket and
pulled out her sunglasses.
“Here, babe. Might as well put them on now.” He kissed her head.
She nodded. “Thanks, Jake.” She slid them on and sighed. The darkness of the lenses didn’t
obscure her vision. Ten minutes later, she closed her eyes and leaned into Jacob when her parents
pulled into the driveway.
Alice jumped up and went to the window to peek out. She still wasn’t used to the idea that Shifters
and half-humans could tell what vehicle it was and who was in it just by the sound. Sure enough,
she saw Jasper and Bella climbing out, and Edward’s door opening. She bounced excitedly and
turned to her niece.
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“Yep, it’s them! I’m going to greet them; we’ll be in shortly.” She smiled and bounced away.
Renesmee turned to bury her face in Jacob’s neck. “Hide me, please.”
“Come on, baby. Let’s get up. Don’t make me tell you again about how they’re going to love you.”
She stood with him and looked up into his eyes. “You already did.”
He gave her a soft smile. “I guess I did. Just relax.”
She nodded and closed her eyes tightly when the door opened.
“Alice!” Bella squealed. “I’m so glad to be back.” Her voice was strained from the force of Alice’s
hug. “Where’s my daughter?” She put her bag down and looked around.
“In the living room,” Alice replied.
“I can’t,” Renesmee whispered.
Jacob hugged her tighter. “You can.”
“Jake . . .”
He leaned in to kiss her head. “Ness, you can do this. I know you’ve missed her. Go say hi.” He
pushed her gently as Bella entered the room.
“Renesmee! Oh, honey, I’ve missed you so much!” Bella ran forward and grabbed hold of
Renesmee, holding her tightly.
“I’ve missed you, too, Mom.” Renesmee wrapped her arms around her mother gently. The embrace
felt so good. She closed her eyes and rested her chin on Bella’s shoulder.
Bella pulled back a moment later, smiling brightly. “How are you doing? Did you have a good
summer? Why are you wearing sunglasses?” She furrowed her brow, but seemed to forget about it.
“Did you do something with your hair? It looks so healthy. Oh, honey, I’ve been so worried about
you.” She pulled her daughter into another hug.
Renesmee’s eyes stung with tears. She wasn’t sure if they were happy or sad. “Um, Mom . . . I’m
doing so good. I had a great summer.” If she cut out the psychopathic Bloodsucker and her bad
decisions along the way, it wasn’t a lie.
“Where’s my hug?” Edward asked. He’d watched his wife and daughter for a moment, his eyes
straying to the hulk behind them. He had a feeling he knew who the man was, and he didn’t like it.
“Hi, Dad!” Renesmee called over Bella’s shoulder. She pulled out of her mother’s embrace and ran
to Edward, throwing her arms around his waist and trying to just act normal like Jacob had said. It
was so much harder than she thought it should be. Her “normal” wasn’t normal to her anymore.
Jacob tried to think of something he could do to make this easier for Renesmee. He could tell
already that at least Edward suspected something. It was evident in his rigid stance.
202
Edward narrowed his eyes at Jacob. Something was different about his daughter, and somehow he
knew that Jacob had something to do with it. Renesmee pulled out of his hug and led him over to
where Bella stood with happy tears in her eyes.
“Mom, Dad . . . I’d like you to meet someone. This is Jacob.” She gestured to him and met his eyes.
He gave her a reassuring smile and held out his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you both,” he said politely.
Bella was the first to reach out. “Uh, hi. I’m Bella, Renesmee’s mother.” She took his hand,
surprised by the warmth. Her daughter had already told her about it, but she still wasn’t expecting it.
Edward didn’t react for a moment. He looked Jacob over, trying to decide what could have happened
while they were gone. He shook the other man’s hand and inclined his head. “Nice to meet you, too,
Jacob.” He wasn’t sure if he meant it.
Renesmee swallowed. The tension in the air was thick, and it made her nervous. She stepped over
to Jacob and took his hand. She used the extra connection to find the rhythm of his heartbeat. It
helped, but only a little.
“Would you take off your sunglasses, Renesmee?” Edward asked.
She tightened her grip on Jacob’s hand. She was already feeling too jumpy; she didn’t want to add to
it more and risk hurting anyone.
Alice and Jasper picked that moment to inject themselves into the conversation. Jasper knew his
brother-in-law; this was going to take a lot of tact to get the point across in a way he’d believe it.
“So,” Alice said, squeezing herself in between Jacob and Bella. “How was your trip? Did you guys see
lots of ancient ruins?”
Bella nodded. “Yes, we did.” She didn’t seem as excited as usual. She was nervous about her
daughter.
Edward looked at Alice briefly before he nodded. It occurred to him that both Alice and Jasper knew
what had happened. He turned his attention back to Renesmee. “Your sunglasses?”
“Dad . . .” Renesmee was starting to panic.
Jacob put his arm around her shoulders and bent to kiss her ear. “Calm down, Ness,” he whispered.
“Go ahead and take them off. I’m right here, baby.”
She took a deep breath and nodded. She closed her eyes for a moment before she reached up and
pulled the sunglasses from her face. Jacob took them for her and put them back in his pocket. She
looked between her mother and father for a moment, gauging their reaction.
“That’s not funny,” Edward said, getting upset. “Take the contacts out.”
Renesmee’s eyes burned with tears. “They’re not contacts.”
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Bella took a few steps forward and framed her daughter’s face with her hands. “What happened,
honey?”
Renesmee tried to blink the tears away. “Jacob and I have something we need to tell you and Dad.”
Bella’s eyes widened. “Are you pregnant?” she asked. As if that would explain all of her daughter’s
changes.
“I, um . . . I wish it was so simple. Can we sit down?” She wanted to pace the room, but she also
knew hard news was often delivered easier if everyone was sitting.
“Of course, baby.” Bella stepped back and looked at Edward. She was getting really worried.
Edward took her hand, and they sat on the couch with room for their daughter beside him. He
furrowed his brow when she chose to sit with Jacob on the recliner.
“What happened?” he said as gently as he could.
Alice wanted so badly to intervene and relieve all of the tension, but she didn’t know enough to feel
comfortable explaining anything. Instead, she sat quietly with Jasper and hoped everything turned
out well.
Renesmee figured it would be best to just say it and deal with the questions. She closed her eyes,
took a deep breath of Jacob’s scent, and squeezed his hand.
“In the middle of July, I was kidnapped by a Bloodsucker and given a serum that turned me into a
half-Bloodsucker. Jacob’s a shape-shifter, and he and his pack saved my life.” She cracked open
one eye to see her parents.
Edward raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“My eyes changed color because of the serum I was injected with. I’m fifty percent Bloodsucker
now.” She shrugged like it wasn’t that big of a deal, but inside her heart pounded painfully against
her chest. Jacob’s arm wrapped around her stomach and held her a little tighter to try to ease her
fear.
“What the hell is a Bloodsucker?” Edward demanded. “You mean a vampire? There’s no such thing,
Renesmee, and you know it.”
“I used to believe that, Dad, but they do.” She looked at him with pleading orange eyes.
Bella sat quietly observing her daughter. All the little changes seemed to make sense to her now.
She’d always believed that there was the possibility of a world humans didn’t know about. A world of
fairy-tales, monsters, and happily-ever-afters. The idea that her daughter had gotten caught up in
that world shocked her, but she wasn’t as quick to dismiss it as her husband.
Edward shivered, not sure that he could believe what Renesmee had said. He shook his head and
closed his eyes. Vampires—Bloodsuckers; whatever—were make-believe. “How many horror movies
did you watch while we were gone, Renesmee? And how did you get your aunt and uncle sucked into
going along with this?”
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Renesmee sighed. “Dad, it’s real. I know what happened. I felt the burning pain as I changed. Aunt
Alice and Uncle Jasper weren’t sucked into anything; they just knew the truth before you did.”
Jacob was doing his best to hold his tongue and let Renesmee do what she had to. He leaned
forward a little, his grip on her getting stronger.
“You can tell me the truth, Renesmee,” Edward said with a soothing tone. “What drugs were you
doing? What did you get into?”
Renesmee stiffened. “I wasn’t doing any drugs!” She stood up, the need to run away coursing
through her veins. Jacob let her go and stood beside her. “I told you the truth.” She knew, in a way,
she deserved her father’s skepticism after what she’d done to Jacob, but it hurt worse than she had
thought it would. “I know it’s hard to believe, Dad, but it’s real.”
Edward stood with them and took a step closer. “Stop lying to me, Renesmee.”
Jacob put his hands on her shoulders and bent to kiss her head. He knew she could deal with this,
but the instinct to protect her from her father’s words was intense. “It’s okay, baby,” he whispered.
“You’re doing fine, Ness.”
She licked her lips and nodded. She didn’t feel fine. She wanted to run away and hide.
Edward narrowed his eyes. “Whatever you’re telling her, you better stop now. Get away from my
daughter.” He stepped forward, prepared to push the other man back.
A fierce blast of anger slammed through Renesmee. It didn’t matter that Jacob was almost twice her
father’s size or that he was a Shifter entirely capable of taking care of himself. What mattered was
the threat Edward intended. Logic was abandoned in favor of instinct. Nothing mattered but
keeping Jacob safe. Screams and shouts sounded so far away as she pinned her father down.
“Edward, don’t move,” Jacob said.
Bella got up and went to get to her daughter. Jacob caught her and moved her back to the couch.
“Let me get her,” he said. He knew if she was startled, things could get very ugly for Edward. He
crouched down next to Renesmee, his hands on the floor.
“Ness, baby, look at me.” She heard his voice and slowly began coming back to reality. She
recognized the low rumble as her own steady growl. “I’m fine, Ness. Everybody’s okay. I need you to
look at me.”
She blinked and let herself relax marginally. It was enough to realize what she had done. She
glanced at Jacob for a moment before she looked back at her father and his terrified eyes. Her own
stung with gathering tears.
“Oh, God,” she whispered. She got up quickly and looked around at the shocked faces of her family.
Jacob tried to reach out for her, but the contact was not soothing. She flinched away from him and
ran out of the room.
Jacob cleared his throat. “She, um . . . Yeah.” He went after her.
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Bella scrambled over to where Edward still lay dazed on the floor. She helped him sit up. “Are you
okay?” she asked.
He nodded slowly. “I guess. She wasn’t lying.”
Jacob followed Renesmee to her bedroom. She sat on the floor at the foot of her bed, her legs
spread out straight before her. She stared down at her fingers, picking at her nails. She didn’t look
up when he walked in. He went in and sat next to her. Instead of saying anything he knew wouldn’t
calm her, he took her hand and squeezed lightly. He would wait for her to speak.
Renesmee was so ashamed of what she’d done. She couldn’t believe she’d let herself think Edward
would be able to hurt Jacob. He was just as indestructible as she was now; probably even more so.
“Is he okay?” she finally whispered.
“He’s fine, Ness. You just scared him a little.”
She snorted. “A little?”
“Maybe a lot, but it got your point across. He doesn’t doubt you anymore.” He rubbed the back of
her hand with his thumb. “Everyone’s okay, baby.”
She looked up at him and sniffled. “Thank you, Jake.”
His brow furrowed. “For what?”
“You didn’t let me hurt him.”
He pulled her onto his lap and kissed the side of her head. “I already promised I wouldn’t.”
She relaxed into him and let herself calm down. They were both silent for a few moments. She
closed her eyes and just listened to his heartbeat and breathing. He rested his head against the wall
and rubbed her back gently until she spoke again.
“We have to go back down there eventually, don’t we?” she asked hesitantly.
He smiled and looked down at her. “Unless you want to just jump out the window and run home.”
She smirked. Home sounded so good right now. “I should probably at least tell them I’m not going
back to Chicago.”
Jacob stared into her eyes for a moment. “You’ll miss them.”
“I know.” She looked down at her fingers on his shirt. “But you’re right; this is my home. I mean,
with you.” She peeked back up at him.
He touched under her chin and kissed her lips. “A Shifter will follow his imprint wherever she goes.”
Renesmee smiled softly. “And his imprint will stay where he’s needed most.”
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Her words caused a wave of peace to wash over him. He kissed her again, slow and soft. “Thank
you.”
She licked her lips and sighed. “What am I going to do about my dad?”
He shrugged. “Let’s at least go assess the damage. We also need to ask him about the test thing.”
Her eyes widened. “Damage? You said I didn’t hurt him.”
“You didn’t hurt him, baby. I just meant figurative damage.”
She relaxed. “Oh. Okay, yeah. Let’s go.”
She stood up and watched him stand beside her. She couldn’t take her eyes off him as he brushed
himself off. He caught her eyes and smirked.
“What?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re just nice to look at.”
He took her hand and chuckled as he let her lead the way out the door and down the stairs. She
took a deep breath when she heard the conversation in the living room. They were talking about the
first time she’d visited Alice and Jasper after the injection. The talk stopped when Renesmee and
Jacob came into the room. Bella stood up immediately and went to her daughter.
“Are you okay, honey?” Bella asked.
Renesmee nodded, a little surprised when her mother reached out and touched her arm instead of
running away. “Are you okay, Mom?”
“I’m fine, sweetie.” She tucked a stray lock of hair behind Renesmee’s ear and leaned in for a hug.
“I love you,” she said softly.
“I love you, too. I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, honey. It’ll be okay. You’ll see. I think your dad has something to say, though.” She turned and
looked at Edward pointedly.
Edward swallowed and got up. He took tentative steps toward his daughter. Even after what
happened, he was more wary of Jacob than he was of Renesmee. He took her hand and stalled a
few more seconds. He was never good at this sort of thing. Finally, he looked up at her orange eyes
and shivered.
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you, Renesmee. Are you okay?”
“Daddy,” she whimpered. She wanted so badly to hug him. “Did I hurt you?” She had to hear it from
him.
“No.” He shook his head and reached out to stroke her hair gently. “I know I hurt you, though. I
never wanted that.”
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Her eyes stung from the tears threatening to fall. “I know.” She reached out, just giving him an
invitation, and breathed a sigh of relief when he pulled her in tightly. She held on until he pulled
back.
Edward turned his attention to Jacob. A part of him still wanted to hate the man that had introduced
his daughter to whatever had done this to her. Deep down, he knew he should be grateful that she
had him. He wasn’t sure what to think about the idea that Jacob may have saved his life by talking
Renesmee down earlier. Instead of saying words that may or may not be true, he just held out his
hand.
Jacob smirked and shook Edward’s hand, a silent acceptance of his silent apology.
Renesmee looked between the men, not sure what to do next. It didn’t feel right to slip into the
situation they’d had before. Everybody knew the truth now, and there was simply no going back.
She pushed herself against Jacob’s side and took a deep breath. He wrapped his arms around her
tightly and bent to kiss her ear.
“You did so good, baby,” he whispered.
She smiled and looked up at him. “Thank you.”
Edward furrowed his brow. “What are you telling her?” He couldn’t hide the accusation in his voice if
he tried. Bella took his hand.
Jacob shrugged. “Nothing much.”
Renesmee leaned her head back against his shoulder. “He said I did good. I’ve been so nervous. I
still am.” She pulled his arm in front of her and held on tightly. “He’s always encouraging me, telling
me I’m still the same person I was before. That I’m not a monster.” She looked down and pretended
to be enthralled by the hairs on his arm.
Edward watched his daughter for a moment. He didn’t want to admit her words stirred a new
respect for Jacob deep in his chest. He cleared his throat and pulled Bella a little closer to him. He
didn’t have anything to say.
Bella smiled. “I think that’s sweet. He’s right, sweetheart. You’re not a monster.” Whatever her
daughter had turned into, it wasn’t that.
Alice stepped up beside Bella. She and Jasper had stayed out of the way, preferring to give the
family their time to adjust without interference. “Jasper and I agree.” Jasper nodded behind her, his
hands on her shoulders.
Jacob tightened his hold on Renesmee. “See? I told you they’d love you just the same, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did.” She looked up at him. “You were right.”
He bent to kiss her lips. “As always.”
Renesmee looked around at her family, again unsure of what to do next. There were so many things
she needed to do. She needed to tell her parents she wasn’t going home with them; that her home
was in La Push with Jacob. She needed to talk to her dad about the possibility of a test. Just those
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two things seemed too big to think about. She took a deep breath and winced as the fire in her
throat grew hotter. Her thirst usually crept up on her, but this time it seemed to come up all at once.
She clenched her jaw and turned around the plant her face in Jacob’s chest. Her hands gripped his
shirt tightly.
“Are you okay?” Jacob asked.
She nodded. She took a deep breath of his scent. It didn’t help. There were so many wet
heartbeats around her. The steady thrum of Jacob’s heart mixed with his closeness was almost
unbearable. She looked up at him.
“I need to hunt.”
He nodded and held her securely.
Bella’s brow furrowed. “What’s going on?” she asked worriedly.
“She’s thirsty, so we’re going to hunt. We’ll be back in a bit.” Jacob led Renesmee to the front door.
Edward took a step forward. “Wait, what do you—”
Jasper caught his shoulder. “Let them go. She’s half-vampire or whatever they call them now; what
do you think she’s thirsty for?”
Edward felt pale. “Oh, I see.”
Bella smiled. “Gives new meaning the phrase, ‘she’s a heartbreaker.’”
Alice chuckled. “Your daughter’s a maneater. Except she eats deer.”
“And he’s a regular Don Juan,” Jasper added. “A real wolf with the ladies.”
“He’s got that lupine quality about him that women adore,” Alice said with a grin. She turned to Bella
to see her looking her at her with a raised eyebrow. “Jacob’s a were—I mean, a Shifter. Like a
werewolf.”
“Oh.” Bella smiled. “A werewolf and vampire love story. How sweet.”
Edward huffed. “How awkward.”
Bella patted his arm. “You’ll get used to it eventually.”
He shook his head, although he already knew it was true.
~*~
“How am I going to bring it up?” Renesmee asked. They’d hunted and satiated her thirst. Now they
sat next to a tree near the clearing where she’d found her prey. Jacob’s back was against the tree,
and she sat between his legs with her back against his chest. His arms wrapped around her waist,
just holding gently. So far he’d managed to ignore the tears in her clothing.
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“Just tell them. Either they’ve already figured it out or they’re expecting you to go home with them.
Either way, you need to tell them. I’ll be there if you want, but I think you need to be the one to say
it.”
She nodded. “I know. I wouldn’t ask you to do that for me. I would like you to be there, though.”
She turned her head and looked up at him. “For moral support.”
He kissed her lips. “Then I’ll be there. You need to tell them soon, though. If you want, I can bring
up the other subject.”
She sighed. “Can we do one thing at a time?”
“I know it’s overwhelming, Ness, but the faster you get it over with, the faster you won’t have to deal
with it anymore.”
She narrowed her eyes. “When did you get so wise?”
He snorted. “I’ve always been so wise; you just didn’t pay attention before.”
“Mm-hmm. I still want to put it off.”
He rearranged his hold on her, lifting her onto his lap. He rested his chin on her shoulder and gently
nuzzled his nose against her ear. She shivered. “You can only avoid it for so long. Why don’t we tell
them about you staying here with me, find out how long they plan to stay, and decide then when we
ask about the test? If they’re leaving in the next few days, I’m not waiting.”
She figured that would be her best offer. She nodded. “Okay.” She turned her head and kissed
him. “Should we run home before we go back?”
He raised an eyebrow. “That would be fun, but we shouldn’t put this off.”
She smiled, a small laugh escaping her lips. “I meant to change our clothes. Mine are ripped and
blood-stained. Maybe I should start hunting in the nude.”
A mischievous smile spread over his lips. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”
“Of course you do. What should I do then?”
He nuzzled her neck, his thoughts still on how she would look running naked through the woods, a
hunter’s gleam in her eyes as she stalked her prey. He shivered with both carnal need and reverent
affection at the image. He cleared his throat and kissed her skin.
“You still have some clothes at Alice and Jasper’s. We’ll get in through the window of your bedroom,
you can change, then we’ll surprise them.”
She nodded and slipped off his lap onto her knees beside him. “I like that idea.” She pushed his
hair out of his eyes and laughed when it fell back.
“Don’t bother. It won’t work. I need another haircut.”
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She bit her lip for a moment. “Or you could let it grow out like Embry’s.” She imagined Jake with hair
that went to his chin. She liked it.
He smirked. “I could just shave it all off.”
She grimaced. “No, you can’t. You are never allowed to shave it off, Jacob; I mean it.”
He pulled her back in and kissed her. “Okay, but I’m not growing it out either. I’ll let you give me
another of your famous erotic haircuts.”
She laughed and nodded. “I’ll see if I can pencil you in sometime.”
“In the meantime, let’s get back to your parents.”
She jumped up and shook herself off. She had leaves everywhere, especially in her hair. Jacob
plucked one out for her and let it fall to the ground before he stripped off his pants to shift. She
climbed on his back and used the ride to get most of the debris cleaned off. When they reached the
house, staying in the trees far enough to stay hidden, she climbed down and looked up at her
window. Jacob shifted and pulled his shorts on then stood beside her.
“You wanna go first?” he asked.
She looked up at him. Despite her new agility and strength, she doubted she’d be able to get to the
second-story window. “What if it’s locked?”
“The lock’s broken. Go ahead.” He gestured for her to take the lead.
She swallowed and surveyed the side of the house looking for the best approach. Jacob watched her
to see what she’d do. He wanted her to go first to prove that she could do it without his help. Finally
she nodded and went in. Instead of climbing, she took a running start and jumped. She landed
beside her window, using the rain gutter to hold her up as she reached over and slid the glass open.
She slipped into the room, landing in a crouch on the carpet. She stood up and stepped back to let
Jacob in. Once he was in, he shut the window and turned to her.
Renesmee smiled and sucked in a deep breath, then turned to find new clothes. Jacob did his best
to keep his hands to himself as she changed. Her family’s voices downstairs helped him stay in line.
When she was dressed, she took his hand, and they walked out the door.
Bella looked up when her daughter and Jacob came in the living room. She smiled.
“I didn’t hear you guys come back in,” she said. They sat in the recliner, Renesmee on Jacob’s lap.
Bella raised an eyebrow. “And you changed.”
Renesmee nodded. “Yeah. I kind of ripped up my other clothes running through the trees and stuff.
We came in through the bedroom window so I could get different clothes.”
“Oh, I see. So the . . . hunt was successful?”
Edward squirmed uncomfortably. Bella reached over and squeezed his hand.
“Yeah, it was.”
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Jacob tightened his arm around her waist. “I think she gives the deer a head start, though.”
She looked back at him. “You can’t tell me you don’t enjoy the chase.”
He shrugged. “It’s half the fun.”
She grinned and kissed him. “See?”
He smirked and cleared his throat. “So do you want to tell them, or should I?”
Renesmee sighed. She really wanted to put it off until she couldn’t anymore. She realized that she
was out of time anyway; if she didn’t speak up, Jacob would. She looked at her parents.
“When are you guys going back to Chicago?” she asked. She hoped her phrasing would do all the
talking.
Edward furrowed his brow. “We are going back next Saturday, on the tenth. All of us, Renesmee.”
She shook her head. “I really can’t think of an easy way to put this, so I guess I’ll just say it. I’m
staying with Jacob. I need him right now, Dad. I love him, and I’d already pretty much decided I
wanted to stay before this even happened, but now I really can’t leave. He keeps me calm and can
actually stop me if I feel myself slipping.”
Edward sat forward on the couch. “You mean like what happened earlier?”
Renesmee licked her lips and nodded. “Yeah. That and other things. There’ve been a few times
that I’ve really wanted . . . well, human blood. I can bite him, and he heals really fast. I don’t know
what would happen if I bit a human. They certainly wouldn’t be okay as quickly as Jake is.” She
leaned back against him, letting his warmth and strength comfort her. “I need him to help me
control myself.”
Bella leaned forward and took Edward’s hand again. “I would listen to her this time, Edward,” she
said softly.
He looked at her. “So we just leave her here? Go home without our daughter? And you’re okay with
that?”
Bella sighed. “No, I’m not just okay with that, but I’m not going to argue when I can see clearly that
she’s being sincere. Things have changed, Edward.”
Edward rubbed his face with his free hand. “Yeah, I get that.” If they hadn’t gone on the trip, this
wouldn’t have happened. He looked over at his daughter. She was looking up at Jacob with a smile
on her lips. He couldn’t deny that she looked happy. The way she looked at him was the same way
he remembered looking at Bella when he first fell in love with her. Even still. She looked at him, and
he shivered. Her new eye color was still shocking to him. He took a deep breath and nodded. “So I
guess we’ll say goodbye in a week. I assume you’ll be with him at nights rather than with us at the
hotel?”
Renesmee nodded. “Yeah, with him.”
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An uncomfortable silence settled around them. A moment later, Jacob kissed Renesmee’s cheek.
“Do you want to talk to him about the test?” he asked.
Renesmee shook her head. “Not really.” She looked back at him. “Would you?”
He nodded then turned his attention to Edward. “We need to ask you a favor.”
Edward’s brow furrowed. “A favor?”
“Yes. I’m not even sure you can do this, but we need some kind of test, I think. We’re not sure if her
body has changed or if she’s pregnant.”
Edward stiffened. “Pregnant?” His dislike for Jacob doubled. “You got her pregnant?”
“Maybe. We don’t know. That’s what we’d like you to help us with. I don’t know what kinds of tests
can be done. She’s taken the pregnancy tests, but they’ve come up negative. Is there a way you
could tell if that’s true?”
“I guess maybe a blood test and an ultrasound. How could you get her pregnant? You haven’t even
known her a whole three months!” Edward ran his fingers through his hair. “We raised you better
than that, Renesmee.”
“Dad, I get that you’re disappointed or whatever, but I don’t regret a moment of it. I love him, and I
wouldn’t do anything different if I could do it all over again. At least not that part.” She blushed and
cleared her throat. “Besides, you can’t tell me that people who rush into it like that never last; I know
what happened between Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper.”
He looked over at them. Alice just shrugged. Edward sighed. “All right. Fine. I’ll do what I can.
Have you had a blood test done yet?”
Renesmee shook her head. “No, not yet. I’m not sure how to do that. My skin . . . it’s very difficult to
puncture. I haven’t found anything that will break it yet. Not even knives.”
Edward closed his eyes tightly. “So how do you propose we do this?”
“I might be able to bite myself. But you’d have to tell me where so you could whatever you need to
do the test. I don’t know. Do you want skin cells, too? I might be able to do that.”
Jacob hugged her tighter. “I don’t like the idea of you hurting yourself, Ness.”
She smiled at him. “I know, Jake, but how else is he going to get my blood?”
Jacob knew it was probably the best option, but it still sucked. He nodded. “Okay.”
“I’ll talk to the hospital here about using some of their equipment tomorrow. The results can take a
while, but I should have them before we go back to Chicago.”
Jacob was going to ask why they couldn’t do it that night when Bella yawned. He remembered that
they had just come in from their flight. He nodded and rubbed Renesmee’s arms. The yawn spread
through the room, ending with Renesmee.
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“Are you tired, baby?” Jacob asked.
Renesmee nodded. “Yes, I think so. I don’t want to go home yet, though.”
Bella leaned forward and rested her head on Edward’s shoulder. “I could fall asleep right here, I
think.”
Edward took her hand and squeezed gently. “Are you ready to go to the hotel?”
She nodded. “Yes, I am.”
They stood up. “Let’s plan on meeting at the hospital around noon tomorrow,” Edward said.
“We’ll be there,”
~*~
Renesmee sat on the bed with her back against the wall. It had been a week since her parents flew
back to Chicago. Her father had done the things he promised he’d do, and the results were not
good. Everything, including the hazy ultrasound, suggested that not only was she not pregnant, but
that she couldn’t ever have a baby. Her body no longer worked the way it used to, and she simply
wasn’t fertile.
She knew Jacob was upset about it. He hadn’t touched her in any kind of sexual way since they’d
gotten the results back. She couldn’t blame him, either. Part of the imprint meant she should be
able to give him children. She hugged her legs tighter and pressed her face into her knees. She was
grateful that he at least still seemed to love her. She just hoped they could get over this soon; she
missed him even when he was laying right beside her. She wished he was there. He’d left a while
earlier to go on his patrol. As the days passed, he’d been taking it more and more often. She could
only assume he just needed to be away from her and everything she couldn’t give to him.
Jacob sat watching the purple flames rise. There was no satisfaction in ripping a Bloodsucker apart
anymore. All he wanted was more. In reality, he wanted only one. He wanted to resurrect one
specific, psychotic Bloodsucker only to rip him apart, put him back together, and do it all over again.
Again and again until he got back what the fucker had taken from him and his imprint.
Jake? Quil asked when he shifted.
Jacob sighed. Didn’t I tell you fuckers to leave me alone?
Yeah, like four days ago. What’s going on? The pack knew about the test. They also knew their
Alpha wasn’t handling the news well.
You know damn good and well what’s going on. Go away.
Quil shook his head. No can do, Boss. You’ve got to knock it off.
Jacob looked over at his pack mate, sitting twenty yards away, and growled. You’re out of line, Quil.
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I’m also out of patience. I get it; the news is terrible. I’d be upset, too, but I sure as hell wouldn’t
punish my imprint for it.
Jacob stood up. Back the fuck off, asshole. I’m not punishing Ness.
I passed your house on the way out here to see you. She’s crying, and I’m pretty sure I know why.
The knowledge that Renesmee was hurting made Jacob’s stomach turn. His first instinct was to run
to her, but he couldn’t. He was held back by the all-consuming hatred for the Bloodsucker who had
hurt her. He needed revenge; he needed to do something other than sit still and say soothing words.
He couldn’t be comforting right now.
She needs you, man, Quil thought.
She’s got me.
Not when you’re out here instead of with her. I can tell you exactly what Claire would think if I did
that to her. She’d think I didn’t love her anymore. He knew because she was his imprint. And
because she’d told him.
Ness is smarter than that.
Quil growled. Don’t be a dumbass, Jake. Caius is gone; he’s not coming back. Yeah, what he did
was really shitty, but you can’t change anything by avoiding your imprint.
I’m Alpha, Quil. Do you even know what that means? I’m not just the boss. The Black bloodline has
been Alpha for generations. If I can’t have a fucking kid, it stops with me. He started to pace in front
of the smoldering ashes. It’s part of my job as Alpha to pass on the genes to the new Alpha. If I
can’t do that, then what fucking good am I?
Quil huffed. Do you really think what you’re doing is going to fix it? Maybe you could have kids with
someone else. He knew even as he thought it that it wasn’t an option.
Would you fuck someone that wasn’t Claire?
No.
Didn’t think so. Even if Ness would approve—which she wouldn’t—I couldn’t stomach it.
Quil went to sit in front of Jacob, stopping his pacing. You should at least explain this to Ness so she
doesn’t think you’re avoiding her.
Jacob nodded. What if I am avoiding her? What if just thinking about her reminds me that I’ll never
pass on the genes?
Quil mentally shrugged. I don’t know, man. I just know you’re never going to calm down if you keep
yourself away from her. Think about it, Jake. Without another word, he turned and padded away.
Jacob sighed. Once Quil’s presence disappeared, he laid down on his stomach and laid his head on
his paws. He thought about the conversation for a while. He was still confused, but he knew he did
at least need to talk to Renesmee. He got up, buried the ashes, and went back to the house.
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“Ness?” he called when he walked in.
“I’m in here,” she answered from the bedroom.
Jacob winced at the tightness of her voice. It was proof that she had been crying. He walked back to
find her on the bed. He sat next to her and took her hand.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She squeezed his fingers and shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Quil came out and talked to me.” He wasn’t sure how to say what he felt he needed to say. “He
said . . .” He looked down at his lap and cleared his throat. “He said he thinks you think I’m avoiding
you.”
Renesmee watched him for a moment, hoping he would look at her. When he didn’t, she sighed.
“Are you?”
“No. Yes. I don’t know.” He shook his head. “This is just way over my head. I don’t know what the
hell to do now, you know? I know I love you, but beyond that, I’m not sure of anything.”
She sniffled. “You still love me?”
He finally looked over at her. “Yes. That will never change, Ness. I promise.”
She pulled her hand, but he didn’t let it go. “I love you, too.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry, baby. I wish I could go back and be smarter about everything. I wish I could
break him apart inch by inch and take back what he stole. I don’t know how to accept this. Kids are
a part of my job.”
She licked her lips and tried to scoot a little closer. “I’m sorry, too. I feel like all this is my fault. I—”
Jacob made her look at him. “It’s not your fault. We already went over that, remember?”
She pulled away. “I know, Jake, but this wasn’t a part of it before. At least then we were blissfully
unaware that I couldn’t ever give you babies. And now I’m completely useless. Do you even know
why you imprinted on me to begin with? Did it have anything to do with having children? Is it
eventually going to wear off? I couldn’t bear that, Jake.” She wiped her eyes and tried to pull back
further.
He stopped her and pulled her up close to him with his arm around her shoulders. “Nothing is going
to wear off, baby. I didn’t imprint on you because of your ability to give me kids. If that was the case,
then it would have stopped when you were first changed. I imprinted on you because you’re my soul
mate; my one woman. I love you.” He hugged her tightly and kissed the side of her head. “You’re
still my Ness, I still love you, and you’re not useless.”
She snuggled into his side. “What’s going to happen, then? Wouldn’t your children be the ones to
take over as Alpha?”
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He sighed. “Yeah. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t even know where to begin. Quil
suggested having a baby with another woman.”
Renesmee pulled back to look up at him, a dark look in her eyes. “I’d rip her apart before you had
the chance.”
He chuckled. “I know. What about that artificial thing?”
“If I can’t carry your baby, nobody can. I’m sorry, Jake, I truly am. I can’t think about another woman
having your baby even if sex wasn’t involved. You’re mine, and so is your semen.”
He was relieved that she obviously felt the way he did. He didn’t want his genes mixed with anyone’s
but Renesmee’s. He touched her chin and kissed her lips. “I feel the same, baby.” He kissed her
again. “I don’t know how, but I’ll figure something out. I know the Black bloodline hasn’t been Alpha
forever. Things happen. Either someone has kids who never shift, or they’re all girls, or they don’t
have kids . . . I’ve talked about making Quil alpha before. Maybe I’ll do that.” He rubbed his face
with his palm. “I don’t know.”
Renesmee rested her head against his chest again. “What if we don’t make any decisions yet? Just
take it as it is for now?”
“I’ll try, baby. I’m still mad, but not at you.”
“Me too.” She looked up at him again. She reached up and touched his cheek. “Will you do me a
favor?” He nodded. “Will you try to be here with me more often? I miss you. A lot.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”
She smiled and stretched to kiss him. “Thank you. Will you also make love to me?”
He smiled and kissed her again. “Yes.”
He got on his knees beside her and pulled her away from the wall. She smiled when he pulled up on
her shirt. They worked together to get rid of their clothing. He kissed her again as he laid her down
on her back. The warmth of his body over hers comforted her in a way words couldn’t. Her legs
wrapped around him and her fingers fisted in his hair, holding him closer as he thrust. As he made
love to her, he realized that his anger wasn’t worth hurting his imprint. As long as he had her,
everything else would be okay. The pack would go on even without his children. Future generations
would shift and protect the tribe.
“A little faster, Jake,” Renesmee pleaded. “Right there, just faster.”
He growled and gave her what she needed. His body shivered when she tightened around him. Her
moans and her hands in his hair did him in. He came after a few more thrusts, then relaxed against
her. He kissed her lips softly. She put her hands on his face and kissed him back.
“I love you,” she whispered.
He nodded. “I love you, too. Forever.”
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~Chapter Twenty~
Outcome
6 years later
“How do I look?” Renesmee asked. She turned to Jacob and spun in a circle to show off her outfit.
Jacob smirked. “You still haven’t gotten tired of me saying you’re gorgeous?”
She smiled. “Never.”
He stepped up to her and reached out to brush her hair behind her shoulders. “In that case, you
look gorgeous, Ness.” He bent to kiss her lips. “I like this color on you.” The sparkly, dark blue color
of her dress made her light skin shine. It looked good with her auburn hair, and it made her orange
eyes brighter. They hadn’t changed or dimmed in the last six years. Her eyes weren’t the only things
that hadn’t changed; she was the same as she had been six years ago. It confirmed their suspicion
that she may be immortal the way Caius had said.
Her smile widened. “Thank you.”
“Not to mention it really shows off your curves.” His hands went to her waist and held lightly. The
dress was strapless, short, and skin-tight. “I’m getting a little jealous of all the other guys who will be
looking at you.”
She snorted. “Why? You know you don’t have any competition.”
“Maybe not, but you’re my imprint. That means I’m possessive, protective, overbearing, potentially a
jerk, and very dangerous if anyone looks at you wrong.” He kissed her again. “But you already knew
that.”
“Yes, I did. We’re going to be late if you don’t let me go.” She tried to pull away. His hands
tightened.
“We won’t be late. Even if we are, they can start without us. Seth doesn’t need us there to get
married.” He dipped his head to nibble on her neck.
Renesmee tilted her head and moaned softly. “Maybe not, but they were there for ours.” Her
arguments didn’t even convince her. Seth and Natalie had been at their wedding five years ago, but
all she had cared about at that time was taking on the Black name and rushing home to
consummate the marriage in as many ways as possible. She was pretty sure Natalie felt the same
way today. “Oh, what the heck.” She wrapped her arms around Jacob’s neck and swung her weight,
causing them both to fall onto the bed. They were both laughing as he slid her dress up over her
hips.
Two hours later, they were finally on their way. “Seth’s going to kill us,” Renesmee whined.
Jacob chuckled. “I didn’t hear you complaining an hour ago.”
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She smiled. “It was in there, mixed with ‘faster,’ ‘harder,’ and ‘don’t fucking stop.’”
“Keep telling yourself that. Besides, looks like everyone’s still here.” He nodded toward the other
cars as he found a place to park.
Jacob took her hand as they walked through the woods toward Second Beach where the reception
was underway. They found Seth and Natalie to congratulate them.
“You missed the best part,” Natalie complained.
“I’m sorry,” Renesmee said. “Jacob detained us.” She nudged his arm with her elbow.
“You helped,” he said under his breath. Renesmee gave him a quick glare. He ignored her and
turned to Seth. “Congratulations, man.” He held out his hand. Seth shook it.
“Thanks.” He wasn’t upset about his Alpha’s tardiness. He and Natalie had almost been late as
well. Neither of them cared about tradition; it was their day and they’d be together before the
wedding if they wanted. Seth was glad he’d put aside his fear of imprinting on someone else to
pursue Natalie. He had to keep what he was a secret from her until he proposed eight months ago.
Jacob gave in and let Seth tell her what she was getting herself into. She was stunned, but after a
short period of shock, she realized how much she was still in love with him. She talked to both
Renesmee and Claire about being with a Shifter. Once she learned about imprinting, she understood
Seth’s hesitance at the beginning of their relationship. She was even worried about it herself, but
Seth convinced her to calm down and trust him.
“You’re already glowing,” Renesmee said to Natalie. “You look so beautiful.”
Natalie blushed. She’d decided to stick with one tradition and wore a white dress. Her normally
straight, black hair was pulled up in a bun with a few strands hanging around her face in ringlets.
“Thank you. I can’t even tell you how happy I am to finally be Mrs. Clearwater.” She cast a quick
glance at Seth.
He smirked at her and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in just a little tighter. She
smiled and turned her attention back to Renesmee.
Renesmee reached out to take Jacob’s hand. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“You made it!” Claire exclaimed.
Renesmee turned and smiled at the other woman. “Yes, we finally made it.” She gave Claire a hug.
“How are the kids?”
Quil and Claire had been the first to get married. They had two children and were working on a third.
Jacob had been resentful at first, but he got over it with time and encouragement from his imprint.
“They’re doing great,” Claire replied. “Kaleb is getting excited about preschool.”
“That’s nice. He’s so smart.” Renesmee looked over at the four-year-old boy playing with his sister
in the sand. Sasha was a year younger than him and was treated like a princess.
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Jacob had all but made the decision to turn Alpha over to Quil when Quil announced he was going to
stop shifting in a few years’ time. Like most Shifters, he would give up the ability to shift to grow old
with his imprint. After that conversation, Jacob rearranged his plans. He didn’t feel comfortable
giving up the Alpha to just anyone. He’d come to terms with the fact that he had to give it up at all,
but he’d be damned if it went to someone who couldn’t handle it. It had to be Quil or one of his
children. Neither Seth nor Embry argued with him; neither of them felt they could take on the
responsibility of Alpha. He’d already decided he would continue to shift for however long Renesmee
lived. It wasn’t even a decision, really. He had plenty of time to wait and see if Kaleb would shift. If
the boy did, he would be the new Alpha.
The party went on for a few hours. Renesmee had long since gotten more comfortable being around
people, even if some of them did refer to her as “the girl with the freaky eyes.” She didn’t mind.
They were freaky, but they were hers.
She smiled when she Embry came up to her, his hand locked with Sophia’s. He’d finally met his
match with a Quileute woman who had lived most of her life in another state with her parents. She
had moved to the reservation four months ago. She didn’t fall into his trap the way most women did,
and it intrigued him. Although Embry hadn’t imprinted on her, he had given up other women to be
with her. As Jacob had predicted, Embry hadn’t uttered one word of protest. Instead, he became
just as faithful as the rest of the Shifters.
Jacob looked around to find Renesmee. He’d had a hard time letting her walk away from him in the
dress she was wearing. His instincts told him to hold her close to his side and growl at men looking
at her. He let her go, though, knowing she was more capable than most of defending herself. She’d
been mingling for half an hour; he needed her by his side again.
He found her standing by one of the picnic tables talking to Claire and Natalie. He stood a few yards
away to watch them. Renesmee heard his approach and looked up to smile at him before turning
back to the conversation. Jacob smirked to himself. He was grateful that she understood his need
to protect her and be near her. Over the years, she’d defended him almost as much as he did her.
She claimed it was all part of the imprint. He knew from Quil and Claire that it was at least partially
true, but he was also sure it had more to do with her half-human status. She was an animal, just like
him. They understood each other better than any other couple he knew.
He licked his lips and decided he’d stood back long enough. He closed the distance and put his
hands on her waist from behind. She smiled and leaned back against him.
“How are you?” he asked. He leaned down to place a kiss on her shoulder.
She nodded. “I’m great. You?” She turned her head to look up at him.
“Pretty good. I started to miss you, though. You were gone so long.” He pouted.
Renesmee snorted. “I wasn’t even gone thirty minutes.”
“That’s thirty minutes too long.”
Natalie cooed, and Claire just smirked. They were both used to the saccharine affection from their
Shifters.
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Renesmee blushed and turned in Jacob’s arms to face him. With her hands on his chest, she looked
up at him through her lashes. He shivered; those orange eyes still affected him the way they had
when they’d been brown. He leaned down to kiss her lips.
“I’ll make you a deal. Give me another forty-five minutes or so, then we can hunt and go home.”
He nodded. “Okay.” He had been hoping for less time, but he wouldn’t take this away from her. She
was having fun with friends who wouldn’t live forever the way she likely would. He had all the time in
the world.
The End
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