"Also, I want to know why my heart is empty… but not broken."
Vincent was still standing by the dining room door, listening to Jacob's confession to the crowd. He felt like he couldn't leave yet because Alice was still in there.
Vincent came to know how Jacob felt.
[ His heart is empty… so he said. ]
"Does that mean something happened to Renésmee?" someone in the dining room asked, from his voice it seemed like it was Simon, their youngest member.
"I don't know." Jacob wished he could feel something.
"Are you sure you don't feel anything?" Sonny asked as an experienced man. Because in this group only Sonny and Vincent have a partner.
Jacob answered with a shake of his head reluctantly.
It shouldn't be. Imprint is a connector between the opposite sex. Those who receive the gift are connected exclusively. The most powerful radar in the world.
Even if Jacob's radar didn't work, the only plausible explanation was that Jacob didn't manage to mate with Renésmee. Their bond wasn't as strong as Vincent's.
That's just fair enough. Whoever receives more must give more.
Vincent received more love from Renésmee so he had to put in more effort. Both to overcome the frustration when Renésmee disappeared and the effort to find that woman.
"Do you think Vincent would feel the same way like you… a feeling of emptiness and uselessness?" Bella, who was sitting right next to Jacob, suddenly commented. She also added another title that seemed appropriate for Jacob.
Useless, she said.
Did Jacob feel useless now?
Well, the existence of Jacob in this pack is actually useless. Everyone will agree.
Jacob was a loner and arrogant. He rarely went on hunting expeditions, he only knew how to hunt for his own food. He is called the Beta but he never touches any work, trains the herd or touches the affairs of the pack.
All he knew was that he was supposed to be Alice's partner and kept glancing at Vincent with hatred. Claiming to be the one who loves Renésmee the most in this world but he doesn't even want to come looking for Alice.
Jacob deserved to be called useless.
He didn't refute Bella's words and let her comment on him.
"Bella, can't you see Vincent is so depressed? If he felt empty like Jacob he wouldn't have come out looking for Renésmee."
As a fellow woman, Margareth couldn't stand it if she didn't reply to Bella as she usually does when Renésmee is around. She refuted and defended Vincent.
"Hah, I thought he was more than heartbroken but Vincent tried to hide it from us. He might have felt something bad with Renésmee, he also wanted to find her quickly but something was holding him back..
Tch! You even said that the witch could possibly cast a spell to block the imprinted bond?
You are a genius really. If that's the case then they would have invaded us a long time ago, kidnapped the she-wolves to make our men miserable and took over the Seth Valley."
There is something made more sense to Bella:
"Perhaps you want to say that Renésmee is dead. Right?"
"Don't jinx it." Of course Margaret didn't think so. "You've always been like this. You always cursed Renesmee behind Vincent's back."
Ah, it's been a long time since they've sparred.
Did Margareth forget who won more often when they fought?
[ That silly woman. ]
"Heh… So what? I'm not a cursing fairy. Do you think I can't curse Renesmee in front of Vincent? I have done it many times for you to know. She's so mighty and doesn't even bat an eye so Vincent wouldn't mind me even if I pray for her death every day."
Bella knows as long as Renesmee is unscated Vincent will not make a move on her.
Therefore if the curse that came out of her mouth had succeeded, Renésmee would have been living in despair or even removed from the start. Only God knows how many times Bella had cursed Renésmee.
"Just admit it, you guys have the same thoughts as me, are you not?" Bella listened as her pack of idiots gossiped behind Vincent.
"Isabella!" Old Yu rebuked that woman.
"Did I say something wrong uncle? If Renésmee wasn't dead, why couldn't Jacob feel anything? As if she wasn't there anymore… and as Margareth said—Vincent was just hiding that fact from the rest of us. He's so frustrated he doesn't want to say it."
Talk about something reasonable and logical then Bella wins.
"Uncle… Why are you angry? You don't even know what an imprint feels like or what it's like when your partner suddenly disappears."
"Bella!" Gale even got up from his chair. Bella's words had gone too far and farter. If Liam didn't hold him, he would have gone over to Bella to tear her mouth open.
"You're right kid… this old me really doesn't know anything." Old Yu spoke up and humbly acknowledged his shortcomings.
Old Yu was a poor old man. Perhaps because in his youth he had devoted himself for war, so he had no chance to meet the woman he was destined to let alone get special magical visions like imprints with the opposite sex.
"Do you hate Renésmee that much?"
Everyone glanced at the origin of the voice. They forgot that they had been arguing in front of a stranger. Letting Alice know how bad their current condition was.
To be honest Alice didn't want to interfere too much either, she just couldn't keep her mouth shut. She held herself back when Bella offended Jacob, then the pack members, as well as Vincent and even a senior in their group. These people were innocent, Alice had to do something or at least talk.
"Even if something happened to Renésmee, what right do you have to say that and ridicule people here?" said Alice.
After all this, everyone would admit that she was a brave woman.
"You dare to speak?" Bella looked at Alice furiously.
She was already furious enough to catch Vincent's moves on Alice today. Is that why this blonde has the guts?
Bella's emotions peaked, it felt like she would turn into a wolf and pounce on Alice right now. But somehow Bella felt like Vincent would appear if she did something to Alice. As if she was dealing with Renésmee.
"You harlot! You're just a prisoner here. If we manage to find Renésmee, I'll make sure that you won't come out of this castle in one piece. I promise you!" After that, Bella withdrew from the dining room and the pack members dispersed one by one.
Margareth passed behind Alice and praised her, "good job girl."
Only Jacob and Alice remained in the dining room. The man had been staring at Alice for a long time, not a second of a question left. He smiled gently, he said to Alice, "thank you for talking on my behalf."
It was as if Jacob knew what Alice was doing was trying to defend him. It just so happened that Alice also gave him the power to speak. If it wasn't for her, Jacob would just swear, not caring about the question or throwing punches in response.
"Come on, I'll take you to your chamber." He reached out his hand for Alice's grasp.
"Okay," the blonde woman didn't know that her cheeks could turn red because of Jacob's little act. Alice expanded her smile subconsciously as she accepted Jacob's hand. She was the one who wanted to comfort Jacob but somehow she felt her heart warming.
———
Vincent on the other side: Felt throbbing all of the sudden.
[ Shit! What happened? ]