Realising we were alone in this fight I was sworn to secrecy to not tell my family or the pack about the forthcoming battle. If they knew of impending danger they would withdraw me from the fight and keep me on lock down with the whole pack standing guard around the house.

As soon as Carlisle came to terms with the fact we were alone, Edward and Carlisle left the room to talk privately, about what to do with Bella when the fight was upon us. They'd most likely hand her over to the wolves, Jake would watch over her, they could trust him with her protection.

I explained this to Bella when the rest of the family left the room.

The next topic she brought up caught me completely off guard. "Have you heard of imprinting?"

I looked at her with confusion, I had some familiarisation with the word. "No? What is it?" She looked slightly alarmed, like she expected me to know to answer an impending question.

"I thought you would know... my first question was just to start up the conversation." She looked down at her shoes, slightly embarrassed. "Jacob told me about it. You know Emily and Sam and Kim and Jared are just so completely in love, like its magic?"

She looked back up at me expectantly. "Yeah," I breathed, must be a strong love connection if it can tame Jared for a few hours.

"Well that's what imprinting is, only wolves can do it. Its how they find their soulmates. Do you remember the story the other night about Taha Aki, his third wife? Billy described her as his true spirit wife, that's the same thing. Imprinting." Bella explained enthusiastically but I was lost in my own mind. Why would Jake tell Bella about this and not me? Why had none of my friends told me about this?

"It sounds romantic." I sighed, not wanting to sound too disappointed.

"That's what I thought... anyway, there's no point me asking the question now seeing as you didn't know about imprinting in the first place. " To some extent I felt like she was rubbing it in my face.

"Come on just tell me." I urged, refraining from rolling my eyes.

"Well, Jacob told me he had imprinted on someone, he just wouldn't tell me who. I was hoping you would know." My throat went completely dry as I fought back the urge to cry.

It was obvious that Jake hadn't imprinted on me, otherwise he would have told Bella and told me about imprinting in the first place, right? And he hadn't imprinted on Bella because he would have told her that as well. So who was this mystery girl and why was he still trying to string me along? I didn't know how but I was going to get the answers for myself, he couldn't keep secrets from me anymore. I wasn't going to allow it, he was on thin ice with me anyway, it wasn't going to take long for him to fall through.

* * *

Shifts between the wolves and Cullens had continued as we watched over Bella's house. Today the Cullens had been out hunting and Jake was watching over Bella whilst I was stuck guarding the house. It was a boring job and I had spent most of the day playing on my phone and picking at the grass. I was alone as the others had to go back to regular patrols.

A few days had passed since learning about the upcoming fight in Seattle and I had stuck to my promise and not told the pack a single thing about it. Finals were now over and graduation was only a few days away. Once it was out of the way we were going to leave and who knew if we'd all make it back.

My thoughts were instantly interrupted by the sound of Jake's car pulling into Bella's driveway and the screeching of secondary tyres that came soon after.

"Edward!" Bella's voice was panicked and I quickly sped out of my hiding spot towards the front of the house.

"If you ever touch her against her will again!" Edward spat grabbing a hold of Jake pushing him back.

"Don't do this here!" Bella said quickly trying to separate them, she was holding her right hand close to her chest as if she'd badly hurt it, when I got a closer look the purple bruising confirmed what I had thought.

"She's not sure what she wants." Jake spat back.

What the hell is going on?

"Guys! What's going on?" I yelled running towards them as they squared each other up.

"Don't do this here!" Bella repeated trying to break them apart but who was she kidding.

"Let me give you a clue. Wait for her to say the words." Edward began as I tried to get in between them, forcing them apart. Jake was easier to shove away being weaker in this form compared to Edward.

"Fine! And she will." Jake said, oblivious to me shoving him back – he didn't even lose his balance.

"Jacob just go okay?" Bella shouted from beside us as Edward placed a hand on my shoulder pulling me towards him and away from Jake. He was worried Jake was going to phase as he shook fiercely.

Jacob's eyes flashed down to me and then Edward's hand on my shoulder, the ripples running over his shoulders dulled considerably.

"Hey, hey, hey! Easy guys. Easy." Uncle Charlie said running out of the house and down the steps. "Let's take it down a notch. All right?" Charlie said stepping between them meaning they had to instantly calm down now another human was involved. "What's going on?" He asked looking between the two boys and then down to me in front of him and then Bella who was still a few feet away from us.

Jake spoke first.

"I kissed Bella."

His words felt like he'd plunged a dagger into my heart, as if he kept twisting and twisting it inside me, the pain getting increasingly worse as he created the hole in my heart. My lungs faltered, forgetting how to breathe, as my legs buckled beneath me, Edward's hand swiftly moved from my shoulder to my waist to keep me standing.

These past few weeks I had tried to be strong, tried and failed to keep him at a distance and I had let him back in – only to end up being more hurt than the first time he betrayed me. It was obvious now his so-called imprint was Bella. The way she described it made it sound like he had to be completely devoted to that individual... he wasn't devoted to me, he'd slipped up and proved he was lying yet again.

I could feel him watching me and I looked up at him with complete pain and disgust. His own eyes seemed to be filling with tears and I looked away.

"What happened to your hand?" Charlie asked.

"She broke her hand. Punching my face." Jacob said quietly and if I wasn't in so much pain right now I would have laughed at him.

"I'll take her to Carlisle." Edward spoke up, nodding once at Charlie before placing a hand on the small of my back to turn me away from Jacob. Edward then reached for Bella to help her into his Volvo.

"Aria?" Jacob called but I didn't even turn around. The knife was still twisting inside my chest as I climbed into the back of the car... I wasn't going to heal from this. Not this time. I finally heaved out the air I had been holding in my lungs and that's when the tears began to fall.

The drive to the Cullens' was silent. Well it was on my part. I ignored Edward and Bella's complaints about Jacob. I let the tears run silently down my face as we drove. I couldn't believe he had done that. After everything he said to me. He disgusted me.

What infuriated me the most was that I was stupid enough to let him just waltz back into my life again. My guard fell right back down after we made up... ergh I was so stupid!

When we got to the house everyone was waiting for us by the front of the house. When Edward brought the car to a stop I didn't even acknowledge them. I got out the car and walked silently toward the treeline.

Once I was hidden in the darkness I allowed myself to unleash, not caring if the family heard me. My tears began to sting my eyes as I brought my fists against the thick tree trunks, but the force I had hoped to emit wasn't in me, as soon as my skin touched the bark I folded, my knees gave way and I sunk to the ground in a sobbing mess.

I was being hypocritical really, I had 'cheated' on Ryan with Jake, Jake had 'cheated' on me with Bella. It was a viscous circle that needed to come to an end, I was going to make sure that happened tonight.

I sat for a little longer beside the towering tree, collecting myself ready to tell them I'd be going home tonight. I entered the house silently, not surprised to see everyone crowding around Bella.

Esme turned to looked at me first, her face was the picture of concern but when she made the movement to begin towards me she suddenly froze in place. "Aria your eyes." She seemed startled, she even placed her hand over her still chest.

My eyes? Did they just look sore and bloodshot from the crying?

The rest of the family turned to look at me then, the same exact shocked expressions on their face. "Aria your eyes... they aren't red anymore." Bella gasped.

"What?" I whispered.

"They're gold." Carlisle answered stepping towards me. "It's so much less compared to what the red was. It looks as if it could actually be a real eye colour."

I didn't know what to say. I was thankful that my eyes were no longer red but I was too low to show any happy emotions.

"Aria are you okay?" Alice asked but Edward shook his head, a silent way of saying to leave it alone for now.

I cleared my throat. "If it's alright with everyone I'd like to go home." I asked quietly and they nodded.

"Do you want me to drive you?" Edward asked and I shook my head.

"No I'll be fine. But thank you." I said goodbye to everyone before I sprinted out the door and made my way home.

As I ran the twisting in my chest became harsher, it was like the closer I got to him the harder it became to breathe. God I hated him!

I arrived at my house with new tears on my face and stopped when I heard yelling coming from around the back. I made my way round and gasped when I saw Jake and Jesse fighting. There was blood all over them and the force in which they were fighting sounded like it was breaking bones.

"Aria!" Jake spotted me first but was cut off by Jesse's fist colliding with his face, a loud crack filling the air afterwards.

"How fucking dare you!?" Jesse yelled throwing him to the ground. "She's my little sister and you ignored what I asked of you and fucking hurt her again!" Jesse kicked him in the stomach.

"I didn't mean it." Jake spat out blood onto the floor before grabbing Jesse's leg and pulling him to the ground so he could get up.

"Didn't mean it?" Jesse said sarcastically before Jake punched Jesse in the jaw.

I felt torn, Jake deserved to be punched, he deserved to be beaten to a pulp. But I didn't want him to drag Jesse down with him.

A car was heard pulling up and then doors slamming shut. I turned to see Seth and Tori running over hand in hand.

"Jesse!" Tori screamed as Jake punched him again. Seth grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back.

"Seth go call the others!" I said and he hesitated. "Now Seth!" I screamed and he left Tori jogging off into the woods.

Jake was much bigger than Jesse and his punches seemed to be causing more damage than Jesse's. Tori screamed as Jake punched him around the face again. Tori was now going to see the real me.

Using my vampire speed I ran out to them both, mustering all my strength to push Jake away from my brother. He went flying across the grass and landed at least twenty metres away from us.

"Aria? What?" I heard Tori's voice but ignored her for the moment as I looked at Jesse.

"Are you okay?" I asked him as he sat up cracking his nose back into place.

"Yeah, but are you?" He asked me, placing a bloodied hand on my shoulder.

"No." I whispered and he pulled me in for a hug, I didn't care about the blood.

"Aria?" Jake's voice came from behind Jesse and I, and we both stood and turned to him.

"Don't fucking talk to her!" Jesse spat but I intervened.

"I'll handle this Jesse." I turned to Jake walking up to him. "How dare you do this to me!" I spat pushing him so he fell back again just as multiple howls filled the air.

"I didn't mean it!" He pleaded as he got back to his feet.

"I've had enough of your pathetic excuses." I warned him, pushing him again. "I've had enough." I yelled just as the boys came into view from the tree line and ran over. I pushed him again and fell back right in front of their feet. "Why did you do this to me?" I cried as he stood again.

"Ari please I'm sorry. Just give me another chance." He begged and I laughed bitterly.

"How many chances do you want? I'm tired of this, I'm tired of being treated like nothing. I'm tired of having my heart broken Jacob." I shoved at him and he caught my arms.

"I'll try-"

"I've loved you my whole life and all I get in return is you hurting me and your stupid excuses. Why do you think I keep coming back to you? I tried to explain it on the night you first kissed me but obviously you only think about yourself and Bella!" I spat wiping my tears.

"Aria, I'm so sorry. Just please hear me out-"

"No. Fuck off Jacob. I'm so done with you. I mean it this time, don't talk to me, don't come near me. Just stay away." I turned on my heel and began toward the house again but Tori caught my arm.

"Ari? Aria? Are you okay?" Tori asked stepping in front of me, slapping Seth's hands off of her.

"Does it look like I'm okay Catori?" I spat at her as I wiped my tears. I didn't want Jake to see what he had done to me. I needed to be stronger than this.

"No it doesn't." She said quietly. "But what the hell was that? How did you push him like that?" She knew of vampires she just didn't know I was one, Seth wanted me to tell her myself.

"Just go away Tori!" I yelled but she stood her ground, I could feel Jesse and Seth step closer from behind me. They were worried I was going to hurt her.

"Just fucking tell me!" She spat and I groaned.

"I'm a vampire okay." I screamed at her and she froze.

"You're what?" She stuttered.

"Now you know, so move out of my way!" The thought of hissing at her to scare her off crossed my mind but I wasn't going to do that. I just wished she'd leave so I could go hide myself away.

"You won't hurt me." She stated and I laughed humourlessly.

"Yes, I know I won't because I've been one for almost a year, now move before I move you." I threatened menacingly and she gulped.

"A year?"

"Jesse!" I snapped flying towards him and the rest of the pack. Jake was still on his knees across the field.

"What?" The blood was drying on him now but Embry and Paul were holding him back. No doubt from trying to kill Jake again.

"Tell her to stay away from me, I can't handle it, I just want to be left alone." I got out angrily wiping the tears from my face.

"She's a vampire!" Tori said as she ran over and into Seth's arms.

"Yes we know that Tori and we are wolves get over it." Jesse spat at her and she cursed at him turning to face Seth. "Seth take her back to your place. She can't be here, it's too much for her."

"Okay." Seth grabbed Tori's hand and pulled her away back towards the front of his house and to his car.

"Ari you have to listen to me!" Jake's voice rang out again.

"No." I hissed. "You don't learn Jake and it's clear you never will. You made me feel so special, like I was finally your first choice but you had to go and fuck it all up again. I've told you once before that I was done with you and I stupidly went back on my words."

No more tears.

Those three words were now my mantra. I would live by them no matter what, especially when Jake was concerned.

I closed my eyes and shook my head bitterly. I concentrated, raking up all the feeling of love and hatred I felt for Jake and turned them into rage. Into an anger I had never felt for him before. Anger was going to be better than heartache. I couldn't take that anymore.

"Don't come back for me Jake. Don't bother, because I won't be there to help put you back together again when you need me."

And with that I turned on my heel and walked back toward the house. Not giving him a second glance because he was no longer worth one.