I could hear her screaming.

I could hear Bella, my Isabella, screaming in agony through the white walls of the wretched Cullen's house. I whined and shoved my nose into the cool dirt, thinking that I might be feeling almost as much pain as she was right now.

What the hell are you doing up there? Embry sighed in my head, sympathetic but also disdainful.

Fuck, Jacob, I can barely walk straight with you yammering on, Quil complained, less patient.

They're killing her, I moaned. They're fucking killing her.

No shit, man, Quil replied, a touch of uneasiness in that thought.

We can kill them now, though, Embry amended, his thoughts giving the equivalent of a grin.

Not yet! Sam snapped, suddenly cutting into the conversation. Not ever, if we can help it.

Quil and Embry groaned in unison.

Both Seth and Leah entered then, Leah immediately letting out a snarl of complaint. In a distant awareness, I could feel her shaking her furry head.

Lord, Jacob, shut up!

I'm sorry, Jake, Seth thought quietly.

I sighed a thank you. Another high, shuddering screech shook the quiet. I could hear a leech—that leech, her leech--yelling.

"Carlisle, can't you give her more?!"

I could feel the others rock where they stood as a wave of misery that made me wish for death pounded over me.

Leah snarled in frustration in my head.

Would you get the fuck away from there before I drag you out for my own sanity?

Leah, Sam softly reprimanded, and I felt her flinch.

I can't leave, I cried.

Leah growled, It's not like you being there's gonna stop it.

A thought came to me then.

But what if it did?

Embry, Seth, and Quil roared, No!, and then there was Sam's voice, all gentility gone, just cold and hard.

Jacob, you will not go any closer.

I rocked back on my haunches and let out a short, piercing howl of anguish.

Suddenly a figure appeared in the front doorway, bright light and Bella's screams spilling out to silhouette her. It was the tiny bloodsucker I'd met a year and a half ago, straight backed and stiff. When she spoke, her voice was calm, but with a strong icy edge.

"Go home, Jacob Black. You being here is not helping anyone."

Funny how similar her words were to Leah's.

Come home, Jake, Seth whispered, agreeing with the voice he could hear through my thoughts.

In a moment I had made the shuddering change, trusting the blackness to hide me. The lack of voices in my head was a relief, but the ability to cry again instantly took me down to my knees. I snarled at her through my sobs, voice hoarse and breaking:

"Murderer."

And I hoped to God he heard that.

Edward's POV;

As the word "murderer" etched itself into my brain, Alice appeared in the doorway, a look of disgust on her pale features. Her mind was running wild with endless rants about the infernal dog, though verbally she was silent. I glanced at her, then back to Bella, lying on the huge bed, eyes rolling and body twitching. I stroked her face as she inhaled for another scream. Upon this scream, though, like a feather on a gust of wind, was a name that cracked a fissure through my stone heart.

"JACOB!"

Bella's POV;

It was like my dream from so long ago, where Jacob had told me so desperately to run.

I didn't know how long I'd screamed for Edward, begged him to stop the vicious flames that burned in my blood. But each time, so softly, with such anguish in his eyes, he refused, apologizing again and again.

So, eventually, I turned to Jacob. After all, he was always there for me, even when Edward was not.

"JACOB!"

I shuddered at the awful sound of my voice.

But outside, past the fire in my veins and Edward's icy fingers and the Cullens' white walls, I thought I heard a wolf howling.

Then the pain overtook me and I couldn't see or hear or think, only scream.

Jacob's POV;

I was just setting my front paws on the ground when I heard her scream my name. The single, desperate word knocked me off my feet and pounded a howl from my gut.

Shit, Jacob, Leah growled.

But, to my astonishment, Embry took up the call in La Push, loud and deep. Quil and Seth promptly joined, and after a moment of hesitation, so did Sam. Leah groaned.

I'm going to bed. The awareness that was hers faded and disappeared, while we continued to howl. Finally, Sam cut his short and whispered, Come home, Jacob. There's nothing you can do.

Nothing I could do.