Once the wolf was in full control, it ran flat out for almost two days. Jacob couldn't fight it, not when every cell in his body ached to know what had happened to Bella. But his wolf's single minded determination was going to kill them both, if they didn't rest and eat.

hunt Jacob used the last of his strength to yank his wolf into a stumbling walk, but it still fought him. His wolf's tongue lolled, almost dry, desperately thirsty. Hunger clawed at them both. His wolf growled, wrestling between its instinct to hunt and the pull of his mating bond. home. bella. la push.

hunt Jacob pushed back. The wolf lifted its nose and sniffed. The scent of a moose decided for them both. Hunger took over, and the wolf crouched, belly almost brushing the ground, tracking the moose in near silence. Even so, this hunt took time neither Jake nor the wolf wanted to spare. His wolf wove a tangled path through the woods, begrudgingly stalking the moose north, always north, sometimes east. Jacob tried to keep his bearings as they moved further north. His wolf was anxious and jumpy, always turning back towards the west. la push. home. run.

bella?

Her voice had faded, but the pull was stronger than ever. After almost day and a half of tracking, the wolf took its chance. The moose fought like a bitch, red-eyed and tough, hooves cutting several deep gashes before the wolf got a kill hold. Jacob tried not to watch as his wolf tore into the dead animal. He hated hunting for food in wolf form. He tried to wrestle back some control but his wolf rebuffed him. He could only wait. An hour later, the carcass lay half stripped. If wolves could sigh, his would've. bella. mine. pain. afraid. home. run.The wolf whined even as it collapsed onto the forest floor, panting. bella. mine. run.

furry idiot. Jacob closed his eyes. The wolf shivered as sleep crashed over them in an undeniable wave. Jacob didn't know how much time passed when his wolf finally woke and stumbled to its feet. He shook himself and blinked in the fading twilight, sniffing, listening. The wind shifted. A branch snapped. His ears flattened as he slunk into the underbrush, tense and ready.

"We're lost." A voice grumbled. "Again."

"We're not lost. We're wolves."

"Well, my wolf says we're lost, asshat."

"Your wolf is stupid."

Jacob slipped to the left, circling closer to the group of three boys clambering loudly through the forest, keeping himself downwind. The sun was sinking fast behind them, making it difficult to see their faces. But their scent hit him like a sledgehammer: Quil, Embry, and Seth. His pack.

"How long do you think we have to keep looking before we can quit?"

"What part of an Alpha command doesn't make sense to you?" Embry jumped down from a fallen tree. He was filthy. And buck naked. "We keep looking until we find him."

"How do think she did that?"

"Shut up Seth," Quil and Embry both grabbed handfuls of dirt and threw them at Seth. "Not this again."

"Who cares how Bella did it," Embry growled, his skin steaming in the cool evening. "She did. Every time we try to go home, we can't. It fucking sucks."

Seth nodded, looking tired and resigned.

"Too bad she didn't tack on a caveat, you know?" Quil punched his arm. "Like 'Find Jacob, except if it's been four days'—"

"Or if you get too tired."

"Or hungry."

"Or if Embry loses his shorts phasing in his sleep."

"Or if Seth needs a shower."

"Or if Quil gets us lost."

"We're working a grid," Quil argued, jumping on Seth, wrestling him to the ground. "It takes time."

"Except your dumbass smelled a fresh kill and abandoned the grid thirteen miles back." Embry cuffed Quil and tugged him off of Seth. "So let's find it, eat, and move on."

Jacob growled low in his throat, and all three boys turned, Embry and Quil exploding into wolf form while Seth took the half second to strip out of his shorts. Quil forgot, his own pants shredding into a dirty sort of confetti.

shit, Quil growled. mom's going to kill me.

Embry and Seth snickered, their laughter cut off when Jacob sprang from his cover, his chest rumbling, taking all three of them by surprise.

jacob! Seth's wolf was wriggling like a puppy, his excitement barely containable. you're alive!

of course he's alive, idiot. Embry's tongue lolled out and he rolled over exposing his belly, before climbing to his feet. where the hell have you been, man?

what are you doing here? Jacob growled. i told you not to come after me.

bella sent us. Quil snapped at Jacob, and he bared his teeth. we kind of didn't have a choice, you know?

bella sent you? Jacob's ears flattened against his head. bella. mine. protect. how?

alpha command, Seth whined.

Quil tossed his head. it was weird, dude.

Jacob's growl deepened, and he snapped at Embry, show me. Embry hesitated, exchanging a quick look with Quil. show me, embry. now.

buckle up, buttercup, Embry grumbled, crouching, baring his neck. this is a doozy.

Then Embry's thoughts and memories were pouring into Jacob's head in snippets and flickering flashes.

Bella in La Push. Tired. Alive. Smelling like Jacob. protect. Billy's house. Billy, Sam, Sue, the pack. Two packs. Bella smells like wolf. Weird. protect. Fuck you Lahote. One Alpha, one Alpha female. No Alpha, no pack. You're nothing without him.Damn bloodsuckers back in Forks. Have to do something. Bella in the woods. Pain. protect. Is she hurt? Quil, is she hurt? What if she has the baby RIGHT NOW? Shit shit shit. Just a cramp. I'm fine. Fuck me. Girls. Bella's huge. Curvy. It's kinda sexy. You could ride on one of us. Quil snorts. Asshole. I'll walk, thanks. Treaty line. Leeches. Shift. Trying to schmooze Bella. Fuckers. Dickward-Stoned-Face-Cullen, king of the schmooze. We're offering you a choice. Leah. Angry. Snaps. Take that, bloodsucker bitch. Thunder. Oh shit. Bella. Pain. A sweet smell. My water broke, Embry. Water? Baby water? Fuck fuck fuck. Do something. Scared. Sam. Sue. Leah. Running. Run, Forrest, run. Sarah's cabin. Shouts. Pacing. Stay the hell out of here. Bella. More pain. protect! Afraid. Shouting. Pain. Oh God. Jake! I can't do this, I need Jake! JAKE! Do something, do something, do something. HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. Shift. Into the cabin. Emily. Sue. Angry. Is she dying? Seth, you idiot! Bella yelling, sweating, pain. She's having a baby, not baking a cake. Oh God, what if she dies? fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. Gotta do something. We have to do something, Leah. Yelling. Pain. Bella. Find Jacob! Now.The hell? obey. Shift. what the hell was that? Seth, Quil, running, running, running. Find Jacob. Find Jacob. Find Jacob. Now. Now. Now.

Jacob stumbled backwards as if he'd been hit, whining, trembling, shaking, and then he half sat, half fell, on a downed tree trunk. For a moment he couldn't make himself think, or move, or speak.

i think you broke him, embry.

is he breathing?

would you be?

probably not, Quil shook himself. so can we eat while his software updates?

jacob? Seth whined and nudged him.

bella! Jacob shook himself. bella. protect. mine. run. la push. home. He jumped to his feet, snarling. run. run. run!

shit. Embry sighed and ripped a huge chunk from the moose carcass. grab and go, boys.

Jacob's wolf lifted its head and howled before it sprang through the woods, his pack following close behind.