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the wolves could have
survived a match…up with Laurent
〃Are you sure that's what happened to them？〃 I asked。
〃Afraid so； honey。 There was—〃 He hesitated。 〃There were tracks again； and
some blood this time。〃
〃Oh！〃 It must not have e to a confrontation； then。 Laurent must have simply
outrun the wolves； but
why？ What I'd seen in the meadow just got stranger and stranger—more
impossible to understand。
〃Look； I really have to go。 Don't worry about Jake； Bella。 I'm sure it's
nothing。〃
〃Fine；〃 I said curtly； frustrated as his words reminded me of the more urgent
crisis at hand。 〃Bye。〃 I hang
up。
I stared at the phone for a long minute。 What the hell； I decided。
Billy answered after two rings。
〃Hello？〃
〃Hey； Billy；〃 I almost growled。 I tried to sound more friendly as I continued。
〃Can I talk to Jacob；
please？〃
〃Jake's not here。〃
What a shock。 〃Do you know where he is？〃
〃He's out with his friends。〃 Billy's voice was careful。
〃Oh yeah？ Anyone I know？ Quil？〃 I could tell the words didn't e across as
casually as I'd meant
them to。
〃No；〃 Billy said slowly。 〃I don't think he's with Quil today。〃
I knew better than to mention Sam's name。
〃Embry？〃 I asked。
Billy seemed happier to answer this one。 〃Yeah； he's with Embry。〃
That was enough for me。 Embry was one of them。
〃Well； have him call me when he gets in； all right？〃
〃Sure； sure。 No problem。〃 Click。
〃See you soon； Billy；〃 I muttered into the dead phone。
I drove to La Push determined to wait。 I'd sit out front of his house all
night if I had to。 I'd miss school。
The boy was going to have to e home sometime； and when he did； he was going
to have to talk to
me。
My mind was so preoccupied that the trip I'd been terrified of making seemed
to take only a few
seconds。 Before I was expecting it； the forest began to thin； and I knew I
would soon be able to see the
first little houses of the reservation。
Walking away； along the left side of the road； was a tall boy with a baseball
cap。
My breath caught for just a moment in my throat； hopeful that luck was with me
for once； and I'd
srumbled across Jacob without hardly trying。 But this boy was too wide； and
the hair was short under the
hat。 Even from behind； I was sure it was Quil； though he looked bigger than
the last time I'd seen him。
What was with these Quileute boys？ Were they feeding them experimental growth
hormones？
I crossed over to the wrong side of the road to stop next to him。 He looked up
when the roar of my
truck approached。
Quil's expression frightened me more than it surprised me。 His face was bleak；
brooding； his forehead
creased with worry。
〃Oh； hey； Bella；〃 he greeted me dully。
〃Hi； Quil Are you okay？〃
He stared at me morosely。 〃Fine。〃
〃Can I give you a ride somewhere？〃 I offered。
〃Sure； I guess；〃 he mumbled。 He shuffled around the front of the truck and
opened the passenger door to
climbin。
〃Where to？〃
〃My house is on the north side； back behind the store；〃 he told me。
〃Have you seen Jacob today。〃 The question burst from me almost before he'd
finished speaking。
I looked at Quil eagerly； waiting for his answer。 He stared out the windshield
for a second before he
spoke。 〃From a distance；〃 he finally said。
〃A distance？〃 I echoed。
〃I tried to follow them—he was with Embry。〃 His voice was low； hard to hear
over the engine。 I leaned
closer。 〃I know they saw me。 But they turned and just disappeared into the
trees。 I don't think they were
alone—I think Sam and his crew might have been with them。
〃I've been stumbling around in the forest for an hour； yelling for them。 I
just barely found the road again
when you drove up。〃
〃So Sam did get to him。〃 The words were a little distorted—my teeth were
gritted together。
Quil stared at me。 〃You know about that。？〃
I nodded。 〃Jake told me before。〃
〃Before；〃 Quil repeated； and sighed。
〃Jacob's just as bad as the others now？〃
〃Never leaves Sam's side。〃 Quil turned his head and spit out the open window。
〃And before that—did he avoid everyone？ Was he acting upset？〃
His voice was low and rough。 〃Not for as long as the others。 Maybe one day。
Then Sam caught up with
him。〃
〃What do you think it is？ Drugs or something？〃
〃I can't see Jacob or Embry getting into anything like that but what do I
know？ What else could it be？
And why aren't the old people worried？〃 He shook his head； and the fear showed
in his eyes now。
〃Jacob didn't want to be a part of this cult。 I don't understand what could
change him。〃 He stared at
me； his face frightened。 〃I don't want to be next。〃
My eyes mirrored his fear。 That was the second time I'd heard it described as
a cult。 I shivered。 〃Are
your parents any help？〃
He grimaced。 〃Right。 My grandfather's on the council with Jacob's dad。 Sam
Uley is the best thing that
ever happened to this place； as far as he's concerned。〃
We stared at each other for a prolonged moment。 We were in La Push now； and my
truck was barely
crawling along the empty road。 I could see the village's only store not too
far ahead。
〃I'll get out now；〃 Quil said。 〃My house is right over there。〃 He gestured
toward the small wooden
rectangle behind the store。 I pulled over to the shoulder； and he jumped out。
〃I'm going to go wait for Jacob；〃 I told him in a hard voice。
〃Good luck。〃 He slammed the door and shuffled forward along the road； his head
bent forward； his
shoulders slumped。
Quil's face haunted me as I made a wide U…turn and headed back toward the
Blacks'。 He was terrified
of being next。 What was happening here？
I stopped in front of Jacob's house； killing the motor and rolling down the
windows。 It was stuffy today；
no breeze。 I put my feet up on the dashboard and settled in to wait。
A movement flashed in my peripheral vision—I turned and spotted Billy looking
at me through the front
window with a confused expression。 I waved once and smiled a tight smile； but
stayed where I was。
His eyes narrowed； he let the curtain fall across the glass。
I was prepared to stay as long as it took； but I wished I had something to do。
I dug up a pen out of the
bottom of my backpack； and an old test。 I started to doodle on the back of the
scrap。
I'd only had time to scrawl one row of diamonds when there was a sharp tap
against my door。
I jumped； looking up； expecting Billy。
〃What are you doing here； Bella。'〃 Jacob growled。
I stared at him in blank astonishment。
Jacob had changed radically in the last weeks since I'd seen him。 The first
thing I noticed was his
hair—his beautiful hair was all gone； cropped quite short； covering his head
with an inky gloss like black
satin。 The planes of his face seemed to have hardened subtly； tightened
aged。 His neck and his
shoulders were different； too； thicker somehow。 His hands； where they gripped
the window frame；
looked enormous； with the tendons and veins more prominent under the russet
skin。 But the physical
changes were insignificant。
It was his expression that made him almost pletely unrecognizable。 The
open； friendly smile was gone
like the hair； the warmth in his dark eyes altered to a brooding resentment
that was instantly disturbing。
There was a darkness in Jacob now。 Like my sun had imploded。
〃Jacob？〃 I whispered。
He just stared at me； his eyes tense and angry。
I realized we weren't alone。 Behind him stood four others； all tall and
russet…skinned； black hair chopped
short just like Jacob's。 They could have been brothers—I couldn't even pick
Embry out of the group。
The resemblance was only intensified by the strikingly similar hostility in
every pair of eyes。
Every pair but one。 The oldest by several years； Sam stood in the very back；
his face serene and sure。 I
had to swallow back the bile that rose in my throat。 I wanted to take a swing
at him。 No； I wanted to do
more than that。 More than anything； I wanted to be fierce and deadly； someone
no one would dare mess
with。 Someone who would scare Sam Uley silly。
I wanted to be a vampire。
The violent desire caught me off guard and knocked the wind out of me。 It was
the most forbidden of all
wishes—even when I only wished it for a malicious reason like this； to gain
an advantage over an
enemy—because it was the most painful。 That future was lost to me forever；
had never really been within
my grasp。 I scrambled to gain control of myself while the hole in my chest
ached hollowly。
〃What do you want？〃 Jacob demanded； his expression growing more resentful as
he watched the play of
emotion across my face。
〃I want to talk to you；〃 I said in a weak voice。 I tried to focus； but I was
still reeling against the escape of
my taboo dream。
〃Go ahead；〃 he hissed through his teeth。 His glare was vicious。 I'd never seen
him look at anyone like
that； least of all me。 It hurt with a surprising intensity—a physical pain； a
stabbing in my head。
〃Alone！〃 I hissed； and my voice was stronger。
He looked behind him； and I knew where his eyes would go。 Every one of them
was turned for Sam's
reaction。
Sam nodded once； his face unperturbed。 He made a brief ment in an
unfamiliar； liquid lan