Alissa Swan

Part 70

The sun was just beginning to rise, reddening the clouds overhead. I paced by the cliff's edge, trying to come to grips with this new reality. Jacob kept his distance, trying to control his anger.

I couldn't take it anymore. I looked at Jacob. "You just have to... stop."

"It's not a lifestyle choice," he looked at me. "It's in my DNA."

"Killing is in your DNA?"

"Man, I thought maybe you wouldn't be such a hypocrite -- what, I'm not the right kind of monster for you? Can't measure up to your bloodsucking friends?" He was angry.

I was angry too. "Hey, they manage to survive without hurting innocent people."

He stopped. His anger was replaced with confusion. "Wait - innocent? - so... you don't care that I morph into a giant dog. Just that I... kill people?"

I was appalled. "'Just?' Those hikers' lives mean that little to you?"

He burst out laughing.

I was repelled. I turned to go. "Oh my God."

"Alissa -- Alissa wait." He stopped me. "We're not killing hikers. We're trying to protect them."

"From what?" I asked.

"The only thing we do kill: Vampires."

I was stunned. I reeled. "Vampires? Jake, no."

"Don't worry," he said, bitter. "We can't touch your precious Cullens - unless they bite someone and violate the Treaty."

"That's not what I - you can't fight vampires. They're too dangerous."

"Please," Jacob said, looking at me, smiling. "We took out that leech with the dreads easy enough."

"You... killed Laurent?"

Jacob looked at me, worried. "... He didn't seem like a friend."

I widened my eyes. "No, God no. But... how?"

"It's what we do, why we exist. A few 'lucky guys' in the tribe have the gene. If a bloodsucker moves to town, our DNA kicks in, we reach the right age and the fever hits."

"'Mono.'"

"I wish. Next thing I know, they're telling me, this is your life now. That future you saw for yourself? Gone." Desolation filled him.

I saw his desolation. "It's bad, huh?"

"I just hate feeling... out of control. Like maybe Sam is right; you shouldn't be around me."

"Like you could get rid of me."

"You've seen Emily."

It landed with me. I nodded.

"Sam lost it for a split second;" Jacob continued, "Em was standing too close -- he's still messed up about it. I don't want to be that kind of nightmare."

"You're not like that. You save people, right? You saved me from Laurent."

"Yeah, didn't mind taking him out. His redhead girlfriend will be fun, too."

I stopped, chilled to the bone. "Victoria. She's here?"

"We chased her all the way to the border the other night. But she won't stay gone. Keeps coming back -- if we knew what she was after." He looked at my face. "What?"

"I know what she wants," I told him. "Me."

A/N: Hey guys! I know, I'm putting so many author's notes. But just by the way, I'm going to be putting the next chapter in someone's point of view that none of you would ever expect... Victoria. Enjoy!