ferocity；　it　was　easy　to　see　the　terror　in　her　eyes。
  Edward　stepped　toward　her；　too；　and　I　clutched　at　his　arm；　frightened　for　the　woman。　But　when　he
  interrupted　her　tirade；　his　voice　took　me　by　surprise；　especially　considering　how　sharp　he'd　been　with　her
  when　she　wasn't　screeching　at　him。　It　was　low　now；　it　was　pleading。　Not　only　that；　but　the　sound　was
  different；　more　guttural；　the　cadence　off。　I　didn't　think　he　was　speaking　Portuguese　anymore。
  For　a　moment；　the　woman　stared　at　him　in　wonder；　and　then　her　eyes　narrowed　as　she　barked　out　a
  long　question　in　the　same　alien　tongue。
  I　watched　as　his　face　grew　sad　and　serious；　and　he　nodded　once。　She　took　a　quick　step　back　and
  crossed　herself。
  He　reached　out　to　her；　gesturing　toward　me　and　then　resting　his　hand　against　my　cheek。　She　replied
  angrily　again；　waving　her　hands　accusingly　toward　him；　and　then　gestured　to　him。　When　she　finished；　he
  pleaded　again　with　the　same　low；　urgent　voice。
  Her　expression　changed—she　stared　at　him　with　doubt　plain　on　her　face　as　he　spoke；　her　eyes
  repeatedly　flashing　to　my　confused　face。　He　stopped　speaking；　and　she　seemed　to　be　deliberating
  something。　She　looked　back　and　forth　between　the　two　of　us；　and　then；　unconsciously　it　seemed；　took　a
  step　forward。
  She　made　a　motion　with　her　hands；　miming　a　shape　like　a　balloon　jutting　out　from　her　stomach。　I　started
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  —did　her　legends　of　the　predatory　blood…drinker　include　this？　Could　she　possibly　know　something
  about　what　was　growing　inside　me？
  She　walked　a　few　steps　forward　deliberately　this　time　and　asked　a　few　brief　questions；　which　he
  responded　to　tensely。　Then　he　became　the　questioner—one　quick　query。　She　hesitated　and　then　slowly
  shook　her　head。　When　he　spoke　again；　his　voice　was　so　agonized　that　I　looked　up　at　him　in　shock。　His
  face　was　drawn　with　pain。
  In　answer；　she　walked　slowly　forward　until　she　was　close　enough　to　lay　her　small　hand　on　top　of　mine；
  over　my　stomach。　She　spoke　one　word　in　Portuguese。
  〃Morte；〃she　sighed　quietly。　Then　she　turned；　her　shoulders　bent　as　if　the　conversation　had　aged　her；　and
  left　the　room。
  I　knew　enough　Spanish　for　that　one。
  Edward　was　frozen　again；　staring　after　her　with　the　tortured　expression　fixed　on　his　face。　A　few
  moments　later；　I　heard　a　boat's　engine　putter　to　life　and　then　fade　into　the　distance。
  Edward　did　not　move　until　I　started　for　the　bathroom。　Then　his　hand　caught　my　shoulder。
  〃Where　are　you　going？〃　His　voice　was　a　whisper　of　pain。
  〃To　brush　my　teeth　again。〃
  〃Don't　worry　about　what　she　said。　It's　nothing　but　legends；　old　lies　for　the　sake　of　entertainment。〃
  〃I　didn't　understand　anything；〃　I　told　him；　though　it　wasn't　entirely　true。　As　if　I　could　discount　something
  because　it　was　a　legend。　My　life　was　circled　by　legend　on　every　side。　They　were　all　true。
  〃I　packed　your　toothbrush。　I'll　get　it　for　you。〃
  He　walked　ahead　of　me　to　the　bedroom。
  〃Are　we　leaving　soon？〃　I　called　after　him。
  〃As　soon　as　you're　done。〃
  He　waited　for　my　toothbrush　to　repack　it；　pacing　silently　around　the　bedroom。　I　handed　it　to　him　when　I
  was　finished。
  〃I'll　get　the　bags　into　the　boat。〃
  〃Edward—〃
  He　turned　back。　〃Yes？〃
  I　hesitated；　trying　to　think　of　some　way　to　get　a　few　seconds　alone。　〃Could　you。。。　pack　some　of　the
  food？　You　know；　in　case　I　get　hungry　again。〃
  〃Of　course；〃　he　said；　his　eyes　suddenly　soft。　〃Don't　worry　about　anything。　We'll　get　to　Carlisle　in　just　a
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  few　hours；　really。　This　will　all　be　over　soon。〃
  I　nodded；　not　trusting　my　voice。
  He　turned　and　left　the　room；　one　big　suitcase　in　each　hand。
  I　whirled　and　scooped　up　the　phone　he'd　left　on　the　counter。　It　was　very　unlike　him　to　forget　things—to
  forget　that　Gustavo　was　coming；　to　leave　his　phone　lying　here。　He　was　so　stressed　he　was　barely　himself。
  I　flipped　it　open　and　scrolled　through　the　preprogrammed　numbers。　I　was　glad　he　had　the　sound　turned
  off；　afraid　that　he　would　catch　me。　Would　he　be　at　the　boat　now？　Or　back　already？　Would　he　hear　me
  from　the　kitchen　if　I　whispered？
  I　found　the　number　I　wanted；　one　I　had　never　called　before　in　my　life。　I　pressed　the　〃send〃　button　and
  crossed　my　fingers。
  〃Hello？〃　the　voice　like　golden　wind　chimes　answered。
  〃Rosalie？〃　I　whispered。　〃It's　Bella。　Please。　You　have　to　help　me。〃
  BOOK　TWO
  Jacob
  And　yet；　to　say　the　truth；　reason　and　love　keep　little　company　together　nowadays。
  William　Shakespeare
  A　Midsummer　Night's　Dream
  Act　III；　Scene　i
  PREFACE　Life　sucks；　and　then　you　die。
  Yeah；　I　should　be　so　lucky。
  8。　WAITING　FOR　THE　DAMN　FIGHT　TO　START　ALREADY
  〃Jeez；　Paul；　don't　you　freaking　have　a　home　of　your　own？〃
  Paul；　lounging　across　my　whole　couch；　watching　some　stupid　baseball　game　on　my　crappy　TV；　just
  grinned　at　me　and　then—real　slow—he　lifted　one　Dorito　from　the　bag　in　his　lap　and　wedged　it　into　his
  mouth　in　one　piece。
  〃You　betterVe　brought　those　with　you。〃
  Crunch。　〃Nope；〃　he　said　while　chewing。　〃Your　sister　said　to　go　ahead　and　help　myself　to　anything　I
  wanted。〃
  I　tried　to　make　my　voice　sound　like　I　wasn't　about　to　punch　him。　〃Is　Rachel　here　now？〃
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  It　didn't　work。　He　heard　where　I　was　going　and　shoved　the　bag　behind　his　back。　The　bag　crackled　as　he
  smashed　it　into　the　cushion。　The　chips　crunched　into　pieces。　Paul's　hands　came　up　in　fists；　close　to　his
  face　like　a　boxer。
  〃Bring　it；　kid。　I　don't　need　Rachel　to　protect　me。〃
  I　snorted。　〃Right。　Like　you　wouldn't　go　crying　to　her　first　chance。〃
  He　laughed　and　relaxed　into　the　sofa；　dropping　his　hands。　〃I'm　not　going　to　go　tattle　to　a　girl。　If　you　got
  in　a　lucky　hit；　that　would　be　just　between　the　two　of　us。　And　vice　versa；　right？〃
  Nice　of　him　to　give　me　an　invitation。　I　made　my　body　slump　like　I'd　given　up。　〃Right。〃
  His　eyes　shifted　to　the　TV。
  I　lunged。
  His　nose　made　a　very　satisfying　crunching　sound　of　its　own　when　my　fist　connected。　He　tried　to　grab　me；
  but　I　danced　out　of　the　way　before　he　could　find　a　hold；　the　ruined　bag　of　Doritos　in　my　left　hand。
  〃You　broke　my　nose；　idiot。〃
  〃Just　between　us；　right；　Paul？〃
  I　went　to　put　the　chips　away。　When　I　turned　around；　Paul　was　repositioning　his　nose　before　it　could　set
  crooked。
  The　blood　had　already　stopped；　it　looked　like　it　had　no　source　as　it　trickled　down　his　lips　and　off　his
  chin。　He　cussed；　wincing　as　he　pulled　at　the　cartilage。
  〃You　are　such　a　pain；　Jacob。　I　swear；　I'd　rather　hang　out　with　Leah。〃
  〃Ouch。　Wow；　I　bet　Leah's　really　going　to　love　to　hear　that　you　want　to　spend　some　quality　time　with　her。
  It'll　just　warm　the　cockles　of　her　heart。〃
  〃You're　going　to　forget　I　said　that。〃
  〃Of　course。　I'm　sure　it　won't　slip　out。〃
  〃Ugh；〃　he　grunted；　and　then　settled　back　into　the　couch；　wiping　the　leftover　blood　on　the　collar　of　his
  t…shirt。　〃You're　fast；　kid。I'll　give　you　that。〃　He　turned　his　attention　back　to　the　fuzzy　game。
  I　stood　there　for　a　second；　and　then　I　stalked　off　to　my　room；　muttering　about　alien　abductions。
  Back　in　the　day；　you　could　count　on　Paul　for　a　fight　pretty　much　whenever。　You　didn't　have　to　hit　him
  then—any　mild　insult　would　do。　It　didn't　take　a　lot　to　flip　him　out　of　control。　Now；　of　course；　when　I
  really　wanted　a　good　snarling；　ripping；　break…the…trees…down　match；　he　had　to　be　all　mellow。
  Wasn't　it　bad　enough　that　yet　another　member　of　the　pack　had　imprinted—because；　really；　that　made
  four　of　ten　now！　When　would　it　stop？　Stupid　myth　was　supposed　to　be　rare；　for　crying　out　loud！　All　this
  mandatory　love…at…first…sight　was　completely　sickening！
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  Did　it　have　to　be　my　sister？　Did　it　have　to　be　Paul？
  When　Rachel'd　come　home　from　Washington　State　at　the　end　of　the　summer　semester—graduated
  early；　the　nerd—my　biggest　worry'd　been　that　it　would　be　hard　keeping　the　secret　around　her。　I　wasn't
  used　to　covering　things　up　in　my　own　home。　It　made　me　real　sympathetic　to　kids　like　Embry　and　Collin；
  whose　parents　didn't　know　they　were　werewolves。　Embry's　mom　thought　he　was　going　through　some
  kind　of　rebellious　stage。　He　was　permanently　grounded　for　constantly　sneaking　out；　but；　of　course；　there
  wasn't　much　he　could　do　about　that。　She'd　check　his　room　every　night；　and　every　night　it　would　be　empty
  again。　She'd　yell　and　he'd　take　it　in　silence；　and　then　go　through　it　all　again　the　next　day。　We'd　tried　to
  talk　Sam　int