I laughed at the impossibility of that idea. "Next would be the night after Italy," I continued.

"Yes, that's on the list. You were so funny."

"Funny?" I objected.

"I had no idea your dreams were so vivid. It took me forever to convince you that you were awake."

Everyone was laughing this time at the memory of that night.

"I'm still not sure," I muttered. "You've always seemed more like a dream than reality. Tell me one of yours, now. Did I guess your first place?"

"No - that would be two nights ago, when you finally agreed to marry me."

"Yes... that would be number one," Edward muttered, starting to look happy again and Esme was positively beaming at him.

"Just remember that you have to have a real wedding," Alice put in, beaming too.

Edward just rolled his eyes at her.

I made a face.

"That doesn't make your list?"

I thought about the way he'd kissed me, the concession I'd gained, and changed my mind.

"She really does want you," Emmett said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Yes . . . it does. But with reservations. I don't understand why it's so important to you. You already had me forever."

"A hundred years from now, when you've gained enough perspective to really appreciate the answer, I will explain it to you."

"I don't think it will take a hundred years," Esme said.

"You know how stubborn she can be," Edward smiled.

Esme shrugged, but was smiling all the same.

"I'll remind you to explain - in a hundred years."

"Are you warm enough?" he asked suddenly.

"I'm fine," I assured him. "Why?"

Before he could answer, the silence outside the tent was ripped apart by an earsplitting howl of pain. The sound ricocheted off the bare rock face of the mountain and filled the air so that it seared from every direction.

"You didn't," Emmett said smirking and Esme said sharply.

"Er..." Edward stammered.

"Well, that's sure to get to the pup," Emmett continued to laughed.

"You really shouldn't have done that, Edward," Esme said, sounding disappointed.

The howl tore through my mind like a tornado, both strange and familiar. Strange because I'd never heard such a tortured cry before. Familiar because I knew the voice at once - I recognized the sound and understood the meaning as perfectly as if I'd uttered it myself. It made no difference that Jacob was not human when he cried out. I needed no translation. Jacob was close. Jacob had heard every word we'd said. Jacob was in agony.

The howl choked off into a peculiar gurgled sob, and then it was quiet again.

I did not hear his silent escape, but I could feel it - I could feel the absence I had wrongly assumed before, the empty space he left behind.

Edward narrowed his eyes. He didn't like that sentence at all.

"Because your space heater has reached his limit," Edward answered quietly. "Truce over," he added, so low I couldn't be sure that was really what he'd said.

Esme was shaking her head and looking sadly at Edward, but didn't say anything.

"I'm not sure that was the smartest move," Alice said. She wasn't really liking how Bella was taking this. "I think this might backfire on you."

"Yeah," Edward huffed as he seemed to be coming to the same conclusion.

"Jacob was listening," I whispered. It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"You knew."

"Yes."