I stared, still frozen in horror, at Alice's new expression. Her face was alive with exultation, all the despair wiped clean from her perfect features.

She grinned at Jacob, and he grinned back.

"That must have been weird," Alice muttered.

"Everything just disappeared, of course," she told him in a smug voice. "That's inconvenient, but, all things considered, I'll take it."

"Argh," Alice groaned. "Stupid dogs. Why do they have to be immune to my visions?"

"We'll have to coordinate," Jacob said. "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."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," I interrupted them.

Alice was on her toes, Jacob leaning down toward her, both of their faces lit up with excitement, both of their noses wrinkled against the smell. They looked at me impatiently.

"Let me guess…she's not going to like this." Edward rolled his eyes.

"She'll be worried about the wolves now," Emmett laughed.

"Coordinate?" I repeated through my teeth.

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

"You are staying out of this!"

"Your psychic doesn't think so."

"Alice - tell them no!" I insisted. "They'll get killed!"

"Ha, she really doesn't have faith in their abilities at all," Emmett laughed. "Poor wolves."

Jacob, Quil, and Embry all laughed out loud.

"Bella," Alice said, her voice soothing, placating, "separately we all could get killed. Together -"

"It'll be no problem," Jacob finished her sentence. Quil laughed again.

"How many?" Quil asked eagerly.

"No!" I shouted.

Alice didn't even look at me. "It changes - twenty-one today, but the numbers are going down."

"Why?" Jacob asked, curious.

"They kill each other off..." Jasper started to answer.

"We know," Emmett said impatiently.

"Right," Jasper shrugged.

"Long story," Alice said, suddenly looking around the room. "And this isn't the place for it."

"Later tonight?" Jacob pushed.

"Yes," Jasper answered him. "We were already planning a . . . strategic meeting. If you're going to fight with us, you'll need some instruction."

The wolves all made a disgruntled face at the last part.

"No!" I moaned.

"This will be odd," Jasper said thoughtfully. "I never considered working together. This has to be a first."

"It might be hard to trust them too," Jasper frowned. "I hate to have to worry about them turning on us..."

"They won't do that," Carlisle said.

"I believe you," Jasper said. "But I don't know if my book self will."

"I'll make sure to convince you, I'm sure," Edward said. "I would know what they are thinking, after all."

"No doubt about that," Jacob agreed. He was in a hurry now. "We've got to get back to Sam. What time?"

"What's too late for you?"

All three rolled their eyes. "What time?" Jacob repeated.

"The wolves don't like being treated like babies it seems," Emmett chuckled.

"Three o'clock?"

"Where?"

"About ten miles due north of the Hoh Forest ranger station.

"Yes, that would be the best place to face the army," Jasper said. "I can already think of a good place we could put the wolves where they would be the most effective."

Come at it from the west and you'll be able to follow our scent in."

"We'll be there."

They turned to leave.

"Wait, Jake!" I called after him. "Please! Don't do this!"

He paused, turning back to grin at me, while Quil and Embry headed impatiently for the door. "Don't be ridiculous, Bells. You're giving me a much better gift than the one I gave you."

"I couldn't agree with you more, pup," Emmett laughed.

"No!" I shouted again. The sound of an electric guitar drowned my cry.

He didn't respond; he hurried to catch up with his friends, who were already gone. I watched helplessly as Jacob disappeared.

"Well, that was the end of the chapter," Esme said, giving the book to Jasper. She then turned to Edward and asked, "What the matter, Edward? You were rather quiet."

"I'm just really not liking this book," Edward frowned. "If it's not one thing, it's another…and I really don't know which part is worse."

"What?" Emmett asked. "You mean there's something worse than the crazy vampire army after your girlfriend."

"No, of course not," Edward said after a moment. He was pinching the bridge of his nose, "Bella's safety will always be number one to me, but it's just upsetting that every time I think that we could get rid of the wolf, something like this has to happen and forcing him to stick around in our lives. If this didn't happen, Bella wouldn't likely have gone back to see him..." there was a look in Edward's eyes that said that at least he hoped not. "However, now he's forced back into her life and it's just really annoying."

"Maybe there is a reason for that," Carlisle said, "and we just don't know what that is yet."

Edward didn't say anything, though he seemed to take that in a bad way, judging by the frown that was now on his face. "Let's just keep reading," Edward said, motioning for Jasper to start the next chapter.

Chapter Eighteen