He’d ventured out to check the perimeter fourteen times thus far for half hour increments each time, providing me with short spaces of internal peace. There was something to be truly thankful for; two-hundred and ten minutes of this torture had been free of Jacob Black’s internal ramblings! I was already annoyed at the realization that for the next half of another hour, or thirty minutes, I would be subjected to his incessant whining. It was not necessarily fair to feel so frustrated at him for he was truly worried about Bella as well. However, with his thoughts invading my mind my anxiety only increased; double the worry, double the fear, double the torture.

…this isn’t working, leech…she is going to die, or get hypothermia or something…

I sighed. Hypothermia was the least of her worries. The wind howled again. Bella’s eyes opened at the sound and another shiver shook her tiny frame. She was looking in my direction and for once, I was thankful that her eyes were weak and human. But, it made no difference. I could not move my eyes from her face. Her extreme pallor illuminated her entire face in the darkness. She was glowing.

I leaned forward, hoping she could see me in the darkness.

“What can I do?” I asked.

She weakly shook her head at me. Of course, I could do absolutely nothing. I wrung my hands together, appreciative again that she couldn’t see my body language. It would have only increased her anxiety. It was much better to sit in the darkness, sulking in the corner. Perhaps it was fitting. The clandestine monster.

The wind howled again, shaking the tent violently. Jacob let out a stentorian whine.

…if you aren’t going to do anything, I will…what the hell…something bad is going to happen to her if we don’t think about this…she can’t leave, but if she stays she might freeze…there has to be something we can do…

No, Jacob Black. You are wrong. There was nothing we could do except wait. Time was master of this situation. Welcome to my personal hell.

“G-g-g-get out of h-h-h-ere,” she pleaded. Her voice was shaky from the cold and the concern.

…does she not understand that I have a fur coat…the last thing she needs to worry about is me…I can’t stand this crap anymore…