“No harm done；” Jacob said； a taunting edge to his voice。
It was still cold； though not as cold as it had been。 I curled my arms around my chest。
“Here；” Edward said； calm again。 He took the parka off the floor and wrapped it over the top of my coat。
“That’s Jacob’s；” I objected。
“Jacob has a fur coat；” Edward hinted。
“I’ll just use the sleeping bag again； if you don’t mind。” Jacob ignored him； climbing around us and sliding
into the down bag。 “I wasn’t quite ready to wake up。 That wasn’t the best night’s sleep I ever had。”
“It was your idea；” Edward said impassively。
Jacob was curled up； his eyes already closed。 He yawned。 “I didn’t say it wasn’t the best night I’ve ever
spent。 Just that I didn’t get a lot of sleep。 I thought Bella was never going to shut up。”
I winced； wondering what might have e out of my mouth in my sleep。 The possibilities were horrifying。
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself；” Edward murmured。
Jacob’s dark eyes fluttered open。 “Didn’t you have a nice night； then？” he asked； smug。
“It wasn’t the worst night of my life。”
“Did it make the top ten？” Jacob asked with perverse enjoyment。
“Possibly。”
Jacob smiled and closed his eyes。
“But；” Edward went on； “if I had been able to take your place last night； it would not have made the top
ten of the best nights of my life。 Dream about that。”
Jacob’s eyes opened into a glare。 He sat up stiffly； his shoulders tense。
“You know what？ I think it’s too crowded in here。”
“I couldn’t agree more。”
I elbowed Edward in the ribs — probably giving myself a bruise。
“Guess I’ll catch up on my sleep later； then。” Jacob made a face。 “I need to talk to Sam anyway。”
He rolled to his knees and grabbed the door’s zipper。
Pain crackled down my spine and lodged in my stomach as I abruptly realized that this could be the last
time I would see him。 He was going back to Sam； back to fight the horde of bloodthirsty newborn vampires。
“Jake； wait —” I reached after him； my hand sliding down his arm。
He jerked his arm away before my fingers could find purchase。
“Please； Jake？ Won’t you stay？”
“No。”
The word was hard and cold。 I knew my face gave away my pain； because he exhaled and half a smile
softened his expression。
“Don’t worry about me； Bells。 I’ll be fine； just like I always am。” He forced a laugh。 “’Sides； you think I’m
going to let Seth go in my place — have all the fun and steal all the glory？ Right。” He snorted。
“Be careful —”
He shoved out of the tent before I could finish。
“Give it a rest； Bella；” I heard him mutter as he rezipped the door。
I listened for the sound of his retreating footsteps； but it was perfectly still。 No more wind。 I could hear
morning birdsong far away on the mountain； and nothing else。 Jacob moved in silence now。
I huddled in my coats； and leaned against Edward’s shoulder。 We were quiet for a long time。
“How much longer？” I asked。
“Alice told Sam it should be an hour or so；” Edward said； soft and bleak。
“We stay together。 No matter what。”
“No matter what；” he agreed； his eyes tight。
“I know；” I said。 “I’m terrified for them； too。”
“They know how to handle themselves；” Edward assured me； purposely making his voice light。 “I just hate
missing the fun。”
Again with the fun。 My nostrils flared。
He put his arm around my shoulder。 “Don’t worry；” he urged； and then he kissed my forehead。
As if there was any way to avoid that。 “Sure； sure。”
“Do you want me to distract you？” He breathed； running his cold fingers along my cheekbone。
I shivered involuntarily； the morning was still frosty。
“Maybe not right now；” he answered himself； pulling his hand away。
“There are other ways to distract me。”
“What would you like？”
“You could tell me about your ten best nights；” I suggested。 “I’m curious。”
He laughed。 “Try to guess。”
I shook my head。 “There’re too many nights I don’t know about。 A century of them。”
“I’ll narrow it down for you。 All of my best nights have happened since I met you。”
“Really？”
“Yes； really — and by quite a wide margin； too。”
I thought for a minute。 “I can only think of mine；” I admitted。
“They might be the same；” he encouraged。
“Well； there was the first night。 The night you stayed。”
“Yes； that’s one of mine； too。 Of course； you were unconscious for my favorite part。”
“That’s right；” I remembered。 “I was talking that night； too。”
“Yes；” he agreed。
My face got hot as I wondered again what I might have said while sleeping in Jacob’s arms。 I couldn’t
remember what I’d dreamed about； or if I’d dreamed at all； so that was no help。
“What did I say last night？” I whispered more quietly than before。
He shrugged instead of answering； and I winced。
“That bad？”
“Nothing too horrible；” he sighed。
“Please tell me。”
“Mostly you said my name； the same as usual。”
“That’s not bad；” I agreed cautiously。
“Near the end； though； you started mumbling some nonsense about ‘Jacob； my Jacob。’” I could hear the
pain； even in the whisper。 “Your Jacob enjoyed that quite a lot。”
I stretched my neck up； straining to reach my lips to the edge of his jaw。 I couldn’t see into his eyes。 He
was staring up at the ceiling of the tent。
“Sorry；” I murmured。 “That’s just the way I differentiate。”
“Differentiate？”
“Between Dr。 Jekyll and Mr。 Hyde。 Between the Jacob I like and the one who annoys the hell out of me；”
I explained。
“That makes sense。” He sounded slightly mollified。 “Tell me another favorite night。”
“Flying home from Italy。”
He frowned。
“Is that not one of yours？” I wondered。
“No； it is one of mine； actually； but I’m surprised it’s on your list。 Weren’t you under the ludicrous
impression I was just acting from a guilty conscience； and I was going to bolt as soon as the plane doors
opened？”
“Yes。” I smiled。 “But； still； you were there。”
He kissed my hair。 “You love me more than I deserve。”
I laughed at the impossibility of that idea。 “Next would be the night after Italy；” I continued。
“Yes； that’s on the list。 You were so funny。”
“Funny？” I objected。
“I had no idea your dreams were so vivid。 It took me forever to convince you that you were awake。”
“I’m still not sure；” I muttered。 “You’ve always seemed more like a dream than reality。 Tell me one of
yours； now。 Did I guess your first place？”
“No — that would be two nights ago； when you finally agreed to marry me。”
I made a face。
“That doesn’t make your list？”
I thought about the way he’d kissed me； the concession I’d gained； and changed my mind。 “Yes 。 。 。 it
does。 But with reservations。 I don’t understand why it’s so important to you。 You already had me forever。”
“A hundred years from now； when you’ve gained enough perspective to really appreciate the answer； I
will explain it to you。”
“I’ll remind you to explain — in a hundred years。”
“Are you warm enough？” he asked suddenly。
“I’m fine；” I assured him。 “Why？”
Before he could answer； the silence outside the tent was ripped apart by an earsplitting howl of pain。 The
sound ricocheted off the bare rock face of the mountain and filled the air so that it seared from every direction。
The howl tore through my mind like a tornado； both strange and familiar。 Strange because I’d never heard
such a tortured cry before。 Familiar because I knew the voice at once — I recognized the sound and
understood the meaning as perfectly as if I’d uttered it myself。 It made no difference that Jacob was not human
when he cried out。 I needed no translation。
Jacob was close。 Jacob had heard every word we’d said。 Jacob was in agony。
The howl choked off into a peculiar gurgled sob； and then it was quiet again。
I did not hear his silent escape； but I could feel it — I could feel the absence I had wrongly assumed
before； the empty space he left behind。
“Because your space heater has reached his limit；” Edward answered quietly。 “Truce over；” he added； so
low I couldn’t be sure that was really what he’d said。
“Jacob was listening；” I whispered。 It wasn’t a question。
“Yes。”
“You knew。”
“Yes。”
I stared at nothing； seeing nothing。
“I never promised to fight fair；” he reminded me quietly。 “And he deserves to know。”
My head fell into my hands。
“Are you angry with me？” he asked。
“Not you；” I whispered。 “I’m horrified at me。”
“Don’t torment yourself；” he pleaded。
“Yes；” I agreed bitterly。 “I should save my energy to torment Jacob some more。 I wouldn’t want to leave
any part of him unharmed。”
“He knew what he was doing。”
“Do you think that matters？” I was blinking back tears； and this was easy to hear in my voice。 “Do you
think I care whether it’s fair or whether he was adequately warned？ I’m hurting him。 Every time I turn
around； I’m hurting him again。” My voice was getting louder； more hysterical。 “I’m a hideous person。”
He wrapped his arms tightly around me。 “No； you’re not。”
“I am！ What’s wrong with me？” I struggled against his arms； and he let them drop。 “I have to go find him。”
“Bella； he’s already miles away； and it’s cold。”
“I don’t care。 I can’t just sit here。” I shrugged off Jacob’s parka； shoved my feet into my boots； and
crawled stiffly to the door； my legs felt numb。 “I have to — I have to 。 。 。” I didn’t know how to finishthe
sentence； didn’t know what there was to do； but I unzipped the door anyway； and climbed out into the bright；
icy morning。
There was less snow than I would have thought after the fury of last night’s storm。 Probably it had blown
away rather than melted in the sun that now shone low in the southeast； glancing off the snow that lingered and
stabbing at my unadjusted eyes。 The air still had a bite to it； but it was dead calm and slowly being more
seasonable as the sun rose higher。
Seth Clearwater was curled up on a patch of dry pine needles in the shadow of a thick spruce； his head on
his paws。 His sandcolored fur was almost invisible against the dead needles； but I could see the bright snow
reflect off hi