After making herself a complete bother results in no more information about Jacob's mystery {COUGH sputter hack} condition, Bella's back to the internet to find out what's wrong. This time, though, Shmeyer put off the moment of realization for later, so even her brilliant little Bella still can't figure it out. She leaves Jacob--and Billy--alone for a week, and we're treated to another abrupt spiral into pitiful, pining despair. Her ridiculousness just worsens when she finds out that Jake's all better but is out with friends other than her, which she takes as conclusive evidence that he just doesn't care anymore.
After more brooding than I ever care to remember, she decides to try to find the meadow herself, and wouldn't you know it, she succeeds. Upon realizing that the meadow is just one more disappointment, though, she assumes the fetal position and starts hyperventilating (NOTE: I've read ahead. Get used this reaction). Laurent, of all people--or rather, vampires--shows up, and after giving off overt serial-killer vibes throughout an over-long conversation, he tells Bella that Victoria sent him to find her. Victoria wants revenge for the Hunting and Subsequent Ripping-Up and Burning of James Affair from the first book, but Laurent informs Bella that he's rather thirsty, so he's going to eat her instead, Victoria's wrath be damned. Luckily and conveniently for Bella, a pack of giant wolves show up and chase Laurent off into the woods. Bella trips her way back home, tells Charlie that the bears everyone's been worried about aren't bears (oh yes, everyone's been worried about bears, did I mention?), and heads to bed, where she thinks about how Victoria's coming for her. Oh, by the way--that makes her hyperventilate again.
A few more days go by, and still no word from Jacob. Bella mopes increasingly. In one of her fits of sanctimonious victimhood, she tells herself (and therefore us, le sigh) that he's safer if she just stays away anyway. However, she suddenly remembers the Sam Uley gang and quickly decides that Sam and company have gotten a hold of Jacob, and that she's going to rescue him. She heads to La Push and finds Jacob, but sure enough, he's with his new posse--and quite hostile, to boot. After receiving a less-than-warm welcome, Bella argues with Jacob for a while, at which point he goes all sulky-sensitive and tells Bella he's not good enough to be her friend anymore, runs into his house, and pulls all the shades closed.
Later that night, while Bella's trying to sleep, she hears a-scratching at her window. Assuming it's Victoria coming to get her, Bella very nearly drops dead of her own terrified accord, but it turns out to be Jacob coming to apologize. They talk briefly about something being wrong with Jake, and Bella utterly fails to deduce what it could be. After Jake leaves, Bella has a dream in which he turns into one of the wolves who snuffed Laurent. Mystery solved. Who knew dreams could be so literal? Next person to have a dream about curing cancer wins at life.
Bella wakes up to the news that a reward is being offered for shooting giant wolves, which distresses her greatly for a page or two. We're then left with her pondering whether werewolves are bad people.
MATTERS OF PROBABLE IMPORTANCE:
...Jacob's a werewolf.
BELLA'S TEAM: Increasingly Jake-y.
OUR TEAM: Team Oxygen Deprivation. Too much hyperventilation is bad for you... and for your character development, incidentally.
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