10.0

Kate was woken early the next morning by a very frantic Bella. Bella was shaking her torso to get her up.

"What?" Kate asked annoyed.

Bella looked around and threw some clothes at her, "I need your help doing something."

Kate sat up and pushed the hair out of her face, "Considering everything you've wanted to do lately is dangerous, I want to say no."

Bella rolled her eyes before disappearing out the door, "It's not going to be dangerous and even if it is, I'll have you to protect me. Now get dressed."

Kate looked at the clothes in her hands, "At least tell me where we're going."

"Hiking!" Bella shouted at her.

She got up groaning and muttering curses about her sister while she dressed. Kate looked into the mirror and saw that she looked like hell. There were tear stains on her cheeks and her eyes were still puffy but had dark circled under them that marked her lack of sleep. She looked at her phone and sow about a hundred calls from Jacob and almost that many from the rest of the pack. She flung the phone on her bed and sighed. Kate finished getting ready and sighed, once again, when she found Bella at the bottom of the stairs ready to go.

They trekked through miles of rough terrain toward the east. Roots and tree branches seemed to jump out at there legs to stop them from getting to their destination. Dirt slid beneath their feet making the journey even more dangerous. Kate was far more coordinated than Bella was and even she was tripping all over the place.

Bella led Kate for hours without giving her any rest or indication of where they were going. She walked through some trees and stopped causing Kate to walk right into her.

"Bella, come on at least tell me where we're going," Kate whined.

But Bella wasn't paying any attention to her. She walked further into the clearing leaving Kate behind trying to follow her. Kate looked at her sister to find her looking horrified onto the clearing in front of them. She looked from her sister to the grass and found nothing that could hold her attention that much. She looked around the clearing to find dead grass, as it should be this time of year.

Beside her Bella collapsed onto the ground and pulled up some pieces of grass.

"Bella, what the hell is wrong with you," Kate asked her now freaked out at her sister's reaction.

Kate was about to bend down and help her sister before movement at the edge of the clearing caught her eye. Kate looked up to see the vampire Laurent standing before them as dangerous as ever. She hadn't seen or thought of him in almost a year. She saw images of James appear in her head and her blood was cold as she stared at the vampire in front of her.

"Bella, get up," Kate told her sister sharply.

Bella looked at her in confusion at her tone before doing what she said. She looked to where Kate was glaring and understanding crossed her features.

"Bella, Kate..."Laurent said in his sickly sweet voice.

"Laurent," Bella breathed out.

"You seem pleased to see me," he cooed.

Kate watched him warily. She felt her body go into hyperactive mode. She saw and felt every movement that he made, "Not at all. Merely surprised."

Laurent regarded her with a smile before using vampire speed to get closer. Kate put herself between Laurent and Bella, "I didn't expect to find you two here. I went to visit the Cullen's but the house is empty. I'm surprised they left you both behind. Weren't you sort of pets of theirs?"

Bella gasped behind her.

"You could say that. But I prefer domesticated friends myself," Kate said lowly.

Laurent laughed and began circling the girls. Kate kept Bella behind her at all times by pushing her with her right arm. She wasn't going to let Laurent anywhere near Bella.

"Do the Cullen's visit often?" he asked them.

"Yea absolutely, all the time," Bella spoke up from behind Kate, "I'll tell them you stopped by. I probably shouldn't... Edward...because he's pretty protective, he might misinterpret this little get-together."

"He'd be right if he were here but he's far away. Isn't he?"

Kate interrupted their banter, "Why are you here, Laurent? Last I heard you high tailed it up to Alaska."

"I like you, Kate," Laurent grinned, "I came as a favor to Victoria. She asked me to see if your sister was still under the protection of the Cullens. Victoria feels that it's only fair to kill Edward's mate given that he killed hers. An eye for an eye."

Bella spoke up again, "Edward would know who did it and he'd come after you."

Laurent simply shook his head, "I don't think he will. After all how much could you mean to him if he left you here unprotected."

"She's not unprotected," Kate growled dangerously. She felt the blue energy fly from her fingertips. The energy surged up to the middle of her arm turning her skin blue as she pulsated with power

"A siren? I did not know you were one," Laurent said in amazement.

"Never show all of your party tricks at one party," Kate snapped.

"The human has teeth," Laurent laughed, "Victoria won't be happy about me killing you."

"Yea, I wouldn't be to pleased either."

"But she does want your sister."

"No one is going to touch her," as Kate said this, she shoved Bella through the air and into the trees behind her. She heard her land with a small cry of pain before Kate ran at Laurent who ran back at her, teeth bared.

This is what Kate had been training for. All of those hours with Sam and Alice were spent so that she could defend herself and kill the supernatural. Kate's body felt electrified with power and her moves were heightened. She felt alive.

The two collided with a loud crash that echoed over the trees and Kate sent Laurent flying into the ground near them. He leapt up from the crater that he left in the grass to fly at her and knock her back. She used her power to slow the fall and blasted Laurent away from her. Blue energy raged around the clearing making it look like a strange fire show.

He ran at her again and she ducked forcing him back. She ran to him and jumped on top of him grabbing his arms in hers. She was about to rip his arms from his body but he kicked her over his head and sent her sprawling on the ground. She rolled to her feet but Laurent was already there. With a claw-like hand he slashed at her face. She was quick enough to dodge the claw but one sharp nail caught her cheek splitting it open in a long, thin cut.

Laurent came at her again but this time she caught his hand in her grip while forcing the rest of his body to stay still. He struggled against the blue bonds that held him captive. The two opponents stared at each other for a moment. Kate glared at him and looked wild as she crushed his wrist in her hand. He gasped out in pain.

A snap of a branch sounded off to the left of the fighting duo. They stopped and looked to see what was coming.

"I don't believe it," Laurent whispered to himself.

Growling came from the trees and Kate saw Sam's wolf form emerging from the underbrush. The rest of the pack soon was visible through the shadows. One growl in particular sounded more ferocious than the others. As Kate turned back to vampire in her grasp the pack stalked closer.

Kate smirked at him, "You're a chew toy now."

The growl that stuck out in her mind was closer now as it sounded out again. Kate turned her head to see which of the wolves it was coming from. A wolf that she never had seen before was in a fighting stance near her. The wolf was looking right at her.

Taking the moment of lapse in concentration, Laurent fought against the weakened hold on him and slammed his hands into Kate's chest sending her flying across the clearing to land in a heap on the other side.

She heard Sam's growl as she pushed herself up onto her elbows wincing and almost crying out as her chest protested in pain. Laurent spun on his feet and ran across the clearing to get away from all of the wolves. Sam and the others sprang into action following after him.

The new wolf that Kate had noticed came up beside her. She took in its russet coloring in and it's brown eyes. When she looked into them, she could no longer see the wolf; she could only see Jacob.

"Get him," she growled at Jacob.

Jacob growled back at her and sprung into action chasing after the vampire with incredible speed. She was amazed at the way Jacob moved. Kate hadn't seen any wolf that big, strong, or graceful other than Sam.

Bella came up behind Kate and helped her to a standing position, "Are you okay?"

Kate nodded at her though winced a little as her chest was healing from the blow Laurent had delivered it. She was sure he had broken a few ribs.

"Are you okay? I threw you kind of hard."

"I'm fine," Bella assured her.

The Swan girls watched as Laurent turned around and hit Sam sending him all the way across the clearing landing right in front of them. Sam turned to Kate quickly, looking her over for injuries, before running after Laurent again.

"Kate, we need to get out of here," Bella told her.

Remembering that Bella didn't know about the wolves. Kate nodded and turned with Bella's help back into the forest. Bella half carried her to the truck and Bella slammed her foot down on the gas the whole way home. Kate's chest had stopped hurting by the time they got to the house. Bella didn't stop running into they were in the kitchen with Charlie and Harry. Kate came in still panting behind her wiping the blood from her injured cheek.

"Dad, we saw them," Bella practically shouted at Charlie.

"What?"

"In the woods they're not bears."

"In the woods?" Charlie asked, "Bella what the hell we're you two doing in the woods."

"They're wolves! I mean like huge wolves," Bella explained.

Harry snapped his head toward the girls.

"Are you sure about that, Bella?"

Harry looked over at Kate who was leaning against the refrigerator. Kate nodded slightly to him. They had seen the pack.

"Yea, I just saw them! They were after...something," Bella finished lamely.

Charlie nodded, "Alright. Harry, feel like going hunting, get some of your guys together?"

Harry gave Kate another look, "Yea, I'll make a few calls."

"Well I'm going up to my room. It's been a long day with wolves and all..." Kate said slowly.