“No； you’ll look smart。 Smart enough not to get yourself hurt。” He threw the black thing； whatever it was；
over his arm and then took my face in his hands。 “There are things between my hands right now that I can’t
live without。 You could take care of them。”
“Okay； fine。 What’s that other thing？” I asked suspiciously。
He laughed and shook out some kind of padded jacket。 “It’s a riding jacket。 I hear road rash is quite
unfortable； not that I would know myself。”
He held it out for me。 With a deep sigh； I flipped my hair back and stuffed the helmet on my head。 Then I
shoved my arms through the sleeves of the jacket。 He zipped me in； a smile playing around the corners of his
lips； and took a step back。
I felt bulky。
“Be honest； how hideous do I look？”
He took another step back and pursed his lips。
“That bad； huh？” I muttered。
“No； no； Bella。 Actually 。 。 。” he seemed to be struggling for the right word。 “You look 。 。 。 sexy。”
I laughed out loud。 “Right。”
“Very sexy； really。”
“You are just saying that so that I’ll wear it；” I said。 “But that’s okay。 You’re right； it’s smarter。”
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest。 “You’re silly。 I suppose that’s part of
your charm。 Though； I’ll admit it； this helmet does have its drawbacks。”
And then he pulled the helmet off so that he could kiss me。
As Edward drove me toward La Push a little while later； I realized that this unprecedented situation felt oddly
familiar。 It took me a moment of thought to pinpoint the source of the déjà vu。
“You know what this reminds me of？” I asked。 “It’s just like when I was a kid and Renée would pass me
off to Charlie for the summer。 I feel like a sevenyearold。”
Edward laughed。
I didn’t mention it out loud； but the biggest difference between the two circumstances was that Renée and
Charlie had been on better terms。
About halfway to La Push； we rounded the corner and found Jacob leaning against the side of the red
Volkswagen he’d built for himself out of scraps。 Jacob’s carefully neutral expression dissolved into a smile
when I waved from the front seat。
Edward parked the Volvo thirty yards away。
“Call me whenever you’re ready to e home；” he said。 “And I’ll be here。”
“I won’t be out late；” I promised。
Edward pulled the bike and my new gear out of the trunk of his car — I’d been quite impressed that it had
all fit。 But it wasn’t so hard to manage when you were strong enough to juggle fullsized vans； let alone small
motorcycles。
Jacob watched； making no move to approach； his smile gone and his dark eyes indecipherable。
I tucked the helmet under my arm and threw the jacket across the seat。
“Do you have it all？” Edward asked。
“No problem；” I assured him。
He sighed and leaned toward me。 I turned my face up for a goodbye peck； but Edward took me by
surprise； fastening his arms tightly around me and kissing me with as much enthusiasm as he had in the garage
— before long； I was gasping for air。
Edward laughed quietly at something； and then let me go。
“Goodbye；” he said。 “I really do like the jacket。”
As I turned away from him； I thought I saw a flash of something in his eyes that I wasn’t supposed to see。
I couldn’t tell for sure what it was exactly。 Worry； maybe。 For a second I thought it was panic。 But I was
probably just making something out of nothing； as usual。
I could feel his eyes on my back as I pushed my bike toward the invisible vampirewerewolf treaty line to
meet Jacob。
“What’s all that？” Jacob called to me； his voice wary； scrutinizing the motorcycle with an enigmatic
expression。
“I thought I should put this back where it belongs；” I told him。
He pondered that for one short second； and then his wide smile stretched across his face。
I knew the exact point that I was in werewolf territory because Jacob shoved away from his car and loped
quickly over to me； closing the distance in three long strides。 He took the bike from me； balanced it on the
kickstand； and grabbed me up in another vicetight hug。
I heard the Volvo’s engine growl； and I struggled to get free。
“Cut it out； Jake！” I gasped breathlessly。
He laughed and set me down。 I turned to wave goodbye； but the silver car was already disappearing
around the curve in the road。
“Nice；” I mented； allowing some acid to leak into my voice。
His eyes widened in false innocence。 “What？”
“He’s being pretty dang pleasant about this； you don’t need to push your luck。”
He laughed again； louder than before — he found what I’d said very funny indeed。 I tried to see the joke
as he walked around the Rabbit to hold my door open for me。
“Bella；” he finally said — still chuckling — as he shut the door behind me； “you can’t push what you don’t
have。”
11。 LEGENDS
“ARE YOU GONNA EAT THAT HOT DOG？” PAUL ASKED JAcob； his eyes locked on the last remnant of the huge
meal the werewolves had consumed。
Jacob leaned back against my knees and toyed with the hot dog he had spitted on a straightened wire
hanger； the flames at the edge of the bonfire licked along its blistered skin。 He heaved a sigh and patted his
stomach。 It was somehow still flat； though I’d lost count of how many hot dogs he’d eaten after his tenth。 Not
to mention the supersized bag of chips or the twoliter bottle of root beer。
“I guess；” Jake said slowly。 “I’m so full I’m about to puke； but I think I can force it down。 I won’t enjoy it
at all； though。” He sighed again sadly。
Despite the fact that Paul had eaten at least as much as Jacob； he glowered and his hands balled up into
fists。
“Sheesh。” Jacob laughed。 “Kidding； Paul。 Here。”
He flipped the homemade skewer across the circle。 I expected it to land hotdogfirst in the sand； but Paul
caught it neatly on the right end without difficulty。
Hanging out with no one but extremely dexterous people all the time was going to give me a plex。
“Thanks； man；” Paul said； already over his brief fit of temper。
The fire crackled； settling lower toward the sand。 Sparks blew up in a sudden puff of brilliant orange
against the black sky。 Funny； I hadn’t noticed that the sun had set。 For the first time； I wondered how late it
had gotten。 I’d lost track of time pletely。
It was easier being with my Quileute friends than I’d expected。
While Jacob and I had dropped off my bike at the garage — and he had admitted ruefully that the helmet
was a good idea that he should have thought of himself — I’d started to worry about showing up with him at
the bonfire； wondering if the werewolves would consider me a traitor now。 Would they be angry with Jacob
for inviting me？ Would I ruin the party？
But when Jacob had towed me out of the forest to the clifftop meeting place — where the fire already
roared brighter than the cloudobscured sun — it had all been very casual and light。
“Hey； vampire girl！” Embry had greeted me loudly。 Quil had jumped up to give me a high five and kiss me
on the cheek。 Emily had squeezed my hand when we’d sat on the cool stone ground beside her and Sam。
Other than a few teasing plaints — mostly by Paul — about keeping the bloodsucker stench
downwind； I was treated like someone who belonged。
It wasn’t just kids in attendance； either。 Billy was here； his wheelchair stationed at what seemed the natural
head of the circle。 Beside him on a folding lawn chair； looking quite brittle； was Quil’s ancient； whitehaired
grandfather； Old Quil。 Sue Clearwater； widow of Charlie’s friend Harry； had a chair on his other side； her two
children； Leah and Seth； were also there； sitting on the ground like the rest of us。 This surprised me； but all
three were clearly in on the secret now。 From the way Billy and Old Quil spoke to Sue； it sounded to me like
she’d taken Harry’s place on the council。 Did that make her children automatic members of La Push’s most
secret society？
I wondered how horrible it was for Leah to sit across the circle from Sam and Emily。 Her lovely face
betrayed no emotion； but she never looked away from the flames。 Looking at the perfection of Leah’s
features； I couldn’t help but pare them to Emily’s ruined face。 What did Leah think of Emily’s scars； now
that she knew the truth behind them？ Did it seem like justice in her eyes？
Little Seth Clearwater wasn’t so little anymore。 With his huge； happy grin and his long； gangly build； he
reminded me very much of a younger Jacob。 The resemblance made me smile； and then sigh。 Was Seth
doomed to have his life change as drastically as the rest of these boys？ Was that future why he and his family
were allowed to be here？
The whole pack was there： Sam with his Emily； Paul； Embry； Quil； and Jared with Kim； the girl he’d
imprinted upon。
My first impression of Kim was that she was a nice girl； a little shy； and a little plain。 She had a wide face；
mostly cheekbones； with eyes too small to balance them out。 Her nose and mouth were both too broad for
traditional beauty。 Her flat black hair was thin and wispy in the wind that never seemed to let up atop the cliff。
That was my first impression。 But after a few hours of watching Jared watch Kim； I could no longer find
anything plain about the girl。
The way he stared at her！ It was like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time。 Like a collector finding
an undiscovered Da Vinci； like a mother looking into the face of her newborn child。
His wondering eyes made me see new things about her — how her skin looked like russetcolored silk in
the firelight； how the shape of her lips was a perfect double curve； how white her teeth were against them； how
long her eyelashes were； brushing her cheek when she looked down。
Kim’s skin sometimes darkened when she met Jared’s awed gaze； and her eyes would drop as if in
embarrassment； but she had a hard time keeping her eyes away from his for any length of time。
Watching them； I felt like I better understood what Jacob had told me about imprinting before — it’s
hard to resist that level of mitment and adoration。
Kim was nodding off now against Jared’s chest； his arms