The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 8. Waiting For The Damn …

8. Waiting For The Damn Fight To Start AlreadyJeez, capital of Minnesota, dont you freaking admit a home of your receive?capital of Minnesota, lounging crossways my whole couch, watching some duncical baseb wholly game on my drawpy TV, fair(a) grinned at me and hencece reliable slow he lifted virtuoso Dorito from the bulk in his lap and wedged it into his m bulge proscribedh in unity piece.You betterVe brought those with you.C natural springch. Nope, he snuff it tongue to while chewing. Your sister said to go aheadway and help myself to eitherthing I fatalityed.I tried to make my juncture sound equivalent I wasnt rough to punch him. Is Rachel here(predicate) now?It didnt work. He comprehend where I was firing and shoved the bag behind his besidesshie. The bag crackled as he ladened it into the cushion. The chips crunched into pieces. capital of Minnesotas hands came up in fists, close to his face like a boxer.Bring it, kid. I dont need Rachel to protect m e.I snorted. Right. Like you wouldnt go crying to her first chance.He laughed and relaxed into the sofa, dropping his hands. Im non press release to go tattle to a young woman. If you got in a lucky plight to, that would be entirely between the two of us. And vice versa, good?Nice of him to consume me an invitation. I make my corpse slump like Id given up. Right.His eyes shifted to the TV.I lunged.His nose made a very satisfying crunching sound of its consume when my fist connected. He tried to grab me, besides I danced bulge place of the way earlier he could find a hold, the ruined bag of Doritos in my left hand.You broke my nose, idiot. salutary between us, right, Paul?I went to give the chips off. When I turned around, Paul was repositioning his nose before it could set crooked.The blood had already baulkped it looked like it had no stem as it trickled run through his lips and attain his chin. He cussed, wincing as he pulled at the cartil come on.You are suc h a inconvenience, Jacob. I swear, Id rather hang push through with Leah.Ouch. Wow, I bet Leahs rightfully going to love to hear that you want to sp oddment some quality time with her. Itll just warm the cockles of her heart.Youre going to for deject I said that.Of course. Im authorized it wont slip break through.Ugh, he grunted, and and then settled buns into the couch, wiping the left all over blood on the collar of his t-shirt. Youre fast, kid.Ill give you that. He turned his attention tooshie to the fuzzy game.I s similarlyd on that point for a second, and then I stalked off to my room, muttering active alien abductions.Back in the twenty-four hours, you could count on Paul for a fight reddenhandedly more whenever. You didnt have to hit him then both mild insult would do. It didnt take a lot to flip him out of control. Now, of course, when I actually cherished a good snarling, ripping, break-the-trees-down match, he had to be all mellow.Wasnt it bad plenteous that yet an a nonher(prenominal) member of the express had imprinted because, really, that made quaternion of ten now When would it stop? Stupid legend was supposed to be rare, for crying out loud All this authorisation love-at-first-sight was completely sickeningDid it have to be my sister? Did it have to be Paul?When Racheld get home from Washington State at the end of the summer semester graduated early, the nerd my gravidgest worryd been that it would be ruffianly keeping the unfathomable around her. I wasnt used to covering things up in my own home. It made me real sympathetic to kids like Embry and Collin, whose parents didnt get a spacious they were werewolves. Embrys mom archetype he was going by dint of some salmagundi of rebellious stage. He was permanently grounded for constantly sneaking out, still, of course, there wasnt much he could do approximately that. Shed check his room every shadow, and every night it would be empty again. Shed yell and hed ta ke it in silence, and then go through it all again the next day. Wed tried to talk surface-to-air missile into well-favoured Embry a break and letting his mom in on the gig, but Embryd said he didnt mind. The secret was too important.So Id been all geared up to be keeping that secret. And then, two days after Rachel got home, Paul ran into her on the beach. Bada bing, bada boom dependable love No secrets necessary when you fix your other half, and all that imprinting were skirt chaser garbage.Rachel got the whole fabrication. And I got Paul as a sidekick-in-law someday. I knew billystick wasnt much thrilled active it, either. just now if he handled it better than I did. Course, he did escape to the Clear water supplys to a greater extent often than usual these days. I didnt perceive where that was so much better. No Paul, but plenty of Leah.I wondered would a bullet through my temple actually eliminate me or just leave a really big mess for me to clean up?I threw myse lf down on the bed. I was tired hadnt slept since my coda patrol but I knew I wasnt going to sleep. My head was too crazy. The aspects bounced around inside my skull like a disoriented swarm of bees. Noisy. Now and then they stung. Must be hornets, not bees. Bees died after iodin sting. And the same suppositions were stinging meagain and again.This hold was hotheaded me insane. It had been almost four weeks. Id expected, matchless way or another, the news would have come by now. Id sat up nights imagining what form it would take.Charlie sobbing on the phvirtuoso Bella and her husband lost in an accident. A plane decompose? That would be aphonic to fake. Unless the leeches didnt mind killing a bunch of bystanders to certify it, and why would they? peradventure a small plane instead. They probably had one of those to spare.Or would the murderer come home alone, unsuccessful in his taste to make her one of them? Or not level off getting that far. possibly hed smashed h er like a bag of chips in his drive to get some? Because her life was less important to him than his own pleasureThe story would be so tragic Bella lost in a despicable accident. Victim of a mugging gone wrong. Choking to death at dinner party. A car accident, like my mom. So common. Happened all the time.Would he bring her home? Bury her here for Charlie? Closed-casket ceremony, of course. My moms coffin had been nailed shutI could and hope that hed come pricker here, within my reach.Maybe there would be no story at all. Maybe Charlie would call to ask my daddy if hed heard anything from Dr. Cullen, who just didnt show up to work one day. The folk abandoned. No answer on any of the Cullens phones. The mystery picked up by some second-rate news program, foul play suspectedMaybe the big white house would burn to the ground, everyone trapped inside. Of course, theyd need bodies for that one. octette human races of roughly the right size. Burned beyond recognition beyond the h elp of dental records.Either of those would be tricky for me, that is. It would be disfranchised to find them if they didnt want to be appoint. Of course, I had forever to look. If you had forever, you could check out every single piece of straw in the haystack, one by one, to work through if it was the needle.Right now, I wouldnt mind dismantling a haystack. At least that would be something to do. I hated knowing that I could be losing my chance. Giving the bloodsuckers the time to escape, if that was their plan.We could go tonight. We could kill every one of them that we could find.I liked that plan because I knew Edward well enough to know that, if I killed any one of his coven, I would get my chance at him, too. Hed come for revenge. And Id give it to him I wouldnt let my brothers take him down as a clump. It would be just him and me. May the better man win.But surface-to-air missile wouldnt hear of it. Were not going to break the conformity. Let them make the breach. Just because we had no proof that the Cullens had done anything wrong. Yet. You had to add the yet, because we all knew it was inevitable. Bella was either climax back one of them, or not access back. Either way, a human life had been lost. And that meant game on.In the other room, Paul brayed like a mule. Maybe hed switched to a comedy. Maybe the commercial was gamblingny. Whatever. It grated on my nerves.I thought closely breaking his nose again. But it wasnt Paul I wanted to fight with. Not really.I tried to listen to other sounds, the wind in the trees, it wasnt the same, not through human ears. There were a million voices in the wind that I couldnt hear in this body.But these ears were sensitive enough. I could hear past the trees, to the road, the sounds of the cars coming around that last bend where you could finally see the beach the vista of the islands and the rocks and the big voluptuous ocean stretching to the horizon. The La Push cops liked to hang out right around the re. Tourists never noticed the reduced speed delimit sign on the other side of the road.I could hear the voices away(p) the souvenir shop on the beach. I could hear the cowbell clanging as the door opened and closed. I could hear Embrys mom at the coin register, printing out a receipt.I could hear the tide raking across the beach rocks. I could hear the kids squeal as the icy water rushed in too fast for them to get out of the way. I could hear the moms complain almost the derisory clothes. And I could hear a familiar voice.I was listening so hard that the fulminant burst of Pauls donkey laugh made me jump half off the bed.Get out of my house, I grumbled. Knowing he wouldnt pay any attention, I followed my own advice. I wrenched open my window and climbed out the back way so that I wouldnt see Paul again. It would betoo tempting. I knew I would hit him again, and Rachel was going to be pissed enough already. Shed see the blood on his shirt, and shed blame me right away without waiting for proof. Of course, shed be right, but still.I paced down to the shore, my fists in my pockets. Nobody looked at me twice when I went through the bull lot by archetypal Beach. That was one nice thing closely summer no one cared if you wore cryptograph but shorts.I followed the familiar voice Id heard and found Quil easy enough. He was on the south end of the crescent, avoiding the bigger plowshare of the tourist crowd. He kept up a constant rate of flow of warnings.Keep out of the water, Claire. Cmon. No, dont. Oh Nice, kid. Seriously, do you want Emily to yell at me? Im not bringing you back to the beach again if you dont Oh yeah? Dont ugh. You intend thats manoeuvreny, do you? Hah Whos laughing now, huh?He had the giggling toddler by the ankle when I reached them. She had a bucket in one hand, and her jeans were drenched. He had a huge wet mark down the front of his t-shirt.Five bucks on the baby girl, I said.Hey, Jake.Claire squealed and threw her bucket at Quils knees. Down, downHe set her carefully on her feet and she ran to me. She wrapped her arms around my leg.UncaJayHows it going, Claire?She giggled. Qwil aaaaawl wet now.I can see that. Wheres your mama?Gone, gone, gone, Claire sang, Cwaire pway wid Qwil aaaawl day. Cwaire nebber gowin home. She let go of me and ran to Quil. He scooped her up and slung her onto his shoulders.Sounds like somebodys hit the terrible twos.Threes actually, Quil corrected. You missed the party. Princess theme. She made me wear a crown, and then Emily suggested they all try out her new play makeup on me.Wow, Im really sorry I wasnt around to see that.Dont worry, Emily has pictures. Actually, I look slightly hot.Youre such a patsy.Quil shrugged. Claire had a great time. That was the point.I rolled my eyes. It was hard being around imprinted people. No matter what stage they were in aboutto tie the knot like Sam or just a much-abused nanny like Quil the peace and certainty they always radiated was down right puke-inducing.Claire squealed on his shoulders and pointed at the ground. Pity wock, Qwil For me, for meWhich one, kiddo? The red one?No wedQuil dropped to his knees Claire screamed and pulled his sensory hair like a horses reigns.This blue one?No, no, no, the little girl sang, thrilled with her new game.The weird part was, Quil was having just as much fun as she was. He didnt have that face on that so many of the tourist dads and moms were wearing the when-is-nap-time? face. You never saw a real parent so jazzed to play whatever stupid kiddie sport their rugrat could specify up. Id seen Quil play peekaboo for an hour neat without getting bored.And I couldnt even make fun of him for it I envied him too much.Though I did think it sucked that he had a good fourteen years of monkitude ahead of him until Claire was his age for Quil, at least, it was a good thing werewolves didnt get older. But even all that time didnt seem to bother him much.Quil, you ever think about datin g? I asked.Huh?No, no yewwo Claire crowed.You know. A real girl. I mean, just for now, right? On your nights off babysitting duty.Quil stared at me, his mouth dangling open.Pity wock Pity wock Claire screamed when he didnt offer her another choice. She smacked him on the head with her little fist.Sorry, Claire-bear. How about this pretty purple one?No, she giggled. No poopoh. slide by me a clue. Im begging, kid.Claire thought it over. Gween, she finally said.Quil stared at the rocks, studying them. He picked four rocks in different shades of green, and offered them to her.Did I get it?7YayWhich one?Vlaaaaw/obdemShe cupped her hands and he poured the small rocks into them. She laughed and immediately clunked him on the head with them. He springd theatrically and then got to his feet and started walking back up toward the parking lot. Probably crazy about her getting cold in her wet clothes. He was worsened than any paranoid, overprotective mother.Sorry if I was being pushy before, man, about the girl thing, I said.Naw, thats cool, Quil said. It resistant of took me by surprise is all. I hadnt thought about it.I bet shed understand. You know, when shes grown up. She wouldnt get mad that you had a life while she was in diapers.No, I know. Im sure shed understand that.He didnt say anything else.But you wont do that, will you? I guessed.I cant see it, he said in a low voice. I cant imagine. I just dont see anyone that way. I dont notice girls anymore, you know. I dont see their faces. portion that together with the tiara and makeup, and maybe Claire will have a different kind of competition to worry about.Quil laughed and made kissing noises at me. You available this Friday, Jacob?You wish, I said, and then I made a face. Yeah, guess I am, though.He hesitated a second and then said, You ever think about dating?I sighed. Guess Id opened myself up for that one.You know, Jake, maybe you should think about getting a life.He didnt say it like a facetiousness. His v oice was sympathetic. That made it worse.I dont see them, either, Quil. I dont see their faces.Quil sighed, too.Far away, too low for anyone but just us two to hear it over the waves, a cry rose out of the forest.Dang, thats Sam, Quil said. His hands flew up to get to Claire, as if making sure she was still there. I dont know where her moms atTil see what it is. If we need you, HI let you know. I raced through the words. They came out all slurred together. Hey, why dont you take her up to the Clearwaters? Sue and Billy can keep an eye on her if they need to. They might know whats going on, anyway.Okay get outta here, JakeI took off campaign, not for the dirt path through the weedy hedge, but in the shortest line toward the forest. I hurdled the first line of driftwood and then ripped my way through the briars, still running. I felt the little tears as the thorns cut into my skin, but I ignored them. Their sting would be healed before I made the trees.I cut behind the store and d arted across the highway. Somebody honked at me. Once in the safety of the trees, I ran faster, fetching longer strides. spate would stare if I was out in the open. expression people couldnt run like this. Sometimes I thought it might be fun to enter a race you know, like the Olympic trials or something. It would be cool to watch the expressions on those star athletes faces when I blew by them. solely I was pretty sure the testing they did to make sure you werent on steroids would probably turn up some really freaky crap in my blood.As soon as I was in the true forest, unbound by roads or houses, I skidded to a stop and kicked my shorts off. With quick, practiced moves, I rolled them up and tied them to the leather cord around my ankle. As I was still pulling the ends tight, I started shifting. The fire trembled down my spine, throwing tight spasms out along my arms and legs. It altogether took a second. The heat flooded through me, and I felt the unplumbed shimmer that made me something else. I threw my heavy paws against the matted earth and stretched my back in one long, rolling extension.Phasing was very easy when I was revolve around like this. I didnt have issues with my temper anymore. Except when it got in the way.For one half second, I remembered the awful moment at that unspeakable joke of a wedding. Id been so insane with pelty that I couldnt make my body work right. Id been trapped, shaking and burning, unable to make the castrate and kill the hulk just a few feet away from me. It had been so confusing. Dying to kill him. Afraid to hurt her. My friends in the way. And then, when I was finally able to take the form I wanted, the order from my leader. The edict from the Alpha. If it had been just Embry and Quil there that night without Sam would I have been able to kill the murderer, then?I hated it when Sam laid down the law like that. I hated the feeling of having no choice. Of having to obey.And then I was conscious of an audience. I wa s not alone in my thoughts.So self-absorbed all the time,Leah thought.Yeah, no hypocrisy there, Leah,I thought back.Can it, guys,Sam told us.We fell silent, and I felt Leahs wince at the word guys. Touchy, like always.Sam pretended not to notice. Wheres Quil andJared?Quits got Claire. Hes taking her to the Clearwaters.Good. Sue will take her.Jared was going to Kims,Embry thought. Good chance he didnt hear you.There was a low grumble through the pack. I moaned along with them. When Jared finally showed up, no doubt hed still be intellection about Kim. And nobody wanted a replay of what they were up to right now.Sam sat back on his haunches and let another howl rip into the air. It was a signal and an order in one.The pack was self-possessed a few miles east of where I was. I loped through the deep forest toward them. Leah,Embry, and Paul all were working in toward them, too. Leah was close soon I could hear her footfalls not far into the woods. We continued in a parallel line, ch oosing not to run together.Well, were not waiting all day for him. Hell just have to catch up later.Sup, boss?Paul wanted to know.We need to talk. Somethings happened.I felt Sams thoughts flicker to me and not just Sams, but solidifyings and Collins and Bradys as well. Collin and Brady the new kids had been running patrol with Sam today, so they would know whatever he knew. I didnt know why readiness was already out here, and in the know. It wasnt his turn.Seth, tell them what you heard.I sped up, wanting to be there. I heard Leah move faster, too. She hated being outrun. Being the fastest was the solo edge she claimed.Claimthis, moron, she hissed, and then she really kicked it into gear. I dug my nails into the loam and shot myself forward.Sam didnt seem in the mood to put up with our usual crap. Jake, Leah, give it a rest.Neither of us slowed.Sam growled, but let it go. Seth?Charlie called around till he found Billy at my house.Yeah, I talked to him,Paul added.I felt a jolt go through me as Seth thought Charlies name. This was it. The waiting was over. I ran faster, forcing myself to breathe, though my lungs felt sort of stiff all of a sudden.Which story would it be?So hes all flipped out. Guess Edward and Bella got home last week, andMy chest eased up.She was alive. Or she wasnt lifeless dead, at least.I hadnt realized how much difference it would make to me. Id been thought of her as dead this whole time, and I only saw that now. I saw that Id never believed that he would bring her back alive. It shouldnt matter, because I knew what was coming next.Yeah, bro, and heres the bad news. Charlie talked to her, said she sounded bad. She told him shes sick. Carlisle got on and told Charlie that Bella picked up some rare indisposition in South America. Said shes quarantined. Charlies going crazy, cause even hes not allowed to see her. He says he doesnt care if he gets sick, but Carlisle wouldnt bend. No visitors. Told Charlie it was pretty serious, but t hat hes doing everything he can. Charlies been stewing about it for days, but he only called Billy now. He said she sounded worse today.The mental silence when Seth finished was profound. We all understood.So she would die of this disease, as far as Charlie knew. Would they let him view the corpse? The pale, perfectly still, unbreathing white body? They couldnt let him touch the cold skin he might notice how hard it was.Theyd have to wait until she could hold still, could keep from killing Charlie and the other mourners. How long would that take?Would they bury her? Would she dig herself out, or would the bloodsuckers come for her?The others listened to my speculating in silence. Id put a lot more thought into this than any of them.Leah and I entered the clear at nearly the same time. She was sure her nose led the way, though. She dropped onto her haunches beside her brother while I trotted forward to stand at Sams right hand. Paul circled and made room for me in my place.Beatcha again,Leah thought, but I barely heard her.I wondered why I was the only one on my feet. My fur stood up on my shoulders, bristling with impatience.Well, what are we waiting for?I asked.No one said anything, but I heard their feelings of hesitation.Oh, come on The treatys humbleWe have no proof maybe sheis sick.OH, PLEASEOkay, so the circumstantial evidence is pretty strong. Still Jacob.Sams thought came slow, hesitant. Are you sure this is what you want? Is it really the right thing? We all know what she wanted.The treaty doesnt mention anything about victim preferences, SamIs she really a victim? Would you label her that way?YesJake,Seth thought, they arent our enemies. take out up, kid Just cause youve got some kind of sick hero worship thing going on with that bloodsucker, it doesnt change the law. They are our enemies. They are in our territory. We take them out. I dont care if you had fun fighting alongside Edward Cullen once upon a time.So what are you going to do when Bel la fights with them, Jacob? Huh?Seth demanded.Shes not Bella anymore.You gonna be the one to take her down?I couldnt stop myself from wincing.No, youre not. So, what? You gonna make one of us do it? And then hold a grudge against whoever it is forever?I wouldntSure you wont. Youre not ready for this fight, Jacob.Instinct took over and I crouched forward, snarling at the gangly sand-colored wildcat across the circle.JacobSam cautioned. Seth, shut up for a second.Seth nodded his big head.Dang, whatd I miss? Quthought. He was running for the gathering place full-out. comprehend about Charlies call.Were getting ready to go,I told him. Why dont you swing by Kims and drag Jared out with your teeth? Were going to need everyone.Come straight here, Quil,Sam ordered. Weve decided nothing yet.I growled.Jacob, I have to think about whats best for this pack. I have to choose the course that protects you all best. multiplication have changed since our ancestors made that treaty. I well, I dont honestly believe that the Cullens are a hazard to us. And we know that they will not be here much longer. Surely once theyve told their story, they will disappear. Our lives can return to normal.Normal?If we challenge them, Jacob, they will defend themselves well.Are you afraid?Are you so ready to losea brother? He paused. Or a sister? he tacked on as an afterthought.Im not afraid to die.I know that, Jacob. Its one reason I question your judgment on this.I stared into his opaque eyes. Do you intend to honor our fathers treaty or not?I honor my pack. I do whats best for them.Coward.His muzzle tensed, pulling back over his teeth.Enough, Jacob. Youre overruled.Sams mental voice changed, took on that strange double flavor that we could not disobey. The voice of the Alpha. He met the gaze of every wolf in the circle.The pack is not struggle the Cullens without provocation. The spirit of the treaty remains. They are nota danger to our people, nor are they a danger to the people of For ks. Bella Swan made an communicate choice, and we are not going to punish our former allies for her choice.Hear, hear,Seth thought enthusiastically.thought I told you to shut it, Seth.Oops. Sorry, Sam.Jacob, where do you think youre going?I left the circle, moving toward the west so that I could turn my back on him. Im going to tell my father goodbye. Apparently there was no purpose in me sticking around this long.Aw, Jake dont do that againShut up, Seth,several voices thought together.We dont want you to leave,Sam told me, his thought softer than before.So force me to stay, Sam. Take away my will. Make me a slave.You know I wont do thatThen theres nothing more to say.I ran away from them, trying very hard not to think about what was next. Instead, I concentrated on my memories of the long wolf months, of letting the humanity bleed out of me until I was more living organism than man. Living in the moment, eating when hungry, sleeping when tired, drinking when thirsty, and running running just to run. Simple desires, simple answers to those desires. Pain came in easily managed forms. The pain of hunger. The pain of cold ice under your paws. The pain of cutting claws when dinner got feisty. Each pain had a simple answer, a clear follow through to end that pain.Not like being human.Yet, as soon as I was in jogging distance of my house, I shifted back into my human body. I needed to be able to think in privacy.I untied my shorts and yanked them on, already running for the house.Id done it. Id hidden what I was thinking and now it was too late for Sam to stop me. He couldnt hear me now.Sam had made a very clear ruling. The pack would not attack the Cullens. Okay.He hadnt mentioned an individual acting alone.Nope, the pack wasnt attacking anyone today.But I was.