Bella
Jacob floors the truck, sending it chugging off onto the road. From the cry he sends out to it trying to make it go faster, I can tell he's frustrated.
Various people hearing the roar of the engine stick their heads through their curtains to find out what's happening, and, as we're leaving the main part of the village, one of the pack members steps out into the road.
They're in their human form, and I expect Jacob to slow down and stop, but instead he just keeps pushing the engine trying to reach it's top speed. I scream at them to move out of the way, and thankfully they do.
Within seconds, one of the wolves, this time in wolf form, comes running out into the road and straight across the path of the truck.
This time, Jacob slams on the breaks and we go skidding to a stop, bumping into the side of the russet wolf and coming to a complete shock.
Part of my mind marvels at the strength of the wolves and potential damage to my truck, but then my seatbelt is pinching at my neck and I'm being thrown forwards.
Covering my mouth with my hands, I fight back the rising vomit at the sudden pressure on my stomach and close my eyes to try and stop the headache.
"What's going on Jacob?" someone at his window says, the wolf still standing in front of the truck. "Mighty quick to just be dropping Bella home, thought something must be wrong."
"Get out of the way," Jacob snarls, his hands starting to tremble.
"Like hell we will!"
My _ is slowly coming back to me and I'm thinking clearer.
"It's fine," I say my voice trembling. "We're just going out for a bit."
"What's wrong, Bella?" one of them asks without much genuine care. "Where were you taking her looking so terrified?" he accuses.
"None of your damn business," Jacob once again snarls.
"You won't be starting something the rest of us have gotta clean up," he says still at the window, now reaching in to take the keys. "Come talk to the council, then we you can go on your merry way."
As soon as he's got the keys out of the truck, those in wolf form disappear off into the woods to keep away from prying eyes.
Leah comes up to my window, "If you don't want to be sliced for the BBQ, you'd best get out now," her tone is harsh.
Hurrying to follow her instructions, I climb out of the truck and stand there awkwardly as the other wolves start to wrestle Jacob out of the truck. I can only hope that he'll be clear from the door when he finally change as it's looking more and more inevitable.
Then, as predicted, he launches into his wolf form at the same time as some of the other pack members join him and they now wrestle him into the woods out of the view of the road.
"So dramatic," Leah sighs. "Well, your keys are down there," she says pointing towards the keys that had been dropped when he changed.
Just as she's starting to move out towards the trees, I call, "Wait, ummm, where Jake and I were going, well I think I should be at the meeting."
"You," Leah spits not even turning around, "think you, a leech lover, would be welcome at a council meeting. No chance. Go home."
Throwing caution to the wind, I shout, "I've got information on Billy."
She stops in her tracks and turns slowly to face me.
Muttering under her breath, she says, "No wonder that idiot was rushing into things." Returning to normal volume, she marches back to me, "Fine, follow me and try to keep up." She's smiling manically at the end and I start to worry about what she's going to do.
Not having time to move the truck off the road with the speed that she's moving away, I quickly snatch the keys off the floor and jog to catch up with her.
As soon as we get onto the rough terrain of the woods, I have to slow down considerably so as not to fall flat on my face. Within moments, Leah is so far ahead of me that I don't have a hope of getting anywhere in a reasonable timeframe.
"Leah," I call, my cheeks flushing pink. "Where are you all meeting? Maybe I can just drive there?"
"Clearing up ahead," she says not turning around or slowing down. "Hidden from the town people on purpose."
It makes sense, but it's no more frustrating for me. I'm sure that there is somewhere closer I could have taken the car then it would have been a much shorter walk over this trapdoors footing. Come to think of it, Billy uses a wheelchair, how do they get him to the meetings, not to mention the various elders who must surely be involved.
Knowing there's no point in arguing with her, I keep plodding along behind her, trying my best to keep her in sight.
Several times I fall to my knees, tripping over various roots and rocks.
As the trees start to get denser, the area get's darker and, even in daylight, it's hard to see where I'm walking.
The trees start to feel as though they're closing in and memories of being trapped in the woods come back to me.
I don't want you.
Stopping still, I turn my head around trying to see where the voice had come from. I don't see Edward anywhere, but the words had felt so real, just like they'd done during my hallucinations.
Taking a deep breath and continue to march through the trees, I try to ignore all of the voices flooding my mind.
I can't stop them.
Looking up ahead, to hopefully see some kind of end, I can only just make out Leah standing there waiting for me with her arms folded.
Not wanting to make her mad and desperately wanting to be free from this forest, I trudge forwards, my breathing increasing by the moment.
When I get closer, Leah makes a snipped remark, "Get to the gym," before carrying on deeper into the woods.
I know that if she leaves me now, I'm never going to make it out on my own. We've been walking for what feels like half an hour, but without a watch or an idea of when we left there's no way for me to work it out.
Feeling increasingly unsteady on my feet, I start to count my steps to help me keep moving forwards.
1, 2, over, 3, 4, 5, 6.
And then over and over again.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, I can see a brighter area up ahead where the trees are starting to thin again.
Realising that it Leah has gone, I start speeding towards it.
This is a big mistake because I promptly go sprawling to the floor, hitting my head on something hard.
Crying out in pain, I put my hand to my head and feel something warm and sticky. Oh great, this is just what I need. At least this lot won't be trying to have a taste, I say trying to reassure myself.
Just as I'm putting my hands down on the ground to push myself upwards, someone is grabbing my upper arms and hauling me up.
I open my mouth to thank then, but when I stare into the eyes of Jacob Black, I snap my mouth closed. "Bella?" he says, confused about something.
"Yeah," I snip in response pulling backwards but tripping over yet another root to the ground. "What are you doing here? Why bother coming back? I think you made it perfectly clear how you felt."
His lips purse and I can see him wanting to say something.
"Just spit it out Jake," I scoff. "Wanted to make sure I was safe to go get Billy back, is that it?" He grits his teeth, "It is, you're disgusting." I say pulling myself to my feet and stomping through the final part of the woods.
He follows close behind me and just as I'm about to break through the treeline, he hands me a piece of fabric.
Now in the light, I look down to see that he's handed me his ripped shirt. I open my mouth to ask what on earth he's given me this for, when he points to my head.
Nodding slightly, I press the material to my head, angry that I've accepted any help from him but relieved that I've got something to help stem the bleeding. I'm starting to feel dizzy from the smell of it running down the side of my face.
Peering past the material, I look around the clearing to try and work out who is here. Only the wolf pack have arrived so far, though Sam is notably missing. A short distance away I can see Leah hiding her laughs behind her hand while Seth scolds her and looks at me worried.
Noticing several wooden logs spaced out around a large fire pit, I wander over and take a seat on the nearest one. They're damp from a recent rainfall, but I don't care. Between a bleeding head and a wet bum, I don't think anyone is going to care.
"We've called everyone to meet," someone says striding out of what looks like a well kept path, "They'll be here soon."
"Soon?!" Jacob screeches, "While they're all out there filling their thermos, god knows what's happening to my dad!"
"You will wait," one of them says marching up to him and pushing him backwards. "I don't care how mad you are, you're not alpha so act like it."
"What do you know? I should have stepped up, maybe there wouldn't still be leeches in the area to have kidnapped dad if I had!" he's shouting at full volume now.
"But you didn't, so go deal with it."
Just as I think they're both about to phase and start ripping each other to shreds, Sam walks into the clearing followed by several older men.
"Jacob, Quil, quit it."
He's looking unimpressed with the whole situation and, from the expressions of the elders, I realise that these disagreements are a common occurrence. I'm now starting to realise why Sam ordered Jacob to stay away from me in those early days. They're dangerous.
Everyone bundles up around the empty fire pit and sit's waiting for the chief to start the meeting.
Although I'd sat in on a handful of meetings before, they've always been party based where the legends are shared with the towns people.
"So," Old Quil says calling everyone's attention to him, "Why are we here?"
Jacob, sitting incredibly tense and speaking through a clenched jaw explains the situation. Hesitating, he hands around the photograph of Billy and the torn up remains of the message.
"There's no vamp smell on this," one of them says pulling it away from their nose. "There's barely even anything human, obviously other than Bella. How do we know this is genuine?"
"We don't," Jake says, "But does it matter? If there's a chance, we should take it."
Several people around the circle look incredibly uneasy. Finally, one of the elders speaks.
"We have a duty to protect humans," the words are harsh and aimed directly at Jacob. "All humans. I'm not prepared to just pass someone over to be murdered."
"It's not as though she's fully human," Jacob says then snaps his mouth closed. I wonder if he'd intended to say that out loud. "I mean, she's siding with them anyway. She'd just be going to her own people."
"Until she's bitten and the treaty is broken, our protection extends to Bella too." There's finality in the words that cause Jacob to tremble, but a quick look from Sam settles the movement. "However, given light on the situation, we cannot ignore the demands. What say you, Bella?"
I spin my head around fast enough to cause it to crunch and stare open mouthed. Several snickers spread around the group.
"I… I want to help Billy, if I can."
"You realise that this is essentially a one way ticket to death. You have no way to win."
Dropping my head to stare at the floor, I wrack my brain to try and work out what to do, or say. "I don't want to die," I admit honestly for the first time in a while. "But I also accept the blame and responsibility to resolve the situation."
"Does anyone else have any suggestions on how we might overcome this?"
There are several murmurs around the group as they discuss in pairs the news and ways around it, but even after a few minutes, no one has any feasible suggestions.
"The way I see it," Sam says, "There's no reason we can't just follow along and then step in before anything happens. Admittedly the location poses a problem, but luckily we are shifters."
"And are you certain that this method will keep all parties safe? Given the heightened senses, you'd have to remain some distance away."
"What if it wasn't a wolf following them? We're needed for the heavy lifting, but the following could be done by anyone. There's enough people in the tribe who know the truth."
Once again there are several mutters around the group as they think about if it's a reasonable strategy.
I don't join in, not having anything helpful to add in. Part of me wants to scream at them that their idea is utterly stupid. How could a human possibly keep tracks on a vampire without being found out. Then, more importantly, do I really trust the wolves to find me in time.
I'm seriously starting to wish I'd just told Edward about the note last night and let the family deal with it. As much as my anxiety struggles to admit it, I trust them a lot more than I do the wolves, a group of teenagers who are openly showing their dislike of me.
Shaking my head to stop the thoughts, I focus back on the group, it's too late now, I've chosen my side through my actions and I need to be one hundred percent in, else I'm going to get hurt.