IMPORTANT A/N: Okay, so before you read this chapter, I just have to explain something to you all before you all end up confused and whatnot. So last chapter Leah lost her memory because of that dirty skank Demetria. Basically, Jayden came up with a whole story of where Leah came from and why she's with Jayden and Carter. Leah believes she is from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. So instead of being Quileute, Leah is convinced she is a Lakota. And because she doesn't know of her Quileute heritage, she is not aware of her shape-shifting abilities. She knows that Jayden and Carter are vampires, but because she has been supposedly travelling around the United States for 2 years with them with not a single scratch on her, she trusts them. Hopefully that clears any confusion once you start reading. Enjoy! =)

LPOV

"Jayden," I called quietly.

"What's up, babe?" he asked, smiling sweetly at me.

There was something so strange about Jayden. His words and his actions seemed to always be sincere. I could tell that he genuinely cared for me. He and Carter are all that I know, but there is something so far away about him. So cold. His smile, although it reaches his eyes, brings chills down my spine for some reason. I should feel safe because he always takes such good care of me and has proven that he will not harm me, but I can't shake this feeling that I shouldn't let my guard down.

"Who were those men today? The naked ones with the wolves?"

The men today in the clearing looked so scared. I saw the fear that was evident on all of their faces. Even the massive wolves looked so fearful. I should have been the one fearful of my life with a pack of giant wolves surrounding me, Jayden, Carter, and their friend - I think her name was Demetria – but I wasn't. There was this warmth that surrounded the wolves and the naked men. Yeah, I am well aware that I shouldn't feel this comfortable with a couple of strangers who don't wear clothes and large animals, but for some apparent reason, they made me feel this sense of security that I never feel when I'm with Jayden.

"Just a couple of trouble makers, baby, don't worry about them," Jayden answered gruffly.

"Why were some of them naked? And why were there wolves? And why are the wolves so big?" I asked, truly curious. Wolves don't normally grow that large, right? That's not possible. And the man that called out my name before Jayden took us away, the tallest man there, he was so familiar. The way he looked at me! I didn't think someone could look so compassionate and compelling as he did. I had no idea who he was or how he knew my name, so when a "no" slipped from my lips, I felt the slightest pull tugging at my heart when I saw his face drop into one of agony.

Why did that man look so broken? Who is he and how does he know me?

Jayden growled and chose to ignore me, so Carter spoke up instead, "I can answer that."

"The large wolves we saw are shape-shifters, Leah. The naked men you saw today have the ability to shift into wolves. They are from the Quileute tribe in La Push, Washington. All of them live on the reservation." Carter answered in a monotonous tone. I noticed that ever since we left the group of Quileute men in the clearing, Carter has downright refused to look me in the eye. The only time I've caught him looking at me was when he didn't think I saw him from either my peripherals or a reflection. When he was looking at me, he always looked troubled and I didn't know what to think about it.

"So you two and your friend are vampires and those Quileute men are shape-shifters. Okay, I got it. Do you think I can talk to their elders? I'd love to know more about their tribe, I bet it's a lot different from my people."

"Don't bother," Jayden said crossly. "You're a Lakota, you're a lot better than them."

"I still wanna know more about their tribe, though!" I said eagerly. When I left South Dakota I left everything I knew; my people – though my memories of them are very hazy – and my family, who for some reason, have become a huge blur in my mind. I was so thankful to have run into Jayden and Carter because they helped me out a lot. I travelled with them throughout the U.S. and somehow ended up near a reservation in Washington.

Jayden smiled, but it was more like a sneer, making Carter roll his eyes.

"Leah, we," he gestured to Carter and himself, "are your people. You don't need them."

"Well whatever, I'll see them around some other time." It was a statement that I very well planned on pursuing.

"I wish I could shift into a wolf," I said, suddenly.

"And why," Jayden growled, "would you want that?"

Carter was smirking. "The speed! Think about it, Jay! Imagine running through the forest with not a care in the world!"

"I already do that," he said, sounding smug.

"Imagine running as a wolf though! Or with a whole pack! Just think of how cool and in sync all the wolves would be. Wouldn't you want to feel the earth as you fly across it and feel the wind through your hair – er, fur?"

"So you're saying you want to be a dog?" Jayden asked incredulously.

"No," I said exasperated. "I'm just saying shifting into a wolf every once in a while would be legit."

"Being a vampire is legit," he stated.

"Drinking blood is gross. Plus, I don't wanna have freaky red eyes like you and Carter."

Carter coughed to hide a laugh as Jayden's eyes blazed.

"Stubborn as always," Jayden said lowly. "Maybe you've been inside for too long. How 'bout we go out tonight?"

"Really? Where?"

I got that feeling again. That feeling of uneasiness. It was stupid of me to even feel this way because I've known Jayden for 2 years and he's been nothing but a good friend to me. I pushed away the nervousness I was feeling and embraced Jayden with open arms. He's offering to take me out, why should I refuse? He's trying to get me to ease up.

"How about Alaska? You've always wanted to go there, right? Let's get away from this rainy hellhole." The offer sounded so good. I didn't like the rainy weather here, it was so dull. But the open space and all the scenery was breathtaking and made all of the dreadful weather worthwhile.

"It's a little too soon for travelling, don't you think?" Carter asked quickly with narrowed eyes.

"I think now is a perfect time to travel," Jayden snorted. "The sooner the better." While I thought Washington was an interesting and beautiful place, Jayden seemed to loathe everything about it.

"Where will you stay? You have nowhere to go in Alaska," Carter said accusingly.

"I'll figure something out along the way," Jayden shrugged.

"Maybe we should wait a while before you get everything planned out, Jay," I suggested, attempting to ease the tension that was brewing between the two vampires.

"Yeah, Jay, you should wait until you have everything figured out," Carter said in a tight voice, his nostrils flaring.

"This doesn't concern you, dick. Run along now, go find Demetria or something." Jayden was smirking and had a look of triumph upon his face. How can someone treat their supposed best friend in such a way? I will never understand these two; one minute they're getting along then they're exchanging death threats the next. So weird.

"You two fight like an old couple," I huffed, rolling my eyes.

"No worries, babe, he'll be gone soon," Jayden cooed reassuringly. Carter snorted.

"Don't be an ass, Jay," I frowned. "Carter, wanna come with us to Alaska?"

"He's not-" Jayden started, but was cut off by Carter.

"You know what? I would love that," Carter grinned. I openly stared at Carter because this is the first time in what felt like an eternity that I've seen him smile! He looked so much younger when he smiled, not that he was old-looking to begin with, his youth just sort of shines forth when he smiles.

"What?" Jayden growled through gritted teeth.

"I said, I would love to go," he clarified, smiling mockingly at Jayden. "I'm just gonna go into town to grab some new clothes to wear, I need to change out of this filth. I'll be back in time to leave with you two."

He turned on his heel and left before either Jayden and I could respond.

"Why are you so mean to him?" I asked, watching his reaction in curiosity.

For the last two years I've been roaming the U.S. with Jayden and Carter, I've noticed that they did indeed have a good friendship but lately Jayden has shown a more irate side of him that's been bothersome to me. Maybe his attitude lately is what's causing me to feel uneasy around him. Yeah, that's got to be it. Why else would I feel the need to keep my guard up?

"He's a prick," Jayden snorted, throwing an arm around my shoulder.

"He's your best friend," I argued.

"You're my best friend," he said seriously, caressing my face. "You're all I need, Leah."

Why did I feel so empty when he said such loving words to me? Why did those words do nothing but make me want to backtrack a few steps away from him? I had nothing to fear with Jayden. He was caring - he's been taking excellent care of me - he's funny – the things he says to rile up Carter is undeniably amusing at times – he's tender – the way he looks at me and touches me is enough to let anyone know that the guy cares deeply for me – and he's faithful – fsor the past two years that I've been travelling with Jayden and Carter, Jayden has expressed interest in me and only me. It was like I was the only girl on the planet, and like any other girl, I was flattered. I still am actually. Most girls would be reeling at a guy as gorgeous as Jayden, but not me. Why not me? Why couldn't I just fall for him like a normal girl? He was already treating me like I were his girlfriend, and even if we aren't technically "together," he still acts like the perfect boyfriend.

What's my problem?

"Jay," I say quietly, "He's you're best friend too. Don't mess up your friendship with Carter over me."

He just looked at me with those piercing red eyes that should have sent me running in the other direction, but the blue lining in them kept me captivated. He tilted his head ever so slightly and moved slowly toward my face. I quickly wrapped my arms around his torso and leaned my head on his chest to avoid the kiss. I wasn't ready for that yet. If I were to kiss Jayden, it'll be because I share the same feelings he does. I will not be the girl who leads a guy on and unexpectedly drops a bomb on them. Not cool.

He let out a long sigh and wrapped his arms around my frame.

"Jay," I sighed. "I'm gonna let you cool off for a few minutes, okay? Why don't you go for a swim or run to clear your head?"

"Yeah," he agreed, nodding. "I'll do that. You should get some rest, it's been a long day."

"You read my mind," I laughed, untangling my arms from him. "I'm exhausted."

"I know, baby," he smiled and kissed my forehead. "Get some rest."

He left with a satisfied smile on his face and I laid on the hard surface, closing my eyes.

"It's Carter," I heard someone say.

I opened one eye to see who it was and saw Carter standing a few feet away from me in a corner darting his eyes at all corners of the cave.

"Listen, Edward, I know the last thing you want to do is to trust me, but I'm your best shot at getting her back," Carter hissed into the phone.

I could barely make out the sound of the voice on the other line and gave up trying to hear what they were saying.

"We're going to Alaska tonight, I don't know what part. I'll let you know once we get there. Just try your hardest to figure it out, okay? I don't know how long I can keep stalling."

Stalling? What was Carter talking about? And who is this Edward guy he's talking to? Was Jayden friends with him too?

"Look, Cullen, I don't care what the dogs have to do, just tell them to do it. The longer you wait, the more difficult it is to reverse Demetria's power. Just-just hurry up. I'll call and update you later tonight."

He ran a hand through his hair and threw a boulder-sized rock into the water forcefully in frustration. I shut my eyes tightly when he turned and faced my direction. I heard his footsteps getting closer until I felt his breath fan my face. His cold fingers brushed the hair out of my face and tucked it behind my right ear.

"I made you a promise and I have every intention of keeping it. This is for every soul that has been lost to him."

a/n: Hey, readers! I'm really sorry for being a bit late with my update. A lot of things have just been going on lately this week. There was a shooting at a mall that I go to every once in a while. It shook the city of Portland because none of us ever expected anything like that to happen in our city, let alone a mall, and especially during the holidays! And to top it off, there was the Connecticut shooting that just recently occurred. My heart aches for the lost souls of all of the innocent children and faculty members that are now deceased. I just can't even imagine all of the pain and fear the families of all these people have been feeling. I just hope that these shooting sprees stop.