I don’t think a vampire reacting to their mate being injured would consider whether other people asking for their attention might actually be worth attending to, as Elspeth does:
“ELSPETH!” my mother shouted, but didn’t she have the scar to prove that she could survive being bitten, the baldness to prove that she could survive being powdered and ignited? She didn’t need me. Jake did.
Which is actually a fairly telling detail from a characterization standpoint. I’m pretty sure that the Elspeth of chapter one would have interpreted Bella’s order correctly. Now her first thought is that her mother might be depending on her. That shows that she’s gained confidence in her own power, and also that she’s learned about her parents’ fallibility.
I don’t think a vampire reacting to their mate being injured would consider whether other people asking for their attention might actually be worth attending to, as Elspeth does:
To be fair, Elspeth is mistaken about why Bella was shouting—Bella just thought Elspeth shouldn’t be leaving Allirea’s protection.
Which is actually a fairly telling detail from a characterization standpoint. I’m pretty sure that the Elspeth of chapter one would have interpreted Bella’s order correctly. Now her first thought is that her mother might be depending on her. That shows that she’s gained confidence in her own power, and also that she’s learned about her parents’ fallibility.