I tried to smile back at Jacob, swallowing against the lump in my throat. I didn't seem to get it right.

Jacob sprang lightly to his feet, his agility at odds with his sheer mass, and trotted over to where Edward and I stood on the fringe of things.

"Jacob," Edward greeted him politely.

Jacob ignored him, his dark eyes on me. He put his head down to my level, as he had yesterday, cocking it to one side. A low whimper escaped his muzzle.

"I'm fine," I answered, not needing the translation that Edward was about to give. "Just worried, you know."

Edward frown was really set now.

"Don't like the fact that she could read his face so well?" Emmett joked. "And even in his wolf form."

"No, I don't," Edward admitted.

Jacob continued to stare at me.

"He wants to know why," Edward murmured.

Jacob growled - not a threatening sound, an annoyed sound - and Edward's lips twitched.

"What?" I asked.

"He thinks my translations leave something to be desired. What he actually thought was, 'That's really stupid. What is there to be worried about?' I edited, because I thought it was rude."

"It's much better when you don't edit," Emmett chuckled.

I halfway smiled, too anxious to really feel amused. "There's plenty to be worried about," I told Jacob. "Like a bunch of really stupid wolves getting themselves hurt."

Jacob laughed his coughing bark.

Edward sighed. "Jasper wants help. You'll be okay without a translator?"

"I'll manage."

"I noticed," Edward muttered, still frowning.

Edward looked at me wistfully for one minute, his expression hard to understand, then turned his back and strode over to where Jasper waited.

I sat down where I was. The ground was cold and uncomfortable.

Jacob took a step forward, then looked back at me, and a low whine rose in his throat. He took another half-step.

"Go on without me," I told him. "I don't want to watch."

"Then why did you come here?" Edward asked.

"Because she wanted to be with you," Esme answered, but Edward was still frowning.

Jacob leaned his head to the side again for a moment, and then folded himself on to the ground beside me with a rumbling sigh.

"Really, you can go ahead," I assured him. He didn't respond, he just put his head down on his paws.

I stared up at the bright silver clouds, not wanting to see the fight. My imagination had more than enough fuel. A breeze blew through the clearing, and I shivered.

Jacob scooted himself closer to me, pressing his warm fur against my left side.

"Er, thanks," I muttered.

After a few minutes, I leaned against his wide shoulder. It was much more comfortable that way.

"She seems to really like his wolf form," Emmett chuckled. The clouds moved slowly across the sky, dimming and brightening as thick patches crossed the moon and passed on.

Absently, I began pulling my fingers through the fur on his neck. That same strange humming sound that he'd made yesterday rumbled in his throat. It was a homey kind of sound. Rougher, wilder than a cat's purr, but conveying the same sense of contentment.

"You know, I never had a dog," I mused. "I always wanted one, but Renée's allergic."

"So…what? He's your pet now?" Emmett laughed and Edward's frown loosened a little at that thought, but that didn't last long.

Jacob laughed; his body shook under me.

"Aren't you worried about Saturday at all?" I asked.

He turned his enormous head toward me, so that I could see one of his eyes roll.

"I wish I could feel that positive."

He leaned his head against my leg and started humming again. And it did make me feel just a little bit better.

"She seems to be even closer to him in this form than when he's human," Emmett laughed. "Bella is one strange girl."

Edward tilted his head to his side at that, narrowing his eyes. "You have a point," he muttered to himself, though, of course, everyone heard and he continued to look thoughtful about something.

"So we've got some hiking to do tomorrow, I guess."

He rumbled; the sound was enthusiastic.

"It might be along hike," I warned him. "Edward doesn't judge distances the way a normal person does."

"I don't think that wolves are actually normal people either," Carlisle smiled.

Jacob barked another laugh.

I settled deeper into his warm fur, resting my head against his neck.

It was strange. Even though he was in this bizarre form, this felt more like the way Jake and I used to be - the easy, effortless friendship that was as natural as breathing in and out - than the last few times I'd been with Jacob while he was human. Odd that I should find that again here, when I'd thought this wolf thing was the cause of its loss.

"What does that mean?" Jasper narrowed his eyes.

"I don't know," Edward said, still thoughtful. "But I don't like it...it seems like they're connected..."

"They're not connected in any way," Alice said.

"Then what's going on, Alice?" Edward asked.

"I don't know," Alice said, frowning and looking thoughtful like Edward was. "I don't really understand the wolves at all."

"No, they always seem to be bringing in unpredictable things," Carlisle said.

"So what do you think is going on here?" Edward asked.

"I don't think we can figure that out yet," Carlisle said. "There's not enough information."

"But you think something going on?" Edward asked.

"I don't know that either," Carlisle said. "It just seems weird how she phrased the last sentence," he sighed and then started to read again.

The killing games continued in the clearing, and I stared at the hazy moon.

"That's the end of the chapter," Carlisle said, handing the book to Rosalie.

Chapter Twenty

Compromise

"Compromise," Rosalie read.

Everything was ready.

I was packed for my two-day visit with "Alice," and my bag waited for me on the passenger seat of my truck. I'd given the concert tickets to Angela, Ben, and Mike. Mike was going to take Jessica, which was exactly as I'd hoped. Billy had borrowed Old Quil Ateara's boat and invited Charlie down for some open sea fishing before the afternoon game started. Collin and Brady, the two youngest werewolves, were staying behind to protect La Push - though they were just children, both of them only thirteen. Still, Charlie would be safer than anyone left in Forks.

"That's just so sad." Esme furrowed her eyebrows.

"I could only imagine that they would make the change that young because of the danger they sensed they were in," Edward said, "especially seeing how many wolves who have already transformed."

"So, we won't let this happen in our reality," Carlisle said, determined.

I had done all that I could do. I tried to accept that, and put the things that were outside of my control out of my head, for tonight at least. One way or another, this would all be over in forty-eight hours. The thought was almost comforting.

"What about the fact that we're going to crush them... isn't that comforting?" Emmett said.

"Obviously not for her," Rosalie said. "She doesn't seem to think we can handle it."

"Hmph, you know that is a little offending," Emmett said, looking sad - something that hadn't happened much during the reading of this book.

Edward had requested that I relax, and I was going to do my best.

"For this one night, could we try to forget everything besides just you and me?" he'd pleaded, unleashing the full force of his eyes on me.

"I never knew his eyes were that powerful," Emmett smiled. He never really stayed sad for long.

"It seems like I can never get enough time like that. I need to be with you. Just you."

That was not a hard request to agree to, though I knew that forgetting my fears would be much easier said than done. Other matters were on my mind now, knowing that we had this night to be alone, and that would help.

There were some things that had changed.

For instance, I was ready.

Edward sighed at that, but almost everyone else looked pleased about it.

I was ready to join his family and his world. The fear and guilt and anguish I was feeling now had taught me that much. I'd had a chance to concentrate on this - as I'd gazed at the moon through the clouds and rested against a werewolf - and I knew I would not panic again. The next time something came at us, I would be ready. An asset, not a liability.

"That doesn't sound..." Edward started.

"She doesn't sound afraid," Alice said.

"And that's what you didn't want her changing for," Emmett said.

He would never have to make the choice between me and his family again. We would be partners, like Alice and Jasper. Next time, I would do my part.

I would wait for the sword to be removed from over my head, so that Edward would be satisfied. But it wasn't necessary. I was ready.

There was only one missing piece.

One piece, because there were some things that had not changed, and that included the desperate way I loved him. I'd had plenty of time to think through the ramifications of Jasper and Emmett's bet - to figure out the things I was willing to lose with my humanity, and the part that I was not willing to give up. I knew which human experience I was going to insist on before I became inhuman.

"Really... what's that?" Emmett asked evilly.

Edward shivered. "Whatever it is, I'm sure I'm not going to like it."

"Of course not, it wouldn't be fun if it was something you would like," Emmett laughed. "Though, I'm sure you would like it too."

"What?" Edward asked with a puzzled look in his face. "That doesn't make any sense."

"I'm sure it's something that you want, but because you're you, you would be against it," Emmett laughed.

So we had some things to work out tonight. After everything I'd seen in the past two years, I didn't believe in the word impossible anymore. It was going to take more than that to stop me now.

"I really don't like that sound of that," Edward said, looking more wary than ever.

Emmett just laughed louder.

Okay, well, honestly, it was probably going to be much more complicated than that. But I was going to try.

As decided as I was, I wasn't surprised that I still felt nervous as I drove down the long path to his house - I didn't know how to do what I was trying to do, and that guaranteed me some serious jitters. He sat in the passenger seat, fighting a smile at my slow pace. I was surprised that he hadn't insisted on taking the wheel, but tonight he seemed content to go at my speed.