BPOV

I begged for death, although the pain made it difficult to speak. I recognized Jacob, the son of my father's friend Billy Black, but I didn't know who the others were. It seemed they were trying to decide what to do with me.

"It's been twenty-four hours and she hasn't stopped screaming," one commented.

"She's beginning to smell like them," another replied.

"If she's changing into one of them, then we should kill her…"

"No!" Jacob protested. "We can't do that!"

"Bella would want us to kill her, if she knew what she was becoming…."

Arguing and yelling, until there was a loud noise, a crash.

"Shut up, all of you. I'll decide in the morning. Get out of here…."

Mumbling and complaining, and then silence. I was alone.

It was difficult to keep track of time. The burning was all consuming.

Suddenly, I wasn't alone. Someone was picking me up and it was painful to be moved. A hand clamped over my mouth to muffle my screams.

"Shh….Bella," I heard a voice speak to me. "I'm taking you where you can get help."

EPOV

I was relieved when I heard Bella was alive. And then determined to find her and never let her go.

Instead of storming the reservation, I began to run in the opposite direction, back to our estate. The family followed, their thoughts full of confusion. The wolves mistook my hasty exit as a sign of fear, but it was one of strategy.

I couldn't say it out loud, but I knew that the wolf and the man had no idea that Bella was in the process of becoming a vampire. I suspected that if they did know she was becoming one of us, they would kill her. I couldn't risk that. I decided to let them think she was sick, but I knew we didn't have much time to plan for Bella's rescue.

When we were near our home, Carlisle demanded answers.

Why did we leave? We could have negotiated with them.

I knew the others were wondering the same thing and answered out loud.

"They haven't realized that Bella is being changed. If they do, they may kill her."

"And it's better to leave her with dangerous werewolves?" Esme protested, appalled and thoroughly worried for Bella.

"Bella will be the dangerous one," Jasper replied. "When she wakes up, with her newborn strength, she'll slaughter them all."

"We have to get to her before that happens," Alice added, anxiously. "But, I cannot see anything in Bella's future…its fuzzy."

"What do you propose we do?" Carlisle asked, turning to me.

I wanted to kill them all. "Find out exactly where Bella is on the reservation. Carlisle and Esme, distract the wolves and Jasper, Alice and I will go get her." The consequences didn't matter. I needed Bella. My existence depended on it.

Alice frowned. "I can't see Bella, but I can see you clearly. The Volutri will become involved if we do what you're planning."

And Carlisle will not be happy with murdering Quielites, she added silently.

I growled, feeling helpless, anxious and frustrated.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do, Alice? Wait?"

Jasper glared at me, giving a silent warning to back off from verbally attacking his wife.

"I don't want to wait either Edward!" she screamed. "But, what are we supposed to do? Murder an entire tribe? Then be murdered ourselves by the Volutri? There has to be a better way to get her back to us….safely."

The next twenty-four hours were excruciating, as we discussed a variety of ways to rescue Bella. We considered calling Charlie, knowing he would insist on bringing her to his house. It seemed the Quileute's had not informed Charlie because a search party had been formed to look for Bella. Esme intervened and pointed out that since Bella was changing, she could never see Charlie again. Having him think she died in a car accident, while cruel, was much easier to come to terms with than transformation into a supernatural creature. With almost any other decision we made, Alice saw the Volutri becoming involved.
Jasper was working diligently to help me remain calm, but I knew it was difficult for him. While I appeared to the others to have control, Jasper could feel the emotions radiating from me. I was on the brink of becoming inconsolable.

In distance, we heard a car approaching the estate. A man, although more like a boy, was thinking frantic thoughts…in Quileute.

Instead of waiting for him to reach the house, I ran outside, meeting the car on the long driveway. My family followed me, wondering what was happening, frustrated that I wasn't being more verbal.

The boy's heart was pounding. For a moment he remained in the car, it's lights shining on us in the darkness. I had no doubt we looked very intimidating, standing side by side, arms crossed, all of us scowling, ready to defend ourselves.

He's nervous, but also angry, Jasper's thoughts revealed to me.

When the Quieliete emerged from the car, we all recognized him as Jacob Black. His father used him to warn Bella that our family was dangerous…and that they would be watching. I knew Bella considered him a friend, too. They played together as children.

"Good evening, Jacob. How can we help you today?" Carlisle greeted with a smile, slightly relaxed and speaking as though Jacob was his patient at the hospital.

Jacob took a step backwards, without turning his back to us, clearly not trusting us. Jasper snickered, knowing as I did that if we wanted to attack Jacob, there was nothing he could do about it. Jacob opened the door to the backseat and reached inside. When he turned to face us, we all gasped in unison.

Bella was in his arms.