he was right to be afraid； despite my driving abilities But you can t。 With a sigh； I let the car drift to a crawl。 She eyed the speedometer。 Almost。 I hate driving slow； I muttered； but let the Happy？ Why Was this still too fast for her？ needle slide another notch down。 This is slow？ she asked。 Enough mentary on my driving； I said impatiently。 How many times had she dodged my question now？ Three times？ Four？ Were her speculations that horrific？ I had to know immediately。 I m still waiting for your latest theory。 She bit her lip again； and her expression became upset； almost pained。 I reigned in my impatience and softened my voice。 I didn t want her to be
distressed。 I won t laugh； I promised； wishing that it was only embarrassment that made her unwilling to talk。 I m more afraid that you ll be angry with me； she whispered。 I forced my voice to stay even。 Pretty much； yeah。 She looked down； refusing to meet my eyes。 Go ahead； I encouraged。 Her voice was small。 I don t know how to start。 I remembered her words before dinner。 The seconds passed。 Is it that bad？ Why don t you start at the beginning？ You said you didn t e up with this on your own。 No； she agreed； and then was silent again。 I thought about things that might have inspired her。 book？ A movie？ What got you started a I should have looked through her collections when she was out of the house。 I had no idea if Bram Stoker or Anne Rice was there in her stack of worn paperbacks No； she said again。 It was Saturday； at the beach。 I hadn t expected that。 The local gossip about us had never strayed into anything too bizarre or too precise。 Was there a new rumor I d missed？ Bella peeked up from her hands and saw the surprise on my face。 I ran into an old family friend Jacob Black； she went on。 have been friends since I was a baby。 His dad and Charlie Jacob Black the name was not familiar； and yet it reminded me of something some time； long ago I stared out of the windshield； flipping through memories to find the connection。 His dad is one of the Quileute elders； she said。 Jacob Black。 Ephraim Black。 A descendant； no doubt。 It was as bad as it could get。 She knew the truth。 My mind was flying through the ramifications as the car flew around the dark curves in the road； my body rigid with anguish motionless except for the small； automatic actions it took to steer the car。 She knew the truth。 But if she d learned the truth Saturday then she d known it all evening long and yet
We went for a walk； she went on。 And he was telling me about some old legends trying to scare me； I think。 He told me one She stopped short； but there was no need for her qualms now； I knew what she was going to say。 The only mystery left was why she was here with me now。 Go on； I said。 About vampires； she breathed； the words less than a whisper。 Somehow； it was even worse than knowing that she knew； hearing her speak the word aloud。 I flinched at the sound of it； and then controlled myself again。 And you immediately thought of me？ I asked。 No。 He mentioned your family。 How ironic that it would be Ephraim s own progeny that would violate the treaty he d vowed to uphold。 A grandson； or greatgrandson perhaps。 How many years had it been？ Seventy？ I should have realized that it was not the old men who believed in the legends that would be the danger。 Of course； the younger generation those who would have been warned； but would have thought the ancient superstitions laughable of course that was where the danger of exposure would lie。 I supposed this meant I was now free to slaughter the small； defenseless tribe on the coastline； were I so inclined。 Ephraim and his pack of protectors were long dead He just thought it was a silly superstition； Bella said suddenly； her voice edged with a new anxiety。 He didn t expect me to think anything of it。 Out of the corner of my eye； I saw her twist her hands uneasily。 It was my fault； she said after a brief pause； and then she hung her head as if she were ashamed。 I forced him to tell me。 Why？ It wasn t so hard to keep my voice level now。 The worst was already done。 As long as we spoke of the details of the revelation； we didn t have to move on to the consequences of it。 Lauren said something about you she was trying to provoke me。 She made a little face at the memory。 I was slightly distracted； wondering how Bella would be provoked by someone talking about me And an older boy from the tribe said your family didn t e to the reservation； only it sounded like he meant something different。 So I got Jacob alone and I tricked it out of him。 Her head dropped even lower as she admitted this； and her expression looked guilty。 I looked away from her and laughed out loud。 She felt guilty？ possibly have done to deserve censure of any kind？ Tricked him how？ I asked。 What could she
I tried to flirt it worked better than I thought it would； she explained； and her voice turned incredulous at the memory of that success。 I could just imagine considering the attraction she seemed to have for all things male； totally unconscious on her part how overwhelming she would be when she tried to be attractive。 I was suddenly full of pity for the unsuspecting boy she d unleashed such a potent force on。 I d like to have seen that； I said； and then I laughed again with the black humor。 I wished I could have heard the boy s reaction； witnessed the devastation for myself。 And you accused me of dazzling people poor Jacob Black。 I wasn t as angry with the source of my exposure as I would have expected to feel。 He didn t know better。 And how could I expect anyone to deny this girl what she wanted？ No； I only felt sympathy for the damage she would have done to his peace of mind。 I felt her blush heat the air between us。 out her window。 She didn t speak again。 What did you do then？ I prompted。 I glanced at her； and she was staring Time to get back to the horror story。 I did some research on the inter。 Ever practical。 No； she said。 And did that convince you？ Nothing fit。 Most of it was kind of silly。 And then She broke off again； and I heard her teeth lock together。 What？ I demanded。 her？ What had she found？ What had made sense of the nightmare for There was a short paused； and then she whispered； I decided it didn t matter。 Shock froze my thoughts for a halfsecond； and then it all fit together。 Why she d sent her friends away tonight rather than escape with them。 Why she had gotten into my car with me again instead of running； screaming for the police Her reactions were always wrong always pletely wrong。 herself。 She invited it。 She pulled danger toward How was I supposed It didn t matter？ I said through my teeth； anger filling me。 to protect someone so so so determined to be unprotected？ No； she said in a low voice that was inexplicably tender。 me what you are。 She was impossible。 You don t care if I m a monster？ No。 If I m not human？ It doesn t matter to
I started to wonder if she was entirely stable。 I supposed that I could arrange for her to receive the best care available Carlisle would have the connections to find her the most skilled doctors； the most talented therapists。 Perhaps something could be done to fix whatever it was that was wrong with her； what ever it was that made her content to si