The graduation party seemed almost annoyingly normal but for the fact that Bella and the Cullens shared a huge secret that no one else knew. Before Bella knew what was going on she was the center of attention. It was as if the lights made the humans at the party even more wary of being close to the Cullens.

Bella made a round of the room and was listening (kind of) to Jessica rattle on excitedly about anything she could think of. Edward stayed close, almost glued to her side, pulling her in closer every now and again in response to the thoughts she knew she didn't want to hear.

It made her suspicious when he edged away from her. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

When she saw him talking to Alice, she pulled away from Jessica and tried to get to the kitchen door. But she was off in her timing. Edward was gone. Alice had a distant look on her face that said she was seeing something. And one of her hands was gripping the door frame as if she couldn't stand without it.

But Alice didn't turn to Bella although she begged her to. Following her gaze she saw Edward across the room, his face as empty as a stone. He turned around, disappearing into the shadows under the stairs.

When the doorbell rang, Alice looked up with a puzzled expression that quickly dissolved into one of disgust.

"Who invited the werewolf?"

"Guilty." Bella admitted more than a little sheepishly. She hadn't really expected Jake to show up. She knew that Jake hated the Cullens.

"Well you go take care of it, then. I have to talk to Carlisle."

"No, Alice, wait!" She grabbed for Alice's arm but her friend was gone leaving her alone in the party. And without Edward or Alice close by Bella was starting to feel more than a little panicked.

"Hey, Bella!" Jacob's voice sounded across the room during a lull in the music. But when she looked, Bella couldn't believe her eyes. There wasn't just one werewolf standing there. Quil and Embry had come with Jake, both looking as if they'd just walked into a haunted crypt. Embry still held the door handle and was positioned to run if he needed to.

But Jake was waving at Bella, much calmer than the others. She turned after waving to him, trying to find Alice.

He managed to catch her and yank her out of the crowd. "Friendly reception. Don't forget that you invited me."

She kept looking around for Edward and Alice. It was frustrating Jake. "I brought you a graduation present and everything."

"I've got to do something."

"C'mon, Bell. Don't pretend like I'm not here."

"I'm not. Look, Jake, I've got a lot on my mind right now."

He put one hand under Bella's chin and pulled her around to look at him. Panic filled her eyes. "It's just me. Just Jacob. Could I please have just a few seconds of your undivided attention, Miss Swan?"

She jerked away from his touch, her fear not letting the fact that Jake would never do anything to hurt her get through. Her eyes were stricken, her terror burning into Jake's nose.

"Sorry!" He let go and held up his hands in surrender. "Bella, you know I'd never hurt you. It's me. Just Jake. The one who stood beside you through all of it. The one who would never leave you."

"I'm the one who's sorry, Jake. I know that you'd never hurt me. I know that. It's just that, in the wrong moments, I can still see their faces coming at me. I can still hear their laughter. I still feel so dirty."

He held his arms out. "You're not dirty, Bella. Anyone who tells you otherwise is full of crap." She stepped into his embrace for a moment.

"Didn't you say you had a graduation present for me?"

He placed a small drawstring bag in her palm. She tried to open it, trying to be enthusiastic for him. When she had trouble with the strings he took it back and opened the bag easily.

The bag was upended and a small silver bracelet fell into her hand. "I didn't make the bracelet just the charm."

Bella found the tiny wooden carving fastened to one of the links and held it between her fingers to look at it closer. The miniature wolf was exacting in detail. "It's beautiful, Jake. You made this? How?"

"Billy taught me. He's better at it than I am."

"That's hard to believe."

"Do you really like it?"

"Yes! It's unbelievable, Jake."

"Well, I figured that maybe it would make you remember me once in a while. You know how it is, out of sight, out of mind."

"Help me put it on." He fastened the catch much easier than she had expected him to.

"You'll wear it?"

"Of course I will."

He grinned at her only to be puzzled as she returned to scanning the room anxiously for Edward or Alice.

"Why're you so distracted?"

"It's nothing. Thanks for the present, really. I love it."

"Bella? Something's going on, isn't it?"

"Jake, I … No there's nothing."

"Don't lie to me. You suck at lying. You should tell me what's going on. We want to know these things."

'I should tell him. I know I should. But what do I tell him? That I think I know what's going on? What if I'm wrong?'

"Jacob, I will tell you. Just let me figure out what's happening, okay? I need to talk to Alice."

He understood. "The psychic saw something."

"Yes. Just when you showed up."

"Is this about the bloodsucker in your room?" he muttered, pitching his voice below the thrum of the music.

"It's related," Bella admitted.

Leaning his head to one side as he processed that bit of news, he tried to read her face. "You know something you're not telling me …. Something big."

"Yes."

After staring at Bella for one short moment, he turned to catch his pack brothers' eyes where they stood at the door, awkward and uncomfortable. When they saw the look on his face they started moving, weaving their way agilely through the unknowing humans. In half a minute they stood on either side of Jacob, towering over Bella.

"Now. Explain."

"Jacob, I don't know everything." She was now searching the room for a rescue. The three wolves had her backed into a corner in all ways.

"What you do know, then."

They all folded their arms across their chests at precisely the same moment. Thankfully, Bella caught sight of Alice descending the stairs, her white skin glowing in the purple light. "Alice!"

Alice looked right at Bella as soon as she called her name, despite the thudding bass that should have drowned her voice. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the werewolves leaning over Bella and the panic in her friend's eyes.

The three wolves leaned away from her as Alice came over to Bella's side. "I need to talk to you," she murmured into her ear.

"Jake, I'll see you later." The two females eased around Jake whose arm snapped out to brace his hand against the wall, blocking their way. "Hey, not so fast."

"Excuse me?"

"Tell us what's going on."

Bella blinked and Jasper was there. He sensed a threat to Alice and Bella and responded. Jake pulled his arm back, realizing that Bella was scared and seeing the potential of a fight. "We have a right to know."

Alice's face turned thoughtful. "It's okay, Jasper. He actually has a point."

"What did you see, Alice?" Bella asked.

"The decision's been made."

"You're going to Seattle?"

"No."

Bella felt her stomach sink. She started wondering if eating had been such a good idea. The color completely drained from her face. "They're coming here."

Three pairs of hands started trembling as the Quileute boys watched the emotions run across faces.

"Yes." Everyone could see that Alice wasn't happy with delivering this news.

"To Forks."

"Yes."

Bella knew the answer to her next question but asked it anyway. "For?"

"One carried your red shirt." Bella couldn't swallow.

Jasper seemed upset. Of course he didn't like discussing this in front of the wolves but he had to say it. "We can't let them come that far. There aren't enough of us to protect the town."

"I know. But it doesn't matter where we stop them. There still won't be enough of us, and some of them will still come here to search."

"No!" Bella whispered. She knew that only the vampires and wolves had heard her. All of the other people at the party were eating, laughing and swaying to music completely ignorant of the fact that death and danger were coming to their little town. "Alice, I have to go. I have to get away from here."

"That won't help. It's not like we're dealing with a tracker. They'll still come looking here first."

"Then I have to go to meet them! If they find what they're looking for, maybe they'll go away and not hurt anyone else!"

"Bella!" Alice was ready to fight her on this.

"Hold it. What is coming?" Jacob demanded the information in a low, forceful voice.

"Our kind. Lots of them."

"Why?"

"For Bella. That's all we know."

"There are too many for you?"

"We have a few advantages, dog. It will be an even fight."

A strange, fierce half-smile spread across Jake's face. "No. It won't be even."

"Excellent!" Alice hissed. She grinned at Jake who grinned back. "Everything just disappeared of course. That's inconvenient but all things considered I'll take it."

"We'll still have to coordinate. It won't be easy for us. Still this is our job more than yours."

"I wouldn't go that far, but we need the help. We aren't going to be picky." Jasper was willing to argue the point but he didn't interrupt.

What were they talking about? Bella felt so lost. Finally she got their attention. "Coordinate?"

"You didn't honestly think you were going to keep us out of this?" Jake asked.

"You are staying out of this!"

"Your psychic doesn't think so."

"Alice – tell them no! They'll get killed!"

As Jacob, Quil and Embry laughed out loud, Alice spoke in a soothing manner. "Bella, separately we all could get killed. Together –"

"It'll be no problem." Quil laughed at Jake's words.

"How many?"

"No!" Bella shouted.

"It changes – twenty-one today, but numbers are going down."

"Why?" Jake asked.

"Long story. And this isn't the place for it."

"Later tonight?"

"Yes." It was Jasper that answered this time. "We were already planning a … strategic meeting. If you're going to fight with us, you'll need some instruction."

The wolves didn't think too highly of the implications of that statement. "No!" Bella moaned.

"This will be odd. I never considered working together. This has to be a first."

"No doubt about that. We've got to get back to Sam. What time?"

"What's too late for you?"

As they all rolled their eyes, Jake repeated himself.

"Three o'clock?"

"Where?"

"About ten miles due north of the Hoh Forest ranger station. Come at it from the west and you'll be able to follow our scent in."

"We'll be there."

Bella called after Jake when they went to leave. "Wait, Jake! Please! Don't do this!"

Pausing while the other two headed to the door, Jake gave Bella a grin. "Don't be ridiculous, Bells. You're giving me a much better gift than the one I gave you." She watched helplessly as they disappeared out the door.