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in the front room。
Jacob’s stance was casual； his arms folded across his chest； but the muscles in his jaw were tight。
Edward spoke in a voice so peaceful and gentle that it made the words strangely more threatening。 “I’m
not going to kill you now； because it would upset Bella。”
“Hmph；” I grumbled。
Edward turned slightly to throw me a quick smile。 His face was still calm。 “It would bother you in the
morning；” he said； brushing his fingers across my cheek。
Then he turned back to Jacob。 “But if you ever bring her back damaged again — and I don’t care whose
fault it is； I don’t care if she merely trips； or if a meteor falls out of the sky and hits her in the head — if you
return her to me in less than the perfect condition that I left her in； you will be running with three legs。 Do you
understand that； mongrel？”
Jacob rolled his eyes。
“Who’s going back？” I muttered。
Edward continued as if he hadn’t heard me。 “And if you ever kiss her again； I will break your jaw for
her；” he promised； his voice still gentle and velvet and deadly。
“What if she wants me to？” Jacob drawled； arrogant。
“Hah！” I snorted。
“If that’s what she wants； then I won’t object。” Edward shrugged； untroubled。 “You might want to wait for
her to say it； rather than trust your interpretation of body language — but it’s your face。”
Jacob grinned。
“You wish；” I grumbled。
“Yes； he does；” Edward murmured。
“Well； if you’re done rummaging through my head；” Jacob said with a thick edge of annoyance； “why
don’t you go take care of her hand？”
“One more thing；” Edward said slowly。 “I’ll be fighting for her； too。 You should know that。 I’m not taking
anything for granted； and I’ll be fighting twice as hard as you will。”
“Good；” Jacob growled。 “It’s no fun beating someone who forfeits。”
“She is mine。” Edward’s low voice was suddenly dark； not as posed as before。 “I didn’t say I would
fightfair。”
“Neither did I。”
“Best of luck。”
Jacob nodded。 “Yes； may the best man win。”
“That sounds about right 。 。 。 pup。”
Jacob grimaced briefly； then he posed his face and leaned around Edward to smile at me。 I glowered
back。
“I hope your hand feels better soon。 I’m really sorry you’re hurt。”
Childishly； I turned my face away from him。
I didn’t look up again as Edward walked around the car and climbed into the driver’s side； so I didn’t
know if Jacob went back into the house or continued to stand there； watching me。
“How do you feel？” Edward asked as we drove away。
“Irritated。”
He chuckled。 “I meant your hand。”
I shrugged。 “I’ve had worse。”
“True；” he agreed； and frowned。
Edward drove around the house to the garage。 Emmett and Rosalie were there； Rosalie’s perfect legs；
recognizable even sheathed in jeans； were sticking out from under the bottom of Emmett’s huge Jeep。 Emmett
was sitting beside her； one hand reached under the Jeep toward her。 It took me a moment to realize that he
was acting as the jack。
Emmett watched curiously as Edward helped me carefully out of the car。 His eyes zeroed in on the hand I
cradled against my chest。
Emmett grinned。 “Fall down again； Bella？”
I glared at him fiercely。 “No； Emmett。 I punched a werewolf in the face。”
Emmett blinked； and then burst into a roar of laughter。
As Edward led me past them； Rosalie spoke from under the car。
“Jasper’s going to win the bet；” she said smugly。
Emmett’s laughter stopped at once； and he studied me with appraising eyes。
“What bet？” I demanded； pausing。
“Let’s get you to Carlisle；” Edward urged。 He was staring at Emmett。 His head shook infinitesimally。
“What bet？” I insisted as I turned on him。
“Thanks； Rosalie；” he muttered as he tightened his arm around my waist and pulled me toward the house。
“Edward 。 。 。 ；” I grumbled。
“It’s infantile；” he shrugged。 “Emmett and Jasper like to gamble。”
“Emmett will tell me。” I tried to turn； but his arm was like iron around me。
He sighed。 “They’re betting on how many times you 。 。 。 slip up in the first year。”
“Oh。” I grimaced； trying to hide my sudden horror as I realized what he meant。 “They have a bet about
how many people I’ll kill？”
“Yes；” he admitted unwillingly。 “Rosalie thinks your temper will turn the odds in Jasper’s favor。”
I felt a little high。 “Jasper’s betting high。”
“It will make him feel better if you have a hard time adjusting。 He’s tired of being the weakest link。”
“Sure。 Of course it will。 I guess I could throw in a few extra homicides； if it makes Jasper happy。 Why
not？” I was babbling； my voice a blank monotone。 In my head； I was seeing newspaper headlines； lists of
names。 。 。 。
He squeezed me。 “You don’t need to worry about it now。 In fact； you don’t have to worry about it ever； if
you don’t want to。”
I groaned； and Edward； thinking it was the pain in my hand that bothered me； pulled me faster toward the
house。
My hand was broken； but there wasn’t any serious damage； just a tiny fissure in one knuckle。 I didn’t
want a cast； and Carlisle said I’d be fine in a brace if I promised to keep it on。 I promised。
Edward could tell I was out of it as Carlisle worked to fit a brace carefully to my hand。 He worried aloud
a few times that I was in pain； but I assured him that that wasn’t it。
As if I needed — or even had room for — one more thing to worry about。
All of Jasper’s stories about newly created vampires had been percolating in my head since he’d explained
his past。 Now those stories jumped into sharp focus with the news of his and Emmett’s wager。 I wondered
randomly what they were betting。 What was a motivating prize when you had everything？
I’d always known that I would be different。 I hoped that I would be as strong as Edward said I would be。
Strong and fast and； most of all； beautiful。 Someone who could stand next to Edward and feel like she
belonged there。
I’d been trying not to think too much about the other things that I would be。 Wild。 Bloodthirsty。 Maybe I
would not be able to stop myself from killing people。 Strangers； people who had never harmed me。 People
like the growing number of victims in Seattle； who’d had families and friends and futures。 People who’d had
lives。 And I could be the monster who took that away from them。
But； in truth； I could handle that part — because I trusted Edward； trusted him absolutely； to keep me
from doing anything I would regret。 I knew he’d take me to Antarctica and hunt penguins if I asked him to。
And I would do whatever it took to be a good person。 A good vampire。 That thought would have made me
giggle； if not for this new worry。
Because； if I really were somehow like that — like the nightmarish images of newborns that Jasper had
painted in my head — could I possibly be me？ And if all I wanted was to kill people； what would happen to
the things I wanted now？
Edward was so obsessed with me not missing anything while I was human。 Usually； it seemed kind of silly。
There weren’t many human experiences that I worried about missing。 As long as I got to be with Edward；
what else could I ask for？
I stared at his face while he watched Carlisle fix my hand。 There was nothing in this world that I wanted
more than him。 Would that； could that； change？
Was there a human experience that I was not willing to give up？
16。 EPOCH
“I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR！” I MOANED TO MYSELF。
Every item of clothing I owned was strewn across my bed； my drawers and closets were bare。 I stared
into the empty recesses； willing something suitable to appear。
My khaki skirt lay over the back of the rocking chair； waiting for me to discover something that went with
it just exactly right。 Something that would make me look beautiful and grown up。 Something that said special
occasion。 I was ing up empty。
It was almost time to go； and I was still wearing my favorite old sweats。 Unless I could find something
better here — and the odds weren’t looking good at this point — I was going to graduate in them。
I scowled at the pile of clothes on my bed。
The kicker was that I knew exactly what I wo