It was early morning when we caught the scent of the leech, she hedged herself in the mountains and Sam thought we had her this time. She managed to get around them and was heading back towards the city.

And I was in the way.

'I'm caught her scent, tracking now. If I find her' I growled thinking about killing her. I imagined a millions ways I could rip her head off, but caught myself. If I messed up and she got away, I couldn't handle that. I growled again 'I'll tail her until you guys get here'

'we're on the way' Sam responded.

I could tell they were farther out than I originally thought, which put a hinge in my plan. I didn't know if I could wait that long. The anger was returning. I could see her holding my mom, could see her running away... I dug my feet into the ground, grounding myself.

I knew the hunters were in the forest, I had to be alert and not focusing on anger. One mistake could cost a life.

I ran through the winding woods silently, feeling the thrum of life in my paws. Everything was fine, I hadn't seen the leech yet, but I was getting closer, the pull was getting stronger, and the smell was becoming more potent.

Yet, mixed with the sickly sweet, was another smell. A human smell. One that was very important – Charlie.

If he was close, so was Harry and Mark and the rest of the hunters. I couldn't let the leech get to them. I relayed the information to the others, and was going to wait for Sam like he told me to but the moment I saw the leech I couldn't stay.

She was right behind Charlie with Harry Clearwater in her grasp. His face was pained as he gasped for breath, his heart stuttering. Mark was right behind him his gun aimed, it would do nothing, but he didn't know that.

Without thinking I barreled into her, hearing a gunshot along the way. The red head let Harry go and the two of us tumbled down the mountain to a small clearing. The sound of scrambling men rang out, but it wasn't enough to distract either of us.

We locked eyes and I knew she remembered me. I knew she knew who I was, I wasn't just some wolf. I was one of her targets. A loud threatening growl left my throat, as we stared each other down. It was like time slowed, a hundred years or a hundred seconds could have passed while we stared each other down, daring the other to move.

I moved first. I let out a low growl then launched myself at her, propelling myself with my back legs. When I lurched at her, I had hoped she would jump back, right into Sam's path, but she flipped over me and took off in the other direction with the entire pack right behind her.

I was the closest, right on her heels, so close I could nearly grab them but every time I nipped at her she would appear a few feet in front of me, like a glitch in a video game.

She was leading us towards the cliffs, pushing us harder every time. I tried vehemently to stop her from launching into the ocean, she could swim around and get to the reservation. She could get access to a huge number of victims. She could get to my mom or Bella.

I got close enough to grab the fur of her jacket before she launched herself into the ocean below. I jumped to a lower cliff looking into the water hoping I would find her exit. But I didn't, she didn't need to breath like the rest of us. And she proved that by staying under the water.

I left Sam and the others to check the beach, while the others helped Harry. Giving the excuse of hearing the gunshot. I ran along the ocean, getting closer to the beach but I never made it there. My mind and body guiding me to the cliffs, the ones we jump from, the ones Jacob promised to take Bella too.

That's where I saw her.

Bella, falling from the highest bluff. I managed to inform Sam and put on a pair of clothes, before launching myself into the water after her.

I was stronger than her, so I could easily fight against the waves. I grabbed Bella's arm and pulled her up, keeping her head out of the water. I swam as hard as I could, I could see the beach, it was so close I just needed to make it.

Quickly I dragged her onto the sand, her lips were blue, and she wasn't breathing. A pang radiated in my chest as I began CPR. I couldn't let another person die on my watch. "Breath..." I kept up the chest compressions "come on Bella, I need you to breath"

Suddenly she coughed up some water and opened her eyes. "Bella, can you hear me?"

"How long has she been unconscious?" Sam asked as he approached with Jacob.

"not long, maybe a few minutes. She's breathing, but if she stays here, she'll get hypothermia"

"is it safe to move her?" Jacob asked as he crowded around us.

"Jake, you need to back up and give her some room" I replied to a sharp look on my face. The last thing we needed to do was freak her out or cause her to feel crowded.

I looked between the others. Sam was right, we needed to get her out of the cold, or she will get worse. "Bella? Can you hear me?"

She let out a shuddering breath "Alex?"

I sighed as I looked at the girl. "come on we need to get you home..." I looked up at Sam as I handed Bella my jacket. "what about Harry?"

"I'm going back to the hospital to check on him now"

I paused, my mom and Eve would be at the hospital. Harry's family. So I decided that was where I needed to be. Jacob could handle this, besides he's the one who promised to take her cliff jumping if he didn't plant the idea in her head she might not be in this position. "Jake, take Bella home. I'm going with Sam"

I followed after Sam, but he stopped me just before we enter the tree line. His eyes narrowing in on the blood seeping from my side.

"what's this?"

I looked down cupping the injury, it hurt, more than I thought it would. "I don't know..."

"It looks like a bullet wound" Sam replied examining the wound. "come on we need to get this fixed before we get to the hospital."

He rushed me to his home where he and Emily worked to pull a bullet out of my side. Everything came back, I remember hearing the gunshot. Sam did too but no one thought anything of it.

"I guess Mark got you while trying to get the red head" Sam said as he and Emily placed a bandage on my side. I grabbed the bullet and examined it. I guess if there is something stuck in the wound it cant close up safely.

Or this was my kryptonite.

After they fixed me up we went to the hospital. I needed to worry about Harry. I prayed to whatever gods there were that he would be okay, somewhere in the back of my mind though, I knew he wasn't. Harry had a bad heart, and that leech may have scared him to death. Of course, me appearing out of thin air and knocking him to the ground didn't help.

My mom, Charlie, Mark, the Pack, Sue, Leah, and Seth, along with half the tribe and hunters from the woods were in the hospital. Harry was important to us all. We sat in tense silence; I paced the halls hoping for some good news. It wasn't long before we got an answer. And it wasn't the good news we were hoping for, but rather the unfortunate news we all knew was coming.

Harry Clearwater passed.

The shrill scream from Sue was too much. I couldn't stay. I couldn't stay here and listen if only I was faster, if I got to them sooner, Harry might be okay.

"Alex?" My mom said as I headed for the door, I shook my head unable to stop it. All my emotions took over and I couldn't control it. Sadness, Helplessness, fear it soon became anger, anger at the leech, anger at myself, how unfair the world was.

"Alex, go on" Sam nodded giving me the escape I so desperately needed. I got out of the hospital and into the forest just before I phased. I took off running, nowhere in mind I just needed to get out of here.

It's only a few minutes before I hear the voices of others. I kept running, hoping at one point the voices would disappear. I made it all the way to the Canadian border, but the voices were still present. I turned around and headed for home. I could get silence if I was a human.

I found myself trailing close to Forks, the Swan residence. I don't know why but the closer I get the stronger the scent gets. It wasn't a sickly-sweet smell, it was citrusy. It was a vampire, not Victoria but another one.

Anger coursed through me, right now I don't care who it was I want someone to pay, and any leech will do. The only problem they were in Charlie's house. I would have to wait for them to come out.

I paced the length of the woods, when I saw Bella pull up, I tensed. But I heard her argument with Jacob, if she thought it was the Cullens then it would complicate things. When I caught sight of the car in the drive, I recognized it.

It was Carlisle's. I couldn't do anything unless I wanted to start a war... And no matter how mad I was, I didn't want that, I didn't want to hurt Carlisle. I know I said any vampire, but they never hurt anyone.