“I have no idea what you’re going on about. I already introduced myself to you, last night, and just now you referred to me by name. So, you know who I am. I guess I never told you where I was from though. Remember I told you I was new here, well, I used to live in Kansas.”


He looked and sounded genuine, but he didn’t really answer all of my questions.


“And the rest,” I prompted.


“What?”


I huffed impatiently. “Who was that Jor guy and what was that thing you put against my head?”


“Oh, Jor! You saw him? He’s my hologram; a science project from back home. And the ‘thing’ that you’re referring to was another experiment of mine,” explained, “but apparently, it doesn’t work.” Max frowned at the reminder.


“A hologram,” I echoed questioningly. I had not been expecting an answer like that at all.


“Yeah, you know, it’s like a virtual being…”


“I know what a hologram is,” I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him.


“So, what was your other little ‘experiment’ then?” I questioned again.


“Umm, it’s difficult to describe as it’s rather involved”


“Try me.”


“Well, it was my attempt at measuring uh, energy, to put it simply.”


“So what, you decided to just test it on me, rather forcefully and without asking I might add,” I demanded.


He smiled sheepishly, “Sorry about that. I lost my head for a second there.”


I tried to gauge if he was really telling me the truth. Too bad I couldn’t read his thoughts without being in contact with his skin. I was still bugged about that and it would be odd if I just randomly touched him now. Was something wrong with me, or was it Max? The questions kept coming, but I had no answers.


Ugh.


Well, I thought, his body language isn’t that of a liar and his tone of voice rang with sincerity. Was I making an ordeal out of absolutely nothing? A hologram would explain how “Jor” disappeared and didn’t have a scent. Max’s explanation made sense, I guess, on the surface. Still, he just seems a bit --- I don’t know --- weird. It’s like my vamp-sense is trying to tell me something, but I’m missing it completely. Who I am to talk about weirdness, though, when everyone in Forks would say the exact same thing about my family and me?


After a moment he said, “You know, I could ask you the same questions. What are you doing out here, at night, in a tree all alone?” Max asked.


I didn’t hesitate in my reply. “Observing nature; it’s a sort of, umm, hobby of mine.” It was true enough. He didn’t need to know about the part where the potency of his scent made me want to sink my teeth into his veins. Hmm, I thought, as I pictured myself biting into the pulsating veins of his neck, the inside of his elbow, his wrist, where his wet and sticky blood would be mine for the taking.


Unconsciously, I inhaled, and Max’s scent became even more potent, hitting me like a ton of bricks. He smelled so good. I just knew his blood would taste good too. I licked my lips eagerly as my mouth filled with venom.


“Really … enjoy science?” Max was asking me.


I shrugged.


“Well,” he replied, “science is one of my specialties. And I like technology too, but history is my favorite. I especially like those old folklore legends…” he rambled. I wasn’t really listening to what he was saying, so I just nodded as if I was paying attention.


His scent was infiltrating my senses more and more and my control was slipping second by second. My newborn strength would be unleashed if I lost control. I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from killing him.


I gritted my teeth and locked my muscles in response to the tension that created within me. Darn it, but why didn’t I listen to Edward? As much as I really didn’t want to admit it, he was right. I shouldn’t have come here alone. My need to prove my independence was putting Max’s life in danger.


The night air stirred. Just as I was about to cut off the air flow to my lungs a different scent captured my attention. My head snapped to the north as the familiar scent registered. I mentally sighed, but I was grateful for its presence because it had saved me from, well, from losing control.


As I was turning back towards Max, he threw himself at me, knocking us out of the tree, and we became airborne.


In the next instant, I was lying on the ground on my back. The sound of my landing echoed loudly in the quiet.


Feet pounded the earth and came to an abrupt halt in front of me. I stared at Renesmee, wondering why she was here, wondering why I was here for that matter, wherever here was.


She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Her thoughts were confused like mine. What’s going on Summer, she thought.


Shaking my head, trying to clear away my own confusion and befuddlement to make sense of things, I could only reply, “I don’t know.”