Still Breathing [Jacob Black]

Chapter Sixteen

Jacob

The pack mind went into an uproar. It was a mess of chaos and fury. A howl ripped out of someone's throat—and it couldn't have been mine because I was stuck in an ongoing growl, my entire body trembling. I wanted to tear something apart.

Someone.

A Cullen.

Or many of them.

Whatever it took.

Finally, Sam restored order amongst us with an order, ENOUGH! SILENCE!

Unable to deny the rumble in his demand, we all shut the fuck up. Paul's entire body flattened to the ground against the order he was so agitated.

We need to remain rational, Sam said. So first things first: how do you know the Cullens took her?

The memory of the grocery store, chatting with the gum-popping girl, played in my head.

Sam drew in a deep breath. Shit.

A wave of guilt spread over us. Tracing it to the source, we all turned to look at Kai. Of course. Fucking Kai. What did he do now?

He didn't answer the question we were all wondering. Instead, he asked, How do we know this is bad? Maybe it's a friendly thing. Aren't they animal drinkers. It's not like they stole her to drain her.

Paul snorted. They're vampires. Not our friends.

If they wanted this to be friendly they would have been up front about inviting her over instead of taking her when none of us were around, Leah said. This was strange. Since when was she the reasonable one? Normally she was just a raging bitch.

I resent that, she said, but she didn't seem too offended.

Sam brought us all back to the topic at hand. Why are you feeling guilty, Kai?

Kai shifted back, bracing for backlash...because apparently what he was about to say would result in some? My hackles rose. I may have mentioned to the little one that Felicity would be working tonight...and that everyone else had plans on the rez.

No one did anything for a moment. Then Embry asked, What?

I'm how the small bloodsucker knew she'd be at work with none of us around tonight. I didn't know they'd take her or anything, but I guess I kind of gave them information to do it.

Why? Was the only question that came to my mind. Sure he hated her, but to give the vamps any means at all to harm Felicity...I couldn't comprehend his reasoning. It was such a shitty thing to do.

Kai barked an attempted laugh. I was trying to be shitty. She was shitty to me, remember?

Allegedly, Embry corrected.

Whatever.

Sam broke into the conversation then before it spiraled out of control. Honestly? While giving them an easy ticket to finding her alone at work is an asshole thing to do, and you will be running extra patrols for that, I don't think it would have changed anything. If the Cullens wanted to take her, they'd have found an opportunity to do so. Kai just saved them the time it'd have taken to figure it out.