his long arm out to block our way, bracing his hand against the wall. "Hey, not so fast."
Alice stared up at him, eyes wide and incredulous. "Excuse me?"
"Tell us what's going on," he demanded in a growl.
Jasper appeared quite literally out of nowhere. One second it was just Alice and me against the wall, Jacob blocking our exit, and then Jasper was standing on the other side of Jake's arm, his expression terrifying.
Jacob slowly pulled his arm back. It seemed like the best move, going with the assumption that he wanted to keep that arm.
"We have a right to know," Jacob muttered, still glaring at Alice.
Jasper stepped in between them, and the three werewolves braced themselves.
"Hey, hey," I said, adding a slightly hysterical chuckle. "This is a party, remember?"
Nobody paid any attention to me. Jacob glared at Alice while Jasper glowered at Jacob. Alice's face was suddenly thoughtful.
"It's okay, Jasper. He actually has a point."
Jasper did not relax his position.
I was sure the suspense was going to make my head explode in about one second. "What did you see, Alice?"
She stared at Jacob for one second, and then turned to me, evidently having chosen to let them hear.
"The decision's been made."
"You're going to Seattle?"
"No."
I felt the color drain out of my face. My stomach lurched. "They're coming here," I choked out.
The Quileute boys watched silently, reading every unconscious play of emotion on our faces. They were rooted in place, and yet not completely still. All three pairs of hands were trembling.
"Yes."
"To Forks," I whispered.
"Yes."
"For?"
She nodded, understanding my question. "One carried your red shirt."
I tried to swallow.
Jasper's expression was disapproving. I could tell he didn't like discussing this in front of the werewolves, but he had something he needed to say. "We can't let them come that far. There aren't enough of us to protect the town."
"I know," Alice said, her face suddenly desolate. "But it doesn't matter where we stop them. There still won't be enough of us, and some of them will come here to search."
"No!" I whispered.
The noise of the party overwhelmed the sound of my denial. All around us, my friends and neighbors and petty enemies ate and laughed and swayed to the music, oblivious to the fact that they were about to face horror, danger, maybe death. Because of me.
"Alice," I mouthed her name. "I have to go, I have to get away from here."
"That won't help. It's not like we're dealing with a tracker. They'll still come looking here first."
"Then I have to go to meet them!" If my voice hadn't been so hoarse and strained, it might have been a shriek. "If they find what they're looking for, maybe they'll go away and not hurt anyone else!"
"Bella!" Alice protested.
"Hold it," Jacob ordered in a low, forceful voice. "What is coming?"
Alice turned her icy gaze on him. "Our kind. Lots of them."
"Why?"
"For Bella. That's all we know."
"There are too many for you?" he asked.
Jasper bridled. "We have a few advantages, dog. It will be an even fight."
"No," Jacob said, and a strange, fierce half-smile spread across his face. "It won't be even."
"Excellent!" Alice hissed.
I stared, still frozen in horror, at Alice's new expression. Her face was alive with exultation, all the despair wiped clean from her perfect features.
She grinned at Jacob, and he grinned back.
"Everything just disappeared, of course," she told him in a smug voice. "That's inconvenient, but, all things considered, I'll take it."
"We'll have to coordinate," Jacob said. "It won't be easy for us. Still, this is our job more than yours."
"I wouldn't go that far, but we need the help. We aren't going to be picky."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait," I interrupted them.
Alice was on her toes, Jacob leaning down toward her, both of their faces lit up with excitement, both of their noses wrinkled against the smell. They looked at me impatiently.
"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