Jake hesitated, torn at the sound of Kate's frantic command. If she'd been hiding from someone - or something, it knew where she was now. But maybe it would leave her alone to chase him. All the signs outside pointed to some sort of wild animal attack, and an animal would rather chase it's prey. Still, he couldn't make his feet move to leave Kate behind until he heard footsteps thumping toward him over the dirt floor.

Supressing the urge to reply he turned on his heel and ran back down the corridor. If he could just lure whoever - or whatever - was in Edward's chamber out into the open, maybe they'd both have a chance. He rounded the corner of the entrance and waited, listening for any clue that the ruse had worked.

There was only silence.

Leaning against the cool rock, he closed his eyes and breathed, trying to ignore the slicing pain in his ribs. He'd have to go back in. But he needed a weapon. Opening his eyes he surveyed his surroundings, looking for a large branch or well-shaped rock - anything that would serve to slow someone down. There was a fallen branch as thick as his wrist just across the camp - it looked like it had been pulled off the tree and tossed away like trash. Four feet long, he guessed - it should work.

Looking over the perimeter of the camp one more time, he pushed away from the wall and started toward the branch, peering into the dark mouth of the cave as he jogged past.

A shrill whistle filled the air, and the thick vegetation ahead began to move. Jake stopped, watching warily as leaves and branches moved aside to reveal a grizzly, taller on four legs than Jake stood on two. The bear chuffed loudly, ambling forward as Jake slowly began to move back.

Behind him, a satisfied cackle rang out and he turned sideways to find a man leaning casually against the inside edge of the cave.

"Who are you?" Jake said, careful to keep his voice low as he looked back to the bear. For the moment, the animal seemed content to remain at the edge of the clearing, but he knew that could change in an instant. Considering it had only appeared after the whistle, the stranger had to have some sort of power over it, which made the situation all the more dangerous.

"Just cleaning up some loose ends," the man said, gaining Jake's attention again. Or most of it, anyway. "Hikers have been in short supply lately, and food is scarce. Seemed like Edward there had more than enough, so I thought I'd just help myself until things die down. Got rid of the competition while I was at it, as you can see, though pity he chose that particular method of death. Not much of him to salvage..."

The man looked longingly at the body parts lying on the ground, and Jake let the words sink in, hoping he was wrong.

He had to be wrong.

"You don't mean..."

The man looked up, his lips turning up in a wide grin as he deliberately licked his lips. 

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Jake sat with his back to a tree, legs stretched out as he looked back at the cliff he'd gone over. It was hard to believe he'd managed to claw his way back up and over the top - from this angle, it looked impossible. He focused on breathing, in and out, each breath reminding him that at least one rib hadn't fared well in the fall. His legs had somehow escaped any major injuries, and for that he was thankful., but it was still going to be hard getting down to Edward's main camp in his condition.
His eyes started to drift shut, and he knew he had to move. Falling asleep would mean death with his open wounds and if he could just reach the camp, he could figure out how to survive from there. One thing at a time.

Wincing, he managed to get to his feet, holding his sore ribs with one arm as he used the other for balance as well as possible. He followed the ridge as it circled back toward the interior of the mountain, and then found the path easily enough though navigating the steep terrain proved harder than he remembered. When it got too dark to safely continue, he found a depression in a tall rock face, covered at the front by large brambles. Tucking himself as far between the two as he could get, he curled up into a small ball and dozed on and off throughout the night.

The light shining on his face woke Jake the next morning and he raised a hand to block it, groaning at the pain in his stiffened body. Carefully extricating himself from the temporary haven, he yawned, stretched as much as he could and then set off down the trail again. The air was cool, and his muscles didn't want to obey, but after a few stumbles and near-falls, he found a rhythm that allowed him to move at a somewhat steady, although painful, pace.

The sun was almost directly overhead when he finally neared the camp, and he went off the trail, making his way slowly through the thick brush to come up on the cave from the side. It was quiet, he realized, stopping short of revealing himself.

Too quiet.

Peering out from behind the tree he'd hid in before, he stared in shock at the sight of Edward's body laying face-up in front of the fire pit. Dark stains surrounded him in the dirt, and flies buzzed overhead, swooping in to pick at the glistening wounds on his arms, legs and torso. Whatever had gotten to him hadn't just killed the man, but had nearly pulled him apart. Switching gears, Jake looked up, scanning the surrounding trees for any sign of movement and listening for any sound. If whatever had done this was still here...

Jake's stomach flipped over, and he felt sick as he remembered Kate and the other women.
No longer concerned with his own safety, he rounded the corner of the cave and looked inside. Seeing no one, he moved as quickly as he could to the women's quarters, his pulse pounding when he found it empty. Jogging toward the other end of the cave, he entered Edward's personal chamber, breathing heavily as he waited for his eyes to adjust to a darker view.

"He's watching you." A voice whispered from somewhere behind him and to the right. Jake turned, but couldn't see anyone there.

"Run!" 

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Edward ran through the cave, the torch in his hand scattering angry orange shadows over the earthen walls. The cry hadn't come from the female's quarters but from outside the cave. As he reached the main entrance, he extinguished the torch and hugged the wall, creeping forward carefully in order to get a good look at what he was dealing with.

Expecting a bear or some other animal, he was unprepared for the human sillhouette standing tall in the center of his camp, a long slender form slung over one thick shoulder like a trophy. A man dared enter his lair to steal one of his females? Edward unsheathed his knife, making no effort to mute the sound as the metal slid past leather. The man turned toward him, his features hidden in the dark.

All the better, Edward thought as he charged out of the cave. Perhaps this was the man responsible for the other killings. Regardless, he was encroaching on Edward's marked territory and stealing his woman. The price would be his life.

The man didn't move, and in that instant Edward realized he'd made a grave error. A large shape rushed him from the side, it's bulk knocking him hard to the ground as thick claws dug deep into his flesh. The putrid smell of rotting flesh filled Edward's senses and a familiar growl pierced the night as he rolled to avoid the snap of thick white teeth on either side of his head.

Forcing his fears away as he had so many times before, he scooted close in to the bear's belly, pushing his shoulders tight against the huge diaphram as his heels dug into the dirt. Tree-stump forelegs enclosed him in a tight hug as the gigantic paws tried unsuccessfully to rake him open. Grasping handfuls of thick pelt, Edward pulled himself over one leg and up a muscular flank as the bear turned circles trying to bite him.

Holding tightly, Edward moved across the bear's back, reaching higher with one hand and then losing his grip as the animal reared up on his back legs.

Edward hit the ground solidly on his back, the breath rushing out of him in one long sigh. He knew he had to get up, had to stay ahead of his attacker, but his limbs refused to respond. The bear turned on him, standing tall over his prize as he growled out the good news. Edward tried to move again, but not even a finger would obey, and he knew then that it was all over.

A sharp whistle broke through the night, and the bear looked up, his ears twitching as he listened. When it sounded one more time, the bear walked off, leaving Edward laying there, alive but...not.

It wasn't long before the interloper loomed large over Edward's head, minus the girl. He knelt down, leaning in close so Edward could see his cold green eyes.

"How do you wish to die?" he said, his voice calm and almost soothing. "You can go swiftly by my hand, or as a snack for the bear. It makes no difference to me." 

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Any affinity Kate felt toward her captor vanished when she saw his expression as Jake went over the edge of a steep drop. For a moment she just froze, unable to believe that Jake had simply slipped out of sight. But when he didn't reappear, she dropped the travois and ran to the edge where Edward grabbed her arm just in time to keep her from vaulting over the drop-off too.

"Jake!" She scanned the slope below, squinting as she struggled to free herself of Edward's iron grip. "Jake!"

Above her, Edward chuckled, tugging her backwards as if she weighed nothing.

"Come, woman. He's gone. Be glad it was swifter than it would have been had I been forced to challenge him."

She shook her head, barely noticing the dampness on her cheeks. "No! What if he's not dead? We can't just leave him there - we have to help him. I can climb down..."

Edward reached down and picked her up by the waist, carrying her the short distance back to the travois. He dumped her between the poles and held out a firm hand when she started to crawl away.

"If you want to stay with him, then you'll go the same way. Do you really want to forfeit your life for such as him?"

Kate looked at the cliff, her chest constricting. A rustle off to the side drew her attention back to the other women.

Edward's other captives.

Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she swiped her tears away. "No," she said, pausing for a deep, stabilizing breath. "I'll go with you."

Edward nodded. "Come then. We must reach the cave by nightfall." He walked away, leading them past the ledge and down the narrow animal path. Kate stopped for just a moment when she reached the spot Jake had disappeared at, letting the others get several feet ahead before she reached down and pushed one of the furs and a skin of water off the sled. If Jake was dead, no doubt Edward would find his things later. If somehow he managed to survive and get back to the top of the mountain, he'd be cold, hurt and thirsty.

It was all she could do.

She followed the others, exhausted by the time they reached Edward's summer camp. She went through the motions of helping the other women start a fire, make dinner and clean up again. She didn't even argue when Edward shackled her to the wall in his private chambers while the others were sent away. Hanging there, limp, she couldn't bring herself to care when he cut the furs from her torso and began prodding at her breasts with his fingers. What did it matter? He'd never let her go. Never let any of them go. If this was her fate, perhaps she should just accept it.

Perhaps she should have gone over the cliff with Jake after all.

The knife flashed in the dim light, moving lower as Edward held it to the fur she'd wrapped around her waist. She closed her eyes, refusing to watch or to acknowledge his low growl of disapproval.
  "You will look at me," he demanded, his voice thick and deep with need. "Open your eyes."

She shook her head, squeezing her eyelids tighter. "No."

A sharp crack exploded against the side of her face and she yelped in pain. Steeling herself for the inevitable, she tensed, unsure which direction the next one would come from.

A cry rang out from somewhere outside the room, and startled, she opened her eyes just in time to see Edward run through the doorway, taking the only torch and plunging her into total darkness. 

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A blur of brown and green and gray swirled by as gravity pulled Jake down. It felt like it would never end and then, suddenly it did with a stark jolt to the side of his head. Slipping free, he slid a few more feet down, a hard object knocked the breath out of him as it stopped him with a hard jolt to his chest.

Reality faded in and out as voices argued somewhere above. Even the thought of moving hurt, so he didn't. He thought he heard his name once, then twice, but the voices slowly faded away, and the need for sleep overpowered any curiousity he felt.


He wasn't sure how long he'd been out when he opened his eyes again. Every part of his body hurt, and for a moment he considered closing his eyes for good. Shapes came into focus in front of him, and he fought a wave of dizziness as his mind tried to compensate for the skewed perspective in front of him. The earth tilted steeply downward, tall pine trees growing out the side. He tried to free a hand that was stuck underneath him some how but stopped when his legs slid farther down past his hips. Tucking his chin with some effort he looked down toward his chest to see the thick trunk that had stopped his body and clamped his left hand to his side. Raising his head again slowly, a feeling of vertigo nearly made him black out as he looked at the sharp edge where the earth seemed to end mere feet away from his position.

Instinctively, his free hand clawed into the wood as his mind tried desperately to catch up. He closed his eyes for a moment, calling up the last thing he remembered before waking up...here.
They'd been walking. Hiking, rather. An image of Edward in his animal skins came to mind and Agent Paige right after.

"Kate," he whispered, opening his eyes again, though not daring to look down. Moving very slowly, he rolled slightly to the right, enough to free his left hand. Letting it hang down, he winced as the blood began flowing back into the limb. The tips of his fingers were purple, and he struggled to move them, desperate to ensure they would still work. It hurt - a lot, but a relieved sigh escaped with a groan as his index finger moved the tiniest bit.

Wrapping his good arm as tightly around the tree trunk as possible, he carefully turned his head as much as he could, surveying the landscape above. His head swam at the movement and he squinted as painful throbbing and blurred vision worked against him. When the view finally cleared, he nearly gave up. It was too steep to walk - he'd have to climb, and the way he felt right now, he wasn't even sure he could unwrap himself from around the tree that had saved him.

Resting his head again, he closed his eyes and focused on the big toe of his right foot. Move it up, move it down. Good. Left foot. Right ankle. Left ankle. Right knee, left knee. Fingers, wrists, elbows. Miraculously, even though there wasn't one part of his body that didn't hurt, everything seemed mobile.

Gingerly he prodded the side of his head with one hand, pushing the nausea back as he felt his way through the damp, sticky mass of his hair. The cut wasn't as long as it felt, but the edges felt far too deep. Letting his hand fall, he knew he needed to get upright somehow, and stay that way if he wanted to survive.

His left leg lay lightly against the ground, and he bent his knee by degrees as he felt for anything solid to brace his foot on. A small, hard something caught the outside of his arch, and he tested it, gradually pushing up until he felt the pressure against his chest ease. Straightening his leg, he lifted his right foot to hook over the tree trunk, hoping it would support all of his weight for even just a few seconds. Inhaling strong, he ignored the burning in his lungs as he rolled onto the wooden perch and then pushed up with his hands, swinging up to sit on the base of the trunk with his torso supported on the hill's incline. There was a smaller tree above him, and a thick rock to the right. He grabbed the rock with one hand and pulled, groaning with the effort as he reached for the tree with his other hand. The sharp pine bark bit into his hand as he took a firm grip, but he ignored the pain, focusing on getting one, then the other foot underneath him as close to the ground as possible. Then he pushed up, his body sliding along the earth while the pressure in his head shifted and blackness fell across his eyes.

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Something nudged Jake's leg. Not bothering to open his eyes, he shifted away from the intrusion, hoping it would go away. It was too late though. His body began protesting, and he was suddenly aware of being very cold, with stiff joints and a major headache. Another nudge, this time on his thigh. He opened his eyes with a low growl, sitting up to find Edward standing next to him with a grin.

"Feisty today, are we?" He chuckled as Jake sat up and reached for his head before he remembered that both hands were still tied. "That's good. I can use feisty." He tossed a piece of cold meat from the night before into Jake's lap, and another to Kate, who looked far more awake than Jake felt.

"Eat. We leave in ten minutes." Edward walked away, and Jake awkwardly picked up the meat, his stomach turning at the thought of food.

"Unappetizing as it is, get it down," Kate said, holding hers up with a sympathetic smile. "You'll need the energy - We..." she paused, confusion flitting briefly across her face. "Uh...these people travel quickly, and it's still a good hike to the cave."

Nodding, Jake obediently tore off a small bite with his teeth, chewing slowly before he swallowed. Glancing around to make sure no one was listening nearby, he leaned closer.

"Are you okay? Last night..."

Kate waved off his concern. "I'm fine. Coral is going to be a problem though. She's not going to leave him willingly. Certainly not with me."

He looked over at the two other women, packing up a few furs on a makeshift travois. "Hopefully by the time it comes to that, we'll have backup."

 She tilted her head at him, her eyes assessing. "I think there's only one way that will happen. You need to--"

"Let's go." Edward stalked over and bent down, taking Kate's hand. "Can you walk?"

She nodded, letting him help her up.

"Good. Then you can pull that sled behind you."

Jake got to his feet, and took one of the travois handles, but Edward slapped it away. "Woman's work." He started to walk away, then turned back to spear Jake with that unblinking stare of his. "You walk with me."

As he followed Edward along the narrow trail, Jake was disturbed by how it felt. Two men, leading a group of women who were more or less willing to do as they were told because Edward had psychologically manipulated at least two of them into a place of personal loyalty. Jake knew Coral would kill him if she got the chance, but he'd seen an odd emotion in Kate's eyes when she looked at their capter. It wasn't quite respect, but even as she fought to maintain independence, it seemed like she acknowledged his leadership as well.

Studying his own feelings, he realized that he wasn't immune either - Edward had gotten to him too. Here he was, obediently following the alpha in hopes of...what? Of gaining position in the makeshift pack? Of simply being allowed to live? Or was it more?

Disconcerted, Jake didn't see Edward veer abruptly to the left, and his next step sent him tumbling down a steep slope.     

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Edward pulled Coral off Kate with a roar, flinging her off to the side as he bent to make sure Kate was still breathing. She'd passed out, but the rise and fall of her chest reassured him. Not caring whether the male was alive or not, he stepped over the prone form and went to Coral as she sobbed on the ground where she'd fallen. 

 "Jealousy is not tolerated. You will stay away from her. Is that clear?"

Coral sniffled, swiping at the tears on her cheeks. "She called you a killer. She wants to take you away. I wanted to protect you."

Edward shook his head. "No, you were jealous. You wanted to kill me too when you first came here, did you not?"

"I..."

He held up a hand. "Enough. You will stay away from her. And Coral?"

She nodded, and he leaned down, close enough to meet her eyes in the dark. He paused, letting the fear build as she held her breath, waiting.

"I am a killer. You would do well to remember that."

She gasped, flinching as if he'd struck her, and he stood with a satisfied chuckle. Movement near Kate caught his eye, and he looked over to see Jake sitting up carefully, holding his head. Something would have to be done about him...he was too curious, and too perceptive by far. His presence seemed to calm Kate though. For now, he was useful.

Jake noticed him watching, and Edward raised an eyebrow. The other man nodded before turning to Kate, his bound hands coming up to awkwardly feel for a pulse.

"She's fine," Edward said, supressing the urge to break the man's neck for touching his woman. The bond was strong between those two, which meant he'd likely have to challenge the man for her. The thought was stimulating, and he grinned. Killing Jake in front of Kate would serve two purposes - getting rid of the other man, and breaking Kate to his will. His cock stirred at the thought and he turned back to Coral, reached down for her lead and pulled her off the ground. When he turned her back to him she bent obediently, and he took his pleasure, aware that Jake had a good view from his position. All the better to reinforce his alpha status, Edward thought.

Finishing quickly, he went to the other side of the smouldering campfire and tossed a couple more logs on the fire. They caught quickly, orange flames licking up and casting a mellow glow over his captives. Kate turned her head, letting out a low moan as she began to wake up, and Jake leaned over her while Coral looked their way before glancing at Edward. He shook his head, and she went to lay beside Ava. Slowly everyone settled, and he watched until all of his captives were sleeping before he closed his eyes. Tomorrow they'd move back to the summer cave, and from there he'd start tracking the interloper. Once that was taken care of, he'd deal with Kate and Jake. Maybe then life on the mountain could go back to normal.

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"What makes you think that?" Jake covered her hand with his own, the gesture comforting and awkward at the same time.

Kate propped herself up on one elbow, wincing as the wound in her chest pulled. At least Jake couldn't see her expression. She didn't need his sympathy.

"I asked him about it, point blank," she said, feeling his hand tense over hers. "He claims he doesn't remember killing the man we found, which was an odd way of putting it. But he got this look on his face, like he knows something, or just realized it. I think he might know who did it, if he didn't."

Jake nodded, his features obscured in the dark. "If he knows, why wouldn't he tell you? You'd think he'd want to. Unless..." Jake shifted, and Kate could practically feel the excitement coming off of him as he continued.

"He's living like an animal - a bear. Another killer would be an interloper here - someone encroaching on Edward's territory. He won't stand for that, Kate. He'll want...need to kill the interloper, or at least drive him away."

She nodded. "That makes sense. So what can we do about it? We have to stop both of them, somehow. Even if Edward isn't the guy we're looking for, he's still been taking and presumably killing women, not to mention those children who just sort of disappeared."

 Dry leaves crackled nearby, and Kate held a finger to her lips. Her eyes now adjusted to the dim moonlight, she recognized Coral as she came into view behind Jake. Her relief that it wasn't the subject of their conversation quickly turned to confusion when the other woman swung something thick out to the side, and then brought it down hard across Jake's neck.

Jake crumpled, falling to his side in the dirt. Coral knelt down beside Kate and dropped the branch.

"I heard what you said, you ungrateful bitch," she whispered, shoving Kate onto her back. "I don't know why Edward even wants you, but I'm tired of you acting like you own the place. I won't let you take him away. You don't deserve him."

Before Kate could react, Coral straddled her stomach, pinning Kate's hands to the ground with her knees. Leaning forward, she put a hand on either side of Kate's neck, her thumbs pressing together in the middle, and started to squeeze.

  Kate bucked, digging her heels into the ground as she tried to unseat Coral, but the other woman wouldn't budge. Her head started to spin, and she choked, gasping for breaths that were just out of reach. She twisted her shoulders, kicked with her legs, and her lungs burned as the fog fell over her brain. It wasn't long before she realized that this was it. She was going to die.

Closing her eyes, she felt consciousness slipping away even as a shout registered somewhere outside of her head. Suddenly, the pressure on her throat disappeared, and she gulped in one huge, sweet breath before she passed out.

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"I'm curious what makes a man decide to leave civilization and live off the grid as an animal," Jake said, deciding the direct approach was probably the least offensive to a man like Edward. He kept his distance as a sign of respect, hoping it would make his subject less defensive.

Edward thought for a moment. "Sit," he said, motioning to a log nearby. Jake sat, bracing his forearms on his knees as he waited.

"I used to be a lawyer." Edward paused, but Jake only raised his eyebrows. "A defense attorney, to be exact. I spent my days in suits and ties, standing in front of juries while I tried to prove my client didn't do whatever the plaintiff accussed them of. It was a constant game of right and wrong, an endless stream of morality judgements, and one day, I couldn't do it anymore. I stopped believing in right or wrong. After years of spending hours with people later convicted for crimes, I grew tired of how arbitrary it all was." 

Jake considered that for a moment. He wanted to respond, but knew it was more important to listen for the moment. "So you decided to chuck it all and move to the mountains?"

"Not originally." Edward paused as Ava approached, one arm circling her waist as she settled on his lap. "I lost it in the courtroom one day and ended up disbarred. The court-ordered shrink suggested very strongly that I take a vacation, so I packed up and came out for a week's vacation. That's when I met--"

Jake wished he could see the other man's face in the fading light. Whatever he'd been about to say was exactly what Jake wanted to know, and he couldn't tell if Edward sensed that and purposefully withheld, or if  he was protecting himself from the memory. Either way, it was important, and he wondered if any of the women had breeched his defenses enough to find out.

"Enough." Edward pushed Ava aside as he stood, moving closer to Jake. "Hold out your hands."

Jake obeyed, curious to see what would happen. Edward took a length of rope from his belt and tied Jake's wrists together, then looped another piece around Jake's neck and tied the end to his hands. Giving the knots a final tug, he turned and walked into the trees, disappearing into the darkness.

"Werner?" Kate's voice was low, almost a whisper, but close. "Are you okay?"

Struggling for balance, he managed to stand and moved toward her voice. His ankle hit something hard and he swore, looking down to see her laying at his feet. He knelt down, frustrated with his bonds.

"I'm okay," he said quietly, settling in beside her. "It's too bad he's a killer. I'd like to explore his mind more."

Kate shook her head, putting one hand on his arm. "I know this sounds ridiculous, but I don't think he's the killer. A killer, yes. The one we've been looking for...maybe not." 

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Jake tried to portray more confidence than he felt, though his instincts were screaming at him to run. If this man really did identify himself as an animal, a display of fear could be lethal. From a psychological perspective Jake was fascinated, and he found himself wanting to stay just to study the mind of someone who had clearly gone so far from normal human existance. He really wanted to know the answer to his question and several more, though considering the massive amounts of adrenaline that had to be flooding Edward's body after his fight with the bear, it was unlikely he'd be in a talkative mood.

Baring his teeth and giving a low growl, Edward came closer. "It should be obvious why 'animal' discribes me better," he said. "A monster wouldn't respect his prey, nor would he let potential prey live. Count yourself fortunate."

Jake relaxed slightly, believing the truth in the man-beast's eyes. Apparently Edward wasn't going to kill him. Not yet, at least. He nodded, looking down and slightly to the side as he did. No harm in playing along for the time being.

"What happens next?"

Edward glanced back at the carcass. "You'll help the females strip and pack the meat. We'll build a sled to pull it up to the winter cave with us."

The three women with Kate moved as soon as he started speaking, and were pulling knives out of their brief fur skirts as they walked toward the bear. Kate started to go with them, but Edward caught her upper arm, holding her back. Jake barely restrained himself from going after Edward. The only thing stopping him was the image in his mind of the man grappling with an animal three times his size - and winning.

"You stay with me," Edward said to Kate, dropping his hand only to grasp the rope attached to her neck. Jake couldn't help but call it a leash in his mind, no matter how hard he tried. He started to protest, only to be cut off mid-breath.

"Go. Now."

Kate nodded. "I'll be fine." There was an odd quality in her eyes that he couldn't quite put his finger on, and for a moment, he wondered if she'd succumbed to Stockhom Syndrome. It had only been a few days, but she'd been under a lot of stress and near death when she'd been taken, so it wasn't outside the realm of possibility. Jake turned away, hoping he was wrong. If she was sympathizing with this man, it would make getting her away nearly impossible, but it would also make her rehab much harder after it was all over.

He spent the rest of the day helping the other women process the bear, following their instruction though he was completely inept at the job. When they stopped for lunch, he was offered only fresh raw meat, which he refused, and by the time they'd loaded up a makeshift travois, he felt like he was going to pass out.

Somehow he made it to the lake, following the sled as they returned to the site they must have camped at the night before. Kate helped build a fire and the other women roasted some of the meat. Positive nothing had ever tasted as good, Jake ate heartily, relieved when his energy started to return. After the feast, he cautiously approached Edward.  

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