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  〃Right；〃　he　murmured。
  Sorry　I　didn't　do　any　good　today。　Told　you　she　wouldn't　listen　to　me。
  〃I　know。　I　never　really　believed　she　would。　But。。。〃
  You　had　to　try。　I　get　it。　She　any　better？
  His　voice　and　eyes　went　hollow。　〃Worse；〃　he　breathed。
  I　didn't　want　to　let　that　word　sink　in。　I　was　grateful　when　Alice　spoke。
  〃Jacob；　would　you　mind　switching　forms？〃　Alice　asked。　〃I　want　to　know　what's　going　on。〃
  I　shook　my　head　at　the　same　time　Edward　answered。
  〃He　needs　to　stay　linked　to　Seth。〃
  〃Well；　then　would　you　be　so　kind　as　to　tell　me　what's　happening？〃
  He　explained　in　clipped；　emotionless　sentences。　〃The　pack　thinks　Bella's　become　a　problem。　They
  foresee　potential　danger　from　the。。。　from　what　she's　carrying。　They　feel　it's　their　duty　to　remove　that
  danger。　Jacob　and　Seth　disbanded　from　the　pack　to　warn　us。　The　rest　are　planning　to　attack　tonight。〃
  Alice　hissed；　leaning　away　from　me。　Emmett　and　Jasper　exchanged　a　glance；　and　then　their　eyes　ranged
  across　the　trees。
  Nobody　out　here；Seth　reported。　All's　quiet　on　the　western　front
  They　may　go　around。
  I'll　make　a　loop。
  〃Carlisle　and　Esme　are　on　their　way；〃　Emmett　said。　〃Twenty　minutes；　tops。〃
  〃We　should　take　up　a　defensive　position；〃　Jasper　said。
  Edward　nodded。　〃Let's　get　inside。〃
  /'//　run　perimeter　with　Seth。　If　I　get　too　far　for　you　to　hear　my　head；　listen　for　my　howl。
  〃Iwill。〃
  They　backed　into　the　house；　eyes　flickering　everywhere。　Before　they　were　inside；　I　turned　and　ran
  toward　the　west。
  I'm　still　not　finding　much；Seth　told　me。
  /'//　take　half　the　circle。　Move　fast—　we　don't　want　them　to　have　a　chance　to　sneak　past　us。
  Seth　lurched　forward　in　a　sudden　burst　of　speed。
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  We　ran　in　silence；　and　the　minutes　passed。　I　listened　to　the　noises　around　him；　double…checking　his
  judgment。
  Hey　—something　coming　up　fast！he　warned　me　after　fifteen　minutes　of　silence。
  On　my　way！
  Hold　your　position—/　don't　think　it's　the　pack。　It　sounds　different。
  Seth　—
  But　he　caught　the　approaching　scent　on　the　breeze；　and　I　read　it　in　his　mind。
  Vampire。　Bet　it's　Carlisle。
  Seth；　fall　back。　It　might　be　someone　else。
  No；　it's　them。　I　recognize　the　scent　Hold　up；　I'm　going　to　phase　to　explain　it　to　them。
  Seth；　I　don't　think　—
  But　he　was　gone。
  Anxiously；　I　raced　along　the　western　border。　Wouldn't　it　be　just　peachy　if　I　couldn't　take　care　of　Seth
  for　one　freaking　night？　What　if　something　happened　to　him　on　my　watch？　Leah　would　shred　me　into
  kibble。
  At　least　the　kid　kept　it　short。　It　wasn't　two　minutes　later　when　I　felt　him　in　my　head　again。
  Yep；　Carlisle　and　Esme。　Boy；　were　they　surprised　to　see　me！　They're　probably　inside　by　now。　Carlisle
  said　thanks。
  He's　a　good　guy。
  Yeah。　That's　one　of　the　reasons　why　we're　right　about　this。
  Hope　so。
  Why're　you　so　down；　Jake？　I'll　bet　Sam　won't　bring　the　pack　tonight。　He's　not　going　to　launch　a　suicide
  mission。
  I　sighed。　It　didn't　seem　to　matter；　either　way。
  Oh。　This　isn't　about　Sam　so　much；　is　it？
  I　made　the　turn　at　the　end　of　my　patrol。　I　caught　Seth's　scent　where　he'd　turned　last。　We　weren't　leaving
  any　gaps。
  You　think　Bella's　going　to　die　anyway；Seth　whispered。
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  Yeah；　she　is。
  Poor　Edward。　He　must　be　crazy。
  Literally。
  Edward's　name　brought　other　memories　boiling　to　the　surface。　Seth　read　them　in　astonishment。
  And　then　he　was　howling。　Oh；　man！　No　way！　You　did　not/　That　just　plain　oT　sucks　rocks；　Jacob！
  And　you　know　it；　too！　I　can't　believe　you　said　you'd　kill　him。　What　is　that？　You　have　to　tell　him　no。
  Shut　up；　shut　up；　you　idiot！　They're　going　to　think　the　pack　is　coming！
  Oops！He　cut　off　mid…howl。
  I　wheeled　and　started　loping　in　toward　the　house。　Just　keep　out　of　this；　Seth。　Take　the　whole　circle
  for　now。
  Seth　seethed　and　I　ignored　him。
  False　alarm；　false　alarm；I　thoughtas　I　ran　closer　in。　Sorry。　Seth　is　young。　He　forgets　things。　No　one's
  attacking。　False　alarm。
  When　I　got　to　the　meadow；　I　could　see　Edward　staring　out　of　a　dark　window。　I　ran　in；　wanting　to　be
  sure　he　got　the　message。
  There's　nothing　out　there—　you　got　that？
  He　nodded　once。
  This　would　be　a　lot　easier　if　the　communication　wasn't　one　way。　Then　again；　I　was　kinda　glad　I　wasn't　in
  his　head。
  He　looked　over　his　shoulder；　back　into　the　house；　and　I　saw　a　shudder　run　through　his　whole　frame。　He
  waved　me　away　without　looking　in　my　direction　again　and　then　moved　out　of　my　view。
  What's　going　on？
  Like　I　was　going　to　get　an　answer。
  I　sat　very　still　in　the　meadow　and　listened。　With　these　ears；　I　could　almost　hear　SetlYs　soft　footfalls；
  miles　out　into　the　forest。　It　was　easy　to　hear　every　sound　inside　the　dark　house。
  〃It　was　a　false　alarm；〃　Edward　was　explaining　in　that　dead　voice；　just　repeating　what　I'd　told　him。　〃Seth
  was　upset　about　something　else；　and　he　forgot　we　were　listening　for　a　signal。　He's　very　young。〃
  〃Nice　to　have　toddlers　guarding　the　fort；〃　a　deeper　voice　grumbled。　Emmett；　I　thought。
  〃They've　done　us　a　great　service　tonight；　Emmett；〃　Carlisle　said。　〃At　great　personal　sacrifice。〃
  〃Yeah；　I　know。　I'm　just　jealous。　Wish　I　was　out　there。〃
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  〃Seth　doesn't　think　Sam　will　attack　now；〃　Edward　said　mechanically。　〃Not　with　us　forewarned；　and
  lacking　two　members　of　the　pack。〃
  〃What　does　Jacob　think？〃　Carlisle　asked。
  〃He'snot　as　optimistic。〃
  No　one　spoke。　There　was　a　quiet　dripping　sound　that　I　couldn't　place。　I　heard　their　low　breathing—and
  I　could　separateBella's　from　the　rest。　It　was　harsher；　labored。　It　hitched　and　broke　in　strange　rhythms。　I
  could　hear　her　heart。　It　seemed。。。　too　fast。　I　paced　it　against　my　own　heartbeat；　but　I　wasn't　sure　if　that
  was　any　measure。　It　wasn't　like　I　was　normal。
  〃Don't　touch　her！　You'll　wake　her　up；〃　Rosalie　whispered。
  Someone　sighed。
  〃Rosalie；〃　Carlisle　murmured。
  〃Don't　start　with　me；　Carlisle。　We　let　you　have　your　way　earlier；　but　that's　all　we're　allowing。〃
  It　seemed　like　Rosalie　and　Bella　were　both　talking　in　plurals　now。　Like　they'd　formed　a　pack　of　their
  own。
  I　paced　quietly　in　front　of　the　house。　Each　pass　brought　me　a　little　closer。　The　dark　windows　were　like　a
  TV　set　running　in　some　dull　waiting　room—it　was　impossible　to　keep　my　eyes　off　them　for　long。
  A　few　more　minutes；　a　few　more　passes；　and　my　fur　was　brushing　the　side　of　the　porch　as　I　paced。
  I　couldsee　up　through　the　windows—see　the　top　of　the　walls　and　the　ceiling；　the　unlit　chandelier　that
  hung　there。　I　was　tall　enough　thatall　I　would　have　to　do　was　stretch　my　neck　a　little。。。　and　maybe　one
  paw　up　on　the　edge　of　the　porch。。。。
  I　peeked　into　the　big；　open　front　room；　expecting　to　see　something　very　similar　to　the　scene　this
  afternoon。　But　it　had　changed　so　much　that　I　was　confused　at　first。　For　a　second　I　thought　I'd　gotten　the
  wrong　room。
  The　glass　wall　was　gone—it　looked　like　metal　now。　And　the　furniture　was　all　dragged　out　of　the　way；
  withBella　curled　up　awkwardly　on　a　narrow　bed　in　the　center　of　the　open　space。　Not　a　normal
  bed—one　with　rails　like　in　a　hospital。　Also　like　a　hospital　were　the　monitors　strapped　to　her　body；　the
  tubes　stuck　into　her　skin。　The　lights　on　the　monitors　flashed；　but　there　was　no　sound。　The　dripping　noise
  was　from　the　IV　plugged　into　her　arm—some　fluid　that　was　thick　and　white；　not　clear。
  She　choked　a　little　in　her　uneasy　sleep；　and　both　Edward　and　Rosalie　moved　in　to　hover　over　her。　Her
  body
  jerked；　and　she　whimpered。　Rosalie　smoothed　her　hand　across　Bella's　forehead。　Edward's　body
  stiffened—his　back　was　to　me；　but　his　expression　must　have　been　something　to　see；　because　Emmett
  wrenched　himself　between　them　before　there　was　time　to　blink。　He　held　his　hands　up　to　Edward。
  〃Not　tonight；　Edward。　We've　got　other　things　to　worry　about。〃
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  Edward　turned　away　from　them；　and　he　was　the　burning　man　again。　His　eyes　met　mine　for　one　moment；
  and　then　I　dropped　back　to　all　fours。
  I　ran　back　into　the　dark　forest；　running　to　join　Seth；　running　away　from　what　was　behind　me。
  Worse。　Yes；　she　was　worse。
  12。　SOME　PEOPLE　JUST　DON'T　GRASP　THE　CONCEPT　OF　〃UNWELCOME〃
  I　was　right　on　the　edge　of　sleep。
  The　sun　had　risen　behind　the　clouds　an　hour　ago—the　forest　was　gray　now　instead　of　black。　S