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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 redhaired
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