"Jacob!" I exclaimed.

Edward released me and nodded his silent appreciation toward my best friend. "I'm pleased that you decided to come," he said genuinely.

"I didn't do it to please you." Jacob's tone was cold, but there was no challenge in the words.

Edward nodded. "I know," he said, and brushed his fingers lovingly through my hair. "You still have my gratitude. Thank you."

Jacob's expression was solid—emotionless as he looked down at me and his eyes melted into a grin that seemed more like defeat than happiness. "Looks like I missed something important," he said.

My smile could not have been more opposite his. It widened impossibly as I flung my arms around his shoulders, the white lilies of my bouquet smashing into the back of his head and filling his hair with petals.

"You came right on time!" I laughed into his lapel. "They're just about to bring out the food!" He chuckled quietly.

"It's about time!" Emmett interrupted as he passed us, punching Edward again on his way toward the receiving line. Rosalie was on his other arm, stealing all of the light from the room as usual. "I'm starving!"

Jacob snarled. I glared at Emmett, and hugged Jacob tighter until he passed. He hugged me back awkwardly. "Easy, Bells," he sighed, pulling his head down to avoid the shower of baby's breath that was falling from my broken bouquet. "You know you have to throw that later." Then he looked up at the line of smiling people that was beginning to form at the doors, waiting to receive Edward and me. "Looks like your duties as a bride aren't over quite yet."

I looked back at Edward, who was waiting patiently, whispering something unintelligible to Jasper. "Will you stay for the reception?" I asked.

"Sure," he reassured me, releasing me from the hug. "That's what I came here for." My grin reflected in his dark eyes as I turned to my stunning groom, but Jacob grabbed my hand.

"You're really beautiful today, Bella," he whispered, his voice seeming to shake. "I can't find the words."

"There are no words," came the smooth reply from behind me. Edward's arms slipped around my shoulders and I heard his slow breath as he took in the scent of my hair. As usual, I blushed crimson. "You would have to invent an entirely new canon to describe the level of magnificence that you present at this moment."

Jacob flinched. A moment of intentional silence passed between the two of them, and I noticed that the crowd was getting larger. A few guests were looking impatiently in our direction. Then Edward nodded.

"Of course," he said, responding to thoughts instead of words. "You two will have all of the time that you want when the reception begins. It seems like a conversation that you both need very much."

Edward's face was earnest, his stance relaxed. I stared up at Jacob puzzled. A half-smile played at his lips as he met my insistent gaze, but he said nothing. Edward wound his fingers in my own, and started toward the head of the line.

"Join us, please, Jacob," he added. "You were, after all, Bella's choice for best man."

Jacob held back, looking too much like he was about to back out. I cut in quickly. "Come on, Jake! You know most of the people here anyway!"

Reluctantly, he followed us, placing himself timidly between me and Seth in the line. The people began to pass by in a blur of handshakes, hugs, and congratulations. Carlisle and Esme passed first, Esme pulling me into a hug that was so tight, it forced the breath out of me.

"Oh Bella, we are so happy that you are finally an official member of our family!" she said, exuberant beyond belief.

Renee, Phil, and Charlie were close behind. Charlie seemed ecstatic to see Jacob in his proper place in the wedding party. He clapped him heartily on the shoulder and pulled him out of line.

"Good to see you Jake!" he boomed. "We'd thought you'd gotten yourself into a bit of trouble there for a few months. Nice to see that you're back in Forks."

Jacob looked awkward. "No trouble Charlie…just wanderlust, I guess." He looked like he wanted to say more, but he held back.

Renee put her hand on Edward's shoulder, an act that both men seemed to be too uneasy to do, and smiled her carefree smile. "Edward, you've got a great family, but we're very glad to have you to add to our strange little coven too."

Edward's lips twitched, and I stifled a laugh. "Thank you very much, Renee," he managed as my parents moved on.

Leah let out a hiss as she passed by Edward without shaking his hand, and took mine only half-heartedly, eyes focused on her prodigal pack member instead. True to Edward's word, Mike's mother mentioned the quality of my dress four times before Mr. Weber gently nudged her on and took his turn, shaking each hand firmly and hugging his daughter on his way out. I was wondering what the humans in Forks were thinking of Edward and Jasper's cold hands when a high musical voice startled me.

"Edward!" it sang, and I cringed, imagining the waist length strawberry blond hair and perfectly slender form that accompanied it. "What a beautiful ceremony! It is such a pleasure to see you again, and under such happy circumstances!"

She was every bit as flawless as I had feared, with strange wild mannerisms and an intense look in her light honey eyes. I backed up, not wanting to give Edward a chance to compare us and realize the horrible mistake he was making. He took my arm and pulled me to him.

"Tanya, Kate…this is my wife Bella."

Wife. I blushed and mumbled something that might have sounded like a greeting. The color in my cheeks seemed to draw a reaction from the beautiful couple behind the women. They both let out a light, natural series of notes that must have been laughter, but seemed more like melody.

"A truly blushing bride!" the woman said in a trilling Spanish accent. "She's absolutely exquisite, Edward!" Then she turned to me and offered her hand. "I'm Carmen, child. This is Eleazar. We are so pleased to meet you!"

"Me too…" I said weakly, feeling utterly intimidated in the face of all this beauty. Where was Jasper when I needed him? I looked over. He was talking to the woman that Edward had just introduced as Kate. Carmen laughed again.

"I'm so very sorry that our other daughter couldn't come…" she began, but Tanya finished.

"She's allergic to dogs," she said bitterly, staring over at Jacob and Seth. They both growled under their breath and Edward had to grab Jacob's shoulder. He turned to Tanya, eyes smoldering.

"Those dogs came to our aid when even our own family had refused," Edward hissed between clenched teeth. "Bella is alive today because of them. I owe them everything. They are our friends, so I must ask you to please be civil to them while you are here, Tanya."

The tension was only visible to those in our little circle. Then Tanya smiled a horribly fake smile and moved on.

"I am very sorry," Edward apologized to Jacob and Seth. "I hadn't taken into account the animosity that Tanya must also feel. I had no idea."

Neither Seth nor Jacob responded, but both seemed to look like they no longer wanted to be there. After that, I had trouble paying attention to anyone passing by.

"Thank you so much for coming, Jake. You have no idea how horrible I've felt imagining you off somewhere hurt, or alone, or…" I broke off. Jacob was laughing at me.

"Bella, I can't really get hurt," he chuckled, then his face became more serious. "And I'm never alone. You know that."

"I do, but you get mad at me when I try to use that method of communication."

Another chuckle. We moved slowly away from the crowds of people gathered around silk covered tables full of food, out of the shimmering light provided by the millions of white Christmas bulbs that Alice had nearly killed herself—if that were possible—putting up, and into the relative privacy of the cedars. I glanced quickly back at Edward, who had graciously promised to listen to neither thoughts nor words. He met my gaze, nodded, and then turned his attention to Emmett and Jasper, who were laughing at Rosalie as she tried to gracefully refuse the food that Charlie was forcing on her.

It suddenly occurred to me that Emmett and Jasper had made no promise not to listen…and Edward was such a fan of technicalities. I scowled. He would have already picked everything out of Jacob's head before anyway.

"So, where have you been, Jake?" I began harmlessly.

He shrugged his massive shoulders. "Here and there. Up north mostly…hanging out with the timberwolves." He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. It wasn't the smile that I had been waiting to see. "I've been running a lot…running and thinking almost constantly." He looked off into the darkness. His eyes were bleak. "Bella, I came back to tell you goodbye. I realized that I didn't do that before I left the first time."

"The first time?" I frowned. "Jake, are you leaving again?"

He nodded. "Tonight."

"No! You have to say hi to Charlie…and you haven't even seen your dad yet!" This was getting annoying—all this appearing and disappearing. I crossed my arms over my chest. Jacob laughed.

"You look just like a little girl not getting her way!" He pulled my arms away gently and hugged me. "I'll stop by and say hello to Billy on my way out, and I already talked to Charlie."

"But Jake, you just got here! Stay a little while! A night or two at least!"

His jaw clenched. "Where will you be in a night or two, Bella?"

I looked down at the ground. I had no idea how to answer that. Edward had been very careful to hide every single detail of our honeymoon from me. All I knew was that I would be lying somewhere isolated with the man of my dreams, hopefully enjoying my last human request. A smirk appeared accidentally on my face. A grimace appeared on Jacob's.

"Oh, Jake, I'm sorry," I attempted, but he brushed me away.

"Don't be, Bella. You made your choice, and as much as it kills me to admit it…he's OK." And I could see that it actually caused him physical pain to say it. "I know him now…enough to not be able to hate him, and you have to understand how much I want to hate him. But I can't, even for what he is. He's…he's…" he swallowed hard. "He's good, I suppose." I smiled, but he quickly added, "For a bloodsucker." I sighed.

"Jake…"

"No, just don't say anything yet, please Bells," he demanded. His face was indecipherable. "Just let me get this out, OK?"

"OK," I complied.

He took a deep, slow breath and began again.

"While I was running, I was thinking about how stupid I was…how selfish to be in love with you, and to want you to love me back, when I could find that girl that I'm supposed to be with, and imprint on her at any moment. Where would that leave you?"

The question wasn't meant to be answered, so I stood quietly and waited for him to go on. He was looking back at the party, watching as Alice and Jasper spun across the dance floor. Emmett and Edward were still deep in conversation.

"I tried to make it you," Jacob continued solemnly. "It's just not something you can force, you know? So I guess I won't be able to keep that promise I made to you after all. One day, I'll find someone who'll make me forget all about you and how much I love you—I really love you, Bella!"

"I love you too, Jake…" But it wasn't the same. The center of my world had shifted completely and irreversibly…had gravitated to the pallid angel who stood wrapped in the light of our wedding reception. I felt his pull with every fiber of my being, and Jake saw that as clearly as he saw the pain on my face at the realization. He nodded silently, biting his bottom lip, seemingly afraid to continue.

"I don't want you to say anything. I don't want to hear anything about it." His determined tone worried me. I looked up at him, obediently silent. "I've also been trying to…understand. To think about the decision you're going to make from your point of view." His face wrinkled in what could have been concentration or disgust, and he folded his arms around his enormous frame.

"You're…you're dying for someone you love. That's not exactly it, but it's the only way I can stomach it…and I guess I'm going to have to stomach it." His voice was hard as her reached the last words. I opened my mouth to respond.

"Don't!" he stopped the words before they could confirm his fears. "I don't want to know. I just want to say that if it's like that…dying for someone you love, then I think I would do it too."

Shocked silence. I couldn't even begin to understand how much this conversation had to be hurting my best friend. I reached my arm out and touched his cheek. He moved away, but I saw how reluctant those movements were.

"I would die for someone I love," he pushed on. "I would die for you, so I guess I can't blame you for wanting to do what you are going to do, but everything inside me…my heart…my whole mind…all of the instincts that come with the werewolf package…they hate what you're going to be Bella! I can't be here to watch that blush fade from your cheeks and watch you turn cold and…die. I can't see you like that!"

His breath was coming in rapid bursts now, but it wasn't anger that colored his face. He stared up at me intensely, and I knew that this was goodbye. My best friend was leaving, probably for good, and there was not one thing that I could find inside my head to say…not one word of comfort, or anything at all to make him stay. The tears needed no prompting.

"You chose him…that ring on your finger proves it, and that's why I can't stay here anymore. I can't sit by and watch you die. Your bloodsucker has had a century to learn how to control himself and even he wouldn't be able to just sit back and watch while you killed yourself." His body suddenly shimmered, his fists clenched, and I took a few cautious steps backwards.

"Jacob?" I asked. No other words would come.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The shimmering stopped in his upper body, ran slowly down through his legs, and then he was still.

"I'm going north, again, Bella," he said, his eyes still closed tight. "I'm going in search of whatever it is inside of me that I need to bring back to protect the tribe. I'm not going to think of you anymore."

And when he opened his eyes, they did not search for me. They forged through the darkness and into the reception where my new husband now sat with Kate and Tanya, his eyes darting anxiously toward our position. The two locked eyes for a moment, and I saw Edward's teeth come together…almost heard the snap from such a distance. He winced and closed his eyes. I glared over at Jacob.

"Stop it!" I yelled, and Tanya and Kate's heads snapped up frighteningly quickly. Edward put out a restraining hand. He stared Jacob down, and gave him the slightest shake of his beautiful bronze head.

"Never," he said, not loud enough for me to hear. I read his lips. Tanya was rising to her feet despite Edward's insistence. He rose with her and held her back.

"That dog was causing you pain?" she said malevolently, shooting daggers at Jacob. "You let them cause you pain!" Edward forced her to sit down again. She was still snarling. I moved in between her and Jacob.

"Goodbye Bella. I love you." Jacob's voice came from behind me now. I turned to tell him that I loved him too.

But he was gone.

And then Edward was there. His arms filled the empty space around me that Jacob had just left. His sweet breath entranced me as he whispered into my ear.

"He'll be alright. Come back into the light with me, please."

I wiped away the tears a little more shrewdly than I had intended—certain that Alice would not approve of the massacre I was making of her beautiful construction—and I looked up into Edward's piercing eyes. He was smiling uncertainly down at me, tracing the line of my jaw, wiping away a renegade tear.

"Do you want me to go after him?" he asked.

I knew that he would have if I had truly wanted him to, but I shook my head. This was the way it was supposed to be. I had found the other half of my soul. Jacob was entitled to the lone quest for his. My tears suddenly felt horribly greedy.

"No," I replied, sniffling back the last of them. I gazed up at the beautiful seventeen year old who was now my husband. "Shouldn't we be shoving cake into each other's faces right about now?"

He gauged my expression for a few moments more before the crooked smile made a reappearance on his face, demolishing the last traces of my melancholy.

"I believe everyone has been waiting for our first dance." He held his hand out confidently. My heart sunk into my stomach.

"Oh no," I muttered.

I supposed I had known that it was coming—the first dance being tradition and all, but that didn't stop the blood from rushing to my face. It wasn't the dance, exactly, that bothered me—Edward and I had danced before. I had vague memories of being swirled around the room perched on his toes. It was actually quite fun. The problem was that, once again, I was going to be the center of attention.

Edward touched his hand to my cheek again. "You have no idea how much I'm going to miss that," he said, placing an arm around my waste and pulling me out on to the dance floor. I blushed brighter when the music stopped and Alice announced our arrival to everyone. Then Edward put his hands on both my shoulders and picked me up discretely, setting me on his feet. I felt like a princess. A princess bride.

It wasn't bad at all. Edward did all the work, of course, and I held on and let him take me around the dance floor, feeding off his grace. His eyes never left mine, and after a while, I forgot that there was anyone else in the room with us.

"You look positively radiant, Mrs. Cullen," he whispered, turning me particularly sharply into a move that I was absolutely positive I would never have accomplished without his impossible strength. His voice was triumphant. I frowned. The term Mrs. made me feel like my mother…even my grandmother, and that was delving into a rather sore subject.

He caught the darkening of my expression and misinterpreted it. "Jacob will be fine, Bella. He is strong. He has very good instincts. He knows what he's doing."

My brow furrowed even more. "That's not what I was…"

But the subject of Jacob brought back the image of Edward wincing and trying to keep Tanya from lunging. "Edward, what did Jacob show you before he left?" I asked. Edward's jaw tightened.

"Just random images…" he whispered sourly. "He is very good at finding just the right memories." He pulled me closer and we began to turn again—faster this time.

"What else?"

He looked gravely down at me. "Jacob told me that if I ever left you alone and hurt again…" he flinched as if the possibility gave him more pain. "He would hunt me to the ends of the Earth and kill me himself."

"Oh," was all I could think of in response.

I hadn't even realized that the music had stopped until Charlie cleared his throat behind me.

"Excuse me, Edward, but can the father dance with his little girl?"

"Of course, Charlie," Edward responded, polite as usual with only the slightest glance into my eyes to make sure his last comment had not upset me more than usual. He glided off the dance floor, and with him went any semblance of grace and any hope that I had of not injuring myself in Alice's heels. Charlie grinned uneasily as I took his hand. He was nearly as clumsy as me. I was sure that Emmett would get a kick out of watching us stumble around.

"You really do look perfect today, Bells," he said, not meeting my eyes. We were both watching our feet and trying very hard not to step on anyone else's. "Everything is real nice. Alice did a great job."

"Thanks dad," I said and stumbled slightly. Charlie smiled.

"You know, Edward…he's not that bad of a guy." His lips wrinkled into an expression of awkwardness. I gawked. "He just keeps earning points I don't even want to give him. I can't for the life of me figure out how he convinced you to try for Dartmouth…or the scholarships, but…" He looked up at me for a minute. My toes screamed as they gave under his weight. "Oops! I think he's good for you, Bells."

I blinked back more tears. "Thanks dad," I managed, and threw my arms around him. I looked over his shoulder at Edward. He appeared to be in conversation with Carmen and Eleazar, but I thought I saw the slightest victory smirk disappear quickly from his lips.

"Yeah," Charlie huffed, hugging me back nervously. "Just don't tell him I said that. I'd like to keep him on his toes for a while."

Too late.

After that, it was time to cut the cake. Edward swallowed his piece with only the slightest of sour looks, and then gently gave me mine. Jasper and Emmet looked on with dual frowns, obviously hoping for an all out food fight…either that or imagining what would have happened if there had been a cake at any of their weddings.

Edward took me out on the dance floor after that, and when the music ended, Mike cut in. He was surprisingly agile, but nowhere near as attentive as Edward. I tripped four times trying to follow him around the dance floor. He laughed.

"The first one in the class to get married, and the first one to fall and kill herself at her own reception. That would be a great announcement at the ten year reunion!"

I scowled. After that, dancing with Mike wasn't that fun. I was relieved when Emmett took over, mostly because my feet were beginning to ache and I could use another set of indestructible ones to ride on for a bit. Emmett was chuckling under his breath. I looked suspiciously up at him.

"I was just thinking of the real announcements at the ten year. Bella Swan married Edward Cullen. He bit her. She died, and they're now living happily ever after as vampires." He smiled an enormous smile. Even I heard Edward's hiss from beyond the dance floor. Emmett swirled me to the opposite side, passing a joking smirk to Edward along the way.

Phil cut in after Emmett, looking only a bit frightened to interrupt. After Phil came Eric, and after Eric came Tyler. I rather enjoyed Lauren's heated glare that followed us around the dance floor as we reminisced about prom invitations and near death experiences. I realized that I'd had so many since that first accident that being nearly squished by a car hardly seemed worth remembering now.

My feet were in agony, and I had just made up my mind to refuse my next dance invitation and go find Edward when his lips were suddenly on my neck. My knees buckled. He caught me, and I felt him chuckle against my skin.

"I thought you might need a rest," he said taking my hand and leading me slowly off the floor. "If the blush in your cheeks becomes any greater, it may be too much for some of our…guests." He smiled when I looked up at him, alarmed.

"Kidding," he assured me, and then kissed me gently. "Are you ready to go speak to your in-laws?"

I gulped. Edward chuckled and took my hand.

"They'll love you," he reassured. "They already do, actually. I've been talking to them about you while you were dancing." He pulled me over to the darkest table where Carlisle and Esme sat smiling and speaking to two perfectly still figures who were seated in the shadows. They both smiled warmly as Edward pulled out a chair for me and I sat down gratefully.

The tall, dark haired man that had been introduced as Eleazar stood and offered me his hand. "We finally get to speak to the famous Bella," he said genuinely. He had the same accent as Carmen, and his expression was scrutinizing from across the table. I balked under his gaze and any response I would have thought of left me. Carmen seemed to notice this. She whispered something low and quick to Eleazar. He smiled.

"I apologize, Bella, I really should explain myself," he said. "Edward has told us of your…talent, shall we say? My own ability is to recognize the talents of others. I was trying to understand your potential, but I must admit, it is a somewhat inexact science when dealing with humans."

"You…see talents?" I asked tentatively.

"Most," he replied.

"In humans, too?"

"To a weaker extent," he explained, and then turned to Edward. "You're right. She presents an interesting conundrum. I can see absolutely nothing, but I feel that there's some sort of potential." He turned back to me, puzzling. "You certainly are a mystery. I can see why Edward chose you."

I blushed.

"She is the only child I have ever seen who is more comfortable surrounded by werewolves and vampires than others of her kind… the only human to ever leave Volterra alive with full knowledge of its occupants, and the only person in existence to resist Aro, Jane, and Edward…I'd say "mystery" is a bit of an understatement." Carmen laughed, and her laugh brought images of warm summer nights, and the slow trilling rifts of a Spanish guitar in the distance. It was comforting.

She wasn't entirely correct. I was never able to resist Edward, but I remained silent and my blush grew deeper as I searched for a subject that would take the focus off of me. Edward—ever eager to avoid any conversation on the reasons behind my strange escape from under the streets of Volterra—beat me to the punch.

"Where did Kate go? I was hoping that Bella would be able to talk to her as well," he asked.

Carmen looked mildly entertained. "Of course," she mused. "Bella would no doubt take an interest in Kate's obsession." She looked around casually. "She must have left for a moment with Tanya, but don't worry, Edward. They'll have time to speak, the two of them…quite a bit of time, in fact."

She smiled slyly. Edward's lips became a thin line, and I recognized my cue to interrupt.

"What is Kate's obsession?" I asked.

"Kate was a mother when she was transformed," explained Edward, tracing his finger casually up and down my arm and sending random chills through my entire body. "She has followed her own familiar line for centuries. She is in contact with many of them."

The idea was fascinating. I was about to ask more when Alice's voice rang out from behind us, jovial, but insistent.

"I didn't put up all these decorations so that you could all just sit in a corner and talk," she scolded and then stared down at me. She reminded me of a teacher disciplining her student, and I realized that that is exactly what she would be in a few more weeks. "There are still at least eight people out there who haven't danced with the bride yet…Jasper included."

Jasper gave a resigned smile behind her and extended his hand to me. "You know there's no point in arguing," he sighed. "Will you allow me the privilege to dance with my newest sister?"

And spoken so elegantly—and accompanied by Jasper's traditional dose of calm confidence that spread over everyone at the table, dancing suddenly seemed like a wonderful idea. I leaned over to kiss Edward quickly on the cheek and let Jasper lead me out onto the floor. It had been nearly empty only a minute before, but it seemed to fill up rapidly as we advanced. Jasper grinned modestly.

"Sorry," he muttered as we began to twirl. "My talent isn't exactly exclusive to one table."

I laughed, thankful that I was able to stand on his toes too as the song became faster and we danced easily through the crowd, appearing as if we both knew what we were doing. I had just about convinced myself to cheat and ask Jasper what elusive place his brother had planned for our honeymoon when Edward appeared at our side with Alice right behind him. They were both extremely pale and both wore identical expressions of stony panic. Both Jasper and I recognized what had happened at once.

"What did you see?" Jasper asked. Alice flashed to his side and was whispering to him in a tone not meant for human ears. The confidence that had been floating over the room was transformed instantly into a fresh barrage of anxiety. Many guests stopped dancing for a moment. Smiles disappeared from nearly everyone's face.

"Jasper," Edward warned quietly, his jaw clenched and his eyes fixed on me. The anxiety disappeared. I turned, frustrated to Edward.

"What happened?" I demanded. He stared at me, debating.

"No secrets, remember!"

A resigned sigh escaped his lips. "We have to go for a while. It seems that Tanya was more offended by Jacob's actions than I thought. There is the possibility of a confrontation."

A cold chill flew up my spine, causing goose bumps to form on my exposed arms and neck. I turned to Alice, determined. "What did you see?"

"Nothing," she hissed. "You know I can't see anything when the dogs are involved. I saw her looking for them, and then…well, nothing!" She seemed extremely frustrated by this fact.

"Where?" I demanded again.

"Not far from here," Edward answered. "We won't be gone long."

"I'm going with you!" I insisted. If my best friend was about to be mutilated by my husband's bitter vampire ex-girlfriend, then I was going to be there to do everything I could to stop it! There wasn't time for it to occur to me that my life was beginning to resemble a very strange soap opera.

Predictably, Edward protested, but not-so-predictably, Alice put a hand on his shoulder and stopped the argument before it began.

"You know I saw her with us, Edward, and she's the only one the wolf will listen to," she argued. I had been preparing to make my argument and my mouth was now frozen in the act of pronouncing the first words of it.

"I will not put her in the middle of this. I will not lose the love of my life on our wedding day because of a petty feud between two intolerant…"

The knowingly smug look on my face caused him to stop in mid-sentence. It had not been very long ago at all that the feud had not seemed so petty to him.

"Oh!" Alice exclaimed, her eyes going blank for a moment, and then filling with fresh terror. "We need to go now!"

I looked stubbornly from Edward to Alice. There was a moment of tense silence, and then Edward snarled resentfully.

"I'll carry you when we're out of sight of the party," he instructed.

The triumph from my victory was overcome by fear for Jacob.

"Let's go," I said grimly.

The folds of my dress trailed behind us as I clung to Edward's shoulders, my head tucked toward the nape of his neck to avoid the wind that threatened to destroy whatever miracle Alice had performed on my hair. I concentrated on the sweet smell of his skin, and tried not to think about my best friend being attacked by a strawberry blond blur. The wind was so loud in my ears that I barely heard Edward whispering something back to be in a firm tone.

"I need you to promise me that if something begins between Jacob and Tanya, that you will not do anything to put yourself in danger." His eyes were focused on the forest around him, but I could see that his expression was fixed and determined.

"OK," I said too quickly. It was taken away by the wind, but Edward seemed to hear it. He saw through it immediately.

"I mean it, Bella," he said, and his tone left no doubt of that. "I will leave you right here and come back for you if I don't think I can trust you. You are entirely too prone to self sacrifice, and I won't have you losing your life while I'm trying to save your friend. Remember, you hold both our lives in your hands now."

I didn't have to respond. He could tell the effect that his words had by the racing of my heart against his shoulder. A satisfied grin crept onto his face as the forest rushed by around us.

"You don't need to worry, Bella," he tried to reassure me. "Jacob is strong. He's practically immortal."

"Practically," I mocked. "And Tanya's only got about a thousand years of experience on him." My frustration suddenly seemed to get the better of me. "Don't you see how pointless this all is? Jacob's going to be killed because of the misconceptions of…"

"Don't Bella," Edward interrupted gravely. "That's the kind of thought process that could lead to your death in this situation."

I tried to glare at the side of his angelic face, but the wind brought tears to my eyes and took away the desired effect. "Alice didn't see me dead," I squeaked. He sighed, frustrated.

"Alice didn't see what happened at all. She only saw you…" His lips curled into a frustrated snarl. "I hate doing this! It goes against every instinct I have!"

"Shouldn't you be used to that by now?' I grinned. It was meant to clear the tension, but Edward simply growled under his breath and stopped suddenly—smoothly. He pulled me off of his back and set me down in front of him. I could hear the low growling barks of the wolves very near, and then Tanya's voice high, sweet—furious.

"Let me go, Kate! It was that one! I know it was!"

My eyes widened, and I started urgently toward the screaming without a second thought. Edward appeared in front of me, pushing me behind him with one arm, shielding me from view, and so I had to strain to see when we rounded the corner. Tanya and Kate were the closest to us. Kate was facing away from the three wolves trying to restrain Tanya as she lunged toward the protective circle of fur that seemed dangerously near to the two struggling vampires. I recognized the three wolves instantly. Quil, Embry, and Seth were bristling, set in a protective circle around a tall, fearless figure. My breath caught as I realized that it was Jacob, shirtless and glaring with disgust at Tanya. He hadn't phased. Why hadn't he phased?

Emmett, Alice, and Jasper were standing on the sidelines. The sense of calm that Jasper was submitting didn't seem to have an effect on either vampire or wolf. Tanya noticed Edward's arrival, but she did not acknowledge him as he joined his brothers and sister. My arrival seemed to have a greater effect on Jacob. He seemed instantly nervous, gazing in my direction with incredulity and then fixing Edward with an accusatory glare. Edward didn't notice. He was lost in Tanya's thoughts.

"It was you, you filthy animal!" Tanya screamed at Jacob. Her voice reached inhuman levels. "I know it was you! You're the largest. I understand pack behavior!"

"You don't know a thing about us, bloodsucker!" Jacob snapped back.

Edward turned toward me, gazing at me pleadingly—reminding me of my promise before turning his attention toward Tanya. "It wasn't him, Tanya," he said soothingly, his eyes coming to rest, unblinking, on hers. A flicker of jealousy ran through me, and I brushed it away, ashamed of such petty emotions at a time like this. "He was too young then. It couldn't have been him."

"Stay out of this, Edward!" Tanya snarled, passing him a look of disgust. "They killed Laurent! They killed one of us!"

I opened my mouth to protest—to explain to Tanya exactly why the wolves had gone after Laurent—but one deadly glance back from Edward closed my mouth.

Jacob let out a sarcastic yelp that could have been laughter. "And how many had he killed before we took him out! Who else would he have killed?"

I saw his eyes flicker to me again, but he said nothing of the reasons behind their hunt that fated day. I guessed that neither he nor Edward had any desire to bring me into range of Tanya's temper.

"They were defending their lands, Tanya," Edward said calmly. "They didn't know that Laurent had joined your family."

"That doesn't matter!" Tanya snapped. "We didn't sign your treaty! We have a right to avenge a member of our family!"

I flinched. Laurent hadn't even been loyal to their family! He had cheated! His eyes had been just as red as Victoria's when he had appeared in the clearing that afternoon. I shivered in spite of my anger at the memory of Edward's cold, even, imagined voice finally advising me to beg as the predator moved nearer, his intentions all too clear. I said nothing to Tanya, remembering my promise to Edward.

I watched as Jacob's body began to shake, his arms shimmering briefly and his form beginning to shift as he remembered the reasoning behind his first hunt as well. "We have a right to defend our lands from leeches!" he hissed. I rolled my eyes, thinking of how much easier mediation would be if we could just eliminate all of the derogatory terms.

Tanya strained against Kate again, who looked helplessly back at us. Alice moved forward swiftly to help, giving the wolves a wide berth.

"Which one killed him then, if it wasn't you, child?" Her livid tone made her last word sound as if it she were spitting venom at him. Jacob sneered and shimmered again. Edward glanced quickly over at him and hissed under his breath. Neither party was going to make a peaceful resolution easy.

"They are all children," Edward said solemnly, grabbing my hand in one of his and putting his other one calmly out toward Jacob in warning. His eyes didn't move from Tanya. "Are you going to sacrifice years of control to kill a group of children?"

He glanced meaningfully over at Jasper and a fresh wave of calm spread over us. I saw Jasper moving silently toward us. My frustration disappeared entirely. The shaking that had taken over Jacob's body suddenly left him, and the growling of the wolves around him became subdued, but did not disappear entirely. Tanya was not affected.

"Don't play on my sympathy, Edward! I haven't had sympathy for centuries!" Tanya yelled, and made another effort to lunge toward Jacob. This time, both Alice and Kate strained to hold her back. Tanya screeched in rage and lashed out at her sister. "Look at them, Kate! They're no more children than Edward! They're cold blooded murderers, and they know our weaknesses!"

Kate blanched, but her resolve remained…for the moment. I watched Edward's jaw tense as he listened to her thoughts, and then he let go of my hand and began moving slowly toward the three struggling figures. I tried to follow, but Jasper was suddenly there, pushing himself in front of me. I frowned. It was so unbelievably frustrating sometimes, being the weakest link. Emmett moved closer to the wolves, ready to detain Jacob if it came to that.

"We don't have weaknesses, Tanya," Edward was saying. His voice was liquid smooth—hypnotizing. Jacob's sarcastic sniff rang in the air behind him, but Edward did not acknowledge it. He was deathly pale now, his jaw tense and his face reflecting something very close to panic. I wondered exactly what he had read in Kate's and Tanya's thoughts. "We're too powerful to trouble ourselves with half-breed children." The wolves growled, but Edward put a hand out to silence them. Amazingly, they obeyed. "We've lived too long for petty grudges, don't you think? Would killing a dog give you any satisfaction whatsoever?"

For the first time, Tanya's eyes left Jacob. They turned to Edward, still livid, but there was a glint of reason in them. Edward took in a slow deep breath, and Tanya mimicked him ceasing to strain against her sister and Alice. The tension in the air continued to be palpable, but there was a faint hope there as well. Perhaps this could end without confrontation.

I felt myself relaxing behind Jasper, and turning my attention toward my best friend. I smiled complacently at him, hoping that Edward's words would not be misconstrued as possible insults toward them. There were way too many volatile tempers in this clearing at the moment. I was only allowed a moment of relief before I recognized the challenge on Jacob's face, and realized that he was about to react exactly as I had feared. There was one tiny minute of expectation before Jacob allowed what could possibly be the most stupid words that he had ever said to escape his mouth.

"I can see his point. Ripping your bloodsucker to pieces didn't really give me the amount of satisfaction I'd expected either."

Edward froze. Everyone stopped moving for a moment, waiting for the inevitable reaction. Strangely, I reacted first.

"Jacob, you moron!" I managed before Kate's restraint waivered and she joined her sister. They passed a confused Alice in a blur and headed directly toward the circle of wolves. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett all disappeared suddenly from around me, appearing in between the wolves and the two enraged women, stopping them entirely too close to Jacob's still unphased human form for comfort. Tanya and Kate were both beyond words now. Edward was furious.

"You idiot dog!" he shouted over the screaming of the Denali sisters. "Take your pack and go now before one of you dies!" He was straining visibly against his red-blond counterpart. "I can only fight against her will and mine for so long! Leave. NOW!"

Hate was the dominant emotion, and I saw Jasper struggling to overcome the desire to carry out ten separate fantasies that all ended in murder. Jacob looked around at Edward and his brothers. The strain of fighting against their own instinct was burned into each face. Finally, he glanced over at my desperate face, and his resolve broke. His shoulders slumped, and he began to back slowly away.

"Sorry, Bells," he said in defeat as he turned toward the forest. His three companions followed, still bristling and vigilant. Tanya screamed.

"You killed my family, mongrel! If you walk away from me now, it's only a matter of time before I kill yours!"

It happened so fast that I didn't have time to remember my promise to Edward, or even my own mortality. One moment, we were at the point of a very fragile stand-down between vampires and werewolves, and the next moment, the loose black sweats that Jacob had been wearing were floating around me in shredded pieces and he was headed toward Tanya as the largest, angriest wolf I had ever seen.

And Edward stood in between them.

"Jacob, no!"

There was time for my heart to slip into my stomach. There was time for my ears to register the desperation in Edward's voice as he screamed after me.

"Bella, stop!"

But he was locked in the act of restraining Tanya, and he could do nothing more than yell as I lunged forward to place myself between my husband and my best friend. My wedding dress caught on a fallen branch, and I heard the fabric tear as if from a distance. I pushed in front of the furious russet furred creature just as he leapt at Tanya…and Edward. The force behind his leap knocked me to the ground, and I was lost in a moment in a random chaos of fur and razor sharp teeth as the full weight of a werewolf came down on me.

"Please!" I managed before my breath was knocked out of me. There was time enough for the stupidity of what I had just done to occur to me, and then Jacob was off me. I waited for the sounds of battle, but nothing came to my ears. I opened my eyes, only then realizing that I had closed them in anticipation of my own death, and was surprised to see an extremely pale…extremely furious Edward glaring at me with his gloriously white teeth bared and still restraining Tanya while Jacob glowered down at me through his wolf eyes. He did not advance again. I could sense a mixture of fear and shame and anger in his canine expression. I stood up, shocked, and unable to imagine the willpower it had taken a werewolf in full attack mode to stop. An image of Emily's mangled face appeared out of nowhere. I shivered, and held out one hand to him.

"Thank you," I whispered. It didn't seem like near enough, suddenly. He growled threateningly.

Edward reacted to this. "Go. NOW, Jacob Black!"

I held my other hand out toward Edward, to silence him. There was no need. Everything around me was silence. Everyone seemed to be frozen, staring at me with identical expressions of disbelief. I didn't care. Quil, Embry, and Seth ambled up behind Jacob, shocked. It was to them that I addressed my next request.

"Please make sure he's safe until he's out of her range," I said. The smaller grey wolf seemed to nod. He nudged his infinitely larger companion, and they all turned to trot out of the clearing. Jacob gave me one last look—shocked and apologetic—before he disappeared.

Tanya let out one final shriek of rage, and then stopped struggling against Edward. Kate had already turned from Emmett and Jasper to comfort her sister. No one moved around us. They all continued to stare at me. I blushed and imagined their expressions as worry—saw the second thoughts they seemed to all be having about making me their sister forming in each angelic head. I looked down at my beautiful ring, ashamed. In one way or the other, I was their sister anyway. I twisted it over and over on my finger in a gesture that already threatened to become my nervous habit of choice.

Edward's eyes were huge, horrified. He seemed abnormally stiff as he turned to his brothers. "Take them back to the reception," he ordered them in a frightening monotone that was reserved for the times when his fury was barely under control. "Make sure they stay there." His eyes flashed to Tanya. "I'll speak to you when I return." His last words were intended to be threatening. Tanya glowered, but she too was too busy staring at me to respond.

One last cloud of calm drifted over us all as Jasper broke the strange spell, taking Tanya by the arm and escorting her slowly out of the clearing followed closely by Emmett and Kate. They looked too casual, like two young couples on their way to their first dance. Alice gave me a sympathetic glance, and then turned to follow her brothers and cousins.

"Alice, stay with us, please," Edward demanded in a falsely pleasant tone that only made his request more deadly. Alice stopped and watched longingly as the other four disappeared into the forest. Then, the storm turned immediately to me.

"What on earth were you thinking!" he boomed, his hands clenched into fists. I flinched away from his rage, and Edward turned from me for a moment in anger. "You could have died right here in front of me! I just stood there and watched him nearly kill you!"

"I'm sorry," I said weakly. It came out like a question.

"Sorry!" He paced back and forth, raging. Alice faded awkwardly into the background as we waited for the tide of his temper to ebb. Finally, he whirled to face me again, his eyes still smoldering, but there was more than anger there. I recognized the panic that hid just beyond plain view.

"You were almost taken from me right before my eyes…" His voice trailed off, and the reality of his own statement seemed to trigger the calm after the storm. He pushed his fingers to his temples and inhaled slowly, deeply once…twice…three times. I returned to playing with the new addition to my left ring finger and waited for him to speak again.

Edward watched me silently, broodingly for another long moment, focusing on the ring as well. Then he grasped my hand, his own hand stiff and trembling as he attempted to regain control of his temper.

"You promised me eternity today, Bella," he said, and his voice was trembling with effort as well. "You promised you wouldn't do anything to take that away from me, and then you go against every human instinct and place yourself in line for one of the most certain deaths imaginable!. Do you have any idea how close you came to breaking both of your promises today!"

I couldn't meet his eyes. "I didn't think," I mumbled. I felt like a child being scolded by her father for running out into the street. "Jacob was angry, and he was coming at you so fast…"

"Me!" His barely assembled composure broke again and his voice became a mixture of fury and incredulity. "You jumped in front of a raging werewolf to save me! I'm immortal, Bella! You're not!"

Yet! I almost cried, but my reason got the better of me, and I moved on to my next attempt.

"Jacob wouldn't have killed me!" I argued. It was a weak front. I had not known for sure how in control of himself Jacob had been when I had put myself in between the two of them, and I was sure that the uncertainty was painted on my face. Edward's frown deepened and he exhaled sharply.

"You couldn't have known that, Bella!" He squeezed my hand a little too tightly, letting go with a shameful look when I winced. I wanted to reach over and take back his hand, but his jaw was tight, his eyes livid. "Jacob was going for a kill! I saw that in his mind! He was acting on pure instinct, and you have no idea how difficult it is to forgo instinct." His expression darkened. "I don't understand how he was able to…I wouldn't have been able to…"

He trailed off and turned away for a moment. I thought I knew exactly how his last sentence would have ended, and though I didn't believe him—though I had personally witnessed his ability to go against his own instinct, it still caused a chill to run down my spine. I shivered, and he became my protector again, slipping off his jacket and wrapping it around my shoulders.

"Are you cold?" The anger had burned away instantly, leaving only concern. I took in the scent from his jacket feeling the goose bumps rising on my arms.

"No," I admitted, feeling the possible outcomes of the last half hour suddenly crashing down on me. "I just…he could have…" I couldn't finish.

"Finally, a human reaction," he said, some semblance of a grin appearing on his face. He took me into his arms and held me as tight as he dared until I was no longer tense. Then he held me out a arm's length, looking me over disapprovingly. "It seems we've ruined your beautiful dress. What will your father think you've been doing?"

I smiled and shrugged as he pulled me into an embrace. "Let him use his imagination," I sighed. "It can't be worse than the reality."

Edward exhaled forcibly again, frowning down at me. "Alice?" he called pleasantly without taking his eyes from mine. A tiny silhouette reappeared like a ghost from the darkness. "Can you fix it?"

"Of course I can," Alice replied, pulling a small purse out of nowhere and applying herself immediately to the tear in my dress, obviously relieved that none of Edward's anger had fallen onto her. "Of course there's nothing we can do about the grass stains." Her hands were invisible as she moved around me, sewing and appraising at the same time. "We're going to have to do something about your hair too. Why couldn't the werewolf have stopped before he tackled you?"

I sighed unenthusiastically and added that last question to my ample list of things only heard in my impossibly crazy life. Edward's smirk was breathtaking.