ad broken out of their pattern. Was it possible that the Volturi were the flexible ones in this equation?

I doubted it.

Victoria had always seemed like a force of nature to me  like a hurricane moving toward the coast in a straight line  unavoidable, implacable, but predictable. Maybe it was wrong to limit her that way. She had to be capable of adaptation.

You know what I think? I asked Edward.

He laughed. No.

I almost smiled.

What do you think?

I think itsall connected. Not just the two, but all three.

Youve 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 Id be dead if they wanted me dead, I added mentally. Remember when you were tracking Victoria last year?

Yes. He frowned. I wasnt 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 doesnt know what shes doing, so the newborns are all out of control.

He started shaking his head. Only Aro knows exactly how Alices visions work.

Aro would knowbest, but wouldnt Tanya and Irina and the rest of your friends in Denali knowenough ? Laurent lived with them for so long. And if he was still friendly enough with Victoria to be doing favors for her, why wouldnt he also tell her everything he knew?

Edward frowned. It wasnt Victoria in your room.

She cant make new friends? Think about it, Edward. If itis Victoria doing this in Seattle, shesmade a lot of new friends. Shes created them.

He considered it, his forehead creased in concentration.

Hmm, he finally said. Its possible. I still think the Volturi are most likely . . . But your theory  theres something there. Victorias personality. Your theory suits her personality perfectly. Shes shown a remarkable gift for self-preservation from the start  maybe its 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 shes 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, Id bet shed be planning to destroy them herself. . . . Hmm. Still, shed 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, weve got to be prepared for anything until we know for sure. Youre very perceptive today, he added. Its impressive.

I sighed. Maybe Im just reacting to this place. It makes me feel like shes close by . . . like she sees me now.

His jaw muscles tensed at the idea. Shell 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 wouldnt give to have her that close, he murmured. Victoria, and anyone else whos 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 cant 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, dont 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 Im going to have to translate. They dont trust us enough to use their human forms.

Carlisle nodded. This is hard for them. Im grateful theyre coming at all.

I stared at Edward, my eyes stretched wide. Theyre coming as wolves?

He nodded, cautious of my reaction. I swallowed once, remembering the two times Id 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 Edwards 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  theyve 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 cant see.

The pack has grown, Edward murmured into my ear.

Hadnt 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. Id 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 Sams 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. Im 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 shouldnt be difficult. The numbers may go down. The new ones fight amongst themselves.

A rumble passed down the shadowy line of 