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even getting that far。 Maybe he'd smashed her like a bag of chips in his drive to get some？ Because her
life was less important to him than his own pleasure。。。
The story would be so tragic—Bella lost in a horrible accident。 Victim of a mugging gone wrong。
Choking to death at dinner。 A car accident； like my mom。 So mon。 Happened all the time。
Would he bring her home？ Bury her here for Charlie？ Closedcasket ceremony； of course。 My mom's
coffin had been nailed shut。。。
I could only hope that he'd e back here； within my reach。
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Maybe there would be no story at all。 Maybe Charlie would call to ask my dad if he'd heard anything
from Dr。 Cullen； who just didn't show up to work one day。 The house abandoned。 No answer on any of
the Cullens' phones。 The mystery picked up by some secondrate news program； foul play suspected。。。
Maybe the big white house would burn to the ground； everyone trapped inside。 Of course； they'd need
bodies for that one。 Eight humans of roughly the right size。 Burned beyond recognition—beyond the help
of dental records。
Either of those would be tricky—for me； that is。 It would be hard to find them if they didn't want to be
found。 Of course； I had forever to look。 If you had forever； you could check out every single piece of
straw in the haystack； one by one； to see if it was the needle。
Right now； I wouldn't mind dismantling a haystack。 At least that would be something to do。 I hated
knowing that I could be losing my chance。 Giving the bloodsuckers the time to escape； if that was their
plan。
We could go tonight。 We could kill every one of them that we could find。
I liked that plan because I knew Edward well enough to know that； if I killed any one of his coven； I
would get my chance at him； too。 He'd e for revenge。 And I'd give it to him—I wouldn't let my
brothers take him down as a pack。 It would be just him and me。 May the better man win。
But Sam wouldn't hear of it。 We're not going to break the treaty。 Let them make the breach。 Just
because we had no proof that the Cullens had done anything wrong。 Yet。 You had to add the yet；
because we all knew it was inevitable。 Bella was either ing back one of them； or not ing back。
Either way； a human life had been lost。 And that meant game on。
In the other room； Paul brayed like a mule。 Maybe he'd switched to a edy。 Maybe the mercial
was funny。 Whatever。 It grated on my nerves。
I thought about breaking his nose again。 But it wasn't Paul I wanted to fight with。 Not really。
I tried to listen to other sounds； the wind in the trees； it wasn't the same； not through human ears。 There
were a million voices in the wind that I couldn't hear in this body。
But these ears were sensitive enough。 I could hear past the trees； to the road； the sounds of the cars
ing around that last bend where you could finally see the beach—the vista of the islands and the
rocks and the big blue ocean stretching to the horizon。 The La Push cops liked to hang out right around
there。 Tourists never noticed the reduced speed limit sign on the other side of the road。
I could hear the voices outside the souvenir shop on the beach。 I could hear the cowbell clanging as the
door opened and closed。 I could hear Embry's mom at the cash register； printing out a receipt。
I could hear the tide raking across the beach rocks。 I could hear the kids squeal as the icy water rushed
in too fast for them to get out of the way。 I could hear the moms plain about the wet clothes。 And I
could hear a familiar voice。。。。
I was listening so hard that the sudden burst of Paul's donkey laugh made me jump half off the bed。
〃Get out of my house；〃 I grumbled。 Knowing he wouldn't pay any attention； I followed my own advice。 I
wrenched open my window and climbed out the back way so that I wouldn't see Paul again。 It would be
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too tempting。 I knew I would hit him again； and Rachel was going to be pissed enough already。 She'd see
the blood on his shirt； and she'd blame me right away without waiting for proof。 Of course； she'd be right；
but still。
I paced down to the shore； my fists in my pockets。 Nobody looked at me twice when I went through the
dirt lot by First Beach。 That was one nice thing about summer—no one cared if you wore nothing but
shorts。
I followed the familiar voice I'd heard and found Quil easy enough。 He was on the south end of the
crescent； avoiding the bigger part of the tourist crowd。 He kept up a constant stream of warnings。
〃Keep out of the water； Claire。 C'mon。 No； don't。 Oh！ Nice； kid。 Seriously； do you want Emily to yell at
me？ I'm not bringing you back to the beach again if you don't—Oh yeah？ Don't—ugh。 You think that's
funny； do you？ Hah！ Who's laughing now； huh？〃
He had the giggling toddler by the ankle when I reached them。 She had a bucket in one hand； and her
jeans were drenched。 He had a huge wet mark down the front of his tshirt。
〃Five bucks on the baby girl；〃 I said。
〃Hey； Jake。〃
Claire squealed and threw her bucket at Quil's knees。 〃Down； down！〃
He set her carefully on her feet and she ran to me。 She wrapped her arms around my leg。
〃UncaJay！〃
〃How's it going； Claire？〃
She giggled。 〃Qwil aaaaawl wet now。〃
〃I can see that。 Where's your mama？〃
〃Gone； gone； gone；〃 Claire sang； 〃Cwaire pway wid Qwil aaaawl day。 Cwaire nebber gowin home。〃
She let go of me and ran to Quil。 He scooped her up and slung her onto his shoulders。
〃Sounds like somebody's hit the terrible twos。〃
〃Threes actually；〃 Quil corrected。 〃You missed the party。 Princess theme。 She made me wear a crown；
and then Emily suggested they all try out her new play makeup on me。〃
〃Wow； I'm really sorry I wasn't around to see that。〃
〃Don't worry； Emily has pictures。 Actually； I look pretty hot。〃
〃You're such a patsy。〃
Quil shrugged。 〃Claire had a great time。 That was the point。〃
I rolled my eyes。 It was hard being around imprinted people。 No matter what stage they were in—about
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to tie the knot like Sam or just a muchabused nanny like Quil—the peace and certainty they always
radiated was downright pukeinducing。
Claire squealed on his shoulders and pointed at the ground。 〃Pity wock； Qwil！ For me； for me！〃
〃Which one； kiddo？ The red one？〃
〃No wed！〃
Quil dropped to his knees—Claire screamed and pulled his hair like a horse's reigns。
〃This blue one？〃
〃No； no； no。。。；〃 the little girl sang； thrilled with her new game。
The weird part was； Quil was having just as much fun as she was。 He didn't have that face on that so
many of the tourist dads and moms were wearing—the whenisnaptime？ face。 You never saw a real
parent so jazzed to play whatever stupid kiddie sport their rugrat could think up。 I'd seen Quil play
peekaboo for an hour straight without getting bored。
And I couldn't even make fun of him for it—I envied him too much。
Though I did think it sucked that he had a good fourteen years of monkitude ahead of him until Claire
was his age—for Quil； at least； it was a good thing werewolves didn't get older。 But even all that time
didn't seem to bother him much。
〃Quil； you ever think about dating？〃 I asked。
〃Huh？〃
〃No； no yewwo！〃 Claire crowed。
〃You know。 A real girl。 I mean； just for now； right？ On your nights off babysitting duty。〃
Quil stared at me； his mouth hanging open。
〃Pity wock！ Pity wock！〃 Claire screamed when he didn't offer her another choice。 She smacked him on
the head with her little fist。
〃Sorry； Clairebear。 How about this pretty purple one？〃
〃No；〃 she giggled。 〃No poopoh。〃
〃Give me a clue。 I'm begging； kid。〃
Claire thought it over。 〃Gween；〃 she finally said。
Quil stared at the rocks； studying them。 He picked four rocks in different shades of green； and offered
them to her。
〃Did I get it？'7
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