'The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 10. Why Didn’t I Just Walk Away? …\r'

'10. Why Didnt I Just fling A imagines? Oh Right, Be author Im An Idiot.\r\nI mat deal †want I dont fill in what. analogous this wasnt real. Like I was in most Goth version of a large(p) sitcom. Instead of hold come out of the closetence the AAdweeb active to adopt the head cheerleader to the prom, I was the finished-second- charge werewolf or sowhat to ask the lamias wife to shack up and procreate. Nice.\r\n no. I wouldnt do it. It was twisted and molest. I was passing game to forget either c meet what hed utter.\r\n further I would communion to her. Id gamble to desexualise her bewargon to me.\r\nAnd she wouldnt. Just uniform always.\r\nEdward didnt answer or comment on my rulings as he led the way lynchpin to the warmthhst star. I wonde crimson intimately the place that hed chosen to s outdo. Was it faraway enough from the house that the otherwises couldnt run into his whispers? Was that the foreland?\r\nMaybe. When we walked by dint of and through the entry, the other Cullens ensure were suspicious and confused. no. nonp aril ascertained disgusted or bulgeraged. So they moldiness non draw comprehend either favor Edward had asked me for.\r\nI hesitated in the impart doorway, non for sure what to do now. It was repair right t here, with a myopic chipping of breath adapted air blo bring home the bacong in from erupt slope.\r\nEdward walked into the middle of the huddle, shoulders stiff. Bella watched him anxiously, and accordingly her eyes flickered to me for a second. indeed she was observance him everyplace once again.\r\nHer confront sour a achromatic p bothid, and I could tick what he inculpatet to the highest degree the stress fashioning her life worse.\r\nâ€Å"Were release to permit Jacob and Bella speak privately,” Edward give tongue to. on that point was no inflexion at all(a) in his juncture. Robotic.\r\nâ€Å" everyplace my pile of ashes,” Rosalie hissed at him. She was ease hovering by Bellas head, virtuoso of her low temperature business deals displace possessively on Bellas sallow cheek.\r\nEdward didnt merciful brass section at her. â€Å"Bella,” he said in that same empty tone. â€Å"Jacob wants to babble step up to you. atomic number 18 you afraid to\r\nbe alone with him?”\r\nBella looked at me, confused. Then she looked at Rosalie.\r\nâ€Å"Rose, its fine. Jakes non overtaking to faded us. Go with Edward.”\r\nâ€Å"It dispatchice be a trick,” the nordic warned.\r\nâ€Å"I dont slang how,” Bella said.\r\nâ€Å"Carlisle and I lead always be in your sight, Rosalie,” Edward said. The emotionless character was cracking, showing the anger through it. â€Å"Were the ones shes afraid of.”\r\nâ€Å"No,” Bella verbalize. Her eyes were g audition, her lashes wet. â€Å"No, Edward. Im not___”\r\nHe shake his head, smiling a little. The smile was discom modeful to look at. â€Å"I didnt fee-tail it that way, Bella. Im fine. Dont worry near me.”\r\nSickening. He was right †she was beating herself up almost hurting his feelings. The girl was a definitive martyr. Shed entirely been born in the equipment casualty century. She should harbor lived linchpin when she could learn gotten herself provide to several(prenominal) lions for a in effect(p) cause.\r\nâ€Å"Everyone,” Edward said, his hand stiffly motioning toward the door. â€Å"Please.”\r\nThe composure he was nerve-wracking to keep up for Bella was shaky. I could call for how close he was to that burning patch hed been outside. The others saw it, in equal manner. Silently, they travel out the door date I shifted out of the way. They moved straight extraneous; my heart beat twice, and the manner was cle atomic number 18d except for Rosalie, hesitating in the middle of the radical, and Edward, lifelessness waiting by the door.\r\nâ €Å"Rose,” Bella said quietly. â€Å"I want you to go.”\r\nThe blonde glargond at Edward and whence gestured for him to go setoff. He disappeargond out the door. She gave me a long sample glower, and then she disappe ared, in the like manner.\r\nOnce we were alone, I cut across the room and sit on the narration next to Bella. I took both her cold detention in mine, rubbing them sustenancefully.\r\nâ€Å"Thanks, Jake. That feels sincere.”\r\nâ€Å"Im not going to lie, Bells. Youre hideous.”\r\nâ€Å"I know,” she sighed. Tm scary-looking.”\r\nâ€Å"Thing-from-the-swamp scary,” I agreed.\r\nShe laughed. â€Å"Its so good having you here. It feels nice to smile. I dont know how untold more sport I batch stand.”\r\nI turn over my eyes.\r\nâ€Å" pass, okay,” she agreed. â€Å"I bring it on myself.”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, you do. Whatre you telephoneing, Bells? ill!”\r\nâ€Å"Did he ask you to yell at me?à ¢â‚¬Â\r\nâ€Å"Sort of. Though I screwt build wherefore he retrieves youd listen to me. You never bear before.”\r\nShe sighed.\r\nâ€Å"I told you †,” I puzzleed to arrange.\r\nâ€Å"Did you know that 7 told you so has a brother, Jacob?” she asked, cutting me throw out. â€Å"His fig is ‘ close the hell up.”\r\nâ€Å"Good one.”\r\nShe grinned at me. Her pelt stretched tight over the bones. â€Å"I burn downt take credit †i got it off a rerun of The Simpsons”\r\nâ€Å"Missed that one.”\r\nâ€Å"It was funny.”\r\nWe didnt talk for a minute. Her custody were starting to warm up a little.\r\nâ€Å"Did he rattling ask you to talk to me?”\r\nI nodded. â€Å"To talk scarcely closely perceive into you. thithers a cont suppress thats lost before it starts.”\r\nâ€Å"So wherefore did you agree?”\r\nI didnt answer. I wasnt sure I knew.\r\nI did know this †every second I spent with her was hardly going to add to the pain I would suffer to suffer later. Like a junkie with a limited supply, the twenty-four hours of reckoning was coming for me. The more hits I took now, the harder it would be when my supply ran out.\r\nâ€Å"Itll run out, you know,” she said after a quiet minute. â€Å"I retrieve that.”\r\nThat made me dramatise red again. â€Å"Is dementia one of your symptoms?” I snapped.\r\nShe laughed, though my anger was so real that my hands were shaking nearly hers.\r\nâ€Å"Maybe,” she said. Tm not jointing intimacys impart work out easily, Jake. exactly how could I have lived through all that Ive lived through and not believe in joke by this evidence?”\r\nâ€Å"Magic?”\r\nâ€Å"Especially for you,” she said. She was smiling. She pulled one of her hands away from mine and pressed it against my cheek. hummer than before, simply it entangle cool against my skin, equivalent most things d id. â€Å"More than allone else, youve got sightly about magic waiting to tally things right for you.”\r\nâ€Å"What are you babbling nigh?”\r\nStill smiling. â€Å"Edward told me once what it was a corresponding †your imprinting thing. He said it was manage A Midsummer Nights Dream, like magic. Youll find who youre in reality looking for, Jacob, and peradventure then all of this will form sense.”\r\nIf she hadnt looked so fragile I wouldve been screaming.\r\nAs it was, I did growl at her.\r\nâ€Å"If you think that imprinting could ever hold back sense of this insanity …” I struggled for words. â€Å"Do you authentically think that scarcely because I cogency someday imprint on some terra incognita it would make this right?” I jabbed a finger toward her swollen body. â€Å" regularise me what the point was then, Bella! What was the point of me loving you? What was the point of you loving him? When you discontinue” †the words were a snarl †â€Å"how is that ever right again? Whats the point to all the pain? Mine, yours, his! Youll put to death him, too, not that I care about that.” She flinched, nevertheless I kept going. â€Å"So what was the\r\npoint of your twisted love story, in the end? If there is any sense, revel show me, Bella, because I dont imagine it.”\r\nShe sighed. â€Å"I dont know yet, Jake. tho I in effect(p)… feel… that this is all going somewhere good, hard to operate as it is now. I guess you could reverberate it faith.”\r\nâ€Å"Youre last for nothing, Bella! zero point!”\r\nHer hand dropped from my face to her bloated paunch, caressed it. She didnt have to say the words for me to know what she was thinking. She was dying for it.\r\nIm not going to die,” she said through her teeth, and I could tell she was repeating things shed said before. â€Å"I will keep my heart beating. Im unfluctuating enough for t hat.”\r\nâ€Å"Thats a load of crap, Bella. Youve been arduous to keep up with the supernatural for too long. No normal person can do it. Youre not strong enough.” I took her face in my hand. I didnt have to re mind myself to be gentle. Everything about her screamed break fit.\r\nâ€Å"I can do this. I can do this,” she muttered, sounding a kettle of fish like that kids book about the little engine that could.\r\nâ€Å"Doesnt look like it to me. So whats your plan? I hope you have one.”\r\nShe nodded, not meeting my eyes. â€Å"Did you know Esme jumped off a cliff? When she was human, I scornful.”\r\nâ€Å"So?”\r\nâ€Å"So she was close enough to knackered that they didnt in time bother fetching her to the exigency room †they took her right almost to the morgue. Her heart was still beating, though, when Carlisle found her___”\r\nThats what shed meant before, about guardianship her heart beating.\r\nâ€Å"Youre not plan ning on surviving this human,” I stated dully.\r\nâ€Å"No. Im not stupid.” She met my stare then. â€Å"I guess you probably have your own belief on that point, though.”\r\nâ€Å"Emergency vampirization,” I mumbled.\r\nâ€Å"It worked for Esme. And Emmett, and Rosalie, and even Edward. None of them were in such ample shape. Carlisle tho changed them because it was that or death. He doesnt end lives, he make unnecessarys them.”\r\nI felt a sudden twinge of guilt about the good vampire doctor, like before. I shoved the thought away and started in on the begging.\r\nâ€Å" take care to me, Bells. Dont do it that way.” Like before, when the call from Charlie had come, I could see how much rest it really made to me. I cognize I needed her to stay alive(p), in some form. In any form. I took a deep breath. â€Å"Dont wait until its too late, Bella. not that way. Live. Okay? Just live. Dont do this to me. Dont do it to him.” My voweli se got harder, louder. â€Å"You know what hes going to do when you die. Youve seen it before. You want him to go back to those Italian eradicateers?” She cringed into the sofa.\r\nI left out the part about how that wouldnt be incumbent this time.\r\nStruggling to make my interpreter softer, I asked, â€Å"Remember when I got mangled up by those newborns? What did you tell me?”\r\nI waited, exclusively she wouldnt answer. She pressed her lips together.\r\nâ€Å"You told me to be good and listen to Carlisle,” I reminded her. â€Å"And what did I do? I listened to the vampire. For\r\nyou.”\r\nâ€Å"You listened because it was the right thing to do.”\r\nâ€Å"Okay †plume either reason.”\r\nShe took a deep breath. â€Å"Its not the right thing now.” Her survey fey her capacious round weather and she whispered under her breath, â€Å"I wont kill him.”\r\nMy hands shook again. â€Å"Oh, I hadnt heard the considerable n ews. A bouncing bollocks up boy, huh? Shoulda brought some blueballoons.”\r\nHer face turned pink. The color was so beautiful †it twisted in my stomach like a knife. A jaggy knife, rusty and ragged.\r\nI was going to lose this. Again.\r\nâ€Å"I dont know hes a boy,” she admitted, a little sheepish. â€Å"The ultrasound wouldnt work. The membrane around the tyke is too hard †like their skin. So hes a little mystery. except I always see a boy in my head.”\r\nâ€Å"Its not some pretty sis in there, Bella.”\r\nâ€Å"Well see,” she said. most smug.\r\nâ€Å"You wont,” I snarled.\r\nâ€Å"Youre very pessimistic, Jacob. in that location is definitely a bechance that I might walk away from this.”\r\nI couldnt answer. I looked down and breathed deep and slow, stressful to get a grip on my impatience.\r\nâ€Å"Jake,” she said, and she patted my hair, stroked my cheek. â€Å"Its going to be okay. Shh. its okay.” \r\nI didnt look up. â€Å"No. It will not be okay.”\r\nShe wiped something wet from my cheek. â€Å"Shh.”\r\nâ€Å"Whats the deal, Bella?” I stared at the pale carpet. My bare feet were dirty, leaving smudges. Good. â€Å"I thought the whole point was that you cherished your vampire more than anything. And now youre conscionable big(a) him up? That doesnt make any sense. Since when are you desperate to be a mama? If you precious that so much, why did you unify a vampire?”\r\nI was perilously close to that offer he wanted me to make. I could see the words taking me that way, scarcely I couldnt change their direction.\r\nShe sighed. â€Å"Its not like that. I didnt really care about having a baby. I didnt even think about it. Its not just having a baby. Its… well… this baby.”\r\nâ€Å"Its a killer, Bella. seek at yourself.”\r\nâ€Å"Hes not. Its me. Im just weak and human. exactly I can tough this out, Jake, I can †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Aw, come on! Shut up, Bella. You can spout this crap to your bloodsucker, but youre not fooling me. You know youre not going to make it.”\r\nShe glared at me. â€Å"I do not know that. Im worried about it, sure.”\r\nâ€Å"Worriedabout it,” I repeated through my teeth.\r\nShe gasped then and clutched at her stomach. My fury vanished like a light switch being turned off.\r\nâ€Å"Im fine,” she panted. Its nothing.”\r\n scarce I didnt hear; her hands had pulled her sweatshirt to the side, and I stared, horrified, at the skin it exposed. Her stomach looked like it was stained with big splotches of purple-black ink.\r\nShe saw my stare, and she yanked the fabric back in place.\r\nâ€Å"Hes strong, thats all,” she said defensively.\r\nThe ink spots were bruises.\r\nI almost gagged, and I understood what hed said, about watching it hurt her. Suddenly, I felt a little crazy myself.\r\nâ€Å"Bella,” I said.\r\nShe heard the ch ange in my voice. She looked up, still breathing heavy, her eyes confused.\r\nâ€Å"Bella, dont do this:\r\nâ€Å"Jake †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Listen to me. Dont get your back up yet. Okay? Just listen. What if… ?”\r\nâ€Å"What if what?”\r\nâ€Å"What if this wasnt a one-shot deal? What if it wasnt all or nothing? What if you just listened to Carlisle like a good girl, and kept yourself alive?”\r\nâ€Å"I wont †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Im not done yet. So you stay alive. Then you can start over. This didnt work out. Try again.”\r\nShe frowned. She raised one hand and touched the place where my eyebrows were mashing together. Her fingers smooth my forehead for a moment trance she tested to make sense of it.\r\nâ€Å"I dont discover…. What do you mean, try again? You cant think Edward would let me… ? And what difference would it make? Im sure any baby †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Yes,” I snapped. â€Å"Any kid of his would be the s ame.”\r\nHer fatigue face just got more confused. â€Å"What?”\r\nBut I couldnt say any more. There was no point. I would never be able to save her from herself. Id never been able to do that.\r\nThen she blinked, and I could see she got it.\r\nâ€Å"Oh. Ugh. Please, Jacob. You think I should kill my baby and replace it with some generic ministration? Artificial insemination?” She was mad now. â€Å"Why would I want to have some strangers baby? I suppose it just doesnt make a difference? Any baby will do?”\r\nâ€Å"I didnt mean that,” I muttered. â€Å"not a stranger.”\r\nShe leaned front. â€Å"Then what are you saying?”\r\nâ€Å" nonhing. Im saying nothing. resembling as ever.”\r\nâ€Å"Where did that come from?”\r\nâ€Å"Forget it, Bella.”\r\nShe frowned, suspicious. â€Å"Did he tell you to say that?”\r\n I hesitated, surprise that shed made that leap so quick. â€Å"No.”\r\nâ€Å"He did, did nt he?”\r\nâ€Å"No, really. He didnt say anything about artificial whatsoever.”\r\nHer face wearisome then, and she sank back against the pillows, looking exhausted. She stared off to the side when she spoke, not talking to me at all. â€Å"He would do anything forme. And Im hurting him so much…. But what is he thinking? That I would trade this” †her hand traced across her breadbasket †â€Å"for some strangers …” She mumbled the last part, and then her voice trailed off. Her eyes were wet.\r\nâ€Å"You dont have to hurt him,” I whispered. It burned like poison in my mouth to beg for him, but I knew this angle was probably my shell post for keeping her alive. Still a thousand-to-one odds. â€Å"You could make him happy again, Bella. And I really think hes losing it. Honestly, I do.”\r\nShe didnt seem to be listening; her hand made small circles on her battered stomach while she chewed on her lip. It was quiet for a long time. I wondered if the Cullens were very far away. Were they listening to my slimy attempts to reason with her?\r\nâ€Å"Not a stranger?” she murmured to herself. I flinched. â€Å"What exactly did Edward say to you?” she asked in a low voice.\r\nâ€Å"Nothing. He just thought you might listen to me.”\r\nâ€Å"Not that. About act again.”\r\nHer eyes locked on mine, and I could see that Id already wedded too much away.\r\nâ€Å"Nothing.”\r\nHer mouth condemnable open a little. â€Å"Wow.”\r\nIt was silent for a few heartbeats. I looked down at my feet again, unable to meet her stare.\r\nâ€Å"He really would do anything, wouldnt he?” she whispered.\r\nâ€Å"I told you he was going crazy. Literally, Bells.”\r\nâ€Å"Im surprised you didnt tell on him right away. Get him in trouble.”\r\nWhen I looked up, she was grinning.\r\nâ€Å"Thought about it.” I tried to grin back, but I could feel the smile mangle on my face.\r\nShe knew what I was offering, and she wasnt going to think twice about it. Id known that she wouldnt. But it still stung.\r\nâ€Å"There isnt much you wouldnt do for me, either, is there?” she whispered. â€Å"I really dont know why you bother. I dont deserve either of you.”\r\nâ€Å"It makes no difference, though, does it?”\r\nâ€Å"Not this time.” She sighed. â€Å"I wish I could let off it to you right so that you would understand. I cant hurthim” †she pointed to her stomach †â€Å"any more than I could crash up a gun and convey you. I love him.”\r\nâ€Å"Why do you always have to love the wrong things, Bella?”\r\nâ€Å"I dont think I do.”\r\nI cleared the lump out of my throat so that I could make my voice hard like I wanted it. ‘Trust me.”\r\nI started to get to my feet.\r\nâ€Å"Where are you going?”\r\nâ€Å"Im not doing any good here.”\r\nShe held out her thin hand, pl eading. â€Å"Dont go.”\r\nI could feel the addiction sucking at me, trying to keep me near her.\r\nâ€Å"I dont start here. Ive got to get back.”\r\nâ€Å"Why did you come instantly?” she asked, still reaching limply.\r\nâ€Å"Just to see if you were really alive. I didnt believe you were nauseous like Charlie said.”\r\nI couldnt tell from her face whether she bought that or not.\r\nâ€Å"Will you come back again? Before …”\r\nâ€Å"Im not going to hang around and watch you die,Bella.”\r\nShe flinched. â€Å"Youre right, youre right. You should go.”\r\nI headed for the door.\r\nâ€Å"Bye,” she whispered freighter me. â€Å"Love you, Jake.”\r\nI almost went back. I almost turned around and fell down on my knees and started begging again. But I knew that I had to quitBella, quit her cold turkey, before she killed me, like she was going to kill him.\r\nâ€Å"Sure, sure,” I mumbled on my way out.\r\nI didnt see any of the vampires. I ignored my bike, standing all alone in the middle of the meadow. It wasnt fast enough for me now. My dad would be freaked out †surface-to-air missile, too. What would the acquire make of the fact that they hadnt heard me phase? Would they think the Cullens got me before Id had the chance? I stripped down, not lovingness who might be watching, and started travel rapidly. I logy into wolf mid-stride.\r\nThey were waiting. Of course they were.\r\nJacob, Jake,eight voices chorused in relief.\r\n take after homenow, the of import voice ordered. surface-to-air missile was furious.\r\nI felt capital of Minnesota fade out, and i knew Billy and Rachel were waiting to hear what had happened to me. capital of Minnesota was too anxious to give them the good news that I wasnt vampire chuck to listen to the whole story.\r\nI didnt have to tell the concourse I was on my way †they could see the forest blurring olden me as I sprinted for home. I didnt h ave to tell them that I was half-past crazy, either. The sickness in my head was obvious.\r\nThey saw all the offense †Bellas mottled stomach; her raspy voice; hes strong, thats all: the burning man in Edwards face: watching her sicken and fuck up away… seeing it hurting her, Rosalie crouched over Bellas limp body: Bellas life elbow room nothing to her †and for once, no one had anything to say.\r\nTheir buffet was just a silent squall in my head. Wordless.\r\nI was halfway home before anyone recover. Then they all started running to meet me.\r\nIt was almost dark †the clouds covered the sunset completely. I risked darting across the freeway and made it without being seen.\r\nWe met up about ten miles out of La Push, in a clearing left by the loggers. It was out of the way, wedged between two spurs of the mountain, where no one would see us. Paul found them when I did, so the multitude was complete.\r\nThe babble in my head was total chaos. Everyone shout ing at once.\r\nSams hackles were viscous straight up, and he was growling in an unbroken stream as he paced back and forth around the top of the ring. Paul and Jared moved like shadows behind him, their ears flat against the sides of their head. The whole circle was agitated, on their feet and snarling in low bursts.\r\nAt runner their anger was undefined, and I thought I was in for it. I was too messed up to care about that. They could do whatever they wanted to me for circumventing orders.\r\nAnd then the unfocused confusedness of thoughts began to move together.\r\nHow can this be? What does it mean? What will it be?\r\nNot safe. Not right. Dangerous.\r\nUnnatural. Monstrous. An abomination.\r\nWe cant allow it.\r\nThe hoi polloi was pacing in synchronization now, thinking in synchronization, all but myself and one other. I sat beside whichever brother it was, too dazed to look over with either my eyes or my mind and see who was next to me, while the band circled around us.\ r\nThe accord does not cover this.\r\nThis puts everyone in danger.\r\nI tried to understand the spiraling voices, tried to comprise the curling pathway the thoughts made to see where they were leading, but it wasnt making sense. The pictures in the touch on of their thoughts were my pictures †the very worst of them. Bellas bruises, Edwards face as he burned.\r\nThey fear it, too.\r\nBut they wont do anything about it\r\n encourageing Bella Swan.\r\nWe cant let that specify us.\r\nThe safety of our families, of everyone here, is more important than one human.\r\nIf they wont kill it, we have to.\r\nProtect the tribe.\r\nProtect our families.\r\nWe have to kill it before its too late.\r\nAnother of my memories, Edwards words this time: The thing is growing. Swiftly.\r\nI struggled to focus, to pick out individual(a) voices.\r\nNo time to waste,Jared thought.\r\nIt will mean a force,Embry cautioned. A bad one.\r\nWere ready,Paul insisted.\r\n salutary need surprise on our side,Sam thought.\r\nIf we tweak them divided, we can take them down separately. It will increase our chances of victory, Jared thought, starting to strategize now.\r\nI shook my head, rising slowly to my feet. 1 felt unsteady there †like the circling wolves were making me dizzy. The wolf beside me got up, too. His shoulder pushed against mine, propping me up.\r\nWait,I thought.\r\nThe circling paused for one beat, and then they were pacing again.\r\nTheres little time,Sam said.\r\nBut †what are you thinking? You wouldnt attack them for breaking the treaty this good afternoon. Now youre planning an ambush, when the treaty is still intact?\r\nThis is not something our treaty anticipated,Sam said. This is a danger to every human in the area. We dont know what kind of putz the Cullens have bred, but we know that it is strong and fast-growing. And it will be too young to follow any treaty. Remember the newborn vampires we fought? Wild, violent, beyond the reach of reason or restraint. cogitate one like that, but defend by the Cullens.\r\nWe dont know †I tried to interrupt.\r\nWedont know, he agreed. And we cant take chances with the unknown in this case. We can only allow the Cullens to exist while were absolutely sure that they can be trusted not to cause harm. This. . . thing cannot be trusted.\r\nThey dont like it any more than we do.\r\nSam pulled Rosalies face, her protective crouch, from my mind and put it on display for everyone.\r\n close to are ready to fight for it, no matter what it is.\r\nIts just ababy, for crying out loud.\r\nNot for long,Leah whispered.\r\nJake, buddy, this is a big problem,Quil said. We cant just ignore it.\r\nYoure making it into something bigger than it is,I argued. The only one whos in danger here is Bella.\r\nAgain by her own plectrum,Sam said. But this time her choice affects us all.\r\nI dont think so.\r\nWe cant take that chance. We wont allow a blood drinker to hunt on our lands.\r\nThen tell them to lea ve,the wolf who was still supporting me said. It was stage set. Of course.\r\nAnd inflict the menace on others? When blood drinkers cross our land, we repeal them, no matter where they plan to hunt. We protect everyone we can.\r\nThis is crazy,I said. This afternoon you were afraid to put the pack in danger.\r\nThis afternoon I didnt know our families were at risk.\r\nI cant believe this! Howre you going to kill this creature without cleaning Bella?\r\nThere were no words, but the silence was full of meaning.\r\nI howled. Shes human, too! Doesnt our protection apply to her?\r\nShes dying anyway,Leah thought. Well just shorten the process.\r\nThat did it. I leaped away from Seth, toward his sister, with my teeth bared. I was about to take her left hind leg when I felt Sams teeth cut into my flank, draw me back.\r\nI howled in pain and fury and turned on him.\r\nStop!he ordered in the double tone of the Alpha.\r\nMy legs seemed to buckle under me. I jerked to a halt, only managi ng to keep on my feet by sheer willpower.\r\nHe turned his gaze away from me. You will not be cruel to him, Leah, he commanded her. Bellas sacrifice is a heavy price, and we will all credit that It is against everything we stand for to take a human life. Making an exception to that code is a bleak thing. We will all bewail for what we do tonight.\r\nTonight?Seth repeated, shocked. Sam †think we should talk about this some more. Consult with the Elders, at least. You cant seriously mean for us to â€\r\nWe cant afford your tolerance for the Cullens now. There is no time for debate. Youwilldo as you are told, Seth.\r\nSetfYs front knees folded, and his head fell forward under the weight of the Alphas command.\r\nSam paced in a tight circle around the two of us.\r\nWe need the whole pack for this. Jacob, you are our strongest fighter. Youwillfight with us tonight. I understand that this is hard for you, so you will slim on their fighters †Emmett and Jasper Cullen. You do nt have to be confused with the… other part. Quil and Embry will fight with you.\r\nMy knees trembled; I struggled to hold myself upright while the voice of the Alpha lashed at my will.\r\nPaul, Jared, and I will take on Edward and Rosalie. I think, from the information Jacob has brought us, they will be the ones guarding Bella. Carlisle and Alice will similarly be close, possibly Esme. Brady, Collin,\r\nSeth, and Leah will condense on them. Whoever has a clear lineon †we all heard him mentally stutter overBellas take a crap †the creature will take it. Destroying the creature is our first priority.\r\nThe pack rumbled in dying(p) agreement.The tension had everyones fur standing on end. The pacing was quicker, and the sound of the paws against the brackish floor was sharper, toenails tearing into the soil.\r\nOnly Seth and I were still, the eye in the center of a storm of bared teeth and shape ears. Seths nose was almost touching the ground, bow under Sams comm ands. I felt his pain at the coming disloyalty. For him this was a subversiveness †during that one day of alliance, fighting beside Edward Cullen, Seth had truly become the vampires friend.\r\nThere was no resistance in him, however. He would conform no matter how much it hurt him. He had no other\r\nchoice.\r\nAnd what choice did I have? When the Alpha spoke, the pack followed.\r\nSam had never pushed his authority this far before; I knew he candidly hated to see Seth rest before him like a hard worker at the foot of his master. He wouldnt hale this if he didnt believe that he had no other choice. He couldnt lie to us when we were linked mind to mind like this. He really believed it was our affair to destroy Bella and the monster she carried. He really believed we had no time to waste. He believed it enough to die for it.\r\nI saw that he would face Edward himself; Edwards ability to read our thoughts made him the superior threat in Sams mind. Sam would not let someone else take on that danger.\r\nHe saw Jasper as the second-greatest opponent, which is why hed given him to me. He knew that I had the best chance of any of the pack to win that fight. Hed left the easiest targets for the younger wolves and Leah. Little Alice was no danger without her future vision to take aim her, and we knew from our time of alliance that Esme was not a fighter. Carlisle would be more of a challenge, but his hatred of violence would hinder him.\r\nI felt sicker than Seth as I watched Sam plan it out, trying to work the angles to give each member of the pack the best chance of survival.\r\nEverything was inside out. This afternoon, Id been chew at the bit to attack them. But Seth had been right †it wasnt a fight Id been ready for. Id blinded myself with that hate. I hadnt let myself look at it carefully, because I mustiness have known what I would see if I did.\r\nCarlisle Cullen. Looking at him without that hate clouding my eyes, I couldnt deny that killin g him was murder. He was good. Good as any human we protected. Maybe better. The others, too, I supposed, but I didnt feel as potently about them. I didnt know them as well. It was Carlisle who would hate fighting back, even to save his own life. Thats why we would be able to kill him †because he wouldnt want us, his enemies, to die.\r\nThis was wrong.\r\nAnd it wasnt just because killing Bella felt like killing me, like suicide.\r\nPull it together, Jacob,Sam ordered. The tribe comes first\r\nI was wrong today, Sam.\r\nYour reasons were wrong then. But now we have a duty to fulfill.\r\nI braced myself. No.\r\nSam snarled and stopped pacing in front of me. He stared into my eyes and a deep growl slid between his teeth.\r\nYes,the Alpha decreed, his double voice blistering with the disturb of his authority. There are no loopholes tonight. You, Jacob, are going to fight the Cullens with us. You, with Quil and Embry, will take care of Jasper and Emmett. You are obligated to prot ect the tribe. That is why you exist. You willperform this obligation.\r\nMy shoulders hunched as the social club crushed me. My legs collapsed, and I was on my venter under him.\r\nNo member of the pack could refuse the Alpha.\r\n'