My chest felt heavy as I walked outside. My father was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Billy.

I took the steps two at a time. My mind was so overwhelmed that the pain from the steps barely even registered in my rib-cage.

I had the Legends book tucked to my abdomen. My hesitation to how truthful the myths of the Legends book were seemed pointless and moot. 

I was a living, breathing example that they were real. So it stood to reason that the rest was also possible. 

But it was a tough thing to swallow. I already didn't fit in. I stood out too much. I was too different. And now I had done the unthinkable.

I was imprinting on a vampire. 

I shook my head bewildered. I had no idea that was what had been occurring. Those times around him when I felt close to bursting, slowly spiraling out of control. It had been Edward and my soul calling out to his, claiming ownership.

This couldn't be and the pain that rippled inside me felt like a knife to the abdomen.

I clutched the book tighter as my face wrinkled in anguish. There had to be a way to reverse it. To keep it from happening.

My breath was coming faster now as if my heart was in complete disagreement.

My imprint was a hard thing for me to wrap my head around, I couldn't imagine what my pack would think or what Billy would do. I shuddered.

I had to stop this before it was too late. If not for my sake than for Edwards.

"Hey Bella!" I jumped in surprise and quickly turned around to see who called for me.

I wasn't easy to sneak up on with my enhanced hearing which just showed how distracted I was.

I peered into the distance waiting for the form to get closer to see who it was. "Jake?" I asked in question, squinting at him. "Is that you?"

"It's only been a few weeks and you already don't recognize me." He joked.

I grinned. It was definitely him if he was cracking a joke at my expense. He was taller now, more man than boy, which seemed impossible in such a few short weeks. But time could not erase my recognition of the face who use to be my best friend. Before fate changed it all.

My heart ached. I had missed him dearly. The way we use to be when we weren't so different. But the secrets and lies had drawn a wedge between us creating distance. "I'd never forget anyone with hair like that. I see my absence hasn't tamed it. You look like Chucky from Rugrats." I mocked.

He playfully glared before swatting my hands away as I mussed his hair up even more than it already was. I laughed. 

"You are still just as annoying." He admitted.

I smirked. "I don't know why you are complaining because you missed it."

His lips tilted up on one side as his eyes brightened. "True."

He fell in step beside me as we walked along the dirt path. His shoulder brushed mine as he shoved his hands deep in the pockets of his shorts. "So, where have you been? It isn't like you to not be around. Not since those few months you avoided me." His tone grew irritated as he remembered that.

What he couldn't know is that I had been turning into a rage-fueled werewolf and couldn't see him when I was in such a vulnerable state. That had been a hard time on me for several reasons. I had turned into what I believed to be a monster. A thing I didn't believe existed and I had no support from my family and friends except my parents and Sam because the rest couldn't know.

I sighed heavily. The secrecy sucked and I didn't really understand it. Jacob wouldn't tell anyone, he could know, he was trustworthy, but regardless I swallowed down the truth and kept lying.

"I haven't been avoiding you, honest. I've just been busy with other things. I have been to your house a few times but you weren't there." I caught his eyes narrowing before he looked at me and smiled straightening them back out.

"I bet you have been with you transferring schools and everything. What is up with that? Lapush not good enough for you anymore." My feet slowed beneath me as I felt taken aback by his exasperated tone.

"No!" I assured quickly. "That's not it at all. I just wanted something new and different. Something I could control amidst so much change."

Jacob couldn't possibly understand. He was still normal and I hoped to whoever was listening, that he never did.

I grabbed his arm to affirm that his place in my life was absolute. No matter how much distance we put between us, he would still be that little boy I grew up with. His presence would always remind me of a simpler time, an enjoyable one, and fate could not erase that.

But the words died on my lips when I went to grab his arm. It was scalding against the skin of my own so much that I jerked and looked at him in horror.

"Bella, what's wrong? Are you alright?" No I wasn't. I pulled back.

His skin was burning up. It felt like mine. I looked up in alarm to see his gaze looking back at me in concern.

I hadn't thought Jacob could understand, but I had a feeling that soon he would.

Not even a walk on the beach could calm my nerves after spending the afternoon with Jake.

I was supposed to be taking it easy so I could heal properly but after feeling Jacob's skin, my injuries were long forgotten. I still needed a few more days to heal completely and for the soreness to fade but in my mind it had been placed on the back burner.

I had bigger things to worry about like the fact that Jacob's werewolf gene was being activated. Soon he would be entering the supernatural world. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Just when I thought I was getting the hang of things, life had a way of tripping me up.

I was lost in my thoughts as I entered my house and made my way to my room. I barely even heard Leah say 'Hey' from the kitchen where she was preparing dinner.

"Nice of you to finally show up." Seth seethed. 

I jumped in surprise and flinched as I clutched my side.

Out of breath and in pain, my eyes narrowed on his form perched on top of my bed. "You scared me." I confessed. 

I shut the door behind me. Seth was scowling and his brows furrowed as he watched closely where I still had my arm wrapped around me.

"What are you doing in here?" I stepped closer and paused. He looked as bad as I felt. He had dark circles that made his face look hollow, his skin was blotchy, and his eyes were rimmed with red.

He didn't look like he had slept in days. I frowned.

"What happened to you?" I asked in concern.

"Hmm, well let's see." He started. His tone was tight with stress. "First, I was checked out of school early by dad. I didn't get an explanation for that. Second, you disappeared and I haven't seen you since." He ticked off each point he made on his fingers as he continued.

"Then mom and dad almost went ballistic when you returned home later that night. Mom was beside herself, talking about how you needed to be rushed to the hospital. " He took a ragged breath before his eyes full of hurt glared into mine.

"They wouldn't let me see you." He cried. "They wouldn't tell me what had happened. I waited and waited all night for you to wake up or do something. I couldn't rest, I couldn't relax. I finally got my mind to quiet this morning and when I woke up, you were gone." He anguished.

I was clutching my stomach for a whole different reason now. I felt sick at his worry. This was why the secrets were stupid. All the fear and stress when if Seth had just known the truth his feelings could have been spared. They could have told him that I was healing, that eventually I would be okay.

I wanted to scream.

"I'm okay. I did come check on you this morning, but you were asleep so I didn't wake you. I would have waited but dad and I had something we needed to take care of." I promised.

His eyes were so narrowed only a small sliver of his pupils showed.

"You must have just woken up when I closed my eyes." He shook his head annoyed. His hands balled into fists. I reached over and grabbed one with my hand and interlocked our fingers.

"I'm better now. Thanks for caring." He looked at me like I was crazy, as if to say what else could he have done. It was a scary thing to care.

"I don't like this." He agonized as his head bent low. "There's something you aren't saying. Something that none of you are saying. I don't like being kept in the dark."

I gulped. He was right. He should know. The secret keeping was killing me inside. Screw the damn rules. They were meant to be broken anyways.

I slid the Legends book from behind my back and scooted it across my lap. Seth's face twisted in confusion.

I nodded as it to assure myself that this was the right thing because there was no going back. Once the truth was spilled, it was out there, he would know. No take-backs.

I stared at Seth hard. "You sure you want to know."

He hesitated before nodding. I plopped the book in his lap. "All your answer are there." I placed his hand on top of it.

He looked at the book and then at me and then back again. "You can't be serious. This old thing. Is this a joke? Do you remember when dad would read us this as old bedtime stories and we would stay up the rest of the night making fun of that nonsense?" He gave a small laugh of relief.

"Why would you give me this? It's just old tales of werewolves and vampi---" He stopped mid-sentence as dawning realization set in.

His eyes widened dramatically. "No," He breathed. "There's no way. You are totally messing with me."

I shook my head defeated. "I swear to you, all the answers you seek are in there. Dad wasn't telling us goodnight stories when he read to us from this book. He was giving us our family history we just didn't know it at the time."

"It can't be." Seth said in disbelief. His grip on the book had tightened. "They're just stories."

I tapped my finger off the book. "After reading this you will learn, all the stories are true."

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