A/N: I like writing chapters and seeing all the visitors to the story, but the lack of favorites and reviews, though I really do thank everyone who reviews—ae81, petra ppsilvia and gmb7064 especially with multiple reviews—but makes me a little sad. Do people not like my story, or not have accounts or something? I don't really know, but still. I'm going to post another chapter anyway, and hope that more people who read my story review it, too.

Jacob couldn't escape the pain that suddenly jolted through his body. He was aware of Bella beside him, asking if he was okay, but he really wasn't. His ribs felt cracked, and restricted his breathing; his vision was blurred, and there was a blinding headache throbbing erratically. Jacob's heart pounded, and his palms were sweating like crazy. He hadn't a clue as to what was happening, but it wasn't good.

"Oh, God, Jake you're bleeding!" He put a hand to his ear and was stunned to see red on his hand—blood.

It was then that he realized that someone in the pack had been gravely injured, and it was affecting the other members of the pack as well. Two words went through his mind: Sam, and Seth. They were hurt! But…but, how could that be? Sam, he knew, was on his way to Denali. Seth, though…Seth was still on the reservation and smack dab in the middle of werewolf territory. This went beyond anything they'd encountered before.

"Bells, we're…we're all in serious danger. We have to go. Now!" Jacob didn't give Bella a chance to say anything before taking Willa's car seat in one hand and sweeping Bella into his arms. He raced to the car, which thankfully wasn't Bella's old and beat-down truck, strapped in his wife and daughter in one minute flat, and pushed down on the pedal. They sped towards La Push without any thought for police cruisers or the speed limit. Damned if you do, damned if you don't, sort of thing.

"Jake, what's happening?" Bella said frantically, holding onto the seat and looking back to see if Willa wasn't crying.

"Sam and Seth got attacked. I don't know how, where, when or why, but I do know that they're really badly hurt. Probably by that goddamned leech and whoever else is helping him. Damn it!" Jacob said, slamming his fists on the steering wheel. "I can't take this anymore! I just wanted a normal life with you, Willa and everyone else, but no! NO! Everything has to be so goddamned complicated!"

"Jake, stop yelling!" Bella said, trying to comfort the crying baby who'd woken up to the sound of her father's yelling. "Please! I know that it hurts, but—"

"No! No, you don't know! You have no idea what I felt just now, knowing that two of my brothers are hurt or dead because of this leech who has an unnatural obsession with you!"

"So it's my fault?" Bella said in a barely audible whisper; she looked like she'd just been sucker punched, and Jacob inwardly winced. He hadn't meant to say that to her. After all, it wasn't her fault. "Is that what you think, Jake? That I'm…I'm somehow causing all of this awfulness by having dated him?"

"Well, it sure as hell didn't help that you did." Jacob muttered, turning the wheel sharply as the turn to La Push came up.

"Fine, Jake. Do you want me to go to him? Then everything will be okay. Willa will be able to grow up without worrying about vampires, and nobody else will get hurt."

"Damn it, Bella, stop saying stuff like that!" He said, foot unconsciously pressing down harder on the gas pedal. Willa's wails grew louder. "Of course I don't want you to go with him! You're my imprint, my wife, the mother of my child! I love you, and for you to say stuff like that hurts me!"

"Hurts you? Jeez, Jake, I didn't know that. And what about me? Don't you think your little comment about Edward having an obsession with me doesn't hurt? Because it does. I have hated every moment of the past few weeks, knowing that he's killing people and it's my fault."

Jacob scoffed. "Yeah, sure, Bells. You really have been distraught with grief."

Bella's mouth dropped open, and she rocked back and forth slightly, unable to believe that Jacob had turned on her like this so suddenly. He'd been nothing but supportive towards her, and he'd never shown even a sign of contempt towards her faked smiles and laughter. This changed things.

"Fine. I'm taking Willa and going to live with Charlie for a bit. You obviously need time to think about your brothers and their fate. Don't worry, you can still see Willa whenever you want, I won't stop you."

Now it was Jake's turn to feel like he'd been punched in the gut. "You…you're moving out? Why?"

"Because I've been doing everything wrong, apparently, and you haven't. You need to concentrate on the others for a while, but Willa and I are obviously too much of a distraction."

They were in La Push now, right outside of Jacob and Bella's house, and Jacob could smell the blood in the air. Seth's blood. It was enough to give Bella the time she needed to take off her seatbelt and take Willa's car seat out of the car and make her way towards the house. Jacob knew that he'd screwed up badly this time by subtly accusing his wife of bringing this down upon La Push, and Washington in general. He'd lost her for the time being, and all he could do was give her the time necessary to forgive him and come back home.

"I'll have someone bring you to Charlie's house." He said without looking at Bella. She didn't answer back, and he didn't expect one.

Seth was still unconscious, but the swelling around his head had gone down, thanks to the tribe's medicines. His ribs had all been broken, though nothing had been punctured. His right leg had also been broken. He had countless bruises still adorning his body. The wounds had been numerous, and were only now showing signs of improvement. Leah and Sue stood watch over his body, grief splashed across their faces.

"Where's Bella?" Quil asked, looking extremely worried. They all looked up at Jacob's arrival; he'd already had Paul—who had been on his way over to the Clearwater's—escort Bella to Charlie Swan's house and stand watch.

"She went back to Charlie's. I…may have accidentally accused her of bringing Edward into our lives."

Leah stood up from where she'd been kneeling at Seth's bedside, strode over to Jacob and slapped him hard across the face. "You fool! Do you realize what you've done? How could you do that? Bella has done nothing but sacrifice her own personal feelings towards helping the tribe and you make a bone-headed move like this? Damn it, Jake, you never learn, do you?"

"I know what I did was wrong, but there's nothing I can do now but hope for her to come back. But what I want to focus on what's happened here. What happened?"

Embry shook his head at Jacob, but spoke up first. "Well, Seth was patrolling the innermost boundaries of this area, the old treaty border. I guess he knew the leech that crossed the line, but it attacked him before he could tell us who it was. We got over there as quick as we could, but the leech was gone, and Seth was just lying there in his human form. We brought him over here, and had Sue and some of the other older women help Seth."

"It proves the theory that he has accomplices," Brady, one of the youngest of the pack piped up, looking proud of himself for making the connection.

"Right. And I think there's at least two, seeing as Seth was attacked, and two couples were killed this time." Embry said, with barely held back rage in his voice.

"Two?" Jacob couldn't believe it.

"Yeah and there were notes with both couples," Embry pushed two pieces of paper towards Jacob:

You're not thinking straight, wolf. There are not three, but four.

And:

Good job, love. You're taking the first step towards our new life.

"What we can't figure out is how he knew Bella was going to go back to Charlie's. And four? I don't get it."

Jacob's mouth felt dry. "He attacked Sam personally."

"What?" Leah shouted, tears coming to her eyes. "Sam's hurt?"

"I think so. I don't know for sure, but I was wracked with a lot of pain, and a little bit of bleeding earlier and I can remember thinking only two things: Seth's name, and Sam's name."

All of the pack members and Sue retreated, horrified at the revelation that their beloved leader had been attacked by Edward Cullen himself.

"Let's go save him!" Embry shouted.

"No," Jacob said woodenly, unable to feel much of anything. Today had started off great and happy and carefree, but now it felt like everything had gone down the toilet. "He's not being held against his will. He's outside Port Angeles now."

"I'm going to go bring him back," Leah said, with conviction. "And you're not going to stop me, are you?"

Jacob shook his head. "Jared will go with you, okay?"

"Whatever, loser Alpha." The two wolves quickly left the room and the sound of ripped clothing signaled that they had phased and were already on their way to Port Angeles. The remaining wolves and Sue stood silently over Seth's bedside, waiting for him to wake up, and for the Leah and Jared to bring Sam back home.

And for Bella to come back home.

A/N: Okay, so please review. It's nice that regulars are reviewing, but others would be nice. If you have any guesses as to who Edward's accomplices are, guess. ^_^