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Something very； very obvious； something I should have grasped at once—but I'd
been so distracted by
the idea of Jacob and his friends fighting with Laurent； that I'd pletely
missed it at the time—occurred
to me only then； when Jacob used the present tense again。
We're going to take care of this。
It wasn't over。
〃Laurent is dead；〃 I gasped； and my entire body went ice cold。
〃Bella？〃 Jacob asked anxiously； touching my ashen cheek。
〃If Laurent died a week ago then someone else is killing people now。〃
Jacob nodded； his teeth clenched together； and he spoke through them。 〃There
were two of them。 We
thought his mate would want to fight us—in our stories； they usually get
pretty pissed off if you kill their
mate—but she just keeps running away； and then ing back again。 If we could
figure out what she
was after； it would be easier to take her down。 But she makes no sense。 She
keeps dancing around the
edges； like she's testing our defenses； looking for a way in—but in where？
Where does she want to go？
Sam thinks she's trying to separate us； so she'll have a better chance〃
His voice faded until it sounded like it was ing through a long tunnel； I
couldn't make out the
individual words anymore。 My forehead dewed with sweat and my stomach rolled
like I had the stomach
flu again。 Exactly like I had the flu。
I turned away from him quickly； and leaned over the tree trunk。 My body
convulsed with useless heaves；
my empty stomach contracting with horrified nausea； though there was nothing
in it to expel。
Victoria was here。 Looking for me。 Killing strangers in the woods。 The woods
where Charlie was
searching
My head spun sickeningly。
Jacob's hands caught my shoulders—kept me from sliding forward onto the
rocks。 I could feel his hot
breath on my cheek。 〃Bella！ What's wrong？〃
〃Victoria；〃 I gasped as soon as I could catch my breath around the nauseous
spasms。
In my head； Edward snarled in fury at the name。
I felt Jacob pull me up from my slump。 He draped me awkwardly across his lap；
laying my limp head
against his shoulder。 He struggled to balance me； to keep me from sagging
over； one way or the other He
brushed the sweaty hair back from my face。
〃Who？〃 Jacob asked。 〃Can you hear me； Bella？ Bella？〃
〃She wasn't Laurent's mate；〃 I moaned into his shoulder。 〃They were just old
friends〃
〃Do you need some water？ A doctor？ Tell me what to do；〃 he demanded； frantic。
〃I'm not sick—I'm scared；〃 I explained in a whisper。 The word scared didn't
really seem to cover it。
Jacob patted my back。 〃Scaled of this Victoria？〃 I nodded； shuddering。
〃Victoria is the red…haired
female？〃 I trembled again； and whimpered； 〃Yes。〃
〃How do you know she wasn't his mate？〃
〃Laurent told me James was her mate；〃 I explained； automatically flexing the
hand with the scar。
He pulled my face around； holding it steady in his big hand。 He stared
intently into my eyes。 〃Did he tell
you anything else； Bella？ This is important。 Do you know what she wants？〃
〃Of course；〃 I whispered。 〃She wants me。〃 His eyes flipped wide； then narrowed
into slits。 〃Why？〃 he
demanded。
〃Edward killed James；〃 I whispered。 Jacob held me so tightly that there was no
need for me to clutch at
the hole—he kept me in one piece。 〃She did get pissed off。 But Laurent said
she thought it was fairer
to kill me than Edward。 Mate for mate。 She didn't know—still doesn't know； I
guess—that that〃 I
swallowed hard。 〃That things aren't like that with us anymore。 Not for Edward；
anyway。〃
Jacob was distracted by that； his face torn between several different
expressions。 〃Is that what
happened？ Why the Cullens left？〃
〃I'm nothing but a human； after all。 Nothing special；〃 I explained； shrugging
weakly。
Something like a growl—not a real growl； just a human approximation—rumbled
in Jacob's chest under
my ear。 〃If that idiot bloodsucker is honestly stupid enough—〃
〃Please；〃 I moaned。 〃Please。 Don't。〃
Jacob hesitated； then nodded once。
〃This is important；〃 he said again； his face all business now。 〃This is
exactly what we needed to know。
We've got to tell the others right away。〃
He stood； pulling me to my feet。 He kept two hands on my waist until he was
sure I wasn't going to fall。
〃I'm okay；〃 I lied。
He traded his hold on my waist for one of my hands。 〃Let's go。〃
He pulled me back toward the truck。
〃Where are we going？〃 I asked。
〃I'm not sure yet；〃 he admitted。 〃I'll call a meeting。 Hey； wait here for just
a minute； okay？〃 He leaned me
against the side of the truck and released my hand。
〃Where are you going？〃
〃I'll be right back；〃 he promised。 Then he turned and sprinted through the
parking lot； across the road；
and into the bordering forest。 He flitted into the trees； swift and sleek as a
deer。
〃Jacob！〃 I yelled after him hoarsely； but he was already gone。
It was not a good time to be left alone。 Seconds after Jacob was out of sight；
I was hyperventilating。 I
dragged myself into the cab of the truck； and mashed the locks down at once。
It didn't make me feel any
better。
Victoria was already hunting me。 It was just luck that she hadn't found me yet
—just luck and five teenage
werewolves。 I exhaled sharply。 No matter what Jacob said； the thought of him
ing anywhere close to
Victoria was horrifying。 I didn't care what he could turn into when he got
mad。 I could see her in my
head； her face wild； her hair like flames； deadly； indestructible
But； according to Jacob； Laurent was gone。 Was that really possible？ Edward—I
clutched automatically
at my chest—had told me how difficult it was to kill a vampire。 Only another
vampire could do the job。
Yet Jake said this was what werewolves were made for
He said they were keeping a special eye on Charlie—that I should trust the
werewolves to keep my
father safe。 How could I trust that？ None of us were safe！ Jacob the very
least of all； if he was trying to
put himself between Victoria and Charlie between Victoria and me。
I felt like I might be about to throw up again。
A sharp rap on the truck's window made me yelp in terror—but it was just
Jacob； back already。 I
unlocked the door with trembling； grateful fingers。
〃You're really scared； aren't you？〃 he asked as he climbed in。
I nodded。
〃Don't be。 We'll take care of you—and Charlie； too。 I promise。〃
〃The idea of you finding Victoria is scarier than the idea of her finding me；〃
I whispered。
He laughed。 〃You've got to have a little more confidence in us than that。 It's
insulting。〃
I just shook my head。 I'd seen too many vampires in action。
〃Where did you go just now？〃 I asked。
He pursed his lips； and said nothing。
〃What？ Is it a secret？〃
He frowned。 〃Not really。 It's kind of weird； though。 I don't want to freak you
out。〃
〃I'm sort of used to weird by this point； you know。〃 I tried to smile without
much success。
Jacob grinned back easily。 〃Guess you'd have to be。 Okay。 See； when we're
wolves； we can hear
each other。〃
My eyebrows pulled down in confusion。
〃Not hear sounds；〃 he went on； 〃but we can hear thoughts—each other's
anyway—no matter how far
away from each other we are。 It really helps when we hunt； but it's a big pain
otherwise。 It's
embarrassing—having no secrets like that。 Freaky； eh？〃
〃Is that what you meant last night； when you said you would tell them you'd
seen me； even though you
didn't want to？〃
〃You're quick。〃
〃Thanks。〃
〃You're also very good with weird。 I thought that would bother you。〃
〃It's not well； you're not the first person I've known who could do that。 So
it doesn't seem so weird to
me。〃
〃Really？ Wait—are you talking about your bloodsuckers？〃
〃I wish you wouldn't call them that。〃
He laughed。 〃Whatever。 The Cullens； then？〃
〃Just just Edward。〃 I pulled one arm surreptitiously around my torso。
Jacob looked surprised—unpleasantly so。 〃I thought those were just stories。
I've heard legends about
vampires who could do extra stuff； but I thought that was just a myth。〃
〃Is anything just a myth anymore？〃 I asked him wryly。
He scowled。 〃Guess not。 Okay； we're going to meet Sam and the others at the
place we go to ride our
bikes。〃
I started the truck and headed back up the road。
〃So did you just turn into a wolf now； to talk to Sam？〃 I asked； curious。
Jacob nodded； seeming embarrassed。 〃I kept it real short—I tried not to think
about you so they
wouldn't know what was going on。 I was afraid Sam would tell me I couldn't
bring you。〃
〃That wouldn't have stopped me。〃 I couldn't get rid of my perception of Sam as
the bad guy。 My teeth
clenched together whenever I heard his name。
〃Well； it would have stopped me；〃 Jacob said； morose now。 〃Remember how I
couldn't finish my
sentences last night？ How I couldn't just tell you the whole story？〃
〃Yeah。 You looked like you were choking on something。〃
He chuckled darkly。 〃Close enough。 Sam told me I couldn't tell you。 He's the
head of the pack； you
know。 He's the Alpha。 When he tells us to do something； or not to do something
—when he really means
it； well； we can't just ignore him。〃
〃Weird；〃 I muttered。
〃Very；〃 he agreed。 〃It's ki