Jacob PoV

I hated myself for doing this, but I couldn't stay any longer. Just one more minute of looking at her, so small, so wrapped up in her cocoon of longing for the past and I wouldn't have been able to control myself. I would have phased right there and then and risked hurting Bella.

I snorted internally. Maybe this would have been enough of an adrenaline rush to make her see her precious bloodsucker again.

The moment these thoughts came to my mind I regretted them. I would never hurt Bella. It was just the thought of her risking her own death for someone who didn't even love her back that made my blood boil. I felt my wolf-side trying to come out, but I fought it with all my might. I didn't want to phase, not with all that anger in me, but in the end I had no choice. The wolf had become too strong, the heated argument with Bella just strengthening it until I could control it no longer.

With a howl I turned, shredding my shorts apart. Instantly thoughts that were not my own filled my head.

Man, where have you been?

Sam's freakin' out! You had patrol duty last night!

Has something happened with Bella? Paul saw you driving her truck yesterday.

I tried to block them out, concentrating on everything but her but as usual, I failed.

Man, that's nasty. Still clinging to this bloodsucker.

These guys ruin everything. Fuckin' morons

JACOB, COME HERE

The command of Sam, the Alpha, outshone everything else. Even though I wanted to be alone to lick my wounds and think about everything, the rules of the pack stated that you had to obey your Alpha, if you wanted or not.

So instead of running towards the woods to find a quiet spot, I made my way to the reservation where Sam was waiting for me. And he was in a very foul mood.

The whole pack had gathered by the time I arrived. Some in wolf form, some humans they stood in a semi circle with Sam in the middle. He looked like he was about to rip something apart with his bare hands and I growled. I was on no mood to be told off. I wanted to run or to fight or to scream but none of this was an option right now.

I went up to Sam in my wolf-form, facing him up front but he didn't even flinch. He was used to us young "showoffs" as he called us and was long past being intimidated. He merely waited, arms crossed and looked me straight in the eye until I lowered my head and laid down. With a small gesture of his head, Sam made Paul get inside and retrieve a pair of shorts for me. Emily always had a stack of spare clothing.

After throwing me the shorts, I turned and put them on. Leah quietly turned her head. It wasn't always easy to be the only girl in a full male environment.

For a while, Sam and I stood opposite each other, eyeing us. Nobody wanted to be the first to speak or to lower their eyes. It was a silent fight, one Alpha against his rival. Although I never expressed the desire to be Alpha myself, it was still in my blood and Sam knew that. I sometimes thought he was getting extra harsh on me because of my heritage but Sam was hard to everyone.

"Care to explain?" Sam asked after a while.

"I just needed some time alone, alright?" I snapped back.

"No, not alright." Sam's voice was as annoyed as mine. "Like it or not, you are now a part of this pack. Your brothers depend on you as you depend on them. Running away hiding in the woods like a little child is no longer an option for you. Sort out your feelings and do your job. You put everyone in danger each time you run off. We can't have this in this pack. Is that clear?"

"Yeah..." I said grumpily. For a moment I thought Sam would call on me like a drill sergeant I said, is that clear? But he merely nodded shortly and turned to the rest of the pack. "Usual drill tonight. There haven't been any signs of the red-haired one but I won't take any chances. And you." He turned back to me. "I give you this evening to clear your personal mess. Tomorrow I want you on full duty, understood?"

I nodded and Sam turned, going back into his house while the rest of the pack split up in pairs. I saw Embry and Quil approaching, a look of concern on their faces but before they could reach me, I phased, shredding another pair of shorts, and headed back into the woods.