“Coordinate?” I repeated through my teeth.

“You didn’t honestly think you were going to keep us out of this?” Jacob asked.

“You are staying out of this!”

“Your psychic doesn’t think so.”

“Alice — tell them no!” I insisted. “They’ll get killed!”

Jacob, Quil, and Embry all laughed out loud.

“Bella,” Alice said, her voice soothing, placating, “separately we all could get killed. Together —”

“It’ll be no problem,” Jacob finished her sentence. Quil laughed again.

“How many?” Quil asked eagerly.

“No!” I shouted.

Alice didn’t even look at me. “It changes — twenty-one today, but the numbers are going down.”

“Why?” Jacob asked, curious.

“Long story,” Alice said, suddenly looking around the room. “And this isn’t the place for it.”

“Later tonight?” Jacob pushed.

“Yes,” Jasper answered him. “We were already planning a . . . strategic meeting. If you’re going to fight with us, you’ll need some instruction.”

The wolves all made a disgruntled face at the last part.

“No!” I moaned.

“This will be odd,” Jasper said thoughtfully. “I never considered working together. This has to be a first.”

“No doubt about that,” Jacob agreed. He was in a hurry now. “We’ve got to get back to Sam. What time?”

“What’s too late for you?”

All three rolled their eyes. “What time?” Jacob repeated.

“Three o’clock?”

“Where?”

“About ten miles due north of the Hoh Forest ranger station. Come at it from the west and you’ll be able to follow our scent in.”

“We’ll be there.”

They turned to leave.

“Wait, Jake!” I called after him. “Please! Don’t do this!”

He paused, turning back to grin at me, while Quil and Embry headed impatiently for the door. “Don’t be ridiculous, Bells. You’re giving me a much better gift than the one I gave you.”

“No!” I shouted again. The sound of an electric guitar drowned my cry.

He didn’t respond; he hurried to catch up with his friends, who were already gone. I watched helplessly as Jacob disappeared.