mouth warped forever into a lopsided scowl。
He waited； grimly triumphant； for me to find my voice。
“You don’t know them；” I whispered。
“I know them better than you think； Bella。 I was here the last time。”
“The last time？”
“We started crossing paths with the wolves about seventy years ago。 。 。 。 We had just settled near
Hoquiam。 That was before Alice and Jasper were with us。 We outnumbered them； but that wouldn’t have
stopped it from turning into a fight if not for Carlisle。 He managed to convince Ephraim Black that coexisting
was possible； and eventually we made the truce。”
Jacob’s greatgrandfather’s name startled me。
“We thought the line had died out with Ephraim；” Edward muttered； it sounded like he was talking to
himself now。 “That the geic quirk which allowed the transmutation had been lost。 。 。 。” He broke off and
stared at me accusingly。 “Your bad luck seems to get more potent every day。 Do you realize that your
insatiable pull for all things deadly was strong enough to recover a pack of mutant canines from extinction？ If
we could bottle your luck； we’d have a weapon of mass destruction on our hands。”
I ignored the ribbing； my attention caught by his assumption — was he serious？ “But I didn’t bring them
back。 Don’t you know？”
“Know what？”
“My bad luck had nothing to do with it。 The werewolves came back because the vampires did。”
Edward stared at me； his body motionless with surprise。
“Jacob told me that your family being here set things in motion。 I thought you would already know。 。 。 。”
His eyes narrowed。 “Is that what they think？”
“Edward； look at the facts。 Seventy years ago； you came here； and the werewolves showed up。 You
e back now； and the werewolves show up again。 Do you think that’s a coincidence？”
He blinked and his glare relaxed。 “Carlisle will be interested in that theory。”
“Theory；” I scoffed。
He was silent for a moment； staring out the window into the rain； I imagined he was contemplating the fact
that his family’s presence was turning the locals into giant dogs。
“Interesting； but not exactly relevant；” he murmured after a moment。 “The situation remains the same。”
I could translate that easily enough： no werewolf friends。
I knew I must be patient with Edward。 It wasn’t that he was unreasonable； it was just that he didn’t
understand。 He had no idea how very much I owed Jacob Black — my life many times over； and possibly
my sanity； too。
I didn’t like to talk about that barren time with anyone； and especially not Edward。 He had only been
trying to save me when he’d left； trying to save my soul。 I didn’t hold him responsible for all the stupid things
I’d done in his absence； or the pain I had suffered。
He did。
So I would have to word my explanation very carefully。
I got up and walked around the table。 He opened his arms for me and I sat on his lap； nestling into his cool
stone embrace。 I looked at his hands while I spoke。
“Please just listen for a minute。 This is so much more important than some whim to drop in on an old
friend。 Jacob is in pain。” My voice distorted around the word。 “I can’t not try to help him — I can’t give up
on him now； when he needs me。 Just because he’s not human all the time。 。 。 。 Well； he was there for me when
I was 。 。 。 not so human myself。 You don’t know what it was like。 。 。 。” I hesitated。 Edward’s arms were rigid
around me； his hands were in fists now； the tendons standing out。 “If Jacob hadn’t helped me 。 。 。 I’m not sure
what you would have e home to。 I owe him better than this； Edward。”
I looked up at his face warily。 His eyes were closed； and his jaw was strained。
“I’ll never forgive myself for leaving you；” he whispered。 “Not if I live a hundred thousand years。”
I put my hand against his cold face and waited until he sighed and opened his eyes。
“You were just trying to do the right thing。 And I’m sure it would have worked with anyone less mental
than me。 Besides； you’re here now。 That’s the part that matters。”
“If I’d never left； you wouldn’t feel the need to go risk your life to fort a dog。”
I flinched。 I was used to Jacob and all his derogatory slurs — bloodsucker； leech； parasite。 。 。 。
Somehow it sounded harsher in Edward’s velvet voice。
“I don’t know how to phrase this properly；” Edward said； and his tone was bleak。 “It’s going to sound
cruel； I suppose。 But I’ve e too close to losing you in the past。 I know what it feels like to think I have。 I
am not going to tolerate anything dangerous。”
“You have to trust me on this。 I’ll be fine。”
His face was pained again。 “Please； Bella；” he whispered。
I stared into his suddenly burning golden eyes。 “Please what？”
“Please； for me。 Please make a conscious effort to keep yourself safe。 I’ll do everything I can； but I would
appreciate a little help。”
“I’ll work on it；” I murmured。
“Do you really have any idea how important you are to me？ Any concept at all of how much I love you？”
He pulled me tighter against his hard chest； tucking my head under his chin。
I pressed my lips against his snowcold neck。 “I know how much I love you；” I answered。
“You pare one small tree to the entire forest。”
I rolled my eyes； but he couldn’t see。 “Impossible。”
He kissed the top of my head and sighed。
“No werewolves。”
“I’m not going along with that。 I have to see Jacob。”
“Then I’ll have to stop you。”
He sounded utterly confident that this wouldn’t be a problem。
I was sure he was right。
“We’ll see about that；” I bluffed anyway。 “He’s still my friend。”
I could feel Jacob’s note in my pocket； like it suddenly weighed ten pounds。 I could hear the words in his
voice； and he seemed to be agreeing with Edward — something that would never happen in reality。
Doesn’t change anything。 Sorry。
2。 EVASION
I FELT ODDLY BUOYANT AS I WALKED FROM SPANISH toward the cafeteria； and it wasn’t just because I was
holding hands with the most perfect person on the pla； though that was certainly part of it。
Maybe it was the knowledge that my sentence was served and I was a free woman again。
Or maybe it wasn’t anything to do with me specifically。 Maybe it was the atmosphere of freedom that
hung over the entire campus。 School was winding down； and； for the senior class especially； there was a
perceptible thrill in the air。
Freedom was so close it was touchable； tasteable。 Signs of it were everywhere。 Posters crowded
together on the cafeteria walls； and the trashcans wore a colorful skirt of spilledover fliers： reminders to buy
yearbooks； class rings； and announcements； deadlines to order graduation gowns； hats； and tassels； neon
bright sales pitches — the juniors campaigning for class office； ominous； rosewreathed advertisements for this
year’s prom。 The big dance was this ing weekend； but I had an ironclad promise from Edward that I
would not be subjected to that again。 After all； I’d already had that human experience。
No； it must be my personal freedom that lightened me today。 The ending of the school year did not give
me the pleasure it seemed to give the other students。 Actually； I felt nervous to the point of nausea whenever I
thought of it。 I tried to not think of it。
But it was hard to escape such an omnipresent topic as graduation。
“Have you sent your announcements； yet？” Angela asked when Edward and I sat down at our table。 She
had her light brown hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail instead of her usual smooth hairdo； and there was a
slightly frantic look about her eyes。
Alice and Ben were already there； too； on either side of Angela。 Ben was intent over a ic book； his
glasses sliding down his narrow nose。 Alice was scrutinizing my boring jeansandatshirt outfit in a way that
made me selfconscious。 Probably plotting another makeover。 I sighed。 My indifferent attitude to fashion was
a constant thorn in her side。 If I’d allow it； she’d love to dress me every day — perhaps several times a day
— like some oversized threedimensional paper doll。
“No；” I answered Angela。 “There’s no point； really。 Renée knows when I’m graduating。 Who else is
there？”
“How about you； Alice？”
Alice smiled。 “All done。”
“Lucky you。” Angela sighed。 “My mother has a thousand cousins and she expects me to handaddress
one to everybody。 I’m going to get carpal tunnel。 I can’t put it off any longer and I’m just dreading it。”
“I’ll help you；” I volunteered。 “If you don’t mind my awful handwriting。”
Charlie would like that。 From the corner of my eye； I saw Edward smile。 He must like that； too — me
fulfilling Charlie’s conditions without involving werewolves。
Angela looked relieved。 “That’s so nice of you。 I’ll e over any time you want。”
“Actually； I’d rather go to your house if that’s okay — I’m sick of mine。 Charlie ungrounded me last
night。” I grinned as I announced my good news。
“Really？” Angela asked； mild excitement lighting her alwaysgentle brown eyes。 “I thought you said you
were in for life。”
“I’m more surprised than you are。 I was sure I would at least have finished high school before he set me
free。”
“Well； this is great； Bella！ We’ll have to go out to celebrate。”
“You have no idea how good that sounds。”
“What should we do？” Alice mused； her face lighting up at the possibilities。 Alice’s ideas were usually a
little grandiose for me； and I could see it in her eyes now — the tendency to take things too far kicking into
action。
“Whatever you’re thinking； Alice； I doubt I’m that free。”
“Free is free； right？” she insisted。
“I’m sure I still have boundaries — like the continental U。S。； for example。”
Angela and Ben laughed； but Alice grimaced in real disappointment。
“So what are we doing tonight？” she persisted。
“Nothing。 Look； let’s give it a couple of days to make sure he wasn’t joking。 It’s a school night； anyway。”
“We’ll celebrate this weekend； then。” Alice’s enthusiasm was impossible to repress。
“Sure；” I said； hoping to placate her。 I knew I