Midnight Dreams

Chapter One

My name is Aiyana Avalyssa Black. Exotic, I know. I go by Ana. My first name in my dad's family's
language means eternal blossom. Very fitting seeing as how I'm immortal.

I live in the cold, nearly sunless town of Brunswick, Maine. Population: 22,000. Not small, but not very big
either. Towns like these provide the ideal living environment for my family who rely heavily on cloud cover
and grey skies. There are nine vampires, three shape shifters and three something else's in my large and
very beautiful family. I fall into the something else category, along with my brothers. The one thing we all
have in common? We're all immortal.

How is immortality possible? Mate one human-vampire hybrid with one human-wolf shape shifter and
bam! You get me--a 24-year-old supernatural phenomena. Let me clarify: I have been alive for 24 years
but physically, I look like a typical 17-year- old. Well, maybe not typical. Four generations worth of
supermodel good looks were passed down to my brothers and me. I have my mom's full lips and warm,
chocolate brown eyes rimmed by thick, dark eyelashes. I get my height from my dad--I'm almost 5'10--
and my skin is tan like his but lighter by a few shades. My hair is a glossy caramel color, streaked with
gold and bronze highlights. I will look this way forever. Lucky me, I know.

My brothers and I are anomalies. Being born to two hybrids, no one knew what to expect. No one thought
it was even possible for my parents to have children, since, as my grandfather Edward puts it, they were
crossbreeding. I inherited all my mom's vampire traits--the strength, speed, sharp mind and impenetrable
skin. My thirst for blood is almost non-existent--not that it doesn't smell enticing, but, I prefer a good old,
greasy cheeseburger over a full sized deer any day--medium rare, of course. But, my most distinctive trait
is my extra ability.

Like my grandparents, my uncle Jazz and aunt Alice, I have a unique gift. I am a dream walker. It's way
cool. Completely useless against vampires who can't sleep but it came in handy growing up to torment my
brothers. I can walk in and out of the dreams of humans- and half humans- and communicate with the
dreamer or change their dreams as I wish. My gift didn't fully manifest until I was seven. Dad was the first
person to experience my power. I was having a bad dream and I called out to him. In an instant, I was
standing next to him and I told him I was scared and I needed him to protect me. In the morning when I
woke up, I was snuggling next to my dad in his wolf form. He phased back and had no idea how he ended
up next to me in the middle of the night. It happened again and again for two weeks, each time, my dad
not remembering how he ended up there in the morning.

Mom thought he had a sleep-walking problem. Technically, he did, but I was the root of it. I fessed up to
remembering talking to dad in my dreams telling him I was afraid of the dark and couldn't sleep by
myself. My great-grandfather Carlisle is a doctor. He and my Grandpa monitored dad one night to see if he
went anywhere else besides my room. Grandpa stayed with me and Carlisle stayed dad. Grandpa can read
minds. In mine, he heard me call out to dad who appeared less than a minute later and plopped down
next to me on the bed. Carlisle followed him into my room and told Grandpa, that in his sleep, dad
muttered, "I'm coming, Ana. Don't worry."

They were fascinated. I wanted to do more experiments, reach out to my brothers and my mom. It was a
lot of fun for me, not so much for my brothers.

Aiden was six at the time and already twice my size. He picked on me constantly. I saw this as my chance
to get back at him. In my dream that night, my brother and I were in my old playroom. I told him that it
would be fun if he went into aunt Rosie's room to play dress-up. In the morning, he woke up back in his
bed, with lipstick smeared all over his face and wearing a sundress.

Both of them stopped picking on me after that.

As I got older, my power became greater. With the help of my parents, we think I have mastered control
over it. I've even learned how to enter daydreams while I'm still awake. My poor brothers are always the
guineau pigs when I want to try it out.

Aiden and Bryce are shape shifters like my dad. Aiden is 23 and Bryce is 20. Dad was so proud the day
they first phased. Mom even cried. I rolled my eyes. My ability is way cooler, in my opinion.

Like dad, they're giants. Aiden is 6'4 and Bryce is 6'5. They've been that tall since they were 17 and 14,
respectively. But somehow, they look a lot younger than they actually are. Mom says they get their baby
faces from dad. Baby faces? Gag me.

They spend as much time as possible as wolves, running and improving their hunting skills. Unlike dad and
myself, Aiden and Bryce like to eat like the rest of my family- they hunt for wildlife in the woods on our
1,000-acre estate. But unlike the rest of my family, with maybe the exception of Uncle Em, my brothers
eat like savages. Often times, they'll come home with their fur caked with blood and dirt. So gross. I got
tired of the stench, one day they came home to find personalized gift from me- two oversized doghouses
in the back yard. Mom didn't think it was very nice but dad and aunt Rosie thought it was hilarious.

My mom, Renesmee, and my dad, Jacob, have been married for 30 years. He still looks at her like a man
in love for the first time in his life. Sometimes, it's sickening how cute they are together. It's amazing
seeing them together knowing our family's history. My dad is from the Quileute tribe in La Push, a small
reservation near Forks, Washington where my mom was born. The legend of my dad's people says that
they are decedents of wolves and the "Cold Ones," also known as vampires, are their mortal enemies. The
Cullen vampires--my mother's family--and the Quileute elders had a treaty in place for more than 80 years
before my dad became an Alpha. No humans were to be hunted or harmed in Forks. Easy enough for a
family of vegetarian vampires. That is until my grandmother, Bella, came along and changed everything.

Chapter Two

Human and vampire relationships never end well. Or so says grandpa, but it worked out well for him. But,
until my grandmother became a vampire, their relationship was constantly being tested, filled with danger
and heartache.

Dad was in love with Grams, too, before my mom was born. Dad and Grandpa battled each other over her
constantly. Weird I know, but there's nothing normal about my family.

Anyways, Grams and Grandpa were married shortly after her high school graduation. She was pregnant
with my mom when she was still human. She was one mean fetus from what I've been told. She
practically killed Grams during childbirth. Obviously, it's a sore subject, so no one really talks about it.
Grams was changed into a vampire as soon as she gave birth. My dad, confused, saddened and filled with
rage over the transformation he allowed, had every intention of killing the "Thing" that killed his beloved
Bella--my mom. He went to find my aunt Rosie who took care of her during Grams change and something
he never expected happened. The moment he looked at my mom, he was a goner. The Quileute legend
says it's possible for tribes' members to "imprint" on another person. In layman's terms, you'll know
instantly when you've found the person you're destined to be with-- your soul mate.

I know what it sounds like. Eww, right? But, It's not what you think. Yes, my mom was just a baby when
my dad knew he was going to spend eternity with her but, it wasn't like love at first sight. It was
something else, something that I can't really explain. Imprinting is a strange thing to understand. Dad was
fiercely loyal and protective of my mom while he waited for her to grow up. He didn't have the lovey-
dovey feelings he has for her now until she became an adult. In her case, that was six years after she was
born. Mom was no regular baby. She grew daily, at an alarming rate both physically and mentally. At
three months, she was far more intelligent than a human at ten. Mom has a gift too. When she touches
someone, she can show them a collection of her memories and thoughts. It's like being shown a movie.
That's how I know all this. No one wanted to tell me so mom showed me when she thought the time was
right.
Once dad imprinted on mom, the treaty between the Quiletes and the Cullens was replaced with
something even stronger than an agreement- allegiance and devotion to each other's families. No member
of dad's pack was to harm my mom. If anything had happened to her, it would have been so devastating
and painful for my dad, he'd have to fight his own brothers.

The unity between the two families was strengthened even more when the vampire royal family-the
Volturi- came to Forks to kill my mom and her family. There are laws very few laws in our world, but they
are absolute. First and most important is that humans cannot know we exist. Second, children are
forbidden from being changed. Uncle Jazz told me that long ago, the "Immortal Children" as they were
called, ran wild all over the South. The Volturi, who Interfere only when the situation absolutely calls for it,
came in and killed all of them. To create an Immortal Child guarantees you a death sentence.

A vampire who held a grudge against Grandpa's family saw my mom and dad hunting in the woods with
my grandparents when she was very young. The vampire, Irina, mistook her for an Immortal Child and
went to Italy to Inform the Volturi of her existence. Aunt Alice had a vision and saw them coming to Forks
with an entire army of gifted and extremely skilled fighters. Their intention was to destroy the
"abomination" and the family harboring it. Little did they know, my family gathered an army as well but,
only to witness mom's growth and testify on their behalf that no crime was committed.

Any vampire could tell instantly that mom wasn't an Immortal Child. Her heartbeat proved it the moment
they saw her. She even showed Aro, the head family member, her birth and her life up to that point. She
had him convinced but not the rest of his family. The other Volturi weren't satisfied. Mom's family amassed
over 30 vampires to witness, a large majority had extraordinary gifts the Volturi had never seen. Not only
were there vampires, but my dad's pack of 16 wolves joined as well. He had to protect my mom. The
Volturi were determined to find some reason to attack so that after the battle, the survivors with gifts
would join the Volturi Instead of facing execution. They thought they had the war won, but they had no
Idea how vulnerable they would be after Grams unleashed her power.

Grams is a shield. Meaning, she can block the attacks and powers of others. What makes her even more
powerful is that she is able to shield anyone around her as well, which is exactly what she did when the
Volturi guard started to make their move. They were stunned. They had never been at a disadvantage.
The fight was stopped immediately, the Volturi were not prepared to have to fight fair. They left Forks,
never to return or bother my family.

Over the next six years, mom grew up quickly, in peace, surrounded by love and happiness and always
under the watchful eye of my dad. At six, she was like a fully matured 15-year old. My grandparents made
them wait another three years before getting married. They looked so happy and gorgeous in their
wedding photos. They moved out of the Cullen mansion and onto the La Push reservation, where lived
there until my mom got pregnant. They moved back in with my grandparent's family fearful that the
Volturi would somehow find out and return. They never did.

My brothers and I had a great childhood. You might say we were sheltered but our family was very close
and not one of us felt like we were missing anything. Our family is rich. Really, really rich. We lived on a
1,000-acre estate with six massive houses and woods as far as the eye could see. It was stocked with
plenty of wildlife to satiate the thirsts of hungry wolves and vampires. I didn't hunt unless I was absolutely
craving blood-which wasn't often- and the only other times I spend in the woods are when I would go to
my favorite tree to read in peace.

We couldn't go to school like regular humans so we were home schooled which was perfectly fine with me.
My knucklehead brothers never took their studies seriously. Mom says they're the same as dad- not very
big fans of school. They were always watching the clock, counting down to the time when they could get
out of the library and go play with Uncle Seth and Aunt Leah.

I on the other hand was an extremely bright and eager student. I had one-on-one lessons, eight hours a
day with each member of my mom's family tutoring me in various subjects. Grams taught English and
though most of my family were big readers, her choices influenced me the most. I loved the classics just
like her. I was an accomplished pianist thanks to Grandpa. I don't think I could ever be as good as him
seeing as how he's playing for almost 160 years. Chopin is my favorite composer but I also love his
compositions. The lullaby he wrote from Grams is one of my favorites to play.
I learned history with uncle Jazz, world languages with Aunt Alice, Art with my great-grandmother Esme,
Science with granddad Carlisle and math with Aunt Rosie. On Saturdays, I played baseball with Uncle Em
and on Sundays we lazed around the house watching football.

Uncle Seth, dad's best friend and most loyal pack member, and his sister, my aunt Leah, taught us Quilete
history. It was the only subject that held my brothers' attentions. We all flew back to Forks with my
brothers when they first started phasing. The tribe elders held a naming ceremony for Bryce and Aiden.
Aiden was given the name Hakan, the fire dancer and Bryce was Hania, the spirit warrior.

Uncle Seth was perfectly at ease with the vampire side of my family. He and Grandpa were the closest of
friends. Aunt Leah was still a bit apprehensive even after all these years but she loved me to death. It's
probably because of my Quilete blood. She kept to herself most of the time unless she was out in the
woods with the boys.

I loved school but my favorite times were the ones I got to spend with my dad. Sometimes, I wish I were
as close to my mom as she was to Grams but, I'm a total daddy's girl. I could suck a human dry and he'd
probably say "S'okay, sweetheart, just don't do it again." I was his "little bloodsucker." Once a derogatory
word now a term of endearment between dad and me. He was the coolest person I knew. It was mostly
because he was so different from the rest of my family. In dad's words, everyone in our house spoke like
stuffy, upper-crust, Victorian aristocrats. They were too proper and far too boring. He talked like the
people on TV. He cursed and sometimes murdered the English language, but that was what was so
endearing about him. He grew up a normal, human teenager with the exception of the shape shifting.
Grandpa isn't very happy with some of the more colorful language I picked up from dad but, as long as I
don't curse, he's cool with our "silly and ridiculous" slang and street jargon.

Tomorrow is my 25th birthday. Mom and dad promised that when I turned 25, I could go to high school
and see what it's like in the human world. My brothers and I weren't aging anymore, so there was no risk
of exposure. Unfortunately, Aiden and Bryce would be coming too, posing as juniors since they were so
gigantic. But, that's better than the alternative- the entire Cullen, Black and Clearwater family attending
school all together. No thanks. It would be horrible to go to school with my mind-reading grandpa,
intimidating and sometimes scary uncles and dad and devastatingly gorgeous mom, aunts and
grandmother. I'd much rather put up with my brothers antics for two years than with 13 members of my
family for four. Ugh.

My aunts are throwing me a quarter-of-a-century birthday party tomorrow night. They throw the best
parties and I always get awesome gifts. That was definitely one of the plus sides of being in this family.
Tomorrow's going to be amazing, I just know it.

Chapter Three

"Wake up, kiddo." Dad tried to find a way through the blanket and sheet cocoon that encapsulated my
body. He found the end of the duvet and pulled it out from under me. The early morning light that poured
through my windows hurt my eyes and I hid my head under my pillow.

"Five more minutes, pleeeease?" I squeaked in a muffled voice, "I need my beauty sleep."

"Beauty sleep, Annie?" Only dad was aloud to call me Annie, it made me feel like such a child when
everyone else said it, "If you were any more beautiful, sweetheart, I would have to rethink this whole high
school thing. Now, come on, I have a surprise for you."

I shot up in my bed, "A surprise?" Oh, how I loved surprises. Unlike mom and Grams, I had nothing
against the lavish gifts my family loved to shower me with. "What kind of surprise, Daddy?"

"Come downstairs, have some breakfast and then I'll show you. Mom is cooking your favorite, Belgian
waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. Better get down there before the boys eat it all." He kissed
the top of my forehead and walked out of the room so I could change.
I looked around my room to find my robe. It was a complete disaster. Clothes were strewn all over the
room in complete disarray. It looked like a hurricane had come through and the contents of my closet
were its unfortunate victims. I would definitely need to clean it sometime this week. My room was my
sanctuary. Grammy Esme did all the design work. The walls were a soft lilac color trimmed with a darker,
royal purple. The room was furnished with two flat screen TV's, the best surround sound system money
could buy, a small office and sitting area with a computer desk, a couch and two armchairs. Several
dressers and an armoire held the rest of my clothing that didn't fit into my enormous walk-in closet. My
favorite piece of furniture was the massive, silver wrought-iron canopy bed with intricate rose designs. It
used to be black when it belonged to my grandparents when they first got married. The coolest feature of
my room was the upstairs loft that held the piano that was also passed down by my grandparents. I could
sit up there and play for hours on end.

"There you are!" I found the pink fleece robe aunt Alice had given me on Valentine's Day and I threw it on
over my shoulders. I looked in the mirror for a moment to fix my unruly hair so I would look somewhat
decent. The aroma of freshly baked waffles and sweet strawberries tickled my nose as soon as I opened
the door. I jumped over the banister to the first floor, landing by the entranceway to the kitchen- stairs
took too long.

Mom's left eyebrow rose slightly, "Do you really have to do that every time you come downstairs?"

"What? You never say anything when Aiden does it. It's not like I'm gonna break my ankles, mom." I stuck
my tongue out to my brother who was working on a stack of my waffles and bacon. "Where did Dad and
Bryce go?"

"They're doing something with your present." She came over and placed a plate of waffles in front of me.
Before I could dig in, her pale, slender arms closed around my shoulders and she placed a soft kiss in my
hair, "Happy birthday, honey."

"Thanks, mom." I would have turned to hug her back but, I was really, really hungry.

"Yuh, hoppy burthday, sis" Aiden muttered, flecks of waffles and bacon landing on the table.

"Eww, gross Deni, don't talk with your mouth full…but, thanks." Dad and Bryce walked into the kitchen a
few minutes later. Bryce plopped down in the seat next to me and I snarled at him when he tried to steal
my bacon.

"Oooh, someone's grumpy this morning. Is it cause you're getting old, Annie?"

"Do. Not. Call. Me. Annie." I quickly jabbed my butter knife into his arm, drawing a tiny bit of blood. He
flicked the droplet at me as the small gash closed almost instantly. His blood did not smell nearly as
appetizing as the waffles.

"Ana, don't stab you brother. It's not nice." She turned her attention back to the waffle iron as dad walked
up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her tight before kissing her cheek,
bringing a mile-wide smile to her exquisite face. He whispered something in her ear too low for even my
vampire ears to hear. It had to be about my birthday present.

I scarfed down the rest of my food and zipped to my dad's side before he had a chance to start eating.
"Can I see my present now, Daddy?" I hugged him and inhaled his scent. He smelled like fresh cut grass
and the damp woods. My favorite. Aunt Rosie is the only one who still teases him about smelling like a wet
dog, something I have now picked up and use on my brothers.

"Yeah, I s'pose." He put me into a light headlock and we walked to the garage. I hope it's not another car.
I like the one I currently have- a tricked-out Mini Cooper that I helped Dad fix up. It's ancient but you'd
never know it. It looks brand new and it goes fast. Really fast. He opened the garage door to show me my
gift. Amongst the collection of fancy cars and street motorcycles sat my brand new Yamaha all terrain dirt
bike. You could ride it on the freeway and streets too. I've been bugging my parents about a bike since
Grams taught me how to ride one ten years ago.
"Whoa, dad! This is so cool! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I rushed over and turned on the ignition.
The bike roared as I gave it more gas. "This is so awesome! I love it!"

" Yeah well, Edward doesn't want you riding it unless you wear these…" He handed me a helmet, gloves
and what looked like a bulletproof jacket. Unecessary accessories for someone with quick reflexes and zero
chance of getting hurt.

"Seriously?" I eyed dad questioningly, a smile formed on his lips.

"Yeah, I know, kiddo. But, ease his mind a bit, kay?"

"Sure, pops. Whatever you say."

"Anyways," He fastened the helmet strap under my chin, "Happy Birthday, my lil' bloodsucker. Love you."

"Love you, too." I shouted as I pulled out of the garage to take my new bike for a spin.

"Ana, what the…?" I took off my headphones to see Alice picking my clothes from off my floor. "This is a
vintage Yves St. Laurent dress and look at this, Christian Dior, probably permanently wrinkled."

"Oops?" I shrugged my shoulders at the tiny pixie zooming around my room placing my clothes over her
extended arm. I tossed my iPod onto the bed and helped her rearrange my closet.

"You're just as bad as your Grams."

"Hey, at least I wear this stuff." I loved everything she bought for me. Alice and Rosie had fantastic taste
in clothing. And although I never had anywhere to wear them to, they made sure I stayed up to date on
the newest styles and latest trends. Grams and mom had no appreciation for the designer labels that filled
their closets. Often times, whenever I raided their closet to find new pieces, I would pull something off the
hanger that still had the tags on them. So sad, it was such a waste.

"Yes, that's true isn't it? Anyways, I came to give you this." She handed me the adorable Peter Som dress
I had pointed out last week in the latest issue of Vogue. "Wear it to the party. It will look so pretty against
your skin."

I held the dress up to my body as I examined myself in the mirror, "Thanks, Alice. It's a great gift."

"Oh, that's not your gift, dear. It's just a dress. You know me better than that!" She grinned before
turning and flitted out of my room, humming some lovely tune in her musical, wind chime voice.

Chapter Four

I finished curling my hair, slapped on some lip-gloss and threw on my dress before and looked in the
mirror for final adjustments before heading over to Grammy and Granddad's house. Theirs was the largest
of our homes. Purple's and pink's now covered every inch of the living room from the table covers to the
gift-wrap on the presents. A white birthday cake, almost too pretty to eat, was on the center table,
surrounded by fragrant white freesias and purple lilacs. A light breeze flowed through the house and the
usually scarce sunlight burst through the open windows causing my vampire relatives' skin to sparkle like
diamonds. I was awestruck every time I saw it happen. They were all so excruciatingly beautiful, I couldn't
help but be a little bit envious.

Grandpa was the first person I reached, "You are more beautiful than all of us combined, sweetie." He
whispered into my ear in his smooth, velvety voice. He obviously heard what I was thinking.

Grams was next, her angelic face twinkled in the afternoon light, "He's right you know. Happy birthday,
my darling."
I was greeted and wished a happy birthday by each member of my family. Everyone looked so happy. It
was intoxicating being surrounded by such beauty and unconditional love. Mom and dad barbequed
steaks, chicken, corn on the cob and an assortment of other veggies. I was not a fan of vegetables but
mom insisted that it wasn't very healthy living on a diet that consisted entirely of undercooked meat. Dad,
Mom, Leah, Seth, Bryce, Aiden and I pigged out on the delicious meal.

"Hey uncle Em?"

"What's up?" He looked up from the game on TV. Rosie looked over as well.

"Do you like seafood?"

"What?"

"See...food!" He opened up his big mouth to show Em the masticated piece of steak, "Get it?" Em let out a
booming laugh that echoed through the room.

"You're revolting, you know that?" I rolled my eyes at him in disgust. You would have thought he'd been
raised by a pack of wild wolves from the way he ate.

We finished up our lunch and I posed for pictures with my cake and my family. Esme liked to take
thousands of pictures every time there was a birthday or celebration. The basement was half full of boxes
filled with pictures from our childhood. I cut the cake, handed out the slices and waited for the best part.
Presents.

****

"This is from Jazz and I." Alice tossed me one of the large purple boxes. Inside was a black, quilted Chanel
messenger bag and matching sunglasses.

"For school." Jazz chimed.

I got a new Apple laptop from Em and Rosie, a Burberry winter coat and scarf set from Grammy and
Granddad, some badly needed Bose acoustic headphones from Seth and Leah and a silver locket with our
family crest from Grams and Grandpa. It was exactly like mom and Grams.

"So, for my last present…School? Are we gonna talk about it now?" I had to take advantage of the gift-
giving mood everyone was in.I saw fear on the faces of my parents and grandparents until Jazz came up
behind them. He half smiled and sat next to Alice. I would have to thank my mood-influencing uncle later
for that. I sat between Bryce and Aiden on the sofa as Grandpa led the discussion.

"Yes, school. As you know, we all want what is best for you and your brothers. After many discussions, we
have decided to enroll you at St. Augustine Academy."

"Ugh. Isn't that the private school?" I elbowed Bryce in the ribs. I think I heard something crack.

"Would you rather stay home, son?" Dad glared at him.

"Noooo." He shut up real fast.

Grandpa quickly got back into the conversation, "St. Augustine has the best curriculum and teachers. Not
that you will have any problems academically."

"Nope, none at all." I beamed at my parents. Bryce and Aiden sank into the couch. School was going to be
a breeze--for me at least. There wasn't anything the teachers could teach that I didn't already know.
"Of course, you know there are a few rules you have to follow. We have waited so long to send you to
school for a reason. Exposure is and will always be our main concern. Therefore, we have agreed on the
following--

One, you cannot join any sports teams. You would have an unfair advantage because of your strength and
speed and as you know, we will not condone cheating. Along those same lines, you will have to hold back
during P.E."

"Your Grams is a good resource for advice in that department. Aren't you, Bells?" Emmett chuckled, joined
by Jazz. Grams wasn't amused.

"I don't know what he's talking about." I could tell Grams was embarrassed, she fidgeted her hands
whenever she was put on the spot. Fidgeting is not a vampire trait.

"Can we continue, Emmett or are you not finished badgering my wife?" Grandpa stroked the back of
Grams' hand reassuringly. He was always so protective of Grams. It was sweet.

"Rule number two," It was dad's turn now, "this is mainly for you boys. Keep your tempers under control.
No fighting or bullying or running you big mouths. The last thing we need is for you two to go phasing in
front of the entire student body."

"Rule number three." Mom looked at me, "I know you don't like to darling but, you need to hunt. At least
once a week for the first month."

"Mom, I've been around humans before."

"Yes, we know. It's just a precaution. You've been around humans but not for eight hours a day. It's
different. Sitting next to them for hours on end. We don't know if it'll do anything to your thirst but, why
take chances?"

"Ok." I hated hunting. I was terrible at tracking my prey and it always got messy.

"Rule number four." Grandpa's turn again, "Stick to the story." Ah, yes. The story. This was the greatest
complication. Obviously, I couldn't have my actual mother and father sign me up for school seeing as how
my mom looks to be about 18 at the most and my dad looks about 25. Granddad Carlisle and Grammy
Esme would pose as our adoptive parents. Adoptive parents to 13 children. Believable? I think not. But,
it's worked for them in the past.

So, according to the "story," Dad, Bryce and Aiden were my blood brothers. Our parents died in an
accident with Seth and Leah's parents- who were our cousins. The Cullens adopted us into their family,
which already included my mom, grandparents and aunts and uncles. It was a good thing it was just my
brothers and I going to school. I wouldn't even know where to begin explaining the relationships between
my paired off "siblings."

"Ok, suck at sports, drink blood and lie. Should be easy enough." That got everyone- except mom and my
grandparents- laughing.

"Annie! You must take this seriously." Ugh. Annie. Better not piss off Grandpa.

"Yes, Grandpa. I know. I will. I want this more than anything. So, thank you for letting us go."

"It was a tough decision for all of us but, we can't keep you here forever."

"Yes, no matter how much we might want to," Dad sighed deeply before finishing his sentence, "You have
to get out there eventually." His warm hands were on my shoulders. I rubbed his hands consolingly.

"I'll be ok, daddy."

"I know, kiddo. I know." Poor Dad, he was having a tougher time with this than he would admit.

"So, tomorrow? What's the plan?"

"Esme and I will take you and your brothers to register for school in the morning. You'll have to get your
uniforms afterward- Alice and Rosalie volunteered to take you shopping." Carlisle nodded his head towards
my two grinning aunts.

"Surprise, surprise." Jasper's voice was barely audible above the sound of the football game on TV.

"So, when do we start class? Tuesday?" I clasped my hands together in front of my face.

"Yes." Carlisle held my flapping arms down at my side. I could barely contain my excitement at that point.
I bounced around the room smothering my family with hugs.

"Thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to me! I'll be the oldest freshman at St.
Augustine's but I don't care. I can't wait for school!"

Dad was the last one I hugged. I made sure to make it an extra strong one. "I've never met anyone so
excited to go to school before. Are you sure you're my kid?"

Chapter Five

I couldn't sleep at all after the party. Butterflies filled my stomach as the anticipation of the upcoming
days overwhelmed me. I sat by my open window and listened to the howls of my brothers. I found them
oddly soothing. If I had to hunt, I figured now was as better time than any. I found and old Dartmouth
sweatshirt I stole from Jazz and laced up my hiking boots. I exited my room through the open window and
hit the ground running-- lighting fast to the source of the howls. It had been months since the last time I
hunted. I used to go once a month with my dad when I was younger. Not because I was thirsty, but
because he turned hunting into a game—see who could catch dinner first. He always won. Big surprise.

I caught Aiden's scent as soon as I reached the tree line. I followed it to the ravine that ran through the
middle of the woods. I closed my eyes and tried to focus my hearing, listening for their heavy paws hitting
the damp moss. I heard the two sets I was listening for 150 yards to the west. I darted through the trees
and darkness, closing in on my brothers. Their scents got stronger as I closed in—twenty yards, almost
there. I scurried up the nearest tree, leaping from branch to branch trying to position myself above them.

My eyes finally adjusted to the darkness. Aiden and Bryce had caught an elk each. I dropped down next to
them, silently, onto an exposed boulder. Aiden growled at me for interrupting his dinner. "Down, boy." I
teased. "Still hungry?" I took off, back to the east where I picked up the scent of a small herd of deer.
Aiden and Bryce flanked my sides-- man, they were fast. I slowed to a human pace and hid behind a tree.
We had the advantage in the dark. Even with my mediocre hunting skills, this would be an easy kill. I
found the largest of the herd—an unsuspecting, adult male—lapping water in a small pool by some rocks. I
crouched into attack position and threw all my weight forward, tackling the deer to the ground.

It didn't struggle as my teeth sunk into its neck like a hot knife through butter. Its blood—warm and rich—
tasted amazing. When I drained the deer, I tossed its body and ran back to the ravine to wash my face. I
was full and finally tired.

"See you boy later." I patted the top of Bryce's head. It was time to go home and get some much-needed
rest.

****

I tossed and turned in my sleep all night. In my dream, I was at school. I had no friends and everyone
thought I was a freak. Girls were mean, talking about me behind my back. It's like I was living an never-
ending episode of Gossip Girl. Is this how it's going to be? I hope mom was asleep.

"Mom! Mom! Where are you? I need you!"

I looked around the dark room and like and angel surrounded by blinding light, she appeared. "Ana, love,
I'm here. What's wrong, baby?"

"Mom, I'm scared. I don't know now…if this is such a good idea."

"Shhhh." I was in her comforting embrace. She stroked my hair and held me close to her chest. I listened
to the rhythm of her beating heart to calm myself. "Don't be scared, darling. You'll be okay."

"Come with me, please?" I looked up into her eyes, I could feel tears streaming down my face, "I don't
want to be by myself."

"Of course I'll go with you. I won't let anything happen to my baby."

****

"Morning, sunshine. Sleep well?" My mom was perched on the edge of my bed, drinking a cup of coffee
and reading the morning paper. She looked gorgeous in her purple top and dark jeans.

"Morning to you too, mom. I slept much better after we talked. Thanks for that mom. I love you so much."

"Love you too, sweetie."

"So, you comin' to school with me…sis?" I rolled over and draped my arm over her legs.

"Sis. Ha. It's been many years since I've been back to school. Should be fun. Are you hungry? I could fix
you up something." she stroked my cheek with her thumb. I was ready to fall back asleep.

"No, not today. I went hunting last night. I'm still full."

"I can tell, your cheeks are flush." She traced my cheekbone with her finger.

"What time is it?"

"It's 7:15. It's time to get ready. Grammy and Granddad want to leave at 8:00."

"M'kay. Can I sleep for like, ten more minutes?" The excitement of the previous evening seemed non-
existent as I laid in my warm, comfortable bed. I'm not a morning person. I wanted at least another two
hours of sleep.

"Hmm. And here I thought you'd be the first one up and ready." My slender mother picked me up out of
bed and tossed me over her shoulder as if I weighed only ten pounds. She dropped me on the bathroom
counter. "Nope, time to get up sleepy head. Shower and change. You have 40 minutes."

I was half-awake when I stepped into the shower. I turned the knobs and freezing cold water blasted
through the showerhead. I was wide-awake after that. My muscles were a but stiff after a night of hunting
and the hot, ten-minute shower helped. I looked at the clock—thirty minutes, I better get moving. I threw
on my robe and ran back to my room to try to find something to wear. Luck for me, I have an aunt who is
always on step ahead. Alice laid out a new outfit on my bed--she even picked out a matching purse and
shoes. I combed my hair back into a ponytail and gave myself one last look-over in the mirror. Perfect.

I leaped over the banister and sat down next to dad at the counter who was stuffing his face with
mouthfuls of cereal.

"Hey, kiddo. Mom told me about last night. Hungry?"

"Of course she did. And, no. Not hungry."

"If you'd rather stay home, Annie, that's fine by me."

"With Mom there, everything will be ok."

"Alrighty, whatever you say." He slurped the remaining milk and put his bowl in the sink, "Come on I'll
walk you to the car. They're all outside waiting for you."

***

"Ugh. You guys! This isn't even the first day of school! We're just going to register!" I stomped my feet
and threw a fit like any teenager who was forced to do something against their will.

"Seriously? Pictures?" Bryce and Aiden asked Grams in unison.

"Yes, pictures. Ok, so yes, technically not your first day. But it is a big day. Once Carlisle and Esme get out
here, it'll be over. Now, stop complaining and hold still." Grams' snow-white finger pressed down on the
shutter release. She must have taken at least 100 pictures before Grammy and Granddad finally reached
the car.

"Love, I think they're anxious to get going." Saved by Grandpa. He took the camera from her hands and
wrapped his free arm around her shoulders. She turned her face up to kiss him. They've been married for
43 years and they still acted like newlyweds. "Have fun. We'll see you when you get back." Grams and
Grandpa walked back into their house hand-in-hand.

"Boy's you're riding with me, girls, you ride with Esme." Carlisle was leaving straight for work from the
school so we had to take two cars. Bryce and Aiden folded their massive bodies into the Mercedes SUV and
I followed Mom and Esme to the Rolls.

Alice flitted by my side on the way to the car, "Call me when you're finished with registration and Rose and
I will meet you at the mall for some shopping. 'Kay?"

"Sure thing, Alice. See you in a bit." I pressed my lips to her forehead and gave her a kiss. She danced
back to Jazz who, with Rosie and Em watched us pull out of the driveway.

Mom held my hand the whole car ride to school. My apprehension from last night had all disappeared
knowing she was there with me. It was a 20-minute drive from our property to St. Augustine's. Enough
time for a quick nap. I closed my eyes and rested my head on her shoulder. She hummed Grams' lullaby
very quietly by my ear. After what seem like only five minutes, the car stopped abruptly. Esme parked by
Carlisle and we all filed out of the cars. School was already in session so we didn't have to worry about
causing a scene in the parking lot.

Bryce and Aiden followed Esme and Carlisle up the steep steps to the administration building. Mom hung
back with me by the car. I breathed in the crisp New England and let out a deep sigh.

"Ready?" Mom stood in front of me and held my face in between her hands, I could see the concern in her
eyes.

I took one last deep breath, looped my arm through hers and started up the steps. "Oh yah. I'm ready."

Chapter Six

"Dr. Cullen, pleasure to meet you. I am Dean Lipton, welcome to St. Augustine." The stout, balding man
held open the heavy wooden door and welcomed us into his office.

"The pleasure is ours, Dean Lipton. This is my wife, Esme and these are our children—Renesmee, Aiyana,
Bryce and Aiden." He shook our hands giving each of us a quick once over, something mom said would
happen often when meeting new humans. They weren't accustomed to seeing such extraordinary beauty—
her words, not mine. The Dean's eyes lingered a little longer on Grammy than the rest of us. I don't blame
him, she's absolutely gorgeous, like a screen siren from the 30's or 40's.

"Hello, pleasure to meet you all. Please, take a seat." He motioned for us to sit on the couch against the
wall as Grammy and Granddad sat in the chairs in front of his desk.

"Dean Lipton, I don't know if your secretary relayed my message this morning but I have a little over an
hour to meet. I must get back to the hospital as soon as possible."

"Don't worry Dr. Cullen, this is just a quick meet and greet. I hear you have accepted the Chief of Medicine
position at Brunswick General? Congratulations."

"Yes, I have, thank you. And please, call me Carlisle." Granddad shifted in his seat, mimicking Dean
Lipton. Stillness was a giveaway of our kind and it made humans uncomfortable. Fidgeting seemed to put
them more at ease. "Once Nessie and Ana have graduated and gone off to college, my wife and I are
planning to move overseas."

"Sounds lovely. And Mrs. Cullen, what sort of work do you do?"

"Interior design and home restoration. But I have taken some time off to complete our own home." I could
tell from the look on his face he was completely enamored with Grammy. Her melodic voice was
hypnotizing.

"Lovely, lovely." I couldn't tell but Granddad must have been glaring at Dean Lipton because his posture
suddenly straightened and he fussed with his paperwork, "Humph, your paperwork is all in order. Your
counselors are waiting in their offices to finalize your schedules. They will take you on a tour of the
campus after you worked out your schedules. Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Cullen, I can assure you that your children
will be well taken care of here. We pride ourselves on our high standards. They should have no problems
fitting in."

"Thank you, Dean Lipton. That is very good to know. Good day." Carlisle stuck his hand out for the Dean
to shake. When he touched Granddad's ice-cold hand, I saw him shiver just the slightest.

"No," Dean Lipton quickly stuck his hand in his pant pocket, "Thank you. Please follow Maggie, she will
show you to the counselor's offices."

****

Granddad was paged for work earlier than he had expected which left Grammy to look after us. We sat in
a large, dimly lit office. It had a renaissance feel to it with its arched entranceway, domed ceilings,
decorative moldings and of course, a large crucifix. Our family was not religious by any means. This was a
Catholic school but students were not required to attend church, though religious studies was mandatory.
One of the many factors our family considered before settling on St. Augustine's. I didn't mind having to
take religious studies—I found world religions fascinating.

Boys and girls had separate counselors. They also, as I found out through talking to my counselor, had
separate campuses. The only co-ed classes were gym and music. Lunch was co-ed as well. I'm fairly
certain this was the final selling point—especially to Dad and Grandpa.

Mom and I saw our counselor together. Ms. Shepard looked about 40. Her appearance was very
disheveled and her office was a disaster—almost as bad as my room. She smelled funny too—like a cat.
We sat in our seats patiently as she rifled through a stack of file folders, in search of something.

"Sorry, my dears. I'm…I'm the only one on staff right now. Two counselors quit the other day leaving me
with this mess. I know I look frightful right now, but believe me…I'm not normally like this. Now, where
did I put those…"

"Are you looking for these, Ms. Shepard?" Mom handed the flustered counselor our paperwork.
"Ah, yes. Silly me, I forgot I hadn't even had your files to begin with." I looked at my mom, wanting to
laugh but her expression read don't even think about it. Ms. Shepard violently typed away on her
keyboard, talking to herself all the while. What a weird human. "Ok, let's start with…Renusmay? Ruh-
nesma?" She was completely stumped by the pronunciation of Mom's name. Her facial expressions and
gestures were so amusing to me. I've never had a conversation a with full-blooded humans for more than
two minutes. I felt like an anthropoligst discovering a new tribe on a National Geographic documentary.

"You can call me Nessie for short, Ms. Shepard. It's much easier."

I couldn't hold back my laughter any longer. Mom elbowed me lightly in the side.

"Nessie Cullen, freshman. I have you down for Algebra first period, Biology second period, Into to World
Religions third, Social Science fourth and English fifth, Gym sixth. We let our students select their elective
class. If you'll just look over this list and select one, I'll schedule that for seventh period."

Mom and I scanned through the list of electives. Advanced Orchestra, I think I'll take that.

"I'd like to take Art, please."

"My, what wonderful manners you have. So unlike most of the children at this school. Humph." She
pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose, "Ok, art and…done. Next, we have…"

"Ana. Just call me Ana, Ms. Shepard."

"Ok, Ana. I can put you in all the same classes as your sister, if you like."

"Yes, please!" Awesome, at least I would know one person and not be a total pariah.

"And the elective you'd like to take?"

"I think I'd like to try out for the Orchestra. I play the piano."

"She's quite good." Mom beamed at me.

"Thanks, sis." My cheeks were burning. I wasn't big on compliments.

"Orchestra, perfect. I know they're in need of a piano player. Ok, you two are all set. Here are your
schedules. Your brothers should be just about finished as well. If you'll take a seat in the reception area,
one of the student aides will take you on a tour through the campus. If you need anything, feel free to
stop by. Hopefully, I won't be such a mess next time. Bye, girls."

"Thanks, Ms. Shepard." I turned and waved to the odd human as mom pulled me by my belt out the door.

"That will be enough of that, Aiyana." Ugh. She only used my first name when I was in trouble. "It's very
rude to laugh at others who are having a tough time." She was definitely in Mom mode.

"Sorry…Mom" I whispered into her ear, so low that no one else could hear. Except for my brothers, that
was, who were standing behind me.

"Ohhh, Annie's in trouble already?" Aiden teased.

"Perfect Annie, getting into trouble. Imagine that. Whatcha do sis?" My other idiot brother joined in.

"Nothing, morons." I swiped the pieces of paper they held in their hands, "Lemme see your schedules.
Hey, we have gym together for sixth. Good, then we'll be able to keep an eye on you two, make sure
you're not cheating."
"Whatever. Look, I think that's our tour guide. See yah back at the car. Bye, Mom." Bryce patted the top
of her head and Aiden followed suit. She hated it when they did that. Bryce and Aiden introduced
themselves to Nicholas, a very cute, blonde, football player type. He smiled at me before walking out of
the office with my brothers.

"I saw that, Ana." Grammy said out of nowhere. She had been so silent the entire time, I had forgotten
she was even there.

"What? He smiled, I smiled. I was just being nice."

"Uh huh. Don't worry, I won't tell your mother."

I could feel my cheeks burning again.

****

Chapter Seven

We had waited in the reception area for about five minutes after my brothers had already left when a
pretty girl with long, blonde, curly hair dropped her backpack on a desk and rushed over to us.

"I'm so sorry it took me so long to get back here! I got held up in the newsroom. Sorry! Hi, I'm Chelsea
Woodrow. I'm a junior here." She was very cheerful and bubbly.

Like the Dean, she stuck out her hand for us to shake. Being part human, the difference in our body
temperature was undetectable. I shook it without hesitation, "Hi, I'm Ana. This is my mo—my sister,
Nessie." It was a very strange feeling, saying my mother's name so informally. She shook Mom's hand
too.

"It's very nice to meet you two. Welcome to St. Auggies. Follow me, I'll show you around."

We followed Chelsea around the girl's campus on the south side of the admin building. All of the buildings
were the same—old, large and very Catholic. I wasn't paying much attention to the tour because Chelsea
and I couldn't stop talking. We got on great from the get-go. Her effervescent personality was contagious.
I felt like I made my first human friend.

"Can I see your schedules?" We handed them to her, "Wow, you guys have the exact same schedule.
Lucky! Hey, Ana! We have Orchestra together! What instrument do you play?"

"I play the piano."

"That's great 'cause we really need a new piano player!"

"She's really, really good. You'll be lucky to have her." Mom couldn't help to brag about me whenever she
got the chance.

"That's so cool. I play the cello. I'm the lead chair. Hey, do you two wanna meet up for lunch tomorrow?
Oh wait…humph, never mind, I forgot, I have a newspaper deadline and I'll be in the newsroom all
week…well, we'll have to hang out sometime soon!"

"Yeah, that sounds great. Doesn't it, Nessie?" I was pleading with my eyes.

"Yes, it does. That sounds…awesome." Did she just say awesome? Mom never says awesome.

"Great, well, see you tomorrow in class, Ana. I'll see you later, Nessie. Bye!"

"Kay, bye, Chelsea!" Mom and I met up with Grammy by the car.
"Did you really mean it, Mom? Can I hang out with her?"

"Sure. She's lovely. I think it's great—you making friends." I gave her a huge hug and finally let go when I
saw Aiden and Bryce, looking very upset, flying down the staircase.

"Moooother?" Bryce draped his muscular arm around Mom's shoulders.

"Yes, son?" She had a mischievous smile plastered on her face like she knew what he was going to ask
next.

"Did you know that boys and girls are separated at this school?"

"You know, now that you mention it, I think I did. Oops, looks like I forgot to tell you. Silly me. I
apologize, boys."

"Perfect. Just perfect. Catholic school. With chicks in Catholic schoolgirl outfits. And here we are. Stuck
with a bunch of guys. All day. Thanks, Mom." Bryce rolled his eyes as he squeezed into the back seat of
the car.

"Yeah, mom. What's the point of going to school if there aren't any girls to check out?" Aiden asked as he
motioned for me to move over to the center seat. I felt claustrophobic sitting between the two of them.
Their body heat turned the interior of the car into a sauna. I was dying.

"Hmm, oh, I don't know, education, maybe?" I could barely hear Mom's response to Aiden's question--
their big bodies muffled her voice.

"Ugh. Lame. Can we go home now?" Bryce played with the door handle, annoyed.

"Actually, no, we're meeting your aunts at the mall for some shopping. Remember?"

"Ugh. I'd rather be euthanized." Aiden's head dropped back in defeat.

I couldn't take it anymore, the heat was so stifling, I couldn't breath, "That can be arranged, mutt, if you
don't open the window!"

****

We pulled up to the enormous mall and left the car with the valet. This was no ordinary mall. We were at
The Galleria. It had practically every store known to man and I couldn't wait to get my hands on
everything. Actually, I couldn't wait to get out of the car. I didn't want to be smothered to death before
my first day of school.

Grammy dragged Aiden to Restoration Warehouse to look for light fixtures for the house. Mom, Bryce and
I ran into Em and Jazz sitting on a bench outside one of the shops--looking completely miserable--
surrounded by loads of bags. It looked like they'd been here for a while already. "In there." Em pointed to
the Max Mara boutique. I could barely see Alice's spiky black hair above the racks on the floor.

"Think I'll stay here with Em and Jazz. Whenever you girls are done in there we'll go to the tailor with you.
But there's no way I'm being suckered into becoming your bag boy."

"Fine. Stay, doggie. Be a good boy." I scratched behind Bryce's ear like I would a dog.

"You are definitely Rose's niece aren't you?" Em shot back.

****

"Ana!" Alice zoomed by my side, good thing there were no humans in sight. The sales attendant was busy
in the back room.
"Hi, Alice. Are you guys almost done here?"

"Yeah, we're almost done." I looked past Alice to the goddess that was my Aunt Rosie, "I'm just waiting on
a few pairs of shoes and then we can head over to the tailor. Where's your mom?"

I looked behind me, "Good question. I thought she followed me in. She's probably sitting with Bryce."

The middle-aged sales lady handed Rosie several boxes of shoes. Rosie modeled each pair in the mirror. I
observed the sales lady, her mouth slightly agape and envy in her eyes as Rosie twirled in front of the tri-
fold mirror, very unnecessarily. Rosie knew she was beautiful and had no qualms letting everyone know as
well.

"I'll take them all, thank you."

"Uh, you're welcome?"

My aunts paid for their selections and we all headed for the school's tailor.

"We already went by the tailor to check out your uniform options. They're not that bad for uniforms. We
can definitely do something to add a little personality to them. They'll fit you now and Jazz and I will pick
them up later this afternoon after they're done being hemmed." Alice, always on top of things. She and
Rosie walked hand-in-hand with their husbands, followed by Mom, Grammy and my brothers.

I stopped to look at a jacket in a shop window and when I turned back around, Bryce and Aiden were
there, towering over me. "Uh, hey guys. What's up?"

"Hey, sis. We just wanted to have a little chat with you. Away from everyone else." They folded their arms
in unison across their chests. Something our Dad does when its time to get serious. Aiden and Bryce never
took anything seriously so, I didn't know whether to be scared or laugh. They suddenly looked two feet
taller than usual.

"Uh, ok. What's this about?"

"So, you remember that guy, Nicholas?" Aiden's eyes were boring questionably into mine, "The one who
took us on the tour of the campus?"

"Vaguely." I remembered him perfectly. Cute, tall and blonde. I smiled, but quickly wiped it from my face
when I looked up at my stone faced brothers.

"Vaguely, huh? Right." Bryce responded sarcastically. "Well, we just wanted to let you know, that there
will be none of that going on."

"None of what? Wait…what? What is the hell is going on?" Were they trying to act like my big brothers for
once? "Are you telling me that you're going to, what? Beat up boys who try talk to me?"

"Well, sis, lets just say…Dad would approve. We'll leave it at that."

They walked away with an air of confidence I've never seen in them before. I on the other hand was
frozen in my position by the window, stunned and talking to myself, "What the hell just happened?"

Finally, I regained control of myself and joined the rest of my family for my uniform fitting.

Chapter Eight

We were at the tailor's for nearly two hours mostly because of Aiden and Bryce. They're so tall for "17-
year old's" that he didn't have any pants or coats their sizes in stock. We were waiting for a delivery from
his other shop—Big&Tall. My fitting was quick, painless and over in about 20 minutes. Alice and Rosie
selected at least two-dozen skirts in various colors and plaid schemes and a jacket for every day of the
week. I was growing restless and didn't want to wait any longer, so I asked mom if I could run home.

"Fine. But be careful, sweetie. We'll see you later." I kissed her forehead and punched Aiden in his side.

"Later, suckers."

"Ugh. So unfair." Bryce slumped in his seat, trying to trip me up as I walked past him.

"Ana, wait." I kept walking, backwards to face Alice, "Don't ruin that dress, young lady!"

****

I walked five minutes to the boardwalk at the Androscoggin River and another ten past the lumberyards
and sawmills until I reached the woods. Twenty miles of trees and shrubs was all that separated me from
a nice hot shower and delicious dinner. My human appetite had returned and I was going to be even
hungrier after my run. After I made sure there were no humans around, I walked into the woods.

The trees grew so close together, hardly any light reached the forest floor. After my eyes adjusted to the
darkness, I started to make my way through the woods. I flew through the trees, hitting my stride about
200 feet in. My hair whipped in the wind behind me and the cool, moist air felt refreshing on my face. I
dodged fallen tree trunks and ducked under low-hanging vines, racing towards the light ahead of me.

Once through the woods, I had to cut across the empty highway to get to our property. I was kinda
sweaty—the pitfalls of being human, sweat and body odor, eww—when I reached the state-of-the-art gate
that kept out any unwanted solicitors. The entire perimeter of our property was protected by a 15-foot tall
electric fence backed by a two-foot thick concrete wall. Overkill, maybe, but we wanted to make sure no
humans wandered into our woods at night. You never know who's out there.

I pressed my palm into the I.D system and waited for the gate to open after my handprint was verified. It
was very James Bond-y. Grandpa got the idea for the system after watching one of the movies. The thick
metal door slid open, welcoming me home.

****

"Hey, kiddo. Hungry?" Dad was seated on the sofa, watching a baseball game on the TV and eating a big
plate of chicken and mashed potatoes. The scent of it made my mouth water. "There's food on the
counter, your Grams made it before she left."

"Yeah, real hungry. Where did Grams go?"

"Hmm? Oh, uh, she and Edward left for the rest of the week to go hunting. Canada I think. I dunno for
sure, sweetheart." His eyes never left the TV, "Ohhh, strike three."

"Good game?" I asked from the bottom of the staircase after hanging my jacket.

"What's that, Annie?"

"Nothin, Dad. I'm gonna get cleaned up. Be back in a jiff."

"M'kay. Mom called a minute ago. She and the boys should be home soon."

Like this morning, the hot water felt great. The day's events washed down the drain along with the grime
and dirt I picked up in the woods. Bits of branches and leaves were matted in my hair. It took a good five
minutes before I was sure it was all out. I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my body
before I noticed my dress was a complete mess. I was going to have to toss it into the washer
immediately before Alice saw the grass stains, which were impossibly unavoidable when you're running at
over 60 miles an hour. Maybe I could just throw it away, it's not like Alice would notice one missing dress.
I owned enough clothing to clothe a small country.

I heard Grammy's car pull up from the hallway, I ran into my closet, threw on the first sweat suit I could
find and sped down to the kitchen to get some dinner before Aiden and Bryce had a chance at it first. I
piled my plate high with food and sat down next to Dad on the couch. Mom and my brothers filed in
through the door, Aiden and Bryce headed straight for the kitchen—of course. Dad got up to greet Mom, a
very toothy smile was now plastered on his face. They never spend more than a couple hours away from
each other. It must have been like an eternity for Dad. He swept her up, off the ground into his strong
arms and she reached her palm up to his face to give him her own kind of hello and to show him her day.
I averted my eyes, turning my attention to the game on TV and stuffing my mouth with mashed potatoes.
These exchanges between them were so private and tender I felt like I was intruding on an intimate
moment. Not to mention, I even didn't want to think about what other kind of stuff she showed him
through her gift. I could tell it was definitely past PG-13 when she would start giggling and he would pull
her close and practically maul her in front of us. I love my parents but, eww, gross. No one wants to see
their parents make-out.

Dad sat back down next to me on the couch, draping his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to
kiss my forehead as Mom went into the kitchen to grab herself some dinner.

"So, did yah like the school?"

"S'kay I guess. It's old and stuffy. You'd hate it there."

"Ha. Yeah, pretty sure I would, kiddo."

"I made a friend. I think. Her name's Chelsea. She was really nice. Mom liked her too. Didn't you?"

Mom was seated on the other side of Dad, chewing on some chicken. "Yes, she was very nice."

"Mom said I could hang out with her sometime."

"Already making friends and it wasn't even yer first day. That's great. I hope yah like it there." Dad leaned
over and bit off a piece of Mom's chicken. Wolves—they're always hungry.

"Yeah, me too."

"Before I forget, sweetie," Mom blurted out between bites, "Alice has two sets of your uniforms, I'll get
them from her after Dad and I get back from hunting tonight. The tailor said the rest should be done by
the end of this week."

"Thanks, Mom." I tried to smile but I yawned instead. I was so comfortable, my limbs starting to melt into
the sofa.

"So, are you excited about tomorrow?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. It probably doesn't look like it but that's coz I'm really tired." My eyelids started to get
really heavy as I rested against him. The warmth exuding from his body was lulling me to sleep. "I think…
I'm gonna… crash out early tonight." My eyes were fully closed now. Dad lifted me off the couch and
cradled me in his arms. I heard his big feet below me, stomping their way up the staircase. He laid me
gently on my bed and pulled the covers over my body. I rolled onto my side, away from him. "Kay, Daddy.
Love you." I mumbled before giving in to my sleepiness.

Chapter Nine

I was woken up rudely by the sound of a blaring alarm clock. It must have magically appeared overnight
because I have never owned an alarm clock my entire life. I looked at the clock's face—6:00. Ugh, I've
never been up that early for anything. Ten more minutes, I told myself. Ten more minutes then I would
drag myself out of bed and into the shower to get ready for school. The clock had other plans. At 6:02 the
alarm went off again, this time louder and for at least two minutes. It probably would have gone on longer
had I not dropped my hand onto it so forcefully that I smashed it to pieces. Oops. Sometimes, I don't
know my own strength. Especially at 6:02 in the morning.

I walked through my room, bleary-eyed and groggy, grabbed my uniform that Mom must have laid out
sometime during the night, a pair of knee high socks and my beat up Converse shoes and stumbled half
asleep through the hallway to the bathroom. I hung my uniform behind the bathroom door and turned on
the shower. This whole getting up in the morning for school thing was going to take some getting used to.
The ten-minute shower helped wake me up. I felt refreshed and energized when I stepped onto the
shower mat. I dried my hair and pulled it up into a high ponytail. I lightly applied some shimmery
eyeshadow that made my brown eyes pop and I finished off my look with some pink tinted lip-gloss.

I'm pretty sure Rosie made additional adjustments to my skirt after Alice brought it home—it was much
shorter today than it was yesterday during my fitting. I had mentioned to Rosie that I didn't like the
length. The skirt accentuated my long and lean legs. Dad is going to flip. I buttoned up my blouse,
adjusted my tie and put on my blazer, which was embroidered with our school insignia. The high socks
help lessen the shock of the shortness of my skirt. Maybe dad wouldn't freak out after all. I took one last,
long look at myself before heading downstairs. I had to admit, I made the uniform look good.

*****

"No. No, no, no, no, no. You are not wearing that to school!" Dad took one look at me as I walked down
the stairs and pointed to my room. Mom lowered his hand back down to his side and rubbed his arm
consolingly.

"Daaad. It's the only one I have right now."

"That's not appropriate for school. It's a little short don't you think, Aiyana?" Dad never used my full first
name. He was definitely upset.

"What's the big deal, dog? It is a school approved uniform." Rosie appeared from the kitchen. I could tell
she was trying to push Dad's buttons from the huge, devious grin on her dazzling face.

"This was your doing, wasn't it blondie? Making my daughter look like…that!"

"So maybe it was. There's nothing you can do about it now. Like she said, it's the only one she has."

"Jake," Mom cooed in her sweet, melodic voice, "You're overreacting just a bit, don't you think?' She
winked at me when Dad wasn't looking. I could always count on Mom to help me get out of trouble with
Dad. He looked from me back to Mom, and hunched over in defeat, his height matching hers. I felt guilty—
but only slightly. I hid my smile as I walked past him, letting it spread as walked into the kitchen to grab
some breakfast.

****

Mom was going to drive today but Dad insisted on dropping and picking us up. My parents and I took
Dad's Tahoe, Aiden and Bryce followed in Emmett's Range Rover. The ride to school was quiet. Mom's
hand never left Dad's. It was going to be a very long day for them both—Dad suffered from separation
anxiety every time he was apart from her. Dad pulled into the busy parking lot and parked the car. He
took a deep breath and sighed. Mom pulled him toward her and gave him a long kiss. That was my signal
to get out of the car. Aiden and Bryce were leaning against Dad's door. It was a good thing the windows
were darkly tinted. I didn't want to have to explain to anyone so soon, why my "sister" was making out
with my "brother".

Mom finally got out of the car and walked around it to stand next to me. She tapped my elbow with her's
and nodded towards the school. Time to go.

Before we walked away, Dad rolled down his window, "Annie, just a second."
Aiden and Bryce walked ahead but Mom stayed with me. "Yeah, Dad?" I whispered the last word.

"I just wanted to let you know that if you need me, I plan on taking a very long nap today as soon as I get
home."

Poor dad, I could see the pain in his eyes. "Ok, Daddy. If I need you, I'll find you."

"Kay. Love you, kiddo. Have a good day at school." I thought I saw a tear trickle down his cheek but he
rolled up the window so fast, I couldn't confirm.

****

We walked through the parking lot and our presence was instantly noticed. I saw Nicholas, the cute,
blonde from the previous day and turned my head in the other direction. Aiden and Bryce were behind us
and I didn't want to catch any flack from them later. My attention was immediately drawn to a group of
three, glamorous looking girls. The one who stood in the center—a brunette with hard, squinted eyes--
was obviously the leader. The two who flanked her sides were leaning in whispering into both ears. With
my excellent hearing I could what they were talking about—me. She stared at me probing intensity and
flashed a forced and insincere smile my way. She headed for campus with her friends right before the bell
rang.

The four of us stood in the parking lot for a quick Mom lecture. "Ok, boys, remember, you are on your own
and we are trusting you to behave. Please don't disappoint us."

"Yes, mom." They replied in unison.

"Ok, we'll see you at lunch." She stepped forward, arms extended and stopped when Aiden stepped back.

"Mom, I love you to death but, I can't let anyone see me hugging my sister before class."

"Oh, right. Sister. Ok then. Have a good day, bro." My brother's chuckled and headed up the stairs to the
boy's campus.

****

Mom and I walked into first period Algebra and handed our teacher, Mr. Wurth our schedule. He looked at
mom, very inappropriately for a teacher and held his breath she spoke. I suppose he was dazzled by her.
Vampires had that affect on humans though, I have yet to experience that for myself. "We're new. I'm
Renesmee Cullen and this is my sister Aiyana Black. I go by Nessie."

"Ana, for me." I interjected.

"Yes, we were told we'd be getting some new students this week. This is a small school, four new students
is a lot for us. Okay, girls, here are your text books and let's see…Nessie why don't you have a seat next
to Charlotte over there and, Ana…why don't you take a seat next to Mel in the corner there. Mom gave me
a sympathetic look before I took my seat in the last row, closet to the windows. I opened the textbook and
skimmed the pages. Graphing quadratic equations, factoring polynomials, function transformations, blah,
blah and blah. Boring, boring, boring. Math was my least favorite subject. I've gone over this stuff
hundreds of times with Rosie. This class was going to be so easy.

My neighbor made no attempt to talk to me though I saw her glance at me several times. Today's lecture
on the Distance formula dragged on and on. I found myself looking up at the clock every five minutes,
listening to the ticks counting down to the end of the hour. Mom fidgeted side to side in her seat probably
just as miserable as me. Finally, the bell rung and I jumped out of my seat and zoomed out the door
slightly faster than a human pace. Mom glared at me when she walked out but didn't mention anything
about it. Note to self, slow down next time.

"How horrible was that? Mr. Wurth's monotone voice nearly put me to sleep." Mom sounded very
teenager-y. I almost forgot that her 49th birthday was approaching.
"Yeah, totally. It's a good thing I sit in the back."

"Can you imagine how miserable your brothers must be right now?" Her laughter echoed in the hallway, I
soon joined in. Girls stared at us and whispered to each other as we walked past them. I stared back,
Mom took a more or less diplomatic route and ignored everyone, oblivious to the gossip we were causing.

Mom looped her arm through mine, "Ana, my love," she whispered into my ear, "It's going to be a long
school year."

Yeah, I could already tell.

****

Chapter Ten

Biology, World Religions and Social Science were far more interesting classes than Algebra. No one talked
to me—again—in second and third period but at least I got to sit next to Mom in Social Science. Fifteen
minutes before the lunch bell, an announcement sounded on the loudspeaker.

"Nessie Cullen, please report to the counselors office."

Mom placed her forehead on her hands on top of her desk and let out a long sigh, "I will bet you…" She
exhaled another sigh, "A million dollars it's got something to do with your brothers."

Oh, man. If that was true, Aiden and Bryce had it coming. Three hours and 45 minutes into the first day of
school and they were already in trouble. I felt sorry for them…sorta.

"I'll see you soon…hopefully." She stormed off leaving me to face the scariest part of the day alone—lunch.

****

I was hoping to run into Chelsea but she said she would be stuck in the newsroom all week. I supposed I
could have tried to find the newsroom but eventually decided against it—I was starting to get hungry. I
got into the lunch line and grabbed a tray. The not-so-friendly lunch lady spooned an unidentifiable
substance onto my plate that I could only assume was macaroni and cheese from its coloring and a
rubbery meat patty that smelled kind of like beef. She placed the plate on my tray and I brought it closer
to my face to get a better whiff. It smelled absolutely revolting.

"You'd think with the $35,000 a year tuition, we'd get better food."

The lunch lady was not amused, "Next!"

I paid for the food that I probably wouldn't eat and searched the cafeteria for my Mom and brothers. They
were nowhere to be found. Great. They must be in trouble. I looked around the room for an empty table
or a friendly face. I found one—an empty table, not friendly face—in the center of the room. I waded
through the sea of students and took a seat at the table. All around me, students were staring yet no one
came to talk to me. I felt very embarrassed and very alone. I was about to get up and leave the cafeteria,
but before I had the chance to, Nicholas approached my table.

"Hey, I'm Nick." He was even cuter up close with vibrant blue-green eyes, I was probably admiring him
more intensely than intended because he started blushing and his heartbeat sped up, "You're Aiden and
Bryce's little sister, right?"

"Yeah, I'm Aiyana. Everyone calls me Ana."

"It's good to meet you, Ana. I'm surprised you're sitting by yourself. Where's the rest of your family?" He
pulled out the empty chair next to mine and took a seat. He smelled divine. Sweet and earthy with a hint
of my favorite fragrance—grass.
I inhaled his intoxicating scent. I needed to regain my composure before I could look him in the eyes
again. His heartbeat sped faster as I smiled at him, trying to form a coherent sentence, "Umm, I think my
brothers got into trouble during fourth period. My sister was called to the office."

"That blows. First day. Not a good way to start."

"Humph…no, not at all. But leave it to the twins to get into trouble on their first day." I wanted to steer
the conversation away from my brothers. Emmett always told me the way to a guy's heart is to talk about
sports—something I was good at. I noticed his letterman jacket, "Nice jacket. What sports do you play?

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Uh, lacrosse and soccer. Oh and football, I'm the captain." That explained the grassy
smell.

"Football. Nice. I love watching it on TV. Go Patriots!"

"You like football?"

"Yeah, is that strange?"

"It's just…you don't look like the football type."

I didn't understand his odd statement. I didn't know there only certain types of people watched football. It
made me very curious," And what type would that be?"

"Uhh, well you know…" He seemed to be at a loss for words, I could see a tiny bead of sweat forming on
his brow. I think I made him nervous. He looked down at his hands and flashed a shy smile. "Well, hey, if
you want to come sit with my group, I can introduce you to some—" the brunette girl I saw in the parking
lot interrupted Nick from finishing his sentence.

"Heeey, Nicky. Who's your friend?" His eyes were soft and almost apologetic before he turned away from
me to face the brunette and her two friends who were giving me the evil eye.

"Ana Black, this is Annika. These are her friends Brandi and Marina."

"Ana, huh? I used to go by Anna. But that was so last year."

"And what are you going by this year?" I tried not to sound sarcastic but I think I failed that attempt.

"Just Annika. My name is like, really unique. Don't you think?" She flipped her hair and looked to her two
silent friends for affirmation.

"Sure. I've never met an Annika before. But then again, I was home schooled my whole life so I don't
know a whole lot of people." I knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to bully the new kid into a
corner. She had no idea who she was messing with. Growing up in a large family, I learned how to roll
with the punches.

"Ana's actual name is Aiyana. Cool huh? Haven't heard that one before have you, Annika?" Nick was trying
to help me out.

"No. I haven't" She rolled her eyes, and pulled out a chair across from us. Marina and Brandi sat in the
two chairs at her side. It looked like they were settling in for an interrogation. "So, Yana—"

I wanted to growl at her but I suppressed the feeling, "It's, Ana, actually. A-N-A. Ana." They say first
impressions are the most important. My first impression of Annika? I really wasn't going to like this girl.

"Ok, Ana. Who were the other three with you this morning?"

"My brothers Aiden and Bryce are juniors. My sister, Nessie is a freshman, like me."
"Your brothers look a little old for high schoolers."

"Well, my dad was a giant, just like them."

"Was?"

"Yeah. My parents died a long time ago in a car crash, just after I was born" It made me sick to my
stomach to have to lie about my parents but I had no other choice, "We're adopted."

"Wait," Brandi finally spoke up, "Are you one of Dr. Cullens kids?"

"Yes, Dr. Cullen and Esme are my parents. Why?"

"My mom's a nurse at the hospital he works at. She told me that a few of his kids were going to be coming
to school here. She says your dad is totally hot." Carlisle was attractive indeed for being over 400 years
old.

"You should see my mom…and the rest of my family for that matter."

"She said he's got like, a ton of kids."

"If by a ton you mean 13 then, yes, I suppose that's a lot."

"13? And you all live together?" Nick leaned in closer, I hadn't eaten lunch yet and he smelled…appetizing.
Mom was right. Being in such close quarters with humans for an extended period of time reawakened my
thirst. There was a dull, burning sensation in my throat. I leaned into my seat, away from him as far as I
could.

"Yes, We live on a big property by the 201."

"The one with the electric fence around it?" An unrecognizable voice from behind asked—I didn't realize
that I now had an audience. Standing behind Nick and I were a couple of his friends. Everyone was very
interested to hear my story.

"Uh, yeah. That one. My mom tore down the barns that used to be there and had a few houses built."

"So you guys are like, rich. Really rich aren't you?"

"Brandi! So rude! Why would you ask that?" Marina's voice sounded appalled. She mouthed "sorry" silently
so her friends couldn't hear. She had kind eyes. I think she was trying to be nice. I wondered how she
ended up in Annika's group.

Annika straightened in her seat, knocking her friends elbows off the table and reestablishing a dominant
position. She tried to regain control of the conversation, "Whatever. Anyways, how many brothers and
sisters do you have?"

Oh, boy. Here we go. Hopefully I can get this right. 'Well, I have three blood brothers…Aiden and Bryce
are students here and the oldest, Jacob, is in college. My cousins Leah and Seth were adopted, too. Their
parents died with mine in the crash. They're in Washington right now. Then there's my sisters Nessie,
Bella, Alice and Rosalie and my brothers Edward, Jasper and Emmett. So yeah, 13 kids."

Just as Annika was about to ask another question, I saw Mom standing at the entranceway waving for me
to come to her. Saved by the Mom.

"Uhh, hey guys, it was nice meet you and all but I have to go. My sister is here and she looks like she
needs to talk to me."
Nick stood at the same time I did and handed me my bag. His eyes were like the ocean, deep swirls of
blues and greens. I had to stop staring at him otherwise Mom was bound to notice. "I'll see you later,
Nick."

"Yeah, I…hope so."

I brushed past Annika, trying to get away as fast as humanly possible but she reached for my arm
stopping my in her tracks. She stood up next to me and had to look up to talk—I was at least six inches
taller. "Ana, just so you know…this is my table. For future references, if you want to sit here, you're gonna
have to ask."

Now I was irritated. I was a big believer in pacifism—that was until today I wanted to rip her head of her
shoulders. Instead, I mustered the sincerest smile I could. Annika must have been surprised by my
reaction because she cowered back to her seat. I walked to my Mom, victoriously.

"Hey, sweetie. Interesting afternoon?" She was looking past me—obviously at Annika and her friends. I
turned my head over my shoulder to see Annika staring at the two of us, whispering and laughing with
Brandi. "Make any friends?"

Friends? Hardly. I chuckled, "No, not at all."

Chapter Eleven

"So are you gonna tell me or am I gonna have to guess?"

"What?"

"Uh, hello? Nessie Cullen, please report to the counselors office—ring a bell? How bad is it?"

"Actually…"

"Oh no…did they hurt someone?"

"No."

"Then what? Come on Mom…" I needed to remember to stop saying that. Curious, gossipy students
surrounded us, "Nessie…the suspense is killing me!"

"Well, your brothers got into a very spirited debated with their U.S History teacher about the Civil War.
About how Confederate soldiers got screwed over…or something to that effect. Anyways, the teacher didn't
take to kindly with their outbursts and asked them to leave the room."

"Seriously?" Uncle Jazz was a Confederate soldier before he was changed. He remains one at heart to this
day. He lectured us to no end about the glory of the Confederacy. His demeanor was always so calm and
quiet but bring up the Civil War and you were likely to spend two hours listening to the ratings of a raving
madman. It was amusing to see Jazz get so worked up. Who would have thought Aiden and Bryce even
paid attention to his lessons. "Wait, so why were you called to the office?"

"Ah, that…Aiden told his counselor that sometimes he says stuff without thinking because suffers from
ADHD. Oh and Bryce apparently has it, too, because they're twins. The reason I was called in was because
I hold onto their medication."

"And the counselor bought it?"

"Yes. Your brothers are cleverer than you give them credit for."

"I can see that."

"Ana?" We stopped to find my locker before our next class, Mom looked like she was examining my face.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No, but, your eyes are pitch black."

"Oh, it's 'cause I'm hungry. The food here is atrocious and possibly hazardous to your health. Don't eat it.
Ever."

"Are you hungry or are you…thirsty?" She looked concerned.

I shut my locker. There was no reason to lie to her so I didn't, "Both, actually. But, I'm ok. Don't worry," I
wrapped my arm around her shoulder as we headed to English, "I'm not going to eat anybody."

*****

Mom and I were seated at the open table at the very back of the classroom. While Mom was busy writing
lesson notes while I was eagerly reviewing the Syllabus. First semester reading consisted of a Tale of Two
Cities, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew and Wuthering Heights—one of my favorites. What I
thought were lecture notes was actually a note for me.

So, what happened at lunch?

Besides, me not eating?? Some girls asked questions about us.

What kind of questions?

How many brothers and sister we have, where do we live, are we blood-sucking fiends, you know the
usual

Very funny sweetie. Who's the boy?

What boy??

The cute one you were practically drooling over

I have no idea what you're talking about mother

She dropped her pencil on the paper and extended her right pinky so it was lightly touching the side of my
palm, it was amazing how much she could show you with just one little finger. Images of Nick and me in
the cafeteria flashed in my head. She showed me the way I was smiling at him and how watched me
walking away like a love-stuck puppy. I pulled my hand away and rested my chin on my upturned palm.

You're not going to tell Daddy are you?

She looked at the note, paused and scribbled something very quickly,

No. We are gonna have to talk about it eventually. But for now, it'll be our little secret. I remember what
first love is like.

MOOOM! I'm not in love with the guy!

You know what I mean.

I tore the note to shreds as Ms. Quinn walked towards our row. I whipped out a fresh sheet of paper and
copied the day's notes from the overheard. I scanned the room and saw a familiar face. Marina was in my
class. We looked at each other at the same time and she smiled. Maybe I did make a friend today after all.
.

****

Mom somehow managed to look stunning in our unflattering gym clothes. St. Augustine's school colors—
blue and silver—complimented her pale skin and bronze hair. She was ridiculously beautiful even in baggy
sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. P.E was one of the only classes that boys and girls shared. From
across the soccer field, it was hard to miss my brothers who were at least a head taller than the rest of the
boys.

Today the girls were playing softball. I was bummed. Being genetically gifted with speed, strength and
amazing hand-eye coordination, I was a natural at baseball. Some of my fondest memories growing up
were of playing baseball during thunderstorms with my family. Sometimes, we would play softball, too. I
always played the shortstop position. Mom was a pitcher. All of us still get together and play whenever
Alice sees a storm coming but it hasn't rained for almost two months. I was itching to play. Having to
pretend to be bad at something I was so good at was devastating. All 15 of us girls headed over to the
softball field to play against another girls P.E class. Annika stood, sour-faced as ever, at home plate with a
bat on her shoulder and smirk on her face. How I wished I could wipe it off for her but I had to be on my
best behavior for Mom.

"Ok, girls. Mr. Banners team is up to bat first." our teacher, Coach Willis, tossed smelly, beat-up mitts to
nine random girls—Mom and me included—and a ball to a lanky blonde, "Decide who's pitching or take
turns. Take the field—move it!"

We stood around the mound. No one wanted to volunteer to pitch first. I was shocked when Mom grabbed
the ball out of the blonde's hand. "I'll pitch. Nessie is an excellent short-stop unless you girls have any
objections?" No one did. The rest of the girls scattered to various positions. I took the opportunity to have
a word with my mother.

"Pitching?"

"Wells, it's been a while since we've played and I kinda miss it. Besides, we need a little fun today. Just
remember, take it easy on the humans."

"You're one to talk, Ness. Don't even think about throwing that split." I walked between second and third
and waited for Coach Willis to signal the start of the game.

****

It must have been just as hard for Mom as it was for me to hold back during the game. Mixed in with the
dozens of strikes she threw out, she had to give up some easy ones as well. I saw the muscles in her neck
contract every time a member on the opposite team got a hit off her. She did, however, not give up a
single hit to Annika. She didn't stand a chance against Mom's famous two-seam split, which still has me
swinging at the fences whenever I face it.

The game was tied 4-4 in the last inning and I was the last one up. We had a runner on first and third. I
just needed a single for us to win but I couldn't help myself. I would have hit only a single if it weren't for
the fact that Annika took over pitching for the girl who had thrown the whole game. This was probably the
only chance I was going to have to show her up and I decided to ignore my Dad's voice telling me not to
and go for it.

Her first pitch was horrible. Ball one—way outside the plate, practically in the dirt. Next pitch came, same
thing. Her third pitch was perfect, slow and knuckling right down the middle of the plate. I swung the bat
with less than a quarter of strength I was capable of and smashed the ball out of the field and over the
fence. Home run. I looked at Mom while rounding first, a disproving shake of the head but a half-smile
was on her lips. I stepped on third and was high-fived at home plate by my whole class. It felt great.

Annika looked furious and to add to that fury, I handed her the home run ball which was tossed back to
home plate while I was running, "Better luck next time."
 Chapter Twelve

I got changed out of my gym clothes quickly, said goodbye to Mom and headed towards the music
department for what was bound to be my favorite class—orchestra. Chelsea was by the door, scanning the
hallway like she was looking for someone. I should have known it was me she was looking for. When I was
within ten feet of the classroom door, Chelsea waved rapidly to get my attention.

"Hey! I just wanted to talk before class and see how things are going."

"Oh, it's…going. I wanted to try to find you at lunch but I was hungry so I decided to stay in the cafeteria.
Bad idea since I didn't end up eating anything. The food here is repulsive."

"I know, right? So, anyways, you make any friends yet?"

"Not really. Well, except maybe for Nicholas."

"Tall, blonde, totally cute Nicholas?"

"Yeah. He took my brothers on their campus tour the other day. He was just being nice." I thought about
his alluring scent and inviting smile—I hoped Chelsea didn't notice my blush—" Unfortunately, I think I
made a few enemies as well."

"Let me guess…Annika Sorrenstrum and her lackeys."

"How'd you guess?"

"Because…you're the new girl and you're very pretty."

No one outside of my family had ever called me pretty before—I was a little embarrassed. "Does she pick
on you, too?"

"No. My sister, Alex is part of her group. Annika doesn't bother me but she doesn't acknowledge my
existence either."

"Alex? I didn't meet an Alex. Just Brandi and Marina."

"She's Annika's best friend and right hand woman. They do everything together. Alex is at our mom's
place in Vermont until the end of this week. She can't stand our dad so every once in awhile she'll take off
to moms without warning. She's totally spoiled and the complete opposite of me. All she cares about is
being popular and dating. She fits in perfectly with Annika's brat pack. I should warn you…Nick used to go
out with my sister. That's probably why she wasn't very nice to you. She probably thinks you like him."

"Oh, I'm not…interested in him like that or anything." I was—I just didn't want to admit it to anyone yet.

"Sure, Ana, so why's your face all red?" She nudged my teasingly. "Don't worry, I think you're way better
for him than Alex ever was. He's a really nice guy—totally sweet. She took advantage of him and used him
to up her social status. I can tell you're not that kind of girl."

"Thanks, Chelsea."

"Just call me Chels. We should get to class…I think the second warning bell is about to ring"

"'Kay. I've been looking forward to this class all day!" I was excited. I couldn't wait to be surrounded by
other people as enthused about music as I was. It had always been a dream of mine to play as part of a
full orchestra.
"Oh, crap!" She slapped her forehead with her palm and sighed heavily. "I forgot to tell you that you
needed to prepare a piece for class today. You have to try-out for advanced orchestra."

I chuckled. That wasn't going to be a problem. "S'kay, Chels. You don't ever have to worry about me being
prepared."

****

"You must be Ana Black. Welcome. Chelsea told me yesterday that you are a pianist?" Mr. Varner looked
to be in his early 30's with dark hair and thick glasses. With his nearly translucent complexion, it would
have been easy to mistake him for a vampire.

"That's correct, sir."

"I hope she informed you that you would have to perform a piece for the class today? Standard try-out for
all advanced orchestra students."

I looked at Chelsea sitting in center of the first row. She silently mouthed another unnecessary sorry. "Yes,
she told me."

"Excellent. Which piece will you be playing?"

I quickly ran through the hundreds of compositions I had memorized over the last 23 years, "Valse
romantique."

Mr. Varner looked stunned. "A Debussy piece. Interesting. Very ambitious and complicated. Do you need a
moment to run through it once in our practice room?"

Valse romantique was considered one of Debussy's tougher pieces to play but I had perfected it over the
last 15 years and could play it backwards if I had to. "No. I'm ready now."

"Well then, the floor is all yours, Miss Black."

Playing the piano is like second nature to me. I closed my eyes and positioned my hands over the ivory
keys. I applied varying amounts of pressure, accentuating every crescendo and chord. For three minutes
and 30 seconds, I poured a piece of my soul into the music, losing myself in the notes that danced on the
imaginary pages in my mind. When I was done, I couldn't help but smile. Playing the piano was one of my
greatest joys. I opened my eyes and became aware of the 80 silent eyes focused on my. They looked
shocked and awed and possibly hypnotized. The silence was deafening and I was praying for Mr. Varner to
say something.

"That was…amazing, Ana. Absolutely fantastic. It's uh, obvious you are quite the piano virtuoso.
Congratulations! Welcome to the class."

"Thank you, Mr. Varner."

"David…would you please conduct while I get Ana some sheet music?"

"Sure." The redheaded violin player took the conductor's wand and instructed the class while I followed
Mr. Varner to one of the small rooms off to the side. He slid a drawer open out of one of the large black
filing cabinets and rifled through the sheet music.

"Here you go. We are preparing Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty Waltz for the annual Maine High School
Concerto Competition. After your performance today, you should have no problem with this piece." I was
familiar the Sleeping Beauty Waltz. Not difficult in the least but still fun to play. "May I ask, how long have
you been playing for, Ana?"

"Many years. Since I was two."

"I am extremely impressed by your talent. Have you ever considered trying out for Bangor's Symphony
Orchestra? It's an award-winning orchestra—I play the trumpet for them. We don't normally allow high
school students to try out but I could talk to the conductor—I'm sure they'd be willing to make an
exception for you."

"No, I haven't. I'm flattered you think I'm good enough."

"Ana, your more than good. You're probably one of the best pianists I've ever heard."

"Thank you, Mr. Varner. But, I think I'll be quite satisfied with the orchestra here at school."

"Very well. Just wanted you to know, there are options for a person with talent like yours. You should
always be open to such opportunities."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Well, there's 20 minutes left before the end of the school day. Why don't you take a seat and join
rehearsal."

Chelsea beamed at me as I moved past her chair. Congratulations were written on her face. I took my
seat on the piano bench and laid the sheet music in front of me. I couldn't imagine a better way to end the
day.

"Ana! Wait up!" She shoved her way through the swarm of students rushing to the parking lot. "You were
amazing. I know your sister said you were really good but…wow. I mean, that was just…amazing!"

"Thanks, Chels."

"I gotta go back to the newsroom. I've got that stupid deadline to meet. I'll try to catch you at lunch
tomorrow but I can't guarantee I'll be there. Oh, hey," she ripped a piece of paper out of her binder and
scribbled down some number, "Here's my phone number. Call me whenever, 'kay? Bye, Ana!"

"Bye!"

****

From the top of the stairs, I could see Bryce and Aiden pretending to box each other by Dad's truck. The
windows were down and Mom and Dad were getting reacquainted with each other after a long day apart. I
ran down the flight of stairs towards my family but stopped when Nick jumped out into my path.

"Hey, Ana. How was the rest of school today?"

"Oh, umm, it was good. I made it into advanced orchestra so I'm really happy."

"That's great. Hey," he stepped closer to me, making me nervous. Not nervous because I kinda liked him
but because we were in plain sight of my parents—particularly my Dad. He was staring at us. His probing
eyes were like laser beams, boring a hole into my forehead. "I just wanted to ask if you were planning on
going to the game on Friday?"

"Game?" I stepped back away from him, trying to put some distance between us.

"Yeah…the football game? We're playing Cony High."

"Oh, umm. I don't know. I'm gonna have to ask my parents. But, I'll let you know, 'kay?" I walked past
him but turned when he asked his next question.

"Sure. Can I walk with you to your car?"

"Nick, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Is it cause of the big guy in the driver's seat who shooting daggers at me?" Crap, I was totally gonna get
it from Dad later. I tried to sneakily look over my shoulder to my intimidating father.

"Oh, yeah. That's Jake. My oldest brother."

"He looks…scary."

"Uh…yeeeah. He's kinda…overprotective. I should go before…well, I don't think you want him coming over
here." I smiled tensely.

"Yeah," he looked past my shoulder, and then back at me with worried eyes, "I don't think I want that
either. So…I'll see you tomorrow...at lunch?"

"Sure. Tomorrow. See yah." I waved with my hand in front of my chest and back to the car so Dad
couldn't see. I turned back around, head down and walked briskly to the car. Aiden and Bryce glared at
me from both sides as I took the center seat. I slumped as far as I could into the seat trying to hide from
my Dad who was looking at me through the rear view mirror.

"Good day, kiddo?"

"Yeah, Dad. I stared blankly out of the dark, tinted windows.

"Good. Cause I'm really looking forward to hearing all about it."

Gulp.

*****

Chapter Thirteen

As we pulled into the garage of our house, Dad's cell phone rung. He looked at the screen of his phone
then to Mom, "It's Seth."

Uncle Seth and Aunt Leah left for Forks after my birthday party. Their mom, Sue Clearwater was married
to my great-granddad Charlie for the last 35 years. Charlie and Sue are humans but are not oblivious to
the supernatural circumstances surrounding their extended families. Sue recently learned that she was
dying from cancer. Since we weren't going to be around the house as much anymore, Leah wanted to go
back to Forks and stay with her mom and Charlie for a while. She couldn't stand to be around the other
"leeches" if we weren't there as well.

"I'll be inside in a minute." Dad stayed in the car to talk to Seth while the rest of us went inside the house
to wind down after our long day. I went straight to the kitchen to get some food. I was still starving from
my lack of lunch.

"Ana, after your done, why don't you go upstairs and wait for me. Do some homework or play your piano."

"Dad's upset with me isn't he?"

"He's not upset with you. Just let me talk to him first, ok sweetie?"

"'Kay mom."

****
I changed out of my uniform and put on some comfortable jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. I heard Aiden
and Bryce howling in the backyard. After being cooped up all day at school, I bet they felt wonderful being
able to phase and run free.

I went upstairs to the loft and sat in front of my piano. I tried to eat but my hunger disappeared
somewhere between the kitchen and my room. I stared at the sheet music but didn't play a single note. I
hated the feeling of knowing that Dad was upset with me. I didn't like disappointing him. I couldn't find
the motivation to play my piano—instead I contemplated talking to Dad before he came to me. I cracked
open the door and could hear him talking to Mom.

"Jacob, let me talk to her. We've put it off long enough."

"Ok, Ness. Please tell her I'm not mad at her. I know she thinks I am but…just tell her 'kay?"

"Of course. I love you."

"Not as much as I love you, babe."

"We'll be back in a little while."

We'll be back? I wondered where we would be going. Mom was up the stairs in a flash giving me just
enough time to get on my bed and open a textbook.

"Ana, I know you're not studying."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well, it wouldn't have been if you were holding the book right-side-up."

"Oh," I looked at the upside down textbook in my hands, "Right. I'll remember that next time."

"Come on, get some shoes on."

"Where we going?"

"To town, for dinner."

****

The ride to Bath was quiet. Every once in a while, I would look at Mom—her eyes were focused on the
road ahead of her. We were going about 90 in a 25 mph zone. Vampire's liked to drive like maniacs—with
the exception of Grams. We pulled into the valet in front of Ninety9 Steakhouse—my favorite restaurant.

"Table for two, please. A booth in the back if you have one?" Mom checked in with the hostess.

"Sure. Right this way. Follow me, ladies."

I looked around the room—it must be date night or something because there were a lot of couples
present. We were seated at a private booth at the very back of the restaurant.

"What's up, Mom?"

"Your father wanted to be the one to have this talk with you—"

"It's not a sex talk is it, Mom? Cause if it is…Em and Rosie beat you guys to it by ten years."
"They did what? Umm, no…this isn't that kind of talk…but I think your father and I are going to have to
have a little talk with your aunt and uncle later.

"If it's not that kind of talk, then what kind is it?"

Before she could answer, a waiter came to take our orders.

"Are you ladies ready to order?" I didn't need to look at the menu because I ordered the same thing every
time we came here.

"I'll take the New York Strip—rare—with garlic mashed potatoes and a Coke, please."

"Ok, and for you, miss?"

"Just a Coke for me, thanks."

"'Kay, I'll be right back with your drinks."

I raised my brows to Mom, "Not hungry?"

"Yes, but I'm going to eat later—I'm in the mood for some venison. It's not on the menu here." Finally, a
smile came to her face.

"So, can you please tell me why Dad's mad at me? Is this about Nick?"

"Sweetie, your Dad's not mad at you. Not at all." I raised my brows at her, suspiciously, "Ok, he was
slightly upset seeing you talking to the boy but it's more than that."

"Mom, please just tell me what you need to say." The waiter reappeared with our drink.

"Your food should be out in about ten minutes or so. Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"No, we're good, thanks." I replied. The waiter walked back to the kitchen and I gave mom my full
attention.

"Ana, being immortal—it has it perks. You know that more than anyone. You'll never age—never die. Your
family—we'll all be here with you, forever. But have you ever considered the downside of it?"

"No, I guess…I never have. I never needed to."

"Ana, you and your brothers…you're special. Immortal blood runs through your human veins, like your
father's and mine. But unlike us, humans…are fragile, susceptible to sickness—death."

"Is this about great-grandma Sue?"

"No, that is something entirely separate. Honey…we would give you anything…anything you wanted—if it
meant you would be happy. All we want for our children is for them to be happy—as happy as your Dad
and I have been.

Your Dad…he tells me everyday how lucky he is that he imprinted on me—another immortal. He never has
to worry about me dying—unlike his pack brothers who will have to face the deaths of their human mates
one day." Her voice was grim and full of sorrow. "It's unfair to think about…someone like your Uncle
Seth…if he ever imprinted on a human…she'd…" her chest heaved heavily and tears started to well in her
eyes—she swallowed hard before finishing her sentence "…die eventually, while he gets to live forever.
Could you ever imagine living with that kind of pain?"
Her face was contorted in anguish and melancholy, something I've never seen on her before. It had my
stomach was in knots, "But couldn't, you know…someone change—"

"No. That is what I am trying to tell you, sweetie. Your father and I—all of us, actually—have talked about
it more and more lately now that you and your brothers are all grown…if you ever became involved with a
human, it would only end in unbearable pain and heartache. Your father's duty as an Alpha—to his Quilete
people—is to protect and cherish human life. Not take it away. He couldn't allow the soul of an innocent
human to be taken away—even if it's willingly." She was sobbing uncontrollably now, as was I. I placed
my hand on top of her shaking one on top of the table. She wiped away her tears with her free hand then
placed it on top of mine. "I would do it for you if I could. I would take a human life for you if it meant you
could be with the person you loved forever. I just want you to be happy."

The waiter brought my dinner to the table and walked away as fast as possible. He must have seen Mom's
red eyes and taken it as a hint that we needed some privacy. The food smelled delicious but again, I lost
my appetite.

"So, Dad wasn't mad…he's just worried…that I'm going to get hurt?" I was trying to regain control over my
hitched, erratic breathing.

"Yes. Your father…he wants you to find someone. Get married, have a family—everything. He just can't
bear the thought of ever seeing you in pain."

I was looking down at my hands under the table. Dad wasn't mad. Just concerned like any loving father
would be. I never thought about what I wanted for my future before. I was so happy just being around my
family that I never thought about finding someone for myself.

"Did I ruin your dinner? I'm sorry."

"No. It's ok. I'm going to eat later. I'm glad we talked." I scooted over to her side in and crushed her slight
body to mine in a tight hug. Her body heaved and I could feel my sweater soaking up her tears and her
body collapsed into mine. This was the first time Mom and I had a conversation that was so open and
honest. I hung on every word she spoke. I could feel the emotions conveyed in her voice—and especially
in her eyes.

She let me see a side of her I've never seen before. It startled me that it was possible for her to be as
shaken up as she was. But then again—it showed me how much she loved us."Mom, I love you. I don't
think I tell you enough—but I do." I took her beautiful face in between my hands. "How about we go home
and get some real dinner? I need to talk to dad."

"I love you too, Ana. More than my life. You and your brothers mean everything to your father and I…"
She sighed in attempt to stop the waterworks from flowing again, "'Kay…why don't you get the car while I
pay the bill? I'll meet you outside in a few minutes."

Dinner was intense but I could visibly see the difference in Mom from before our talk and now. She looked
like a great weight was lifted off of her shoulders. She had one had on the steering wheel and the other
hand was holding mine on top of the gearshift. When we reached the gates to our property, I heard the
long, mighty howl of my Dad come from somewhere deep in the woods. I looked at Mom and she—must
have known what I was thinking.

"Go. And tell him I'll see him soon."

I ran—as fast as my legs could carry me—towards my father. I picked up his scent and ran for the heart of
the dark forest. I saw him atop a boulder—his dark brown eyes found mine. I barreled into him and
wrapped my arms around his russet fur cover neck. A tear the size of a baseball drip from the corner of his
eye.

"I love you, Daddy. I understand…I understand." I whispered into his ear and stared up at the clear,
starless sky.
******

***

A/N: The wolves in my story stop aging at 25 and continue to live their lives forever as
immortals. I should have addressed that earlier. So yeah...they're not the same as the wolves
in the series.

Chapter Fourteen

Mom found us in the woods 15 minutes after she had dropped me off at the gate. In between then, I
feasted on two small deer, satiating my appetite. Mom was deadly silent—so much so I didn't hear her
approaching me from behind. She startled me and I scampered up the nearest tree. Dad's laughing bark
was easily heard from my position perched on a branch high in the treetop.

"Oops! Sorry, sweetie! You can come down now if you want." She was sitting on a downed log—laughing
under her breath along with Dad. He was nuzzling her with his snout, brushing his large head against her
cheek as she affectionately stroked his furry neck and scratched behind his ears. I dropped onto the dark
forest floor and ran over to my parents, tackling the both of them with a big hug.

"I love you two. So much." I kissed Mom's free cheek and the top of Dad's muzzle—a few tufts of fur were
stuck to my lips. "Eww. Gross. Anyways, I'm going home…I'll let you two have some privacy." I copied
Mom and scratched behind Dad's ear, "Come talk to me when you're home?" I looked into his intelligent
wolf eyes and he nodded.

"Bye, sweetie."

I turned and booked it for the house—in the distance I heard Mom's shouting.

"Make sure your brothers did their homework!" My lips curved into the crooked smile I inherited from
Grandpa, as I got closer to home.

****

I don't remember falling asleep. Dad nudged me awake gently around two in the morning. I was lying face
down on my World Religions textbook, my hair fanned over my face. Through the wall of hair, I saw Dad's
adoring and apologetic face.

"Sorry, kiddo. I wasn't trying to wake you. I just wanted to move the book."

"S'okay, Dad. I wanted to talk to you anyways."

"Yeah, I figured you would."

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't upset with me."

"No, not at all, sweetheart. You know…I'm not good with the mushy stuff but…but you know…"

"Yeah, Dad. I know. You don't need to say anything more." Spilling his manly guts wasn't something Dad
was very comfortable with—even as close as we were, there were some things that would never be easy
for him to express.

"Why don't you get some sleep? I'll wake you up for school in the morning." I was already nearing
unconciousness as the last words left his lips—then I remembered about the game.

"Oh, Dad…I forgot…there's a football game at school on Friday. Some people I met at school wanted me to
go and—"
"Does this have anything to do with the guy you were talking to in the parking lot?" I buried my face in my
pillow to hide my blush—and my smile. "I'm not blind, sweetheart. You were totally crushing on that kid."

"Crushing, Dad?"

"Or whatever it is you kids say these days." The sarcasm in his voice was thick—Dad was totally up to date
on the latest lingo. He just took every opportunity he could to make fun of me.

"Well, if I don't lie, and say yes, it does have something to do with that boy…can I go?"

"Sure." He closed the door behind him but quickly reopened it and leaned back into the room, "But your
brothers are coming too!"

"Ugh. Fine."

****

I was hoping it would be easier getting up the next morning but it wasn't. Dad practically dragged me
screaming and kicking from my bed to the bathroom.

"Shower and change. Breakfast will be ready in ten."

Today's outfit of choice was a black, blue and silver tartan skirt and black blazer. This skirt wasn't as short
as yesterdays—Dad made a special trip to the tailors while we were at school and picked up a majority of
my skirts before Rosie had a chance to alter them. I shoved my books into my messenger bag and hopped
over the banister to get some breakfast.

"Hungry?" Mom was wide-eyed and full of energy—still flush from last night's hunt. Her skin was glowing
and a faint pink tint was stained on her cheeks.

"Surprisingly, no." I was always hungry—a wolf trait I happily accepted—but after hunting, my human
appetite wouldn't return for two or three days.

Dad walked into the room, kissed mom on the cheek and poured himself a cup of coffee—the stuff smelled
funky, I never liked it. We were waiting on the boys to get their bags—Mom would be driving herself and
me to school today.

"Ana, your Dad told me that there's a game you wanted to go to on Friday?"

"Hmm? Oh...yeah. Friday. There's a football game against St. Auggie's rival school. I asked Dad if I could
go. He said I could…but I have to go with Aiden and Bryce."

"Well, we were talking and if you prefer…and I can understand if you do…" She winked at me, "Rosalie and
Emmett will go with you instead. Em loves football and Rosalie loves any excuse to get out of the house
and be around humans…for obvious reasons."

"Yeah, you know Blondie." Dad rolled his eyes.

She was referring to the fact that Rosie loved the attention she received from humans. She was
breathtakingly beautiful and the response she got from them—especially men—boosted her already
inflated ego. I loved her regardless.

"Ok! I'll talk to them after school."

"No need, kiddo. They already agreed." Dad ruffled my previously perfectly coiffed hair and walked into
the living room and yelled towards my brothers' bedrooms.
"Boys! School! Now!" He came back to the kitchen, wrapped his arm around my shoulder and placed a kiss
in my hair, "See you later, my lil' bloodsucker. I've got some work to do before your Mom and I leave this
weekend." He grabbed they keys to his truck and walked into the garage. I looked at mom questioningly.

Aiden and Bryce rushed down the stairs and grabbed a few slices of toast and bacon each before grabbing
the keys to Em's Range Rover. Mom didn't like driving my Mini Cooper--she said it was too small. Mom
had Grandpa's taste in cars. For their anniversary this past year, Dad got mom an Aston Martin Vanquish—
silvery blue with gleaming silver rims and dark tinted windows. It was a good thing everyone knew our
family had money—it would be difficult to explain otherwise how a 15-½ -year old was driving around in
such an extravagant machine for a first car.

****

"Mom, what was Dad talking about…this weekend? Where are you going?"

"To Forks—with my parents. As you know, your great-grandma Sue is sick. She doesn't have much time
left with us—not as much as we thought."

"How are Seth and Leah holding up?"

"As good as can be expected. Leah says Sue's in high spirits. She's ready to leave the mortal world and
join her ancestors in the afterlife."

"Poor Charlie."

"I know. He's taking it pretty hard. He isn't ready for her to go yet."

"No, I couldn't imagine that he would be. How long are you going for?"

"Dad and I will be gone just for the weekend. I won't be going to school with you on Friday. You
grandparents will stay as long as they need to—until its time."

"Does that mean…are we talking days? Weeks?"

"A few weeks, at the most."

This would be the first time I've ever dealt with death. I didn't know how to feel or what to expect but at
the thought of great-grandma Sue lying pale white and unmoving forever—it sent a shudder down my
body and deep into my soul. What a depressing way to start the day.

Chapter Fifteen

The boys were already halfway up the steps to campus as we pulled into the parking lot five minutes
before classes started.

"Ana!" I scanned the parking lot for Nick's voice—he was running towards us from his truck, "Morning!"

"Hey, Nick." I glanced at Mom who was walking next to us silently, staring down at the ground with a grin
on her face. "Hey, have you met my sister yet? This is Nessie."

Nick stopped abruptly next to me, panting—he tried to catch his breath before talking again, "Hey, Nessie.
Nice to meet you! So, Ana…did you ask your parents about Friday?"

"Umm, yeah. They said I could go. My oldest brother and sister are coming with me."

His face lit up with excitement, which was easily heard in his voice, "Awesome! Well, I'll see you at lunch?"
"Yeah. See yah." He turned and waved from the last step and booked it for the boy's campus.

"That boy has it bad for you."

"Mom! You don't know that…do you?"

"Oh, please! Don't pretend that you don't notice."

"I just think he's cute is all. I don't even know him." I was messing with the zipper on my bag to distract
myself.

"It's ok, Ana. Don't feel embarrassed—you can talk to me about anything." We walked into Mr. Wurth's
cold classroom and took our seats for the most dreadful hour of the day.

****

"Hi," I turned to the girl on my right, "I didn't get to properly introduce myself yesterday. I'm Ana."

"Mel." Her response was just barely above a whisper. She was shy and her discomfort speaking to me was
clearly noticeable. She drummed her pencil on the desk then looked at me, curiously, "I saw you
yesterday…in the cafeteria. I've never seen Annika so pissed."

"Was she? I couldn't tell." I was being facetious but I didn't want to come off as smug.

"No one stands up to her. I'm glad someone finally had the guts to. She thinks she rules this school…her
and her groupies."

"Ladies!' Mr. Wurth's stern warning echoed through the classroom. "I hope you are paying attention! There
will be a pop quiz at the end of the lecture today." The other girls grumbled and complained, Mel and I
chuckled.

"Nice to meet you, Ana." Mel whispered before starting her notes.

****

"So you're already starting to make a name for yourself, hmm?"

"And what would you be referring to, Ness?"

Mom pulled me close to her by the crook of my elbow, "The whole you versus Annika thing. The gossip is
spreading through the school like wildfire. I heard what that girl next to you said—and it's not only her,
when we walked to class, people were staring at you…talking. It's too soon to create such a stir don't you
think? Too much attention is not a good thing for us." I felt guilty when I looked at her. I realized what I
did yesterday was irresponsible and downright dumb. We were supposed to fly under the radar and
instead, my actions yesterday garnered unwanted and potentially dangerous attention. The last thing I
wanted is for people to start taking too much interest in my family—the threat of exposure totally slipped
my mind.

"I'm sorry, Ness. I didn't think. I just reacted. Don't worry—I'll just avoid her from now on. As much as
possible."

"Unfortunately, I don't think that's possible." She pointed behind me to where Annika and Brandi were
standing—glaring at the both of us. They stalked off towards their classes when I looked back at them.
"It'll be ok, Ana. Let's just try the best we can to not cause anymore trouble than we already have. Ok?"

"Ok."

****
"Text your brothers would you? Tell them to meet us in the cafeteria." Mom got in the lunch line and
grabbed a tray. The disgruntled looking lunch lady from yesterday plopped a plate of gruel onto her tray.
Mom looked at me—disgusted, "I would imagine this is what prison food looks like."

"Told you." I smirked and sent the text to Bryce's phone.

"Aren't you going to get anything?" She handed the cashier some money and we walked towards the
tables.

"Are you kidding? I brought lunch today." Not really lunch—just one turkey sandwich. I looked around the
cafeteria for Nick. He waved Mom and me over to his table.

"Hey, Nick."

"Ana, Nessie, meet some of my friends. This is John, Arthur, Mac and Tristan. John and Mac are on the
football team and I play lacrosse with Arthur and Tristan." They John and Mac were large for humans. Not
nearly as large as my brothers but big nonetheless. "This is Sarah," He motioned towards a petite brunette
with a million dollar smile, "And this is Charlotte, Triz's girlfriend." I recognized Charlotte—she sat next to
Mom in Algebra. She and Mom exchanged polite hellos.

Bryce sat down at the table a few minutes later with two trays piled high with food.

"How can you eat that stuff? It smells like dog food." I teased.

"What? I'm hungry." He replied with a mouth full of food.

"Gross, Bryce. Anyways, everyone this is my brother, Bryce." He shook hands with all the guys and waved
to the girls. Mom scooted closer to him and added her plate of food to his tray.

"Where's Aiden?" She inquired.

He chugged down a can of soda before replying, "Mrs. Vox asked him to carry some boxes to the
journalism room." Mrs. Vox was their English teacher and the school's newspaper advisor.

"Hey, Bryce?" John took a seat across from my brother, "Have you and your bro thought about trying out
for the football team? We could use some big guys on the front."

Bryce's dark brows furrowed deeply. "I wish. I uh, can't. Because of my asthma. So I can't run for very
long. Same with Aiden. It's a twin thing."

"Sucky. Well…you should think about it anyways."

"Yeah, thanks. I'll keep it in mind." I felt for the big guy. I knew how much they would have loved to play
but it wouldn't be safe for anyone on the field if either one of them lost control. I wanted to give him a
consoling hug but he'd probably brush me off.

I heard high pitch squealing at the table behind us—it was Annika and her friends. I considered flashing
her a friendly smile but the errant thought quickly disappeared when she rolled her eyes at me and buried
her face into a magazine. I paid her no attention for the rest of lunch.

Mom and Bryce were engaged in what sounded like a private conversation so I turned to the rest of the
group.

****

"Ana?" Bryce tugged on my jacket pocket.

"Hmm?" I brushed him off. All of my attention was focused on Nick. He and his friends were talking about
plans for after the football game.

"Ana!" Mom was shaking my outstretched arm on top of the lunch table.

"What, Ness?" I quickly turned my head to her direction. Her face was pale—paler than usual.

"Give me your phone."

"Why?" She stuck out her palm absentmindedly, staring into the distance.

"I have to call Dad."

"Why? What's wrong?" Now I was starting to get worried.

"Ana! Look!" Bryce frantically pointed to the cafeteria entrance where Aiden was standing with his arm
wrapped around Chelsea's shoulders, he was beaming—he looked like the happiest man alive.

"Oh, crap." I shoved my hand into my bag and dug around for my phone, not taking my eyes of my
brother and apparently—his imprint.

Chapter Sixteen

Oh crap.

That was the only thought that repeated through my brain over and over. The three of us—Mom, Bryce
and me—were frozen in our positions at the lunch table watching Aiden and Chelsea gazing into each
other's eyes oblivious to everyone and anything around them.

I dropped my phone into Mom's open palm—she excused herself from the table and walked briskly to the
corner of the cafeteria for privacy.

"Everything cool with Nessie? She looks kinda stressed out or something." Nick nodded towards Mom—she
was biting her nails, the only bad human habit she had.

"Oh, she's fine. She's just freaking out 'cause she…forgot her paper for her…next class." My normally quick
mind couldn't formulate a coherent sentence as Chelsea and Aiden approached the table.

"Hey, sis. Bryce. This is Chelsea."

Chelsea's mile-wide smile exposed her pearl white teeth. Aiden had taste—Chelsea was undeniably
adorable. "Aiden, I already know your sister." Her eyes shifted to Bryce, "Hi, Bryce. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, ditto." Bryce resumed stuffing his face, avoiding eye contact with Aiden. Chelsea and Aiden were
unfazed by Bryce's cold demeanor. He looked upset—but maybe what I was actually seeing was jealousy.
Aiden imprinted and found his mate. It would only be natural for Bryce to be jealous.

"Hey, Chelsea." Nick semi-waved, stunned by the same thing I was seeing. "Umm, Ana…" He angled
himself towards me fully—"I'll see you later. The guys and I gotta head over to Coach Taylor's office."

No! Don't leave me here by myself with these two!

"'Kay, Nick. See you tomorrow."

I needed to break the uncomfortable silence so I started grilling the happy couple, "So, how do you two
know each other?"
"Well…" Aiden was playing with Chelsea's long curls between his fingers, "I was helping my teacher drop
off boxes at the newsroom when we kinda ran into each other."

"Literally." Chelsea started, "I wasn't paying attention and I sorta ran straight into him. I fell, he helped
me up—it was embarrassing. But then we just started talking and stuff—it's weird…it's like I've known him
forever." She stroked the top of his hand with her fingertip. They looked at each other and smiled.

Ugh. Awkward. That is what I was feeling at that moment.

"I gotta get some books from my locker. See you guys later." Bryce got up suddenly and dumped his half
full tray of food in the trash before jogging out of the cafeteria. Aiden didn't look away from Chelsea's face
once. The boy had it bad.

"Chels, are you going to the game on Friday?"

"Of course! I'm on the pep squad so I have to be there. Oh, I forgot to tell you on the tour that on Fridays
we don't have to wear our uniforms…as long as you wear school colors, that is."

"So I can wear jeans to school on Friday? Excellent!" Jeans meant I would be able to take my bike to
school on Friday. I haven't had a chance to ride it since my birthday. Maybe I'd leave earlier and take a
quick detour through the woods.

"Yeah! But don't forget the school colors! You gotta wear blue and silver. Go Saints!" She mock-cheered.

"Yeah. Woo—" I tried to sound enthusiastic but I was distracted—and a little disturbed—Chelsea tore off a
piece of her sandwich and fed it to Aiden. My head jerked back and my nose crinkled—their very public
display was starting to make me a bit nauseous. I desperately tried to find an excuse to leave the table
without appearing too rude—Mom was still on the phone.

Perfect—"Alright you two, I'm leaving too. I'm gonna go talk to Nessie. Chels I'll see you in class."

"Yeah, see you later, Ana."

****

"Look at them." I stood by Mom, arms folded across my chest, "They hardly know each other yet they
can't stop looking at each other like that…it's kinda…creepy."

"Ana," Mom snapped the phone shut and handed it back to me, "It's just one of those unexplainable
things. It just happens."

"Was it like that for you and Dad?"

"It was different for us. I was just a baby when he imprinted. We didn't have those kinds of feeling for
each other until many years later but when we did—yes, it was very intense. Your brother is a hormonal
young man who imprinted on a hormonal teenage girl. It's love at first sight to the millionth degree."

"She's human."

"Yes," Mom sighed deeply, "She is."

"What happens now?"

"Now, my dear, we finish the school day and wait for your Dad to get home. Your Grandparents are on
their way home too. There's going to be a family meeting. The whole family. This concerns every one of
us." The final lunch bell rang. "Come on, let's get to class."

****
English and gym flew by without incident. I was very eager to get to orchestra and talk to Chelsea. I
walked as quickly as possible to get to the orchestra room, but remained at a speed a human could
normally walk. I immediately took my seat that was next to Chelsea's empty one. I guess she was just
late – or maybe I was too anxious to get to class to talk with her. I tapped my foot impatiently against the
floor, anticipating her arrival.

"Thanks for walking me to class," I heard a voice from outside the door.

"It was my pleasure," Aiden smiled at me through the open door to the classroom before he kissed the top
of her hand goodbye.

I watched Chelsea's cheeks blush a deep pink as she practically tripped over her own two feet walking
towards her seat. Wow, they both had it bad…and I mean really bad. It was very evident that they were
head over heels for each other.

"Hey, Ana!"

"Hi, Chels."

"Sooo…?? You and my brother?" I started my second interrogation with a smile. She immediately blushed
again, fumbling with her hands in her lap, "Yeah…" I watched her admit, shyly.

"I didn't know you had a brother. I hope this isn't weird for you."

Weird? Oh, no Chelsea…there's nothing weird about you being madly in love with my werewolf brother.
Nothing at all.

It was weird but I really liked Chelsea and didn't want to hurt her feelings. I'm thankful that he imprinted
on her and not on someone like Annika. "Umm…no, it's cool. I was just…a little surprised to say the least.
But, I mean…it's great for you and Aiden. You two are so…cute together." Was cute the right word to use?
I guessed so.

"Thanks," Chelsea twirled her long, blonde curls between her index finger and her middle finger. It
must've been a nervous habit of hers. Such a human trait. "It's the strangest thing, Ana…it's like…when I
saw him, I woke up all of a sudden and I was just really happy. And I feel really…safe around him. Does
that make any sense at all?"

"Yes, actually, it does." Mom told me that a bond between the imprinter and the imprinted is formed
instantaneously. Both parties reciprocate the same intense feelings.

"Hey, what are you doing after school today?"

Discussing ancient Indian legends with my shape shifter and vampire relatives. You know, the usual.

"Oh, my parents are coming home today and umm, we all have stuff we need to get done before they
leave again."

"Do you think I could come over and hang out afterwards?"

Crap. "I'll call you and let you know. We might be going to dinner or something. But I'll let you know,
'kay?"

"Sure! We better get inside before we get into trouble!"

Trouble.

It was the one word that summed up today's events perfectly.

 Chapter Seventeen

We got home in no time.

An impressive collection of cars was parked outside of the main house. I grabbed my book bag and ran
home to change before the meeting. Aiden and Bryce did the same.

As I was walked to the front door, I noticed Aiden sitting on the couch with his face buried in his hands.

"Deni…everything is going to be ok."

"I know that. Everything's just overwhelming. I'm just so…overwhelmed.""I can't even begin to imagine
what it feels like."

"Bryce hasn't said a word to me since lunch."

Ugh. Boys and their pride. "He'll just have to deal. Now, come on," I pulled him up off the couch easily,
"We gotta go. They're all waiting."

****

Aiden and I were the last ones to arrive. Aiden sat next to Mom and I took a seat in between Grams and
Grandpa on the couch. Grandpa put his arm around my shoulder and Grams kissed my cheek and held my
hand.

Dad rose from his seat, looking every bit the Alpha that he was and initiated the meeting, "As you all
know, Aiden imprinted on a girl at school today."

To my left, Em shot Aiden a thumbs up, Rosie swatted his hand back down. Aiden's reaction was funny—I
laughed—Dad had his serious face on so I quickly shut my mouth and paid attention.

"Usually, our secret would be revealed to the girl immediately. Aiden's situation is different. I know there
are laws governing your world and telling her would put her life at risk but what else can we do?"

Carlisle looked at Grandpa—they were having their own conversation. Grandpa nodded his head as if in
agreement then chimed in, "There shouldn't be an issue revealing our existence to the girl. We have lived
without the threat of the Volturi for nearly forty years. She will be well protected."

"And since she's human," Alice's tiny, musical voice floated around the room, "I'll be able to watch her—
just in case." Aiden smiled at Alice appreciatively.

"So it's agreed," Dad looked at everyone in the room, "We will tell Chelsea." My family nodded in
agreement. Aiden's massive body heaved in relief. It looked like a great weight had been lifted off his
shoulders. He wouldn't have to lie to Chelsea. None of us would.

"Now, the only thing to figure out is the right way to do it without totally scaring the crap out of her."

It was my intention to stay silent for the entire meeting. My input really had no bearing on their decision
but in this instance, I could help.

"I'll do it." I volunteered. "I'll talk to her." Everyone looked at me.

"It should be me, sis. Don't you think?" Aiden frowned at me.

"Yes, it should. But let me at least prepare her for the conversation. Tonight—I'll talk to her while she
sleeps."
"Interesting, idea." Grandpa quipped.

"Ok. But, you have to bring me with you."

It made sense—she would feel more at ease with Aiden there. I would be a little weirded out if my new
friend popped up in my dream and started going on about the existence of real life monsters. Well, not
monsters—we weren't even close to monsters. Dangerous, yes, perfect killing machines, sure—but not
monsters.

"Alright. We'll talk to her together."

"What's your plan, sweetheart?" Grams turned her exquisite face towards me.

"Well, first, I thought—maybe she should come here? For dinner and to introduce her to the family—see if
she notices anything strange and unusual on her own. She asked me what I was doing tonight and I said
we were having a family dinner so Aiden or I could call her to invite her." The vampires winced—not at the
thought of having a human over but the dinner part. Vampires abhor human food. If they ingested it,
they'd have to throw it back up later. So disgusting. It made me glad I was half human.

"I'm liking this idea." Aiden's head perked up. I assumed the thought of spending time with his precious
Chelsea was what brought on his suddenly light-hearted mood.

"Let me see what we have left in the refrigerator—I'm afraid that the boys might have eaten everything
inside of it. If that's the case, I can call one of the restaurants to deliver." Esme got up from her seat and
quickly moved to the kitchen.

"I'll help you, Esme. And so will Emmett. Won't you, baby?" Rosie leaned around the kitchen wall and gave
Em a seductive look.

"Ugh. I guess." Em begrudgingly got up from his seat and punch Jazz in the shoulder before following
Rosie.

"Jazz and I will get the place ready." Alice bounded across the floor-Jazz in tow—to the garage where all
the party supplies were stored.

"Ana—you call Chelsea and invite her to dinner. Let her know Aiden and I would be happy to pick her up."

"You got it, Mom."

Bryce was silent—feigning sleep. I could tell because every few seconds he would open his left eye to
examine the room—I didn't say anything, the guy was having a rough day. Let him have his fake sleep.

"I'm gonna get her number out of my binder. Deni want to come with me?" It would give us time to
discuss our meeting with Chelsea tonight. I wanted to make sure it was strictly a rated G meeting.

****

Somehow, within the span of four days, my room was a complete disaster—again.

"Geez, sis. Get a maid or something."

"Like you're one to talk. Speaking of talking…" I hadn't thoroughly planned out Chelsea's dream tonight,
"What are we going to do about later?"

"For dinner?" Sometimes the boy was just so dense.

"No, moron. Chelsea—her dream? How should we tell her?"

"I dunno. I haven't really thought it through,"

"Humph. Neither have I. But you should let me do all the talking."

"Why?"

"You're not exactly—the most eloquent person on the planet."

"Fine. But I'm still coming."

"Yeah, yeah. So…" I was running through possible dream scenarios in my head, "We could take her to the
woods. No wait—maybe that's too scary."

"No the woods sound good."

"But obviously, no hunting. That's too gruesome. I think you should phase in front her—which means
you're going to have to sleep outside…Mom doesn't want you phasing in the house—which is what most
likely would happen."

"Ok. Then what?"

"I don't know. We'll just have to wing it. See how she reacts after you phase."

"Ok." The phone in his pocket rang, "Hey it's Moe, I'm gonna tell him what happened today. Find her
number—I'll be right back!"

Ugh. Tamoh Uley. Aiden and Bryce's best friend from Forks and my eternal frenemy. Moe is five years
older than me. It's been quite a few years since we've seen him but he and my brother's stayed in
contact—daily.

I found my bag under the clothes I had taken off from school today and searched the mess of papers for
the Chelsea's number. I found the scrap piece of paper shoved into the front pocket.

"Aiden!" I shouted, "Hey! I got it." He was back in my room in no time. I grabbed my phone out of my
purse and dialed her number.

****

"Hello?"

"Chelsea? It's Ana."

"Hey, girly! What's up?"

"Oh, I was just seeing if you had any plans tonight?"

"No, no plans. I just finished my homework and I was gonna watch some TV."

"No plans? Have you had dinner yet?"

"I was gonna throw something in the microwave."

Eww. Gross. Microwavable TV dinners were just as bad as school food. "Well, I was calling to see if you
wanted to come to my house—for dinner?"

"Oh! I would love to! But my Dad's not here and I can't drive."
"That's not a problem. Aiden and my mo—" Aiden slammed his foot down on mine, "—And Nessie will
come get you. Just give me the address and they'll be right over."

"Awesome! My address is 6324 Madison Court. It's at the end of the cul-de-sac—it's hard to miss."

"Sounds good—they'll be there soon."

"Is Aiden there with you? Can I talk to him?"

"Yeah. Lemme give him the phone." I passed Aiden the phone—he ran out of the room for privacy.

"Ugh! Like I want to listen to your conversation anyways!" I shouted.

Chapter Eighteen

Mom, Aiden and Chelsea pulled up in Em's Range Rover. Everyone scattered to various positions around
the room, trying in vain to look as human as vampire-ly possible.

I looked at each of my family members—unearthly beautiful and godlike in appearance. "Maybe this wasn't
such a good idea." My stomach was in knots. "I mean—she's gonna know that we're not, you
know…normal."

"It was your idea, kiddo." Dad put his giant, reassuring hands around my biceps, "Relax, she'll
understand…eventually."

Chelsea's heart was beating fast, pumping blood faster through her veins—not a good thing before
entering a house full of vampires. I took one deep breath before opening the door.

****

"Hi, Chelsea!" She walked through the heavy, double-doors and looked up at the vaulted ceilings. Aiden
helped her remove her jacket.

"Hee-ey, Ana. This is such a nice house you live in."

"Thanks. Mom renovated it. Took her forever." I winked at Esme. Actually, the help of the big, strong men
in my family—and the fact that vampires don't sleep—it only took a matter of weeks to convert all five
homes.

"Hey," Aiden tugged on my sweater sleeve, "I'll be right back. Can you introduce her to everyone?

"Yeah, sure. No problem."

Aiden walked outside. I had no idea where he was off to. Maybe to find Bryce—he phased and took off to
the woods shortly after Mom and Aiden went to Chelsea's house.

I leaned closer to Chelsea to whisper into her ear, "Did Ness tell you about the not-so-normal living
arrangements?"

"You mean how she's dating your brother and your other brothers and sisters are dating each other, too?
Yeah. But I couldn't keep track of who's dating who." She chuckled softly.

That was the one conversation I was hoping someone else would take care of—Excellent.

"Chelsea, this is Emmett and Rosalie." Chelsea's eyes went wide as she looked at Emmett and Rosalie.
"We're pleased to meet you, Chelsea." Rosalie's radiant smile exposed her razor sharp teeth. I pulled my
lips over my teeth hoping she'd take the hint—she did.

"Welcome to our home." Emmett stuck out his hand to shake. I was waiting for some kind of shocked
response as Chelsea shook both of their ice-cold hands—nothing came.

"It's nice to meet you, too." Her eyes moved from one handsome couple to the next.

"This is Alice and Jasper."

"Hi, Chelsea!" Alice's bell-like voice sung, "Thanks for coming! We hope you like Italian!"

"I love Italian food. Thanks for having me over."

Alice, Jazz, Rosie and Emmett went into the kitchen. Grams and Grandpa were next.

"Hi, Chelsea. I'm Edward. This is my Bella." Chelsea's heart sped a little faster at the sound of Grandpa's
voice. Grams said Grandpa "dazzled" humans so much more than the rest of his brothers and sisters—but
hey were all equally beautiful to me.

"Chelsea, welcome. We've heard so much about you." Grams looked positively radiant—The royal blue
blouse she was wearing complimented her pale complexion and raven-colored hair perfectly.

"Thank you." Chelsea's face was beet red and she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans—she was
definitely nervous.

"Relax." I cooed in her ear trying to calm her down. My attempts didn't work so I signaled for Jazz to come
over and help. From two feet away, I felt a wave of ease wash over me. Chelsea did too—the tension in
her face and shoulders disappeared and she finally smiled.

"These are my parents—Carlisle and Esme."

"Dr. Cullen…Mrs. Cullen…thanks for having me for dinner."

Emmett laughed obnoxiously loud. Chelsea was out of sight but I could see him perfectly from where I
stood—I gave him the evil eye.

"What? There was something funny on TV. I swear!" Emmett's mouth curved into a very devilish smile—he
grabbed Rosie and pretended to bite her neck.

"I didn't know we had a TV in the kitchen."

"I said radio, kid. Radio."

"Your brother seems like a funny guy."

"Yeah, he's a comedian."

"Chelsea—please call me Carlisle. Thank you for joining us for dinner."

I led her into the main sitting room where Mom and Dad were waiting--I saved the best introduction for
last. "Chels, this is Jacob. My oldest brother—and my favorite." I smiled up into his face. Dad put me in a
headlock like a big brother would.

"Chelsea, so glad you're here. You must be hungry. We're just waiting for Aiden and Bryce to get back
then we'll eat. Annie why don't you take her on a tour around the house."
"Sure…Jake." I grabbed Chelsea's handed and led her up the stairs

****

"You're family's very…attractive."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I mean, all of you. You all look like supermodels. Like you should be in fashion magazines or something.
I've never seen so many pretty people all in one place before. Carlisle and Esme look so young to be
parent…I mean…I know you're all adopted but they can't be more than what? 25? 30?" We walked through
the long hallway in silence. Chelsea was fumbling with her hands again—and looked like she was
contemplating her next question. "Umm, Is it weird?"

"What?"

"That your brothers and sisters all dating each other?"

"Well, they're not actually related so no, not really. I guess maybe at first it was. But…the weird part is
having to explain the situation to new people."

"Yeah, I can only imagine."

I opened the ornate wooden door to Carlisle's library. This was my favorite room of their house—it was
home to thousands of books.

"Wow. This is amazing, Ana."

"Yeah, my Dad is a big reader and collector. Some of these volumes are hundreds of years old."

"Hundreds?" She browsed the bookcases, running her fingers over the bindings, occasionally stopping to
examine the titles. "Oh, my God…look at all of these first editions! They must be worth a fortune!"

"I suppose so. I don't know if my dad has ever had them appraised. Come on--let me show you the
master suite. It is amazing."

As we were walking to Carlisle and Esme's bedroom, Chelsea was startled by the howls of my brothers.
So, Aiden did go after Bryce. She ran to window to take a look outside.

"You have wolves on your property?"

"Umm, yeah. There's anywhere from three to five of them out there. It depends." She looked at me
puzzled. "Depends?"

"Don't worry. They won't hurt you."

"They sound gigantic."

"Yeah, they're huge." In their wolf forms, Aiden and Bryce were taller than my 70 seventy inches—so yes,
they were giants.

"You've seen them? You guys haven't tried to shoot them?"

My heart lurched at the thought of anyone trying to hurt any of our wolves. "Uh, yeah. They're more like
puppy dogs if you ask me."

"You've played with them?!"

"Umm…sorta? They're dangerous, sure, but…just trust me, they won't hurt you. I'll show you sometime."

"Really? That sounds kinda fun."

Ok. So she was open to the idea of meeting wild wolves. That was a good sign.

"This is the master bedroom. Amazing, right?"

"Holy crap. Yeah…amazing."

Esme had impeccable taste. Everything in the room was white and dark cherry wood—classic, chic and
simple. Simple—but extravagant at the same time.

"You should see her closet, it's as big as my room!" We were almost inside the closet but Dad's booming
voice calling us downstairs for dinner stopped us. "Maybe later. Let's eat!"

"Sounds good. I'm starving!"

****

Everyone at the table—including the vampires—piled their plates high with food. Esme ordered from the
local Italian eatery—lasagna, various pastas, grilled vegetables and steak. The humans dug in furiously—
the rest pushed their food to different sides of their plates and spooned empty forks into their mouths.

I thought it would be funny to mess with them a bit—maybe it would help Bryce out of his foul mood. I
needed to get back at Emmett for the having-Chelsea-for-dinner joke. "This is delicious, Mom. Good
choice. Em, don't you just love the ziti?"

"Oh, I…didn't put any on my plate. It looks good though. I wish there was some left. Bummer."

I offered him my plate, "Here, you can have some of mine." My brows rose slightly and a half smile crept
across my face. "Dig in, don't be afraid. It's delicious."

Em was shooting daggers at me with his eyes. He stuck his fork into my pasta and shoved the forkful into
his mouth. "Mmmmm. Yummy." Emmett's face contorted in disgust—flecks of red pasta shot out of his
mouth. Bryce nearly choked on his dinner. He grabbed his glass and gulped down his soda—clearing his
throat and letting out a long, hearty laugh. Everyone joined in except Chelsea. She looked at me—lost—
like she was left out of an inside joke.

"The food was delicious. Did you make it yourself, Esme?"

"No, I ordered in. The boys raided the refrigerator this afternoon and ate everything. You have no idea
how much food is consumed in this house!"

"So, Chelsea," Carlisle placed his napkin over his loaded plate. Uh-oh. It was time to start the interview.
"What grade are you in?"

"I'm a Junior."

"Where are you planning to apply for college?"

"I've got a couple schools in mind. Julliard is my first choice. Maybe Columbia or Brown."

Grandpa's turn, "Excellent schools, all of them. Julliard? Are you musical or do you act or dance?"

"I play the cello. Ana and I have orchestra together."

"I adore the cello. You must play for us sometime." Esme responded as she cleared the plates.

"Sure. I would love to. I was actually thinking of asking Ana to do a duet for the school talent show."

"When is it?" My interest was piqued. I loved performing for people.

"Oh, it's a few months away. Not that you need the practice. You're so good."

I blushed.

"Has Ana been showing off again?" Dad asked Chelsea but looked directly at me.

"No, no. I've only heard her play once during her try-out. Everyone was super impressed. She's way more
advanced than anyone else we've had the last few years."

"Well, she's had an excellent teacher." Grams chirped—placing her hand in Grandpa's. "Have you lived
here long?"

"All my life. My sister—half sister, I should say, as she constantly reminds me—is in Vermont with her
mom. My mom died when I was young. My dad never remarried. He works a lot. I'm home by myself most
of the time.

"Well, you're welcome over here anytime!" I offered.

"Yes, anytime." Aiden took her tiny hand in his giant one. Esme looked like she was going to faint from
happiness.

"Well," Dad leaned back in his chair and stretched out his long limbs, "I think it's time you get Chelsea
home, Aiden. School tomorrow and all."

Chelsea looked disappointed, "Oh, right. School. Ugh." She looked at her watch, "I guess I should be
getting home." She rose from her seat—Aiden got up with her.

"I'll take her home, Ness. Why don't you stay here?" Chelsea wrapped her arms around his waist,
squeezed tightly and smiled at Aiden.

Ugh. I had to admit it—they really were so damn cute together.

"Thank you so much, all of you, for inviting me to dinner. I had a great time. It was nice meeting you all."
Aiden and Chelsea walked out of the dining room hand and hand but before they left, I managed to get
out one last sentence.

"Goodnight, Chels! See you tomorrow. Sweet dreams."

Chapter Nineteen

"It's midnight, sweetie. Aiden's sound asleep outside. I think it's safe to say that Chelsea is too. Are you
ready for this?" Mom was seated to my left—stroking my hair.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"If you need help, call me. 'Kay, kiddo?" Dad was on the edge of the bed. He stood and spread the blanket
over my torso.

"Sure, Daddy. But, I think we'll be ok."

Mom kissed my cheek softly—Dad did the same.

"Goodnight, Annie. We love you." Dad flipped off the lights.

It didn't take me long to fall asleep.

****

"Chelsea?"

"Ana? Ana, what are you doing here? A second ago I was in an ice cream shop eating hamburger flavored
ice cream."

"Eww. Gross, Chels."

"This is weird. Where am I? Why am I wearing a dress? Why does this feel so…real?"

"We're in the woods by my house. See?" I pointed to through the clearing of trees to the group of houses
in the distance.

"Aiden's here."

"I know. I can sense him. Weird. Where is he? I want to see him."

"Here. I'm here Chels." Aiden was standing off to her right.

"Deni…I'm scared."

"You don't have to be afraid Chels. I'm here. I'll protect you."

"I know. I trust you, Deni."

"Chelsea, did you have fun at our house tonight?"

"I did. It felt weird though."

"Weird how?"

"Your family. They're so…different. I've never met people like you guys. So beautiful. So articulate. So
close to each other. It's like…you guys are from a different world."

"What if we were different? What if we're not from your world? Could you trust us?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I love him." Her eyes met Aiden's adoring one's—in her dream, I could feel their love for each
other. It was almost suffocating. I had to stay focused.

"And I love you."

"Chels, does that seem normal to you?"

"What?"

"Meeting a guy and being in love with him after a day."

"Is love supposed to be normal?" Oh, goodness. A philosopher.

"If Aiden was different, do you think you'd still love him?"

"He is different. He's not like anyone I've met before."

"But what if he wasn't human?"

"Stop joking around, Ana."

"She's not joking, Chels."

"That's not possible."

"You go to Catholic school—"

"So do you." She chuckled.

"You didn't let me finish."

"Go on then." She was now at Aiden's side, holding his hand and stroking his arm.

"You believe in God, right, Chelsea?"

"Of course. What a silly question."

"But…you've never seen him."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean he doesn't exist."

"So, what if I told you that the monsters you used to believe in as a kid—but had never seen—existed.
And that they weren't monsters at all but something else.

"I'd say you were crazy."

"But what if I could prove it?"

"If you could prove it, then, logically—I'd have to believe you."

"Our family is different. We're not like you. Well, Bryce, Aiden and I are kinda like you. Our Mom and Dad
too…but we're still different."

"I told you already. I know you're different."

"Chels, we're not completely human. I'll show you."

Aiden released her hand and placed it in mine. "Watch." I pointed to the darkness into which Aiden
disappeared. "Listen."

"What is that? What's that sound, Ana? I'm scared. Where's my Deni?"

In the darkness, she was hearing the sound of Aiden's clothes shredding to pieces.

"Shh. Any minute now. He'll be back."

From the brush, Aiden leaped before us. His spotted copper coat glimmered in the moonlight. Chelsea
tried to hide—using me as a shield.

"It's ok, Chelsea. I told you…he won't hurt you."

"That's not a wolf. It's too big to be a wolf."

I walked towards my brother, "It's ok. Come meet him."

She took my extended hand and walked towards the wolf before her. The closer she got, the more
confident she grew. Instead of cowering behind me, she went straight to the wolf—and stroked his fur.

Her hands traveled shakily towards his neck then up to his ears. She took his massive head between her
hands. She stared into his large, dark brown eyes. Then suddenly, it looked like a light bulb turned on. I
saw the recognition in her eyes.

"Aiden?"

*****

Aiden nearly pummeled me into the kitchen wall at breakfast. "Thank you, sis! I think that went well—
don't you?"

Aiden's muscular arms held me in a death grip. I felt like my ribs had been crushed, "Aiden. I. Can't.
Breathe!"

"Oh, right. Sorry, Ana." He dropped me to my feet. It was crowded in our kitchen this morning—packed
with my entire family.

"Ugh. Much better." I smoothed out the wrinkles in my blazer and adjusted my skirt. "Anyways, yes. I
think that went well. She was responsive and she didn't look frightened—not too much at least. We'll just
have to wait and see, won't we?" Aiden must have already filled them in because none of them asked me
any questions.

"How do you feel?" Dad lowered himself to my height and inspected my eyes.

"Wrecked. Ravaged. Exhausted. That took a lot of me. More than I expected."

"You can stay home today if you want." Mom said as she handed me a bowl of cereal.

"No. I should go to school. See how things turned out." I slurped down the milk—I wasn't a fan of
cheerios.

"Yes," Alice sat on our kitchen counter and tucked a few loose strand of hair behind my ear, "You have to
go to school today. Chelsea is waiting for you."

I grabbed my bag and tossed Aiden Dad's truck keys, "Let's get this over with."

*****

We all rode to school together that morning.

When we pulled into our usual spot closest to the lot exit, Chelsea suddenly appeared out of nowhere and
slammed her hands down the hood of the car.

Aiden and I got out of the car immediately. Chelsea look frazzled, anxious—and excited. She also looked
like she hadn't slept all night.
"Tell me I'm not crazy, Ana!"

"You're not crazy, Chelsea." I flashed to her side at a non-human speed. She stepped back—startled—and
fell into Aiden.

She hurtled herself into him and clung to his waist. "Are you sure I'm not crazy, Deni? Did what I think
happen last night actually happen?" She looked from Aiden to me and back to him again.

"Yes, it happened." He kissed her forehead gently.

Chelsea's eyes were watering, "How?"

I looked around the parking lot. Everyone except our little group was walking up the steps to campus. "Get
in the car. We're ditching today."

Chelsea quickly did what she was told. Bryce gave her his seat up front and he climbed into the back with
Mom and I.

"Where are we going?"

"You're going to meet the family—properly this time. Mom will explain everything."

I took Mom's hand—Chelsea looked lost again. Aiden's eyes traveled from Chelsea's to Mom's.

"Hi, Chelsea. I'm Renesmee Black. These are my children. It's very nice to meet you."

Chapter Twenty

"Ha, ha, guys. Very funny." Chelsea's body was turned around in the passenger seat so she could face us
in the backseat.

"Chelsea," Aiden lowered her flailing arms, "Nessie is our mother."

"You've got to be kidding me. How is that even possible? You don't look a day over what—16? 17 at the
most?"

"Mom, show her." Aiden's foot pressed harder on the gas pedal—he was trying to get us home as fast as
he could.

"Show me what? Will someone tell me what's going on, please? Ana, what the hell happened last night?"
Her eyes darted back and forth to all of us with frenzy. Her heart was thrumming crazily.

"Chelsea," Mom's soft voice caught her attention, "If you would please give me your hand, I will explain
everything."

"My hand?"

"Give her your hand, Chelsea." Bryce who hadn't said a word all morning finally spoke up.

She started to extend her hand then curled it back to her chest. She looked at Aiden with watery eyes. He
pulled over to the side of the road.

"It's ok. Trust us." He reassured her.

"Ok." She placed her right hand in Mom's, "I trust you."
Chelsea's eyes glazed over and her face went completely blank—no emotion or movement of any kind.
She stayed frozen this way for the next 15 minutes as Mom showed her our entire family history.

****

"So, let me get this straight," Chelsea spoke calmly now, "You three are half-human and half-vampire,
werewolf-y people? And you Nessie—Er, Renesmee—are a half-human, half-vampire…and your husband—
their dad—is a full-on werewolf?"

"The correct term for what Aiden, Dad and I are is shape-shifters. We are shape-shifters who take wolf
form." Bryce corrected her. "Werewolves are creatures void of any humanity. They're purely animal—at
the full moon that is. I'm sure they're probably nice people in their everyday life."

Mom elbowed Bryce in the ribs—hard.

"What? I was just stating facts, Mom." He winced as he massaged his side.

"Shape-shifters. Right. Shape-shifters who take the forms of giant, scary wolves. But not werewolves."
She was messing with her hands again—her gaze slowly rose from them to Mom and I, "And you two are
vampires—part vampires."

"Technically, Chelsea—we are too." Bryce interjected—pompously.

"Yes, we are vampires." It was an indescribable feeling being able to freely admit what we truly were. Not
having to hide what we were was—refreshing.

"Vampires with special talents."

"Only some of us. Obviously, you've experienced our gifts." I pointed to Mom and myself. "Oh, and Jazz's
too—but t I don't think you realized it. He can control emotions. Alice can see the future, Grandpa can
read minds and Grams is a shield."

"You can go into the sunlight?"

"We can. The others can't. They kinda…sparkle in the sunlight."

"Sparkle? Like diamonds?"

"Exactly."

"Coffins?"

"No," Mom answered with a giggle. "We sleep in regular beds—every night. My parents and the rest of our
family don't sleep—ever."

"Garlic? Wooden stake? Crosses?"

"Ugh. I hate garlic. But…it's not a vampire thing." I just hated the stuff—period, "Wooden stakes wouldn't
even pierce our skin. All the stuff you see in the Hollywood movies doesn't apply to us."

"But the blood? You're vampires who don't drink blood?"

"Human blood."

"Oh, right. Human blood. Right. Because you hunt wildlife instead. Right. Right."
"Chelsea, are you ok?" She was very pale and I thought she was going to be sick. "You look like you're
going into shock"

"No. I'm fine. I just…want to know more."

Chelsea had quickly regained her composure and her voice filled with curiosity instead of panic. She kept
the question rolling and we continued to answer.

"So Jacob is your Dad."

"Yes." Bryce replied.

"And Renes—"

"Chelsea. Please call me Nessie."

"Your parents are Bella and Edward?"

"Yes." Mom was glowing. It was the first time she had ever told a human that Bella and Edward were her
wonderful, loving parents—and not her brother and sister.

"Wow. You all look the same age."

"Shocking isn't it?" Mom laughed.

"So you're all beautiful, young, smart—perfect…and you'll be like this forever?"

"Yes." Mom reached for Chelsea's hand and smiled, "Are you...ok?"

"Yes. I'm ok. Is that weird…that I'm ok with all this? I mean I go from thinking about English papers and
music recitals one day and the next, I find out there's vampires, share-shifters and apparently werewolves
roaming around the planet. And here I am—in a car, full of them and yet—nothing. No fear, no thinking
that any minute one of you could kill me. Why is that?"

"It's because of Aiden." Mom patted him on the shoulder.

"Right. The imprint thing."

"Dad will explain it to you if you'd like." Aiden smiled uneasily, "He can explain it better than any of us."

"Sure. But I'm fine with this. All of it. I mean—it's pretty—cool!"

"Cool! I'll take that! I was afraid you'd never talk to me again!" Aiden was practically shouting. He
slammed his forehead on the steering wheel before straightening back up in his seat with a goofy smile
plastered across his face.

"Apparently, I have no choice." She joked and leaned over the center console to plant a kiss on Aiden's
cheek. "My boyfriend is a werewolf."

"Ahem. Shape-shifter." Bryce corrected her—once again.

We pulled up to our gate and Aiden rolled down his window press his hand to the ID system. Once
through, Chelsea opened her door and got out. She sprinted to the woods.

"Ana, you go with Aiden. Bryce and I will take the car home. We'll let everyone know you're coming."
"Ok, Mom." Aiden had already chased after her—at a human pace. I took off my blazer and tie, threw
them on top of my book bag and zoomed to the tree line—I reached the woods before Chelsea did.

"How did you do that?"

"It's a vampire thing." I helped her up the rocky woods edge, "What are you doing, Chels?"

She waited for Aiden before answering, "I want to see—with my own eyes. I want to see you do it, Deni."

"You want to see me phase—in the daytime?"

"You can't do it during the day?"

I laughed—because I knew why he didn't want to phase in front of her.

"I'll do it for you but…you have to turn around."

"Why?"

"Because, Chels," I placed me hands on her shoulders and twirled her around away from the trees. I stood
next to her, facing the same direction—"He's gotta be naked to phase."

"Oh! " She blushed furiously. "I guess I should have known that."

After a minute, Aiden nudged Chelsea's back with his muzzle. She turned and he took a few steps back
and sat on all fours.

"He's huge! And so…beautiful" She walked closer to him, "Can I?"

"Yes, of course." While she was getting acquainted with wolf-Aiden, I retrieved his clothes. Chelsea was
stroking Aiden's fur and scratching behind his ears as she had in her dream. Aiden licked her face and
rolled onto his back in the dirt like a puppy. He was happy—happier than I had ever seen him. A single
tear—ok, maybe a few tears—rolled down my cheek.

I wiped my happy tears away when I heard a long, deep howl echo through the woods. "That's Dad. We
should get going. They're waiting for us."

"Wait," Chelsea pulled me back before I could enter the woods, "We're like, three miles from your house.
That's kind of a long walk."

"Who said anything about walking? We're running"

Aiden whimpered turning my attention to him. I motioned towards home and he took off running through
the trees.

"Where's he going?"

"Home. We'll follow him."

"Through the woods?"

"Yes."

"Ana, I'm not exactly wearing running gear—or hiking gear for that matter." She fanned her skirt and
pointed to the black ballet flats she was wearing.
"Chels, hold these would yah?" I handed her Aiden's neatly folded clothes and picked her up bridal style in
one graceful swoop, "I'm the one who's gonna be doing all the running."

****

Chapter Twenty-One

(Chelsea's POV)

The last 24 hours have been the craziest of my life.

I meet a guy, fall in love with him after, like, a minute and then I find out that he's secretly a shape
shifter. And his family is full of other shape shifters. And vampires.

Freaking vampires!

I should be watching out for a van full of men in white coats who've come to strap me into a straight
jacket and haul me off to the loony bin but instead, here I am, in the arms of a 115 pound, half human,
half-vampire/shape shifter girl racing through the woods at what feels like 60 miles an hour. She's so
fast—and strong. I feel like I'm flying—it's incredible.

Too incredible to be real. But it is—and it's my life now. Because of him—Aiden, my Deni. Who would have
thought that me, Chelsea Woodrow, unassuming, uncomplicated me would find true love at 17 years old.
It sounds too ridiculous to be true but it is. I know it. I feel it. Everything tells me that this is it. And that
this is only the beginning.

****

"We're almost there. It'll be just another minute. Are you ok, Chels? You're not going to throw up on me or
anything are you?" Ana's voice was barely audible above the sound of the whirring wind around us as she
ran.

"No, I'm fine! This is crazy!" I clutched Aiden's clothes tight to my chest with my left arm—my right one
was hooked firmly around Ana's neck. We were out of the woods less than a minute later—the sunlight
was blinding. It took a few moments for my eyes to readjust.

When I regained my sight, we were in her driveway—her entire family was there too, waiting for our
arrival. Ana set me down gently and stood between her mom and dad. It was so strange knowing that he
was her father—he didn't look any older than 25. Standing in between them now, it was undeniable that
they were her parents—the resemblance was uncanny. Aiden emerged from his house wearing fresh
clothes. He came over to me and wrapped one of his big, muscular arms around my waist. His arm was
blazingly warm. Strange that I had never noticed the heat before.

"Chels, I want you to meet my family. Of course you know those three," He motioned to Ana, Bryce and
his mom, "This is my dad, Jake. My grandparents, Bella and Edward. My uncles, Emmett and Jasper. My
aunts, Rosalie and Alice. And these are my great-grandparents Carlisle and Esme."

The vampires—with their pale, complexions and gold-hued eyes were so breathtakingly beautiful. They
looked like angels. The tiny one, Alice, looked up towards the clouds then back to me and smiled. Bright
beams of sunlight peeked through and shone down onto them. They sparkled like billions of diamonds in
the sunlight—it was the most magnificent thing I had ever seen. I wanted to reach out and touch their skin
but I thought it would be rude—and weird. Edward laughed. The mind reader--he probably heard what I
was thinking. I looked at him questioningly and he nodded.

How awkward.

He started to laugh—and the rest soon joined in. It was unlike anything I had heard before—their voices
were musical—their varying pitches created the perfect harmony.
"Chelsea," Edward spoke, "We're so happy to see you again so soon."

"Thank you. For having me again. All of you. You have no idea how happy I am to be here—like this."

"Oh, I think I know." He tapped his temple. Ugh.

"Are you hungry dear? I could make you guys something to eat for lunch." Esme asked as she ushered me
towards her house. She looked like an old-school movie star but far more stunning.

"Actually, yes, please. I'm starving." I skipped breakfast this morning in the wake of all the craziness from
last night's dream.

"Me too!" Bryce yelled behind us.

"You're always hungry." Ana teased him.

****

We were all seated around the long dining room table. Esme, Bella and Nessie came out of the kitchen
with trays of food. It wasn't lunch—it was a feast. Jake, Bryce, Aiden—even Ana—devoured the food in
front of them. I couldn't help but stare.

"Wolf thing. Big appetite." Aiden explained with a mouth full of food.

I looked at Emmett and remembered the ziti incident. I almost choked on my food. Then I remembered
something else from yesterday. I decided to be brave and ask him, "Emmett, yesterday, when you were
laughing in the kitchen…it was because of what I said, wasn't it? Thanks for having me for dinner?"

They were all laughing again. "You are an observant human, aren't you?" Emmett responded with a huge,
menacing grin. His teeth looked razor sharp--dangerous.

If I were observant, I would have immediately noticed how very un-human they were. Now it seems like it
should have been apparent the first time I met them.

***

After we ate, Aiden took me to see his room. I was surprised by how immaculate it was. Not a single thing
was out of place. His room was huge—his closet was bigger than my bedroom. The amount of clothing he
owned was impressive—for a guy.

"Yeah, I know. My aunt Alice…she goes overboard on the shopping. We were like her personal Barbie and
Ken dolls growing up. I don't wear half of that stuff."

I walked over to his computer area and browsed his music and movie collection.

"Wow, that's a lot of kung fu movies." My heart skipped a beat at the sight of them.

"Yeah they're my favorite."

"Mine too!" I was too embarrassed to admit that to anyone but I didn't have to worry about Aiden—I could
tell him anything.

"Want to watch a movie?" He nuzzled up next to me. His breath on the back of my neck sent shivers down
my spine.

I was barely able to squeak out an answer, "Ssh-uure."

"Pick one out." He kissed my cheek as I handed him Shaolin Master Killer—one of my favorites. "Good
choice. I'm gonna get some soda's and something to eat. Be right back."

****

It was difficult to concentrate on watching a movie when I had so many questions formulating in my head.
Since it was just the two of us, I decided it was time for a little one-on-one investigation.

"How many others like you are there?"

"Like me specifically or shape shifters?"

"Both."

"Back in Washington, where we were born, there are a bunch of us shifters. As far as I know, Bryce, Ana
and I are the only ones of our kind. Ana isn't a shifter but she is Quilete—she's got the wolf stuff in her
blood."

"When did you guys move here?" I was fascinated.

"We moved to Maine when Bryce turned ten. I was 13."

"So, you're not 17?" I wasn't surprised—he looked older than most 17 year olds.

"No, I'm 23. Is that—ok?" His thick, dark brows crinkled together. "My grandpa is like 90 years older than
my grandma Bella. So six years isn't that bad when you think about it like that."

"No it's not. It's cool—I dig older guys." I laughed quietly to myself. "How old are Ana and Bryce?"

"Ana is 25 and Bryce is 20."

"Wow, she looks amazing for 25."

"She's going to look like that forever."

"Lucky girl. I would kill to be 17 forever." His brows deepened again but this time he looked sad. "Hey,
what's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's nothing."

***

With 20 minutes of the movie left, I started to fall asleep against Aiden's warm, solid chest. My phone
vibrated in my pocket, waking me up—Uh oh. It was a text message from my sister. "It's Alex" I scrolled
through the message, "She says she's coming home tomorrow—for the game."

"Awesome, I want to meet you sister!" Aiden exclaimed.

"No, you don't. She's not a nice person. She's awful."

"But she's your sister." His head tilted to the side. He looked confused. With his tight nit family, I was sure
he didn't understand how it was possible for two sisters to not like each other.

"Trust me. Alex has…issues—to say the least."

"You two don't get along?" It was touching how concerned he looked.
"No, we don't. It's not like I haven't tried but she's just…she's Alex. She gets away with everything
because my dad is afraid of her. He thinks she's going to hurt herself is he doesn't let her have her way.
Alex is dating the quarterback at Cony High—who also happens to be my ex-boyfriend. My own sister stole
my boyfriend from me. That's the kind of person she is."

"That's…horrible. How could she do that to you?"

"I'm over it. Besides, it worked out in the end for me, didn't it?" I grabbed his hand—it was feverishly
warm.

"Yes. Yes it did."

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chelsea stayed the night—in my room, not Aiden's. Mom and Dad would have flipped if they had spent the
night together so soon. She was still on cloud nine, talking about the wonderful afternoon they spent
together—watching crappy kung-fu movies, talking about life and enjoying each other's company. I can
only guess what that meant. I was trying to go to sleep but Chelsea had other plans.

"So, since you're part shape shifter, does that mean you could imprint on someone too?"

"I don't know. Dad doesn't know either. Leah's the only girl shifter in Dad's pack and she never
imprinted—at least not yet. So we don't know if it's possible." Dad and I have talked about this very thing
many times. We don't think it's likely seeing as how Leah—a full-blooded Quilete shifter hadn't imprinted.

"But it could be possible, right?"

"Maybe." I shrugged my shoulders and looked away. I didn't want to think about imprinting anymore. I
laid down and tried to go to sleep.

"I don't think Bryce likes me." Chelsea whispered, "He looks at me like he's mad at me."

I rolled over onto my side—Chelsea was sitting by the window, staring out into the darkness. "He's not
mad at you. He's jealous of Aiden."

"I hope he finds a girl."

"You and me both, Chels. You and me both." I lazily got off the bed and sat next to her on the sill.
"What're you doin?"

"Aiden said he was going to be in the woods tonight with Bryce. I was just keeping an eye out for him. I
can't sleep. With everything's that happened, my mind is working overtime."

"Can't sleep, huh?" I walked to the closet and tossed her some jeans, a sweatshirt and hiking boots. "Put
these on."

"Where are we going?"

"I'm wide awake now so we're going on a field trip."

"Out there?" She pointed to the trees in the distance.

"Yes. Out there."

****

"Mom! Dad? Are you guys here?"

"We're in here, kiddo." Mom was fast asleep on top of Dad on the couch. He was watching sports
highlights. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"Can't sleep. I'm going to take Chelsea out to the woods."

"Right now?"

"Nothing else to do."

"Ana, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"It's ok, Mr. Black," it was strange hearing someone refer to Dad as Mr. Black—it was so…proper. "I'm not
afraid."

"No, I'm sure you're not. Please, call me Jake. Mr. Black was my dad. Well, if you want to go…we'll go with
you." Dad nudged Mom to wake her, "Ness. Babe. You want to hunt?"

"Hmm?" She slowly regained consciousness. "What was that?"

"Hunting? Do you want to go? Chelsea wants to go to the woods"

Mom sat up, "Chelsea, are you sure? It's dangerous out there."

"Well, if I'm there with you guys, how dangerous could it be?"

Chelsea jumped behind me as Dad ran out from the brush behind us and plopped his huge wolf body down
next to Mom's feet.

"Chelsea, I'm going to carry you to the woods." Mom stood between us, "Climb onto my back. We'll follow
behind Ana and Jake."

Chelsea wrapped herself around Mom's back, securing her legs around her waist and her arms around her
neck. "I'm not heavy am I?"

"Hardly, dear." Mom chuckled. "Hold on tight. Don't worry…you can't hurt me."

"She's fast, Chels. Faster than me." She gulped. "I thought you weren't afraid?"

Dad raised his head toward the night sky and let out a howl. We listened for my brothers' responses to get
their direction. Bryce responded from the west. Dad took off first and I quickly followed. Mom was close on
my heels—Chelsea was laughing the whole time.

****

"Oh. My. God. That was so fun!"

"Are you some kind of adrenaline junky?" I asked and breathed in the crisp, night air.

"Who me? I've never done a dangerous thing in my life!" Chelsea was panting—she was out of breath,
"Where are we headed?"

"We," Mom picked her up again, "Are heading up into the trees. So you can watch from above and stay
out of harms way."

"All the way up there? How do we get up there?"

"We climb of course." I smiled then shot up the trunk of the tree. I stopped half way up and shouted down
to where Mom and Chelsea stood, "You're not afraid of heights are yah?"

Another audible gulp. Humans are so funny.

"I'll be back. I'm going to find your dad." Mom dropped into the darkness below—not making a sound as
she landed on the damp moss.

"Oh, wow! She just…did you see that?" Her raised voice scared a few sleeping birds nesting next to us.
Chelsea almost slipped from her branch. Lucky for her that my vampire reflexes kicked in—I was easily
able to catch her arm before she fell.

"Thanks. I can be so clumsy sometimes."

"It's ok. I'll just have to keep a better eye on you. The last thing I want is for Aiden to murder me in the
middle of the night."

"He wouldn't dare!" She laughed. Actually, I was pretty sure that if something had happened to Chelsea on
my watch—I would definitely end up as dog food. "We're like, really high up. I mean…really high." Chelsea
held on to the thick branches and peered down to the forest floor—I made sure I had a good grip on her
sweatshirt.

"This is nothing. We're only about 60 feet up or so. Back in Forks, the trees shoot up past 100 feet." I
jumped from branch to branch as agile as a tree squirrel.

"When was the last time you were there?"

"Oh, it's been…ten years."

"Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes. I know Dad and the boys do. I mean, I miss my grandpa Charlie and my grandma Sue. But
there's nothing else there for me."

"I know the feeling. I almost left Brunswick before this school year to go live with my grandparents in
Massachusetts. My mom died a while ago and since then—my dad hasn't been around much. He's always
out of town on business. You know, I think it's my fault he's not around. I look like her. I think it makes
him sad when he sees me. My sister—you're going to meet her at the game—she's a pain. She hates me. I
was so sick of this place—so sick of everyone—I wanted to leave. But something made me stay. I don't
know what but I'm glad I did. I would have never met Aiden or you if I had left."

"I'm glad to have met you too, Chels. I always wanted a human friend." I heard the rustling of branches
below. With my sharp eyes, I could see Dad stalking a large stag. "Chels, look down there." I whispered.

"What am I looking at?"

"Just watch." I shushed her. "Focus your eyes on that group of trees right there." I pointed to the area
just east of us. In one fluid leap, Dad had the defenseless stag trapped under his large, furry paw.

"Holy crap! It's like animal planet—but live. That was so cool!"

I was astonished by her reaction—I would have thought she'd be screaming right about now. "You aren't
freaked out? Or grossed out?"

"No way! That was awesome!"

"You are a strange creature. No wonder Aiden loves you." I swooped Chelsea into my arms, "Come on—
let's go find your loverboy."
 Chapter Twenty-Three

I opened my eyes to a wall of plush, brown suede and the smell of bacon and eggs. I sat up groggily
trying to get my bearings—I was in our living room—somehow I ended up on the couch sometime this
morning. I peeled myself off the couch and walked into the kitchen—still disoriented with sleepiness—to
see what was going on. My brothers, parents and Chelsea were all in the kitchen eating breakfast.

"Morning, kiddo. Hungry?" Dad asked as he flipped eggs on top of the stove

"What time is it?" I yawned and scratched my head—and pulled out bits of leaves that were still in my
hair.

"5:45." Mom was bustling around the kitchen making sure everyone was fed. She handed me a plate of
bacon and eggs.

"AM?! What are you doing up so early?" I shoved a delicious slice of sizzling bacon into my mouth.

"Oh, we didn't sleep." Chelsea was fidgeting in her seat with a large mug of hot coffee in front of her—
apparently she was wired on caffeine.

"You passed out around 2:30 this morning. We didn't want to move you."

"Funny. I don't even remember coming home." I shrugged my shoulders and put my empty plate in the
sink. "I'm gonna take a shower and get ready for school."

"Ok, sweetie. But hurry—we gotta talk to you guys before we leave!" Mom yelled after me.

****

Friday.

The day every student at St. Augustine's looks forward to each week. No uniforms but school colors is a
must. I saw that Alice had carefully laid out another outfit for me this morning—an outfit not exactly
appropriate to ride a motorbike in but it'll have to due.

I took a quick shower, blow-dried my hair and changed into my dark denim jeans, silver Prada top, dark
blue Prada tuxedo jacket and black knee high riding boots. I pulled my long hair into a low ponytail at the
nape of my neck so I could easily slip my helmet on. I took a look at myself in the mirror before walking
out of my room. Perfect.

I dropped downstairs in my normal fashion—over the banister—and sat next to Chelsea at the counter. I
looked at the clock—6:15—and contemplated leaving early to take a quick trip on my bike through the
woods.

"Don't. Even. Think about it, Annie." Alice's stern voice emanated from behind me.

"Morning to you, too, Alice." I half-smiled, swiveling around n my stool to face her, "Thanks for getting my
clothes together for me."

"That is most definitely not an outfit meant for trekking through the woods on that bike of yours." She
arched her left brow and glared at me. It was amazing how such a beautiful, tiny thing was capable of
being a big, scary monster sometimes.

"Fine. I'll just go straight to school. How boring."

"I like your outfit. Totally spells school spirit." Chelsea was in too good a mood for 6:20 in the morning.

"Thanks, Chels." I noticed Mom was still in her bathrobe. "Aren't you going to get ready for school?"

"That's what we needed to talk to you guys about. Dad and I are leaving this morning instead of tonight so
I won't be at school with you."

"Is everything ok…with grandma Sue?" Bryce asked—with obvious worry in his tone.

"It's not looking too good. Seth and Leah think its best if we come sooner than later. We're leaving with
your grandparents for the airport in an hour and a half." Dad rested his hands on Mom's shoulders. "We'll
call you as soon as we land. Let you know what's going on."

"Yes, please do." I barely managed to reply—the lump in my throat made it hard to speak.

"Now, in regards to the football game tonight," Mom looked at me primarily, "Rose and Emmett will be
there to supervise. Please…please…don't make us regret letting you go."

"Mom, it's a high school football game. What's the worst that could happen?"

****

After everyone finished their breakfast and coffee, we all headed towards the door for school. I picked up
my backpack that had been newly decorated by Alice with and assortment of patches—and rhinestones. I
had to admit—it was pretty cute. Chelsea grabbed her plain backpack and overnight bag as well.

"Bye mom, bye dad." I hugged both of my parents. "I'll miss you both. Give Grandma Sue a kiss for me,
okay?"

"Of course, honey. I love you," Dad said to me, embracing me in another hug. "Be good – and that goes
for you two as well." Dad pointed his finger in Aiden and Bryce's direction.

"Yeah, yeah," Bryce waved his hand through the air nonchalantly.

"I mean it," Mom retorted. "Don't give me a reason to take away your privileges. And absolutely no
phasing in the house. Alice and Esme just finished redecorating and I'm sure you don't want to be on their
bad side—particularly hers."

The boys, Chelsea and I all looked in Alice's direction. Her face gave off a look that could kill—a look that
spoke for itself. She stood silently, tapping her pixie-sized foot against the new hardwood floor.

"No, we don't." both of them shouted out immediately.

"That's what I thought." Alice responded before flitting out of the room.

"Ana, I don't mean to interrupt—but if we don't go now, we're going to be late." Chelsea said, placing her
hand on the doorknob.

"Have you forgotten already, beautiful? Aiden asked, linking his arm with hers, "Vampires? Werewolves?"

"What he means is that we're never late," I smiled in her direction.

Chelsea immediately blushed, "Oh, right. I guess I'm just used to being late because of my dad."

After everyone said their goodbyes, we all left for school. I strapped my helmet on—even though I didn't
need it, but dad insisted that I should—and hopped on my bike. The boys decided they were gonna take
theirs out too—it had been a while since we all went riding together. Chelsea got on the back of Aiden's
and wrapped her arms securely around his waist, and all of us took of down the road.

"Race you!" I shouted to them with a smile.

"Oh, it's on, sis!" Bryce said, making his bike roar.

"Chels, hold on tight!" Aiden warned her, taking off in the direction of the school.

****

"I'd rather be carried than go on that thing again!" Chelsea stumbled backwards off Aiden's bike—I
managed to catch her before she landed on her rear.

"Riding a motorcycle is scarier than being carried around by a blood sucking vampire?" Her reactions were
so unpredictable—but entertaining nonetheless.

"It's not really the bike—or your driving," She leaned on Aiden for support, "It's the other drivers on the
road. They're the ones I'm afraid of."

"Chels, you're so adorable." Aiden removed her helmet and kissed her forehead.

Nick was in the bed of his truck with his football friends. "Hey, Ana! Chelsea!"

"Oh, man, Ana! Nick is so into you. Do you like him?" Chelsea drilled me as we walked to his truck.

"I dunno. I mean…he's cute and all but I don't really have a…connection with him." Was that the right
word? I looked at his face—his brilliant smile, his deep, blue eyes—sure I was attracted to him but thinking
about it now, I couldn't have a relationship with a guy like Nick. He was too—popular—too noticeable. I
had my family's secret to protect first and foremost. I needed to get through high school as
inconspicuously as possible—which would definitely not be possible if I started dating the star athlete at
school. I wasn't going to risk exposing my family to date the cute jock.

"Well, even if you don't like him, Nick's a cool guy to have as a friend. Come on, let's go say hello."
Chelsea wriggled out from Aiden's arm and dragged me to Nick's truck.

There was ten minutes left before classes started. The parking lot was full of students dressed head to toe
in school colors.

"Morning! Where were you yesterday?"

"Oh, we ditched. It was nice out so we wanted to go hiking."

"And your parents didn't care?"

"Umm, well, they called in for us."

"Wow. My parents freak out every time I miss school."

"I think that's awesome that you ride a bike."

"Oh, thanks. My dad got it for me for my birthday."

"That's cool. I asked my parents for one and they told me I'd probably kill myself. You must have the
coolest parents ever"
"You have no idea." I couldn't imagine parents cooler than mine. A shape shifter and a vampire? What's
cooler than that? I laughed quietly to myself.

Nick laughed, too—then changed the subject, "So, Aiden and Chelsea are dating now?"

"Yeah. Strange isn't it?" I looked behind us. Chelsea was trying to convince Aiden to join the pep squad—
and become the only male member.

"That's cool. She's had a rough year—with Alex jacking her guy and all."

Hmm. I had no idea what he was referring to. I would have to ask her about it later. A boy clad in a St.
Augustine letterman jacket bumped into me—before catching a football.

"Wow, they must take football seriously around here?"

"Well, there isn't much else to do." Nick hopped over the side of his truck landing next to me. "Are you
excited for the game tonight."

"Sure. But nowhere near as excited as the rest of these people." Students were running around the
parking lot carrying homemade signs and streaming blue and silver crepe around sign, trash cans, cars—
whatever was in sight.

"It can get a little crazy around here on Fridays." A short girl with curly hair ran past us and threw a plush
football at Nick—blowing a kiss before running to the girl's campus.

"I can see that."

"Anyways, so after the game, we're all going to party at Tristan's house. It's not far from here. You're
invited to come."

"Well, I'll have to check with my brother—one of my other brothers. He's coming to the game and he
might not want to go. His decision dictates whether I can go or not—seeing as how he's my ride and all."

"Well, I hope he's down to go. It'd be nice to hang out—outside of school." He blushed as he walked by my
side. My hand grazed his and he caught it in his. He squeezed it lightly before letting go, "Hey, well, I
gotta go. See you at lunch."

He didn't look back. I didn't want to break his heart—but I didn't want to lead him on either. I needed to
figure out a way to let him down gently. Ugh. The thought of it put me in a bad mood for the rest of the
day.

****

The cool air chapped my face as I fought against the wind. It was a chilly New England day—good thing I
brought an extra coat. My resilience to the cold is less than that of my brothers. The bell rang, signaling
that it was time for class, so I picked up my pace and headed towards the buildings that would keep me
prisoner for the next seven and a half hours.

I walked as fast as I could to my locker to retrieve my books. I quickly turned the combination on my lock
and opened the door, exchanging my backpack and helmet for three books that were needed for my first
half of the day. I unzipped my coat and threw it in as well before I headed swiftly down the hall towards
my destination: homeroom. Once a week—on Fridays—first period became a study hour to catch up on the
past week's work. There was no assigned seating so I slid into an empty seat behind Charlotte. She was
talking to a girl I had never noticed before—I'm not surprised…I didn't notice most people—"I wonder
where Nessie is today." Charlotte muttered to the girl next to her.

"I don't know. Don't you find that whole family strange?" the girl she was talking to commented back.
"Yeah, I do. I mean, there are so many kids. Did you know they're all adopted? Ana was talking about it at
lunch the other day. I heard Brandi talking about them and she says that her mom says that the kids are
all together—like dating each other. Isn't that like—totally illegal or something?"

I couldn't take it anymore—I immediately cut her off, "You know something? It's pretty rude to talk about
people behind their back, especially when they're right behind of you." She turned around fully in her seat.
She looked embarrassed—and petrified. The severity of my voice was probably what scared her—I was
really pissed. "Since you were wondering, I will tell you that Nessie and some of my other siblings had to
leave for a family emergency. And—yes, we might be weird and different and if you don't like it…" I glared
at her friend—a snarl was building up in my chest just waiting to be unleashed—"Then that's your
problem."

"Care to share with the class, Miss Black?" Mr. Wurth called on me from the front of the room.

I sank low in my seat and answered, "No, sir." Ugh, today was going to be a long day and even longer
until the game.

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Aiden!" I yelled from the living room, "Chels just called. She's ready to be picked up for the game!"

Aiden rushed down the stairs and grabbed Emmett's keys, "Bye, sis! We'll see you in a bit." I was unable
to say goodbye before he was out the door.

Bryce came down shortly after Aiden left—dressed in black slacks and a black button down shirt that was
tight around his bulky arms. "Umm, a little fancy for a football game don't you think?"

"I'm not going to the game...I have a date."

That was not the answer I expected. "A date? With, like, a girl?"

"Uh, yeah, a girl, of course. Here fix this would'ya?" He lowered himself to my height so I could adjust the
back of his collar.

"When did this happen? The date thing?"

"At lunch—when I was at the library. I met a girl. She was cute and it sounded like she liked me so…I
asked her out to dinner tonight."

"I'm shocked. I thought you were…"

"What? Depressed or something because Aiden imprinted and I didn't? I talked to Dad last night and do
you wanna know what he made me realize?"

"What's that?"

"That I hadn't imprinted yet…meaning…I'm still free to date whoever I want. I'm not bound to a girl by
some mystical law. That school is full of girls who would love to go out with a guy like me."

"Slow down there Casanova."

He slipped on his coat, "What? You don't think so?"

"Whatever you say, Bryce. Whatever you say."

"Anyways, I gotta go—don't wanna be late." He grabbed Mom's car keys and headed to the garage. "Hey,
we might go to Tristan's party after. I'll call ya"
****

I still needed to get ready for the game so I went to my room to change. I threw on my St. Augustine
sweatshirt, a pair of jeans and the boots I wore earlier to school. My wavy hair was out of control from the
all the wind so I flat ironed it before heading over to Rosie and Emmett's house.

I stopped before my hand touched the doorknob, "Hmm, better call over there first."—you never know
what those two could be up to with a house all to themselves—Rosie and Em couldn't get enough of each
other. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and called Rosie.

"Hello?"

"Rosie, I'm ready to go. Are you two—decent?"

"Yeah, come on over, Anabear."

"'Kay, be there in a minute."

I grabbed my purse and an extra jacket just in case the wind decided to pick up again. Their garage door
was up—Emmett was already in the Range Rover.

"Hey, kid. Rose will be down in a sec. She's just finishing up—you know her."

I jumped into the backseat and rested my face against the cold window. After the day I had at school, I
could have used a nap. Rosie walked into the garage looking more like a supermodel about to walk a
fashion show in her blue sweater, skinny jeans—and high heels—than someone about to sit in the cold for
the next two hours to watch a high school football game. She slid into the passenger seat and buckled
herself in. "How do I look?"

"Ravishing of course." I responded. Duh—she never looked anything less than perfect.

She smiled coyly at Em, "Ok, let's go."

****

"Hey, did Bryce tell you he's going on a date tonight?" I asked both of them.

Em looked at me through the rear view mirror as he spoke, "Yeah, he came over to borrow my shirt."
Well, that explains the small shirt.

"Aiden shouldn't be the only one dating. Good for Bryce. We were worried that he'd sulk around the house
like a sad puppy until he imprinted too." Rosie turned to me, "Isn't there anyone at the school you like?"

"Well, there's this guy who I think likes me and—"

"Spill! I want details!" Her face lit up with excitement, "Is he going to be at the game tonight?"

"Actually…he's playing in the game. He's the quarterback."

"Oh, a football player. Nice."

"I don't like him like him. He's nice—and cute…but not…my type."

"What is your type?" She asked. I shrugged my shoulders—I never thought about it before.

"Anyways, he invited us to a party after the game. Bryce said he might go—with his date. I told Nick that
I'd have to make sure it's okay with you guys before going."
"If you wanna go, Ana, we don't mind. We love a good party—don't we babe?" The corners of Em's lips
curved into a toothy grin.

Ugh. I was kinda hoping they would say no.

****

The stadium parking lot was packed with cars. Parents and students filed into the ticket line. I called
Chelsea's phone to see if they were at the game yet.

"Hey, Ana! Where you guys at?"

"In line. Getting tickets. Where are you?"

"Center section of the bleachers. We're the ones with all the signs. We're hard to miss. Hold on—Aiden
says he'll come find you."

"'Kay, sounds good."

I purchased out tickets and handed them to the gate attendant—Aiden was already waiting for us.

"Hey, guys. There's some open seats at the end of the bleachers." We walked up the metal staircase and
he pointed to the section at the farthest end of the stadium.

"Isn't Chels somewhere around the center? Don't you wanna sit with her?"

"She's with the pep squad getting ready for the half time show. She said she'd come find us in a bit."

Aiden led the way—I followed behind Rosie and Em so I could gauge everyone's reactions to seeing two of
the most beautiful creatures on the planet. I was not disappointed. Nick's lacrosse friends in the first
nearly fell over into the aisle as Rosie sashayed by and the girls did double takes as Em crossed their
paths.

I tapped on Rosie's shoulder, "Those girls are evil." I pointed to Annika and her cronies. She was sitting
with a girl I had never seen before. She had long, dark brown hair and blue eyes. Her skin looked too tan
to be natural and she was dressed warmly in a heavy sweater and faded jeans. "That must be Alex—
Chelsea's sister." Annika whispered something to the brunette as we passed by. The girl had a devilish
smirk on her face.

"They look like the evil type." Rosalie said loudly in their direction as we walked by. Only Rosie could get
away with something like that.

****

"Wow." Em leaned back against the freezing bleacher, "Cony High's defense sucks. This isn't much of a
game. And it's not even half time!"

"Yeah, you know its bad when their safety has more tackles than the rest of the line." I loved football but
this was embarrassing. Our school ran all over Cony High's defense like it was going out of style. It wasn't
worth paying attention to the game anymore—a win was guaranteed.

Chelsea ran up the stairs and squeezed in between Rosie and Aiden. She gave Rosie and Em a big hug. It
was so strange seeing how comfortable she was around them—humans usually cowered away from my
family.

"We're winning isn't it great?" Chelsea was clapping and yelling from her seat. "Not much of a competition
but whatever a wins a win. Hey, Ana, you wanna go to the concession stand to get some coffee or
something?"
"No on the coffee, yes on the something. I'm hungry!"

She grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd. "So, we going to Triz's party tonight?"

"I guess so. Em and Rosie said it was ok."

Suddenly, Chelsea's tone turned serious, "Oh, God. Here comes my sister." I turned to the direction she
was looking. My assumption was correct. The smug brunette was Chelsea's sister. She walked up to us
with Annika in tow. "Hey, Alex. Back for good this time?"

"Nice to see you too, Chelsea. So, anyways, this must be your new best friend I've heard so much about.
Ana, was it?" She leaned in close. Some strange odor I had never smelled before emitted from her gaping
mouth. It was pungent and overwhelming—I had to take a step back to get away from it.

"Yes, I'm Ana. It's nice to meet you, Alex. I've heard so much about you."

"I bet you have." She stepped in front of me—and pushed me to the side—to talk to her sister, "So are
you going to Tristan's party?"

"We sure are." Rosie appeared out of nowhere next to Chelsea and slung her arms tightly around her
shoulders.

Chapter Twenty-Five

We arrived at Tristan's massive colonial twenty minutes after the Alex concession stand fiasco. There was
no sign of her or Annika at the party so we decided to stay. Bryce and his date—Mel, the girl from my
algebra class—met up with us.

As usual, all eyes were on us.

Even with the music as loud as it was, I was easily able to hear the whispers about my family.

"Whoa. Check out the blonde. She is smokin'!"

"Look who showed up…Ana and her freaky family. I wonder what Chelsea is doing with them."

"Chelsea and the new guy are together?"

"Hello tall, pale and handsome!"

I spotted Nick in the crowd and waved to get his attention—it wasn't hard.

"Hey, Ana. Is this your brother and sister?"

"Uh, yeah. This is Rosalie and Emmett. Guys, this is Nick."

"Hello. Ana here has told us all about you." Rosie gushed, bumping my lightly with her hip. Nick blushed.

"Hey, man. Nice to meet you." Em stuck out his cold hand—I quickly pushed it back to his side before Nick
had a chance to see it was out for a shake.

"So, can I get you guys anything to drink? Beer? Soda?"

"I'll take a soda please." I replied politely.

"You want anything mixed in?"

"No, she doesn't" Em sternly answered for me. Grandpa Charlie kept beer in his fridge. I've never
smelled—let alone tasted—alcohol in my life.

"Anyone else?" Em and Rosie shook their heads no. "One soda coming right up."

"Oh, he's adorable, Ana. And he's totally into you." Rosie whispered.

"Ugh! Not now Rosie!"

****

Nick handed me a red cup, "Here ya go. One soda. It's diet, not like you need it or anything. It's all we
have."

"Hey, we're gonna go find your brothers. Come get us later?" Rosie looked from me to Nick and smiled,
"Have fun."

Emmett wrapped his arm around her waist and led her through the crowd to find Aiden and Bryce. My
mind started to wander aimlessly as I took in the crowd around us. I was brought back to my current
situation with Nick when he cleared his throat rather loudly.

"Are all your brothers so bulky and…scary looking?"

"Ha! Edward and Jasper aren't as big but the scary part…let's just say I have very overprotective
brothers." I swayed mindlessly to the music to avoid looking at him.

"So, hey can I ask you a question."

"Shoot." I could only imagine what he could be wondering.

"So, Rosalie and Emmett are your brother and sister right?"

Of course. He was just as curious as everyone else—"Adopted brother and sister. Yes. And yes, Rosie and
Emmett are together—in the biblical sense."

"I was just wondering. I'm sure you know already but…there have been…rumors."

"Oh, I know." I was starting to get upset—for the second time today. But I quickly calmed down since Nick
had the decency to at least ask me.

"And the rest of your family?" He looked genuinely interested in learning more about me.

"There are three other couples. Nessie is with my brother, Jacob."

"Is it…weird?"

"No."

"Ok, then. Good to know." He swayed side to side to the beat of the music and leaned in close to my ear,
"So…do you wanna dance?"

"Sure." I put my cup on the nearest table and grabbed Nick's outstretched hand—it was very soft for
athlete hands.

We were dancing and having a good time until Tristan came running towards us at full speed. "Nick! You
gotta get outside. Alex and Franklin are here…causing drama."
My stomach dropped—I was fairly certain that my family would be at the center of the commotion.

From the front door, I saw Alex and the boy named Franklin with other boys wearing Cony High letterman
jackets as well as Annika, Brandi, Chelsea, Aiden, Bryce, Rosie and Em.

Aiden and Franklin were arguing. Franklin and his friends outnumbered my family two to one but that
didn't matter—if it came down to a fight, my family would be on the winning side.

****

"Don't. Talk. To. Her." Aiden towered over Franklin. Had I been that boy standing in front of my brother, I
would have probably peed my pants. Aiden seemed to grow an extra foot in a matter of seconds. Nick and
I quickly moved to Chelsea's side. She reached for my hand—she was trembling and her palm was sweaty.
I squeezed it lightly to reassure her that everything would be okay as long as we were there.

Aiden was shaking violently—Rosie was the first to notice it. Her head quickly turned in his direction which
got my attention—I could feel the heat rolling off him from where I stood. He was staring at Franklin,
murderously. He needed to get out of here—fast—before our greatest fear was realized.

"Emmett! Bryce! Get him out of here!" Rosie yelled. "The woods—they're not to far from here. Go!" She
said just loud enough for the non-humans to hear. "Chelsea you have to stay here." She grabbed
Chelsea's arm gently pulling her behind me before darting off to follow Em.

"Aww, Chelsea. Is your boyfriend scared?" Franklin was swaying side to side and his words were horribly
slurred. I couldn't figure out what was making him behave so oddly.

Alex threw back her head and started laughing—falling forward into me in the process. "What is that foul
stench?" I pushed her off then leaned in close to sniff her. It was that same pungent smell from the game.

"Are you saying that I smell?" Alex's mouthing was gaping—she was at a loss for words. I was not ready
for what happened next, thankfully—Rosie was.

Alex pulled her fist back and lurched forward to hit me. Rosie flashed to my side lightening fast and caught
Alex's closed fist in her hand.

"Now that was probably the dumbest thing you could have ever attempted."

Alex's knees buckled as Rosie applied more pressure—twisting her wrist ever so slightly applying more
pressure.

"Ouch, bitch! What do you think you're doing?" Alex winced.

"You should apologize to my sister before I make you scream."

"I'm not apologizing to anyone!"

"Rosalie, please stop!" Chelsea pleaded—she pulled on Rosie's jacket sleeve.

Rosie's grip around Alex's fist tightened even more and Alex let out a blood-curdling scream.

"Ok! Ok! I'm sorry! Now let go! I think you broke my hand!"

Rosie let go of Alex's hand. She cradled it to her chest like a cat would an injured paw. "What's your
problem, lady?"

"My problem is your vile, repulsive attitude. You reek of alcohol and you tried to hurt my little sister."
"Hey, that wasn't cool, dude." Franklin was holding Alex—very unsteadily. He handed her off to Annika
who took her inside the house to the party. As he got closer, Nick came to our aid.

"Hey, man, Back off. Alex was the one who started it." Nick put his hands to Franklin's chest and pushed
him back a couple feet.

"No, she hurt Alex. That bitch needs to pay." He pointed a wobbly finger at Rosie.

"Hey, I said back off. You're drunk," Nick tried to reason with him, "Go inside to the party before you do
something really stupid."

Franklin and Nick stared at each other for a few moments before Franklin finally turned and started
walking away. Nick was coming back to Rosie and me—then the worst thing imaginable happened.

With his back turned to Franklin, Nick was unable to see the oncoming punch. Nick took a hit to the face—
before Nick could react, Franklin's friends were dragging him by the arms back to the house before a full-
blown fight erupted—but that wasn't the worst of it.

When Nick finally faced us again, the smell of rich, warm, delicious blood hit me like a Mack truck. I
scoured his face for the source of the enticing scent—in the moonlight, his bright pink lip was glistening
with the darkest, freshest blood I had ever smelled. I inhaled very deeply and my lips curled upwards
exposing my sharp teeth. It took every ounce of sheer will power I had in my body not to pounce on him
right then. I tightened all my muscles, praying they would freeze in their current position.

Though I had an aversion to animal blood—human blood was a completely different story. There was no
sense comparing the two—human blood was the sweet nectar that all vampires craved—full-blooded and
hybrids alike. The smell of it made my throat water. I had never tasted human blood. Technically I have—
Mom drank donated human blood when she was pregnant so in essence, I have. My cell phone rang over
and over in my pocket—Rosie's started too. It had to be Alice. She must have seen this moment happen.

I balled my fists and licked my lips. But, before I had a chance to attack Nick, Rosie slammed into me and
dragged me to the car—shouting at Nick all the way, "Sorry, Nick! We gotta go. Now. Ana will see you at
school on Monday."

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Oh my, God! What happened back there, Ana?" Chelsea tried to come close to me but Rosie gently
pushed her away. I couldn't bear to look at Chelsea—I was embarrassed and ashamed by my behavior.

"Ana almost had Nick for dinner." Rosie had a firm grip on my wrists. "Chelsea, go to Aiden's car and wait
there for Emmett. It'll be…safer. Go!" Rosie commanded, "He'll take you home!"

"But, Rose! I can't go home! Alex will be there! And I want to make sure Aiden is okay."

Rosie paused for a moment and dug her cell phone out of her pocket, "Fine. But go wait by the car. I'll tell
Emmett to take you back to our house."

Chelsea hurried off to Aiden's car as I tried to compose myself. In my entire existence, I had never—not
even once—been tempted to go after a human. Nick was my first. I felt like a wild animal. How could I
even think of him in like that? Like a…meal. It was wrong—so wrong on so many different levels.

"Are you okay, Anabear?" Rosie asked me, she must've been studying my every move. My breathing was
labored—but it eventually evened out. The deep breaths helped calm me down for the most part. My mind
was still a mess.

"I'm fine." I lied.

"Do not lie to me," She demanded, "You're merely insulting me by doing so. I am much smarter than that,
Ana."

There was no using hiding how I really felt—Rosie could spot a lie from ten miles away. "It's just—how…I
mean," I stumbled for my words, trying to express how I felt—nothing came to my usually dexterous
brain.

"We've all done it, Sweetie. It's instinctual—it's part of who we are. You can't expect for it to never
happen." She ran her fingers through my hair, comforting me.

I slumped into her shoulder, stifling a sob—releasing a sigh instead. "But it was him. Of all people in the
world, I had wanted his blood. Why not Annika's or Chelsea's sister? Why'd it have to be Nick?"

"Honey, do you know the story behind Grandma and Grandpa?" She asked as we settled into the car to go
home.

"I've heard some of the stories—but not all. All I know is that they've been lovebirds since high school and
by some miracle were able to have mom."

"Did you know that Grandpa Edward almost killed Grandma Bella when he first met her? Her scent drove
him crazy—literally. Just being around her sent him into a frenzy—he nearly exposed our kind on several
occasions."

"How did he resist?"

"He fell so deeply in-love with her, that the thought of losing her killed him." She smiled, "True love
conquers all."

True love? Is that what this is? It can't be. "Has it happened to anyone else?"

"Yes. Emmett caved once—that I know of, that is. He wasn't in love with the woman—obviously."

"So, just 'cause I wanted his blood doesn't mean he's my soul mate or anything, right?"

She chuckled. "No. Hardly. Some people's scents are more overwhelming—appetizing if you will—than
others. It's different for everyone."

"Rosie?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" she asked me.

"I love you. Thanks."

"Anytime, Anabear, anytime. I love you too."

****

I was glad to be on the road and on the way home. I rolled down my window and rested my face on door,
breathing in the night air as it hit my face at 90 miles an hour.

"Feeling better?" Rosie asked quietly.

"Yes. Much better, thanks. Did you call Alice?" My future-seeing aunt was probably freaking out. Alice
wasn't able to "see" the futures of my brothers or me but she was able to keep a watchful eye on
Chelsea—the human. "She's probably worried. Where is she anyways?"
"Her and Jazz went on a little vacation. They'll be back next week. Can you hand me my purse? " She
pointed to the dark area below my feet. "Actually, just find my phone."

I searched the leather Christian Dior for her Swavorski studded cell phone and handed it to her. She dialed
the first number in her phone book—Alice's.

"Hi, Alice." Rosie had one hand on her phone the other was combing her hair—she was still driving really
fast—with her knees. I had to look away before I had a heart attack from fright. I couldn't hear Alice on
the other end—just incoherent mumbling.

"No, she's ok. Nothing happened with the boy."

More mumbling.

"Chelsea's fine. So are Aiden and Bryce. Everything has been handled. Go back to Jazz and stop worrying."
After a few moments of silence from Rosie, she looked at me—apologetically. "Ok. I'll let her know.
Goodbye, Alice." She tossed the phone back into her purse.

"Rosie? What was that look for?"

She bit her lower lip before answering, "Well, Alice freaked out and…called your parents. She told them
what she saw."

Gulp. "Crap."

"You need to call them when you get home." She placed a consoling hand on my knee—while I moaned
into my hands. My hair cascaded around my face, hiding the absolute dread I was feeling from the thought
of having to talk to my parents.

"We almost home?"

"Just about."

"Great." I said, sarcastically, "I just want this night to end already."

****

Mom's car was parked in front of Rosie and Em's house. The lights were on and I could see the shadow of
one of my brothers on the wall through the window. Chelsea was in there too—I wasn't ready to talk to
her just yet. I turned abruptly from Rosie's side, "I'm going to go home. I need to change and…call my
parents."

"Good idea. Maybe you should hunt, too? Let me know if you want to go."

"Thanks again, Rosie. For everything."

"No problem, Anabear."

My room was dark and cold—like my mood. I fell back onto my bed, letting my legs hang over the edge. I
placed my hands on my rumbling stomach—whether from nerves or hunger, I couldn't tell. I rummaged
through my purse for my phone, flipped it open and scrolled down the address book. I thought about
which one of my parents I should call—Mom would probably be more understanding seeing as how she is a
vampire and understands the bloodlust. Dad might let me off the hook and joke about it. I couldn't decide
so I flipped a coin. Heads—Mom—tails—Dad.

Tails. "Here goes nothing." I muttered to myself and dialed his number.

"Dad?" I uttered.
"Hello, Annie." He was using his serious voice. Not a good sign.

"Where's Mom?" I tried to soften him up before the lecture.

"At the hospital with Bella and Edward. I'm at Charlie's packing a few things for him." Charlie and Sue
lived in the old Cullen mansion just outside of Forks. Charlie's old house—the one Grams grew up in—was
so old it rotted from the inside out. Carlisle and Esme gave them the house before we moved to Maine.

"Am I in a lotta trouble, Daddy?"

"Well…I can't say that we're not disappointed. But the important thing is you didn't hurt anyone. That
takes a lot of control."

"Wow…so, what? A slap on the wrist and a 'don't do it again, Ana'?"

"Pretty much." Dad replied.

How anti-climactic. "I was expecting much worse." I thought they'd pull me out of school or something
dramatic like that.

"Well, there's a lot going on here. Neither your mother or I have much energy to get upset over anything
today."

"Is it 'cause of Grandma Sue? How is she?"

"Its not looking good, kiddo. Not good at all. She's very frail and weak—she's lost a ton of weight. She's
not very responsive when we talk to her. Leah, Seth and Charlie are having a tough time dealing with
this—as you can imagine." His voice was somber—I could see the sadness on his face in my mind.

I didn't know how to respond, as I had no previous dealings with death. "I'm sorry," was all I could say.

"Me too. We miss you and the boys. We're probably going to end up staying the week."

"You'll call us if anything…happens?" I swallowed hard.

"Of course, Annie."

"Can you tell Mom I'm sorry and I hope she's not mad at me?"

"She's not mad at you, sweetheart. You know she loves you very much."

"I know, Dad. Tell her that I miss her and I love her."

"Will do, kiddo. Stay outta trouble until we get back, 'kay?"

"I'll try. Promise."

****

I buried myself under my blanket—but was unable to fall asleep. There was a soft knock at my door.

"Ana?" Chelsea peered into my room through the cracked door, "Can I come in?"

"Sure, Chels." I sat up against my headboard. She sat on the edge of my bed—as far away from me as
possible. "Do you think…I'm a monster? Are…are you afraid of me?"
"No. I'm not. And I definitely do not think you're a monster. I just wanted to make sure you're ok." I
inhaled her scent—I didn't detect a trace of fear. I was relieved.

"I'm ok…now. I wasn't earlier. I…could have hurt you."

"But you didn't. You didn't hurt anyone. I know you wouldn't."

"You don't know that. For the longest time, I thought that I wouldn't suffer the same weakness as the rest
of my family. I guess this goes to show that I'm not as immune as I thought. I am a vampire. The thirst
for human blood—it's in my DNA. But…I hope you know that I would never—never ever—do anything to
hurt you—and Deni in the process."

"I know that, Ana. We've only known each other, what? A week? You're practically a sister to me already—
the sister I should have had. I know you would never try to hurt me."

Chelsea was being to kind, sweet—and forgiving. Too forgiving. Had she been a few feet closer, there was
a good chance I would have hurt her to get to Nick—no matter how hard I tried not to. "Thanks, Chels.
That means so much to me. I can speak for my family when I say that we consider you one of us."

"What an odd bunch we are."

"Isn't that the truth?"

A moment of comfortable silence passed between the two of us. "How's Aiden?"

"Deni's fine. He and Bryce ran home. Bryce helped calm him down. They're over at Rose and Emmett's
house. Probably eating." Chelsea hopped off the bed and onto her feet, "Hey…you hungry? 'Cause I'm
starving!"

"You sound just like one of us, alright. Yeah…I could use some food." My empty stomach rumbled at the
thought of food. I kicked off my blankets and put on my sneakers. "'Kay, I'm ready."

Before we exited my room, Chelsea hugged me tightly. "I am so very glad we met, Ana."

I hugged her back—it was a very sisterly embrace. "Me, too Chels. Me too."

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I woke up on the floor of Rosie and Emmett's house when Bryce's heavy hand smacked me on the face.
Bryce was snoring loudly next to me—Aiden and Chelsea were asleep on the couch. The title screen of the
movie we watched last night replayed annoyingly over and over on the TV screen.

"Bryce." I shook him—waking Chelsea and Aiden in the process, "Hey! Wake up!"

"Hmm?" He rolled over onto his side—his eyes slowly pried themselves open, "What time is it?"

"Nearly noon." Emmett replied as he sat down on the La-Z Boy—changing the channel to ESPN.

"Wow, we were asleep for a long time!" Chelsea said as she stretched the sleep away.

"Well, it was a rather eventful evening." Rosie quipped as she took a seat on Emmett's lap—wrestling the
remote out of his hand.

From my seat on the floor, I stared out the window at the ominous, dark grey sky. Loud cracks and long,
low rumbles of thunder resounded through the atmosphere as the rain beat heavily against the roof and
windows of the house. Lightning filled the dark, grey sky. Quick, vibrant flashes of purples, blues, oranges
and reds were easily seen through the large bay windows.
As fascinating as it was to watch, I sighed, laying my head against the back of the couch. It was going to
be a very boring Saturday.

"Rose, can you see if there's a game on?" Bryce asked, throwing his baseball up and down in the air,
catching it every time. She flipped through the channels and stopped on the Red Sox game. "I wish we
could play baseball today."

"It's no fun without everyone else," Aiden said, running his hand through Chelsea's curls that were fanned
out across his chest as she lay in his arms on the sofa. "It's especially best when Alice pitches!"

"I didn't know your family played baseball." Chelsea lifted her head off of Aiden's chest, turning around to
face him. "I used to play softball with my childhood friends, but I stopped when I went to bat and hit
someone in the eye." She shuddered. "I'll never forget that.

I held back my laughter so she wouldn't feel embarrassed. Chelsea definitely didn't seem like the sporty
type—I had observed over the last week that she wasn't very coordinated. I'd even call her clumsy.

"Well, Chelsea, we don't play regular baseball." Emmet smiled. "We can only play during thunderstorms."

She cocked her head to the side, looking extremely confused, "Why is that? That sounds…dangerous!"

"Dangerous? Ha! We'll have to show you for you to understand, my dear." Aiden laughed, "It'll be fun."

She nodded her head, "Let me guess, it's a vampire/werewolf thing?" Chelsea asked him, playing with the
fringe of her light blue shirt.

"Exactly," Rosie smiled, "When everyone gets back, we'll go out. Torrential rain is expected over the next
few days."

"Well, if we can't play ball we could take the dirt bikes out into the woods. It'll be nice and muddy!" Bryce
suggested.

"Oh! That sounds fun to me. I can't stand being cooped up in the house all day." I got up quickly off the
floor, "Chelsea, I have some old clothes you can borrow if you don't want to get yours dirty."

"Sure! Let me call my dad real quick to check in. I'll meet you at your house." She pulled her phone out of
her pocket.

Instead of running, I walked to my house. The drops tickled my bare skin and soaked my hair and
clothing. Water droplet sprayed everywhere as I made my way up the staircase to my room. I rummaged
through my unmentionables—unmentionable because Alice believed clothes over a year old with stains
and holes belonged in a dumpster and not in a closet as well stocked as mine—and found two pairs of
jeans and sweatshirts. I changed and threw my soaked clothing into a hamper. I heard Chelsea's footsteps
coming up the stairs and opened the door before she had a chance to.

"Long time no see!" She joked.

"Here, put these on. You're the same size as me so they should fit."

"Ok, thanks." She changed as I put on my boots. "Oh, hey…you wanna come over to my house tonight?
My dad will be home and he wants to have dinner. I don't think Alex will be there, but, even if she was,
she wouldn't dare act up in front of dad."

"Sure! I would love to." My first invitation to a human household! I was so excited. "What time do we have
to be there by?"

"Dinner's at 6:00." She replied as laced her boots. "Ok. I'm ready!"
"You should put this on, too." I tossed her a raincoat, "You don't want to get sick out in the rain."

"Thanks." She pulled the coat on. "Aren't you gonna put one on too?"

"Oh, no. I don't need to worry about getting sick." I added sarcastically. Neither my brothers nor I had
ever been sick a day in our lives.

We met Bryce and Aiden in our garage. Bryce and I pulled out two dirt bikes. Chelsea sat comfortably on
the back of the two-seater quad.

"Deni, are you gonna teach me how to ride one of those things?" Chelsea pointed to my bike.

"One of these day, maybe."

"Promise?" Her face lit up with excitement at the thought.

"Promise."

We drove down the driveway and broke away from each other when we reached the field before the
woods. Chelsea was hollering gleefully from behind Aiden. "Hold on, Chels!" Aiden yelled.

One after the other, we raced into the woods. Our bikes moved easily over the damp moss and loose
earth. We maneuvered through the semi-darkness, dodging trees and jumping off mini-ridges. Because of
the thick canopy above, the rain was much lighter, but the dirt was turned to thick, gooey mud
nonetheless. Our tires kicked up waves of it, getting all over our bikes and clothes.

We stopped in a clearing west of the woods—just as the rain stopped. We got off our bikes, drenched in
mud and water. "Having fun?" I asked Chelsea.

"A blast! Still scared silly though." She pulled out pieces of branch and leaves from her hair. "We
stopping?"

"Just for a minute." I pulled my mud-caked hair into a loose ponytail.

Chelsea went off to examine a damaged tree. "Looks like it got his by lightning."

"Or Emmett..." Bryce laughed. "The thing split in half when he crashed into it during our last baseball
game."

"Holy crap! He did that?" She looked shocked as she ran her hand over split bark.

"We're exceptionally strong if you haven't figured it out yet." He laughed again. "I'm heading home," He
looked up towards the dark clouds, "I suggest you guys do the same."

***

Aiden jumped back on his bike and rode circles around the clearing and did wheelies in front of us. "Now
he's just showing off." I tapped Chelsea's elbow with mine. "So…what can I expect at dinner? What's your
dad like?"

"Oh, umm…he probably won't say much. He's not much of a talker. It'll be a nice quiet dinner."

"Sounds easy enough."

"It should be. And if Alex isn't there it might actually be fun."

Aiden pulled up to us, "Ready to go home?"

"Yup. Let's get out of here before it rains." I pushed him off my bike—and into a pile of mud. Chelsea and I
laughed hysterically as he slipped trying to get his footing in the slippery mess.

"Not funny, bloodsucker!" He flung a handful of brown at me.

"Bloodsucker?! That's so mean, Deni! Apologize to Ana right now!" Chelsea demanded—with her hands on
her hips.

Instead of apologizing as she asked, she grabbed Chelsea and gently threw her down into the mud. I
jumped in, too—kicking and splashing. I figured that since I was already a mess, I might as well join in,
too.

"Ok," Chelsea was halfway buried in the mud trying to wriggle her way free, "Now, it's time to go."

****

Chapter Twenty-Eight

After a week of being passenger-seat bound, it felt good to be driving in my own car. I loved my Mini and
I'm sure if it could, it would tell me it missed me too.

"Left at the next street." Chelsea directed my attention to Madison court. "At the end there. That's my
house." I pulled up to the curb and parked. In the dark I could see that it was a beautiful, brick colonial
with a blue door and tall elm trees in the front yard. Every light in the house was on. "I don't see Alex's
car so we should be ok!"

I flipped open my visor, "Do I look ok? Am I underdressed? I've never been to a human's house for
dinner—or at all for that matter." I looked down at my sweater and dark jeans.

"Ana, you look gorgeous so stop fretting and let's get inside! I'm hungry!" Chelsea got out of the car and I
did the same.

The closer we got to the house, the more I realized how big it was. It had a wing that that extended to the
left and a guesthouse around back that was visible from the street. Her father must be very successful for
a human to have such a grand house. "This place is huge!"

"Well, not nearly as big as yours but, yeah, I guess it's pretty big." She was being modest. "Oops, looks
like I forgot my keys." She blushed lightly and knocked.

An old man opened the door. "Good evening, Chuck." She greeted him cheerfully.

I was dumbfounded and completely beside myself. I leaned in close—so only she could hear me, "You call
your dad by his first name?"

"Oh, ha. No, Chuck isn't my dad. He's our butler. He takes care of the house and drives me to school when
my dad's gone." She whispered.

"Oh, my mistake. I should have figured." I laughed, embarrassed.

"Miss Chelsea, your father is in his office. May I take your coats?" He asked very politely.

"No, thanks. It's kinda chilly tonight." She replied.

"No, I'm good, too. Thank you." Rosie reminded me before we left to be on my best behavior and be as
courteous as possible.

"Come on, Ana, let me show you the house before we see my Dad."
****

I followed Chelsea through the various rooms of the house. They had a theatre and entertainment room
that would make even Emmett jealous. "This is my room." She opened the door and flipped on the lights.

It was cozy—and pink. Everything was pink—and very girly. Thankfully it wasn't Pepto Bismol pink or
anything garish like that. It was subtle, soft and quite chic. Esme would have loved it—and especially
Alice. She loved pink. My favorite part of her room—and the part that added the most character to it—was
the wall of pictures. One entire wall devoted to pictures from her childhood, of her family and her friends. I
scoured over the thousands of pictures—with slight pangs of jealousy in my stomach. It looked like she
had a wonderful life. So many friends, so many experiences. Experiences—that because of my
supernatural circumstances—were never afforded to me.

"Hey, are you okay?" Chelsea's hand rested lightly on my shoulder.

"Oh, no. Sorry. I'm fine. I was just looking at the pictures. You've had a great life."

"Yeah, I've been blessed." Chelsea smiled. The best thing about Chelsea was her positive outlook on life.
She never had a negative thought or a bad thing to say about anyone—save her sister and Annika, of
course. "Come on, my dad's office is just down the hallway."

****

Chelsea's father's office paled in comparison to Grandpa's and Carlisle's. Still, it was quite impressive. It
was sparsely decorated—a few pictures were scattered around the room on desks, law and business books
lined the shelves. Her father was seated at his cherry wood desk, talking on the phone in Italian—which I
easily understood. He raised a finger, signaling for us to wait a moment. I looked at the pictures in the
gilded frames and found one that stood out the most.

Softly, I asked Chelsea, "Is this your mother?"

"Yeah. That's her."

She was an exact replica of her mother. She had her eyes and especially her smile. "She's beautiful,
Chels."

"Yes, she was wasn't she?" A hint of sadness hung on her words. I decided it was best to change the
subject just in case it made her uncomfortable to talk about her mother.

"Your home is really nice. Thank you for inviting me to dinner,"

"No problem. You're welcome here anytime! Especially as hospitable as your family has been to me. Oh,
hey, my dad doesn't know I have a boyfriend so let's not mention it just yet. I have to find a way to break
the news to him gently—not that he'd care much but still." She forced a fake laugh—Chelsea was easy to
read. I could tell she was saddened by her almost non-existent relationship with her father. It made me
appreciate the relationship I had with mine even more. I really missed my parents.

His steps were close to silent, but I heard his approach anyways and made a rather abrupt turn to face her
father. He almost crashed forward into me.

"Sorry about that." He apologized, "I didn't think you'd turn so soon."

"Hi, Dad." Chelsea half-smiled. He gave her a quick, awkward hug. "Where's Alex?"

"I haven't heard from your sister since yesterday afternoon. From what Chuck tells me, she went up to her
room packed a bag and left. She's probably at that girls house…what's her name?" He rubbed his chin,
"Annika?"
"Figures." She cocked her left brow.

We stood around in a tight circle, "So you must be Ana. I've heard all about you from Chelsea's emails.
I'm Nathan. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Woodrow." I shook his extended hand.

"Please, just call me Nathan. Only my work associates call me Mr. Woodrow. At home I'm Nathan. Just
Nathan." It's funny—his demeanor and his voice reminded me a lot of Grandpa Charlie. "You girls hungry?
Chuck made something. What, I have no idea but I think it's getting cold."

We all walked to the dining room and took our seats. From the light dust on the chairs, I could tell family
dinners weren't big in the Woodrow household. Chuck brought out dinner—pasta and chicken. Good, I
thought to myself, no vegetables. Wouldn't want to be rude by leaving a plateful of uneaten, unappetizing
veggies. To my left, Chelsea let out a long, unexpected laugh.

"What's so funny, Chels?" Her father asked curiously.

"Oh, sorry. It's nothing. I was just remembering something from dinner the other day…at Ana's house.
Sorry." She had to be thinking about the Ziti incident with Emmett. I laughed too. Chelsea brought her
napkin up to her lips to hide her smile.

"Speaking of dinner the other day, you have to thank your parents for letting Chelsea stay over so often
this week. I've been working a lot and its good to know she's with friends instead of home by herself—or
with old Chuck over there."

Like in a campy comedy movie, Chuck, the butler's head suddenly appeared from behind the closed
kitchen door the instant his name was called, "Did you call for me, sir?"

"No, Chuck. Sorry." Mr. Woodrow chuckled quietly to himself. "So, Ana, what grade are you in?"

"I'm a freshman."

"Chelsea says you have a big family?"

"Very. There are 15 of us all together—13 kids. Two are in Washington for…school. My sister, Nessie and
two brothers Aiden and Bryce go to school at St. Augustine with us. My other brothers and sisters are all
either graduated or attending college."

"13? That sure is a big family! You're parents must have had a hard time when you kids were growing up."
He remarked.

"Oh, no, not really. We're all adopted. Most of us were adopted at older ages so we were beyond the
headaches of diapers and potty training." I smiled—and stuffed another forkful of chicken into my mouth.

"What do your parents do? If you don't mind me asking?"

"No, not at all. My dad is a doctor. He works at Brunswick General. My mom restores old homes."

"Very fulfilling work." He gulped down the last of his wine. "Well, you two, I think I'm going to go back to
my office. I have a lot of work to finish up before I leave again tomorrow."

"So soon?" Chelsea, who was silent our entire conversation finally piped up.

"Yes, unfortunately, a business deal in Italy fell through and I must fly there tomorrow to see if I can
salvage the partnership." He placed his napkin over his food and rose from his seat, "Ladies, you have a
wonderful rest of the evening. Ana, again, it was very nice to meet you." He half-bowed before turning on
his heels back for his office.
****

We got up from our seats and cleared the table, placing our dirty plates in the sink. Chelsea scrubbed the
dishes and I rinsed and dried.

"That was really weird."

"What was?" I asked, curious to the odd statement.

"That's the most I've ever heard Dad talk. It was just really weird. I don't think he's ever talked to me as
much as that."

"Maybe it's because I'm a stranger?" I asked. "You're not…mad at me are you?"

"Oh, don't be silly! I was just saying…how strange to hear him be so…interested. He never talks to my
friends."

"Well then, I guess that would be weird." I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't know what else there was to
say about the matter.

"Anyway, what do you wanna do? It's still early and it's a Saturday! We should call up your brothers and
go out!"

At that very second, my phone in my pocket was buzzing. I looked at the screen, "It's my dad. I'll be right
back."

***

"Hey, Daddy. I was just thinking about you guys. What's going on?" There was silence for a moment and I
heard him sniffling on the other end. Crap. "Dad? What is it? What happened?"

"Sweetie, you need to go home and pack. You have to come to Forks. I just called your brothers" Another
moment of heart pounding silence, "Grandma Sue passed away."

My legs turned to jelly and I dropped to my knees. Tears flooded like waterfalls from my eyes. I was
crying so loudly, Chelsea heard me from two rooms away. She ran to my side on the floor and threw her
arms around me, consolingly. I let the phone fall from my hands and collapsed in her arms—she picked up
my phone and talked to my dad.

My crying drowned out all the other noise but I did hear Chelsea's faint voice before she hung up. "No
problem, Mr. Black. I'll see that she gets home. I'm very, very sorry." She moved my tear-soaked hair out
my eyes and held my face between her hands. "Ana, I'm really sorry. Believe me, I know how much it
sucks."

Although I felt awful, I did feel just a tiny bit better knowing I was with someone who had personal
experience with death. I looked up at Chelsea, her father was standing in the hallway, observing.
Apparently my crying called was loud enough that it reached all the way to his office. "Can you drive me
home? I don't think I could see straight. And we should make sure Bryce and Aiden are okay, too."

"Of course. Let's get your stuff and we'll go."

As we passed Mr. Woodrow in the hallway, he looked like he wanted to say something. His eyes dropped
to the ground and he rested against the wall.

"Dad, I might not be home tonight, ok?"

"Sure, Chels. Take your time. Take care, Ana."

"Thank you, Mr. Woodrow." I stuttered--my words jumbled together as continued crying.

****

We drove in silence. I tried to suppress my tears but was unable to do so. I turned on the radio so Chelsea
wouldn't have to listen to it. I stared aimlessly out the window, thinking about the wrecks Aiden and
especially Bryce must be right now. Bryce and Grandma Sue had a special bond. I would go out on a limb
and say that he was her favorite grandkid. Chelsea drove much slower than I was used too—she drove the
speed limit. I wished she would go faster but I didn't want to say anything—I was appreciative of
company.

Chelsea turned off the radio—I was still looking out into the blackness. "Ana, are you ok? I
mean…obviously you're not ok." She stammered, "But, do you want to talk or anything?'

"No, not really."

"Yeah, didn't think so. But it's customary—for humans—to ask such questions."

"Thanks for your concern, and everything else, Chelsea."

"Hey, that's what friends are for."

"Thanks for being my friend."

"Anytime."

We drove in comfortable silence the remainder of the way.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"You should go to Bryce." Chelsea suggested. "I'll check on Aiden."

"Ok." I replied. We both got out of the car and walked into Rosie and Em's eerily quiet house. Emmett was
on the sofa with his arm around Aiden's shoulders. Aiden looked up at me with bloodshot eyes. I've only
seen my brother cry once before and that was when we were children. It was startling to see a grown man
cry—and look so vulnerable. I could only imagine what Bryce must be like. "Bryce?" I asked.

"Upstairs with Rose." Em answered. He got up from the couch—Chelsea took his place. Emmett's wrapped
his arms around me in a hug. His cold body caused me to shiver but his hug was comforting, nonetheless.
"I'm so sorry, sweetie."

Before the waterworks started back up, I pulled away from Em. "I'm gonna check on Bryce."

"We'll be down here if you need anything. Alice and Jasper are on their way home. I've got to arrange
your flights for the morning."

"Thanks, Em."

****

I walked upstairs to Rosie and Em's bedroom. The lights were dimmed and the air conditioning was on full
blast—their room was a freezer. Rosie was sitting on the edge of her bed close to where Bryce was laying.
She glided over to me as soon as I entered.

"He won't say anything."

"Why is it so cold in here?"

"He was burning up earlier. Aiden said to turn on the air conditioning to cool him down and help prevent
him from phasing in the house." She looked back at Bryce who was still as a statue on the bed, "I'm going
to go downstairs. I'm sorry, Anabear." She kissed my cheek before exiting the room.

I walked over to the bed. Bryce didn't look at me or say a single word. His eyes were red and glossy—fixed
on the ceiling above him—and there were streaks of dried tears on his face. I hopped over him and lay
next to him on the bed and stared up at the ceiling along with him. I didn't know what to say. He sniffled—
then reached for my hand.

Bryce and I weren't nearly as close as Aiden and me but I loved him to death. My giant, little brother
squeezed my hand. I scooted closer to him rested the side of my face against him arm and tried to think
of something to say.

"We're all hurting…but I know that it's even worse for you."

He still didn't say anything—he cried instead. I would lie here all night if he needed me to—to show him
that he wasn't alone and that we were here for each other. Bryce sat up on the edge of the bed and cried
quietly into his hands. I wrapped my arms around him and cried too.

"When do we leave?" He finally spoke.

"In the morning. Emmett is taking care of our flights."

"We should pack." He patted my knee and stood. I was starting to get a headache so I lay back down and
watched Bryce walk towards the door. He stopped at the last second, turning to talk to talk to me.
"Thanks, sis. Love you." He promptly turned back around and raced down the staircase.

*********

I woke up the next morning in my room. My suitcase was waiting by my door—my winter parka folded on
top of it. I heard Alice and Rosie's voice downstairs. I shoved my feet into my slippers and threw on a
sweatshirt to find out our plans for the day.

Bryce, Aiden and Chelsea were seated at the kitchen table eating breakfast. "Hi." I addressed everyone,
kissed my brothers on the cheeks and sat down in the empty seat next to Chelsea. "Did you stay the
night?"

"Yeah. You fell asleep in Rose's bed. Bryce moved you to your room. I went home to pack—I'm coming
with you to Forks. My Dad said it was okay."

"Really? He's letting you skip school?"

"Mmm hmm." She murmured as she chewed her toast. "Oh, hey, I forgot to tell you yesterday that Nick
texted me. He wanted to make sure you were ok."

"That was sweet of him." I responded. I definitely needed to talk to him when we got back. "When are we
leaving?" I talked in Alice's direction.

"Your flights in three hours. I packed for you last night."

"I saw that. Thank you." I grabbed the syrup bottle, drowning my pancakes in it. The combination of
sweet maple and cinnamon pancakes hit the spot. "Aren't you guys coming too?"

My aunts and uncles looked at each other—as usual Alice spoke first. "No, I'm sorry, we aren't coming."

"It's not that we don't want to, Anabear. We just…don't think it would be entirely appropriate if we were
there." Rosie said.
"Why not? You're family, too!" I retorted.

"Yes, we are. But even if we're family, that doesn't mean our presence is always welcomed." She
explained.

"Besides," Em spoke now, "Could you imagine the disaster Jasper would be around all those grieving
people?"

"I'd be begging for someone to put my out of my misery." Jazz added. I understood—the emotions of
everyone there would be far too overwhelming for him.

I finished my breakfast and placed my dirty plate in the sink. I stood next to Rosie and rested my head on
her shoulder. "Aww, well I'm going to miss you all!"

"We'll miss you too, honey. Alice and Jasper will take you guys to the airport. Emmett and I have errands
to run today." Rosie turned, embracing me in a tight hug. "I love you, Anabear. Take care of them, okay?"
She caressed my face and kissed my forehead sweetly.

"Of course, I will." I hugged her once more, moving onto Em.

"See you when you get back. Tell your parents and especially Leah and Seth we're very sorry." Em
squeezed my shoulders then walked out of the house with Rosie trailing behind him.

"Well, you four finish up here, shower, change and all that. Jazzy and I will be at home when you're ready
to go. We should leave in an hour." Alice looked at the clock on the wall.

"Thanks, Alice." Aiden said as he piled more pancakes on his plate, "We'll see you then."

*********

The flight was quick and comfortable. We flew first class—it was more accommodating to my brothers'
size. I slept almost the whole flight. When we landed in Seattle, memories from our childhood flooded my
mind. I couldn't help but smile.

Mom and Dad were waiting for us by baggage claim. I ran to Dad and jumped into his welcoming, open
arms.

"Hi, Daddy! I missed you."

"Missed you too, kiddo." Dad hugged me for a few seconds more before putting me back down on the
ground. Mom was smashed in between Aiden and Bryce. Chelsea was standing next to them, laughing at
the sight.

I pushed my brothers out of the way, "My turn." I took their place in Mom's arms, "Hi, Mom."

"Hello, baby." She whispered. She stepped back as the luggage carousel started up. She smiled at Chelsea
who was holding Aiden's hand, "Hello, Chelsea. Thank you for coming."

"Thank you for letting me be here, Nessie. I'm sorry that it has to be under such sad circumstances."

"Yes, well," Mom's eyes became shiny—like she was on the verge of tears, "Thank you, regardless."

We collected our luggage and headed for the parking lot. Because of the number of people and the amount
of luggage my parents brought two cars—Charlie's old pick-up truck and the SUV rental.

"I need to go by Charlie's and pick up some stuff for him." Mom said.
"I'll come with you." I volunteered.

"We'll be at the Uley's. The pack is meeting there before the bonfire." Dad said as he packed up the SUV
with our luggage. The pack, tribe elders and most of La Push's residents would be at the bonfire tonight to
celebrate Sue's life. "We'll see you there." He slammed the trunk of the car, gave Mom a long kiss, and
drove off towards the rez.

Chapter Thirty

The drive from Sea-Tac airport to Forks was slow going in Charlie's old pick-up. "This thing is ancient. Why
hasn't he gotten a new truck yet?" I questioned Mom.

"Charlie loves this truck. Your dad has fixed the engine twice and he still refuses to get rid of it."

"We should get him a new one—a big Ford or a Tahoe like Dad's."

"He wouldn't accept it. Besides, those are way to fancy for his tastes. Charlie's a simple man—no need for
luxuries."

"Like you and Grams." I stifled a laugh.

"Exactly."

The truck puttered along, as fast as its engine could handle. Cars became scarce on the highway the closer
we got to Forks. It was twilight—the sun was setting just below the horizon—darkness was starting to set
in. I stared out the window a long time, the nostalgia I felt earlier couldn't compare to what I felt now—
seeing the snowcapped mountains in the distance, driving past the roadside diners and moss-covered
trees. It all reminded me of what I loved about Forks and it reminded me how much I really did miss it
here.

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?" Her eyes were focused on the dark road that lay ahead of us.

"Do you miss Forks?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

She paused for a moment before answering, "All the time."

"Have you and Dad ever thought about moving back?"

"A few times. But, we love our life in Maine, too. Maybe sometime—much later—we'll think about moving
back."

****

We made the turn into the long driveway that led to Charlie's house. It was a bit more weathered from the
last time I had seen it—years of rain and snow will do that. It was still beautiful, regardless. It started to
drizzle as soon as we got out of the car.

Great. I thought to myself. Of course…rain…what is Washington without rain? I pulled the hood of my
sweatshirt up over my hair.

"Ana, can you pull the bed cover up on your side?" Mom asked.

I snapped the plastic covering into place to protect our luggage. The rain was pouring now—the heavy
drops soaked through my sweatshirt.
"Awesome." I groaned.

"Welcome home." Mom replied sarcastically.

****

The heavy front door of the house creaked nosily as we opened it. I flipped on the lights. Immediately, I
noticed a thin layer of dust had settled onto every exposed surface and it was also swirling around the
room. The house had been empty a long time.

"How long has it been since Charlie was last home?"

"At least two weeks, maybe more." Mom replied.

"This place looks like it's been abandoned."

"Charlie is thinking of selling it. It's far to big for one person." Mom choked back tears, "Too many
memories in this house."

My joy over returning to Forks was short-lived as Mom reminded me why we're here. I followed her
upstairs to the main bedroom. "What do we need to bring Charlie?"

"We'll pack a suitcase. He's going to stay with Leah and Seth at the Clearwater's house on the rez for a
while." She opened the cavernous walk-in closet and located an old suitcase. "I think we can fit all of his
stuff into two suitcases." I didn't doubt that—Charlie and Sue's clothes barely took up a quarter of the
closet space. "Hand me the other suitcase would you?" I reached for the handle to pull the suitcase to
Mom. The cover wasn't latched properly and hundreds of pictures came tumbling out of it.

Mom and I sat in the closet, bleary eyed and sniffling for at least thirty minutes, leafing through pictures
from Charlie and Sue's wedding, Mom and Dad's wedding, my first birthday, Charlie and my brothers
fishing trips, my Grandparents 25th anniversary and Seth and Leah's college graduations. "I wonder why
these were in here?" I asked.

"Charlie and Sue have at least a million pictures from over the years all around the house and stored in
boxes downstairs. They must have finally run out of space to store them all." Mom replied. "We should find
a place for these." She stacked the pictures neatly and tucked them under her arm. She wiped the tears
off of her face. I helped her up and piled her stack of photos on top of mine near the door. "Come on,
sweetie, let's get this stuff together for Charlie so we can get back to the family. Charlie and your
grandparents are eager to see you."

****

"Is Shay in town yet?" I asked. Shay Ateara was my younger cousin and the only daughter of Claire and
Quil Ateara. Whenever I think I have it tough living with two, annoying brothers, I think about Shay—she
has four. They don't all live together now but when we were younger, Jackson, Jace, Reegan and Nico
teased and picked on her relentlessly.

"She got in yesterday. Her brothers are here too. Tahmoh and Levi got in this morning."

"Oh, joy." I rolled my eyes at the last bit of information.

"Ana, be nice."

"I'll try."

****
It was a quick 20-minute ride to La Push. We parked in front of the Uley residence, a modest, newly
repainted one-story house with extremely close proximity and quick access to the expansive forest of the
Olympic Mountain range. Bryce was on the sitting on the lowered bed-door of Sam's truck, talking on the
phone.

"I'll be right there, Mom. Gonna talk to Bryce for a minute."

"Okay, sweetie." She waved and walked into the house.

I sat next to Bryce on the cold, metal door, leaning on his shoulder. He was just about done with his
phone call, "Yeah, see you in a bit, Jace." He dropped his phone into his lap and rested his head on mine.
"What's up, sis?"

"Oh, nothing much. We went by Charlie's. You should see the house…it's so…sad."

"Sad? You haven't seen anything yet." He said coolly.

"Where's Charlie? And Seth and Leah?"

"Taking care of a few things before the bonfire." I was thankful that he didn't go into detail. "We should
get inside, everyone's been asking about you."

****

Bryce walked ahead of me and turned the knob, "Man, they locked us out!" He pounded on the door and
rung the bell. His massive body blocked my view—I was hidden behind him. Tires screeched on pavement
behind me and turned towards the street. The smell of burnt rubber maybe me cringe. I was still taking in
my surroundings as the door opened. I heard a deep, husky, unfamiliar voice greet Bryce.

"So, where is that little bloodsucking leech of a sister of yours?" The only boy to dare ever call me a
"leech" was Tahmoh Uley. How I loathed him.

"Behind me" Bryce backwards motioned with his head and moved to the side.

"Well, let her—" I turned around to face him before he had a chance to finish his sentence.

When I looked at Tahmoh, it felt as if I had been kicked in the gut. We locked eyes and my heart starting
beating out of my ribcage—so loud, it sounded like someone was banging on a bass drum. Tahmoh Uley—
my long time frenemy and lifelong rival—was no longer a lanky, longhaired boy but a tall, muscular, and
devastatingly handsome man. There seemed to be a light surrounding him—illuminating his dark eyes,
chiseled features and bronzed skin. It was like I was really seeing him for the first time and he was staring
back at me as if he was thinking the exact same thing. I was drawn to him—pulled in by an invisible
magnet.

"Earth to Ana... Is anyone home?" Bryce's voice barely registered as I continued to gaze—longingly—at
Tahmoh. I tried to speak but was unable to do so.

"Ana," Tahmoh's voice sang, like the most beautiful music my ears had ever heard, "...you've...umm...it's
great to see you."

"Hello, Moe. I'm very happy to see you, too." I smiled—and blushed furiously.

"Happy to see him?" Bryce looked at me puzzled. His voice was so loud now that he had gathered an
audience. Chelsea, Aiden, my parents, grandparents, the Uley's and Shay were huddled, standing together
in the small living room. I was still standing outside the front door with Bryce buzzing in my ear. "Since
when are you happy to see him? Moe, why the hell are you stating at my sister like that?" Bryce looked at
me then to Moe and back to me again. His eyes widened and shock spread on his face as the realization of
what was happening finally clicked. "Oh. My. God. You've got to be kidding me! My brother and sister
imprint in the same week?" He threw his hand up above his head, "Life is so unfair!" He knocked Moe off
balance, as he pushed his way past him and the rest of our families. Chelsea and Aiden chased after
Bryce. The ruckus was enough to break my focus from Moe.

I stared at the faces of my family. Grams had a slightly amused grin on her face that she looked like she
was desperately trying to hide. Grandpa's brows were furrowed deeply and his eyes darted around the
room—probably deciphering the confusion and the thoughts bombarding his mind. Sam, Emily and Mom all
shared the same surprised and bewildered look. And then, there was Dad. I couldn't read his face. I
couldn't tell if he was upset or if he was going into shock. He glared at Moe, who was leaning with his back
to the wall then stared at me. I tried to give him my best 'am I in trouble?' face. "Dad?" I called out to
him.

"You two. Couch. Now."

****

Chapter Thirty Part II

(Tahmoh POV)

"So where is that little bloodsucking leech of a sister of yours?" I asked Bryce. It had been ten years since
the last time I saw Ana. Whether we liked each other or not, I was sorta looking forward to see her.

"Behind me." He replied.

"Well, let her—" I started to say something but I was immediately caught off guard. Man, oh, man. I was a
goner the moment she turned her face.

Bryce moved out of the doorway and there she stood—the most beautiful girl—woman, I should say—I had
ever laid my eyes on. She stared at me with those big brown eyes—eyes that I used to make fun of. They
seemed to be too big for her face when we were kids. She grew into them well. Is that even possible?
Growing into your eyes? I don't know…my brain wasn't functioning properly at the moment. All my other
thoughts were muddled as I stood there—looking at her. I couldn't tear my eyes away from hers.
Adrenaline coursed through my veins—through my entire body. My heart was beating fast—out of control.
I needed to stay in control—to stop myself from phasing.

I was at a complete loss for words, something that's never happened with a girl before.

But Ana was no ordinary girl. Not anymore—well, not that she ever was to begin with. But she had never
felt this way to me ever before in my life. She looked radiant – gorgeous. Oh, no. What the hell was
happening to me? The only thing I seemed capable of doing was to stare at her beauty. It held me in a
trance. Her skin was luminous, the outline of her figure glowing. I had never seen anyone this gorgeous.

I've been told that there is no such thing as perfect. But she was perfect—and if she wasn't, I don't think I
could even begin to fathom what perfection must be like. Just the mere sight of her made me lose my
train of thought, lose control of my limbs—something kept me there, not moving, not even breathing. It
was almost as if I was under some sort of spell, something holding me—like a straight jacket—keeping me
frozen involuntarily in my position—all I could do was gaze into those warm, chocolate brown eyes.

"Earth to Ana…is anyone home?" Bryce waved his hand up and down in front on her exquisite face.

Say something, moron! I screamed at myself silently—I felt like an idiot just standing there.
"Ana...you've...umm...it's great to see you." Smooth. Real smooth, Moe. I just about rolled my eyes at
myself but I didn't want her to think I was rolling them at her.

"Hello Moe, I'm very happy to see you, too." She replied sweetly. The corners of her full lips curved
upwards into a glorious smile and redness spread across her cheeks.

"Happy to see him? Since when are you happy to see him?" I pondered that myself for a moment. Ana
was reciprocating the intensity of my stare—something I would have never thought possible seeing as how
she's hated me practically our entire lives. "Moe, why the hell are you staring at my sister like that?" Bryce
pushed my shoulder, hard—not even that could turn my attention away from her. "Oh. My. God. You've
got to be kidding me! My brother and sister imprint in the same week?" He threw his hand up above his
head, "Life is so unfair!" He knocked me off balance, almost causing me to fall over as he pushed his way
past our families and me. Aiden and Chelsea chased after Bryce, flying out the back door.

Wait…did he say his sister imprinted? Was it possible for both of us to do so? The idea of it excited me
even more.

I looked around at everyone before me. Some were smiling, some looked puzzled—all looked intrigued by
the situation. My excitement faded slightly when I saw the look on Ana's father's face.

"Dad?" Her melodic voice called out to him. She was probably worried she was in trouble or something.
It's such a girl thing.

"You two. Couch. Now." Jacob said sternly. It's instinctual to us wolves—you do don't want to disobey the
Alpha.

Ana and I quickly exchanged looks—our situation suddenly became even more embarrassing at this point.
Great. Well, this was going to be fun. I plucked a small flower from my mom's plant as I walked past
everyone, following Ana to the couch. Sitting so close to her was almost unbearable—I had to control my
emotions—if at all possible.

I twirled the flower between my fingertips, trying to distract myself—trying not to look at her.

But I couldn't help it.

She watching my hands, I stopped and handed her the flower without saying a word. We locked eyes
again, just briefly—only for a moment.

When I looked at her, Bryce's comment replayed over and over in my head—my brother and sister imprint
in the same week?

I looked up and saw Dad and Jacob walking towards us.

I guess we're about to find out.

Chapter Thirty-One

Moe and I sat silently next to each other on the Uley's sofa as our fathers were convened in a private
meeting.

It was the very definition of awkward.

I couldn't look at him—I was afraid I wouldn't be able to look away. His eyes were mesmerizing—I looked
down at my hands instead, interlocking and unlocking my fingers—Chelsea was starting to rub off on me.
From the corner of my eye, I saw a blur of green and white twirling between his fingertips. He must have
noticed me looking because he stopped. Between his fingers was a single stem Siberian Spring Beauty—
Emily grows them in her garden. He handed it to me—wordlessly—just as Sam and my dad reentered the
room. I hid the delicate flower between my palms—being careful not to crush it.

Dad sat down in the chair directly in front of me. Sam sat down in front of Moe. "Sam?" Dad's eyes were
soft, but his voice was firm. "Do you want to start or should I?" I was thankful that Dad and Sam finally
appeared—I didn't know how much longer I could stand being so close to Moe and not reach over and grab
his hand or something embarrassing like that.

"I'll let you handle this." Sam folded his arms across his chest and leaned back into his chair.
"Please don't tell me you're mad at us…it's not like I wanted this to happen! I don't even like him." I
blurted out before Dad had a chance to begin.

"Thanks, Ana. I feel the exact same way." Moe said sarcastically as he nudged me with his elbow. The
quick touch of his skin to mine caused goosebumps to rise on my arms. It was electric—even in that quick
second.
"No honey, I'm not mad. Why on earth would I be? Like you said, it's not like this could have been
prevented. Apparently…" Dad cleared his throat before finishing his thought, "This was meant to be."

"Then why are we sitting here…like little kids waiting to be scolded?" Moe asked. I glanced at him briefly—
and started to blush…again.

"This isn't a lecture or a scolding or anything like that, son." Sam reassured us.

"No, not a lecture. It's just that this couldn't have happened at a worse time. Things are really hectic right
now. Though this is something to be celebrated, we want to keep this quiet—obviously everyone here
knows—but for the sakes of Leah, Seth and Charlie, let's not mention it ok? For now? We'll talk about it
more after the funeral. At a more…appropriate time."

"Sure." Moe replied.

"No, problem, Dad." I answered. I fully agreed with everything he said. I in no way, shape or form wanted
to be disrespectful during a time meant for mourning.

****

"Ana, just a minute." Dad tugged on my arm gently, pulling me next to him. Moe followed Sam out to the
backyard where everyone was waiting. He looked back, over his shoulder at me before closing the sliding
glass door.

"Yes, Daddy?" I redirected my eyes back to his.

"I just…Please be careful. Don't do anything rash."

"Careful? Dad, are you trying to have a sex talk with me? Like I told Mom already, Rosie and Em already
gave me the low down on the birds and the bees and all that other stuff."

"This isn't a…wait, what? Blondie did what?" He shook his head and covered his face with his hands. "No,
this definitely is not a…sex talk. No." He was flustered. I guess I caught him off guard. I wanted to laugh
but I didn't—Dad was having a rough week. No need to add to it. "I just wanted to say, your imprinting—
it's a lot to deal with. The feelings are very…intense. Don't rush into this full speed ahead—take it slow.
For me?"

"Anything for you, Dad." I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

"Now, get outside. They've all been askin' for ya."

****

Bryce was sitting at a table with Aiden and Chelsea each side of him—I decided it would probably be best
if I talked to Bryce last.

Shay nearly tackled me down to the ground trying to say hello. "Ana! Oh, Ana! I'm so glad to see you!"
She was much stronger and taller now than the last time I saw her. Her arms were wrapped around my
neck almost cutting off my ability to breath.

"Good to see you too, Shay." I groaned and tapped on her elbows.
"Oh, sorry." She released her chokehold and stepped back. Shay had to be at least 6'2". She was very tall
for a girl but not unusual for a descendant of a Quilete shape-shifter—Leah was at least 6' herself.
"So…you and Moe, ay?"

"Umm, Shay, about that…Dad doesn't want anyone to talk about it right now. Cool?"

"Oh, yeah. Definitely." She smiled.

"Are your parents here?" I quickly tried to change the subject.

"No. They were here earlier. They're going to meet us at First Beach with the boys."

"Oh. Well, it will be nice to see them…even your lame brothers." We both laughed. "Hey, I'm going to go
say hi to Emily and Sam…properly. Talk to you later?"

"Sure. See ya!"

****

The years have treated Emily very well. Other than the strands of gray that streaked her straight, black
hair, she looked exactly the same as the last time I saw her. Her olive skin was still taut and perfect, save
the three long scars on the side of her face. To me, she had always been beautiful.

"Ana," Emily opened her arms to me—I embraced her in a long hug. "Look at you! All grown up now!
Aren't you gorgeous!" She held my chin in her hand, turning my face side to side. She released my face
and smiled. "Beautiful, indeed. Obviously you got your looks from your mother." She joked teasingly—Dad
was standing right behind me.

"We're glad to see you, Ana. Welcome home." Sam hugged me too.

"Levi, it's good to see you." I shook hands with Tahmoh's older brother.

"You, too," was all he said. Levi didn't talk much. He quickly put his hands in his pocket. "Mom, Dad, I'm
going to take Aiden, Bryce and Chelsea to the beach."

"Ok, son." Sam nodded. He walked over to the table they were seated at—the three of them rose in
unison. Bryce looked at me briefly, Aiden and Chelsea waved and said goodbye.

I didn't see Mom or my grandparents in the backyard. "Where's Mom? And Grams and Grandpa?"

"Hunting. They'll meet us at the beach." Dad pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time, "We
should get going too."

"I'll drive Shay…and Ana." Moe volunteered.

Dad and Sam looked at each other before they looked at me. Dad tossed him the keys to the rental. "Fine.
Go."

****

We followed our parents who were in Sam's truck. I was in the front passenger seat of the rental and Shay
was in the back with her headphones on, singing out loud to her music.

Now that we were able to talk, I tried to find something remotely intelligent to say.

"So." It was all I could come up with.

"Umm, so." He quickly responded.

"How are things?" I asked.

"Good. Excellent, I should say."

"Nice." I still had the flower he gave to me earlier. I let down my hair and placed the flower behind my
ear. Moe turned his attention away from the road to watch me.

"That's a good look for you." He said nonchalantly and returned his attention to the road.

"Thanks." I looked out the window at the scenery around us and grinned.

"So." He said—with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. Was he…mocking me?

"So." I replied—idiotically.

"So…are three word questions and one word answers on the menu for this evening?"

"What?" I began fumbling with my hands in my lap again. Thanks, Chelsea, I thought to myself.
"Shouldn't you be concentrating on driving and not the number of words I say out loud?"

"Wow, a complete sentence. She can speak." He flashed a crooked smile at me—it was a lot like
grandpa's—adding a laugh at the end. He wasn't mocking me—he was flirting…I think.

I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a beat but then I realized he was making fun of me—I started to get
annoyed. "I can say more than three words." I muttered—mostly to myself then turned to face him in my
seat. "I'm surprised you can even count that high." I tried to hide my grin—I was amused with my witty
remark.

"I can now. It's called college. Impressed?" He stifled another laugh.

"You didn't learn how to count to three until college?" I mused.

"Well, not all of us have brains that work quite as fast as yours. For some, it takes a long time for the
information to finally sink in." He was making fun of himself—something I've never heard him do before. It
was almost…charming. "Now…the real challenge will be to see if I can get you to talk while looking at
me…instead of your hands."

I didn't have clever remark or anything else to say for that matter. Moe was confident and quick—it threw
me for a loop.

"Ana?"

"Hmmm? Err…wha?" I had no idea what that was that just came tumbling out of my mouth.

"Oh, so now we're at no words at all—just undecipherable sounds? Got it." He stopped at the red light in
front of us, turning his attention towards me.

"What? No…I mean…" Ugh, why was he making this complicated?

"Ana, I was just kidding. Relax – take a chill pill." His pearly white teeth glistened in the moonlight.

"What are you talking about? I am relaxed. I'm perfectly calm and collected. I just, just, picked up that
habit from Chelsea." I began to rant out of nervousness. Calm and collected…Ha! Ugh, I'd never ever been
this way in front of a guy before—or anyone else for that matter. It was aggravating.
From the backseat, Shay's voice rang out—almost at the top of her lungs. I had completely forgotten she
was even there. She was singing a song that I didn't recognize.

"You don't have to explain yourself, Ana. I already know you're crazy." Moe joked with me, as he patted
my hand that was resting on the console between the two of us. His touch nearly made me jump out of
my seat. His skin felt so warm and comfortable, and it was surprisingly soft. He removed his hand from on
top of mine so that he could use both of his to turn into our destination. It felt like his hand was still
resting on top of mine—the spot was warm and tingly. He quickly found a spot to park, and jumped out of
the vehicle and raced to open the door for me.

I sighed, feeling defeated as I got out. Dad was right—the intensity of my feelings for him were growing
stronger and stronger by the second.

Not that there was a chance in hell I was going to admit that to Moe.

"Just because you're being nice to me right now doesn't mean I like you. I still despise you Tahmoh Uley."

"Aiyana Black," He lingered on the 'ana' part of my name, "I can see right through you. You've always
been a terrible liar." He held out his hand to help me out of the car. The gesture was sweet but I was
going to play hard to get—I brushed past him as I hopped out of my seat. He spoke softly from behind
me--I walked away pretending not to listen but I could hear him clear as day, "I'm not the guy you think I
am, Ana…you'll see."

Chapter Thirty-Two

I walked to the fire pits trying to find a familiar face—there were at least 150 people gathered at First
Beach. Tonight was a celebration of Sue's life—tomorrow would be for mourning. Huddled together around
one of the blazing fires were my family, the Uley's, and the Ateara's.

"Ana! Finally, you're here!" Chelsea exclaimed.

"Ana, wow…is that you?" Quil swooped me up into his arms, "Look at you, all grown up now."

He set me back down onto the soft sand—it was Claire's turn, "Hi Aunt Claire." I hugged her and kissed
her cheek.

"Hello, sweetie. It's been such a long time! Boys! Say hi to your cousin!" She demanded. They all groaned
and said their hellos. I even got a hug out of Jackson.

****

I ran to Grams and Grandpa, it had been too long since the last time I had seen them. "Grams!" I crushed
myself to her lithe body. I didn't have to worry about hurting her—she was a vampire after all.

"Hello, sweetheart. I've missed you." She squeezed back just as hard.

"How have you been?" I didn't know what standard procedure was when dealing with a death in the family
so I asked the first logical question that came to mind.

"I've had better days. Thank you for asking. We're glad you all are here with us." She had one cold hand
on my cheek and one on my bicep.

Grandpa stepped next to Grams, "Hello gorgeous, it's good to see you again," He embraced me in a tender
hug.

"S'good to see you too, Grandpa!" I retuned the hug.

"Where's Charlie? And Seth and Leah?" I asked the both of them.
Grams swept the hair away from my face and looked into my eyes, "They wanted to be here but…it was
just too much to deal with. They decided to stay home…last minute."

Incredible sadness overwhelmed me and my heart went out to them. " I wish they were here. I really
wanted to see them."

"Your father is planning on taking all of you over there in the morning—before the funereal." I felt
moisture building in my eyes at the word funeral. Grams slipped her hand into mine, pulling me over to
the side, "Speaking of your father…I know he doesn't want you talking about it but…Congrats." She
beamed like a little kid—and obvious attempt to change the subject.

"Wha-what are you talking about?" I stuttered.

"You and Tahmoh. It's a big deal. Your grandfather and I are very happy for you. We've always liked
Tahmoh."

I dropped my head, looking down at the ground. I could feel the blush creeping across my face—how
embarrassing. Grandpa nudged me gently—I looked up, past the fire—I was directly in Moe's line of sight.
He was talking to Aiden and Chelsea. The shadows of the flames danced on his face, highlighting the
contours of his chiseled face.

"Chelsea's very excited for you." Grandpa added. He tilted his head in her direction.

"I'm sure she is," She smiled when I made eye contact with her

"Chelsea's a wonderful girl. She's a very good match for Aiden. Her thoughts are always very kind. She
has a good heart."

"That she does." I didn't need to be a mind reader to know that.

"So are you going to go talk to him?" Grams asked from my other side.

"Umm, no. I'd rather not tonight."

"Well, he wants to talk to you. He's just waiting for his chance."

"Ugh. Thanks for giving me the heads up, Grandpa."

"No problem, sweetheart."

****

I spent most of the remainder of the evening trying to avoid eye contact with Moe as much as possible. He
made it pretty much impossible for me to do so—everywhere I went he was no less than 15 feet away.
Like Grandpa said, he definitely looked as if he wanted to say something to me. His hands remained in his
pocket as he paced back and forth, occasionally giving me a glance.

I walked over to where Chelsea, Aiden and Bryce were hanging out. I wanted to talk to Bryce—make sure
we were okay.

"Hi, Ana!" Chelsea said cheerfully. "This bonfire sure is something."

"It is, isn't it?" I looked around at the massive crowd of people. Most of them were swapping stories of
Sue. Some were shedding tears, some were laughing. These bonfires were a time of remembrance, a
celebration of the Sue's long and eventful life. "How's Bryce?" I whispered to her.

"He's ok now." She looked over her shoulder, "You should talk to him." She gave me a half-smile and
patted my hand before rejoining Aiden.
I turned to see Bryce, sitting in a beach chair, munching on potato chips. I sat down in the empty seat
next to him—stealing a chip from his plate. I liked most human food but I didn't care for the salty stuff…I
spit out the chip.

"You vampires have no taste." Bryce ribbed as he watched me spit out the glob of fried disgustingness.
"Potato chips should be their own food group."

I wiped my mouth on Bryce's shirt.

"Thanks, Ana. How...ladylike." He threw the plate into a trash bag at his feet. I rested my head on his
shoulder; he was staring straight ahead--at Moe. "He's a good guy…you just have to give him a chance.
He's lucky you know?"

"Thanks, Bryce."

"If he does anything stupid or he pisses you off, let me know. I'd be happy to beat his ass for you."

"Good to know. Knowing him, I just might have to take you up on that."

"Anytime, sis. You just let me know."

****

I wanted to get away from the crowd—from the curious eyes—so I decided to talk a walk, by myself, along
the water.

I lay down in the sand, looking up at the expansive heavens above. It was such a beautiful night—the
black sky was so clear, the stars could be seen without any strain. Their twinkling entranced me—diverting
my thoughts of Moe. I looked for my favorite constellations—it was easy to find the big and little dippers. I
smiled when I located them—Dad and I used to lie on this beach at night when I was a child and we'd
stare up at the stars for hours identifying constellations and giving stars new names. I took deep breaths,
resting both of my hands on my stomach as a gentle breeze blew by-I shivered, wrapping my arms more
securely around my body.

I averted my gaze from the sky as I heard a noise approaching me. It was Moe. Ugh…just when I was
finally starting to get some peace and quiet.

I slowly got up and walked further down the beach. I didn't want him to think I was avoiding him—but at
the same time, I wanted him to get the message that now wasn't a good time to talk. I sat on the cold
sand far from the noise of the bonfire. I scooped handfuls of it and let it run through my fingers. The chilly
night air filled my lungs.

"Mind if I join you?" Dad asked from the darkness behind me. I didn't realize he had followed me.

"Sure, Dad." I patted the sand next to me. He quickly sat down, folding his hands neatly in his lap.

Dad's eyes were focused on the island directly in front of us—James Island. It was a source of great
spiritual power to the Quileute people. The deceased chiefs of our tribe were buried there—including my
grandfather Billy Black. I knew Dad was thinking about him before he even said a word. Billy lost the
battle against diabetes a few years before I was born. "I wish you could have met him."

"Me too." Mom had shown me memories of him from her childhood. From what I gathered from her
memories, Dad was a lot like him. "I want to see Seth, Leah and Charlie."

"And they want to see you too. They just…it would be too hard for them to be here." Dad replied grimly.

"How have they been?"

"Seth and Charlie are a mess, obviously. And Leah, well…Leah may be rough and tough on the outside but
the face she shows the world isn't the same one she wears in private. We hear her crying into her pillow at
night—trying to hide it. You'll get to see them later tonight. We'll go by their house."

"Okay, Dad." I looked up at the stars; Dad did the same.

There was a long period of silence before he finally started talking again, "So, what are we going to do
about the Moe situation, kiddo?" He swung one heave arm around my shoulders. I scooted in closer and
rested all my weight against him.

"I thought you didn't want to talk about it yet?"

"Now is as better time as any."

"I don't know. I'm kinda…I've been avoiding him all night."

"Well, that's going to be kinda hard with him standing right over there." Dad pointed to the waterline. Moe
was walking ankle-deep in the freezing water towards us. Dad kissed my forehead and got up, "See you in
a little while."

****

"Are you stalking me now?" I said playfully.

"I wouldn't call it stalking—perseverance is more like it." He smiled.

"Funny." I smirked, staring up into his handsome face.

"Well, I try." He dropped down next to me and threw a handful of moist sand into my lap. "So, you're
avoiding me now?"

"Trying to." I brushed the grains off of my shirt and jeans the best I could. "Obviously…I have failed in my
attempt."

"Yeah, well…we'll see how long that lasts…the you wanting to avoid me part." He chuckled.

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, just that soon, you're going to be, like, totally in love with me. I am irresistibly charming, or so I've
been told."

I shot him a disgusted look. Ugh, conceited much?

"Lighten up, Ana. I'm just kidding around with you. You know, trying to lessen the tension…" He turned,
looking at me straight-faced, his voice was now serious, "Look, we can't avoid each other forever. Why
don't we…hang out or something? You know…try to get to know each other? You can't tell me that you
don't want to?"

"You mean, like a date?" I asked, surprised by his sincerity.

"Let's not call it a date—it would be rather inappropriate to go on a date at time like this…wouldn't you
agree?"

This was weird. He sounded so logical, so…grown up. I laughed silently at the thought, after all, he was
Bryce's age and this is the same person who used to call me 'the alien-vampire girl' because he thought
my eyes were too big for my face. "I have to think about it."
"What's there to think about? Either you want to go or not." He said bluntly. "You let me know…I'll wait
around as long as I need to." Moe reached over and tucked strands of hair that were blowing wildly in the
wind behind my ear. His fingertip trailed down the side of my face from my temple to my jawbone. The
warm trail left from his touch lingered and caused butterflies in my stomach. He leaned in close to my ear,
his cheek practically on mine; I breathed in his scent—it was heavenly. "Goodnight, Ana." He pulled back
slowly; his face was so close to mine. I had to close my eyes to regain any sense of thought or focus. Very
unexpectedly, very softly, I felt his lips on my cheek. He rocked back and forth on his heels for a moment
longer before standing.

"Yeah…goodnight." I was stunned—dazzled—as Grams would say. I smiled as I watched him walk away.

That was the first night I dream of Tahmoh Uley.

Chapter Thirty-Three

My parents, brothers, Chelsea and I got back to Charlie's at 3:00 AM. I was sound asleep by 3:05.
Tahmoh was the last person I thought about before bed, so naturally, he made a guest appearance in my
dreams that morning.

Like an apparition, Moe appeared out of nowhere. "Crap. Stalking me again, Moe?"

"No, this time it's all you, Ana. Isn't that how this works? Your dream walking or whatever you call it? You
pull people into your dreams? You're the one stalking me this time." He looked around at the shimmering
whiteness surrounding us. "Where are we, anyway?"

"We're not really anywhere."

"That sounds ominous…and a little creepy. But this is cool. Bryce and Aiden have told me about your
'gift.'"

"Oh, yeah? And what did they say?"

"Just that you can make people see anything you want to in their or your dreams." I started to walk
further into the nothingness—Moe quickly followed. "So are we going somewhere or are we going to stay
in this place?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"I dunno. Somewhere we can talk. Might as well right? Now that we're alone."

"And what exactly do you want to talk about?"

"I want to know why you dislike me so much."

"You don't remember?"

"No. Should I?"

I didn't answer.

"Can you tell me, please?" He pleaded with his eyes.

I contemplated whether or not I was ready and took a deep breath in. I guess I should finally let him know
about all that I had been holding in. "Better. I can show you."
****

I transported us to First Beach. Moe and I stood atop one of many boulders that lined the beach. A group
of children ran right through us, like we were ghosts, hopping from one rock to the next, releasing little
giggles.

"Bryce! Look at this!"

"Hey, that's me!" Moe exclaimed. "When is this?"

"Eleven years ago." I answered coldly.

"Aww, cool!" Bryce picked up the rock crab and examined it—poking its snapping claws with his finger.
"We should scare Ana with it!"

"She won't be scared. She never is." Nine-year-old Moe replied.

"Let's try anyways." Bryce pulled on Moe's shirt and they dropped down to the sandy ground. Bryce and
Moe quietly and swiftly ran behind the rocks, trying to hide from the girl perched on a flat-topped rock
staring out at the water. It was me. I was 14 years old.

"I remember this day." Moe grabbed my hand, dragging me closer to our past selves. "This was right
before your family left."

My head turned ever so slightly as Moe and Bryce approached from behind me—I pretended not to hear
them. Moe grabbed the crab out of Bryce's hand and set it on my back. I shook my body to get it off me.

"You guys are dead!" I joked playfully, jumping up onto my feet and crouching into attack position.

"She's gonna get us!" Let's go!" Bryce screamed. The two boys took off running—from one rock to the
next.

I chased them—not as fast as I could have—and was within an arms length of Moe. His foot slipped and he
started to fall. I tried to catch him but I wasn't quick enough. Moe landed hard on the gravel and shoal
below.

"You pushed me, Ana!" He yelled from below.

"I did not! I tried to catch you!" I dropped down next to him. I tried to help him up by lifting him by the
arms but he cowered away from me. When I looked at my hands, they were covered in thick, red blood.
"Moe, you're bleeding everywhere!" Instinctively, I raised my hands to my face—and smelled them. I
dropped them immediately after I realized what I had done—shock and embarrassment plastered on my
face.

"Get away from me, Ana!" He shoved me hard into the ground.

"Get away from me, monster!" He screamed. Bryce ran over to us.

"Why are you calling me that?" I looked at my 14-year-old self—the hurt in my eyes hurt me even now, all
these years later.

"I see the way you're looking at me! Like I'm dinner or something! You want to eat me, vampire girl!" He
continued to scream, backing himself into the rocks.

"I'm trying to help you!" I rubbed my hands onto my jeans to wipe away his blood.

"Moe, she's not going to hurt you!" Bryce came to my defense.

"Liar! She wants to hurt me! Look at her! She's staring at the blood! She's a monster. You're a
bloodsucker just like the rest of them and you want my blood. Don't you, Leech?"

I dropped my face to the sand, tears started streaming down my face. Bryce tried to comfort me but I
pushed him away. "No! Don't touch me! He's right, I am a monster!" I turned away from Moe and my
brother and ran straight for the woods.

"Yeah, go away, vampire! No one is safe around you!" Younger Ana passed through ghost Moe and I
before she hit the woods—those were the last words I heard from him before my family left Forks.

****

Now, it was just Moe and I on First Beach. I looked at him, tears welling in my eyes. I sat down on the
same flat-topped rock.

"Ana," He put his hand on my shoulder and sat next to me, "I'm sorry."

I didn't feel like talking—but he did.

"I remember this day. Please, you have to forgive me! I was nine. It's not an excuse. I didn't realize it
hurt you like that. I'm sorry." He looked at me, waiting for a response; I just stared out ahead of us at the
blue water that was washing back and forth against the shoreline. I took a deep breath, trying to refrain
from releasing any more tears.

"Ana," He lifted my head up by placing his index finger gently under my chin, forcing me to look into his
eyes. "Please don't tell me that it was my fault that you and your family moved away."

I avoided all eye contact with him, by looking off to my right.

"Ana." Moe whispered as if he were wishing for me to say that it wasn't.

I couldn't lie to him, "Yes...you were one of the main reasons." I said as a tear slowly escaped down my
cheek.

Moe's eyes filled with hurt, turning his attention back to the ocean. "I'm so, so, so sorry, Ana. Truly, I am.
I didn't know that I had hurt you so badly – it's the last thing on earth that I ever want to do. If I could
take all of it back – I'd do it in a heartbeat."

I knew he was being honest with me; the sincerity in his voice was thick and his devastation showed
greatly in his eyes.

I smiled, not at his sorrow—but that I finally had some closure with him. Closure that I had needed for
years. I had never felt as horrible as that day on the beach. It took me years to accept was I was—I no
longer felt like the monster I had been called. I moved my hand and gently placed it on top of his. He
looked up at me, his eyes as big as saucers.
"Please forgive me, Ana. I'm so sorry." He begged. "You're not a leech or a monster or anything remotely
close to that. You're beautiful, smart, and funny…sometimes" He joked. "You're nothing like what I said
you were."

"Thank you, Moe. I forgive you." I looked one last time out at the water. "What do you say? Let's move on
from here?" I asked, wiping away one last tear that trickled down my cheek.

"I'd like that a lot." He stood and stretched out his hand to help me up. This time, I took it. "Now, how
about we go somewhere less depressing?"

"Ok, I have a place in mind."

****
We were in a clearing, my grandparents used to take us here as children—it was their special place, the
place where they first realized they loved each other. Sunlight peeked through the ancient, moss-covered
trees; beautiful, dew-covered, purple wildflowers bloomed around us. It was hazy, mist floated eerily
above the green grass.

"Where are we?" Moe asked. He picked one of the wildflowers and placed it behind my ear.

"Up in the mountains. This is my happy place. Consider yourself special."

"How many other special people have you taken here?" He teased.

"None, smartass. Are you trying to ruin the moment?"

"No. Sorry." He laughed. "But I can see why you like it here. It's beautiful."

He scooted closer to my side and took my hand in his. I rested my face on his shoulder. I picked a few
blades of grass and flung it at him. "I'm only here a few more days."

"I know." He sounded disappointed.

"Will you come to see me?" I asked, hopeful.

"Absolutely. There isn't much I wouldn't do for you, Ana." He squeezed my hand lightly. The all too
familiar blush returned to my cheeks.

I was truly happy.

The sun shone brilliantly, casting beams of light on the meadow. The dewdrops reflected back, sparkling
like diamonds. I looked upwards, the warmth felt wonderful on my face.

He dropped my hand and pushed back tendrils of my hair, tenderly, like he had earlier in the evening. He
cupped my face, his eyes were soft and kind, "I might kiss you."

"I might be bad at it." I replied, honestly.

"That's not possible." He looked longingly into my eyes.

I angled my face up towards his and closed my eyes. I could feel the closeness of his face to mine. I
inhaled his sweet breath. Our lips were less than an inch away from each others.

Then I was being shook wildly.

"Ana!" It was my father's voice—waking me out of my blissful stupor. "Time to get up!" My eyes shot open
and I sat up erect in my bed. I tossed the pillow at my dad.

"Daaaaaaddy!" I lay back down dramatically.

"What? You asked me to wake you at seven. Its seven now!"

"Two more minutes!" I jumped back to a seated position, grabbing the pillow I threw at him. I plopped my
head back onto the bed, covering my face with it and screamed, "You couldn't have given me two more
minutes?"

*******
 Chapter Thirty-Four

I showered, changed then went to the kitchen to join my family for breakfast."Morning." I greeted
everyone.

"Morning, sweetie." Mom handed me a plate.

"Sleep well?" Grams asked.

"Yes." I smiled as I thought about my dream. "Very well." Grandpa chuckled—I was mortified. Sometimes
it was easy to forget about his mind-reading ability. Crap, Please don't say anything, I thought aloud so he
could hear. He nodded his head inconspicuously.

My grandparents returned to reading the morning paper as the rest of us gorged ourselves on eggs and
bacon.

"Are we going to the Clearwater's?" I asked.

"Yes, after you finish your breakfast." Dad replied.

"Oh, sweetie, did you call Alice?" Mom asked.

"What?" I said as I gulped down a mouthful of food

"Alice…she's been trying to reach you. She says your phone's been going straight to voicemail."

I had completely forgotten to turn my phone back on after we landed at the airport. I rushed back to my
room, searching my bag for my phone. When I turned it on, I had a surprising number of voicemails and
text messages waiting for me. All of them, except for one, were from Rosie and Alice. I sent a quick mass
reply to both of my nosy aunts,

'I'll explain everything when we get home. Miss you all!'

The lone text message that stood out from all the others was from Moe. Funny, I didn't know he had my
number, I thought. I opened the text message, it read,

'Thanks for bailing just when things were getting good. See ya later, Ana.'

I thought about a clever reply but the best I came up with was,

'Yes…you will.'

I smiled, flipping my phone shut just as Chelsea walked into the room.

"Ana, you're blushing – what's going on?" She asked—smiling herself.

"Nothing, nothing at all." I lied, pitifully.

"Oh, cut the crap. I can see right through you. It's Moe, isn't it?" She bounced around the room like a five
year old.

I smiled.

"Oh, Ana, I'm so happy for you!" She giggled, throwing her arms around me in an overly excited hug.

"Why are you so happy for her?" My dad walked inside with a curious expression on his face.
"Umm, nothing dad – she's umm…happy that I-" I struggled for the right words.

"Found her missing earring!" Chelsea interjected, giving me a devious look.

"That excited over an earring, huh?" Dad raised a suspicious eyebrow, "Anyway, I came up here to tell you
girls that everyone's waiting on you two to leave for the Clearwater's, so hurry up."

"Okay, dad…we'll be down in just a second." I said, grabbing my purse that was hanging on the post of the
headboard of my bed. I waited for him to exit the room before Chels and I began our 'happy dancing'
again.

"So, what exactly happened?" She asked me, enthusiastically.

I held up my index finger, giving her a sign to wait a minute. I turned around and began rummaging
through my Louis Vuitton overnight bag in search of a pad of paper. I quickly scribbled on sheet,

'I'll tell you everything when my family isn't around to hear. Vampire and wolf ears hear everything… =) '

Chelsea nodded in understanding. "Ready?" she asked me, pulling her purse over her shoulder just as my
cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I opened it up, finding another text message from Moe,

'Good – I wouldn't have it any other way.'

I smiled, replying,

'Neither would I. See you in just a few.'

We linked our arms together and dashed out of the room to the Clearwater's residence. "I'm so ready!"

****

Chelsea and I rode with my grandparents; my parents and brothers were in the car ahead of us. We pulled
up to the Clearwater's house—Sam's truck was already parked in the driveway. I tried to hide my smile, as
this wasn't a happy visit.

Sam opened the door and welcomed us in—I was the last to enter the house. As I moved passed Moe, I
couldn't help but look up into his face. He grabbed my hand for a split second as mine brushed against his.
It sent an electric current up my arm.

Now is not the time for that, Ana, I thought to myself.

Seth was the first victim of my vicious hugs. "Seth…I'm so sorry."

"Hi, Anabear. Thank you for being here." He kissed my forehead, "Could ya loosen up your grip just a bit?"

"Right. Sorry. Sometimes I forget my own strength,"

"It's ok, sweetie."

"My turn." Leah hugged my from behind.

"Leah! It feels like forever since I've seen you!" She swayed with me side to side.

"You must be Chelsea. We've heard a lot about you. It's good to meet you." She shook Chelsea's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too." Chelsea reciprocated.

Unassuming, mild mannered, gentle grandpa Charlie stood at the back of the room in between Mom and
Grams. He opened his arms to me, tears started streaming down my cheeks. It had been three years since
Charlie and Sue's last visit to Maine. He had grayed substantially in that time—probably from the stress of
taking care of Sue in her last years. He also looked like he had aged ten years.

"Grandpa Charlie," I said sympathetically, slowly walking over to him. I embraced him into a gentle hug –
trying my best to console him. I knew he was grieving inside, I could see his devastation and agony clearly
across his muffled complexion. "I'm so sorry."

He just nodded his head, hugging me back, "Thanks, Ana, my dear."

I looked into his puppy dog eyes. Charlie was a man of few words but his face conveyed more than words
ever could—it was a battlefield of roiling emotions. I'm surprised that Grams was able to hold herself
together so well—it must be hard seeing her dad like this. I smiled at him, slowly backing away as Dad
and Grandpa made their way over to him, but as I was backing up I suddenly crashed into someone. "I'm
so sorry!"

I turned around quickly to find Moe behind me.

"You must take after your mother's side – after all, they're both known for their clumsiness. Like mother,
like daughter." Charlie joked.

"Very funny," I said dryly; Charlie chuckled.

Moe's hands slid down my arms as he released my hands back to my sides. Again, his touched made my
entire body shiver and I went light headed. I snapped out of my daze when I remembered where we were

"Tahmoh, it's good to see you again." Grandpa was at my side.

"You, too, Edward." Moe responded, politely.

"Sweet dreams last night?" Grandpa asked, flashing a sly grin in my direction. I was mortified for the
second time this morning.

Moe looked at me and winked, "Yes, very good dreams."

I buried my face into my hands.

*********

Sue's funeral was a very private affair. Our family, the Uley's, the Ateara's and a select handful of Sue and
Charlie's acquaintances were in attendance. My aunt's Rachel and Rebecca—Dad's sisters—landed the
morning of the funeral. She was buried in La Push's cemetery next to her first husband, Harry Clearwater.
Tears were shed and Leah delivered a touching, heartfelt eulogy. Everyone came back to the Clearwater's
for a late lunch.

Moe and I kept our distance for most of afternoon but our eyes met on many occasions. After an hour, he
disappeared with Aiden and Chelsea. Bryce and I hung out watching TV and chatting with Charlie.

I got up to grab something to drink; when I shut the fridge door, Leah was standing there, eyeing me
curiously. She had me cornered in the kitchen.

"Don't think I didn't notice you and Moe this morning."

"Wha-what in world are you talking about?" I stuttered, nervously.

"Don't play innocent with me, missy. Spill." She smiled. It was the first smile I had seen her wear the last
month.
"Umm…Moe and I…we sorta…imprinted on each other." I was slow to get the words out.

"Holy shit! Seriously? You and Moe, huh? And why didn't you tell me this morning?"

"Dad decided it was best to…not mention it." I answered, honestly.

"Oh, Jacob. Always trying to be considerate. Humph…well, I am happy for you, sweetie."

"Really?"

"Really." She cupped my face and kissed my forehead.

"Are you and Seth coming home with us?"

"Not just yet. We're going to stick around for a bit…for Charlie. He needs family around right now."

"I understand. We miss you at home." I wrapped my arms around her waist.

"We missed you, too." She pulled away from me, "Now, get out of here…I'm sure that boy of yours will
want to spend your last night here with you."

I gave her a skeptical look.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of your pops."

"Thanks, Leah."

*********

Moe texted me a little after 5:00, Chelsea, Aiden and him had been gone for several hours.

'Feel like going somewhere with me tonight?'

I squealed with delight and quickly replied,

'Of course, I would love to.'

Another message,

'Meet behind Charlie's at 7.'

****

"Mom, Dad? Would you guys mind if I went out with Moe tonight?" I asked as sweetly as I could, "It's our
last night here." I laid it on thick.

They looked at each other then to me, "I don't see why not. But be back at a reasonable hour." Mom
replied. Thank you, Leah.

"Oh, and Ana…you two…behave yourselves—for my sanities sake?" Dad asked.

"Duh, Dad, of course! Thanks! See ya later!"

"Remember, not too late, Aiyana!" Mom yelled as I ran out the back door.
 Chapter Thirty-Five

I raced out the back door, eager to get to Moe. He was waiting for me—7:00 on the dot, just like he said.
He looked handsome, dressed casually in faded, dark denim jeans and a black t-shirt that clung to his
muscular chest.

"Hi." I said, excitedly.

"Hello." He replied. "Ready to go?"

"I sure am."

He held out his hand and I took it—I didn't want to let go if at all possible. We started to make our way
into the dark forest.

"Where are we going?" I asked, curiously.

"Isn't it obvious? I thought you would have figured it out by now."

I ran through the possibilities in my head but the only one that made sense should have been obvious the
moment we set foot in the forest. "We're going to the meadow aren't we?"

"Ding, ding, ding. Two points for Ana."

"You don't even know how to get there." I remarked.

"Sure I do…now. Your brother showed me. That's where I was this afternoon."

"That's where you guys were all this time?"

"Yeah, you'll see why." He smiled a smile that could melt any girl's heart. "It's going to take us forever to
get there if I continue going like this."

"Are you going to phase?" I was curious to see him in his wolf form.

"Yes. Would you mind taking my clothes for me?"

I gulped. Naked Moe. I stifled an immature laugh, "Umm, sure."

"'Kay, be right back." He ran to a nearby gathering of bushes. He tossed his shirt at me unexpectedly. I
turned my back to him, almost embarrassed. A minute later a giant, black wolf leaped towards me,
landing gracefully on the moss-covered dirt. He held his jeans in his mouth; I took them and folded them
neatly and picked up his boots as well.

Moe's coat was the silkiest, jet-black—black, just like his fathers. I ran my hand through his soft fur. It
gleamed in the light of the full moon. I scratched his head and behind his ears just like I do with my dad
and brothers. He rolled around onto his back as if he wanted me to scratch his belly. "Behave yourself,
pup." I joked. "Race you up?"

He sat up on his hindquarters, nodded his massive head in agreement, and then he took off lightning fast.
I let him get a good five-second head start. He moved swiftly, almost silently through the pitch-black
forest with ease. He was fast, very fast—but I was faster. I easily caught up to him, passing him up to his
left. He howled and his heavy paws sped up—he was a good ten yards ahead of me; he was holding back
earlier. I sped up as well, my legs carried me as fast as they could but I couldn't catch up—he was just too
fast. Had I been a full-fledged vampire I probably would have wiped the floor with him.
Because of the pace that we traveled, we reached the meadow in no time. I stopped just outside of the
clearing and doubled over with my hands on my knees, out of breath and panting. I hadn't run like that in
a while—it was exhausting. I looked up; there was a faint glow emitting from the meadow. I started to
walk towards it but Moe caught me by the back of my shirt, pulling me back before I had a chance. He
whined.

"Ok, I'll wait right here." I turned my back to him out of courtesy and tossed his jeans over my shoulder.

"I'm gonna need my shirt, too, Ana." His voice drifted in the night air. I turned toward him—Holy
hell…wow, I thought. Shirtless Moe was definitely a sight to be seen. His torso was well defined, sculpted.
I clutched his shirt tightly in my hands. "Ana? My shirt?" He grinned—I blushed.

"Right. Shirt. Here you go." I tossed the rumpled piece of fabric at him. At that moment I wanted to run. I
was so embarrassed – but there really was no point in doing so. He'd catch right up to me in a heartbeat.

"Thanks." He smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt the best he could, slipping it on, over his head.

"Oops, sorry about that." I chuckled—still picturing his glorious form in my mind.

"No big." He raced to me, grabbing my hand and dragging me towards the meadow, "Now, come on. I
have a surprise for you."

Oh, how I love surprises.

****

"Is this what you were doing this afternoon?" I stood in the center of the meadow; strewn through the
trees branches were strings of clear, twinkling Christmas lights and silver, glowing lanterns. "How did you
get the lights to work out here?" I reached up to touch one of the blinking lights.

"A battery pack your brother rigged up. The lights and lanterns were Chelsea's idea."

"Kudos to her—and the music?" I asked, looking in the direction of the little stereo.

"You left your iPod on my couch the first night you were here. Don't be mad but I looked through it—I
wanted to see what you liked to listen to and fortunately, our taste in music is rather similar."

"You, of all people in the universe, like Debussy?" I asked in pure astonishment. Never in my life did I
think that he'd be a classical music type of guy.

"Believe it or not, Ana…I do have a sensitive side. I show it rarely…but it's there."

I smiled; I was amazed that he'd go through all of this just for me. Sure, it was a little over the top but it
was extremely romantic, nonetheless.

"Well, do you like it?" He asked me, coming closer to my side – his eyes looked as if they were pleading
for me to say yes. His bronzed complexion shined in the light that was emanating from the trees and
lanterns.

I grinned, deciding to play with his emotions just a bit. After all, he did it to me all the time. "I don't like it
…" I paused—building up the suspense, "I love it!"

"Good," He let out a sigh of relief as he grabbed my hand. He gently kissed the top of it – sending static
shocks throughout my whole body. His touch was electrifying – I never wanted him to let go.

****
We asked each other dozens of questions, finding out practically every aspect of each other's lives. We
asked each other what our favorite colors were, favorite food, favorite sport, favorite day, books,
hobbies—neither one of us ran out of questions. We talked and talked; I lost track of how long our
conversation had gone on for—time passed differently when I was with Moe – I could talk to him forever--
and I think I'd be content. No one had ever intrigued me so. Just being in his mere presence captivated
me; it was almost as if I was hypnotized--in a trance. I was amazed by how comfortable we were with
each other. I absolutely loved every moment of it. Occasionally, my eyes wandered down the length of his
perfectly sculpted body as he talked—I couldn't help myself. There was just something about him—
something different, unique. I loved how the contours of his cheeks were highlighted in the moonlight as
he laughed; I love the way he ran his hands nervously through his shortly, cropped hair. Even the way he
talked lured me in.

Some of the things he did made my mind go blank; the way he caressed the top of my hand with his
fingertips, the way he placed his hand on my knee…it was hard to think straight—I was dazzled, to say the
least. At times, I noticed he would lose his concentration, too. I was pulled out of my daze as he asked me
a question, "So, why high school?"

"Hmm?" I murmured.

"High school. Why go through the charade? I mean you know everything they teach—why subject yourself
to the torture that is high school?"

"Why? All my life, the only friends I've ever had consist of my family. I guess I just wanted some
semblance of a normal life. To know what it's like to be a normal, teenage girl."

"A normal human girl, you mean."

"Exactly. And besides, I like school."

"But, you're hardly a teenager." He teased.

"Gee, thanks."

"Not that you don't look completely amazing for 25." He stuttered. "So…is it all that you hoped it would
be?" He asked, sarcastically.

"No, not really." I chuckled. "But look at it this way, if we hadn't gone, Aiden would have never found
Chelsea."

"Ana, they were meant for each other. They would have found each other eventually."

"Ok, well…I might have never found my best friend. So…how do you like college? University of
Washington, right?"

"Yes, go Huskies! College is…tough. But I like it. I have two years left."

"What are you majoring in?"

"Biology." His answer surprised me, again.

"A science geek, huh? I don't care much for math or science. Don't get me wrong, I excel in the subjects,
it just…well, with math, everything is so definite—so absolute—one answer for every question."

"Oh, yeah? Well, what's your favorite subject?" He seemed a little put-off by my declaration.

"I figure when I go off to college, I'd major in English like Grams. See, in literature, nothing is absolute.
Everything is open to different interpretations. You're aloud an opinion."
"Spoken like a true poet. You're such a romantic." He rolled his eyes.

I shoved him off the tree stump we were seated on. For my next question, I chose my words carefully—I
didn't know how much of the truth I really wanted to hear. "So…have you…dated a lot? College girls I
mean…any girls for that matter?" My cheeks flushed.

"Here and there over the past couple years. Nothing serious…nothing, like…well, I've never been with
anyone if that's what you're wondering. What about you? Breaking any hearts back home in Brunswick?"

"Hardly. I've never went on a date before tonight, let alone have a boyfriend." I picked at the grass.
"There's a guy at school who kinda likes me, I guess." I decided to omit the part where I nearly mauled
Nick at Tristan's party.

"A high schooler? You like them young…cradle robber." He laughed.

"Oh, please. I don't like him like he likes me…like I like you." My voice tapered off at the end. Nick and I
didn't have a fraction of the chemistry that Moe and I had. Our bond was deepening with every passing
minute.

"So, he won't be waiting for you when you get home then?"

"There's a good chance he will be. I didn't exactly have the time to tell him that I'm not interested. But I
will when I get home."

"Good." He replied—a slight tinge of jealously was detectable in his tone—it pleased me.

****

Another beautiful piano composition filled the air around us and he just smiled.

"What?" I asked him, referring to the smirk that was spread widely across his handsome face.

He just chuckled, getting up from the tree stump that we were both sitting on. He turned around, now
fully facing me as he extended his hand for me to take. I graciously accepted his offer.

"What are you doing?" I asked him curiously.

"We are going to dance."

"I'm not very good…. well, I haven't had much practice." I couldn't help but admit shyly.

"It's all in the leading – all you have to do is follow. There's no need to be embarrassed – it's just me."

Just him! Moe was no longer 'just him,' he was now the guy I was very quickly—and very deeply—falling
for.

My heart beat faster, harder as he pulled me closer to him. My breathing hitched as his hands trailed down
my arms to my hips. I breathed in—inhaling his intoxicating, exotic scent—closed my eyes and let my
body relax into his. We swayed side to side, slowly.

The chill night air breezed past us—he was unfazed by it but I clung even closer to his body. After a while,
we had stopped dancing—we were just standing there, in each others arms.

I shook with nervousness as my hands ranged up the length oh his chest; I stood on my toes and placed
my hands on his shoulders. Moe's hands rested lightly on the small of my back. I looked longingly into his
eyes, the tension between us was palpable, and the electricity was buzzing. I moved my hands to his
neck; he craned his face to mine and kissed me.
It wasn't what I thought my first kiss would be like—it was more, much more. It was chaste at first then it
deepened into a more passionate, ferocious kiss. His hands gripped my hips, crushing me close to his
body, my hands tightened around his neck. Our lips moved in perfect synchronization; I needed air but I
couldn't pull myself away from him. He lifted me off the ground, hugging me tightly. I wrapped my legs
around his waist, my body burned with a new feeling—desire. I desired Moe more than anything.

Oh, yes, we definitely had chemistry.

I pulled myself away from him before things could go any further.

He set me back on my feet. "Umm," I babbled, "That was…wow."

"Yeah, wow is right." He brushed the sides of my face with his warm hands, tucking my hair behind my
ears and kissing my forehead.

We stood underneath the full moon, wrapped in each other's embrace. The dread of tomorrow hit me
suddenly. I would be leaving; leaving Forks—leaving Moe. Sure, I had my gift but I've tried to use it cross
country before without much luck. My eyes started to swell with tears. I walked away from Moe and sat on
the grass.

"Ana?" Moe quickly fled to my side in an instant. "What's wrong? Did I do something?"

"You didn't do anything, life is what did something!" I exclaimed, burying my face into his chest.

"I'm lost here, you're not making any sense…what do you mean?"

"I leave tomorrow, Moe. I leave you – I can't bear the thought of being away from you, I just can't." I
began to sob uncontrollably. Great – he probably thought I was an emotional wreck.

"I know," He admitted, rubbing comforting repetitive circles on my back. "I can't imagine being without
you either. I'm not looking forward to the inevitable, tomorrow. We'll come up with something, I promise
you that, Ana. Nothing is going to separate us. I won't let that happen."

"Promise?" I asked, looking into his eyes pleadingly.

"I promise."

I stifled a laugh, now fully drowning in hysterics.

"Why are you laughing?" He asked. "This isn't that funny. It's rather serious."

"I guess I'm laughing because…who would have thought me and you would have wound up together…like
this? It's all rather—"

"Unexpected?" He cut me off before I could finish. I nodded my head. "Ahh, to be young and in love." He
lay back on the plush grass, staring up at the star-studded sky.

I laid next to him, resting my face on my propped arm, "Is that what this is?"

"I dunno, is it?"

"I asked you first."

"I suppose I am in love with you…whether I love, love you is still to be determined." He twined strands of
my hair between his fingers.

"Fair enough." I lay down completely next to him, wedging myself as close to him as possible.
"You didn't answer the question." He was still playing with my hair.

"Can I say ditto and that'll be the end of it for now?"

"For now." He kissed me sweetly. "For now."

Chapter Thirty-Six

I felt something warm, wet and rubbery on my cheek. I woke up, startled. Dad in all his wolf-glory was
looming over me. I nudged Moe to wake him up, too. We both shot up in a daze, looking at my father.

"Oh, shit." Moe whispered. "Jacob, I'm sorry. We must have fallen asleep."

My dad didn't say anything—not that he could in his wolf form—but there was no whine or whimper. His
huge, normally brown eyes were dark, almost black. He looked angry—his penetrating stare told
everything that needed to be said.

I hadn't the courage to say anything to my Dad. I could only imagine how pissed he must be. In the
distance, I saw Bryce and Leah in their wolf forms as well. Dad trotted over to them and indicated with his
massive head for them to leave—they took off into the woods.

"You should get home. I'm going to phase—and talk to your Dad. I'm sorry that I got you in trouble."

"I'm not sorry…but I should definitely get home." I kissed him on the cheek, which was risky on my part
since Dad was watching our every move. He'd probably never trust us to be alone again. "Bye," I
whispered and sped down the mountain, soon out of their view.

***

I walked into the house hesitantly and fearful. I've never really been in trouble my entire life. I was sure to
catch some flack this morning. Chelsea and Aiden were the first two I saw when I walked through the
house. They were sitting side by side on the staircase. Chelsea looked at me incredulously but her stare
softened to something more apologetic. Aiden looked smug, grinning from ear to ear.

Mom and my grandparents were on the couch, Seth was sprawled out on the floor and Charlie was in the
kitchen.

I bravely walked into the living room, "Hi." I greeted them, nervously.

"Hello, Aiyana." Grandpa looked up from his newspaper.

It's bad, isn't it? I thought loudly for him to hear. His left brow shot up.

Ugh.

Dad came in through the French doors in the kitchen. Mom slid over making room for him on the couch.

"I think I hear Charlie calling me." Seth sat up and cupped his hand around his ear, "Yes, he's definitely
calling me. Be right there, Charlie!" He brushed past me and joined Charlie in the kitchen.

I sat on the chair opposite the couch and waited for the lecture.

"Ana," Dad started, "I don't think I have to tell you how disappointed we are you didn't come home last
night."

"Dad, please. We fell asleep—totally innocent. Besides, I'm 25! It's not like I'm a little girl anymore!"
Dad looked flabbergasted at my outburst. "That's besides the point, Annie!"

"Jake…" Mom's hand gripped his forearm. He looked deeply into her arms. I wondered what memories or
thoughts we passing between them. At the same time, Grandpa looked at Grams curiously.

The two minutes that passed seemed like an eternity. Finally, Dad spoke to me again. This time, he was
calm—collected, "Go upstairs and pack. We're going to the airport soon"

****

I walked slowly up the stairs dragging Chelsea along with me to my room—in shock. I had to find out what
Mom said to Dad to get off as easily as I did.

"Ana, what happened? I caught most of that but then…why aren't you grounded or something?" She asked
me, sitting down on the bed.

"I have no idea! We only fell asleep Chels – it was totally innocent."

I grabbed my duffle bag and set it down next to her. I wanted to cry—packing my bags reminded me that
I was leaving Moe in little over four hours. I sat next to Chelsea, slightly depressed. She rubbed circles on
my back to comfort me as I leaned on her for support. I sunk into her body – but was aware to not use
too much force against her fragile human frame.

"So tell me, how did the rest of the night go – before...um…you know."

"Oh Chels, it was amazing. You have absolutely no idea." I sat upright again, "By the way – kudos to you
for the decorations. You and Alice could be related." The compliment instantly brought a smile to her face.

"I thought it would be a nice touch. Anyway, go on."

"We danced."

"And?"

"We talked."

"And?"

"We gazed at the stars."

"Did you two kiss or not?!" Chelsea blurted, immediately covering her mouth. "Sorry, Ana – but I've got to
know. You had to of…how could you not? The whole night sounded so romantic!" I smiled and nodded my
head. "Oh, Ana, that's fantastic! I knew it!" She squealed.

"Yeah, well my dad isn't quite as thrilled as you are…but it doesn't matter. We're leaving anyway."

"I'm so sorry, Ana. Don't worry though, everything will work out, I know it will." She gave me an assuring
smile as the door to my room opened. Mom and Grams walked in.

"Hi," I said in a monotone voice as they strolled over to my side.

"Anabear, Chelsea." Grams smiled.

"What happened downstairs?" I asked, refusing to make eye contact with either one of them.
"Not that I condone you not coming home last night – but your mother and I have both been in the same
place." Grams said cautiously. "And you're right—you're 25. You're a grown woman. Your dad is just
having a hard time realizing that."

Mom interrupted Grams' train of thought, "I reminded your father that he really isn't one to judge what
you do or don't do…we were young once you know. I told him to cut you some slack. We did the same
thing when I was your age- well, actually I was much younger."

"Don't remind me, Renesmee." Grams eyed her suspiciously.

"Mom, no details please." I interjected. I've heard enough Nessie and Jake courtship stories from my aunts
and uncles. I didn't need the details of their extracurricular activities.

Mom smiled and Grams rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, Mom…Like you're really one to talk! Do I have to
remind you of all the times Dad snuck into your room without Charlie's knowledge?" Gram's mouth gaped
wide open at the revelation. "He was there, what…every night? Emmett and Rose told me everything when
Jake and I started dating."

"Renesmee!" Grams looked towards the door as if Charlie would be able to hear Mom. "I…uh…well…like
you said…we were young once, too." Grams turned away, embarrassed. "Anyway, Ana…we know you have
Chelsea to talk about, you know, girl stuff, but we're here too if you need to talk."

"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Grams." I tackled them both onto the bed and hugged them tightly. "Love you
both!" I planted kisses on both their faces as they squirmed out from under my hold.

Mom helped Grams off the bed, smoothed out her shirt and fixed her ponytail, "Now, finish packing and
come downstairs for lunch. We're going to drop Charlie and Seth off in La Push. While we're there, you can
stop by Moe's and say goodbye.

I sighed deeply—my momentary high was quickly extinguished as Mom brought me back down to reality.
"Yeah, okay."

****

The trip to La Push felt like it was taking forever—which made me obnoxiously anxious. I didn't want to
say goodbye to Moe – all I wanted was for us to be together for eternity – neither one of us out of each
other's sight. I tapped my fingers impatiently against the dashboard in the car. I thought about jumping
out the door a couple times and run to the rez—it would've taken a lot less time. I took a long, deep
breath to calm myself and stared mindlessly out the window watching the trees pass us by. I was
definitely going to miss it here – I didn't care that the population was very little or that it was under a near
constant coverage of clouds – it held the thing that one most dear to me.

After what seemed to feel like an eternity, we pulled into the Clearwater's driveway – Sam's pick-up was
in the driveway. I could already smell Moe's familiar scent. I couldn't wait to embrace him and see his
magnificent smile. I jumped out of the passenger seat and gave my Dad a pleading look. I watched him
sigh, "Go on, I know how badly you want to."

I smiled, "Thanks Dad, thank you so much!" I stood on my tiptoes, giving him a gentle kiss on his cheek.
He smiled, releasing a gentle chuckle as I backed away.

I ran as fast as I could to find Moe – I didn't want one more second to go by without him. I dashed inside,
passing him immediately. "Whoa, Ana, slow down. You're going to give me whiplash." Leah exclaimed as I
plowed into her.

Moe laughed at me, as he put his jacket on. "Come on, we're not going to spend our last day together
here."

I took his hand, which he graciously offered, as I walked out the door with him. "Where are we going?"
"Through the woods to First Beach." He replied.

We entered the forest at a human pace – we weren't going to rush anything. We were going to take up as
much time as possible. Moe lifted me over a tree trunk as we furthered deeper into the depth of the forest.

When we were a good distance away from the house Moe turned to me and kissed me. My back was to a
cold tree; I was trapped between it and the burning inferno that was Moe's body. His skin was scorching—
the heat he was exuding sent warm currents through my body. My hands trailed up his arms and locked
behind his neck. I ran my fingers through his thick, dark hair.

"God, I'm going to miss you so much." I admitted after I was somehow able to pull myself away from him.

"I know, Ana. I'm going to miss you too. You are my world now and I am going to do everything I can to
keep us together."

His words brought on an onslaught of tears. I didn't want to leave him – I don't think I could even bear
the fact of leaving him. Tears streaked down my cheeks profusely. He embraced me in a gentle hug, as I
buried my face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. He rubbed repetitive circles on my back, trying to
console me – but it didn't work this time. All I could think about was how we weren't going to see each
other every day.

"Ana, don't cry; everything will be okay. I promise. We'll figure this out." He kissed my forehead tenderly
and swooped me up into his arms. "The beach is just ahead, I'll carry you the rest of the way."

I felt like the damsel in distress and he was my prince charming.

****

We were the only two people on the beach that late afternoon. We watched the unusually calm, still water
from a cliff that overlooked the entire beach.

Moe had his arm wrapped around my shoulders and I leaned into him, basking in his warmth and inhaling
his exotic scent.

"I wanted to give you something before you leave." He pulled a box out of his pocket. The box was
covered in velvet – he held it out to me.

I trembled, trying to grab hold of it, "What it is?" I ran my fingers over its smooth edges.

"Open it and find out." He said excitedly.

I did as I was told and opened the box, revealing a gorgeous bracelet. It was made of woven black leather
with a silver clasp and a silver wolf charm. "It's beautiful, Moe. This must've cost you so much – you
shouldn't have."

"It didn't – it's a Quileute promise bracelet. It's been in my family for ages – Dad gave it to Mom after he
imprinted on her. I thought you might like to have something to remember me." He traced my lips gently
with his finger.

Hearing those words only brought more tears to my eyes – "Thank you Moe – I love it. I'll never take it
off…ever."

We spent the next two hours talking—and kissing—just like we had the previous night. My cell phone
buzzed in my pocket—it was a text message from Chelsea.

'Sorry, sweetie…you gotta come back now.'

"Time to take you back, huh?"

"Yes. Unfortunately."

****

My grandparents were loading luggage into the rental and Charlie's pick-up with Bryce's help as we were
walking up the driveway.

"They're all inside. Bryce why don't you go with them." Grams said.

Moe and I walked into the small living room of the Clearwater house hand and hand, following closely
behind Bryce. We made our rounds, saying our 'good bye's' and 'see you soon's' to our friends and family.
Leah looked like she wanted to cry but of course—she wouldn't in the presence of company.

"When do you think you'll be coming home?" I asked my beloved aunt while I hugged her.

"I don't know, honey. Soon, but not just yet." She replied.

"I'll miss you." I hugged her tighter.

"I'll miss you, too."

"So will I! What about me!" Seth interrupted our moment and wrapped his long arms around both of us.
"We promise, we'll be home soon, Annie."

"Okay, Seth, you're cutting off my circulation." I cried out.

"Some wolf-vamp you are. Wimp!" He teased.

I closed my arms around his waist and squeezed as hard as I could. "Wimp, huh?"

"Ouch. Okay, I take it back!"

I loosened my arms, "See you soon, uncle Seth."

All of us waited in the front yard for Dad to make sure everything was packed up properly. Moe was
stroking my hand that was gripped firmly around his.

"Okay, I think that's everything." Dad slammed the trunk door of the rental shut. He rejoined us and gave
Sam, Emily, Seth and Leah one last hug before walking towards the car with Mom, my brothers and
Chelsea.

I didn't budge from my spot.

Dad stopped by my side, "Come on, kiddo. It's time to go." Dad said quietly, tugging on my elbow.

I jumped up into Moe's arms, "Good bye, Moe." I whispered in his ear, crying—again.

"Not good bye. That makes it sound like we'll never see each other again."

"How about, see you soon?"

He paused and flashed a mischievous grin, "In your dreams."

I smiled back, instantly knowing what he was referring to, "I usually sleep around midnight."

"Looks like I'm gonna have to start going to bed really early." He pushed back tear soaked strands of hair
away from my face.
Dad honked repeatedly, I raised my hand begging for just one more minute with him. I looked back up at
Moe with watery eyes and kissed him a bit inappropriately in front of everyone—I could care less what
they thought.

Dad honked again and I turned abruptly, walking swiftly to the car, bawling.

"Ana!" Moe shouted.

I couldn't face him—if I did, my parents would have to drag me kicking and screaming all the way to the
airport.

"Ana!" He shouted out once more. "I love you. I love you, love you."

"I love you, too." I proclaimed just above a whisper—but I knew it was loud enough for him to hear.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Rise and shine, kiddo." Dad shook me out of my peaceful, dreamless slumber. "Gotta get ready for
school."

I rolled over onto my stomach, burying my head under my pillow and wrapping my blanket around me so
that I was in a tight cocoon.

"Ana. Up. Now."

"Ugh! All right, all right. I'm up, Dad." I groaned.

"Chelsea, you, too." He bellowed to the motionless body next to me.

"It's too early!" She complained.

"I agree." I added, pulling the cover over my face.

"Girls!" His voice was sharp, and we sighed dramatically.

"Fine." I rose out of bed and went to my closet to pick out an outfit for Chelsea and myself.

We got home extremely late—2:15 AM to be exact—because of rain delays. Chelsea was out cold during
the car ride home so my parents suggested she stay at our house.

After I begrudgingly changed into my uniform and tamed my wild hair, I went downstairs for breakfast,
tired and bleary eyed.

"Hungry?" Mom asked sweetly—the lack of sleep obviously didn't deter her mood.

"No, not hungry. When are we leaving?" I asked, impatiently.

"Five minutes. Just waiting on Bryce."

****

The weather outside was dark, gloomy and depressing—a direct reflection of my mood. My misery was
reaching epidemic proportions. It had been less than 24 hours since we left Washington and I missed Moe
terribly already.
The car ride to school was quiet. My brothers and Chelsea dozed off a couple times on the way. I was
definitely not looking forward to spending the next eight hours sitting in class after spending eight ungodly
hours in airplanes and airports.

Mom parked in our usual spot and we all stumbled, half-awake, out of the car.

"Have a good day at school, boys. See you at lunch." Mom said cheerfully. "Come on, girls. You can catch
up on sleep tonight. Time to wake up and make those grades!"

"You're such a mom, Mom." I said, sarcastically.

"Ana, try to cheer up would you?" She pleaded.

"I'll try. But I'm definitely not making any promises."

****

School wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

It was much worse.

The day seemed to drag—as if time itself was taunting me mercilessly. I texted Moe in hopes that if he
was able to respond, it might lift my mood.

'Awake yet? I know it's early for you. I miss you :('

I flipped my phone just before Mr. Markson walked passed my desk, stopping to talk.

"Hello, Ana. Please see me after class so I can give you the assignments you missed. Also, you have a
paper due next week on the different stages of Mitosis."

"Oh, goody." Mom shot me a warning glance at my snide remark.

"What was that?" He asked. Mr. Markson had to be at least 80—thank goodness he was hard of hearing.

"Oh, nothing. Sorry. I'll stick around after class, no problem sir." Mr. Markson paced slowly up and down
the rows checking everyone's notes. Mine were completed ten minutes after they were assigned. I stared
out the dusty windows until my phone vibrated in my pocket. My body trembled with excitement knowing
that it was probably Moe returning my message.

'Not really. I miss you, too. How's school? Be sure to take care of your boy situation there, would you? :)'

"Ugh." I murmured to myself. Nick. I hadn't thought about him since Saturday morning. It made me dread
the lunch bell knowing that I had to break his heart.

****

I dragged myself down the hallway towards the cafeteria, my shoes felt like they were filled with cement.

"Ana!" Chelsea yelled over the sea of girls crowding the narrow hallway. "Hey!"

"Hey, Chels." I tried my best to sound happier than this morning.

"Still in a bad mood, huh?"

"That transparent? I'm just tired." I lied.

"You miss Moe. You don't have to hide it from me, Ana." She swung her arm over my shoulders
companiably.

"Yes. I feel…miserable. I wish he was here." I admitted.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. You should definitely eat. It might make you feel better. Sugar always helps me!"
Chelsea was probably the sweetest person on the planet.

Nothing—not even my foul mood—could bring that girl down.

"I am hungry." I stopped at the entranceway to the cafeteria and hid behind the door, scanning the room.
"Do you see Nick at our table?"

Chelsea looked around the, her smile quickly turned into a frown. "Yeah. He's with your mom and Bryce.
Hmm, I wonder where Aiden is?"

"Oh, God. I don't want to go in there."

"You're gonna have to break the news to him sooner or later. Come on, girly, you can do this." She
dragged me by the hand through the crowd. I pulled my cell phone out of my blazer pocket and texted
Moe.

'About to take care of that situation right now. Wish me luck :('

Nick smiled at us as we approached our table. "Hey, Ana! Chelsea! Good to see you back at school."

I nodded my head, unable to form words.

"Hi, Nick!" Chelsea replied, wedging herself between Bryce and Mom.

"Umm, hey, Ana, can I talk to you for a minute?" Nick asked.

I looked at Chelsea—she shrugged her shoulders and mouthed 'good luck.' Crap. "Sure, Nick." We sat at
an empty table a few rows down.

"About last Friday…I'm sorry if you got into trouble."

"It's cool. Don't worry about it." I played nervously with my bracelet, twirling it around my wrist and
flicking the silver wolf charm.

"So, you didn't get into trouble?"

"No. Not at all." I couldn't look at him as I answered.

"Okay, good. And, umm, I heard about your grandmother. I'm very sorry to hear that she passed away."

"Oh, thanks. It was pretty sad having to go back home for that reason."

"I bet." He hesitated before continuing, "So, hey I don't know if you heard yet but the homecoming dance
is coming up soon…"

Uh-oh, I thought to myself. Here it comes – this is going to be the part where I'm going to have to break
his heart. Oh, God, why does it have to be me?

"And I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?"

"Nick," I took a deep breath, "I'm really flattered that you asked but I'm afraid I can't go with you. I'm
kinda…seeing someone." There, I got it out. That wasn't so bad – I guess. Except for the look that was
spreading across his face.

"Really? I thought you didn't have a boyfriend." The pain in his eyes was visible. I felt terrible for just
laying it on him like I did. He was so sweet and good-looking– but there was no other guy in the world for
me other than Moe.

"Well, I didn't until this weekend."

"He gave you that bracelet you've been playing with, didn't he?" He looked down at my wrist, eying my
new favorite accessory.

"Yeah. It just kinda happened. I'm really, really sorry." I really was. Nick was a really nice guy. I'm
positive there were a ton of girls at our school who would die at a chance to date him.

"Well, I didn't think I had much of a chance with you anyway. But thanks for being honest with me." His
head hung low.

"Just curious...but why do you think that?"

"Umm, well…I mean, you're way out of my league." I tilted my head slightly, puzzled by his statement.
"Come on…you're absolutely gorgeous for one, and from what I know, you're a really cool chick."

I blushed furiously at his compliments, unable to respond. What does one say in a situation like this? I
wracked my muddled brain for the right response and could only think of one that I had seen on dozens of
TV shows time and time again, "I hope we can still be friends."

"Friends. Yeah, we can be friends." He looked disappointed, a little sad even. He rose from his seat and
waved, then walked back to our table leaving me sitting alone being stared at by Alex and Annika's group.
They huddled closely together, whispering God only knows what to each other and looked back to me then
over at Nick.

Chelsea dropped down in the seat next to me and pushed over her tray of food. "Eat. I'm telling you, it'll
make you feel better."

I obliged her and grabbed half of her sandwich, destroying it in three bites and washing it down with a
mouthful of way to sugary soda. "Thanks, Chels."

"Anytime."

****

If it weren't for Orchestra, I would have said today had been the worst day of my life. I lost myself in the
music, concentrating on anything but Moe. Chelsea and I signed up for the Fall Talent Show after school.

"Hey, do you know where Aiden was at lunch today?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah, he was taking a make-up test for Chemistry. Or was it Pre-Calculus? I dunno. It was one of the
two. Oh! We're going to the dance! I'm so excited! Are you going to go?"

The thought of the dance made my heart wrench. I would have loved to go but without Moe it would have
been wasteful night. "Probably not. I don't want to go with anyone here."

"Maybe Moe will come out here for it? I'm sure your parents would fly him out here if you asked."

"Yeah, maybe." I said, half-heartedly, walking to the parking lot. "His semester is in session and I don't
know if he'd be able to come.
"You want to come over and pick out some music for the talent show?"

"Sure. Is your sister going to be home? She was glaring at me at lunch today."

"Probably." She rolled her eyes. "But you should come over anyway."

"I'll ask Mom to drop us off. I'm sure Aiden wouldn't mind picking me up tonight."

"That's a great idea. I want him to meet Dad. He should be home by now. He said he was only going to be
gone a few days."

We piled into the car and buckled up. "Hey, Mom, can I go over to Chelsea's? We're going to pick out
music for the talent show."

"Sure, honey." She pulled out of the lot and turned towards Chelsea's neighborhood.

"Deni, can you pick up Ana tonight? And…I want you to meet my Dad."

"Your Dad?" Aiden coughed up his soda.

"Scared, bro?" Bryce laughed at him.

"No. No, why would I be scared? Me? No. Not at all." He spluttered.

"Don't be nervous, sweetheart. I'm sure you'll make a great impression. As long as you remember your
manners that is." Mom chimed in.

"Uh, yeah, what time do you want me there?" Aiden asked.

"Seven-ish?" Chelsea suggested.

Aiden nodded nervously, "Seven-ish. Right. Okay, I'll be there."

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Seven on the dot." Chelsea exclaimed at the sound of the doorbell and jumped up from her seat, setting
her cello gently on the floor. She ran to the front door to let Aiden in. He looked nervous—frightened,
even—as he was being dragged into the foyer "Dad!" Chelsea hollered upstairs, towards the direction of
her father's office.

"Just a moment, Chelsea." Mr. Woodrow's voice floated downstairs.

"Don't be nervous, Deni. I can feel you shaking like a madman." She patted his hand.

"Me? Nervous?" He replied, shakily. I chuckled at my distraught brother. "Shut up, Ana. You're not
helping." He snapped.

"Sorry." I held back my laughter—the best I could.

Mr. Woodrow raced down the steps and met us in the foyer.

"Dad, this is Aiden. Aiden, this is my dad." She motioned from one to the other.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Woodrow." Aiden held out his hand to him.
Mr. Woodrow shook his hand and looked genuinely shocked. "Hello, Aiden. You're a…junior at Chelsea's
school?" His eyes ranged up and down Aiden, taking in the sight of his massive, 6'4 frame.

"Yes, a junior. That's me." His eyes darted to me then the floor.

"You're very—tall." He ushered us all into the living room, walking next to Aiden, "So, my daughter tells
me you're taking her to the homecoming dance next Friday?"

"Oh, umm, yes. I mean, if that's okay with you."

"As long as you have her home at a reasonable hour there should be no problem."

"Daaaad." Chelsea whined.

"No, that will be no problem. Thank you, sir."

"No need for such formalities. Please call me Nathan."

"Sorry, Mr. Woodrow."

"Like brother, like sister. Ana won't call me Nathan, either." He laughed. "Well, I still have a ton of work to
catch up on. I'll leave you kids be. Aiden it was nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Woodrow." Aiden waved, meekly. Mr. Woodrow went back up to his office.

"See? That wasn't so bad was it?" Chelsea asked Aiden.

"Are you kidding? That was nerve-racking." He sat down onto the couch.

"I think you handled that very well." She dropped onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and
planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Chels! Not here! Your dad is upstairs!" He sat her on the cushion next to him.

Chelsea giggled like a school girl, "Oh, Deni, lighten up, would'ya?"

Seeing them together made me miss Moe. Everything it seemed made me miss Moe--every single giggle,
touch, look they gave each other made me crave Moe more and more. I needed to get out of the house
before I died of envy.

"You almost ready to go? I'm beat and I could really use some sleep."

"It's only 8:00." Chelsea looked at the screen of her phone, noting the time.

"Long day. I can wait out in the car,"

"Sure, sis. I'll be right there." Aiden tossed me the keys to the car.

"See you tomorrow, Chels." I rushed out of the house as far away from the happy couple as I could get.

****

I sat in the passenger seat of Mom's tiny sports car, alone and dejected. I pulled my phone out of my
purse to see if I had missed any text messages. My heart lifted ever so slightly when I saw Moe's name in
my inbox.

'Taking a sleeping pill tonight. I hope you appreciate the effort :)'
I checked the clock, 8:15. That means its only 5:15 in Washington. Poor Moe, this cross-country
relationship was totally going to screw with his internal clock.

'I hope you haven't taken it yet! I'm not even home! I'll probably be asleep around 10 my time. Sorry!'

I replied. Aiden exited Chelsea's house and jogged towards the car. Moe responded to my message
quickly,

'You're gonna be the end of me, woman! :) I'll take it in an hour then.'

I flipped my phone shut and shoved it back into my purse just as Aiden sat down in the drivers seat. "That
wasn't too bad, right? You think Chelsea's dad likes me?" He asked, worriedly.

"Deni, I think you did just fine—just like Chelsea said."

"Okay good. You know, you're lucky Moe already knew our family. Imagine having to meet all of them!"

"Oh, I know. Now that would be nerve-racking."

****

Aiden carried my school bag upstairs for me as I went to the kitchen to raid the refrigerator. Rosie and
Alice snuck up behind me.

"Anabear." Rosie cocked her head slightly. I knew what was coming. It was time for an interrogation. Ugh.

"Have you been avoiding us?" Alice asked, pointing her finger into my stomach.

"Avoiding you? No way. I just got home." I closed the fridge door and shoved a piece of lunchmeat in my
mouth. "I know what you guys want." A piece of ham flew out of my mouth and landed next to Rosie's
hand on the counter. I would have laughed but the rest of it would have ended up on the counter as well.

"Eww, Anabear, chew with your mouth closed." Rosie spat. "Human food—so disgusting." I watched her
shudder in utter disgust.

"You were human once, Rosie." I reminded her, sticking my tongue out in a very childish manner.

"Thank God I can't remember." She flicked the chunk of meat into the sink. "Now, stop trying to distract
us and spill."

"We want to hear all about you and Moe." Alice was grinning from ear to ear."Can't it wait until tomorrow?
I'm really tired." I begged.

My nosy aunts looked at each other. "Fine." Rosie conceded. "But tomorrow you're telling us everything."
She stared me down, once more emphasizing, "Everrryyytthinnng!"

"Everything, I promise."

"We're glad you're home. It's been so boring without you." Alice wrapped her lithe arms around my waist,
crushing all the air out of my lungs.

"Thanks, Alice. You can let go now!" I had to brace myself on the countertop after she released me.

"Goodnight, Rosie." I hugged her.

"Goodnight, sweetie. Sweet dreams." She winked.

I escorted my aunts out the front door and headed towards the stairs. Before I went up, I walked into the
living room. Dad was on the couch watching TV—Sports Center, of course. I plopped down next to him,
burying my face into his shoulder.

"Hi, kiddo. Have a good day?"

"Not really, Dad." I replied, honestly.

"I know. Your mom told me. I'm sorry, baby. I'm sure you've already heard this a million times but
everything will work out, ya know?" He stroked my hair, turning off the TV to give me his full and
undivided attention.

"Sure, Dad." I sighed deeply. "Whatever you say."

"I hate seeing you like this. I really do, Annie." I could hear the genuine concern in his voice.

"I know, Dad. I'll be okay—eventually." I sighed, bringing my knees to my chest. All I wanted was Moe's
embrace.

"Aren't you tired?" He asked.

"Extremely."

"Why don't you get some sleep? I'm sure there's a certain boy waiting for you to get to bed." I looked up
at him and smiled. "Go…before I decide to not be so nice and make you take a bottle of NoDoz."

"Good idea! Night, Daddy!" I kissed him on the cheek and ran up the stairs. "I love you!" I shouted before
closing my door behind me.

I messaged Moe as I got into bed,

'Going to sleep now. See you soon.'

I waited 15 minutes—no response. He must be asleep already, I thought and settled in for the night. It
was pitch black in my room and eerily quiet. My mind was still working and no matter how hard I tried, I
couldn't fall asleep.

"Great. Just flippin' perfect." I muttered, frustrated beyond belief. I was too excited to get to sleep. I tried
deep breathing, counting sheep, holding my breath until I passed out from oxygen deprivation—nothing
worked. I tossed and turned, wrapping and unwrapping my blanket around me and constantly checking
the clock. "My life sucks."

Then I started crying. I cried, and I cried and I cried. I was so overwhelmed with sadness and anxiety; I
couldn't stop the tears from falling. I was so emotionally and physically drained that after twenty minutes,
eventually, I fell into a deep, dream filled sleep.

****

"Moe? Are you there?" I called out into the darkness surrounding me, hoping and wishing my power would
reach him all the way in Washington. I stood under a black, star-filled sky, waiting, searching desperately.

"Hi, Ana" Moe's voice drifted from behind me, "I've missed you."

****

I woke up in an extremely good mood. I even got up 15 minutes before my alarm went off. I showered,
changed and hopped over the banister to grab some breakfast.
"Morning!" I greeted my parents.

"Well, good morning to you, too!" Mom handed me an empty plate. "I see you're feeling better today."

"Loads." I set my plate down on the countertop and gave Dad a big, enthusiastic hug. "I'm starving!
What's for breakfast?"

"Scrambled eggs and bacon. Toast, too." He answered.

"Sounds delicious." I loaded my plate and sat at the kitchen table to read the morning paper as I ate.

The phone rang, "Jake, it's Leah." Mom held out the phone to him.

"Thanks, Ness." He kissed her on the cheek, taking the phone. "Ana, can you make sure your brothers are
up?"

"Sure, Dad."

Bryce was sitting in his La-Z Boy watching the morning news—Aiden was still in the bathroom getting
ready for the day. I sat on the arm of Bryce's chair, stealing the remote away from him and turning the
channel to something less depressing.

"Hey, I was watching that." Bryce shouted.

"Too bad." I teased. He continued to reach for the remote; I eventually relented and changed the channel
back. "So, are you going to the dance?"

"I was thinking about asking Mel. You know, that girl I went out with that one time."

"Of course, I remember. She asked about you yesterday in class. I forgot to mention it. She was
wondering why you hadn't called. I told her we were out of town."

"I was going to call her yesterday but I forgot."

"Smooth, Bryce."

"Whatever. Anyway, are you going?"

"No." I answered, curtly.

"Why not?"

"You know why not."

"You can go by yourself. Or take Alice. She loves any reason to get all fancied up."

"Maybe." I shrugged my shoulders. "What's taking Deni so long?"

"I dunno. He's such a girl." Bryce pushed me off the arm of the chair.

"Hey!" I jabbed him in the shoulder, raising my eyebrows at him.

"Will you two cut it out? You're going to ruin my chair!" Aiden burst into the room, pulling Bryce out of the
chair and stealing his seat.

"It's about time you're ready. We're going to be late thanks to you." I chided and tossed him his blazer.
"Come on, let's get to school."
****

The first half of the day passed fairly quickly. Lunch was barely tolerable. Nick sat at the far end of our
lunch table with his football friends and didn't look or speak to me once.

"So much for being friends, huh?" Chelsea asked.

"Yeah, really." I replied half-heartedly. My phone vibrated in my blazer pocket.

'Morning! How'd my girl sleep?'

"Don't look now but Alex is giving you the evil eye." Chelsea warned me before I had a chance to respond
to Moe's text. I looked up at the table across from us. Alex was indeed staring at me, as usual. "I told you
not to look up." Chelsea scolded.

"Why does your sister hate me so much?" I asked, hiding my face behind my bangs.

"Who knows… I don't think she even likes her friends."

"That's sad."

"Don't feel bad for her. I've tried to be nice. I've done everything I can to be a sister to her but there's not
getting through to her. I've given up."

I looked once more at Alex and her 'friends' and turned my attention back to Chelsea, "Practice again after
school?"

"Oh, I can't today. Dad wants to go out for dinner. You can come if you want!"

"Oh, no. I couldn't. You should spend time with your Dad." The bell rang signaling the end of lunch. "See
you in class, Chels."

****

Because it was starting to rain, Coach Willis had us play volleyball—I ended up on Annika's team. Just my
luck.

"Hi." She said. I turned—a whole 360 degrees—to make sure she was talking to me.

"Umm, hey…Annika." I was shocked that she had greeted me in such a friendly manner but I was still
skeptical as to why she was talking to me.

"Listen, I heard about your grandmother." She said quietly.

"Oh, from who?"

"From Nick. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. My grandmother died recently, too." Her voice was laden with
grief and sadness.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry, too—for your loss."

"Thanks. She practically raised me. My parents were gone a lot when I was a kid. I thought I would never
get over it but it gets easier every day. Just thought you should know that." Annika was being nice. And
not just nice—she was being compassionate and understanding. I was glad to see this very different side
than the one I had originally encountered. "And I'm sorry for making your first week here difficult. It's just
that…I heard Nick talking about you and Alex used to go out with him and…well, you know how girls are."
Not really, I thought. "Yeah, I know."

"So, are you going to the dance?" She asked.

"Probably not." I looked down at my feet—trying not to tear up.

"Didn't Nick ask you?"

"He did. But, I'm seeing someone. He lives far away."

"Oh. Everyone was under the impression that you two were dating."

"No. We're just friends. At least we used to be. You know how it goes."

"Yeah, I totally do." We both laughed. "Well, we should get in the match before Coach Willis goes totally
ballistic on us and makes us run laps." She tossed me beat-up volleyball.

I glanced at Coach Willis who was glaring at us. "Good idea - Just watch out for Nessie over there—she's
an excellent outside hitter."

The hour was over before I knew it and everyone headed to the locker room. Mom waited for me on the
opposite court. "What was that all about?"

"I think Annika and I might be friends now." I replied, shocked that those words were even able to come
out of my mouth.

"Whoa. That's weird."

"Well…you know how girls are." I winked at her and nudged her towards the locker room.

****

As expected, Alice and Rosie were waiting patiently on the couch for my arrival. "Eager, much?" I wedged
myself between them.

"How was school?" Rosie asked.

"Do you honestly care how my day at school was?" I questioned back, shooting both of them eye-bullets.

"No, not really." Alice chirped in my other ear with a smug expression plastered across her porcelain
complexion.

"Okay, ask away." I settled in my spot for the long conversation.

Alice was the first one to go, "You got your first kiss?"

I sighed, smiling at the memory – and longed for Moe's touch, "Yes." Rosie and Alice squealed, rubbing
their hands together.

"I understand you imprinted, correct?" Rosie was next – she stared into my eyes, waiting for the answer.

"We both did."

Alice and Rosie looked at each other and then back to me. "Together? As in the same time?"

I nodded my head, "Yes. Together. Moe. And. I." I paused in between the words to exaggerate it – hoping
that they comprehended it.
"Ana, dear, that's fantastic. I'm so, so, happy for you." Alice embraced me in the world's longest hug.

"Okay, you've had enough of her – MY TURN!" Rosie pulled me out of Alice's hug, bringing me crashing
into her own body.

"Okay, suffocation is taking over now!" I gasped as she loosened her grip.

"Alright, now that we've gotten all of the happy details – what happened in the meadow?"

"The meadow?" I choked.

"Yes, dear, the meadow. Bella told us you stayed out all night." She smiled, amused.

I mustered up the strength to talk, swallowing hard. "Nothing – we talked, kissed, danced, fell asleep
together, stargazed, he gave me this bracelet the next afternoon—right before we left."

"PAUSE!" Alice screamed, startling me.

"Fell asleep?" She asked. "Are you sure that's it?"

"Yes, Alice. We fell asleep—it was totally innocent. What else did you think happened?" Both of my aunts
smiled wickedly at my question—it made me blush. Apparently my aunts think there was more than just
kissing going on that night. "Well, if anything else had happened…I'm twenty-five – fully capable of
handling myself and making my own decisions."

"Our baby is twenty-five." Rosie whispered. "You're growing up right before our very eyes."

"Indeed – I am." I wrapped my arms around both of their shoulders. "But don't worry, I'll always be your
little Anabear."

****

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The buzzing of my alarm clock rang loudly in my ears – it was going to be another treacherously long and
boring day at school. Today was Friday—school spirit day.

"Ana-bear, get up! Breakfast will be ready in ten," My mother's voice echoed through the house, and I
groaned inwardly while she continued. "Boys – you too!"

"I'm up," I replied groggily as I stretched my body across my bed. I smiled as I remembered my dreams –
we met up again at our spot, catching up on our past day.

I loved my gift—being able to enter in and out of dreams. It made seeing Moe a lot easier – but at times it
only made it harder because I wanted to experience the real Moe. I shut my eyes to get a more vivid
picture of how my dream had gone.

Moe and I were in the meadow. I was wearing the bracelet he had given me – which I still hadn't taken off
since the day he'd given it to me. I smiled; picturing the events of our dream lay out.

"Where do you see yourself in ten years?" I asked Moe as we lay in our meadow, staring at the starry
heavens above.

"Anywhere you are, of course." He chuckled softly as he replied.

"Anywhere?" My smile was a mile wide. Sometimes I wondered if he could read my mind; he knew all the
right words to say.
"I'd go to the Sahara desert if that's where my girl wanted to be." He curled a strand of my hair around his
finger.

"What else?" I whispered, wanting to hear more. "What else do you see for yourself?" I rolled onto my side
and draped my arm across his torso, molding myself along the length of his body.

"Hmm, well, I see myself married to you with two, maybe three kids and a career in medicine."

I was momentarily speechless. Moe saw us married and with a family. I saw our future flash before my
eyes; us happily married with children, together forever—it looked perfect.

"Two, maybe three kids, huh? That sounds good to me. I've always wanted a large family."

I could picture it – Moe and I with a few kids and a house of our own. It seemed perfect, like a fairytale
that was coming true. It seemed to be all I wanted at that moment.

"What time is it?" He asked, pulling me back to reality.

I sighed grudgingly. "It's almost time for me to go, again."

"It isn't enough," he kissed my forehead, "only seeing you in these dreams."

"No, it's not." I sat up, tears welling in my eyes. I stared off into the darkness ahead. "It's hard, having to
say goodbye every night."

Moe sat up and wrapped his warm arm tight around my shoulders. "But it's all we have—for now. How
much time do we have left?"

"Not long." The sun was slowly rising over the horizon.

"Well, let's make the best of the time we have left." He said as his hand crept up the side of my face,
making its way into my hair. He kissed me, tenderly at first then it progressed into a deeply passionate
kiss.

I lay back onto the grass, pulling Moe on top of me—our lips never left each other's, moving perfectly in
sync. My fingers braided themselves into his hair, trying desperately to bring him even closer. I wanted all
of him. He snaked an arm underneath me, crushing me to his body, heat rolling off him in waves; he was
making me dizzy and lightheaded.

Moe pulled away briefly, staring down at his torso in confusion. "Hey, where did my shirt go?"

"It's my dream." I smiled, coyly—blushing all the while—and forced his lips to mine again. The sun's rays
added additional warmth to my skin, letting me know morning had come and once again, it was time to
leave my love. "I have to go now." I sighed. "Get some sleep."

We sat up, watching the sun rise higher and higher in the distance, hand in hand.

"I'll see you again soon."

"Yes, see you will." He replied. "Before you go, just know that I've got a surprise for you, okay?"

"What is it?" I asked him, arching one dark brow. "Give me a hint."

"You're going to love it – that's all you're going to get." He smiled deviously.

I huffed. "Fine. See you."

And with that I woke up.

****

I opened my eyes, looking around my room, still wondering what my surprise was. I couldn't stand not
knowing what it was – it was driving me absolutely insane. I had begged him for a hint, but he refused to
cave. The only hint he gave me was that I'd be very happy with what it was.

"Ana, I don't hear the shower running – you better not have gone back to sleep!" My mother's tone was
serious – which indicated that it was time for me to stop daydreaming about my dream and get ready for
school. Alice had already done me the favor of picking out my outfit – A pair of dark blue skinny jeans and
a super cute silver top, with ribbons that were our school colors, blue and silver to tie back my hair. I set
my clothes on the top of my bed and hopped in the shower. The feeling of the warm water running over
my body felt relaxing – I swear, I could stay in the shower forever. Frequently I got in trouble for being in
too long – so I cut it short.

I slipped into my clothes and blow-dried my hair. I parted my hair all the way to the back to make braided
pigtails– Alice suggested that I needed a change for once. After I had tied them back with a hair tie, I tied
my ribbons at the bottom. Oh how I felt like a schoolgirl, but according to Alice she thought it would be
adorable.

"Breakfast is ready!" Mom's voice rang clearly through the house, followed by the cacophony of my
brothers' stampede to the kitchen to get to the food. They acted as if they'd never eaten before in their
lives.

"Gain some manners; you act like you were raised by a pack of wolves!" I teased them, laughing at my
own joke.

"Maybe because we were! Did you ever think of that Ana?" I heard Aiden yell. I just rolled my eyes,
putting on my earrings as I exited my bedroom.

"That doesn't mean you need to act like it though," I added, as I descended down the stairs, greeting
everyone. "Good morning, Daddy." I kissed his cheek.

"Morning, kiddo." He smiled, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Ugh, how can you drink that stuff?" I asked as I moved towards Mom. "Morning, Mom."

"Morning Honey, I'm afraid your brothers have already devoured the French toast – but you're welcome to
the eggs."

"Seriously, how is that possible?" I asked, smacking each of them lightly on the head, adding a laugh. "I
just got down here not two seconds after you two!" They both turned and grinned up at me. "Animals." I
muttered under my breath.

****

The scene in the parking lot was just as it was last Friday—students running around with banners,
throwing footballs and talking about the night's game. Mom and I strolled casually through the sea of
people to find Chelsea waiting for us by the stairs.

"Morning!" Chelsea greeted us. She had her hair in pigtails—the same as mine. "Hmm…you got the memo,
I see."

"Alice told me to do it." Omniscient pixie, I laughed silently to myself.

"So, are we going to the game tonight?" She asked.

"I dunno," I shrugged my shoulders, crashing into her to avoid being run over by an oversized wide
receiver trying to catch an errant pass.

"Oh, hey, Chelsea," Mom wedged herself between the two of us, looping her arms through ours, "at lunch,
I wanted to talk to you…umm, about the dance."

"Sure! I was gonna ask if you were planning on going!" Chelsea replied, excitedly.

I stopped in my tracks, "You want to go to the dance?" I asked Mom, curiously. I didn't think her and Dad
were remotely interested in attending.

"Possibly." She smiled—there was something she was hiding from me. I could tell by the look in her eyes.

"You guys suck. Everyone's going but me!" I groaned as I stormed off ahead of them towards campus.

****

I had started off the day in a great mood. It had quickly soured by the time class had started. Knowing the
members of my family would be enjoying themselves at the dance without me made me depressed—
again. I felt bad for being so rude to Mom and Chelsea—I needed to apologize for my behavior, after all, it
wasn't their fault that I wasn't going. I looked at the clock—it was 9:00 and texted Moe.

'Good morning, my heart! Today sucks but I hope you have a better one.'

The hours ticked by slowly and I still hadn't heard back from Moe. It bugged me to no end—and definitely
did not help to brighten my mood. Mom and I walked out of Social Science towards the cafeteria for lunch.
I checked my phone—still no response from Moe. I wanted to throw the damned thing in a nearby
trashcan.

"Honey, what's wrong? You look upset." She looked concerned.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just…haven't heard from Moe all morning. He usually texts me when he gets up."

"I'm sure he has a good reason—don't be so down, ok?"

Easy for her to say—Dad was only 20 minutes away. "Hey, I'll meet you in the cafeteria, I need to grab a
book out of my locker."

"Ok, I need to talk to Chelsea, anyway."

"About the dance…right." I waved and turned towards the rows of lockers.

****

Mom and Chelsea were huddled closely together, whispering and giggling like little schoolgirls. I set my
book bag on the ground and dropped into an open chair opposite of them. "What are you two so happy
about?"

Chelsea's hands covered her mouth in an attempt to contain her laughter. "I gotta go! Come on Aiden!
See you later, Ana!" She smiled and winked at me as she dragged Aiden behind her out of the cafeteria.

"What was that all about?"

"Oh, nothing." She chuckled softly.

"Fine. Don't tell me." I crossed my arms over my chest and dropped my head back so that I was looking
up at the popcorn ceiling.
"Hey, Ana." A friendly voice greeted me. I looked up—it was Annika. She stood to my left, tray in hand.
"Can I sit here? Alex is being a total bitch today. I've been banned from our table."

"Sure." I straightened up in my seat. "Do you know my…sister, Nessie?"

"No. Hi, I'm Annika." She smiled politely at Mom.

"Nice to meet you." Mom responded with a beautiful, toothy grin.

I looked over to Annika's usual table—Alex was glaring at me menacingly. "So, what's with Alex today?" I
diverted my eyes from her evil stare.

"Oh, the usual. She's in one of her moods, again. They're getting worse and worse." Annika leaned in
towards the center of the table and whispered, "She's got problems…like substance problems. Did you
know?"

"I had no idea." I replied, honestly. "Chels has never mentioned it."

"I'm not surprised," she looked at her friend then back at me. "Her Dad's put her in rehab twice but she
always slips up."

"That's so sad – I wonder why she does it," I said, taking a bite of my food. I could still feel her looking at
me and I hated the feeling.

"I think she does it to escape the pain of her life – but seriously, what could be so bad that you'd do stuff
like that to yourself?" She asked, "I just don't get it."

"Neither do I," I shook my head in agreement. "The sad part is that she thinks she's just hurting herself –
but she's really hurting everyone around her." Chelsea especially, I thought to myself.

"Yeah, you're right. I don't think you could even call us friends even more. Oh, and she just broke up with
her boyfriend."

I sighed, as my thoughts started drifting back to Moe at the word boyfriend. I swear, he consumed 99.9%
of my thoughts – it was ridiculous, almost like an obsession at times. I unzipped my purse, flipping my cell
phone open. Nothing. Ugh! Where the heck was he?

"Who are you waiting on?" Annika asked me, grabbing my phone from my hands.

"Excuse me?" I reached for my phone.

"You've been anxious the whole time I've been sitting here and you keep looking at your phone as if it's
going to blow up or something."

I stifled a laugh, "It's nothing – I'm just waiting for an important text. That's all."

"A guy, huh?"

I smiled; nodding my head as the school bell rang, signaling it was time for my next period. Ugh – the
school day was going to last forever if I didn't hear from him.

I trudged to my next class, jumping at the sound of every other student's cell phone ringing in the
hallways. I swear, it felt like someone was trying to play a trick on me. The day was driving me insane.

****
The last hour of the school day was over before I knew it. Chelsea bum rushed me in the hallway outside
of the music room. She was giggling and dancing circles around me; she reminded me of Alice right then.
"Chels, what in the world has gotten into you today?"

"Oh, nothing!" She replied, giddy and excited. "Come on we need to go!"

We were practically running towards the parking lot when all of a sudden, my phone trilled from the
depths of my book bag. I was about ready to dump the entire contents of my bag just to find it—thankfully
I didn't need to. I pulled out my silver phone, flipping it open. Yes! It was a message from Moe, finally. I
opened the message and looked at the screen in utter confusion.

'Surprise.'

I don't know why I did but I looked towards the parking lot.

My eyes had to be playing ticks on me.

Leaning back against the hood of Emmett's Range Rover in all his Adonis-like glory was Moe. My Moe.

I stood frozen in my place, shocked and bewildered. "Either I have died and gone to heaven or I have
finally cracked and gone completely insane."

"You're not insane!" Chelsea replied with a laugh.

"Is this what you and Mom were talking about at lunch?" I asked but kept my eyes focused on Moe.

"Ana, why are you still standing here talking to me?" She put a light hand on my arm. I looked at her and
smiled and rushed down the stairs.

I sped across the lot at slightly-more-than-human pace. The faces of the students flanking my sides
blurred as I closed the distance between Moe and I. Tears of joy dripped from the corners of my eyes as I
hurdled myself into his open arms, wrapping my arms and legs around his body.

"I told you you'd like it." Moe said before his lips came to mine. I squeezed tighter making sure that this
wasn't an illusion—a daydream I had slipped into during class.

"Yes! Oh, my God, yes, do I ever like it!" I kissed him again and again. "I love it! I love you!"

"Ahem." A familiar voice floated out from inside the car. Through the window I could see it was Leah.

"Leah! What are you guys doing here? Not that I'm complaining in the least!"

"Hello, sweetie. We'll talk about this later but for now, you might want to consider putting her down, Moe."

From my perched position in Moe's arm, I craned my head to the left and right, looking at all the students
staring and giggling at the sight of us.

"Oh, right." Moe chuckled as he set me back onto my feet. I hid behind him to hide my embarrassment
from our not so appropriate display of affection on school grounds.

When I was convinced my face was no longer streaked red, I reached up on my tiptoes and kissed Moe on
the cheek. "I'm so happy you're here."

He stared adoringly into my eyes, "I know. Me too." He planted a tender kiss on the corner of my mouth.

"Moe! What the hell!" Aiden exclaimed as he, Chelsea, Mom and Bryce joined us.
"I'll explain later." He replied. "I've got the keys to your dad's truck," He tossed them to Aiden, let's get
home."

"Home? As in you're staying here?" I asked, hopeful.

"Yes. I'm staying right here."

****

Chapter Forty

"You have no idea how happy I am that you're here." I was grinning from ear to ear, gazing lovingly up at
Moe who had one hand on the steering wheel and the other securely intertwined with mine.

"Oh, I think I have an idea."

"So what are you doing here?"

"Well, long story short, Leah and Seth decided to come back to Brunswick. Leah called your dad and he
told her to bring me. He said something about you being completely miserable since you got back."

"What about school? Your family?"

"With Carlisle's influence at Bowdoin I can transfer within in the week. My parents understand that this
was the only way we could be together. The long distance thing was just not going to work."

"You're seriously here for good…" I confirmed, mainly to myself. I loved the way it sounded. The love of
my life was here to stay with me. He was going to live in the same town, go to the same school, and we
were going to get to see each other every single day. Life couldn't seem to get any better.

"Yes, for good and I absolutely couldn't be happier." He smiled, stopping at the red light in front of us.
"Well, how about we make up for some lost time?" He lent in for a kiss.

"Sounds good to me," I accepted his offer, kissing him back. We were rudely interrupted by the sound of
cars honking at us. I laughed as he accelerated on the gas, going through the light that had changed to
green.

"I have missed you so much." I smiled at him as he kept his eyes on the road ahead of us.

"I've missed you too. I haven't been myself since you left. Everyone kept asking me what was wrong with
me – all I could say was that part of me was gone."

"Well, I guess we don't have to worry about part of you being gone anymore, do we?"

"No, we sure don't." He rubbed his thumb gently back and forth across my hand, which caused my heart
to skip a beat. The rest of the ride back home was silent – all I could do was bask in the glory of having
Moe all to myself. It was so hard to fathom because this was all I had wanted from the moment I had
gotten home.

"So, this is where you live." We pulled up into my driveway as I unbuckled my seatbelt.

"Yep – but this is where you're going to be living too now!" I exclaimed, throwing my backpack over my
shoulder.

"Let me take that," He grabbed it from me, walking around to the passenger side. He smiled, opening the
door for me.
"Why thank you, kind sir."

"You're very welcome." He took my hand, kissing the top of it. The feeling sent little sparks coursing
throughout my body—causing me to smile like a giddy child. I probably looked ridiculous – but I didn't
care. I had my Moe.

We entered inside the house to find my father sitting on the couch. He was definitely in dad-mode.

"Have a seat," he motioned to the loveseat across from him. "I'm so very happy for both of you – but I
hope you both understand that this situation is going to call for some rules," he said as we walked to the
couch, hand in hand.

I rolled my eyes as I walked past him – leave it up to Dad to ruin a happy moment, "Okay, fine Captain
Buzzkill, lay down the law." A low growl erupted from his chest as he shot me eye-bullets. "Dad, chill, I
was just kidding." I sat down at the corner of the couch, propping my feet up on Moe's lap. Dad glared at
Moe as his hands stroked my bare legs.

"Moe, would you please mind getting your hands off my daughter?"

I giggled quietly and we quickly repositioned ourselves as Dad recollected himself before going over the
new rules. "First…Moe…you're not going to be living in this house, you'll be staying with Blondie and
Emmet. They'll love having you with them. You can come over whenever you want but you cannot stay the
night. Second – you two are not to be out together past midnight—especially on school nights. Third –
when you are around the family—me in particular—keep your hands to yourself. And lastly – remember,
she is my baby girl, not yours." He looked sternly in Moe's direction. I felt him tense up next to me. I
rubbed his back comfortingly, making an annoyed face at my dad. Seriously, he was going way too far. I
was a grown woman!

"Dad, there's no need to get so protective. Nothing is going to happen. Relax." I assured him, getting up
from my position on the couch. I sat on his lap like when I was a child, "Daddy, I love you. Trust my
judgment."

I heard him mumble a few things under his breath, which sounded something along the lines of, 'Yeah,
okay…fine.'

I smiled, "Thank you."

"He's still living with Em and Blondie and I don't care what you say. There's nothing that is going to
change my mind." I watched him get up from his seat and exit the room.

"He'll come around eventually." Moe smiled, patting the sofa for me to sit down next to him. I did as he
requested. He put his arms around me in a tight embrace, "You're old enough to live on your own – he'll
have to let go sometime."

"I just hope it's sooner, rather than later." I leaned my back into his chest, shutting my eyes. He just
stroked my hair as I relaxed, loving every moment of being with him.

**********

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this!"

"Alice, it's just a dance. And besides, you shop all the time!" I remarked as we walked through the corridor
of the Forum.

"But this isn't just any shopping trip, it's your first dance, Annie. You have to find the right dress!"

Alice, Chelsea and I had walked from shop to shop for the last two hours, scouring the racks for the
perfect gowns for the homecoming dance. On the other side of the mall, Moe and my brothers were with
my grandparents getting fitted for their tuxes.
"Oh, look at that! Come on!" Chelsea dragged me by the hand into Versace—she spotted something
through the window. She raced past the other customers towards a pink dress befitting royalty. She
fanned out the skirt between her hands, "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Chelsea, it's amazing! It's so you! It's so pretty, you have to get this one!" Alice beamed.

The dress was beyond gorgeous with a tight fighting, blush-rose woven bodice and a massive, elaborately
feathered skirt and train.

"Alice, I love it. But are you sure? It's really, really expensive." Chelsea replied.

"What did I tell you, Missy? Price is not an issue. It's a gift!" Alice wanted to purchase Chelsea's dress as a
sort of 'welcome to the family' present.

"Well…okay! I'm going to try it on! I'm so excited!" She ran to the front desk to have the clerk to bring the
heavy gown into the dressing room. Alice and I waited anxiously in the showroom. Three minutes later,
Chelsea emerged from her room looking like a fairy tale princess.

"Oh. My. God." I was shocked. She looked so beautiful in the dress. "Alice is right—that's your dress."

"You really think so?" She spun around, admiring herself in the tri-fold mirror.

"Do I ever!"

"Okay, I'm going to change and then we're going to find you're dress!" Before returning to her dressing
room, Chelsea ran over to Alice, "Thank you so much! So, so much!" She turned gracefully, just like a
princess and ran to her room.

****

"You're so picky, Ana." Alice chided.

"Can you blame me? I grew up around you didn't I?" It had been over two hours since Chelsea found her
dress and I still had not found one that caught my eye.

"If you don't find one today, we can always come back tomorrow, Ana-bear," Alice said.

"No, I'm going to find it today. I have a good feeling about this store," I said as we walked into Reem
Acra. Alice and Chelsea browsed the catalogues while I walked around the store. From the corner of my
eye, I saw a beautiful lavender color—my favorite color. I pushed the dresses aside for a better look—and
instantly fell in love. My dress was a sleek, strapless, belted gown with flouncing ruffles. It looked delicate
and wildly romantic.

While admiring my dress, Chelsea snuck up behind me, "Oh, Ana! That color would look so pretty on you!
Oh, I love the ruffles! It's so girly! You have to try it on!"

"I was thinking the exact same thing." I smiled at her, hugging the dress close to my body.

I sprinted towards the first dressing room that was open, eager to get into the exquisite beauty that I held
in my hands. I flung the door open, slamming it shut behind me. I quickly undressed and stepped inside
the dress, zipping it up in the back.

I took a deep breath, looking at myself in the mirror. It was absolutely ravishing – I felt beautiful in it.

"Ana, the suspense is killing me! Come out!" Chelsea begged, tapping her foot impatiently on the other
side of the dressing room door.
I smiled, turning the lock. I pushed the door open, revealing myself to them—their eyes became as big as
saucers.

"Annie, you look amazing!" Alice squealed. "That is without a doubt the perfect dress! I'll be back in a few,
I need to find you some shoes."

Chelsea ran her fingers along the ruffled skirt with a sad smile. "I wish I was as pretty as you, Ana."

"Chels, you're gorgeous! What are you talking about?" I laid my hand on her shoulder. "You're beautiful." I
assured her.

"You're just saying that." She sighed, deeply.

"Chelsea! I wouldn't just say that. I wouldn't lie to you. And if Aiden heard you say that…well…he'd
probably go ballistic. He's never seen a prettier girl in all his life."

Alice was back in a flash, "Here, put these on." I steadied myself on Chelsea's shoulder while I slipped on
the strappy heels. "Chelsea, go put your dress on, I want to get pictures of both of you!"

Chelsea smiled, and did as she was told. A few minutes later she appeared from behind the stall in her
dress. She walked out looking confident and regal.

"I don't know what you were thinking earlier, you look stunning! Aiden is going to freak out!" I ran over to
her, embracing my best friend in a huge hug. "Picture time!" I exclaimed, pulling my camera out of my
purse and tossing it to Alice. She took dozens of pictures of us; my grandparents walked into the store,
their faces lit with amusement.

"I think you two are going to be the loveliest looking ladies there." Grandpa walked over to both of us,
kissing the tops of our heads—causing Chelsea to instantly blush.

"Thanks," we both giggled, returning to the dressing rooms so that we could change back into our normal
clothes.

"Where are the boys?" Chelsea asked from behind the door.

"Waiting for us at the food court." Grams replied.

"Excellent! All this shopping has made me hungry!" I shouted from my stall.

"Ana, when aren't you hungry?" Chelsea teased.

****

We met up with the boys in the food court where three extra large, cheese and pepperoni pizzas were
waiting for us.

"Took you girls long enough!" Bryce exclaimed.

"Hello, Beautiful," Moe pecked my cheek sweetly as I took my seat next to him. "Hungry?"

"Starved!" I piled three slices onto my plate.

We quickly devoured our food –except for Chelsea – she took her time and laughed as the four of us
inhaled our slices. "I can't help it that you guys have the appetite of an animal." She said, taking a small
bite of her slice.
My brothers rolled their eyes at her; I just smiled. "Take your time, Chelsea. Trust me; we're all used to
watching people eat. I watched Bella for years." Grandpa informed her.

She smiled, looking over at Grams. "Wasn't that awkward – I mean, having them watch you eat?" She
took another bite.

Grams laughed, walking over to her side. "You have no idea. I remember my first time eating in front of
him – it was at a little Italian restaurant and I ordered mushroom ravioli. Definitely was awkward." She
smiled, kissing him. "But it was totally worth it."

I loved my grandparent's relationship – they were so adorable and right for each other. That's exactly the
relationship I wanted to have with Moe – something true, pure, bonded and unbreakable. I really did love
him.

"I'm going to find Alice. You coming with me?" Grams asked Grandpa.

"Of course, Love," He helped Grams up from her seat, "You all behave yourselves," he flashed his famous,
crooked smile.

I tossed my plate aside, full after five slices and stared at the movie titles playing at the theatre. "Hey, you
guys wanna see a movie?"

"Yeah, I'm dying to see that new zombie flick!" Bryce said, mouth full of masticated pizza.

"Aiden, Chelsea?" I asked.

"Sure!" Aiden answered for the both of them."

"'Kay. You guys wait for Alice and ask her to pick us up after, Chels and I will get tickets." I got up from
my seat, kissed Moe's cheek and headed towards the theatre with Chelsea in tow.

****

"Ugh, what is it with boys and zombies?" I asked Chelsea as we waited in the ticket line.

"Actually, I like zombie movies, too!" Chelsea admitted.

"You and Aiden are totally perfect for each other," I remarked sarcastically. The couple ahead of us was
next in line, when they walked to the open window; we were face to face with Alex—and Nick.

"Hello, Chelsea." Alex greeted her sister, totally ignoring my presence. Nick's eyes darted from Alex to me,
back and forth, again and again.

"Hey. Hi…Nick." Chelsea acknowledged her sister politely.

"Umm, hey." He looked uncomfortable. I felt the same. "What are you two doing here?"

"Oh, looking for dresses for the dance. We're here with my family." I responded before Chelsea had a
chance to answer. Alex glared at me.

"Isn't that lovely," Alex said as she slipped her hand into Nick's—it took me by surprise, "I just picked out
my dress, too. It's fabulous. I'm going to be the best dressed for sure, aren't I, Nicky?"

Nick fidgeted in his spot, "Yeah."

"You two are dating again?' Chelsea asked, eyeing her sister curiously.
"Nick realized how much he missed me. Didn't you?"

"Uh, yeah." He couldn't look at me as he answered.

"I'm sure you two will have loads of fun," I said. "Come on, Chels, the next window is free."

Nick walked towards the theatre entrance as Chelsea and I walked towards the window. Alex pulled me
back, whispering into my ear, "You might have my sister fooled but you're not fooling me." Alex flipped
her hair over her shoulder before walking away. I trembled at her words, my mind starting racing a
hundred miles an hour.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I yelled after her—getting no response. "What does that mean!"

I was shaking; furious—and scared. What did she mean by that? She couldn't possibly know that we were
different--could she?

"Annie…hey, are you okay?" Moe's voice made me calm again but there was something in the pit of my
stomach telling me otherwise—I couldn't shake off the feeling.

"Hmm?" I muttered, snapping out of my daze.

"I said are you okay? You've just been standing here and you look a little shaken up. Is something
wrong?" He looked at me, deeply concerned. I gazed into eyes, instantly feeling better.

"No, I'm fine," I lied. "Indigestion. Too much pizza."

"I love you and all but too much information, babe." He laughed and pulled me in close to his body. I
inhaled his glorious scent; I felt so safe and protected, but still, I couldn't shake the feeling that something
was seriously wrong.

Chapter Forty-One

I awoke to the sound of crashing thunder outside my bedroom window. The wind was blowing violently
outside as bolts of lightning danced wildly through the dark morning sky. I rolled over, glancing at the
clock. I had about five minutes before my alarm was going to go off. I sighed, sitting in an upright
position. I switched the alarm from on to off, swinging my legs off of the bed. I absolutely despised
Monday mornings.

I yawned and stretched out my tired, heavy limbs. I walked to my bathroom, flipping on the light. Like
clockwork, Alice had already picked out my day's uniform; it hung neatly behind the bathroom door. After
my hot shower, I wrapped a towel around my fully drenched figure and began to get ready for the day. I
changed into my uniform, brushed my hair and applied my makeup. After I gave myself a full once over, I
was ready to face the day – the only thing I wasn't ready to face was Alex.

Her words still haunted me, echoing in the back of my mind – it was like I couldn't get away from them. I
had absolutely no idea what she was talking about – and my suspicion of what it could be scared me most
of all. If she knew our secret it would be extremely disastrous to our family. Every single thing that we
worked for would have been completely in vain. I didn't know whether or not I should tell anyone about it
– I didn't want to worry my family if it was simply nothing. So, for now – it was going to be my battle.

I skipped down the stairs, smelling breakfast – but it didn't appeal to me whatsoever. I was too scared
about what Alex meant to even have the slightest bit of an appetite. I could hear Moe and my brothers
arguing about something sports related. Just knowing Moe was here made me feel so much better.

"Morning, Ana!" My mom embraced me into a hug. "I made your favorite, Belgian waffles with
strawberries!"
"Thanks Mom, but I'm not really hungry. I think I'm going to skip on breakfast today." I grabbed bottle of
water from the fridge.

"Are you sick, honey?" She felt my head. "You're never not hungry."

"I'm fine – just not hungry." I lied to her, trying to be the best actress I could be.

"If you say so"

"I do." I plopped down on the seat next to Moe. He wrapped his arm comfortingly around my shoulder.

"Morning." He kissed my cheek chastely. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. I didn't sleep well." I forced a very fake smile. "So, what are your plans today?"

"I'm heading over to Bowdoin with Carlisle to take a tour of the school and to see the admissions
counselor. It's going to be so much fun."

"Sounds like it." I replied absent-mindedly.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Hmm? Sorry. Really, I'm fine."

"'Kay…but you don't look fine to me." He shoveled a forkful of waffle into his mouth and chewed. "Would
you like a ride to school today?"

"Sure!" My mood instantly lightened. "Could you pick me up at Chelsea's tonight? We're going to practice
for the show and she wants my opinion on her makeup for the dance. After all, it is on Friday."

"No problem. I'd be happy to." Moe stood, handing Mom his plate. "Well, we should get going, I'm
supposed to meet Carlisle in an hour. Don't wanna keep the good doctor waiting."

"Bye, Mom. Tell Dad I'll be at Chels' tonight."

"Okay, bye sweetie. I'll see you at school." She waved.

"Bye," I headed out the door.

****

I walked through the heavy double-doors that entered into my school. Inside, everything was completely
decked out for the dance and everyone's attitudes were excited. With my keen sense of hearing, I could
hear every girl describing their dresses and whom they were going with.

I quickly heard Alex's voice approaching. Crap. I quickly hurried away from the sound of her voice in an
effort to get away. I did not need a run-in with her at the moment and definitely not in front of the entire
student body.

I crept inside the empty and dark chemistry room, peeking out the door for her. I watched as she walked
by, flipping her hair annoyingly over her shoulder. Chelsea was behind her looking distraught. Her sister
affected her beyond belief. I would hate having to live with her too.

Once Alex was completely out of sight, I walked out, pulling her to the side. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she sighed, throwing her heavy backpack over her shoulder. "I just can't stand my sister. I
swear, I think I was switched at birth. I don't belong in my family."
"If you were, it would definitely explain a few things." I laughed, trying to lighten her glum mood. "Let's
change the subject, shall we? We still on for tonight?"

"Yeah, my dad is going to pick us up after school. Do you need a ride home?"

"No, Moe's gonna come get me from your house."

"Okay, perfect." She smiled. "See ya at lunch!"

****

The first few periods went by quickly – way too quickly for my liking. Normally, I would've loved for the
day to rush by but not today. It was most likely because I was dreading lunch. Lunch meant that Alex
would be there and I wasn't ready for a confrontation and apparently she didn't care about opening her
mouth.

I glanced at my clock on my cell phone. Two minutes until the bell – two minutes until who knew what
would happen. I tapped my foot anxiously, causing Mom to take note of my abnormal behavior.

'What's wrong with you today?" She whispered to me when the teacher turned his back.

"Nothing, just really hungry." I lied for the umpteenth time today. It made me feel sneaky and awful.

"You and your food." She laughed, turning her full attention back to the teacher. Seriously, why did she
feel the need to listen to him? She could practically teach this class – as could I.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as the bell rang. "Crap." I muttered to myself. Lunchtime.

Mom, Chels and I sat at our usual table together. I couldn't stop fidgeting in my seat – anxiously waiting.
It's not that I wanted to see her, but more like, I wanted to know what was coming my way. Oh, what I
wouldn't give to have Alice's or even Grandpa's gift right about now.

"So, are you excited about the dance, Chelsea?" Mom asked her as she took a bite of her food. Meanwhile,
I was scanning the room in search of Alex, she was nowhere in sight.

"I can't wait! I want it to be perfect, a night to remember." She said dreamily, as if she was picturing it
playing out in her imagination.

"Ana," I heard a voice come from behind me. I jumped—startled—at the sound of it.

"Why are you so jumpy today?" Mom eyed me suspiciously. She had to know by now that something was
up. "Its just Annika."

"I heard about the incident at the mall," she went on, sitting down next to me.

"What incident. Is this what you're hiding from me, Aiyana?" She looked at me with bold eyes.

"Nessie, nothing happened. There was no incident – I think Annika just heard it all wrong. Nothing
happened." I assured her while looking at Annika with pleading eyes, begging her to not say one more
word.

"You're right, it must've been a misunderstanding," She got up from the table. "Do you mind helping me
with something, Ana, Chelsea? Dance stuff, you know…Friday's coming up real soon."

"Sure, no problem." We both got up from our seats, "I'll see you later M-Nessie."

"Mmm-hmm." She replied, arms across her chest. Ugh, she could see right through me.
Once we were far enough from the table, Annika spoke up. "You totally owe me. What was up with your
sister? She totally got all mom-like on you."

I laughed nervously. "Uh, ha ha. Yeah, she totally does that sometimes. Um, thanks, for that. I prefer to
keep my business to myself. Not everyone in the world needs to know everything."

"Well, just in case you haven't heard, Alex is saying that you're going absolutely crazy and you're jealous
of her relationship with Nick."

"What? Why would she say that? It's so not true." That little brat was trying to destroy everything. She
really was evil, as Chelsea had once put it.

"Yeah, she said that she ran into her at the mall and totally flipped your shit and was going on and on
about you should be with Nick and not her. I just thought you might like to know what she's saying and to
watch your back. You too, Chelsea. Since you're Ana's BFF, she's bound to use you someway." She warned
us.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Chelsea said as Annika turned on her heel and walked off.

"What incident was she talking about, Ana? I was with you the whole time…except for the few minutes I
went to get tickets. What happened?" Chelsea looked at me. I couldn't lie to her, she looked so sad. She
needed to know. So, I told her. I told her what her sister had said—I told her everything.

"I can't believe you kept this from me! Why? Don't you trust me??"

"Of course I trust you! I didn't tell you because, I didn't want you to worry – especially if it was
unnecessary." I explained, "Please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad, Ana." She placed her hand on my shoulder. "I just would've liked to know, that's all. This
concerns all of us and even thought I'm just a human—I want to do all I can."

"I know, and I'm sorry." I apologized to her, embracing her in a hug.

"What do you think she meant, anyway?"

"I don't know. But I'm really eager to find out."

Chapter Forty-Two

Friday.

The week had flown by without incident. Not once did Alex attempt to speak to me. That made me even
more worried—her silence was almost more frightening than her actually talking to me. I felt as if she was
mustering up all of her strength for an attack – hopefully I was just overreacting. Maybe I was making this
a bigger deal than necessary– but I still felt something – I didn't know what. The whole week I had an
eerie feeling that someone was watching my every move – but for now, I wasn't going to let that get in
the way. Tonight was supposed to be mine and Chelsea's fairytale evening.

Right after school, she came over to get ready for the dance.

Lucky for us, we had our personal stylist Alice on hand to make sure we were primped to perfection.

Chelsea wore her hair up in a low, sleek chignon. A few curled tendrils framed her face. Alice swept a
shimmery pink eye shadow across her eyelids that complimented the shade of her dress and applied a
clear gloss to her lips. We decided it would look best if I kept my hair down in loose, romantic curls with
minimal make-up.
"Beautiful." Alice said as she smoothed the feathers on Chelsea's train. "I think I have really outdone
myself this time."

"I think you have. Can we pleeease see ourselves now?" I begged.

"Yes, I suppose so." She replied with a smile. She carried an enormous, gilded mirror across the room,
placing it before us.

We stood side by side, ogling ourselves. I couldn't wait to see Moe and Aiden's expression.

"You girls look divine!" Rosie gushed, walking in with Grams. "You're going to be the two most beautiful
girls there!"

"Thanks," we said in unison, never diverting our eyes from our reflection in the mirror.

"So, I'm guessing the whole vampires being invisible in front of a mirror thing is a myth too?" Chelsea
teased, laughing and playing with the feathered edges of her dress.

Each one of us laughed along with her. "Definitely a myth," I confirmed.

As the laughter died down, I looked over to Chelsea. "You look absolutely ravishing, Chels. You really do."

"Thanks, Ana for everything."

"You're welcome. The dress looks lovely on you."

"No, not just for the dress…well, yeah…thanks for that, too, but, I mean…thanks for everything. Your
family has been so wonderful to me. I feel accepted and part of a family for once."

"Chels, you are apart of this family. No thanks necessary!"

"Tonight is going to be so much fun! I can't wait to see the boys!" She exclaimed. We grabbed our purses
from Alice's bag and headed out to the stairwell, our dresses sashaying and swishing behind us. Before he
reached the topmost step, I started to feel the butterflies in my stomach. I was nervous and excited at the
same time. I couldn't wait to see Moe—and my brother, at that—in their tuxedos.

And boy, I wasn't disappointed.

Moe looked devastatingly handsome in an all black tux and a tie to match the lavender color of my dress.
His cropped black hair was messy but in a way that reminded me very much of grandpa's. I couldn't stop
looking at him.

Moe and Aiden were waiting at the bottom of the staircase, corsages in hand but their attentions were
turned to the living room where Bryce was seated on the couch watching a baseball game.

Chelsea cleared her throat to get their attention. "Oh, boys…"

They diverted their gaze from the living room to us, their jaws dropping immediately in awe. Their eyes
were as big as saucers.

"Well, are you going to stay there all day or are you going to tell them how they look?" Alice skipped down
the stairs. "I worked very hard to make them perfect! Well, not that hard…it didn't take much."

"You look…amazing, Ana – you too Chelsea." Moe smiled, coming to meet me at the middle of the stairs.
He took my hand in his, kissing the back of it. "You're beautiful, babe."
"Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself." I smiled, winking at was next to go up the stairs. "You
look…wow…just…wow. Absolutely beautiful." He kissed the back of her hand and slid her corsage onto her
tiny wrist.

She smiled, blushing immediately, "Thank you."

"I have to go pick up Mel." Bryce said from the foot of the staircase.

"Not before we get pictures!" Grammy Esme stopped Bryce from running out the door. "You all look so
wonderful! We need lots and lots of pictures!"

"'Kay, but Mel is expecting me in 20 minutes." Bryce replied.

"I won't hold you up. Promise."

The five of us posed for endless amounts of pictures with our entire family—including my teary-eyed
parents—looking on from the living room. After Esme was finally satisfied, Em tossed Bryce his keys.

"Thanks, Em. Guys," He turned to address us, still arranged on the stairs, "I'll see you at the dance."
Bryce bolted out the door.

"Are we done here, Grammy?" I asked impatiently.

"Oh, I suppose so." Her eyes were glued to the screen of her camera.

"Ready?" I asked Chelsea.

"Very!" She replied. Aiden helped Chelsea down the stair, making sure he didn't step on or trip over the
train of her dress.

I turned to Moe; "I'm going to go say goodbye to my parents. You can wait for me in the car."

"Sure." He kissed my forehead tenderly. "Your chariot will be waiting."

****

"Ana, you look so beautiful." Mom beamed. Tears trickled down her cheek and I wiped them away for her.

"Oh, Mom, please don't cry."

"I don't know why I'm so emotional. I guess it's just that my babies are so grown up. I thought I'd be able
to keep you here with me forever." A glorious smile sprawled across her angelic face. Dad pulled her in
close to him.

"Have a good time tonight, Kiddo." Dad draped my wrap over my shoulders. "Please remind that boyfriend
of yours to keep his hands to himself and to have you home by 1:00 at the latest."

"'Kay, Pops, will do."

*****

The ballroom at the newly restored Merrymeeting Park Casino looked absolutely gorgeous. It was festively
decorated with streamers, lights and balloons in our school colors. It didn't exactly have a theme – but
everything looked great.

A girl at the door handed each of us a small slip of paper. "What are these?" I asked, looking at a list of
names.
"Homecoming King and Queen ballots. Check off your vote and drop your slip into the box at the
concession table," she replied. I looked up and down the list of names most of which were completely
unfamiliar to me—except for two. Alex and Nick were candidates on the ballot. "The winners will be
announced after the votes have been tallied."

"Your sister's a nominee?"

"Yeah, even though she's a major pain, she's still popular." Chelsea rolled her eyes as she checked off her
votes. I was definitely not voting for Alex but I did vote for Nick. I checked off a random girls name.
Heather Hanson—Chelsea said she was a cheerleader.

Loud music was already playing in the background as couples began filling the cavernous room. Moe and I
walked off to the concessions table with everyone's slips while the rest of our group secured a table.

"You really do look beautiful tonight," He smiled, kissing the top of my head.

"Thank you. You look quite dashing yourself." I complimented him as he poured a glass of punch for me. I
graciously took it from him, taking a sip as he poured himself a glass. I scanned all the happy faces and
happened upon Alex and Nick walking inside. Alex was dressed quite seductively in a revealing red dress.
My muscles tensed up as she gave me her signature death-glare, acknowledging my presence.

"You're going to crack your cup if you don't loosen your grip," Moe informed me, taking it from my hands.

"Sorry," I said.

He nodded, "I'm worried about you, Ana. Something is up that you're not telling me." Oh, God. Why did he
have to go all grandpa on me? It was bad enough that Grandpa could actually read my mind – but now I
had Moe - who could just as easily read me.

"Nothing's wrong, Moe. I can assure you that everything is fine." I lied. Yes, I felt bad – but this was my
battle. I didn't need anyone else fighting it for me.

"Alright, whatever you say. But I still think you're acting weird. You know you can tell me anything, right?"
He sipped his punch.

Okay, so now he was going to bring on the guilt. It was time to employ my acting skills once more, "Yes,
of course I do. Nothing is wrong," I said with a completely fake smile plastered on my face.

"I sure hope so." He dropped his cup into the trashcan and took my hand, "Ready to dance?"

"Definitely!" and with that, he led me into the middle of the dance floor.

I gently rested my head on his chest as the beginning of a slow song filled the room. Chelsea followed suit,
placing her head on Aiden's as they began to sway with the music.

I loved this moment – I could stay dancing in Moe's arms forever and never get tired. I loved how close
we were, how being in his embrace felt, how he smelled, how our bodies fit together like a perfect puzzle
piece. I loved him, and I was with out a doubt certain that I never wanted to be with out him.

"I love you," he whispered in my ear as we both gently swayed side to side in perfect synchronization. By
this point, I felt like we were the only two dancing in the room together. Everyone else around me had
faded out, everything faded out – except for Moe and I and my feelings for him

I lifted my head from his shoulders to meet his eyes, "I love you too." I kissed his lips tenderly at first
then it deepened into a passionate, smoldering kiss. I felt a slight tug on my dress; I turned to see
Chelsea giggling and became suddenly aware that the crowd around us was staring at the two of us.

I turned back to Moe, "Oops. How about we go sit down for a while?" I asked, embarrassed.
"Whatever you want babe."

****

"I'm tired!" Chelsea plopped down into the chair next to me, a cloud of pink feather floated around her.
She had just about enough of dancing for the evening; her heavy, voluminous dress made it hard for her
to maneuver the dance floor. Aiden pulled his chair closer to her and wrested his arm on the back of her
chair. Bryce and Mel eventually joined us at the table as well.

"There's going announce the Homecoming court in a few minutes." Mel informed us, pointing at the stage.

I looked towards the front of the ballroom where Dean Lipton and another staff member were sliding two
thrones and a podium across the stage. The music wasn't nearly as loud anymore and students had
stopped dancing turning their attention towards the stage as well.

"Good evening, students. I hope you all are behaving yourselves and having fun. We are about to
announce the Homecoming Queen and King and invite all nominees up on stage."

"Do you think your sister is gonna win?" I asked Chelsea.

"Of course she will. I bet she bribed half the student body to vote for her!" She laughed.

"Well, here's hoping for Heather Hanson!" I joked.

The Senior Class president and Vice-President handed Dean Lipton a large, white envelope. "And…the
Homecoming Queen and King are," There was a drastically long pause. "Alexia Woodrow and Nicholas
Suttler!"

Screams, applause, clapping and sighs could be heard from everyone around me. Some people were
happy for them, and others were devastated they didn't win. The spotlight scanned the room looking for
the two winners. Alex, of course, was gloating and basking in her victory. Nick, on the other hand, looked
as if he could care less.

Alex dragged Nick behind her, walking past Chelsea and me, rudely and purposely bumping into my side.
She glared and smiled at me at the same time—I didn't think it was possible to do both. My instincts to
growl kicked in – if it wasn't for Moe stopping me, I don't think I would've.

I gritted down on my teeth, "Congratulations."

She didn't even acknowledge me, but kept walking towards the stage for her tiara.

"Told ya. She always wins." Chelsea mumbled under her breath, watching her sister receive the crown that
she didn't deserve.

"That'll be you next year…I just know it." Aiden ran his fingers through her hair and then kissed the top of
her head. She blushed deeply, falling into his chest.

"Thanks, you're too sweet!" She stood up on her tiptoes, kissing him. "It doesn't matter to me anyway.
I'm having the time of my life just being with you."

****

We left the ballroom just before Midnight. I was floating on cloud nine. The dance was perfect—everything
I wished it to be. The four of us strolled to our car, laughing and recalling all the small details of our
wonderfully blissful night.

From behind, I heard the sounds stampeding feet. I turned abruptly—Alex was heading straight for us.
This couldn't be good.
"Get away from my sister, freak!" Alex screamed, her eyes penetrating at my family.

"Who are you calling a freak?" Aiden retorted, pulling Chelsea closer to him by her waist.

"You heard me! Get away from her!" Alex repeated, pulling Chelsea away from Aiden's hold.

"Alex! What are you doing? Why do you have to ruin everything?" Chelsea was yelling, too, tears
streaming down her face.

"Alex, come on, let's go." Nick begged. He was teetering side to side, pleading with Alex. I could smell the
alcohol emanating from the both of them.

Nick pulled Alex off of Chelsea. She ran to my side, hiding behind me. I turned to her, wiping away her
tears with the pocket square Moe handed to me. "Chels, get your sister home. Neither of them looks like
they're in any condition to drive." I informed her, "I can smell the alcohol on their breaths from here."

"Okay." She stifled a sob. "I'm sorry for ruining your night."

"Chels, you don't have to apologize to me. It's because she hates me that this is even happening. Go
home with your sister and call me later. Everything will be okay, I promise."

"'Kay." She replied meekly. Aiden placed his hands gently on her shoulders. She turned towards him,
hugging him tightly. "I'll call you when I get home." She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him. "I love
you,"

"I love you too," He replied, swiping her hair out of her face.

"Chelsea! Now!" Alex shouted over her shoulder.

Moe and I walked Chelsea to her sister's car. Nick climbed into the back; Chelsea sat in the driver's seat.

As Alex walked to the passenger side, I became infuriated by Alex's atrocious behavior. I chased her
around the car, spinning her to face me. Her breath reeked.

"What the hell is your problem, Alex?"

"My problem? You want to know my problem?" She slammed her door shut and came within inches of me.
Her eyes were wild—she was a woman possessed. "My problem is you and your family…your whole freaky
family! There's something not right about any of you! There's something wrong with you! I can feel it! I
can feel it in my bones! You're hiding something and I am telling you right now…I am going to find out! I
want you and your freaky brother to stay away from my sister!" Her horribly slurred, venomous words
stung. I could feel the tears welling in my eyes.

"When have you ever cared about Chelsea?" I yelled. Moe came from behind, restraining me by my arms.
"And there's nothing freaky or different about my family."

She glared at the both us before turning back to the car. "Keep telling yourself that, freak." She got into
the car, slamming the door shut.

Chelsea peeled out of the parking lot leaving me crying in Moe's arms.

****

Tuxedos in hand, I walked into the living room of my house. I was anxious to get out of my dress and into
regular clothes so I could meet up with the boys in the woods. Before I had the chance, my parents
bombarded me.

"1:15, Annie." Dad's stern voice rang through the foyer.

"Really, Dad? 15 minutes? I've been here on the property for almost half an hour so technically, I've been
home…"

"I'm just teasing. How was the dance?" He asked, beaming like a little kid.

"It was great! We had so much fun." I tried to sound more enthusiastic than I actually felt. Chelsea and
her sister were invading my every thought.

"Chelsea's not with you?" Mom moved to Dad's side, gently sweeping his dark hair out of the way.

"No, she went home with her sister. The boys are in the woods, I am going to meet them out there." I
wanted to tell them about the confrontation with Alex but decided to forgo telling them.

I draped the tuxedos over the La-Z Boy and started up the stairs.

"Alice?!" Dad called out. "What is it? "What's wrong?"

I turned to see her, trembling and shaking her head. "Jacob! I didn't see it coming!" Her voice was
desperate, filled with agony.

"She what?" I demanded.

The phone rang, startling me.

Dad quickly ran to the phone. "Hello?" His eyes darted to my family scattered around the room. "Carlisle,
what is it?"

Carlisle called from the hospital—he was working the grave shift.

"What!" Dad yelled. His face went pale and his expression, somber. He tuned away from us, bracing
himself against the wall. After a few moments of torturing silence, he hung up the phone.

"I'll go get the boys. Jazz, come with me." Alice said, sprinting out the door with Jasper following close
behind.

"Dad! What! What is it?" Mom was now at my side, holding my hand. The horrible sinking feeling in the pit
of my stomach returned. I felt lost and confused. Why wasn't he saying anything?

Dad walked into the kitchen, grabbing his coat and keys that were on the island counter. "We need to go
now. There's been an accident…Chelsea's in the hospital."

Chapter Forty-Three

I promised Chelsea everything was going to be okay. I was the one who told her to go home with her
sister. I was responsible for that accident. This was entirely my fault – had I not told her to go, she would
still be here with us.

Now she was lying in a hospital bed on the brink of death.

****

Dad pulled the truck up to the entrance of the hospital to drop Mom and me off as he parked the car.

"Excuse me," Mom addressed one of the nurses at the admission table, "I'm looking for my father, Dr.
Cullen."
"Let me check my charts," the nurse scanned her clipboard. "Dr. Cullen is on the fourth floor attending to
a patient. I can page him if you'd like."

"No, that's okay, we'll just head up there. He's expecting us."

We headed for the elevator. I tapped my foot impatiently while waiting for the doors to open. "Stairs
would have been faster," I jeered. The doors slid open. "Finally."

We walked briskly down the long hallway to the center of the ICU. Carlisle was already there, waiting for
us. "The nurse downstairs told me my daughters were here."

"Carlisle… please… what's wrong with Chelsea?" I asked, desperate for information.

"How bad is it Carlisle?" Mom added.

"From the statement the boy gave the police, he claims that Chelsea and Alex were arguing on their way
home from the dance. He and Alex were both intoxicated. Alex reached over and grabbed the steering
wheel sometime during the argument. Chelsea slammed on the breaks in the middle of the road and the
car ended up sideways. It was too late for Chelsea to do anything—an oncoming car crashed into the
driver's side, flipping the car over at least twice. We're doing everything we can to make her as
comfortable as possible."

"Comfortable? What does that mean?" A grave stare was plastered across my face. "When they say that
on TV it means the patient is dying." A huge lump was now stuck in the back of my throat – if Chelsea
died because of me, I'd never forgive myself – ever.

"Ana! Ana!" I turned in the direction my name was being called. Aiden, followed closely by Bryce, Moe and
Dad were barreling down the hallway. "Carlisle. Tell me! Please, what's going on?" Aiden was panting,
completely out of breath and soaked with sweat. "I need to see her!"

"Aiden, we can't let you in there right now. Chelsea suffered severe trauma. Several broken ribs, a
punctured lung, her vital organs were crushed beyond repair. There's nothing we can do for her. Her
father is with her now. He doesn't want her on life support any longer than she needs to be."

"You can't just take her off!" I yelled loudly – everyone in the entire hospital probably heard me, including
her father. How could a parent just give up on their child like that?

"Ana, we've been trying to persuade him otherwise." I watched his eyes fill with sorrow. "There isn't
anything we can do."

"What do mean there isn't anything we can do? Change her!" Aiden demanded.

"Aiden. Son, it's not that simple," Dad put his hand on Aiden's shoulder in an attempt to calm him.

"Not that simple? Just change her already!" I was gripping Aiden's hand, trying to restrain myself from
raising my voice any louder. "Why are we just standing here?"

"Ana, Chelsea's father is…"

"No! Why are we still discussing this? Just do it!"

"Ana! Do not raise your voice to Carlisle. You need to keep it together," Dad gripped both of my shoulders
in his hands. Tears were streaming down my face.

"I don't understand why you don't want to change her! She's one of us!" I broke away from Dad's grasp
throwing myself into Moe's arms. "And what about Nick and Alex?" I asked him, placing my hand on my
hip. "I hope Alex is worse off than Chelsea," I huffed under my breath.
"Aiyana Black! You take that back right now!" Mom reprimanded me. "We do not wish anything bad on
people – no matter how much you think they deserve it."

I didn't acknowledge she had even said a word – I was too wound up to even say anything – because what
was ready to fly out of my mouth wasn't going to be nice.

"Alex has a bad concussion and a few broken bones, very minimal injuries in comparison. She'll be fine
and recover quickly as well as Nick."

Inside I was screaming – I literately had to hold myself back from speaking out loud.

"Come on, let's all go to my office," Carlisle said calmly. "Edward and Bella are on their way with Seth and
Leah. We all need to talk."

****

Thirty minutes after we arrived at the hospital, my entire family was crammed into Carlisle small office.

"What do we do?" Edward asked.

"What can we do?" Mom replied.

"We change her. That's what we do. We can't let her die. Dad… please. You know I wouldn't be able to live
without her," Aiden was facing Dad.

"Aiden, it's not that we don't want to but…"

"But Chelsea's father won't leave her side and we need to figure out some way to buy us some time,"
Carlisle finished for Dad.

"Kids, why don't you all go outside and get some air. Let us talk, please. We'll figure something out."

"I don't want to go," Aiden said defiantly.

"Aiden. Please," Mom pleaded with him.

"Fine. But as you're done with the grown up talk, come get me."

The four of us walked out of the room, Bryce slammed the door shut behind us. I let go of Moe's hand and
walked over to Aiden.

"It's not fair, Ana," Aiden dropped down into one of the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room. He
dropped his face into his hands.

"I know," I rubbed his back consolingly.

Tears started to fill his eyes – but shortly after, they turned straight to rage. "I'll be back," He said and
took off abruptly.

"Follow him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," I said to Moe and Bryce. Both of them nodded
in unison, taking off in the Aiden's direction.

I heard yelling come from inside Nick's room – this definitely wasn't good. Aiden's voice was booming.
"Why didn't you help Chelsea? How could you do that to her? Do you have any idea what you've done?!"
He went to put his hands around his throat – thankfully Bryce and Moe stopped him. The fury that was
raging through his body was emanating off of him. Jasper would be going insane if he were here.
"Dude, chill. We don't need assault charges right now and if it is anyone's fault, it's Alex's. She knew
exactly what she was doing," I watched as Moe told him, holding him in a vice-like grip away from Nick.

"I'm sorry! I tried to stop her. Alex was drunk," he scooted towards the back of the bed, running his hands
through his blond hair. "It all happened so fast, Alex was yelling at Chelsea and Chelsea was defending
herself - before I knew it there were headlights and a loud crash."

I decided that since Moe and Bryce seemed to have Aiden under somewhat control, it was about time that
I paid a visit to Alex.

I slipped inside her room, poking my head out the door to make sure none of my family saw me entering
her room. Alex was asleep on her bed, a brace wrapped around her neck and a fresh cast on her right
arm.

"You got off too easy," I whispered, trailing my fingers up her cast. "I could kill you right now. No one
would know.

"Can you hear me in there? I know you can… you're not in a coma like your sister. You don't even deserve
the privilege to breathe – but you know what? I'm going to let you live. Do you want to know why?" I was
certain that even unconscious, Alex could hear me.

"I'm going to let you live because your sister might die and rather than me killing you – which would
actually be the easy way out – I'm going to let you live with the fact that you killed her. Every single day
that she crosses your mind, you can know that you've caused all of this!" I hadn't realized it – but during
my ranting, my grip had tightened on the railing alongside her bed, crushing it.

"Ana? What are you doing in here?" Em asked.

"Nothing. Just talking," I straightened my stance, no longer leaning towards Alex's ear.

"Ana, get out of here. Now," Jasper demanded. He must have felt my rage boiling over.

"Where's Aiden?" I asked Moe who was waiting for me outside of Alex's room.

"In the woods with your brother. Don't worry, Nick's still alive."

"I should go to him. He needs me right now."

"Sweetheart, give him a moment to calm down." He opened his arms for me to walk into his embrace. I
immediately accepted his offer, crashing into his chest. Being in his arms was the only thing that felt
comforting to me at the moment.

"I love you," Moe looked down at me adoringly, kissing the top of my head.

I inhaled and exhaled in his aroma, "I love you, too. How did everything just completely turn around like
this? One second everything was completely fine and blissful and then it all just changed."

"I know, I know. That's just what comes with being who were are, Hun. There is always some sort of task
we're constantly battling. But you're not to fear, everything will be okay." He kissed my cheek, guiding my
by hands over to the plastic chairs outside in the hall.

"I really hope so," I rested my head against his chest as he wrapped his muscular arms around my torso –
he pulled our bodies close together, which caused me to smile. That was the first time I had smiled since I
heard about Chelsea – it felt good to feel a bit of joy – to relish in it for a moment.

"I want you to know something," Moe began, shifting his weight in the seat.

"What's that?" I turned around on his lap, looking into his eyes.
"I want to make a promise to you. I promise that as long as I'm alive – I'll always keep you safe and never
let anything happen to you, okay?"

I brought my lips to his, kissing him gently. "Thank you, but you know you don't have to promise that to
me."

"Yes, I do. I'll never let you be in a circumstance like Chelsea's in – as long as I'm alive to stop it."

"Thanks." I paused, understanding how hard this really must be for Aiden. Knowing him, he probably felt
like this was entirely his fault. "I've got to talk to Aiden – now." I got up, not really knowing where I was
going to go – but I had to find him. I quickly darted for the first exit as Moe quickly followed behind me.

I tracked my brothers' scents fairly easily– they were off to the west, just a few miles. After about two
minutes of running I found them. Aiden and Bryce were sitting on a rock, picking up chiseled pieces of
bark, chucking them into the darkness before them.

"I'm going back to the hospital. I'll leave you alone with your brothers," Moe kissed me before turning
back, "I love you."

"Aiden," I placed my hand on his shoulder as comfortingly as possible. "Are you alight?"

"I'll never be alright unless Chelsea is." He mumbled, burying his head in his hands.

"I'm so sorry," I went around in front of him and hugged him. "I love you, don't worry. Everything will be
alright."

"Mom and Dad will figure something out. You must know that," Bryce added.

"Oh, yeah? And what if they don't? What then? I can't live without her."

"Aiden, don't talk like that!" I said.

"I'm sorry. I can't help it."

"We understand," I replied. "All we can do now is wait."

Chapter Forty-Four

Chelsea's funeral was even more painful than Grandma Sue's—even if it was staged.

(Four Days ago: Chelsea's hospital room)

My heart clenched and I couldn't stop the tears. My best friend and my brother's imprint was dying in the
next room and there was nothing anyone could or would do. All we had been doing was waiting. The wait
is what killed me. Six hours. Six long, dreadful hours. Waiting for news on what the next step would be. I
couldn't bring myself to go to her room—to watch her die. I tried to convince myself that this was all a bad
dream, a nightmare that I was unable to control.

Human life is so fragile. Mom's words from what seemed so long ago repeated over and over in my head.

I sat in the chair outside her door. The long white hallway was empty—it was late after all. I rested my
head against the cold wall and closed my eyes—my mind was restless but my body was tired. I felt a
feverishly warm hand caress my face.

"You plan on ever going home?" Moe asked me quietly. He sat down in the empty chair next to me and
wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I rested my heavy head on the crook of his neck. The heat exuding
from his body was lulling me to sleep.
"I can't. We don't know how much time she has left and I feel like I need to be here. I can't even think
about going home." I laced my fingers with his and closed my eyes again. "When was the last time you
saw Aiden?"

"Just a few minutes ago. He won't phase back. Bryce is with him and so is your father." He stroked my
face with his free hand that was previously gripped around my bicep. "I wanted to come see you. Make
sure you're okay."

"I'm not okay. I can't imagine ever being okay again if…she dies." I started sobbing again—crying into his
shirt.

"Shhhh…Ana, I'm so sorry. I don't know how I can help you. But I'm so sorry. It pains me to see you and
Aiden like this." He pulled me to his lap and squeezed me tightly in his arms, kissing my hair and rocking
my gently back and forth. We stayed like this for a long time.

****

I had fallen asleep in Moe's arms. Grams and Grandpa shook me gently out of my sleep. "What's going
on?"

"Ana-bear, you need to come with us." Grams sweet voice replied.

"I should head back anyway. See if your brothers are still up." Moe said as he unwrapped his arms from
around my waist. He kissed my forehead tenderly before I rose to stand with my grandparents. "I love
you." He whispered in my ear.

"I love you too." Then I kissed him on the cheek and followed behind my grandparents.

We walked into Chelsea's room. I could have sworn it was a funeral. That is what it felt like—full of
sadness and misery. My entire family save Aiden and Bryce were present.

"Family meeting?" I asked, curious. Before anyone said a word, Dad released Mom's hand and walked
towards me. He hugged my so tightly I thought I was going to burst. He kissed my forehead and I felt a
teardrop land on the tip of my nose.

"I love you, kiddo. I have to go." He released me from the bear hug and set me back on the ground. He
walked out the door with Seth and Leah—not once looking back.

***********

"I've bought us some time. Three days, just long enough for Chelsea to complete the change. I've
convinced her father to wait until Alex is awake before we take Chelsea off life support. I am going to keep
Alex sedated to keep her from waking any earlier. But we need you to talk to Ana. Get inside her head and
explain to her what's going on."

"Thank you." Was all I could say. My face felt swollen from all the crying I'd done through the night and
early morning.

"We'll give you some privacy." Grandpa motioned for everyone to clear out of the room. I was hugged and
kissed by them all. Mom was last.

"We love you very much. Come get Carlisle when you're done... she doesn't have much time left." She
took my face between her hands and kissed my cheek. Then she hugged me and cried into my shoulder.

"Mom, it'll be okay." It was strange to be the one consoling her after all the consoling she had done for
me. "I love you. Tell everyone… thank you."

****
Carlisle said that when people are in comas they could still hear you. Their brains are still functioning for
the most part, which was good—it would make what I was about to do much easier.

This was the first time I had seen Chelsea since I arrived at the hospital. I went to Chelsea's bedside and
held her hand. It was cold—not ice cold like a vampires—but colder than my own. Even through all the
tubes and the wires, she was still beautiful and she looked peaceful in her stillness. She was on so much
medication—Carlisle said she was in no pain. I pulled a chair close to her bed—her hand still in mine—and
closed my eyes, reaching out to her conciseness.

We were at the clearing on our property where our family played baseball. Chelsea stood in the center of it
in a long, flowy black dress.

"Ana?"

"Hi, Chels."

"Where have I been? It feels like I haven't seen you in forever! Where's Deni?"

"Deni isn't here right now. He can't be, Chels. He doesn't know that I'm here. You…you've been hurt…very
badly."

"I don't feel hurt. Actually, I don't feel anything at all."

"You're at the hospital and you're on pain medication."

"I remember…the last thing I remember is being with Alex."

"Alex was hurt too. But she'll be okay. She'll survive." Unfortunately—I thought to myself.

"Survive?"

"You're…dying, Chels."

"What! I'm only 17!" She stayed frozen in her position, tears cascaded down the sides of her face.

"I know. I'm so sorry."

"I don't want to die, Ana." She raised her head so her eyes could meet mine. "Are you here to say good
bye?"

"I'm here…here to give you a choice."

She walked swiftly, closing the gap between us, "And what choice would that be?"

"To go, to die as mortal humans do or…to become one of us. To be changed—to become immortal."

"What about your Dad? His tribe…his pack? I thought…he couldn't allow this."

"Do you think my father could stand there and let you die…watch his son live the rest of his life in misery—
never experiencing happiness ever again—knowing that we can…save you? His family is above all else,
even his pack and his duty to his people. But the choice is yours…we will not take your life from you unless
you release it willingly."

"My life has already been taken from me. Ana, I've told you before…I want to be like you and your family.
I want to be with Deni. Please, save me!"
"Everything will be different. It will not be easy. But we will be there for you, to help you. You'll have
Aiden, but…"

"But what?"

"Remember what I told you? That vampire's venom is fatal to shape-shifters?"

"I would never hurt Deni! How could you think that?"

"I have to. I'm sorry, but the reality is…it's going to difficult your first few years. Even around him. I know
how much you love each other and I know you would never intentionally hurt him. I just have to remind
you—make you aware of what's at risk."

"His life is at stake, too. By changing me."

"Yes. Are you willing to take that risk?"

"Is he?"

"Absolutely. He asked for this, too. What about your family? Your father?"

She stood quietly for a long time, fumbling with her hands—her human twitch that would not carry over
into her immortal life. "Sometimes…we have to make sacrifices. And anyway, I'm practically dead, aren't
I?"

I nodded.

"Is it going to hurt?"

"You're already on a lot of medication. Carlisle is going to inject the venom straight into your heart mixed
with another shot of morphine to help it spread through your body. It was how Grams was changed. You
probably won't feel much of it—just a dull burning sensation. We'll be there when you wake up. All of us—
including Deni. There's gonna be a funeral—you'll have to play dead—stay completely still. It's going to be
extremely difficult—at the funeral…with all the human around…in your newborn state."

"You're trying to tell me I'm going to want to eat them aren't you?" She chuckled. At least she still had her
sense of humor.

"When you say eat...it makes us sound like cannibals. We prefer the term 'drink', Chels." I joked.

"Guess I'll have to remember that."

"But I know that you can do it—you just have to suffer through that first day, then we can get you home….
Oh yeah, we'll have to…dig you up at the cemetery later that night. I sure hope you're not claustrophobic."

"This is all so…"

"Morbid?"

"Yeah. How long will it take?"

"Three at the most."

"And Deni? Do you think he'll still love me even when I'm different."

I hesitated for a moment and thought about her question—but in my heart, I knew the answer, "Of course
he will."
The sides of her lips curled into a toothy smile, "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." She walked closer and hugged me, "Good bye, Ana. I love you…see you soon, sis."

*******************

Epilogue

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

-One Year Later-

"Oh, my God, I'm so nervous," Ana exclaimed, shaking out her hands furiously as if they were on fire.

"Ana, stop. You're freaking out for no reason," I held her hands to comfort her. "And you look absolutely
gorgeous, I might add." She breathed in deeply. Relief instantly washed over her face at my touch.

"Thanks, Chels."

Carlisle says that sometimes, when a human is changed, they carry over with them something special—he
says that my bottomless well of kindness and happiness carried over with me. I was blessed with an
extraordinary gift, much like Jasper's. Through my touch, I can manipulate a plethora of emotions, bend
their will if you may; I can calm, excite, surprise, incite sadness and fear or enrage the other person
though—I would never do the latter of those things. It's not in my nature.

"Hey, sis, nervous?" Aiden asked, wrapping one arm securely around my waist, and kissed my forehead.

"Not anymore," Ana replied with a toothy smile, winking at me.

"Where's Bryce?" I asked, adjusting his tie.

"With Alkaia and Dad, ushering everyone to their seats." Alkaia was Nahuel's half-vampire, Amazonian
goddess of a sister—and Bryce's imprint. We've never seen him so happy. Ever since my change—and
even more so after he imprinted—things between Bryce and me couldn't be better. He was the older
brother I always wanted.

"Ana!" Alice beckoned, waving at her furiously.

"Oh, no. What now?" Ana rolled her eyes.

"Just want to make sure you're perfect is all!" Alice said cheerily, dragging Ana behind her. "We'll be right
back."

"Have fun," I said sarcastically as Ana handed me her bouquet.

Aiden and I were alone for the first time in days. With the last minute craziness of the wedding, we were
both kept pretty busy. Ana and Moe announced their engagement the day we arrived in Rio six months
ago. I was so honored when she asked me to be her Maid of Honor. I would have bawled like a baby were
I able to do so. "I've missed you," I said, rising on my tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips.

"Not as much as I've missed you." Our lips moved together in perfect synchronization. Aiden and I had a
rough first year with my transition to this new life. It hasn't been easy—there were times when I found it
so hard to fight my instinctual urges. But he was always there, patient, supporting and loving. He never
gave up on me. Despite all the hardships we faced, I loved every minute of it.
I can't say that I'm mad or bear a grudge against Alex for the events on that fateful day one year ago. If it
had not been for the accident, I wouldn't be here, living my life for eternity with my soul mate. So, I guess
in a way, I was grateful for it. Morbid-sounding, right?

"Hey, you two! Knock it off," Bryce teased. He walked over to us hand-in-hand with Alkaia. She looked
stunning in her bridesmaid dress.

"Ele não parece bonito no seu terno?" Alkaia purred in her thick Brazilian accent, smoothing out the
wrinkles on his tux.

"Obrigado." Bryce was actually blushing.

"I see your Portuguese is getting better," Aiden noted.

"She's a very good teacher." Bryce trailed his finger down the side of Alkaia's face.

"You're a good student," she giggled.

"I don't wanna know," Aiden added.

"I swear, that woman is so annoying sometimes," Ana huffed from behind us. I grabbed her hand, helping
her to relax again.

"Chels, you're a lifesaver. What would I do without you?"

"Everyone ready?" Jacob asked hurriedly. He looked like a nervous wreck.

"We're all here and accounted for," I said, placing my hand on his shoulder.

Alice stood to the side of the double-doors that led to the interior of the church. "Places everyone. And
Bryce, remember to count!"

"Oh, jeez, Alice. I'm not dumb. We've been over this a thousand times."

The doors swung open and the string quartet started the procession music. After Alice gave the cue, Bryce
and Alkaia started down the aisle. Aiden and I walked to the entranceway. I turned back to Ana and
smiled.

"You ready? Everything good to go?"

"Yes, " she looked up to Jacob and then smiled back at me. "Everything's perfect."

I looked at Deni, gazing into his adoring, loving eyes. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

The end.

A/N 2: Please check out 'Phases,' the prequel to this story. Here is the Prologue for those of
you who have not read it yet:

Prologue

"What is it? What's wrong?" I asked my best friend, my protector—my first love.

"Nessie, I'm leaving for La Push tomorrow," he replied solemnly, his hands buried in the depths of his
pockets, as he stared at the floor. He was refusing to make eye contact.
"Leaving? Why? Is it because…because I kissed you?" my voice wavered nervously at the end.

It happened yesterday. I'd always been impulsive, acting before thinking things through. I couldn't help
it—there was something that drew me to him. Jake backed away from me—actually he pushed me back—
after I kissed him.

"No. Though, that shouldn't have happened. Ness, I'm suffocating here… around all those leeches," his
voice was full of disgust but he shot me an apologetic look. "Sorry. No offense."

"None taken," I replied nonchalantly. I understood what he meant—about suffocating. Denali was nothing
like Forks or La Push. I, too, felt trapped here—like I was a prisoner. Sure it was beautiful—and safe—but I
wasn't allowed to do anything. I wasn't allowed to go to school—to have a life.

"I just need to get away for a little while is all."

"Are you sure that's the only reason? Are you sure it's not because of me? The way you feel about me?"

He leaned back against the wall, hands on his knees–shaking his head. "Nessie, you're just… a kid," he
said, remorsefully.

Oh no, he didn't! I hated that everyone still thought of me as a 'kid'—even though, technically, he was
right. For every year that passed, I aged three. I was 15 according to those calculations, though I could
easily pass for 16 or 17.

"Jake… I see the way you look at me." I stepped towards him, closing the distance between us. I bravely
trailed my index finger down his chest—the heat beneath my finger was like a furnace.

He brushed past me, his elbows cocked out to the side as he placed his hands behind his head. "Nessie,
you have the wrong idea. I love you—but not like that. This… this isn't happening. This can't happen!"

"Why not? There's something here—between us. Can't you feel it? I know I can – I feel it every time I see
you, touch you, hear your voice."

"Ness…"

I cut him off, placing my finger over his lips to silence him. "Jake, please. I love you. Don't you love me
too? I know you have do, right?"

"Nessie, no. You're too young! You're five for Christ's sake!" His back slid down the opposite wall and he
sat cross-legged with his face buried in his hands. "I love you, but not like that."

Tears started forming in the corners of my eyes as I squatted in front of him, pulling his hands away from
his face and keeping them securely in mine.

"I'm sorry, Nessie. I just can't." He pulled his hands out from mine abruptly and ran out into the darkness,
leaving me alone and crying. I stood there for what seemed an eternity, staring teary eyed at the forest
that lined the majestic Alaskan Range.

"I won't be a kid forever, Jacob Black."