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 kind of a wolf thing。〃
〃Huh〃 was the best response I could think of。
〃Yeah； there's a load of stuff like that—wolf things。 I'm still learning。 I
can't imagine what it was like for
Sam； trying to deal with this alone。 It sucks bad enough to go through it with
a whole pack for support。〃
〃Sam was alone？〃
〃Yeah。〃 Jacob's voice lowered。 〃When I changed； it was the most horrible；
the most terrifying
thing I've ever been through—worse than anything I could have imagined。 But I
wasn't alone—there
were the voices there； in my head； telling me what had happened and what I had
to do。 That kept me
from losing my mind； I think。 But Sam〃 He shook his head。 〃Sam had no help。〃
This was going to take some adjusting。 When Jacob explained it like that； it
was hard not to feel
passion for Sam。 I had to keep reminding myself that there was no reason to
hate him anymore。
〃Will they be angry that I'm with you？〃 I asked。
He made a face。 〃Probably。〃
〃Maybe I shouldn't—〃
〃No； it's okay；〃 he assured me。 〃You know a ton of things that can help us。
It's not like you're just some
ignorant human。 You're like a I don't know； spy or something。 You've been
behind enemy lines。〃
I frowned to myself。 Was that what Jacob would want from me？ Insider
information to help them destroy
their enemies？ I wasn't a spy； though。 I hadn't been collecting that kind of
information。 Already； his words
made me feel like a traitor。
But I wanted him to stop Victoria； didn't I？
No。
I did want Victoria to be stopped； preferably before she tortured me to death
or ran into Charlie or killed
another stranger。 I just didn't want Jacob to be the one to stop her； or
rather to try。 I didn't want Jacob
within a hundred miles of her。
〃Like the stuff about the mind…reading bloodsucker；〃 he continued； oblivious
to my reverie。 〃That's the
kind of thing we need to know about。 That really sucks that those stories are
true。 It makes everything
more plicated。 Hey； do you think this Victoria can do anything special？〃
〃I don't think so；〃 I hesitated； and then sighed。 〃He would have mentioned
it。〃
〃He？ Oh； you mean Edward—oops； sorry。 I forgot。 You don't like to say his
name。 Or hear it。〃
I squeezed my midsection； trying to ignore the throbbing around the edges of
my chest。 〃Not really； no。〃
〃Sorry。〃
〃How do you know me so well； Jacob？ Sometimes it's like you can read my mind。〃
〃Naw。 I just pay attention。〃
We were on the little dirt road where Jacob had first taught me to ride the
motorcycle。
〃This good？〃 I asked。
〃Sure； sure。〃
I pulled over and cut the engine。
〃You're still pretty unhappy； aren't you？〃 he murmured。
I nodded； staring unseeingly into the gloomy forest。
〃Did you ever think that maybe you're better off？〃
I inhaled slowly； and then let my breath out。 〃No。〃
〃'Cause he wasn't the best—〃
〃Please； Jacob；〃 I interrupted； begging in a whisper。 〃Could we please not
talk about this？ I can't stand
it。〃
〃Okay。〃 He took a deep breath。 〃I'm sorry I said anything。〃
〃Don't feel bad。 If things were different； it would be nice to finally be able
to talk to someone about it。〃
He nodded。 〃Yeah； I had a hard time keeping a secret from you for two weeks。
It must be hell to not be
able to talk to anyone。〃
〃Hell；〃 I agreed。
Jacob sucked in a sharp breath。 〃They're here。 Let's go。〃
〃Are you sure？〃 I asked while he popped his door open。 〃Maybe I shouldn't be
here。〃
〃They'll deal with it；〃 he said； and then he grinned。 〃Who's afraid of the
big； bad wolf？〃
〃Ha ha；〃 I said。 But I got out of the truck； hurrying around the front end to
stand close beside Jacob。 I
remembered only too clearly the giant monsters in the meadow。 My hands were
trembling like Jacob's
had been before； but with fear rather than rage。
Jake took my hand and squeezed it。 〃Here we go。〃
14。 FAMILY
I COWERED INTO JACOB'S SIDE； MY EYES SCANNING the forest for the other
werewolves。
When they appeared； striding out from between the trees； they weren't what I
was expecting。 I'd gotten
the image of the wolv