Embry and Paul got back at a little after ten o'clock that night. They raced to the bonfire at almost the highest speed they were capable of. If they were late, Sam would barbeque them… You think I'm kidding? 'One more time…' Sam's inner voice could be damn spooky.
Jake and Jared were taking the night shift today, but Embry Call was worried. Not about them having any trouble of course, but Jake…
"Hey." Paul inserted himself into Embry's consciousness a bit too easily. "I can hear what you're thinking, remember? Jake will be fine. Just give him some time." They weren't words exactly, just ideas that Paul had pushed his way. The boy should have been in anger management, but he had a way of making the littlest problem huge. If Paul wasn't worried, then Embry shouldn't be, right?
"Right." Sam agreed aloud as two of his Pack-Brothers entered the clearing near the bonfire. "You're on time." He was sarcastically surprised.
"Yeah, yeah." Embry said, phasing back and pulling on some frayed jean shorts. "Where are the guys?" Unlike he and Paul, Jake and Jared were models of punctuality. They never phased for shorter or longer than necessary.
"I guess they didn't expect you so early." Sam responded, smiling slightly. "Paul, Call them please." The giant Wolf hadn't phased back yet and did as he was asked, he'd take any request that gave him an excuse to stay in his form. Paul howled loudly, straight up into the sky. The entire tribe heard that one. "Thank you, Paul." Sam rubbed his temples. "But waking everyone up wasn't necessary."
Paul didn't seem to care what was 'necessary'; he transformed with a grin on his face. As angry as he could be, Paul loved not being human all the time. Most of them did. All three of the Wolves turned their heads in synch to see Jacob Black step through the brush into the clearing.
Jake felt better than he had in weeks. He'd crashed on his couch since 3 p.m., a good seven hours. That was the most sleep he'd gotten since he'd first phased. But Embry still looked at him with sympathy. "Jake…?" He asked, too quiet for most human ears.
"Yeah?" Jake yawned, still trying to wake up. He'd be asleep even now if Paul hadn't Called and woke him up.
"About this afternoon…" He let his voice trail off. Voicing his concerns would only annoy Jacob; besides, they both knew what he was talking about.
Jake fought the urge to cover his ears and start humming. The last thing he wanted was another person lecturing him on what they saw in his head. Embry was worried about his nightmare; there seemed to be a new one every time he closed his eyes now, usually starring Bella and that filthy, bloodsucking Cullen.
Jake felt an unreasonable surge of anger. He was used to the fire in his stomach when he thought of the leech, but he was mad at Embry too. Was nothing private anymore!? But he knew the answer to that already; it wasn't Embry's fault.
Sam saw the anger flare in Jacob's eyes, but it was immediately stifled. Sam fought the urge to smile in fatherly-like pride. Aside from Quil, Jacob was the youngest of his Pack, but already the best at controlling his temper. Unless there were bloodsuckers about, he almost never saw it anymore. Of course, at the thought, he also felt a touch of sadness. Jake would never be able to get mad and rant and scream and hit things like all teenagers need to. He silently cursed the Cullens and all other parasites, whether they were 'vegetarians' or not.
Jared jogged up, easily keeping the pace of an Olympic runner. "Sorry," he muttered, phasing immediately. Jake waited a minute first; he really didn't want to make his thought any louder at the moment. Embry's one sentence and his trying to take his mind off his anger forced him to relive the entire nightmare:
He was waiting for something, but what? There was some part of his consciousness that knew, but for some reason, his brain wouldn't relinquish the information. The longer he waited though, the closer it seemed to come, until finally he remembered: this was the cliff that Bella had jumped from the day the leeches returned. His stomach lurched as she appeared at the edge of the overhang.
She looked… sad. And scared and empty, but mostly just… heart-broken… Exactly as Sam had seen her that night she was found. Jake recognized the look immediately; it was one that would be etched into his mind's eye forever. Who could cause Bella so much pain and just walk away? He was too afraid of his own anger to think the name.
Bella's eyes slowly rose to meet his, and she looked like she was trying to smile, but her mouth just wouldn't move that way anymore. Her weight shifted back, and her heels inched toward the edge.
Jake froze for a moment. No, no, no! Not again! Not her! His body raced forward in horror as he saw her start to fall. Her eyes widened in surprise, as though she only just realized what was happening. Painstakingly slowly, she reached out for him.
Why was his body moving so slowly!? He tried to move faster as Bella fell in slow motion. Her hand was out-stretched, searching for him as fear became dominant on her face. He was nearly there, though. He stretched… he could feel her hand! He was going to make it!
And then, she pulled away. It was a fluid motion in which she simply… let him go. Jacob had been so intent on reaching her hand that he hadn't seen what had appeared behind her.
Edward Cullen wrapped his arms around her and began pulling back, his lips lightly brushing her neck. Jake wanted to be angry, he tried to be angry, but Bella looked happier. She smiled, and put the hand that she had stretched out to him on Edward cheek.
She looked at Jacob, standing there frozen, and seemed to say goodbye as Edward pulled her back farther.
It wasn't until they were out of sight that Jake felt his body move again. He ran to the edge of the cliff to see nothing below him. Cullen was gone.
But so was Bella.
Jacob howled as he morphed. He couldn't help it. But as his instincts intensified, the pain ebbed. It was still there, still painfully there, but at least he could still think this way.
Jared's mind entwined with his, as the Pack's always did when they phased. "Jake, I know how things look, but you'll be okay." He thought, making an attempt (for the thousandth time) to cheer him up.
When I can gloat over Cullen's cold, dead, lifeless corpse. Jake thought, he didn't mean for Jared to hear, but he did anyway, of course.
Making one of his famous snap decisions, Jake turned from the rounds they were making and bolted through the most direct path for the Cullen house. "Jake! No! Wait for the Pack!" Everyone knew this was coming. The treaty was just a matter of who broke it first.
"I don't care!" Jake thought angrily. He didn't care about anything. He couldn't care. His heart was lost forever.