Hunger

CHAPTER 12

Renesmee

I was perched on Jacob's bed, my knees to my chest as I waited patiently for him to come back. It had been almost an hour.

Billy offered a half a dozen times if I wanted something to eat. My stomach growled in protest when I declined.

"I could get Jacob to hunt something for you after his wolf meeting." Billy offered.

"That's okay. I'm really not sure exactly what is safe for me." I sighed.

He eyes me suspiciously. "Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"Well that was primarily why I was being held prisoner. Didn't Jake tell you?"

He rolled his wheelchair out of the doorway and against the wall, folding his arms. "He came home this morning a few hours before you showed up. I swear he looked worse than your mom after the Cullen's left so many years ago. He didn't say anything. He was...catatonic."

"Oh." I flinched.

"Do you want to explain?" Billy asked after awhile.

I climbed off my bed and pressed my hand to his cheek. He jumped a little at first, but then zoned out to watch the images.

I was totally consumed in the pictures flowing from me to him, that I didn't notice Jacob come in until I let my hand fall from Billy's cheek.

"Wow." Billy whispered. "That's...scary."

"Tell me about it." Jacob chuckled lightly, tucking me in his arms and carrying me to the bed.

"How was the meeting?" I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my head in his shoulder.

"Horrible. I hated every second of it." He answered.

"Ah, the burden of a werewolf meeting. How excruciating." Billy teased.

"Would you like to be rolling with one wheel old man?" Jacob shot back playfully.

"So how's the pack doing?"

"Good. Probably mad now, because I made them go patrolling in the mountains. They'll be gone for a couple hours, so they can't bug us. I'm going to spend every second I can with you."

"How nice of you Jake. Always keeping the pack #1 on your mind." Billy taunted.

"Screw the one wheel crack. How about crawling from now on?" Jacob retorted with a smile.

I giggled, before I got choked off by Jacob's crushing arms around me protectively.

"What is it Jake?" Billy demanded all playfulness vanishing from his face.

"Get to the basement." He ordered coldly.

"Jake!" I choked out. "What?"

I was cradled in his arms as he followed Billy out the door and through the kitchen.

He set me down. "Stay here." He ordered.

I didn't move a muscle as he picked up his father and his wheelchair effortlessly and disappeared into the basement.

He was by my side in less than a second, picking me up. "Jake-" I protested.

A spine-tingling growl pierced through the air from outside. I was already down in the basement before I could blink.

A small light bulb hanging on the ceiling flicked on and I saw Billy roll himself toward an old, antique trunk.

The dust and cold murkiness of the small, tiny room made me cough as Jacob set me on my feet, clutching me to him. "The boys from Sam's pack are here."

"I expected as much." Billy nodded, digging in the trunk. "How many?"

"Six."

"And your pack?"

"I'd have to phase to tell them. For now, it's just me." He whispered.

Billy turned his wheelchair around, a shotgun lying on his lap. I froze in horror. "What do they want?" he asked darkly.

I looked up at Jacob and he peeked down at me, tightening his hold. "Blood." He whispered.

"Why?" I asked, feeling my heart race faster than normal.

"There's rebellion going on in Sam's tribe. The newcomers don't want to honor the treaty we have with the Cullen's. They're thinking is that we're designed to kill vampires, but in yet we're protecting 8 of them. They found out that I remade the treaty minutes before you were born 6 and a half years ago, and since they know the Cullen's will do nothing to attack us first they want to kill their guard dog to make them retaliate." He explained to me so fast, I was rue Billy couldn't keep up. "Then," Jacob spit out hatefully. "They caught your scent here. Killing you is victory in their eyes. If they take you out, they know there'll be a fight."

"But Sam!" I cried.

"I don't know. They must have overtaken him. No way would he allow this."

"When you say overtaken him you mean...?"

"Physically."

A shiver rocked down my spine. "We're outnumbered. There's no way we can get through this alive on our own."

Something crashed upstairs above us. Jacob flew me into the corner and sat me down. "Wait here." He whispered, kissing my forehead and racing up to the door to lock it.

"It won't hold Jake." Billy whispered. He backed away and turned to us, his face pained.

"Take care of Renesmee. Don't let anything happen to her Dad. I mean it."

"Jacob!" I whispered. "Don't do this."

A pain tore through my heart, making me blink away tears. My throat tightened. "Please." I choked out, a sob making its way up my throat.

"Ren-" Jacob broke off, not even being able to get my name out. I knew it was killing him to even face the idea of leaving me.

Before I even had a chance to gasp, the basement door flew open and a big blackish-brown wolf flew at my defenseless Jacob's back.

"NO!!!!" I screamed.