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JACOB HAD FINALY COME BACK. and the look on his face told us it wasn't good.
"Sam's lost the element of surprise," he began, voice low and tight. "He doesn't want to take you outnumbered. So, he's not coming head-on. He's got the place surrounded, waiting for his chance."
A heavy silence fell over the room. Another problem. Another storm we didn't ask for.
"We won't get through this without a fight," Emmett muttered.
"No fights," Carlisle said firmly. "We will not be the ones to break the treaty."
"The treaty's void," Jacob countered. "At least in Sam's mind."
"Not in ours," Esme said softly but with conviction.
"Carlisle, no one's hunted for weeks," Emmett reminded, his tone edged with hunger and frustration.
"We'll make do," Esme replied with a faint, reassuring smile.
"So basically, we're on house arrest?" I asked, folding my arms. "They're really going to keep us from hunting?"
"Looks like it," Zane sighed, clearly just as frustrated.
I shook my head, feeling that dull ache of thirst burn hotter in my throat.
"You've done us a great service, Jacob. Thank you," Carlisle said sincerely.
Days passed painfully slow after that. Every hour dragged. The burning in our throats grew unbearable three weeks without feeding. The thirst was a wildfire that wouldn't die.
We tried to distract ourselves. Games, music, reading. Anything to keep from thinking about the blood we couldn't have. Jasper and Zane were struggling the most still learning to control their urges. Jasper could feel everyone's hunger clawing at him through his gift, so he stayed in our room most of the time. I stayed with him, of course.
Sometimes we'd talk. Sometimes we'd just dance. Anything to keep the fire inside us contained. It was hard hard for both of us.
Only Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie could stay close to Bella without losing control.
Now, we were all gathered in the living room again. Alice and I sat cross-legged on the floor playing a board game, our eyes half-glazed from thirst but trying to pretend otherwise.
Across the room, Edward noticed Bella tugging at her sleeves. "You cold?" he asked gently.
She nodded weakly.
"I got it," Jacob said quickly, moving closer. Heat radiated off him like a furnace, and Bella gave him a tired but grateful smile though pain still lingered behind it.
"Don't do that," Jacob said.
"Do what?" she asked.
"Smile like I'm your favorite person in the world."
