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Walking away； along the left side of the road； was a tall boy with a baseball cap。
My breath caught for just a moment in my throat； hopeful that luck was with me for once； and I'd
srumbled across Jacob without hardly trying。 But this boy was too wide； and the hair was short under the
hat。 Even from behind； I was sure it was Quil； though he looked bigger than the last time I'd seen him。
What was with these Quileute boys？ Were they feeding them experimental growth hormones？
I crossed over to the wrong side of the road to stop next to him。 He looked up when the roar of my
truck approached。
Quil's expression frightened me more than it surprised me。 His face was bleak； brooding； his forehead
creased with worry。
〃Oh； hey； Bella；〃 he greeted me dully。
〃Hi； Quil… Are you okay？〃
He stared at me morosely。 〃Fine。〃
〃Can I give you a ride somewhere？〃 I offered。
〃Sure； I guess；〃 he mumbled。 He shuffled around the front of the truck and opened the passenger door to
climbin。
〃Where to？〃
〃My house is on the north side； back behind the store；〃 he told me。
〃Have you seen Jacob today。〃 The question burst from me almost before he'd finished speaking。
I looked at Quil eagerly； waiting for his answer。 He stared out the windshield for a second before he
spoke。 〃From a distance；〃 he finally said。
〃A distance？〃 I echoed。
〃I tried to follow them—he was with Embry。〃 His voice was low； hard to hear over the engine。 I leaned
closer。 〃I know they saw me。 But they turned and just disappeared into the trees。 I don't think they were
alone—I think Sam and his crew might have been with them。
〃I've been stumbling around in the forest for an hour； yelling for them。 I just barely found the road again
when you drove up。〃
〃So Sam did get to him。〃 The words were a little distorted—my teeth were gritted together。
Quil stared at me。 〃You know about that。？〃
I nodded。 〃Jake told me… before。〃
〃Before；〃 Quil repeated； and sighed。
〃Jacob's just as bad as the others now？〃
〃Never leaves Sam's side。〃 Quil turned his head and spit out the open window。
〃And before that—did he avoid everyone？ Was he acting upset？〃
His voice was low and rough。 〃Not for as long as the others。 Maybe one day。 Then Sam caught up with
him。〃
〃What do you think it is？ Drugs or something？〃
〃I can't see Jacob or Embry getting into anything like that… but what do I know？ What else could it be？
And why aren't the old people worried？〃 He shook his head； and the fear showed in his eyes now。
〃Jacob didn't want to be a part of this… cult。 I don't understand what could change him。〃 He stared at
me； his face frightened。 〃I don't want to be next。〃
My eyes mirrored his fear。 That was the second time I'd heard it described as a cult。 I shivered。 〃Are
your parents any help？〃
He grimaced。 〃Right。 My grandfather's on the council with Jacob's dad。 Sam Uley is the best thing that
ever happened to this place； as far as he's concerned。〃
We stared at each other for a prolonged moment。 We were in La Push now； and my truck was barely
crawling along the empty road。 I could see the village's only store not too far ahead。
〃I'll get out now；〃 Quil said。 〃My house is right over there。〃 He gestured toward the small wooden
rectangle behind the store。 I pulled over to the shoulder； and he jumped out。
〃I'm going to go wait for Jacob；〃 I told him in a hard voice。
〃Good luck。〃 He slammed the door and shuffled forward along the road； his head bent forward； his
shoulders slumped。
Quil's face haunted me as I made a wide Uturn and headed back toward the Blacks'。 He was terrified
of being next。 What was happening here？
I stopped in front of Jacob's house； killing the motor and rolling down the windows。 It was stuffy today；
no breeze。 I put my feet up on the dashboard and settled in to wait。
A movement flashed in my peripheral vision—I turned and spotted Billy looking at me through the front
window with a confused expression。 I waved once and smiled a tight smile； but stayed where I was。
His eyes narrowed； he let the curtain fall across the glass。
I was prepared to stay as long as it took； but I wished I had something to do。 I dug up a pen out of the
bottom of my backpack； and an old test。 I started to doodle on the back of the scrap。
I'd only had time to scrawl one row of diamonds when there was a sharp tap against my door。
I jumped； looking up； expecting Billy。
〃What are you doing here； Bella。'〃 Jacob growled。
I stared at him in blank astonishment。
Jacob had changed radically in the last weeks since I'd seen him。 The first thing I noticed was his
hair—his beautiful hair was all gone； cropped quite short； covering his head with an inky gloss like black
satin。 The planes of his face seemed to have hardened subtly； tightened… aged。 His neck and his
shoulders were different； too； thicker somehow。 His hands； where they gripped the window frame；
looked enormous； with the tendons and veins more prominent under the russet skin。 But the physical
changes were insignificant。
It was his expression that made him almost pletely unrecognizable。 The open； friendly smile was gone
like the hair； the warmth in his dark eyes altered to a brooding resentment that was instantly disturbing。
There was a darkness in Jacob now。 Like my sun had imploded。
〃Jacob？〃 I whispered。
He just stared at me； his eyes tense and angry。
I realized we weren't alone。 Behind him stood four others； all tall and russetskinned； black hair chopped
short just like Jacob's。 They could have been brothers—I couldn't even pick Embry out of the group。
The resemblance was only intensified by the strikingly similar hostility in every pair of eyes。
Every pair but one。 The oldest by several years； Sam stood in the very back； his face serene and sure。 I
had to swallow back the bile that rose in my throat。 I wanted to take a swing at him。 No； I wanted to do
more than that。 More than anything； I wanted to be fierce and deadly； someone no one would dare mess
with。 Someone who would scare Sam Uley silly。
I wanted to be a vampire。
The violent desire caught me off guard and knocked the wind out of me。 It was the most forbidden of all
wishes—even when I only wished it for a malicious reason like this； to gain an advantage over an
enemy—because it was the most painful。 That future was lost to me forever； had never really been within
my grasp。 I scrambled to gain control of myself while the hole in my chest ached hollowly。
〃What do you want？〃 Jacob demanded； his expression growing more resentful as he watched the play of
emotion across my face。
〃I want to talk to you；〃 I said in a weak voice。 I tried to focus； but I was still reeling against the escape of
my taboo dream。
〃Go ahead；〃 he hissed through his teeth。 His glare was vicious。 I'd never seen him look at anyone like
that； least of all me。 It hurt with a surprising intensity—a physical pain； a stabbing in my head。
〃Alone！〃 I hissed； and my voice was stronger。
He looked behind him； and I knew where his eyes would go。 Every one of them was turned for Sam's
reaction。
Sam nodded once； his face unperturbed。 He made a brief ment in an unfamiliar； liquid language—I
could only be positive that it wasn't French or Spanish； but I guessed that it was Quileute。 He turned and
walked into Jacob's house。 The others； Paul； Jared； and Embry； I assumed； followed him in。
〃Okay。〃 Jacob seemed a bit less furious when the others were gone。 His face was a little calmer； but also
more hopeless。 His mouth seemed permanently pulled down at the corners。
I took a deep breath。 〃You know what I want to know。〃
He didn't answer。 He just stared at me bitterly。
I stared back and the silence stretched on。 The pain in his face unnerved me。 I felt a lump beginning to
build in my throat。
〃Can we walk？〃 I asked while I could still speak。
He didn't respond in any way； his face didn't change。
I got out of the car； feeling unseen eyes behind the windows on me； and started walking toward the trees
to the north。 My feet squished in the damp grass and