Page　136
  Generatedby　ABC　Amber　LIT　Converter；　www。processtext。com/abclit。html
  your　way；　okay？　I'll　do　anything　you　want　Except　go　back　to　Sam's　pack　and　be　the　pathetic
  ex…girlfriend　he　can't　get　away　from。　If　you　want　me　to　leave—she　sat　back　on　her　haunches　and
  stared　straight　into　my　eyes—　you're　going　to　have　tomake　me。
  I　snarled　for　a　long；　angry　minute。　I　was　beginning　to　feel　some　sympathy　for　Sam；　despite　what　he　had
  done　to　me；　to　Seth。　No　wonder　he　was　always　ordering　the　pack　around。　How　else　would　you　ever　get
  anything　done？
  Seth；　are　you　gonna　get　mad　at　me　if　I　kill　your　sister？
  He　pretended　to　think　about　it　for　a　minute。　Well。。。　yeah；　probably。
  I　sighed。
  Okay；　then；　Ms。　Do…Anything…I…Want　Why　don't　you　make　yourself　useful　by　telling　us　what　you
  know？　What　happened　after　we　left　last　night？
  Lots　of　howling。　But　you　probably　heard　that　part。　It　was　so　loud　that　it　took　us　a　while　to　figure　out　that
  we　couldn't　hear　either　of　you　anymore。　Sam　was。。。Words　failed　her；　but　we　could　see　it　in　our　head。
  Both　Seth　and　I　cringed。　After　that；　it　was　clear　pretty　quick　that　we　were　going　to　have　to　rethink
  things。　Sam　was　planning　to　talk　to　the　other
  Elders　first　thing　this　morning。　We　were　supposed　to　meet　up　and　figure　out　a　game　plan。　I　could　tell　he
  wasn't　going　to　mount　another　attack　right　away；　though。　Suicide　at　this　point；　with　you　and　Seth　AWOL
  and　the　bloodsuckers　forewarned。　I'm　not　sure　what　they'll　do；　but　I　wouldn't　be　wandering　the　forest
  alone　if　I　was　a　leech。　It's　open　season　on　vamps　now。
  You　decided　to　skip　the　meeting　this　morning？I　asked。
  When　we　split　up　for　patrols　last　night；　I　asked　permission　to　go　home；　to　tell　my　mother　what　had
  happened—
  Crap！　You　told　Mom？Seth　growled。
  Seth；　hold　off　on　the　sibling　stuff　for　a　sec。　Go　on；　Leah。
  So　once　I　was　human；　I　took　a　minute　to　think　things　through。　Well；　actually；　I　took　all　night。　I　bet　the
  others　think　I　fell　asleep。　But　the　whole　two…separate…packs；　two…separate…pack…minds　thing　gave　mea
  lot　to　sift　through。　In　the　end；　I　weighed　Seth's　safety　and　the；　er；　other　benefits　against　the　idea　of
  turning　traitor　and　sniffing　vampire　stink　for　who　knows　how　long。　You　know　what　I　decided。　I
  left　a　note　for　my　mom。　I　expect　we'll　hear　it　when　Sam　finds　out　。　。。
  Leah　cocked　an　ear　to　the　west。
  Yeah；　I　expect　we　will；I　agreed。
  So　that's　everything。　What　do　we　do　now？she　asked。
  She　and　Seth　both　looked　at　me　expectantly。
  This　was　exactly　the　kind　of　thing　I　didn't　want　to　have　to　do。
  Page　137
  Generatedby　ABC　Amber　LIT　Converter；　www。processtext。com/abclit。html
  /　guess　we　just　keep　an　eye　out　for　now。　That's　all　we　can　do。　You　should　probably　take　a　nap；
  Leah。
  You've　had　as　much　sleep　as　I　have。
  Thought　you　were　going　to　do　what　you　were　told？
  Right。　That's　going　to　get　old；she　grumbled；　and　then　she　yawned。　Well；　whatever。　I　don't　care。
  I'll　run　the　border；　Jake。　I'm　not　tired　at　all。Seth　was　so　glad　I　hadn't　forced　them　home；　he　was　all　but
  prancing　with　excitement。
  Sure；　sure。　I'm　going　to　go　check　in　with　the　Cullens。
  Seth　took　off　along　the　new　path　worn　into　the　damp　earth。　Leah　looked　after　him　thoughtfully。
  Maybe　a　round　or　two　before　I　crash。。。。　Hey　Seth；　wanna　see　how　many　times　I　can　lap　you？
  NO！
  Barking　out　a　low　chuckle；　Leah　lunged　into　the　woods　after　him。
  I　growled　uselessly。　So　much　for　peace　and　quiet。
  Leah　was　trying—for　Leah。　She　kept　her　jibes　to　a　minimum　as　she　raced　around　the　circuit；　but　it　was
  impossible　not　to　be　aware　of　her　smug　mood。　I　thought　of　the　whole　〃two's　company〃　saying。　It　didn't
  really　apply；　because　one　was　plenty　to　my　mind。　But　if　there　had　to　be　three　of　us；　it　was　hard　to　think
  of　anyone　that　I　wouldn't　trade　her　for。
  Paul？she　suggested。
  Maybe；I　allowed。
  She　laughed　to　herself；　too　jittery　and　hyper　to　get　offended；　i　wondered　how　long　the　buzz　from
  dodging　Sam's　pity　would　last。
  That　will　be　my　goal　then—to　be　less　annoying　than　Paul。
  Yeah；　work　on　that
  I　changed　into　my　other　form　when　I　was　a　few　yards　from　the　lawn。　I　hadn't　been　planning　to　spend
  much　time　human　here。　But　I　hadn't　been　planning　to　have　Leah　in　my　head；　either。　I　pulled　on　my　ragged
  shorts　and　started　across　the　lawn。
  The　door　opened　before　I　got　to　the　steps；　and　I　was　surprised　to　see　Carlisle　rather　than　Edward　step
  outside　to　meet　me—his　face　looked　exhausted　and　defeated。　For　a　second；　my　heart　froze。　I　faltered　to
  a　stop；　unable　to　speak。
  〃Are　you　all　right；　Jacob？〃　Carlisle　asked。
  Page　138
  Generatedby　ABC　Amber　LIT　Converter；　www。processtext。com/abclit。html
  〃Is　Bella？〃　I　choked　out。
  〃She's。。。　much　the　same　as　last　night。　Did　I　startle　you？　I'm　sorry。　Edward　said　you　were　coming　in　your
  human　form；　and　I　came　out　to　greet　you；　as　he　didn't　want　to　leave　her。　She's　awake。〃
  And　Edward　didn't　want　to　lose　any　time　with　her；　because　he　didn't　have　much　time　left。　Carlisle　didn't
  say　the　words　out　loud；　but　he　might　as　well　have。
  It　had　been　a　while　since　I'd　slept—since　before　my　last　patrol。　I　could　really　feel　that　now。　I　took　a　step
  forward；　sat　down　on　the　porch　steps；　and　slumped　against　the　railing。
  Moving　whisper…quiet　as　only　a　vampire　could；　Carlisle　took　a　seat　on　the　same　step；　against　the　other
  railing。
  〃I　didn't　get　a　chance　to　thank　you　last　night；　Jacob。　You　don't　know　how　much　I　appreciate　your。。。
  compassion。　I　know　your　goal　was　to　protect　Bella；　but　I　owe　you　the　safety　of　the　rest　of　my　family　as
  well。　Edward　told　me　what　you　had　to　do___〃
  〃Don't　mention　it；〃　I　muttered。
  〃If　you　prefer。〃
  We　sat　in　silence。　I　could　hear　the　others　in　the　house。　Emmett；　Alice；　and　Jasper；　speaking　in　low；
  serious　voices　upstairs。　Esme　humming　tunelessly　in　another　room。　Rosalie　and　Edward　breathing　close
  by—I　couldn't　tell　which　was　which；　but　I　could　hear　the　difference　in　Bella's　labored　panting。　I　could
  hear　her　heart；　too。　It　seemed。。。　uneven。
  It　was　like　fate　was　out　to　make　me　do　everything　I'd　ever　sworn　I　wouldn't　in　the　course　of　twenty…four
  hours。　Here　I　was；　hanging　around；　waiting　for　her　to　die。
  I　didn't　want　to　listen　anymore。　Talking　was　better　than　listening。
  〃She's　family　to　you？〃　I　asked　Carlisle。　It　had　caught　my　notice　before；　when　he'd　said　I'd　helped　the
  rest　of　his　family；　too。
  〃Yes。　Bella　is　already　a　daughter　to　me。　A　beloved　daughter。〃
  〃But　you're　going　to　let　her　die。〃
  He　was　quiet　long　enough　that　I　looked　up。　His　face　was　very；　very　tired。　I　knew　how　he　felt。
  〃I　can　imagine　what　you　think　of　me　for　that；〃　he　finally　said。　〃But　i　can't　ignore　her　will。　It　wouldn't　be
  right　to　make　such　a　choice　for　her；　to　force　her。〃
  I　wanted　to　be　angry　with　him；　but　he　was　making　it　hard。　It　was　like　he　was　throwing　my　own　words
  back　at　me；　just　scrambled　up。　They'd　sounded　right　before；　but　they　couldn't　be　right　now。　Not　with
  Bella　dying。　Still。。。　I　remembered　how　it　felt　to　be　broken　on　the　ground　under　Sam—to　have　no　choice
  but　be　involved　in　the　murder　of　someone　I　loved。　It　wasn't　the　same；　though。　Sam　was　wrong。　And
  Bella　loved　things　she　shouldn't。
  〃Do　you　think　there's　any　chance　she'll　make　it？　I　mean；　as　a　vampire　and　all　that。　She　told　me　about。。。
  Page　139
  Generatedby　ABC　Amber　LIT　Converter；　www。processtext。com/abclit。html
  about　Esme。〃
  Tel　say　there's　an　even　chance　at　this　point；〃　he　answered　quietly。　〃I've　seen　vampire　venom　work
  miracles；　but　there　are　conditions　that　even　venom　cannot　overcome。　Her　heart　is　working　too　hard　now；
  if　it　should　fail。。。　there　won't　be　anything　for　me　to　do。〃
  Bella's　heartbeat　throbbed　and　faltered；　giving　an　agonizing　emphasis　to　his　words。
  Maybe　the　planet　had　started　turning　backward。　Maybe　that　would　explain　how　everything　was　the
  opposite　of　what　it　had　been　yesterday—how　I　could　be　hoping　for　what　had　once　seemed　like　the　very
  worst　thing　in　the　world。
  〃What　is　that　thing　doing　to　her？〃　I　whispered。　〃She　was　so　much　worse　last　night。　I　saw。。。　the　tubes　and
  all　that。　Through　the　window。〃
  〃The　fetus　isn't　compatible　with　her　body。　Too　strong；　for　one　thing；　but　she　could　probably　endure　that
  for　a　while。　The　bigger　problem　is　that　it　won't　allow　her　to　get　the　sustenance　she　needs。　Her　body　is
  rejecting　every　form　of　nutrition。　I'm　trying　to　feed　her　intravenously；　but　she's　just　not　absorbing　it。
  Everything　about　her　condition　is　accelerated。　I'm　watching　her—and　not　just　her；　but　the　fetus　as
  well—starve　to　death　by　the　hour。　I　can't　stop　it　and　I　can't　slow　it　down。　I　can't　figure　out　what　it
  wants〃　His　wea