Bella inhaled a trembling breath, sweat accumulated on her skin; icy cold. Her natural peachy-pink glow had sunken into a tone so lifeless it scared me just to look at her, to see what it was doing to her. Her eyes closed wearily and she sucked herself into a deeper place to cope, her frail, limp arms cradling her swollen, rock hard stomach. All that I could do was stroke her dulling brown hair and hold her hand.

It barely seemed like I was doing enough but my high body temperature alone was enough to keep her somewhat comfortable. From time to time my eyes would drop to the fabric of the couch, but mostly they were fixed on her face in a soft stare, always watching, ready for something to change within a matter of seconds.

It was killing her. It was taking her life to feed its own and all we could so was standby and watch. She loved it and that was clear, whilst she was alive she was never going to let anything hurt it. I had promised to stick by her, to protect her and her wishes, she didn't want to abort the baby, it was her choice and I respected that despite what it was doing to her.

Of course I didn't want Bella to die, I knew that subconsciously she should have gotten rid of it as soon as she got home... before it turned into this horrific mess. If she did die, and it looked like it was inevitable, and if the baby survived, Rosalie and I had promised to look after it as if it were our own. It was Bella's wish.

Edward was remorseful, he hated himself for what he had done. I'd seen him angry, and I'd seen him arrogant, and once I'd seen him in pain. But this - this was beyond agony. His eyes were half-crazed. He was permanently stuck to Bella's side, never moving but always in such torturous pain inside his head I had to block him out.

They had been home for six days and within that time Bella went from looking like a healthy, tanned, four month pregnant woman to becoming a heavily pregnant skeleton. It didn't make sense but that was the only way to describe her. Her skin stretched so tightly across her face as if her cheekbones were ready to pierce through.

Carlisle had no way of finding anything out about the baby, the amniotic sac was too hard to penetrate with needles. It was already stronger than Bella, each time it moved it caused another deep purple bruise to splatter across her skin.

My days consisted of being at Bella's beck and call, Rosalie was as well although she was more focused on keeping the baby alive than Bella. I also hadn't been home in a week either, my excuse being my argument with Jacob was keeping me away. I couldn't tell my family the truth because who knew how Sam would react to hearing about Bella carrying a vampire child.

I missed Jacob desperately, despite our argument he had tried to make contact but I had sworn to Edward that I wouldn't say anything. He didn't want to put Bella at risk of Jacob's temper, if he saw that Bella was dying at the hand of a creation like that who knows how he'd react. My only option was to ignore his calls.

Bella's chest heaved, her skin turning a pale green as she took a deep breath in. I could hear the sloshing of her stomach and I only had mere seconds to grab the bowl from the floor and hold it in front of her. I rubbed circles onto her back until she was done, giving Rosalie the bowl of puke to dispose of as I helped Bella catch her breath again.

"I'm sorry." She panted weakly, slowly settling back into her fetal position in the corner of the couch.

"You don't need to apologise." I comforted, wiping her forehead with a cool flannel.

"She's done this to herself. She should do." Alice snapped inside her mind, I shot my head round to her and hissed in anger.

"You're not helping." I seethed, she bowed her head and took a few steps back. I looked at Edward, hoping he'd say something but instead he kept his eyes trained on Bella from his seat in the armchair across the room.

"We need to get some food into your system." Esme concluded, looking between Bella and Carlisle worriedly.

"We'll keep trying." Rosalie said entering the room, moving to stand on the other side of Bella. Bella looked up at her, giving Rose a weak smile before she settled her head back into the cushions again.

"Rosalie." Carlisle said dryly. Rosalie's optimism was a bit grating.

We were silent for a moment, just listening to Bella's breathing until the silence was ripped through by a low rumbling in the distance. I bolted upright, my head turning towards the front of the house. "Jacob." I breathed, looking between Carlisle and Edward in panic.

"He's here for you," Edward said to me though his eyes were still on Bella. "He's also heard of Bella's return, after your phone call with Charlie," he spoke to Bella this time, "he called Billy and then he called Sue Clearwater. Seth told them that you were apparently sick. Jacob wants to see for himself."

"He thinks you're a vampire." Carlisle concluded, rubbing over his forehead and then pulling his hand through his golden hair. "He'll want answers."

"Then we'll give him answers." Bella decided, she tried to let her confidence carry her voice but it was no louder than a raspy whisper.

"He's not coming anywhere near them." Rosalie hissed. "Complete scum."

I stood abruptly then and was instantly in front of Rosalie, hissing in her face. "Enough." I spat, ensuring I kept my balled up fists down by my side.

"Rosalie." Esme said quietly trying to soothe the situation. "No more." She was soft speaking but the warning was there. Rosalie accepted her telling off and drifted back to Bella's side.

Jacob's bike had stopped on the driveway outside the house, he was breathing heavily, his thoughts jumbled with the idea of a new Bella and how much he was missing me and how sorry he was, along with his plan to become alpha. His footsteps crunched lightly on the gravel as he approached, all of us listening intently.

"I'll go." Carlisle said swiftly before he disappeared down the stairs.

I moved forward slightly, moving to stand in front of Bella so that if Jacob came in, his sight of her would be blocked. He would need to be introduced gradually and calmly to ensure his temper was going to remain intact. Carlisle opened the door before Jacob had the chance to knock.

"Hello, Jacob." He said politely. "How are you?"

Jacob was struggling to cope with the overpowering scents of the Cullens but he pushed through it, he had more urgent matters on his mind.

"Are they both here? I heard Bella made it back alive." Jacob said quickly, he was eager yet reserved. He was trying to control his temper, I was proud.

"Er, Jacob, it's not really the best time." Carlisle said uncomfortably. "Could we do this later?"

"Why can't he just give up?" Rosalie snapped from behind me and I couldn't help the protective growl that rose out my chest.

"Why should he?" Bella rasped. "Are we keeping secrets from Jacob, too? What's the point?"

"It's not safe for you." Rosalie said with a little less acid in her voice.

Bella ignored her. "Come in, please, Jacob." She croaked more loudly so that Jacob could hear downstairs.

My heart began to thud inside my chest and it took everything in me to remain in my place in front of Bella. "Excuse me," Jacob said to Carlisle as he stepped around him and into the house. I wanted nothing more than to leave my post and to run straight into his arms.

He rounded the corner of the landing, his eyes already scanning the room for me. My heart twinged when our eyes met, he stepped forward but then so did Emmett. This grasped Jacob's attention and he finally took in the rest of the room. He felt on edge due to the six pairs of golden eyes watching his every move, he shifted slightly, noticing Edward's gaze was not on him but sullenly locked on something behind me. He stepped forward again.

"Close enough." Rosalie warned from behind me. Jacob's eyes flickered between Rosalie and myself, he didn't understand why I hadn't gone to him, why I was so guarded.

"What's your problem?" Jacob said roughly, stepping forward again, trying to peek around Rosalie and I.

"Jacob-" I began and his eyes shot down to me curiously before Bella spoke up.

"Guys, it's okay." She said weakly. I turned to look at her, she nodded once before turning a sickly green again. Rosalie snatched the clean bowl from the floor and held it under Bella's chin just in time for her to throw up noisily into it. Edward fell to his knees by Bella's side - his eyes all tortured-looking - and Rosalie held out her hand, warning him to keep back. Bella didn't like to be overcrowded in moments like this.

I rushed forward, moving around the back of the couch to rub her back whilst she heaved. My warmth soothed her, it helped to relax her again. Jacob believed she really was sick as he watched our interaction with her, he was also confused by Rosalie's sudden closeness to Bella.

When she could raise her head, Bella smiled weakly at Jake, sort of embarrassed. "Sorry about that," she whispered to him as I removed my hand from her back.

Edward moaned quietly, physically in pain at seeing Bella like this. His head slumped against Bella's knees. She put one of her hands against his cheek, comforting him.

I rounded the couch to stand beside it and Jacob moved forward as well, in my direction to stand with me. Rosalie hissed at him, suddenly appearing between him and the couch.

"Rosalie I swear to god..." I snapped, looking dead at her with a warning look. Everyone was wound tightly but she knew that if it came to a fight, I would win.

"Rose, don't," Bella whispered. "It's fine." She confirmed, trying to keep the peace.

Rosalie moved out of his way, though I could tell she hated to do it. Scowling at him, she crouched by Bella's head, tensed to spring. Jacob made straight for me with purposeful steps and enveloped me in his arms as soon as I was in his reach. He held me tightly, inhaling my scent before kissing the top of my head. His own scent and warmth comforted me greatly as I gripped onto the back of his shirt. "I'm sorry." He whispered into my hair and I blinked away the tears.

"Me too." I whispered back, holding onto him as tightly as I could.

He stepped back slightly and grasped my face in his hands, smoothing his thumbs over my cheeks. I held onto his wrists and looked deep into his eyes, silently telling him he was forgiven. Now was not the time for our reunion, there were more pressing matters at hand.

I pulled his hands away from my face and proceeded to clasp one of them in my own, popping our bubble to put the attention back on Bella. She was watching us with an endearing smile on her face, she was strangely happy and that showed courage. Jacob looked down at Bella as well, his eyes almost bulging out of his head at her appearance.

"Jake, I'm glad you came." She said as cheerfully as she could.

"You look terrible." He didn't mean for it to come out so bluntly but Bella smiled at his words.

"Yeah, it's nice to see you, too." She confessed, still trying to keep that smile on her face. She was fighting to keep her eyes open.

"So, are you gonna tell me what's wrong with you?" He insisted, crouching down so they were face to face, taking one of her fragile hands in his free one. He flinched slightly at how cold she was.

Instead of answering, she glanced around the room both a plea and a warning in her look. She didn't want any comments or side eyes, she couldn't stand hurting everyone around her. She looked up to me with a reassuring smile before finally turning to Rose.

"Help me up, Rose?" she asked.

Rosalie didn't like this idea. Her lips pulled back over her teeth, and she glared up at Jacob like she wanted to rip his throat out. He scoffed at her as I moved swiftly to stand in front of him as a warning. If she wanted us to work together to protect to Bella she'd have to stop threatening my boyfriend.

"Please, Rose." Bella urged and Rosalie made a face, but leaned over her again, next to Edward, who didn't move an inch. She put her arm carefully behind Bella's shoulders.

"No," Jacob whispered. "You don't have to get up." He pleaded, standing to his full height again, releasing Bella's fragile hand.

"I'm answering your question," she snapped, and Jacob let a small smile pass over her lips. He was used to the stubborn Bella.

Rosalie pulled Bella off the couch. Edward stayed where he was, sagging forward till his face was buried in the cushions. The blanket fell to the ground at Bella's feet. I gripped Jacob's hand tightly, the beginning of a restraint just in case. His eyes raked over her body and the more he took her in the more visibly horrified he looked. I grimaced at the sight of his face as he watched Bella cradle her swollen belly.

"Aria I know you can hear me. I was right. I was fucking right. I said he would kill her. That thing is killing her." He bellowed within the confinements of his own head. He began to shake and I moved our joint hands so they were pressed against the middle of my chest, hoping my heartbeat would help to calm him.

Edward finally moved sharply, his head snapping up to Jacob as he heard his inner thoughts. Jake noticed. "You did this!" He spat, trying to pull himself from my grasp but I moved quickly to hold him back.

"Jacob..." I tried to soothe, stroking over his arm and back.

"We didn't know it was even possible." Edward admitted sourly, standing from his kneeling position on the floor.

"What is it?" Jacob demanded.

"I'm not sure." Carlisle sighed, defeated. "Ultrasounds and needles won't penetrate the embryonic sac."

"I can't see it, either. And I can't see Bella's future anymore." Alice added, speaking for the first time in a while.

"We've been researching legends, but there isn't much to go on. We know that it's strong. And fast growing." Carlisle continued, talking quickly. Jacob was absorbing the information but it was only making him feel more enraged.

"Why haven't you done anything? Take it out of her!" He growled, pointing at Bella's stomach.

"This is none of your business, dog." Rosalie seethed, baring her teeth again.

I growled deeply, my face contorting into a snarl as I glared at Rosalie. "How many fucking times-"

"Girls!" Esme snapped and I became docile immediately. "All this fighting isn't good for Bella."

"The fetus isn't good for Bella." Alice commented and my anger began to boil up again.

"Say the word, Alice. 'Baby.' It's just a little baby." Rosalie sneered after helping Bella back to the couch.

"Possibly." Jasper said through gritted teeth.

I was so conflicted it was actually painful to try and make sense of it. A baby was a gift but what it was doing to Bella was torture. I wanted to save and protect them both but it was so hard to try and love it when it was killing my cousin, well sister now, as well.

"Carlisle, you've gotta do something." Jacob pleaded, pulling me into his arms after seeing the stress on my face.

"No." Bella said so strongly it silenced us all. "It's not his decision. It's not any of yours." She rasped angrily.

"Outside, Jacob," Edward snarled suddenly and I looked between them in shock wondering what thoughts I had missed in the madness.

"No," Bella gasped, trying to stand again. Rosalie was at her side in a flash ready to catch her.

"I just need to talk to him, Bella," Edward said in a low voice, talking only to her. He reached up to touch her face, to stroke it. "Don't strain yourself," he went on, pleading. "Please rest. We'll both be back in just a few minutes."

She stared at his face, reading it carefully. Then she nodded and drooped toward the couch. Rosalie helped lower her back onto the cushions. Bella stared at Jacob, trying to hold his eyes.

"Behave," she insisted. "And then come back."

Jacob nodded once before turning back to me, he placed a lingering kiss to my forehead, his body trembling slightly. "Behave." I repeated in a whisper and he nodded again before leaving the room with Edward, following him until they were outside and walking away from the house.

We decided to give them privacy, distracting ourselves so we couldn't hear. We were all still gathered around Bella, I was now sat beside her as she cuddled into my side to try and gain some heat. I also gained some satisfaction from it, Rosalie was jealous she couldn't comfort Bella or the baby like this. When Bella was laying with me the baby calmed considerably.

"Rosalie," I said quietly, wanting to be civil. "We need to discuss your attitude."

She snarled at me, her face a scowl. "Excuse me?"

"For Bella, the baby, and myself you cannot and will not talk to Jacob like that." I ordered and she rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"She's right Rose, you're only making it worse." Bella mumbled from beside me, her head resting on my shoulder.

"He's just as bad." She protested and I refrained from rolling my eyes at her immaturity.

"You need to be civil. I'll get him to cooperate too." I explained and she huffed with disgust.

"Rosalie, respect your sisters' wishes. Jacob is our family now too... whether he knows it or not." Carlisle announced with a small smile and I was thankful for his help. Rosalie struggled denying Carlisle.

We waited for another twenty minutes, mostly in silence allowing for Bella to get a quick nap in before their return. We only realised they were back when Jacob's breath and heart beat came back into earshot and Bella jolted awake to the sound of the front door closing.

They ascended the stairs, neither of them giving anything away. I had replaced my barrier to respect their privacy, plus I was sure Jacob would tell me later on anyway. Edward walked into the middle of the huddle, shoulders stiff. Bella watched him anxiously, and then her eyes flickered to Jacob for a second. Then she was watching him again.

She sat up with my help and I covered her with a quilt ensuring she kept her heat for a little longer, the baby wouldn't be disturbed during this time. I'm sure that would change soon enough though, it was like it could sense I was gone.

"We're going to let Jacob and Bella speak privately," Edward said. There was no inflection at all in his voice. Robotic. My eyes flashed to the both of them in haste.

"Over my pile of ashes," Rosalie hissed at him, moving swiftly to stand between us and Jacob again. I stood quickly, careful not to jostle Bella and grabbed Rosalie's wrist in warning.

Edward didn't look at us. "Bella," he said in that same empty tone. "Jacob wants to talk to you. Are you afraid to be alone with him?"

Bella looked at me, confused, and then at Jacob. Then she looked at Rosalie.

"Rose, it's fine. Jake's not going to hurt us. Go with Edward."

"It might be a trick," she warned and it was my turn to hiss.

"I don't see how," I spat. "We're here to protect Bella, remember? I won't let anything happen to them without Bella's authority." I reminded her and she seemed to be contemplating that.

"Carlisle and I will always be in your sight, Rosalie," Edward said. The emotionless voice was cracking, showing the anger through it. "We're the ones she's afraid of."

"No," Bella whispered. Her eyes were glistening, her lashes wet. "No, Edward. I'm not..."

He shook his head, smiling a little. The smile was painful to look at. "I didn't mean it that way, Bella. I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Everyone," Edward said, his hand stiffly motioning toward the door. "Please."

They family moved fast; my heart beat twice, and the room was cleared except for Rosalie and myself, hesitating in the middle of the floor, and Edward, still waiting by the door. I released her wrist, urging for her to move.

"Rose," Bella said quietly. "I want you to go."

She glared at Edward and then gestured for him to go first. He disappeared out the door. She gave Jacob a long warning glower, and then she disappeared, too. I moved toward Jacob, giving his hand a quick squeeze before I left the room as well.

I knew Edward was using Jacob as his last chance, as Bella's last lifeline. She respected Jacob but she was also stubborn, the probability was next to nothing that Jacob could change her mind.

We tried not to listen but it was hard when Jacob raised his voice. "Is dementia one of your symptoms?" He snapped. Rosalie and Edward would flinch but I was positioned at the door ready to move. I'd be able to stop him... or at least control him.

"You're dying for nothing, Bella! Nothing!"

"It's a killer, Bella. Look at yourself."

"Aw, come on! Shut up, Bella. You can spout this crap to your bloodsucker, but you're not fooling me. You know you're not going to make it."

He was being harsh but I guessed that was the only way he could get through to her.

"Jacob, don't go." Bella whimpered loudly and I flew out of the room, ignoring the family's protests, and caught him on porch but his wrist.

He turned rapidly, tears in his eyes as he glared down at me. "How can you protect her? Protect that?" He spat, pointing up to the floor of the house where Bella sat, crying to herself.

"You know this is killing me, too." I whimpered moving closer to him. "It's her choice, Jacob. You don't understand..." I drawled out not wanting to get into the real details right now. I needed him calm first.

"Oh no, I understand. You need to protect your own kind." He spat the last word and I let out a sob. He turned and jogged down the steps towards his bike. "Please, Jacob, come back inside."

"I need some air." He muttered, stalking past his bike and into the trees.

"No Jacob, you can't--" I yelled but it was already too late. He had blurred into his wolf form mid-stride, his clothes flying off in tatters as he disappeared into the undergrowth. My legs buckled beneath me and I fell to the floor, my knees hitting the wooden planks of the porch with a loud thump.

The baby was no longer a secret, in that split second that he had phased every member of the pack would soon enough find out the truth.

Jacob's POV

They were waiting. Of course they were. My quick disappearance this afternoon after learning that Bella was sick was sure to create tension. They were waiting for information, for what I had found out.

"Jacob, Jake," ten voices chorused in relief.

"Come home now," the Alpha voice ordered. Sam was furious I had come here without telling them.

I didn't have to tell the pack I was on my way - they could see the forest blurring past me as I sprinted for home. I didn't have to tell them that I was half-past crazy, either. The sickness in my head was obvious.

They saw all the horror - Bella's battered stomach; her croaky voice; he's strong, that's all: the deathly man in Edward's face: watching her sicken and waste away... seeing it hurting her, Rosalie and Aria crouched over Bella's limp body, both standing guard as her protectors - and for once, no one had anything to say.

Their shock was just a silent shout in my head. Wordless.

I was halfway home before anyone recovered. Then they all started running to meet me. It was almost dark - the clouds covered the sunset completely.

We met up about ten miles out of La Push, in a clearing left by the loggers. It was out of the way, hidden between the mountains, where no one would see us.

The noise in my head was total chaos. Everyone shouting at once.

Sam's hackles were sticking straight up, and he was growling in an unbroken stream as he paced back and forth around the top of the ring. Paul and Jared moved like shadows behind him, their ears flat against the sides of their head. The whole circle was agitated, on their feet and snarling in low bursts.

And then the unfocused confusion of thoughts began to move together.

"How can this be? What does it mean? What will it be?"

"Not safe. Not right. Dangerous."

"Unnatural. Monstrous. An abomination."

"We can't allow it."

The pack was pacing in synchronisation now, thinking in synchronisation, all but myself and two others. I sat between these brothers, too dazed to look over with either my eyes or my mind and see who was next to me, while the pack circled around us.

"The treaty does not cover this."

"This puts everyone in danger."

I tried to understand the spiralling voices, but it wasn't making sense. The pictures in the centre of their thoughts were my pictures - the very worst of them. Bella's bruises, Edward's face as he burned, Aria's pain.

"They fear it, too."

"But they won't do anything about it."

"Protecting Bella Swan."

"We can't let that influence us."

"The safety of our families, of everyone here, is more important than one human."

"If they won't kill it, we have to."

"Protect the tribe."

"Protect our families."

"We have to kill it before it's too late."

Another of my memories, Edward's words this time: The thing is growing. Swiftly.

I struggled to focus, to pick out individual voices.

"No time to waste," Jared thought.

"It will mean a fight," Embry cautioned. "A bad one."

"We're ready," Paul insisted.

"We'll need surprise on our side," Sam thought.

"If we catch them divided, we can take them down separately. It will increase our chances of victory," Jared thought, starting to strategise now.

I shook my head, rising slowly to my feet. I felt unsteady there - like the circling wolves were making me dizzy. The wolves beside me got up, too. Their shoulders pushed against mine, holding me up.

"Wait," I thought.

The circling paused for a moment, and then they were pacing again.

"There's little time," Sam said.

"But - what are you thinking? You wouldn't attack them for breaking the treaty this afternoon. Now you're planning an ambush, when the treaty is still intact? And what about Aria? She's willing to protect Bella with her life." I reminded, trying to calm the madness. They wouldn't harm her.

"This is not something our treaty anticipated," Sam said. "This is a danger to every human in the area. We don't know what kind of creature the Cullens have bred, but we know that it is strong and fast-growing. And it will be too young to follow any treaty. Remember the newborn vampires we fought? Wild, violent, beyond the reach of reason or restraint. Imagine one like that, but protected by the Cullens."

"We don't know, it's part human at least, it could be like Aria—" I tried to interrupt.

"We don't know," he agreed. "And we can't take chances with the unknown in this case. We can only allow the Cullens to exist while we're absolutely sure that they can be trusted not to cause harm. This... thing cannot be trusted."

"They don't like it any more than we do." I argued back.

Sam pulled Rosalie's face, her protective crouch, from my mind and put it on display for everyone. He then used the image of Aria, standing guard in front of Bella, not letting me past her. "Some are ready to fight for it, no matter what it is."

"It's just a baby, for crying out loud. And Aria is only protecting Bella, not the baby." I defended but it was no use, my response pushed aside again.

"It won't be just a baby for long," Leah whispered.

"Jake, buddy, this is a big problem," Quil said. "We can't just ignore it."

"You're making it into something bigger than it is," I argued. "The only one who's in danger here is Bella. The Cullens agree with this."

"Again by her own choice," Sam said. "But this time her choice affects us all."

"I don't think so."

"We can't take that chance. We won't allow a blood drinker to hunt on our lands."

"Then tell them to leave," one of the wolves who were still supporting me said. It was Seth. Of course.

"And inflict the menace on others? When blood drinkers cross our land, we destroy them, no matter where they plan to hunt. We protect everyone we can." Sam said authoritatively.

"This is crazy," I said. "This afternoon you were discussing how the treaty was practically void because of our alliance and now you want to attack!"

"This afternoon I didn't know our families were at risk."

"I can't believe this! How're you going to kill this creature without killing Bella?"

There were no words, but the silence was full of meaning.

I howled. "She's human, too! Doesn't our protection apply to her?"

"She's dying anyway," Leah thought. "We'll just shorten the process."

That did it. I prepared to leap away from Seth, but the wolf on my other side, who had remained silent until that point leapt forward with his teeth bared. Jesse. He was about to catch her left hind leg when Sam's teeth cut into his flank, dragging him back.

He howled in pain and fury and turned on him.

"Stop!" He ordered in the double timbre of the Alpha.

Jesse's legs buckled and he jerked to a halt. "She's my family, we need to protect her!" He panted through the pain.

Sam turned his gaze to Leah. "You will not be cruel to them, Leah," he commanded her. "Bella's sacrifice is a heavy price, and we will all recognize that it is against everything we stand for to take a human life. Making an exception to that code is a bleak thing. We will all mourn for what we do tonight."

"Tonight?" Seth repeated, shocked. "Sam - I think we should talk about this some more. Consult with the Elders, at least. You can't seriously mean for us to—"

"We can't afford your tolerance for the Cullens now. There is no time for debate. You will do as you are told, Seth." Seth's front knees folded, and his head fell forward under the weight of the Alpha's command. Sam paced in a tight circle around the three of us.

"We need the whole pack for this. Jacob, you are our strongest fighter. You will fight with us tonight. I understand that this is hard for you, so you will concentrate on their fighters - Emmett and Jasper Cullen. You don't have to be involved with the... other part. Quil and Embry will fight with you."

My knees trembled; I struggled to hold myself upright while the voice of the Alpha lashed at my will.

"And what about Aria? Are we meant to fight her too? You know she has the ability to tear right through us, Sam." Jesse countered angrily.

"I'll deal with her." Jared said with enthusiasm. A growl ripped through me as I lunged for him, biting into his side as I pinned him to the ground.

"Enough!" The Alpha voice commanded, forcing myself to pull back. "You know the law Jared, she will not be killed."

"Then what do we do with her?" Brady asked, he was like Jared. He hadn't accepted Aria.

"Paul, Jesse, and I will take on Edward and Rosalie. I think, from the information Jacob has brought us, they will be the ones guarding Bella. Aria will be close as well, she'll want to stop the fighting so Jared and Brady you will distract her, you will not kill her. Carlisle and Alice will also be close, possibly Esme. Collin, Seth, and Leah will concentrate on them. Whoever has a clear line on—" we all heard him mentally stutter over Bella's name "—the creature will take it. Destroying the creature is our first priority."

The pack rumbled in nervous agreement. The tension had everyone's fur standing on end. The pacing was quicker, and the sound of the paws against the floor was sharper, claws tearing into the soil.

Only Seth, Jesse and I were still, the eye in the centre of a storm of bared teeth and flattened ears. Seth's nose was almost touching the ground, bowed under Sam's commands. I felt his pain at the coming disloyalty. For him this was a betrayal - during that one day of alliance, fighting beside Edward Cullen, Seth had truly become the vampire's friend.

There was no resistance in him, however. He would obey no matter how much it hurt him. Jesse was struggling to keep his head up, not wanting to give into Sam's orders but he had no choice against the Alpha command.

And what choice did I have? When the Alpha spoke, the pack followed.

Sam had never pushed his authority this far before; I knew he honestly hated to see Seth and Jesse kneeling before him like slaves at the foot of their master. He wouldn't force this if he didn't believe that he had no other choice. He couldn't lie to us when we were linked mind to mind like this. He really believed it was our duty to destroy Bella and the monster she carried. He really believed we had no time to waste. He believed it enough to die for it.

I saw that he would face Edward himself; Edward's ability to read our thoughts made him the greatest threat in Sam's mind. Aria was a close second, he knew it would be harder to hurt her, but that was it, she could get hurt and that would slow her down, especially with two wolves on her. Edward was different obviously, Sam would not let someone else take on that danger.

He saw Jasper as the third-greatest opponent, which is why he'd given him to me. He knew that I had the best chance of any of the pack to win that fight. He'd left the easiest targets for the younger wolves and Leah. Little Alice was no danger without her visions to guide her, and we knew from our time of alliance that Esme was not a fighter. Carlisle would be more of a challenge, but his hatred of violence would hinder him.

I felt sicker than Seth as I watched Sam plan it out, trying to work the angles to give each member of the pack the best chance of survival.

Carlisle Cullen. Looking at him without that hate I used to feel so deeply clouding my eyes, I couldn't deny that killing him was murder. He was good. Good as any human we protected. Maybe better. The others, too, I supposed, but I didn't feel as strongly about them. I didn't know them as well. It was Carlisle who would hate fighting back, even to save his own life. That's why we would be able to kill him - because he wouldn't want us, his enemies, to die.

This was wrong.

Aria would never forgive any of us for going against her family. She had a raging temper, we knew that, and if that got the better of her who knew what she would be capable of... she was meant to be a wolf of course. She'd slaughter the pack, possibly me included. And I couldn't just stand by and let Jared and Brady torture her.

I needed to do what was right... for us... for her family.

"Pull it together, Jacob," Sam ordered. "The tribe comes first."

"She is a part of the tribe, Sam. They are her family too."

"We have a duty to fulfil."

I braced myself. "No."

Sam snarled and stopped pacing in front of me. He stared into my eyes and a deep growl slid between his teeth.

"Yes," the Alpha decreed, his double voice blistering with the heat of his authority. "There are no loopholes tonight. You, Jacob, are going to fight the Cullens with us. You, with Quil and Embry, will take care of Jasper and Emmett. You are obligated to protect the tribe. That is why you exist. You will perform this obligation."

My shoulders hunched as his words crushed me. My legs collapsed, and I was on my belly under him. No member of the pack could refuse the Alpha.

Sam started moving the others into formation while I was still on the ground. Embry and Quil were at my sides, waiting for me to recover and take the point.

I could feel the drive, the need, to get on my feet and lead them. The compulsion grew, and I fought it uselessly, cringing on the ground where I was.

Embry whined quietly in my ear. He didn't want to think the words, afraid that he would bring me to Sam's attention again. I felt his wordless plea for me to get up, for me to get this over with and be done with it.

There was fear in the pack, not so much for self but for the whole. We couldn't imagine that we would all make it out alive tonight. Which brothers would we lose? Which minds would leave us forever? Which grieving families would we be consoling in the morning? It was horrifying to think of but sure enough Aria would end some of us, it was against the law for her to be killed by a wolf.

My mind began to work with theirs, to think in unison, as we dealt with these fears. Automatically, I pushed up from the ground and shook out my coat.

Embry and Quil huffed in relief. Quil touched his nose to my side once.

Their minds were filled with our challenge, our assignment. We remembered together the nights we'd watched the Cullens practicing for the fight with the newborns. Other than Aria, Emmett Cullen was strongest, but Jasper would be the bigger problem. He moved like a lightning strike - power and speed and death rolled into one. How many centuries' experience did he have? Enough that all the other Cullens looked to him for guidance.

Maybe Sam was underestimating Aria. She beat Jasper multiple times during their training sessions. Putting Jared and unskilled Brady against her was going to be nothing. After witnessing what happened to me on the battlefield as well, she knew how to take down a wolf without killing them.

"I'll take point, if you want flank," Quil offered. There was more excitement in his mind than most of the others. When Quil had watched Jasper's instruction those nights, he'd been dying to test his skill against the vampire's. For him, this would be a contest. Even knowing it was his life on the line, he saw it that way. Paul was like that, too, and the kids who had never been in battle, Collin and Brady. Seth probably would've been the same - if the opponents were not his friends.

"Jake?" Quil nudged me. "How do you want to roll?"

I just shook my head, I couldn't concentrate - the compulsion to follow orders felt like puppet strings hooked into all of my muscles. One foot forward, now another.

Seth was dragging behind Collin and Brady - Leah had assumed point there. She ignored Seth while planning with the others, and I could see that she'd rather leave him out of the fight. There was a maternal edge to her feelings for her younger brother. She wished Sam would send him home. Seth didn't register Leah's doubts. He was adjusting to the puppet strings, too.

"Maybe if you stopped resisting..." Embry whispered.

"Just focus on our part. The big ones. We can take them down. We own them!" Quil was working himself up - like a pep talk before a big game. If Aria heard him now she'd knock him flying... then he'd shut up.

Jesse was cracking under the pressure, he wanted to give in so badly but he was trying his best to resist. Standing beside Paul he kept his eyes pinned to the ground, ignoring Sam as best he could.

I could see how easy it would be - to think about nothing more than my part. It wasn't hard to imagine attacking Jasper and Emmett. We'd been close to that before. I'd thought of them as enemies for a very long time. I could do that now again.

I just had to forget that they were protecting the same thing I would protect. That I would be fighting on the opposite side of my imprint. I had to forget the reason why I might want them to win...

"Jake," Embry warned. "Keep your head in the game."

My feet moved sluggishly, pulling against the drag of the strings.

"There's no point fighting it," Embry whispered again.

He was right. I would end up doing what Sam wanted, if he was willing to push it. And he was. Obviously.

There was a good reason for the Alpha's authority. Even a pack as strong as ours wasn't much of a force without a leader. We had to move together, to think together, in order to be effective. And that required the body to have a head.

So what if Sam was wrong now? There was nothing anyone could do. No one could dispute his decision.

Except.

And there it was - what I had been promising Aria. I never knew how to go about it, to challenge Sam. But now, with my legs all tied up in strings, I recognized the exception with relief - more than relief, with a fierce joy.

No one could dispute the Alpha's decision - except for me.

I hadn't earned anything. But there were things that had been born in me, things that I'd left unclaimed.

I'd never wanted to lead the pack. After my father's theory about what I had to do I just couldn't wrap my head around it. I knew I had to do it fir Aria, for us, but I didn't want the responsibility for all our fates resting on my shoulders. Sam was better at that than I would ever be, that's why I'd been delaying.

But he was wrong tonight.

And I had not been born to kneel to him.

The bonds fell off my body the second that I embraced my birth right. I could feel it gathering in me, both a freedom and also a strange, hollow power. Hollow because an Alpha's power came from his pack, and I had no pack. For a second, loneliness overwhelmed me.

Then, a single attachment was made. Jesse was suddenly beside me, positioned on my right flank, ready to back me up.

I was straight and strong as I walked to where Sam stood, planning with Paul and Jared. He turned at the sound of our advance, and his black eyes narrowed.

"No." I told him again.

He heard it right away, heard the choice that I'd made in the sound of the Alpha voice in my thoughts.

He jumped back a half step with a shocked yelp.

"Jacob? What have you done? Jesse, get back into formation."

"We won't follow you, Sam. Not for something so wrong."

He stared at us, stunned. "You would... you would choose your enemies over your family?"

"They aren't—" I shook my head, clearing it "—they aren't our enemies. They never have been really. My family - our family, Bella and Aria are there. We can't go against them." I said, speaking for both Jesse and I.

"This isn't about them," he snarled at me. "This is about that creature and Bella's decision!"

"Maybe you're right. But you're going to destroy the pack over her, Sam. No matter how many of them survive tonight, they will always have murder on their hands."

"We have to protect our families!"

"I'm protecting Aria, she's my family!" I growled loudly, baring my teeth. "And the Cullens are hers. I know what you've decided, Sam. But you don't decide for us, not anymore." Jesse growled lowly in agreement.

"Jacob, Jesse - you can't turn your back on the tribe."

I heard the double echo of his Alpha command, but it was weightless this time. It no longer applied to me. He clenched his jaw, trying to force me to respond to his words. Jesse seemed to be under my command now, Sam's efforts were powerless against him too.

I stared into his furious eyes. Ephraim Black's great grandson was not born to follow Levi Uley's.

"Is this it, then, Jacob Black?" His hackles rose and his muzzle pulled back from his teeth. Paul and Jared snarled and bristled at his sides. "Even if you can defeat me, the pack will never follow you!"

Now I jerked back, a surprised whine escaping my throat.

"Defeat you? I'm not going to fight you, Sam."

"Then what's your plan? I'm not stepping aside so that you can protect the vampire spawn at the tribe's expense."

"I'm not telling you to step aside."

"If you order them to follow you—"

"I'll never take anyone's will away from them."

His tail whipped back and forth as he recoiled from the judgment in my words. Then he took a step forward so that we were toe to toe, his exposed teeth inches from mine. I hadn't noticed till this moment that I'd grown taller than him.

"There cannot be more than one Alpha. The pack has chosen me. Will you rip us apart tonight? Will you turn on your brothers? Or will you end this insanity and join us again?" Every word was layered with command, but it couldn't touch me. Alpha blood ran undiluted in my veins.

I could see why there was never more than one Alpha male in a pack. My body was responding to the challenge. I could feel the instinct to defend my claim rising in me. The primitive core of my wolf-self tensed for the battle of supremacy.

I focused all my energy to control that reaction. I would not fall into a pointless, destructive fight with Sam. He was my brother still, even though I was rejecting him.

"There is only one Alpha for this pack. I'm not contesting that, I'm just choosing to go my own way. Jesse has chosen to follow me, that is all."

"Do you both belong to a coven now, Jacob?"

I flinched. "I don't know, Sam. But I do know this—" He shrunk back as he felt the weight of the Alpha in my tone. It affected him more than his touched me. Because I had been born to lead him. "I will stand between you and the Cullens. I won't just watch while the pack kills innocent—" it was hard to apply that word to vampires, but it was true "—people. The pack is better than that. Lead them in the right direction, Sam."

I turned my back on him, and a chorus of howls tore into the air around me.

Digging my claws into the earth, I raced away from the uproar I'd caused with Jesse hot on my heels. We didn't have much time. At least Leah was the only one with a prayer of outrunning us, and we had a head start.

The howling faded with the distance, and we took comfort as the sound continued to rip apart the quiet night. They weren't after us yet.

We had to warn the Cullens before the pack could get it together and stop us. If the Cullens were prepared, it might give Sam a reason to rethink this before it was too late. We sprinted toward the Cullen house, leaving our home behind us. Home didn't belong to us anymore. We'd turned our backs on it.