Port Angeles

We made it to Port Angeles by four, thanks to Jessica's need for speed. I relaxed in the back seat, enjoying the nice change of pace; while Jessica wasn't someone I usually hung out with, it was nice hanging around other girls and doing girly things now and again. Nothing like a rush of estrogen to make you feel alive again, huh? Jessica played whiny rock songs during the drive while she jabbered on about the guys she, Angela, Bella and I (sometimes) hung out with, filling us in about her dinner with Mike the previous evening; it had gone well, so well in fact she was hoping their relationship would be progressing to the first-kiss stage (again) by Saturday night. I glance out of the corner of my eye at the front seat, catching the pleased expression on Bella's face at this news before Jessica asked Angela about her date; although not as excited as Jessica, Angela seemed enthused at the prospect of going to the dance, even if she wasn't all too interested in Eric. This seemed to peek Jessica's interest and she started drilling Angela about what her type might be, causing the other girl to glance away, obviously uncomfortable as she tried to dodge her questions. I took the first chance I could to interrupt. 

"Hey Jess, any idea the kind of dress you'll want?" Jessica's attention immediately shifted as she started going on about the dresses she thought would be good for the dance as Angela shot me a grateful look. I smiled and winked at her to let her know I had her back before I settled back into my seat. 

Compared to Forks, the beautiful tourist trap known as Port Angeles was a great deal more polished and refined than our small, quaint little town. Jessica and Angela seemed to know it well enough that they completely bypassed the picturesque boardwalk and made a beeline for the one big department store in town, which was just a couple streets over from the visitor-friendly face of the bay. 

The dance was billed as semiformal, although none of us were entirely sure what that meant as we headed inside. Jessica and Angela told Bella about how I'd never attended any of our school dances and she shocked them by revealing she hadn't attended any at her school in Phoenix either. 

"You never went with a boyfriend or anything?" Jessica quirked a brow as we headed upstairs to the Juniors' department. Bella shook her head, looking sheepish. 

"Honestly, I've never had a boyfriend..." I flicked an ear, knowing admitting something like that was far less embarrassing than if she were to admit she had problems with dancing, "I didn't really get out much." 

Jessica snorted, as though unsurprised, eyeing me thoughtfully, "Hm, must be a family thing." She murmured before turning back to Bella while I pretended I hadn't noticed as we reached the Juniors' section, deciding to focus on helping Angela look through the racks of dress-up clothes, "What's with the two of you, anyway? Both of you get asked out here but you always say no." 

"Well, not always..." Angela pointed out quietly; Jessica hummed and nodded, while Bella quirked a brow and I glanced up, frowning. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Well..." Angela hesitated, suddenly looking sheepish as she glanced at me, "You are going to prom with Tyler, aren't you?" 

I narrowed my eyes, the hair on the back of my neck bristling, "No, I'm not...who gave you that idea?" 

"Tyler." Jessica pipped up, failing miserably to hide her amusement as I gave her a dark look, "He's been telling everyone he's taking you as his date." 

Refusing to entertain her more than I already had, I took a deep breath to reel in my temper and sighed, "Well, it isn't true. I'm not going to prom." 

"I told you..." Angela murmured to Jessica as I moved further down the rack, needing a second to process all this; suddenly, Lauren's shitty attitude of late made sense, even though I hadn't shown any real interest in Tyler beyond friendship. I would have to sort this out tomorrow, ASAP, if not to set the record straight than to get miss queen bee off my back. For now, though, I should just focus on helping the other girls find their perfect dresses and make sure Bella stayed out of trouble, for my and Edward's sakes. 

Our search didn't take long; the dress selection wasn't all that big, although both Jessica and Angela managed to find a few things to try on. While they were changing, Bella took a seat in a low chair inside the changing room, watching her reflection in the three-way mirror as I paced the length of the room and drummed my fingers on my arm, deep in my own thoughts. 

Jessica modeled a couple of dresses she liked for Bella and I, wondering which to pick; one was a long, basic, strapless piece while the other was a beautiful blue spaghetti strap that fell to her knees. Bella encouraged her to go with the blue one and I agreed, pointing out it complimented her eyes just right. She conceded, although the faux smile she sent our way betrayed the mistrust and jealousy she tried to hide. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes, wondering what exactly was going through that shallow mind of hers' as I turned my attention to Angela, complimenting the beautiful, pale pink dress she modeled, which hugged her curves in all the right places, bringing emphasis to the pretty honey tints hidden in her light brown hair. Bella complimented their choices graciously and even offered to return their rejects to the racks. 

Our limited choices made for a much shorter process than it would have been should we have gone somewhere with a bigger selection, and we were soon headed over to the shoe and accessory section. While Jessica and Angela tried things on, I picked through some of the jewelry between critiques and Bella glanced through the shoes, even though she didn't seem as interested as she had been before. I sighed to myself, seeing her depression beginning to creep back in and feeling it sap at what energy Jessica hadn't already eaten through even as I wandered away from the group to check out more of the jewelry. Was it too much to ask just to have a nice day out with the girls without drama or bullshit? Well, maybe...we were talking about a group of teenage girls after all, so what could I really expect? Maybe this was why I preferred hanging with guys more often than other girls...guys weren't concerned with hidden agendas or meanings in every little thing someone said or did unlike most girls...guys were a lot less complicated... 

(Speaking of guys, I wonder how Jake's doing...?) I thought absentmindedly, ignoring Jessica as she joined me at the counter, (I still need to call him, see about having a game night together, we haven't had one in ages...) The thought of having a night just with my best friend brought a smile to my lips; well, something like that would be a lot easier to do once Bella was going out with Edward and was out of the house more often. 

"What's made you so happy? You thinking about that boyfriend of yours?" Jessica's voice broke through my thoughts, and I glanced up, frowning at the smirk she shot me. I rolled my eyes. 

"I don't have a boyfriend, Jess..." I internally groaned, preparing myself for the barge of questions I knew was coming my way. She quirked a brow, unconvinced, "Oh really? Then why reject Tyler?" 

I shrugged, "Just not into him like that is all..." I muttered, hoping that would end the conversation, yet, at the same time, knowing better. 

"Why not? There must be a guy in your life if it isn't Tyler. What about that guy from the beach, the one that lives on the reservation? Lauren said the two of you are close." 

"Jacob?" I rolled my eyes again, feeling a stab of annoyance; should've figured Lauren would've blabbed to someone about what I'd told her to get back at me for blurting out who her crush was, "He's a childhood friend, someone Bella and I've known since we were babies. Trust me, there's nothing going on between us." 

"Hm mm." Jessica hummed, and I could sense her getting ready to say something else when I pointed to some rhinestone jewelry on display. 

"Hey, these would go great with those silver shoes you found." Distracted, Jessica turned to examine the jewelry with interest, and I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that conversation was over. 

It was earlier than we expected when we finished dress shopping, still too early for dinner – we'd already planned on going to a nice little Italian place on the boardwalk – so Jessica and Angela decided they wanted to drop their stuff off at the car and go for a walk down by the bay. Bella wanted to try and find a bookstore and I offered to go with her, promising the other girls we'd meet them at the restaurant in an hour; Bella tried to protest as Jessica and Angela carried their things to the car and I led the way toward a bookstore I knew of nearby, shooting her a look that said I wasn't leaving her alone. 

"Bella, I'm well aware of your love of books and how preoccupied you can get around them. We're more alike than you think. Besides, I promised mama I'd watch out for you." 

Bella frowned but sighed, conceding, as she followed me in the direction of the store, knowing she wouldn't be able to talk me out of this; as soon as we reached the street where it was located, though, I knew it wouldn't be the kind she was looking for. As we got closer, it was easier to see the crystals, dreamcatchers, and books about spiritual healing that filled the front window; Bella grimaced and immediately bypassed the shop, avoiding eye contact with the long, gray-haired woman that sat behind the counter. She smiled warmly out at us from beyond the glass and I lifted a hand in a half-hearted wave before following Bella away, trying to think if there was another bookstore nearby. 

Peeting up at the street signs thoughtfully, I did my best to map out the city in my head and figure out which way was downtown as we meandered the streets, which were beginning to fill with end-of-the-workday traffic. Bella didn't talk much and, judging by her expression, I could tell her mind was elsewhere, her thoughts on Edward and how much she was missing him, probably wondering about now if she was going to see him on Saturday as they'd planned. I wasn't too worried, knowing by tomorrow he would be back with the clouds that usually overlooked Forks. Saturday would still be on for them in that instance, even though I had the distinct feeling that pointing it out now would do little to make my sister feel better. She'd need more than some advice and comfort from a family member to lift her spirits right now... 

"Hey Bells, we should head -" I turned to her as we reached an intersection, pausing in confusion when I realized she wasn't right behind me and glancing around; I spotted her heading south, toward a couple of store fronts about a hundred yards away. I hurried to catch up, throwing quick apologies over my shoulder to those I shoved out of my way; by the time I reached the shops, just a little repair place and a vacant building, Bella had already moved on, rounding a corner further down. 

"Bella!" I yelled as I rounded the corner onto a less busy road, looking each way before crossing the street to the next sidewalk; looking around at the buildings, now mostly warehouses instead of apartments and stores, I could tell we were heading into the industrial part of the city. Not exactly the best place for visitors or tourists, considering how easy it was to get lost, or worse, on this side of town. I needed to find Bella and get her out of here before she found trouble...or vice versa, knowing how bad her luck could get at times like these. 

Taking a slow breath through my nose, I filtered through the overpowering smell of asphalt, smog, and exhaust until I could pick up Bella's familiar strawberry and faded parchment scent. I followed it to a near empty intersection and jogged along the crosswalk, pivoting around a pair of young men that were rounding the other corner. They weren't much older than I was, likely only in their early twenties, dressed in casual but grimy clothes; they were snickering, talking about some kind of score, likely dates or something of the like. I ignored them, uninterested in whatever the hell they were talking about, until something they said caught my attention. 

"Man, that pale chick with the doe eyes was hot." It was the darker haired of the two and I slowed, feeling the hair on the back of my neck bristle as I peered over my shoulder after them; his back was to me, but I could tell he was wearing a flannel shirt, cut-off jeans, and sandals, "I can't wait to get my hands on her, she's going to be a helluva lot of fun." My hackles rose as the other man asked where they were meeting their friends, "They'll be herding her toward the other side of town. There's a nice, secluded area right by that auto parts warehouse on West Street." 

These assholes - 

I had to suppress the overwhelming urge to turn and tear the two men to pieces right then and there, reminding myself there were too many witnesses, even with the sunlight fading. That would still leave Bella alone with those two other assholes and who knew what they would do if they didn't see their friends. I would have to catch up with Bella and get them out of the way before I could take care of the first two. 

I took off down the street, desperately following Bella's scent, now intermixed with the smell of tobacco and hard liquor, (Goddamn it, Bella, what in the hell did you get yourself into this time! I swear to fucking God, you have the worst sense of self-preservation I've seen!) I growled to myself, angry at her reckless behavior and at my inability to properly keep track of her. I should've paid better attention, especially knowing how distracted she was... 

Clouds were piling up in the sky as I turned down a sidewalk that led past the bay doors of several large, faded brick warehouses, obscuring the sun as they gathered on the western horizon and causing an early sunset while the sky to the east was darkening from cyan to a dull gray with streaks of pink and orange. Along the southern side of the street there wasn't a sidewalk, just a barb wire topped chain-link fence that guarded a junkyard full of engine parts and metal. Streetlights flickered on from high on the brick walls and I spotted a pair of men more than half-way up the street, walking close together toward a stop sign at the next corner, only about ten yards ahead. I breathed out in relief when I saw Bella just as she rounded that corner out of sight. 

(All right, let's get these two outta the way.) I returned my attention to the two men, who had slowed their stride now, trying to put distance between her and them to allow for a false sense of security before they moved in. Oh, I was so going to enjoy this. 

Within seconds of deactivating my necklace, I manifested a pair of water whips out of thin air and sent them for the men, who barely had the chance to scream before the water closed around their mouths. Closing my fists, I jerked my arms back and then threw them out away from my body; the men were pulled back on their asses and then thrown, hard, into the brick walls on either side of the street. There were a couple of audible cracks and they both slumped, unconscious, to the asphalt as I strode past, my attention solely on the corner where my sister had disappeared. 

The next street was lined on both sides by blank walls, broken up by a couple of intersections; just past those, I could see the warm light of the streetlamps that illuminated a road full of cars and pedestrians. There was just one obstacle in the way... 

The first two men I'd passed were waiting for Bella, pushing off from where they lounged against the wall on the western side of the street, just about half-way between where I stood and where there were more people. Even in the dim light I could see their excited smiles as they approached where Bella had stopped in the road, her purse, which had been slung across her body before, clutched tight in both hands, as though she was preparing to use it as a weapon or surrender it should the need arise. 

"Stay away from me." Her voice was quiet, low – no doubt she'd tried her best to sound strong, but ended up failing due to a dry throat, a normal reaction in humans when facing danger. 

"Don't be like that, sugar." The dark-haired man purred, prickling at the hair on my neck again. Bella stiffened and set her feet apart, as though steeling herself to fight and surprise flitted across the man's face, his eyes flashing with interest. I saw red. 

"OI!" I snarled loudly, throwing caution to the wind as I stalked toward them at an inhumane pace; secret be damned, this pervert was not putting a fucking hand on my sister if I had anything to say about it. Bella whirled around at my voice, her eyes wide in relief as the men looked around as well; the dark-haired man looked surprised at the sight of me, like he wasn't expecting anyone to come to the rescue while his companion paled, "Get the fuck away from my sister!" 

The man eyed me, intrigued, before he smirked, "Well, well, what do we have here? A little pup come to defend her human kin, how sweet ~" His eyes went from black to red and my hackles rose at the unmistakable demonic energy that rolled off him in waves. Instinctively, I reached for Bella, pushing her behind me to shield her, eyeing the other demon. His companion, deciding this wasn't worth it, had already fled. 

Damn it, I should've paid better attention...I'd been so preoccupied with finding and protecting Bella I hadn't noticed one of the men after her was another supernatural. It was a rookie mistake; he wasn't exactly powerful, but his aura was potent enough to pick up on with little difficulty. Even his scent was strong enough through the grime that it should have been obvious what he was from the start. 

Straightening my spine and squaring my shoulders, I leveled him with a hard glare, my knuckles cracking as I clenched my fists, letting him know he wasn't going to intimidate me. If I was going to protect Bella, I had to assert myself and let this asshole know exactly who he was dealing with. 

He smirked, amused, his eyes glowing with interest, "Well, this has turned into a very interesting evening. You two are going to keep me entertained for a good long while ~" 

My skin crawled at the low purr to his voice, stomach clenching while my claws itched to tear him limb from limb. I grit my teeth to keep my temper in check, knowing I couldn't let loose, not when I had someone to protect. If I was to lose control right now, there was no telling what this guy would do...if I didn't want him to get his hands on Bella, I was going to have to stay on the defensive until I could figure out a way to get her out of here. 

(Damn it, Edward, if there was ever a good time for you to appear, now would be it!) I internally cursed, backing Bella up as the male advanced toward us, smirking darkly. A low squealing in the distance was drawing closer, like the screech of tires and I prayed that that was the sound from a certain vampire's silver Volvo as I got into a fighting stance. 

He reached toward us, and I clenched my fists - 

A pair of headlights flew around the corner, the squeal of tires against the pavement piercing now as the car just barely missed the demon, who leapt out of the way just in time. Suppressing a curse, I wrapped an arm around Bella and leapt back while the vehicle fishtailed around, skidding to a stop with its passenger door open just feet from us. 

"Get in." Edward demands in a low, furious voice. 

"About damn time!" I jumped back toward the car and shoved Bella into the seat, grabbing the door to slam it, already half turned when she grabbed my arm. I glanced back, catching her wide-eyed expression. 

"What are you doing?" Her voice was still barely above a whisper, low and strained. Her eyes shot to where our attacker was standing, watching from his position on the sidewalk before she turned back to me, "You can't! Damn, please..." 

"Bella, I'll be fine." She started to protest as I slipped my arm out of her grasp, "I'll catch up later, okay? You just get out of here, get somewhere safe." 

"B-but Dawn -" 

"Bella," I whirled on her again, watching the surprise flit across her face as she flinched instinctively away. I couldn't blame her, knowing how wild I must look; out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my reflection in the dark tinted windows, the glowing red eyes punctuated by luminescent yellow pupils and the jagged, flame colored demonic markings that had stretched across my cheeks. I frowned, staring at myself for a second before returning my attention to Bella and setting my jaw. 

"This is who I am, Bella, and this is the world I come from...that Edward and I come from. If you want to be a part of it, then you need to trust me when I say I can handle it, okay?" I gave her a stern look as I stepped back out of reach, even though I got the feeling she wasn't going to stop me this time, "Now listen to me for once and just get the hell out of here. Stay with Edward, he'll make sure you get somewhere safe." I gripped the passenger door and glanced back once more, peering at the vampire, who was watching me with dark, eternal black eyes, "Take good care of her, Edward, or I'll be coming after you next." 

His lips quirked in a half smile, although there was no amusement in his expression, "You can count on me, Dawn. Be sure to kick that guy's ass twice as hard for me." 

I smirked and nodded as I swung the door closed, turning to face the demon once more; my ears folded back as the Volvo took off again, its' tires squealing as it angled north, the roar of the engine fading as it disappeared into the night. 

My opponent's expression had shifted, conflicted now; disappointment intermixed with caution as he surveyed the surrounding area, putting out feelers for any other surprises that could be waiting to spring out of the shadows next. Well, at least he wasn't as dumb as he looked, if he realized how bad this situation could be for him, messing with a human being protected, not only by a half demon, but a vampire as well. It was against our laws for any human associated with a clan or family, especially one as old and powerful as ours', to be attacked by other demons, even more so if said human was a part of a demon's family, whether through marriage or adoption. Any harm done to a human who was part of a demon's clan was seen as a sign of disrespect and had to be rectified for peace to be restored. It was an old law, probably as old as demons themselves, and one of the laws that often attributed to any fight or estranged relationship between many a clan, but it was important, nonetheless. We had to have laws protecting the weaker members of our families, especially if any of them were our children or a demon's chosen mate. There was no worse guilt than dragging someone we love into a world as dangerous as ours and being unable to do anything if they were harmed. This guy was lucky mama wasn't here or he'd already be dead...not that he was going to get off much better with me, but still... 

"There's no one else around." His eyes returned to me as I broke the silence, his eyebrows arching, bringing emphasis to the intrigue that lingered in his gaze. I scowled, "It's just us now." 

His smirk returned as he relaxed, rolling his shoulders while a low chuckle bubbled up from deep in his throat, "Hm, I wasn't expecting that, I would've thought a young pup like you would have called for mama and daddy to come take care of the big bad demon ~" 

I narrowed my eyes, "If I did that, I wouldn't have stayed, I would've left with my sister. I'm old enough to deal with a creep like you on my own. Now I demand an apology." 

His eyebrows rose, "An apology? Whatever for?" 

"You know exactly what for. You're a demon just as much as I am, you know our laws." 

"Hmm, technically, I'm more of a demon than you are." He snickered as I growled, "And if I followed those stuffy old rules, I wouldn't be here, pup, I'd still be out in the wilderness taking care of ma's latest litter or hunting with pops. But see, those rules, they weren't for me, too...restricting, and I wasn't going to be a babysitter for the rest of my life, not when I found a much more exciting life here in this city. Full of..." He looked me up and down, smirking, "entertaining prey." 

A shiver skittered down my spine, making my hair bristle; he was a rogue...an uncommon occurrence among demons, although it wasn't unheard of. A rogue was a demon that abandoned our laws and followed another, often darker and conceited, moral compass. Demons like these are often on their own, as they would have left their clan or family of their own will so they could do what they wanted without anyone stopping them or, in some cases, they were kicked out because their behavior went against their family's morals. Their behavior had to be truly twisted for their family to willingly turn their backs on them, up to and including hunting humans...much as this demon had been doing tonight with Bella. 

My blood boiled at the thought of what he could've done to my sister, what he'd probably done to countless other poor, unsuspecting women unlucky enough to cross his path. What he was likely planning on doing to me once he got his hands on me. 

"It's just too bad that pretty little sister of yours' got away." He was suddenly behind me, and I felt him twist a strand of hair around his finger, sniffing it slowly before he sighed wistfully, "But, having you here could make up for that. I've never had a half breed like you before...quite the rarity, aren't you?" He leaned in close, his hands sliding over my shoulders, "I've had humans, I've had demons, but I don't think I've ever had anything like you before. A half demon..." He inhaled my scent, lowering his head to brush close to my cheek, "Half...hm, what is that sweet smell?" 

"Vampire." I growled lowly as a loud thwack and a thud filled the air, pulling a smirk onto my own lips, "And you'll not be adding me to your list of victims, tonight or ever." I turned around to face the demon again as a cool, serpentine-like form slithered up my arm and I glared down at him while he stared up at me from the pavement. He pushed the wet bangs out of his eyes, blinking, "In fact, you won't be adding any more victims to your list by the time I'm finished with you." 

Amusement flickered in his eyes, replacing his shock as that familiar smirk tugged at his lips while he got back to his feet, "Oh really now?" he loomed above me, eyes crimson as he flashed his fangs, dropping the last of his barriers to put his true strength on display. It was an intimidation technique demons used to gain an advantage in a fight. Yet, even at full strength, it wasn't difficult to tell this male wasn't much more than a beta. 

Depending on a demon's strength or age, they're often divided into one of three statures: alphas, betas, or omegas. 

Alphas are the strongest (and sometimes the oldest) demons, most often leaders or in a highly respected position; they can be recognized by a very strong, potent, and/or dominate disposition or aura. Commonly, alphas can be found in larger demonic clans, mostly carnivores, such as wolves, lions, bears, etc. Depending on their bloodline or heritage, children or young demons can become alphas upon reaching adulthood. 

Betas were more common than alphas or omegas, typically average individuals without overpowering or potent auras; unlike alphas, betas weren't natural leaders and often took up commonplace occupations, such as deputies or warriors, in their clans. Until they grow into their full power, children and young demons are often considered betas by default. 

Lastly, omegas: they had the weakest aura and little power. Demons like that were highly submissive and often timid by nature, especially when in the presence of an alpha. They didn't do well in high status positions or as warriors, like betas, so they usually avoided fights and took up smaller positions in a clan, such as nurses, doctors, cooks, etc. 

Although I was considered an adult by human standards, I was still young for a demon – if I wasn't half vampire, I'd probably only look about five years old now – but due to my advanced aging, I was already coming into my alpha power. It was one reason why I felt confident that I could take this guy on without calling for back-up. 

"I really wouldn't do that if I were you." I told the man calmly, gums itching as my fangs lengthened past my bottom lip. His smirk widened as he drew closer. 

"Oh, and why is that, pup?" He sneered; I smirked to myself, knowing I wouldn't have to hold back anymore now that I didn't have someone to protect as I let my shields down, putting my aura on full display. A deep sense of satisfaction manifested itself in the pit of my stomach at the disbelief that unfolded over the male's face as my aura hit him in full, his confidence wavering at the unexpected surge of power while his eyes widened; just by his reaction alone, I knew this had been the last thing he'd been expecting, especially from someone as young as me. No doubt he'd thought I was just a beta, like him. 

"Y-you're -?" 

"Yeah, I am." I crossed the space between us in a flash and grabbed him by the throat to slam him, hard, into the wall on the other side of the street, "Still think I need to call for mama and daddy to come protect me?" 

He gawked at me, still trying to wrap his brain around this, "B-but how is that – you're still just a kid!" 

"A kid that can kick your ass five ways to Sunday." I growled, curling my free hand into a fist and encasing it into water before it hardened into ice as I glared at him, "By the time I'm through with you, a beating is going to be the least of your worries." 

"Heh." A strangely bemused look crossed his features then as he peered down at me with a faint smile, "Pretty dark for someone who follows the rules. You really think you'll be able to go through with something like this?" 

I punched him hard; some of his teeth gave and a blood dribbled past his bottle lip, "You and I both know I'm well within my rights to do this! You attacked my sister and disrespected my family, not to mention countless others before ours!" I wound my arm up, punching him again, "I don't even want to think about how many poor women you must've harmed just to satisfy your sick fetishes." 

He spat out a mouthful of blood and shot me another smirk, showing off the teeth I'd broken, eerily reminding me of a horror movie villain, "What's the matter, does the idea of my tracking down numerous other women like I did your sister make you uncomfortable? Hmm, I'd hate to see just how it would affect you thinking about what I did to them -" 

"Shut up!" I snarled but he continued to smirk at me, and I bared my teeth, "You sick son of a bitch, I should end you right here!" 

"Then why don't you?" He sneered, unimpressed, "You know, I bet you've never killed a single person in your whole life. You don't have it in you." 

I slammed him, hard, against the wall, my claws digging into his neck as my grip tightened, "You know nothing about me!" 

"Oh, but I do, believe me, pup. If you really wanted me dead, we wouldn't still be talking." he chuckled darkly, "And considering I'm still breathing, I'd say that just about settles it, doesn't it? I bet you didn't even plan out what you were going to do with my body once all was said and done. What a way to expose the supernatural world to the humans, isn't it?" 

I clenched my teeth, internally cursing; damn it, I'd been so blinded by rage over what this asshole could've done to Bella, what he'd done to so many innocents before her, I hadn't given any thought to what could happen if I killed him. I didn't give a shit about the moral consequences this could cause, I would kill anything if it meant my family was safe and stain my claws with blood every day if I needed to, but I needed to think about what could happen if I wasn't careful in how I cleaned all this up afterward. There was no way in hell I was just going to let this guy roam free after this, no way I was going to let him hurt anyone else, but there was a process to be followed...I couldn't leave his body here to be found by just anyone, especially if they reported this to the police. If the authorities were involved and it led to a full-on investigation, just one blood or tissue sample could expose our world to the humans and cause a lot of trouble, not just for me, but my family and the Cullens, too. I needed to be careful...get him out of here, somewhere I could kill him without leaving any evidence behind. I guess I needed back-up after all and fast. 

"Heh, I knew it." The male snickered as I let the ice melt and lowered him back to the sidewalk before taking a half step back; he pushed off the brick wall and reached for me, triumphant, "I knew you were too soft to do anything -" His words trailed off as I suddenly grabbed the collar of his shirt and ducked; he planted his feet, grabbing my waist and pulling me back as his head was yanked down. Using my legs to add more strength, I thrust my body up, feeling the crown of my head connect with his nose with a loud, sickening crunch. His grip slackens and I let go of his shirt as his legs buckled, watching as he crumpled to the ground at my feet while I grimaced, wiping some blood from my forehead. 

"Great, now I've got blood in my hair..." I growl, glaring at him as I fished my cell phone out of my bag and pulled up Carlisle's number. 

"Hello Dawn." I could feel myself relax at the familiar voice, though I kept an eye on the demon on the ground, "Is everything all right?" 

"Hey Carlisle...and no, not really..." I sigh into the phone, crossing my free arm over my middle, "Well, I mean, everyone's safe, Bella's fine, but, uh, there's a problem. I'm sure Alice must've seen parts to it..." I explained to him about the demon that had been tracking Bella and everything that he'd done, "He's basically admitted he's done this to other women, and I know I can't just leave him here, but I can't take care of him by myself...it'd leave too much evidence. I need your help." 

"Of course, Dawn." I could hear stuff being shuffled around on the other end of the line, "Is Bella there with you now? Do you need me to call your mother to help as well?" 

"Thank you, Carlisle..." I heaved a sigh, knowing I at least had an older adult that would be able to help, "But, no, Bella isn't with me, Edward arrived and got her away from here, so she's with him...hopefully he's making sure she's at least getting something to eat or drink after all this. And yeah, mama should be a part of this, too. It is one of our kind that attacked us and mama's the alpha of the family. It's only right." 

"All right, I'll call her as soon as I get off the phone with you. Do you think you'll be able to sit tight with him until we can come pick you up?" 

"Yeah, I knocked him out, which should make it easier to keep him from trying to run off. Just please hurry." I begged, looking up and down the shadowed street, feeling uneasy. The sounds and sights of the city weren't quite as overwhelming here, thank goodness, since this was a fairly quiet street, but I still felt...claustrophobic. Compared to what I was used to living in the forest, it was too quiet; there were no natural sounds, only the occasional honk from a car horn or people yelling at one another from their windows, accompanied by the buzz of the streetlights just a ways down the street. It was eerie, the absence of the usual nightly noises I was used to...being closed in by tall buildings on all sides did little to help in that aspect, especially when they blocked my view of the surrounding area and made it difficult to discern which direction was which...one of the many reasons I avoided setting foot in Port Angeles (or any city in general) as much as I possibly could...the sooner I got out of this smog smothered death trap, the better I'd feel. 

"We'll try to get there within the hour, Dawn. Where are you?" I turned to look up the street again, grateful for the lights as it made it easier to read the signs, "All right, Dawn, just stay put. We'll be right there." 

I started to thank Carlisle when a couple of low groans sounded from the way I'd come, and I tensed, turning; a pair of figures stumbled around the corner and I frowned, seeing it was the two men who'd been herding Bella in this direction. Fuck, I'd almost forgotten about them...and if I'd already overlooked that he was a demon, what else could I have missed? Even if that fourth man had only been a human, I couldn't dismiss the idea that the others could be supernatural, too. 

"Dawn? What's wrong?" 

"There could be another complication..." I muttered into the phone, "I'll figure it out and text you. Just please get here as soon as you can." 

"Be careful, Dawn." Carlisle warned as I hung up the phone and returned it to my purse; glancing at the male still unconscious at my feet, I covered his body in a blanket of water and solidified it. I wasn't going to take any chances with this asshole, especially if his companions did turn out to be another pair of demons...or worse...if they did turn out to be supernatural, I was going to need to make sure we took care of them as well. 

Nodding to myself, I strode quickly toward them, putting my full power on display. They looked up when I was a couple yards away, their eyes widening as they quickly backed away, stumbling over their own feet. I notched my chin, baring my fangs as I let out a low, threatening growl; one of them lost his footing, and fell, hard, on his ass, staring with saucer-like eyes as he scrambles back while his companion bolts. He doesn't get far, though, before another whip of water appears out of thin air, wrapping around his ankles; he yelps as he's yanked off his feet, scrambling for something to grab onto while he's dragged back toward me. 

"P-please, please, spare us..." The one who had fallen begs as his companion comes to rest beside him and I freeze the water around his ankles to keep him in place; he turns onto his side to face me as best he can and holds a shaking hand out, pleading. I look between the pair, narrowing my eyes darkly while I take a long, deep pull of their scents. That strong scent of cigarettes and alcohol from earlier filled the air, intermixing with cheap cologne and grime, overpowering their natural scents. I frowned, letting my other senses take over to put out feelers for anything that could indicate either of them was a threat. Even omegas, no matter how weak they might be, were a threat to humans and I wasn't taking any chances. 

Thankfully for me, though, neither man presented a potent enough aura that could indicate they were anything more than a couple of humans themselves. I relaxed a little at this knowledge but continued to glare; I still had to find out why they would get themselves tangled up with one of my kind and depending on their answer, I'd have to make sure they never did anything like what they tried tonight ever again. 

"Either of you care to explain what exactly you were up to?" I growled, crossing my arms; they stared, wide-eyed and confused. My ears folded, "My sister! You were herding her this way before! What were you planning on doing with her?!" 

They both flinched, realization dawning on their faces, "I-it wasn't our idea!" The first man who had spoken piped up, "I-it was our friend, Lonnie...he said we could have some fun" 

"Bullshit." I hissed out from between clenched teeth, making a note of the demon's name, "No one would just go along with something like this unless they were in on their plans! The two of you knew what kinda sick things he had planned!" 

"We didn't, please!" The second man spoke up for the first time, flinching away instinctively, "We were just looking for a bit of fun!" 

"So, your idea of fun is cornering a lost girl and taking advantage of her?!" I snarled, cracking my knuckles. Both men quickly shook their heads, paling when they noticed my claws lengthen. 

"No, please, it isn't like that! We never meant to hurt her!" 

"I don't believe you!" 

"It's true! It's the truth, please...please, believe us." Tears were starting to well up in both their eyes, which brought me up short. Maybe they were telling the truth...such a visceral response usually meant what the person was saying was true...maybe they hadn't meant any harm, not like their friend 'Lonnie' as they'd called him...no doubt the alcohol had impaired their judgement enough that they'd just blindly followed the demon's lead without thinking it all the way through. Maybe they hadn't known how far Lonnie was planning on going. 

"All right, then..." I relaxed my stance, but continued to glare, "I believe you." 

The men relaxed, a couple of tears trailing down their cheeks, "S-so does that mean you're gonna let us go?" 

"Yes, but," They flinched again at the growl in my voice, "If I ever catch either of you doing something like this again, I will not be as merciful. I will hunt you both down and make sure your deaths are slow and painful. Got it?" 

"Y-yes ma'am!" They both stuttered, bobbing their heads rapidly; I nodded and melted the ice, "Good, I'm glad we have an understanding. Now get the hell out of here." 

They nodded again and scrambled to take off down the street they'd just come from; I relaxed, watching them disappear into the night. Good, now that that was taken care of... 

I turned, looking at the mound of ice behind me. Now there was just one more problem to deal with...