I almost smiled.
"What do you think?"
"I think it's all connected. Not just the two, but all three."
"You've lost me."
"Three bad things have happened since you came back." I ticked them off on my fingers. "The newborns in Seattle. The stranger in my room. And -- first of all -- Victoria came to look for me."
His eyes narrowed as he thought about it. "Why do you think so?"
"Because I agree with Jasper -- the Volturi love their rules. They would probably do a better job anyway." And I'd be dead if they wanted me dead, I added mentally. "Remember when you were tracking Victoria last year?"
"Yes." He frowned. "I wasn't very good at it."
"Alice said you were in Texas. Did you follow her there?"
His eyebrows pulled together. "Yes. Hmm . . ."
"See -- she could have gotten the idea there. But she doesn't know what she's doing, so the newborns are all out of control."
He started shaking his head. "Only Aro knows exactly how Alice's visions work."
"Aro would know best, but wouldn't Tanya and Irina and the rest of your friends in Denali know enough? Laurent lived with them for so long. And if he was still friendly enough with Victoria to be doing favors for her, why wouldn't he also tell her everything he knew?"
Edward frowned. "It wasn't Victoria in your room."
"She can't make new friends? Think about it, Edward. If it is Victoria doing this in Seattle, she's made a lot of new friends. She's created them."
He considered it, his forehead creased in concentration.
"Hmm," he finally said. "It's possible. I still think the Volturi are most likely . . . But your theory -- there's something there. Victoria's personality. Your theory suits her personality perfectly. She's shown a remarkable gift for self-preservation from the start -- maybe it's a talent of hers. In any case, this plot would put her in no danger at all from us, if she sits safely behind and lets the newborns wreak their havoc here. And maybe little danger from the Volturi, either. Perhaps she's counting on us to win, in the end, though certainly not without heavy casualties of our own. But no survivors from her little army to bear witness against her. In fact," he continued, thinking it through, "if there were survivors, I'd bet she'd be planning to destroy them herself. . . . Hmm. Still, she'd have to have at least one friend who was a bit more mature. No fresh-made newborn left your father alive. . . ."
He frowned into space for a long moment, and then suddenly smiled at me, coming back from his reverie. "Definitely possible. Regardless, we've got to be prepared for anything until we know for sure. You're very perceptive today," he added. "It's impressive."
I sighed. "Maybe I'm just reacting to this place. It makes me feel like she's close by . . . like she sees me now."
His jaw muscles tensed at the idea. "She'll never touch you, Bella," he said.
In spite of his words, his eyes swept carefully across the dark trees. While he searched their shadows, the strangest expression crossed his face. His lips pulled back over his teeth and his eyes shone with an odd light -- a wild, fierce kind of hope.
"Yet, what I wouldn't give to have her that close," he murmured. "Victoria, and anyone else who's ever thought of hurting you. To have the chance to end this myself. To finish it with my own hands this time."
I shuddered at the ferocious longing in his voice, and clenched his fingers more tightly with mine, wishing I was strong enough to lock our hands together permanently.
We were almost to his family, and I noticed for the first time that Alice did not look as optimistic as the others. She stood a little aside, watching Jasper stretching his arms as if he were warming up to exercise, her lips pushed out in a pout.
"Is something wrong with Alice?" I whispered.
Edward chuckled, himself again. "The werewolves are on their way, so she can't see anything that will happen now. It makes her uncomfortable to be blind."
Alice, though the farthest from us, heard his low voice. She looked up and stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed again.
"Hey, Edward," Emmett greeted him. "Hey, Bella. Is he going to let you practice, too?"
Edward groaned at his brother. "Please, Emmett, don't give her any ideas."
"When will our guests arrive?" Carlisle asked Edward.
Edward concentrated for a moment, and then sighed. "A minute and a half. But I'm going to have to translate. They don't trust us enough to use their human forms."
Carlisle nodded. "This is hard for them. I'm grateful they're coming at all."
I stared at Edward, my eyes stretched wide. "They're coming as wolves?"
He nodded, cautious of my reaction. I swallowed once, remembering the two times I'd seen Jacob in his wolf form -- the first time in the meadow with Laurent, the second time on the forest lane where Paul had gotten angry at me. . . . They were both memories of terror.
A strange gleam came into Edward's eyes, as though something had just occurred to him, something that was not altogether unpleasant. He turned away quickly, before I could see any more, back to Carlisle and the others.
"Prepare yourselves -- they've been holding out on us."
"What do you mean?" Alice demanded.
"Shh," he cautioned, and stared past her into the darkness.
The Cullens' informal circle suddenly widened out into a loose line with Jasper and Emmett at the spear point. From the way Edward leaned forward next to me, I could tell that he wished he was standing beside them. I tightened my hand around his.
I squinted toward the forest, seeing nothing.
"Damn," Emmett muttered under his breath. "Did you ever see anything like it?"
Esme and Rosalie exchanged a wide-eyed glance.
"What is it?" I whispered as quietly as I could. "I can't see."
"The pack has grown," Edward murmured into my ear.
Hadn't I told him that Quil had joined the pack? I strained to see the six wolves in the gloom. Finally, something glittered in the blackness -- their eyes, higher up than they should be. I'd forgotten how very tall the wolves were. Like horses, only thick with muscle and fur -- and teeth like knives, impossible to overlook.
I could only see the eyes. And as I scanned, straining to see more, it occurred to me that there were more than six pairs facing us. One, two, three . . . I counted the pairs swiftly in my head. Twice.
There were ten of them.
"Fascinating," Edward murmured almost silently.
Carlisle took a slow, deliberate step forward. It was a careful movement, designed to reassure.
"Welcome," he greeted the invisible wolves.
"Thank you," Edward responded in a strange, flat tone, and I realized at once that the words came from Sam. I looked to the eyes shining in the center of the line, the highest up, the tallest of them all. It was impossible to separate the shape of the big black wolf from the darkness.
Edward spoke again in the same detached voice, speaking Sam's words. "We will watch and listen, but no more. That is the most we can ask of our self-control."
"That is more than enough," Carlisle answered. "My son Jasper" -- he gestured to where Jasper stood, tensed and ready -- "has experience in this area. He will teach us how they fight, how they are to be defeated. I'm sure you can apply this to your own hunting style."
"They are different from you?" Edward asked for Sam.
Carlisle nodded. "They are all very new -- only months old to this life. Children, in a way. They will have no skill or strategy, only brute strength. Tonight their numbers stand at twenty. Ten for us, ten for you -- it shouldn't be difficult. The numbers may go down. The new ones fight amongst themselves."
A rumble passed down the shadowy line of wolves, a low growling mutter that somehow managed to sound enthusiastic.
"We are willing to take more than our share, if necessary," Edward translated, his tone less indifferent now.
Carlisle smiled. "We'll see how it plays out."
"Do you know when and how they'll a
rrive?"
"They'll come across the mountains in four days, in the late morning. As they approach, Alice will help us intercept their path."
"Thank you for the information. We will watch."
With a sighing sound, the eyes sank closer to the ground one set at a time.
It was silent for two heartbeats, and then Jasper took a step into the empty space between the vampires and the wolves. It wasn't hard for me to see him -- his skin was as bright against the darkness as the wolves' eyes. Jasper threw a wary glance toward Edward, who nodded, and then Jasper turned his back to the werewolves. He sighed, clearly uncomfortable.
"Carlisle's right." Jasper spoke only to us; he seemed to be trying to ignore the audience behind him. "They'll fight like children. The two most important things you'll need to remember are, first, don't let them get their arms around you and, second, don't go for the obvious kill. That's all they'll be prepared for. As long as you come at them from the side and keep moving, they'll be too confused to respond effectively. Emmett?"
Emmett stepped out of the line with a huge smile.
Jasper backed toward the north end of the opening between the allied enemies. He waved Emmett forward.
"Okay, Emmett first. He's the best example of a newborn attack."
Emmett's eyes narrowed. "I'll try not to break anything," he muttered.
Jasper grinned. "What I meant is that Emmett relies on his strength. He's very straightforward about the attack. The newborns won't be trying anything subtle, either. Just go for the easy kill, Emmett."
Jasper backed up a few more paces, his body tensing.
"Okay, Emmett -- try to catch me."
And I couldn't see Jasper anymore -- he was a blur as Emmett charged him like a bear, grinning while he snarled. Emmett was impossibly quick, too, but not like Jasper. It looked like Jasper had no more substance than a ghost -- any time it seemed Emmett's big hands had him for sure, Emmett's fingers clenched around nothing but the air. Beside me, Edward leaned forward intently, his eyes locked on the brawl. Then Emmett froze.
Jasper had him from behind, his teeth an inch from his throat.
Emmett cussed.
There was a muttered rumble of appreciation from the watching wolves.
"Again," Emmett insisted, his smile gone.
"It's my turn," Edward protested. My fingers tensed around his.
"In a minute." Jasper grinned, stepping back. "I want to show Bella something first."
I watched with anxious eyes as he waved Alice forward.
"I know you worry about her," he explained to me as she danced blithely into the ring. "I want to show you why that's not necessary."
Though I knew that Jasper would never allow any harm to come to Alice, it was still hard to watch as he sank back into a crouch facing her. Alice stood motionlessly, looking tiny as a doll after Emmett, smiling to herself. Jasper shifted forward, then slinked to her left.
Alice closed her eyes.
My heart thumped unevenly as Jasper stalked toward where Alice stood.
Jasper sprang, disappearing. Suddenly he was on the other side of Alice. She didn't appear to have moved.
Jasper wheeled and launched himself at her again, only to land in a crouch behind her like the first time; all the while Alice stood smiling with her eyes closed.
I watched Alice more carefully now.
She was moving -- I'd just been missing it, distracted by Jasper's attacks. She took a small step forward at the exact second that Jasper's body flew through the spot where she'd just been standing. She took another step, while Jasper's grasping hands whistled past where her waist had been.
Jasper closed in, and Alice began to move faster. She was dancing -- spiraling and twisting and curling in on herself. Jasper was her partner, lunging, reaching through her graceful patterns, never touching her, like every movement was choreographed. Finally, Alice laughed.
Out of nowhere she was perched on Jasper's back, her lips at his neck.
"Gotcha," she said, and kissed his throat.
Jasper chuckled, shaking his head. "You truly are one frightening little monster."
The wolves muttered again. This time the sound was wary.
"It's good for them to learn some respect," Edward murmured, amused. Then he spoke louder. "My turn."
He squeezed my hand before he let it go.
Alice came to take his place beside me. "Cool, huh?" she asked me smugly.
"Very," I agreed, not looking away from Edward as he glided noiselessly toward Jasper, his movements lithe and watchful as a jungle cat.
"I've got my eye on you, Bella," she whispered suddenly, her voice pitched so low that I could barely hear, though her lips were at my ear.
My gaze flickered to her face and then back to Edward. He was intent on Jasper, both of them feinting as he closed the distance.
Alice's expression was full of reproach.
"I'll warn him if your plans get any more defined," she threatened in the same low murmur. "It doesn't help anything for you to put yourself in danger. Do you think either of them would give up if you died? They'd still fight, we all would. You can't change anything, so just be good, okay?"
I grimaced, trying to ignore her.
"I'm watching," she repeated.
Edward had closed on Jasper now, and this fight was more even than either of the others. Jasper had the century of experience to guide him, and he tried to go on instinct alone as much as he could, but his thoughts always gave him away a fraction of a second before he acted. Edward was slightly faster, but the moves Jasper used were unfamiliar to him. They came at each other again and again, neither one able to gain the advantage, instinctive snarls erupting constantly. It was hard to watch, but harder to look away. They moved too fast for me to really understand what they were doing. Now and then the sharp eyes of the wolves would catch my attention. I had a feeling the wolves were getting more out of this than I was -- maybe more than they should.
Eventually, Carlisle cleared his throat.
Jasper laughed, and took a step back. Edward straightened up and grinned at him.
"Back to work," Jasper consented. "We'll call it a draw."
Everyone took turns, Carlisle, then Rosalie, Esme, and Emmett again. I squinted through my lashes, cringing as Jasper attacked Esme. That one was the hardest to watch. Then he slowed down, still not quite enough for me to understand his motions, and gave more instruction.
"You see what I'm doing here?" he would ask. "Yes, just like that," he encouraged. "Concentrate on the sides. Don't forget where their target will be. Keep moving."
Edward was always focused, watching and also listening to what others couldn't see.
It got more difficult to follow as my eyes got heavier. I hadn't been sleeping well lately, anyway, and it was approaching a solid twenty-four hours since the last time I'd slept. I leaned against Edward's side, and let my eyelids droop.
"We're about finished," he whispered.
Jasper confirmed that, turning toward the wolves for the first time, his expression uncomfortable again. "We'll be doing this tomorrow. Please feel welcome to observe again."
"Yes," Edward answered in Sam's cool voice. "We'll be here."
Then Edward sighed, patted my arm, and stepped away from me. He turned to his family.
"The pack thinks it would be helpful to be familiar with each of our scents -- so they don't make mistakes later. If we could hold very still, it will make it easier for them."
"Certainly," Carlisle said to Sam. "Whatever you need."
There was a gloomy, throaty grumble from the wolf pack as they all rose to their feet.
My eyes were wide again, exhaustion forgotten.
The deep black of the night was just beginning to fade -- the sun brightening the clouds, though it hadn't cleared the horizon yet, far away on the other side of the mountains. As they approached, it was suddenly possible to make out shapes . . . colors.
Sam was in the lead, of course. Unbelievably huge,
black as midnight, a monster straight out of my nightmares -- literally; after the first time I'd seen Sam and the others in the meadow, they'd starred in my bad dreams more than once.
Now that I could see them all, match the vastness with each pair of eyes, it looked like more than ten. The pack was overwhelming.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Edward was watching me, carefully evaluating my reaction.
Sam approached Carlisle where he stood in the front, the huge pack right on his tail. Jasper stiffened, but Emmett, on the other side of Carlisle, was grinning and relaxed.
Sam sniffed at Carlisle, seeming to wince slightly as he did. Then he moved on to Jasper.
My eyes ran down the wary brace of wolves. I was sure I could pick out a few of the new additions. There was a light gray wolf that was much smaller than the others, the hackles on the back of his neck raised in distaste. There was another, the color of desert sand, who seemed gangly and uncoordinated beside the rest. A low whine broke through the sandy wolf's control when Sam's advance left him isolated between Carlisle and Jasper.
I stopped at the wolf just behind Sam. His fur was reddish-brown and longer than the others, shaggy in comparison. He was almost as tall as Sam, the second largest in the group. His stance was casual, somehow exuding nonchalance over what the rest obviously considered an ordeal.
The enormous russet-colored wolf seemed to feel my gaze, and he looked up at me with familiar black eyes.
I stared back at him, trying to believe what I already knew. I could feel the wonder and fascination on my face.
The wolf's muzzle fell open, pulling back over his teeth. It would have been a frightening expression, except that his tongue lolled out the side in a wolfy grin.
I giggled.
Jacob's grin widened over his sharp teeth. He left his place in line, ignoring the eyes of his pack as they followed him. He trotted past Edward and Alice to stand not two feet away from me. He stopped there, his gaze flickering briefly toward Edward.
Edward stood motionless, a statue, his eyes still assessing my reaction.
Jacob crouched down on his front legs and dropped his head so that his face was no higher than mine, staring at me, measuring my response just as much as Edward was.
"Jacob?" I breathed.
The answering rumble deep in his chest sounded like a chuckle.
I reached my hand out, my fingers trembling slightly, and touched the red-brown fur on the side of his face.
The black eyes closed, and Jacob leaned his huge head into my hand. A thrumming hum resonated in this throat.