Here we go once again.... I am not sure if I will be able to update so often now, as school started again and I really have to work a lot more now...
There is something important you should know about this chapter
IT´S A PACK CONVERSATION AND I REALLY DID WANT TO WRITE DOWN WHO SAY WHAT ALL THE TIME....I THINK IT´S CLEAR WHEN JAKE SAYS SOMETHING AND IT IS NOT REALLY IMPORTANT TO CATCH WHO SAYS SOMETHING...I MEAN IN A GROUP DISCUSSION IT´S NOT ALWAYS QUITE CLEAR WHO SAID WHAT....
Hope you enjoy it ;-)
Few things can help an individual more than to place responsibility on him, and to let him know that you trust him.
Booker T. Washington
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With all my strength I pushed my numb, tired legs farther trough the dark forest, my paws causing a dull sound each time they touched the damp ground, branches cracking underneath them, far away sounds of animals filling my ears as I concentrated on the confusing thoughts of my pack members.
"Where did you find the track?"
"You should have told us that sooner!"
"I needed to phase back first. Mum was going insane."
"Sort out your priorities!"
"Stop, Paul. Let's leave that. Seth, tell us. And Jake, Leah, hurry up. Get here quickly."
"On my way, Sam. Don´t get all bossy again."
"Stop it Leah,. You're the one who's always bo –"
"Stop it now! Seth, tell us."
I tried to concentrate more as my legs pushed my huge body closer to where the other's were gathered.
"Well, I was just out there in the woods at the north border of the treaty line… maybe a bit in their territory. Well, let me think… she must have been really close. I might have missed her only by a few minutes. Because.. the smell.. it was so.. vivid… man I tell you that hurt…. Well, anyways.. I tried to follow the trail, but it was all confusing again and it let so far into their territory… I knew I should wait."
"Man, you might have caught her."
"Jared, don´t be stupid. He would never have made it!"
"Yeah, but died trying!"
"You are impossible."
"Shut up, Leah!"
"What are we going to do now, Sam?"
"Follow the trail. Tonight. A few of us."
"And what about the rest?"
"Listen, boys. She knows what she is doing. You don´t honestly expect her to follow that trail?"
"Who asked you Leah? And stop bumping against me all the time. That hurts."
"Paul, stop it. She is right. She is too clever to just follow that trail. She knows we'd sense it."
"Sam!?"
"No guys. We will part and some of you will follow the trail with me tonight. The rest will stay all around the reservation and Forks. All of you will phase, so we'll know what is going on."
"Who will go with you?"
"Volunteers?"
"I'll go."
"Me, too."
"I'm in."
"Okay, so it´s me, Leah, Paul and Embry."
"I want to go, too."
"No, Seth."
"Shut up, Leah!"
"No she's right. Jared?"
"I'll patrol across the treaty line."
"Jake?"
I was almost there. A mile or two at the most. My heart was racing and I felt every single hair of my fur stand straight at the mere thought of this god damned leech.
"I'll stay," was all I thought. They knew what I really wanted them to hear.
"She'll be safe, Jake. Don´t be too… protective. Just patrol. As always."
"Sure, Sam. What about Quil? Where is he, anyways?"
Their thoughts were suddenly clouded and confused as they tried to hide the truth from me. Leah was suddenly recalling this mornings weather-forecast, Seth went through all kind of random football players, Jared marvelled about a nearby tree, Paul thought about selling his car and Embry hummed the Super Mario Theme. That might have caused me to laugh, but today and now it told me what was going on.
It was Sam who clearly thought for me after a few seconds.
"He warned her. He should be back any minute. Actually I expected him to be back a lot sooner…"
"God knows what he is doing again… maybe he fell asleep in the car and crashed it and a poor tree in the process."
"Jared, stop it!"
"What? I really don´t get it. Why do you sent him? Might as well have sent Seth."
"What's it about me again?"
"Stop it!"
Everybody was silent immediately as the Alpha's voice sounded through every nerve, forcing us to follow his lead.
My paws had stopped moving the moment I had figured out where Sam had sent Quil. Him… I partially agreed with Jared. Why him?
However my argumentation was entirely different… Jared thought Quil and Seth were too childish, which was something I totally had to disagree with. But Quil… he knew her… My Bella… And she knew him… more than any other member of our pack. I supposed that was why Sam had sent him in the first place. To give her something to rely on, someone familiar, as I was "unavailable".
But I knew some of Quil´s boyish thoughts about Bella, more than I wanted to and as much as he was my best friend and no "boy" after all, it was something that caused my insides to twitch.
"Jake, he would never do that."
It was Sam's normal voice which woke me from my trance.
"Yeah…"
"So, what are we going to do about Quil?"
"Yeah, he's lame."
"Do you think…"
"No, Seth. We would sense her if she were so close."
"Jake?"
I had phased before they had finished saying my name in confusion as my thoughts faded. In a haste I put on my cut-off jeans and ran back through the woods towards my house as fast as my human legs could carry me, not wanting the other's to interrupt my thoughts or Sam to stop me from doing what I wanted.
As much as I was concerned about Sam's decision to sent Quil, there was one thing I knew I should be sure about. And that was Quil. And if Quil was one thing, than he was reliable. And responsible. And being late had always been the last thing on his mind.
Either he really did have some "human struggles" or ignored Sam's command, which was after all more than unlikely. Or… something had happened and crossed his plans.
And if that thing had anything to do with Bella…..
So, if anybody had too much struggles with understanding the conversation:
It´s Seth who found the trail, it´s Leah who wants to protect him, it´s everybody except Sam who behaves bad towards Leah, it´s Jared who has some problems with Quil.... and, another important note: Quil did not imprint yet...