I growled unimpressively.

"It's not as bad as you seem to think it is. Sit down and I'll explain."

"I'll stand."

He rolled his eyes. "Okay. Whatever you want. But listen, I will get older . . . someday."

"Explain."

"Yes, Carlisle seems like he really wants to hear that," Emmett teased, though it was hard for him to talk because he was still recovering from his fit of laughter.

"I do, indeed," Carlisle smiled.

He patted the tree. I glowered for a second, but then sat; my temper had burned out as suddenly as it had flared and I'd calmed down enough to realize that I was making a fool of myself.

"When we get enough control to quit . . . ," Jacob said. "When we stop phasing for a solid length of time, we age again. It's not easy."

"Interesting," Carlisle said. "So, they could control how long they'll live...at least to a certain extent."

"I would image that's why Sam has so much control over himself," Edward said. "He would want to try to stop phasing as soon as possible, so he could live his life out with Emily."

"Too bad we're here to ruin that plan," Emmett smirked. "He won't think it's safe enough not to phase."

"They'll learn that we're not a threat," Carlisle said confidently.

"Besides, there're so many of them now, they wouldn't really need Sam to be there," Jasper added.

He shook his head, abruptly doubtful. "It's gonna take a really long time to learn that kind of restraint, I think. Even Sam's not there yet.

"He will be...he has a real reason to get there," Edward smiled.

"Course it doesn't help that there's a huge coven of vampires right down the road. We can't even think about quitting when the tribe needs protectors. But you shouldn't get all bent out of shape about it, anyway, because I'm already older than you, physically at least."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look at me, Bells. Do I look sixteen?"

I glanced up and down his mammoth frame, trying to be unbiased. "Not exactly, I guess."

"Not at all. Because we reach full growth inside of a few months when the werewolf gene gets triggered.

"Oh... that makes sense," Carlisle said. "That explains why they grow so fast, but why would they need to age so fast for it to happen at first... Hmm...Maybe it's better for their bodies if they were already full grown...it would be rather painful for them if their bodies went through the natural growing process, along with having to change back and forth between werewolf and human...not to mention how hard it would be if their bones keep changing while they..."

"We get it... it's fascinating," Emmett said impatiently. "But can we get on with the story now?"

"Right," Carlisle said sheepishly. "I'll think about this later."

It's one hell of a growth spurt." He made a face. "Physically, I'm probably twenty-five or something. So there's no need for you to freak out about being too old for me for at least another seven years."

Twenty-five or something .The idea messed with my head. But I remembered that growth spurt - I remembered watching him shoot up and fill out right before my eyes. I remembered how he would look different from one day to the next. . . . I shook my head, feeling dizzy.

"So, did you want to hear about Sam, or did you want to scream at me some more for things that are out of my control?"

"She wasn't screaming at you," Edward groaned.

I took a deep breath. "Sorry. Age is a touchy subject for me. That hit a nerve."

Jacob's eyes tightened, and he looked as if he were trying to decide how to word something.

Since I didn't want to talk about the truly touchy stuff - my plans for the future, or treaties that might be broken by said plans, I prompted him. "So once Sam understood what was going on, once he had Billy and Harry and Mr. Ateara, you said it wasn't so hard anymore. And, like you also said, there are the cool parts. . . ." I hesitated briefly. "Why does Sam hate them so much? Why does he wish I would hate them?"

Jacob sighed. "This is the really weird part."

"I'm a pro at weird."

"That's an understatement if I've ever heard one," Alice laughed.

"Yeah, I know." He grinned before he continued. "So, you're right. Sam knew what was going on, and everything was almost okay. In most ways, his life was back to, well, not normal. But better." Then Jacob's expression tightened, like something painful was coming.

"Sam couldn't tell Leah.

"Which is probably why he was so bitter at first," Edward said.

"What makes you think that?" Emmett said.

"Because now only the pup is bitter...the similarities are too much of a coincidence," Edward groaned.

We aren't supposed to tell anyone who doesn't have to know. And it wasn't really safe for him to be around her - but he cheated, just like I did with you. Leah was furious that he wouldn't tell her what was going on - where he'd been, where he went at night, why he was always so exhausted - but they were working it out. They were trying. They really loved each other."

"Did she find out? Is that what happened?"

He shook his head. "No, that wasn't the problem. Her cousin, Emily Young,

"Oh dear, her cousin?" Esme gasped, looking saddened by the fact.

came down from the Makah reservation to visit her one weekend."