GODS AND MONSTERS ↝ P. LAHOTE

[23]

"Lark!" Diane's voice rang up the steps to where Lark laid on her bed, flipping through her latest novel, her ears perking up at the sound of her mother's voice. "Jacob's here to see you!"

"Coming!" Lark called, cautious to keep the confused tone from her voice as she descended the stairs to where her mother came into view, chatting animatedly with Jacob, who still stood on the Hudson family's doorstep. 

While it wasn't out of the ordinary for Jacob to be in the same place as Lark, what with the years of friendship between their fathers and Lark's relationship with one of Jacob's best friends, it wasn't often the two would be together without the others, especially now that the pack had split up. It was certainly the first time he'd come to her house unannounced, anyways.

"Hey Jake," Lark said, reaching the bottom of the staircase.

"Well, you guys have fun today." Diane said. "Lark, sweetie, don't forget your purse, Jacob, tell your dad hi from us."

"Got it," Lark said, picking up her purse from the coatrack before following Jacob outside, the smile only once dropping from her face once the door was shut behind them, concealing them from her mother's view. "So where are we going, exactly?" she asked the tall Quileute boy, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, your mom thinks we're going to La Push." Jacob said, leading the two to his car, but Lark stepped in front of the driver's side door, preventing him from getting into the car.

"But..?" she trailed off, staring the boy down.

"I need your help." Jacob pleaded, his dark eyes filling with worry. "B-Bella's got this... this thing inside of her, and it's killing her. Please, just come see her. Maybe there's a legend or something you've seen before in one of your dad's books."

"Let me guess." Lark said. "Paul doesn't know you're here."

"Sam's pack thinks they have to kill Bella before it's born, so there's no chance of it posing a danger to the town." Jacob said. "Sam's way past listening to reason at this point. But if there's another way, if something like this has happened before... Lark, I'm desperate." Jacob's voice cracked. "I don't want to lose the girl I love. Please help me."

Lark sighed. "Bella's my friend." she said. "I can't decide for her, but I owe it to her to try and help. Truth be told, I did some research the other night when Paul told me, and from what I've read, there's not much on the subject, but... I can take a look."

"Thank you," Jacob said as Lark made her way to the other side of the car, climbing into the passenger seat. "What all did Paul tell you?" He asked, climbing into the driver's seat and turning the key in the ignition.

"He didn't tell me too much." Lark admitted. "You know Paul, he's not a man of many words. He said that Bella was pregnant, but it's never been seen before. And that the pack split because Sam thinks they have to kill Bella but you didn't agree. He agrees, though. He thinks it's dangerous, but you don't want to kill her."

"It's killing her already." Jacob said gruffly, staring out the window, but not making a move to put the car into reverse. "I want this thing out of her, same as Sam does, but not if it means us killing Bella. I can't do that to her."

"So tell me everything," Lark said as Jacob finally regained his focus, putting the car in reverse and backing out of the Hudsons' driveway, heading for the forest where the Cullen residence was buried deep in the woods, far from any human sight. "How far along is she, how fast is the baby growing, how is she doing?"

"According to Carlisle she's three weeks along." Jacob said, hands clenched so tightly against the steering wheel that his knuckles were beginning to turn white, eyes glued on the road ahead of them. "I don't have much experience with pregnant women, but she's huge. She looks like she's almost full term, and I don't know how much time she has left."