I handed the phone to Edward; I hoped he could read the warning in my eyes.

"Hello, Jacob," Edward said, perfectly polite.

There was a silence. I bit my lip, trying to guess how Jacob would answer.

"Someone was here - not a scent I know," Edward explained. "Has your pack come across anything new?"

Another pause, while Edward nodded to himself, unsurprised.

"That would be a no," Edward said.

"Here's the crux, Jacob. I won't be letting Bella out of my sight till I get this taken care of. It's nothing personal -"

Jacob interrupted him then, and I could hear the buzz of his voice from the receiver.

Whatever he was saying, he was more intense than before. I tried unsuccessfully to make out the words.

"You might be right -," Edward began, but Jacob was arguing again. Neither of them sounded angry, at least.

"That's an interesting suggestion. We're quite willing to renegotiate. If Sam is amenable."

"I think that means the territory," Edward said.

"Well, it would be easy for everyone in this case if the boundaries weren't so rigid," Jasper said.

Jacob's voice was quieter now. I started chewing on my thumbnail as I tried to read Edward's expression.

"Thank you," Edward replied.

Then Jacob said something that caused a surprised expression to flicker across Edward's face.

"I'd planned to go alone, actually," Edward said, answering the unexpected question. "And leave her with the others."

Jacob's voice rose in pitch, and it sounded to me like he was trying to be persuasive.

"I'll try to consider it objectively," Edward promised. "As objectively as I'm capable of."

"He wants her to go to La Push," Edward rolled his eyes. "I doubt I'm capable of being that objective."

The pause was shorter this time.

"That's not a half-bad idea. When? . . . No, that's fine. I'd like a chance to follow the trail personally, anyway. Ten minutes . . . Certainly," Edward said. He held the phone out to me.

"Bella?"

I took it slowly, feeling confused.

"What was that all about?" I asked Jacob, my voice peeved. I knew it was juvenile, but I felt excluded.

"Then you really need to get some vampire hearing senses," Emmett laughed.

"A truce, I think. Hey, do me a favor," Jacob suggested. "Try to convince your bloodsucker that the safest place for you to be - especially when he leaves - is on the reservation. We're well able to handle anything."

"Is that what you were trying to sell him?"

"Yes. It makes sense. Charlie's probably better off here, too. As much as possible."

"Well, that one is definitely true," Edward said. "Good idea pup."

"Get Billy on it," I agreed. I hated that I was putting Charlie within the range of the crosshairs that always seemed to be centered on me. "What else?"

"Just rearranging some boundaries, so we can catch anyone who gets too near Forks. I'm not sure if Sam will go for it, but until he comes around, I'll keep an eye on things."

"What do you mean by 'keep an eye on things'?"

"I mean that if you see a wolf running around your house, don't shoot at it."

Emmett laughed at that.

"Of course not. You really shouldn't do anything . . . risky, though."

He snorted. "Don't be stupid. I can take care of myself."