FATED

A/N Bella is a college student and Edward a cop. Edward is not a vampire. He is much more. He is one of the world's oldest and deadliest creatures!

Can Bella handle this enticing, authoritative, formidable man? Will he free her from monotony and introduction passion, adventure, and danger in her life? Bella has never had a man make her feel the way Edward does. Her body reacts to him, almost instinctively, like they were fated to be together, but she must struggle against his drive to keep her safe, which means keeping her away from him. She will show him that she can handle herself.

Edward has never felt this way about anyone before. His desire to protect Bella rises above everything else. He doesn't want to bring danger into her life, but he cannot make himself stay away. He realizes that Bella coming to this city is going to attract danger with or without him, so he must stay diligent to keep her safe.

Edward warns Bella about the dangers in this city, but she does not listen to him. He works special jobs in his police department. The kinds of jobs that require supernatural abilities to handle supernatural criminals. His job places him against some of the world's most dangerous creatures and there is something about Bella that seems to attract these creatures to her...

Edward's backstory and unique ancestry brings this story to life in a unique twist that brings lots of action and adventure.

Characters: Edward/Bella, Jacob/Alice, Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Charlie

HEA

CHAPTER 1

Craig is sitting across from me, staring at me like he's afraid I am going to fly away. His intense gaze distracting me, I take too large of a sip of my French Onion Soup and slurp it down fast as it burns my lips. I suck on my bottom lip and fan my mouth with my fingers. The burned lip adds to my annoyance for allowing my roommate Patty to talk me into going on this date.

"Did you burn yourself, Bella?" Craig asks, concern showing in his amber eyes.

I give a dramatic nod of my head. My brown, slightly wavy hair, falls over my face covering one eye. "uh huh." I tuck my stray hair behind my ear and fish an ice cube out of my water glass to hold against my bottom lip.

"You need to blow on it first," Craig says with a hint of amusement in his voice.

I roll my eyes at him and check my cell to see what time it is. It's only been 15 minutes from the last time I checked. Patty was supposed to call me a half hour ago with an excuse I could use to get out of the date, in case things went bad. I am realizing now that Patty has no intention of calling. I'll deal with her when I get home.

"You look beautiful tonight," Craig smiles sweetly.

"Thank you. " I cannot stop a blush from flushing across my cheeks. I am wearing a plain black cocktail dress that ends above the knee and black high heels. I have on very light makeup. Just a little blush and mascara. I am surprised I have not broken an ankle yet from wearing high heels, they are not my usual choice of footwear.

I reach for my glass of water and almost knock it over. As I grab the half tilted glass, Craig places both of his hands on either side of mine and helps me set the glass back on the table. He leaves his hands over mine, keeping them held prisoner as he gazes into my eyes, a smile set upon his lips.

"So, what were we talking about?" I offer to break the tension, squeezing my hands out from under his and sliding them under the table on my lap, where he cannot reach them.

"I was telling you how glad I am that you finally agreed to go out with me. I was beginning to think you didn't like me and then I talked to Patty during history class and she told me you were just shy and promised she would convince you to go to dinner with me. I'm glad you said yes."

"I'm glad I said yes also." I smile trying to be convincing. I should have never allowed Patty to bully me into going out with Craig. She's worried because I have never found someone to whom I am attracted to. She thinks if she forces me to go on dates, then I will become attracted to someone and finally have a boyfriend, but It just doesn't work that way. Her intentions are good so I try not to get mad at her.

It's not Craig's fault that I'm not attracted to him. He isn't a homely man by any means. In fact, some girls at college consider him quite handsome and many would love to date him. He has unwavering, blonde, shoulder length, strongly moussed hair that is slightly wavy on top and straight down the sides, a muscular, tight body, a nice personality and is intelligent. He also has a strong will, which I am finding out about since he has been pursuing me.

I finish my meal and politely wait for him to finish his before I say goodnight. "I had a really good time tonight, Craig, but I do have to call it a night. I have to get up early tomorrow for work."

His eyes narrow as his mouth purses together in a pout. "Do you really have to go so soon? I was hoping we could chat for a while longer."

"I'm sorry but I really do have to get to bed." I lied. I push my chair out, stand up and walk toward Craig. As I lean over Craig to give him a kiss on the cheek he turns his head to face me. After a brief pause, I lean my face to the side of his and give him a peck on his cheek and stand back up.

"Don't you need a ride home?" He takes his napkin from his lap and throws it on the table and pushes his chair out, getting ready to stand up.

"No. I drove." I lied. "Don't get up. Stay and finish your coffee. Thanks again for dinner and have a good night." I head for the door at a fast pace, making sure he doesn't have time to pay for dinner and catch up with me.

As I walk out the restaurant's main doors onto the sidewalk, I dial Patty's cell number. It goes straight to voicemail. Patty borrowed my car and promised to pick me up when I call. Now I realize it was a ploy to get me to stay through the entire date and have to get a ride home with Craig. I defiantly decide to walk home. If my calculations are correct, it should only be about seven blocks.

I make a left and continue walking, retrying Patty's cell. I stop at the corner of Main Street and Chestnut Street and look around, judging my approximate direction in relation to my apartment. A left onto Chestnut is my decision. I walk two blocks and then make a right down an alley.

Either side of the narrow alley is lined with tall, old, buildings, several stories high. Old, rusty, metal fire escapes hang from the walls and large metal trash dumpsters are placed on either end of the alley. They give the alley the smell of sun-ripened vomit. The only sounds in the alley are the sound of my heeled shoes crunching against loose stones, and the slow drips of rainwater, from a previous storm, coming off of the fire escapes and dripping down onto the stones forming tiny puddles.

As I continue walking my heels keep twisting my ankles as I step on jagged stones. What I hear behind me sounds like an echo of my walking, but as I slow my pace down the echo sound does not slow. I stop walking and turn around to look behind me and find no one there. The sound stops also. "That's strange" I mutter to myself.

To save my ankles from getting sprained I remove my shoes and carry them in my left hand. I continue walking, dodging small puddles on my way. The echo sound starts up again but I notice it still sounds like a pair of shoes crunching on the gravel behind me. I am now in my bare feet and am not making any noise to be able to produce an echo. After listening to the echo for several seconds as I walk, once again I turn around and find no one behind me. The sound stops as I do.

I pause a moment to look for a logical explanation for what I am hearing. As I am looking around the alley, I notice a shadow of a person slowly floating down the building ahead of me, to my left. In stunned silence, I watch the shadow float down to the ground. "People don't just float down from the sky", I tell myself. I take a moment to reason this out in my head. The sun is at my back, so the shadow must be caused by something or someone behind me. As I come to this realization, fear strikes me leaving me frozen in place, too afraid to look behind me.

Another shadow now appears in front of me on the same building. This one is on the ground running way too fast to be human, from right to left. It looks like the second shadow tackles the first one. A loud crack and the sound of something crumbling comes from behind me. I take a deep breath, gathering my courage and turn my head to look behind me. No one is there.

On the wall of the building behind me, to my left, there is a dent in the bricks a couple feet wide and long. The dent in the area of bricks contains a large scorch mark. I walk up to it and run my fingertips across the crumbling bricks. I quickly pull my hand back from the heat. I glance around at my surroundings nervously and peek up into the sky, not sure what I am expecting to see. Nothing unusual is in sight. Letting out a sigh of relief, I curse Patty for not answering her phone, and begin to sprint out of the alley.

The other 2 blocks walk home go uneventfully as I try to not think about my odd experience in the alley. I make it in the front door of my house in record time. Patty is sitting on the couch in her pajamas sipping Chardonnay.

"Thanks for not calling with an excuse to get me out of the date and double thanks for not answering your phone and making me walk seven blocks home!" My hands are balled up in tight fists resting on my hips as I wait for her answer.

"Bella. You didn't let him drive you home? And why are you back so early?"

"As I told you before, Patty, I am not attracted to Craig. He makes me uneasy the way he stares at me, and there's something about him that seems, I don't know, eerie. You purposely did not call or answer your phone to try to force me to stay on the date longer, but I left anyway and had to walk all the way home! Now please do me a favor and do not set me up on any more dates!"

I stomp off to bed irritated and disappointed.

I hear music begin to blast in the bedroom next to mine. Patty's bedroom alarm. I quickly jump out of bed in order to beat her to the shower. Patty likes to take her time in the shower. When she manages to get in the shower first I am always late for work.

Patty and I both just began our freshman year at Hudson Valley College. I met her when I answered her ad for a roommate and we hit it off right away. She rents the bottom half of a twin. It's a 3 bedroom, one bathroom apartment. It's all brick, like most houses in the neighborhood. It has a small porch, which we share with the tenants of the other 3 apartments in the building, and a set of long steps going up the hill to the house. the inside is small but cozy. It's an older home with paneling walls and old beige carpeting throughout.

Patty's a pretty girl with medium length, highlighted, medium blonde hair and large baby blue eyes. She's 5' 7" tall and she has more curves then I do and likes to show them off. She is more social than I and more outgoing. I am the reasonable, level-headed headed one who keeps her out of danger and she keeps me from sliding into an anti-social spiral, staying inside reading books and ignoring everyone else. Our personalities complement each other well.

I make my way into the bathroom and step into the shower. The moment the warm water hits my body my muscles start to relax and my tensions wash away. I close my eyes, allowing the sounds of the running water to calm my mind. The memory of my walk home through the alley pops into my mind. I know something unusual happened in that alley. Those shadows were all too real. The thought of something unnatural happening in my uninteresting life stirs excitement in my mind, mixed with a bit of fear. I hear Patty's music alarm go off twice more while I'm in the shower. She tends to keep hitting the snooze until she has no chance of getting to work or school on time.

After I shower, I allow my hair to air dry. I throw on a pair of blue jeans with faded knees, a short-sleeved, lime green, ruffled blouse and my favorite pair of sneakers. I make a quick pot of coffee, drink two cups and eat a blueberry muffin and then head out the door on my way to work. I leave Patty the rest of the coffee. She was up late last night partying at O'Toole's Bar and Grill with our friend Jacob, so I'm sure she will need it.

As Patty, Jacob and I enter the main room at O'Toole's Bar and Grill, I hear hundreds of conversations told in loud voices, all of them competing with the dance music that is coming from the back room. All three of us scan the large room, looking for an empty table. The crowd is young, students from the college for the most part. I spy an open table close to the bar. I nudge Jacob with my elbow, then point to the empty table and Jacob leads the way.

We waste no time ordering and our meals arrive shortly after.

"How's your burger?" Jacob asks as he shoves several chicken fingers in his mouth.

Jacob is a friend Patty and I met at college. I admire how well he always dresses. He is wearing a loosely fitting black silk shirt and black trousers. His rich chocolate hair has a tousled, unkempt look. He has strong arched brows, thick eyelashes and dark, maple brown, deep eyes. His distinct cheekbones and angular jaw, along with his pale skin, makes him look devilishly handsome. He does not hear the word no often. Maybe that's why he seems to not want to accept it when he hears it from me.

"It's good as always." I hide a smile as Jacob continues to shove chicken fingers in his mouth. His stuffed cheeks beginning to puff out, causing him to resemble a puffer fish.

A couple dollops of ketchup drop from my burger onto my t-shirt and jeans. I wet my napkin by dunking it in my soda and then dab it on my clothes, blotting the stains away. If I get through a meal without any food stains, I consider it a good day.

"No one asked me how my dinner is," Patty says as she drinks her Cosmopolitan and gives Jacob a dramatic pout. Patty does so love attention.

"Looks to me like you're drinking your dinner tonight," Jacob raises an eyebrow, then lowers his eyes to Patty's plate which contains only some french fries and ketchup.

"I ate some french fries," Patty says defensively. "Come on you guys, hurry up and finish your food. I want someone to do shots with me." Jacob and I ignore her, continuing to eat at our own pace.

Greg, a football scholarship receiver at our college, overhearing Patty, swivels his seat around to face us and calls her over to the bar to join him. He raises two thick fingers at the bartender. "Two shots of Tequila."

Greg has a large build, he's muscular, with short, wavy, blonde hair and baby blue eyes. He has a bit of a round face, with slightly chubby cheeks and light pale skin. He loves to party and is generally a nice guy. Tonight he has gotten to O'Toole's before the rest of his football buddies and is pleased to have another serious drinker to party with while he awaits his friends.

Patty rises from her seat and walks toward the bar. Her white lace, backless dress hangs from her shoulders, hugging her curvy form, and ending slightly below the thigh. She takes the seat next to Greg, folding one leg over the other, dangling her high heel, showing more leg. Greg's eyes drop momentarily to survey her curves and then rise again to meet her bright, baby blue, heavily, made up eyes. I envy Patty being able to dress provocatively without feeling self-conscious. If I just had a hint of the confidence she has I would go out and socialize more and see more of the world.

"Oh boy! If she's starting to drink with Greg already, she's going to be trashed tonight," Jacob says.

"Yep. I can see it starting already. I guess I will be driving her home and putting her to bed tonight."

Jacob leans in a bit too close for my comfort. "I'll help you get her to bed."

I give him an awkward smile and lean back in my chair, furthering the distance between us. I continue to eat my burger in silence. In the awkwardness of the moment, I tuck a stray piece of my hair behind my right ear. A nervous habit.

As the night wears on, the music becomes louder and the customers rowdier. The football players have all arrived and have taken up the corner of the bar playing pool and daring each other to chug pitchers of beer. Jacob, at the bar, grabs another pitcher of beer and heads over to our table where Patty and I await him. We have to raise our voices in order to hear each other over the music and the football players chug,chug,chug chant.

Patty talks me into doing shots of tequila with her. I don't realize I've had too many until I get up to use the bathroom and my legs start taking me on a little roller coaster ride. Swaying back and forth, I make my way to the bathroom. On the way back to my table, walking past the pool table, I stumble and fall, landing face first onto the green felt. My head knocks several balls out of place and two balls into the table's pockets.

"Oooff." I lie motionless for a moment.

One of the football players, Kyle, helps lift me up off the table, holding onto my arms so I don't fall on the floor. "Are you okay, Bella?"

"I'm just a nit drunk and wobbery, wobbly," I manage to spit out.

One of the pool players taps his stick against the floor, while another crosses his arms over his chest, both waiting impatiently for Kyle and me to leave so they can finish their game. Kyle eyes me suspiciously and raises his eyebrows.

"Okay. Let's get you back to your friends and tell them it's time for you to go home." He takes my arm and kindly returns me to my table telling Jacob and Patty he thinks I should be escorted home. Kyle takes one look at Patty, who usually sits with a perfectly straight posture, and sees she is slumped over in her chair, holding her glass of beer up above her head for no reason at all, legs sprawled somewhat apart, and swaying ever so slightly. "Maybe both of you should be going home. Neither one of you are in shape to drive. I'll drive you home and then have one of my buddies pick me up at your place."

Patty sees Kyle holding me up and staggers over to stand by Kyle's other side, holding his arm in hers. She hates being left out of getting attention.

"I've got it. I'm taking them home," Jacob says as he jumps up to face Kyle, knocking his beer over onto the table in his hurry, determination set in his face.

Kyle takes a step back, then glances at me and I shrug my shoulders. He then looks back to Jacob. "Okay. I see they are in good hands." He gently lets go of my arm, wiggles his other arm free of Patty and walks back to join his buddies at the pool table.

"Thanks Kyle," I manage to sputter out. I notice Patty eyeing Kyle's backside as he walks away. That is my signal that she has had too much to drink.

"Maybe we should get going," Jacob says to both Patty and myself. "Neither of you are walking well anymore."

"Ha!" I snicker and snort a little as I slightly sway back and forth. I grab Jacob's shoulder to steady myself but remove my hand as my eyes meet Jacob's lovelorn stare.

"Alright let's get going," Patty says before she downs the remainder of her beer, then sets her glass down on the table.

Patty and I stagger out the door, making our way to my car, Jacob trailing behind. I hand Jacob the keys and get in the front passenger seat. Patty climbs in the back, lying face down across the seat. Her dress bunching up as she slides across the seat, the end of her dress pulled up exposing her panties. I look back at her and laugh loudly.

We are only about five blocks from home when Patty begins singing 'Waterfalls' loud and obnoxious. Jacob's knuckles tense on the steering wheel. I'm laughing at Patty's antics, turned in my seat, half looking at Jacob and half looking in the back seat at Patty. Jacob, teeth clenched together, glares at Patty through the rearview mirror. He must notice the stop sign too late and blows through it. He shakes his head from side to side, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Good thing no one was coming the other way," I yell so Jacob can hear me over Patty's singing.

"Patty! Please stop singing. I can't concentrate! You just made me miss a stop sign," Jacob yells toward the back seat and then looks at me.

I give him my I don't know what to do with her look and shake my head, realizing that makes me dizzy, I quickly stop.

Patty pauses momentarily, then resumes her singing, but not quite as loudly as before. Jacob bellows out an exasperated noise that sounds somewhat like a hippo. I hide my snicker with my hand.

A siren echoes behind us. Red and blue flashing lights bounce off our car's dash.

" Patty keep quiet! A cop is pulling us over," Jacob commands as he pulls the car off to the side of the road and slows to a halt. Patty grows quiet.

"It's a good thing I only had a couple beers tonight," Jacob says.

I open my mouth to respond to Jacob and hiccup instead. I place my hand over my mouth and hope that doesn't happen while we are talking to the cop. I turn my head to look out the rear window of the car and see the cop's car door swing open.

After several moments, out steps a tall, muscular man wearing a blue New York police uniform. He reaches back in his car and pulls out a flat-brimmed Stetson police hat, which he places upon his head. He looks to be in his late 20s and is the most strikingly handsome man I have ever seen. He holds the kind of beauty that stops you in your tracks.

As he walks toward our car, I see his muscles straining against the fabric of his uniform. His sturdy, solid build and straight posture give him a formidable walk. My eyes fixed upon him, a chill goes up my spine. I bite my bottom lip as my heart skips a beat. I get a slight ache in the pit of my stomach, and my loins, as he approaches.

"Good evening. My name is Officer Cullen. May I have your name, both of your licenses, your registration and insurance cards please?" He shines his flashlight at Jacob's face. Jacob squints trying to see through the light's blinding ray.

"My name is Jacob Black," Jacob tells the police officer while I scramble through the glove box in search of my registration and insurance. I hand them both to Jacob, along with my license. Jacob hands the officer everything.

"The car is not mine. It's Bella's," Jacob points his finger in my direction, then scratches his head nervously, waiting for the officer to respond.

The officer bends down to look at me and shines his flashlight in my face while I try my best to look sober. I squint through the bright light trying to get a read on the officer. He hesitates for a long moment, inspecting me meticulously.

He speaks so suddenly and loudly it causes me to jump in my seat. "Step out of the car for me please, everyone!" He shines his flashlight in the back seat to see Patty passed out, sprawled across the seat with her dress still bunched up exposing her panties, then he takes a few steps backwards, and waits for Jacob to get out of the car. I exit through the passenger door, stepping carefully to not stumble and expose my drunkenness.

"Ma'am. Please come around to this side of the car." He gestures impatiently. My heart skips a beat again. His voice is so sexy I can't help biting my lower lip. He makes me feel weak and excited at the same time, even if he is being bossy.

I try to pull myself together and wander over using my best sober strut I can manage and exclaim "Hi!" A little too perky and obnoxious to be sober.

The police officer gives me a stern, disappointing look, his eyes raking over me from top to bottom in a slow, seemingly endless inspection. Although this time his inspection seems to take on a more intimate feel. Suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable, I cross my arms over my chest and turn my eyes away. His silence seems to go on forever as it slowly eats away at my drunken, false confidence. I nervously hiccup and quickly look up at him. He raises his eyebrows and stares at me. His judgmental stare forces me to turn my eyes downward in shame.

He turns to Jacob. "How much have you had to drink tonight, sir? I will only warn you once, do not lie to me or things will go bad for you."

"I only had two beers with dinner, officer," Jacob says nervously.

He gives Jacob that same, inspecting, stern look. "Can you please say the alphabet backwards for me? Start with the letter Z and work your way backwards."

"Z, y, x, w, v, u. t, s."

"That's good enough sir." Now he turns from Jacob back to me and stares me down again.

"How old are you, miss?" He has my license so I know he knows how old I am. Maybe he wants to see if I am going to lie to him. I lower my head again, fearing an underage drinking charge coming.

"19," I meekly squeak out.

He takes a step closer. The intensity in his eyes holds my gaze captive. I could swear, for just a split second, that I see something odd in his eyes. It almost looks like a flame. Just a flash of a flame. It must be all the Tequila I drank. His voice sounding serious and deadly, he regains my concentration as he talks slowly to emphasize importance. "Do you think, at 19 years old, you should be getting this drunk and wandering around the city like this?"

"No sir," I stammer and nervously shift my weight from foot to foot. I want to beg him to not arrest me, but the fierceness in his eyes keeps me silent.

He inspects my license again. "You are not from around here. Did you move recently?"

"I'm attending college and moved here about two months ago. I live with my roommate Patty," I gesture toward the back seat of the car.

He steps closer to me until his face is only inches from mine. I see how truly handsome he is. Peeking out from under his hat is tousled, dark brown hair. His eyes an unusual but beautiful ocher. His face is strong and well defined. His features look as if they are molded from granite. A perfectly symmetrical, masculine face with a strong jaw line, dimpled chin, rugged 5 o'clock shadow, and soft but masculine, expressive, pink lips. His skin a suntanned golden color. His beauty causes me to go weak at my knees and I lose my concentration.

His voice foreboding as he talks slowly. "Listen to me very carefully. You do not want to be wandering around this city late at night in such a vulnerable state. This is not a safe city!" Goosebumps raise on my arms, along with the hair on the back of my neck. I swallow hard.

"You made a very stupid choice tonight and put yourself in danger. Do you understand me?"

Tension rising in my belly, I open my mouth to answer him and again hiccup in reply. He must interpret my hiccup being from drunkenness, instead of from the nervous tension he is causing me, and shakes his head while he lets out a blast of air in disgust. He is making me so nervous that I fear I may throw up for a minute.

"I am not going to arrest you, or your friend passed out in the back seat, but I better never see you in this sort of state again. Do you understand me?

I nod my head.

"Answer me!"

"I will not get drunk again," I manage to squeak out.

He turns to face Jacob. "I am going to give you a police escort home. Follow me closely."

"That's okay. We don't need an escort. I can get the girls home safely by myself," Jacob says.

The officer takes several steps toward Jacob, closing the distance between them quickly. His jaw tightens and his voice grows dangerous. He locks Jacob's eyes with his intense stare. "I am now responsible for these girls and I will see that they get home safe and stay home for the rest of the night. Now do as I say!" Jacob swallows hard.

"You may both get back in your car, and follow me!" He barks as he begins to walk back to his patrol car.

Jacob sulks back to the car and gets in the driver's seat.

Rushing to obey Officer Cullen, I walk toward the car door and trip and begin to fall. The officer turns back toward me and, in a flash that seems to unnaturally fast, he is in front of me again, his outstretched arms catching me before I hit the ground. He gently picks me up, cradling me. His body is warm and toned as he holds me against him. My pulse is racing, my heart thumping hard, goosebumps ripple throughout my body as I stare into his beautiful, sparkling, ocher eyes. Something in them seems to soften.

He carries me over to the car, opens the passenger side door and gently deposits me in the front seat. He grabs my seat belt and leans over me to hook it into its holder. I can smell the natural, light scent of his body. Fresh and masculine. I close my eyes and relish in it for a moment. When I hear the click of my seat belt, I open my eyes and see a hint of a smile across his lips. My cheeks redden as he leans back out of the car and gently closes the door. He gets my address from Jacob and then pulls away in his car as we obey and follow him to my apartment.

We park on the street in front of my apartment, behind the officer's car. As I reach for the car door handle, the door swings open wide with the officer standing before me. I unbuckle my seat belt and, before I can step out of the car, he reaches in and picks me up in his arms. I feel his toned warmth against my body again and have a difficult time concentrating.

"I can walk myself," I know I'm sloshing my words.

"I think this is safer. Just until you get inside. We can't have you falling on the sidewalk and hurting yourself." He is no longer authoritative or stern. His voice takes on a soft, caring tone. His lips brush my ear as he speaks, I feel his warm breath flowing down my neck like a lazy river. It's soothing and inviting. Goosebumps ripple from my ear down the length of my neck. It makes me want to drown in his voice and sink into a state of pure bliss. I'm hoping he cannot see through my shirt that my nipples have hardened. I relax my body against his and lie my head against his chest.

He carries me toward the apartment door. Jacob gets out of the car and begins to follow us.

"Get in the passenger seat of my police car. After I carry both the girls inside to bed, I will take you home," the officer barks at Jacob without hesitating or looking back.

"I can just stay the night here and have Bella take me home in the morning. It's no big deal," Jacob says defiantly as he continues to follow us.

The officer stops short. Jacob almost rams into his back. He turns around to face Jacob. "I cannot allow you to do that. From the time I stopped you, these girls became my responsibility. Only those who live here will sleep here tonight. I will take those keys from you," he looks down at the car keys in Jacob's hand and waits until Jacob hands them over," and return them to the girls first thing in the morning," His tone is firm, unwavering.

Jacob stares at him, for a moment, with a clenched jaw. Then turns around and stomps back to the police car, getting in the passenger's seat and slamming the door closed.

"How did you get to me so fast? You were almost at your car when I fell. There's no possible way you could have run that fast to catch me like you did," I mumble as I fall asleep in Officer Cullen's arms as he carries me inside.

A/N: This is my very first fan fiction story and first story ever shared with readers. I had no idea writing for other's enjoyment and the feedback I receive would bring me such joy and encouragment!

I am thankful to all who have read my story and who have left me reviews!