they were afraid。 Yet he’d shown no fear at all when he’d faced Victoria and Riley。 。 。 。 My mind was stuck；
stunned and useless as my body。 I stared at him； bewildered。
“Bella； love；” he said in his softest tone； walking toward me with exaggerated slowness； his hands held up；
palms forward。 Dazed as I was； it reminded me oddly of a suspect approaching a policeman； showing that he
wasn’t armed。 。 。 。
“Bella； can you drop the rock； please？ Carefully。 Don’t hurt yourself。”
I’d forgotten all about my crude weapon； though I realized now that I was grasping it so hard that my
knuckle was screaming in protest。 Was it rebroken？ Carlisle would put me in a cast for sure this time。
Edward hesitated a few feet from me； his hands still in the air； his eyes still fearful。
It took me a few long seconds to remember how to move my fingers。 Then the rock clattered to the
ground； while my hand stayed frozen in the same position。
Edward relaxed slightly when my hands were empty； but came no closer。
“You don’t have to be afraid； Bella；” Edward murmured。 “You’re safe。 I won’t hurt you。”
The mystifying promise only confused me further。 I stared at him like an imbecile； trying to understand。
“It’s going to be all right； Bella。 I know you’re frightened now； but it’s over。 No one is going to hurt you。 I
won’t touch you。 I won’t hurt you；” he said again。
My eyes blinked furiously； and I found my voice。 “Why do you keep saying that？”
I took an unsteady step toward him； and he leaned away from my advance。
“What’s wrong？” I whispered。 “What do you mean？”
“Are you 。 。 。” His golden eyes were suddenly as confused as I felt。 “Aren’t you afraid of me？”
“Afraid of you？ Why？”
I staggered forward another step； and then tripped over something — my own feet probably。 Edward
caught me； and I buried my face in his chest and started to sob。
“Bella； Bella； I’m so sorry。 It’s over； it’s over。”
“I’m fine；” I gasped。 “I’m okay。 I’m just。 Freaking out。 Give me。 A minute。”
His arms tightened around me。 “I’m so sorry；” he murmured again and again。
I clung to him until I could breathe； and then I was kissing him — his chest； his shoulder； his neck — every
part of him that I could reach。 Slowly； my brain started to work again。
“Are you okay？” I demanded between kisses。 “Did she hurt you at all？”
“I am absolutely fine；” he promised； burying his face in my hair。
“Seth？”
Edward chuckled。 “More than fine。 Very pleased with himself； in fact。”
“The others？ Alice； Esme？ The wolves？
“All fine。 It’s over there； too。 It went just as smoothly as I promised。 We got the worst of it here。”
I let myself absorb that for a moment； let it sink in and settle in my head。
My family and my friends were safe。 Victoria was never coming after me again。 It was over。
We were all going to be fine。
But I couldn’t completely take in the good news while I was still so confused。
“Tell me why；” I insisted。 “Why did you think I would be afraid of you？”
“I’m sorry；” he said； apologizing yet again — for what？ I had no idea。 “So sorry。 I didn’t want you to see
that。 See me like that。 I know I must have terrified you。”
I had to think about that for another minute； about the hesitant way he’d approached me； his hands in the
air。 Like I was going to run if he moved too fast。 。 。 。
“Seriously？” I finally asked。 “You 。 。 。 what？ Thought you’d scared me off？” I snorted。 Snorting was
good； a voice couldn’t tremble or break during a snort。 It sounded impressively offhand。
He put his hand under my chin and tilted my head back to read my face。
“Bella； I just” — he hesitated and then forced the words out — “I just beheaded and dismembered a
sentient creature not twenty yards from you。 That doesn’t bother you？”
He frowned at me。
I shrugged。 Shrugging was good； too。 Very blasé。 “Not really。 I was only afraid that you and Seth were
going to get hurt。 I wanted to help； but there’s only so much I can do。 。 。 。”
His suddenly livid expression made my voice fade out。
“Yes；” he said； his tone clipped。 “Your little stunt with the rock。 You know that you nearly gave me a
heart attack？ Not the easiest thing to do； that。”
His furious glower made it hard to answer。
“I wanted to help 。 。 。 Seth was hurt。 。 。 。”
“Seth was only feigning that he was hurt； Bella。 It was a trick。 And then you 。 。 。 ！” He shook his head；
unable to finish。 “Seth couldn’t see what you were doing； so I had to step in。 Seth’s a bit disgruntled that he
can’t claim a single…handed defeat now。”
“Seth was 。 。 。 faking？”
Edward nodded sternly。
“Oh。”
We both looked at Seth； who was studiously ignoring us； watching the flames。 Smugness radiated from
every hair in his fur。
“Well； I didn’t know that；” I said； on the offense now。 “And it’s not easy being the only helpless person
around。 Just you wait till I’m a vampire！ I’m not going to be sitting on the sidelines next time。”
A dozen emotions flitted across his face before he settled on being amused。 “Next time？ Did you
anticipate another war soon？”
“With my luck？ Who knows？”
He rolled his eyes； but I could see that he was flying — the relief was making us both lightheaded。 It was
over。
Or 。 。 。 was it？
“Hold on。 Didn’t you say something before — ？” I flinched； remembering what exactly it had been before
— what was I going to say to Jacob？ My splintered heart throbbed out a painful； aching beat。 It was hard to
believe； almost impossible； but the hardest part of this day was not behind me — and then I soldiered on。
“About a complication？ And Alice； needing to nail down the schedule for Sam。 You said it was going to be
close。 What was going to be close？”
Edward’s eyes flickered back to Seth； and they exchanged a loaded glance。
“Well？” I asked。
“It’s nothing； really；” Edward said quickly。 “But we do need to be on our way。 。 。 。”
He started to pull me into place on his back； but I stiffened and drew away。
“Define nothing。”
Edward took my face between his palms。 “We only have a minute； so don’t panic； all right？ I told you that
you had no reason to be afraid。 Trust me on that； please？”
I nodded； trying to hide the sudden terror — how much more could I handle before I collapsed？ “No
reason to be afraid。 Got it。”
He pursed his lips for a second； deciding what to say。 And then he glanced abruptly at Seth； as if the wolf
had called him。
“What’s she doing？” Edward asked。
Seth whined； it was an anxious； uneasy sound。 It made the hair on the back of my neck rise。
Everything was dead silent for one endless second。
And then Edward gasped； “No！” and one of his hands flew out as if to grab something that I couldn’t see。
“Don’t —！”
A spasm rocked through Seth’s body； and a howl； blistering with agony； ripped from his lungs。
Edward fell to his knees at the exact same moment； gripping the sides of his head with two hands； his face
furrowed in pain。
I screamed once in bewildered terror； and dropped to my knees beside him。 Stupidly； I tried to pull his
hands from his face； my palms； clammy with sweat； slid off his marble skin。
“Edward！ Edward！”
His eyes focused on me； with obvious effort； he pulled his clenched teeth apart。
“It’s okay。 We’re going to be fine。 It’s —” He broke off； and winced again。
“What’s happening？” I cried out while Seth howled in anguish。
“We’re fine。 We’re going to be okay；” Edward gasped。 “Sam — help him —”
And I realized in that instant； when he said Sam’s name； that he was not speaking of himself and Seth。 No
unseen force was attacking them。 This time； the crisis was not here。
He was using the pack plural。
I’d burned through all my adrenaline。 My body had nothing left。 I sagged； and Edward caught me before I
could hit the rocks。 He sprang to his feet； me in his arms。
“Seth！” Edward shouted。
Seth was crouched； still tensed in agony； looking as if he meant to launch himself into the forest。
“No！” Edward ordered。 “You go straight home。 Now。 As fast as you can！”
Seth whimpered； shaking his great head from side to side。
“Seth。 Trust me。”
The huge wolf stared into Edward’s agonized eyes for one long second； and then he straightened up and
flew into the trees； disappearing like a ghost。
Edward cradled me tightly against his chest； and then we were also hurtling through the shadowy forest；
taking a different path than the wolf。
“Edward。” I fought to force the words through my constricted throat。 “What happened； Edward？ What
happened to Sam？ Where are we going？ What’s happening？”
“We have to go back to the clearing；” he told me in a low voice。 “We knew there was a good probability
of this happening。 Earlier this morning； Alice saw it and passed it through Sam to Seth。 The Volturi decided it
was time to intercede。”
The Volturi。
Too much。 My mind refused to make sense of the words； pretended it couldn’t understand。
The trees jolted past us。 He was running downhill so fast that it felt as if we were plummeting； falling out of
control。
“Don’t panic。 They aren’t coming for us。 It’s just the normal contingent of the guard that usually cleans up
this kind of mess。 Nothing momentous； they’re merely doing their job。 Of course； they seem to have timed
their arrival very carefully。 Which leads me to believe that no one in Italy would mourn if these newborns had
reduced the size of the Cullen family。” The words came through his teeth； hard and bleak。 “I’ll know for sure
what they were thinking when they get to the clearing。”
“Is that why we’re going back？” I whispered。 Could I handle this？ Images of flowing black robes crept
into my unwilling mind； and I flinched away from them。 I was clos