I didn't mention it out loud, but the biggest difference between the two circumstances was that Renée and Charlie had been on better terms.

"That's not hard to imagine," Carlisle said.

About halfway to La Push, we rounded the corner and found Jacob leaning against the side of the red Volkswagen he'd built for himself out of scraps. Jacob's carefully neutral expression dissolved into a smile when I waved from the front seat.

Edward parked the Volvo thirty yards away.

"Call me whenever you're ready to come home," he said. "And I'll be here."

"I won't be out late," I promised.

"That just makes you sound like her dad again," Emmett laughed, but Edward frowned.

Edward pulled the bike and my new gear out of the trunk of his car - I'd been quite impressed that it had all fit. But it wasn't so hard to manage when you were strong enough to juggle full-sized vans, let alone small motorcycles.

"You know, I think I want to learn how to do that," Emmett mused. "Maybe we could get a few vans so I could practice with that."

Jacob watched, making no move to approach, his smile gone and his dark eyes indecipherable.

I tucked the helmet under my arm and threw the jacket across the seat.

"Do you have it all?" Edward asked.

"No problem," I assured him.

He sighed and leaned toward me. I turned my face up for a goodbye peck, but Edward took me by surprise, fastening his arms tightly around me and kissing me with as much enthusiasm as he had in the garage - before long, I was gasping for air.

"Edward," Esme frowned. "You just did that to annoy Jacob."

"Er..." Edward said.

"That's no reason to kiss her," Esme added.

"I know... sorry," Edward said.

Edward laughed quietly at something, and then let me go.

"Goodbye," he said. "I really do like the jacket."

As I turned away from him, I thought I saw a flash of something in his eyes that I wasn't supposed to see. I couldn't tell for sure what it was exactly. Worry, maybe. For a second I thought it was panic. But I was probably just making something out of nothing, as usual.

"You never make something out of nothing," Edward said. "I am worried."

"Why are you almost relieved by that?" Jasper asked.

"I'm finding myself hard to read in this book," Edward said. "It's nice to know that I am actually worried... at least I know what I'm thinking now."

"Which is?" Emmett asked, but Edward didn't answer.

I could feel his eyes on my back as I pushed my bike toward the invisible vampire-werewolf treaty line to meet Jacob.

"What's all that?" Jacob called to me, his voice wary, scrutinizing the motorcycle with an enigmatic expression.

"I thought I should put this back where it belongs," I told him.

He pondered that for one short second, and then his wide smile stretched across his face.

I knew the exact point that I was in werewolf territory because Jacob shoved away from his car and loped quickly over to me, closing the distance in three long strides. He took the bike from me, balanced it on the kickstand, and grabbed me up in another vice-tight hug.

I heard the Volvo's engine growl, and I struggled to get free.

"It seems like the pup is trying to get back at you," Emmett snickered.

"Cut it out, Jake!" I gasped breathlessly.

He laughed and set me down. I turned to wave goodbye, but the silver car was already disappearing around the curve in the road.

"Nice," I commented, allowing some acid to leak into my voice.

His eyes widened in false innocence. "What?"

"He's being pretty dang pleasant about this; you don't need to push your luck."

He laughed again, louder than before - he found what I'd said very funny indeed. I tried to see the joke as he walked around the Rabbit to hold my door open for me.

"Bella," he finally said - still chuckling - as he shut the door behind me, "you can't push what you don't have."

"That's the end of the chapter," Esme said.

Chapter Eleven

Legends

"Legends," Jasper read. "Seems like another chapter that you would be interested in, Carlisle."

"Indeed, I am," Carlisle said. "I've been really curious about the wolves for quite a while now."

"It's only been a few decades," Edward chuckled.

"Argh," Rosalie groaned, standing up.

"Where are you going, babe?" Emmett asked her.

"This is obviously going to be another mutt chapter," Rosalie said with narrowed eyes. "I don't need to waste my time listening to this. I'm going to hunt."

"But you might miss something good, babe," Emmett pouted.

"Doubt it," Rosalie scoffed.

"Let her go... maybe she won't be so mad when she gets back," Edward said, his lips pulling thin.

Rosalie growled at him.

"Okay, babe," Emmett sighed, "just hurry back before you miss the good stuff."

"Whatever," Rosalie said, disappearing less than a second later.

"Well, it looks like she was in a hurry," Emmett muttered, mostly trying to make sure that Rosalie couldn't hear him - she might still be in range.

"Oh, she does want to hear the next non-werewolf part... she just doesn't want to admit it," Edward smiled and Jasper decided it was best to start reading again.

"Are you gonna eat that hot dog?"

"No dogs are disgusting to eat, even if they are hot," Emmett said, making a face and laughing. "It's not as fun when Rose isn't here to call me an idiot," he added, pouting this time.

"Idiot," Alice said, rolling her eyes exactly as Rosalie would have done.

"Yeah, that's better. Thanks Shorty," Emmett chuckled.

Paul asked Jacob his eyes locked on the last remnant of the huge meal the werewolves had consumed.

Jacob leaned back against my knees and toyed with the hot dog he had spitted on a straightened wire hanger; the flames at the edge of the bonfire licked along its blistered skin.

He heaved a sigh and patted his stomach. It was somehow still flat, though I'd lost count of how many hot dogs he'd eaten after his tenth. Not to mention the super-sized bag of chips or the two-liter bottle of root beer.

"I guess," Jake said slowly. "I'm so full I'm about to puke, but I think I can force it down. I won't enjoy it at all, though." He sighed again sadly.

Emmett laughed at that.

Despite the fact that Paul had eaten at least as much as Jacob, he glowered and his hands balled up into fists.

"Sheesh." Jacob laughed. "Kidding, Paul. Here."

He flipped the homemade skewer across the circle. I expected it to land hot-dog-first in the sand, but Paul caught it neatly on the right end without difficulty.

"Because that's not that difficult," Emmett rolled his eyes.

Hanging out with no one but extremely dexterous people all the time was going to give me a complex.

"Don't worry about that one, you've always had a complex," Emmett laughed and Edward smirked.

"Thanks, man," Paul said, already over his brief fit of temper.

The fire crackled, settling lower toward the sand. Sparks blew up in a sudden puff of brilliant orange against the black sky. Funny, I hadn't noticed that the sun had set. For the first time, I wondered how late it had gotten. I'd lost track of time completely.

It was easier being with my Quileute friends than I'd expected.

While Jacob and I had dropped off my bike at the garage - and he had admitted ruefully that the helmet was a good idea that he should have thought of himself

"Obviously," Edward huffed.

I'd started to worry about showing up with him at the bonfire, wondering if the werewolves would consider me a traitor now. Would they be angry with Jacob for inviting me? Would I ruin the party?

"Of course, she would worry about that," Edward groaned, rolling his eyes with a smile.

But when Jacob had towed me out of the forest to the clifftop meeting place - where the fire already roared brighter than the cloud-obscured sun - it had all been very casual and light.

"Hey, vampire girl!" Embry had greeted me loudly. Quil had jumped up to give me a high five and kiss me on the cheek. Emily had squeezed my hand when we'd sat on the cool stone ground beside her and Sam.

"Good. I'm happy they accepted her like this," Esme smiled. It looked like she was worried that they wouldn't.

Other than a few teasing complaints - mostly by Paul - about keeping the bloodsucker stench downwind, I was treated like someone who belonged.