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 supersized bag of chips or the twoliter 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。
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 hotdogfirst in the sand； but Paul
caught it neatly on the right end without difficulty。
Hanging out with no one but extremely dexterous people all the time was going to give me a plex。
“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 pletely。
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 — 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？
But when Jacob had towed me out of the forest to the clifftop meeting place — where the fire already
roared brighter than the cloudobscured 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。
Other than a few teasing plaints — mostly by Paul — about keeping the bloodsucker stench
downwind； I was treated like someone who belonged。
It wasn’t just kids in attendance； either。 Billy was here； his wheelchair stationed at what seemed the natural
head of the circle。 Beside him on a folding lawn chair； looking quite brittle； was Quil’s ancient； whitehaired
grandfather； Old Quil。 Sue Clearwater； widow of Charlie’s friend Harry； had a chair on his other side； her two
children； Leah and Seth； were also there； sitting on the ground like the rest of us。 This surprised me； but all
three were clearly in on the secret now。 From the way Billy and Old Quil spoke to Sue； it sounded to me like
she’d taken Harry’s place on the council。 Did that make her children automatic members of La Push’s most
secret society？
I wondered how horrible it was for Leah to sit across the circle from Sam and Emily。 Her lovely face
betrayed no emotion； but she never looked away from the flames。 Looking at the perfection of Leah’s
features； I couldn’t help but pare them to Emily’s ruined face。 What did Leah think of Emily’s scars； now
that she knew the truth behind them？ Did it seem like justice in her eyes？
Little Seth Clearwater wasn’t so little anymore。 With his huge； happy grin and his long； gangly build； he
reminded me very much of a younger Jacob。 The resemblance made me smile； and then sigh。 Was Seth
doomed to have his life change as drastically as the rest of these boys？ Was that future why he and his family
were allowed to be here？
The whole pack was there： Sam with his Emily； Paul； Embry； Quil； and Jared with Kim； the girl he’d
imprinted upon。
My first impression of Kim was that she was a nice girl； a little shy； and a little plain。 She had a wide face；
mostly cheekbones； with eyes too small to balance them out。 Her nose and mouth were both too broad for
traditional beauty。 Her flat black hair was thin and wispy in the wind that never seemed to let up atop the cliff。
That was my first impression。 But after a few hours of watching Jared watch Kim； I could no longer find
anything plain about the girl。
The way he stared at her！ It was like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time。 Like a collector finding
an undiscovered Da Vinci； like a mother looking into the face of her newborn child。
His wondering eyes made me see new things about her — how her skin looked like russetcolored silk in
the firelight； how the shape of her lips was a perfect double curve； how white her teeth were against them； how
long her eyelashes were； brushing her cheek when she looked down。
Kim’s skin sometimes darkened when she met Jared’s awed gaze； and her eyes would drop as if in
embarrassment； but she had a hard time keeping her eyes away from his for any length of time。
Watching them； I felt like I better understood what Jacob had told me about imprinting before — it’s
hard to resist that level of mitment and adoration。
Kim was nodding off now against Jared’s chest； his arms around her。 I imagined she would be very warm
there。
“It’s getting late；” I murmured to Jacob。
“Don’t start that yet；” Jacob whispered back — though certainly half the group here had hearing sensitive
enough to hear us anyway。 “The best part is ing。”
“What’s the best part？ You swallowing an entire cow whole？”
Jacob chuckled his low； throaty laugh。 “No。 That’s the finale。 We didn’t meet just to eat through a week’s
worth of food。 This is technically a council meeting。 It’s Quil’s first time； and he hasn’t heard the stories yet。
Well； he’s heard them； but thiswill be the first time he knows they’re true。 That tends to make a guy pay
closer attention。 Kim and Seth and Leah are all firsttimers； too。”
“Stories？”
Jacob scooted back beside me； where I rested against a low ridge of rock。 He put his arm over my
shoulder and spoke even lower into my ear。
“The histories we always thought were legends；” he said。 “The stories of how we came to be。 The first is
the story of the spirit warriors。”
It was almost as if Jacob’s soft whisper was the introduction。 The atmosphere changed abruptly around
the lowburning fire。 Paul and Embry sat up straighter。 Jared nudged Kim and then pulled her gently upright。
Emily produced a spiralbound notebook and a pen； looking exactly like a student set for an important
lecture。 Sam twisted just slightly beside her — so that he was facing the same direction as Old Quil； who was
on his other side — and suddenly I realized that the elders of the council here were not three； but four in
number。
Leah Clearwater； her face still a beautiful and emotionless mask； closed her eyes — not like she was tired；
but as if to help her concentration。 Her brother leaned in toward the elders eagerly。
The fire crackled； sending another explosion of sparks glittering up against the night。
Billy cleared his throat； and； with no more introduction than his son’s whisper； began telling the story in his
rich； d