spring。　He　vanished—launching　himself　out　my　window　too　swiftly　for　my　eyes　to　follow。
  Outside；　there　was　a　muted　thud；　and　I　heard　Emmett　curse。
  〃You'd　better　not　make　him　late；〃　I　murmured；　knowing　they　could　hear。
  And　then　Jaspers　face　was　peering　in　my　window；　his　honey　hair　silver　in　the　weak　moonlight　that
  worked　through　the　clouds。
  〃Don't　worry；　Bella。　We'll　get　him　home　in　plenty　of　time。〃
  I　was　suddenly　very　calm；　and　my　qualms　all　seemed　unimportant。　Jasper　was；　in　his　own　way；　just　as
  talented
  as　Alice　with　her　uncannily　accurate　predictions。　Jasper's　medium　was　moods　rather　than　the　future；　and
  it　was　impossible　to　resist　feeling　the　way　he　wanted　you　to　feel。
  I　sat　up　awkwardly；　still　tangled　in　my　blanket。　〃Jasper？　What　do　vampires　do　for　bachelor　parties？
  You're　not　taking　him　to　a　strip　club；　are　you？〃
  〃Don't　tell　her　anything！〃　Emmett　growled　from　below。　There　was　another　thud；　and　Edward　laughed
  quietly。
  〃Relax；〃　Jasper　told　me—and　I　did。　〃We　Cullens　have　our　own　version。　Just　a　few　mountain　lions；　a
  couple　of　grizzly　bears。　Pretty　much　an　ordinary　night　out。〃
  I　wondered　if　I　would　ever　be　able　to　sound　so　cavalier　about　the　〃vegetarian〃　vampire　diet。
  〃Thanks；　Jasper。〃
  He　winked　and　dropped　from　sight。
  It　was　completely　silent　outside。　Charlie's　muffled　snores　droned　through　the　walls。
  I　lay　back　against　my　pillow；　sleepy　now。　I　stared　at　the　walls　of　my　little　room；　bleached　pale　in　the
  moonlight；　from　under　heavy　lids。
  My　last　night　in　my　room。　My　last　night　as　Isabella　Swan。　Tomorrow　night；　I　would　be　Bella　Cullen。
  Though　the　whole　marriage　ordeal　was　a　thorn　in　my　side；　I　had　to　admit　that　I　liked　the　sound　of　that。
  I　let　my　mind　wander　idly　for　a　moment；　expecting　sleep　to　take　me。　But；　after　a　few　minutes；　I　found
  myself　more　alert；　anxiety　creeping　back　into　my　stomach；　twisting　it　into　uncomfortable　positions。　The
  bed　seemed　too　soft；　too　warm　without　Edward　in　it。　Jasper　was　far　away；　and　all　the　peaceful；　relaxed
  feelings　were　gone　with　him。
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  It　was　going　to　be　a　very　long　day　tomorrow。
  I　was　aware　that　most　of　my　fears　were　stupid—I　just　had　to　get　over　myself。　Attention　was　an
  inevitable　part　of　life。　I　couldn't　always　blend　in　with　the　scenery。　However；　I　did　have　a　few　specific
  worries　that　were　completely　valid。
  First　there　was　the　wedding　dress's　train。　Alice　clearly　had　let　her　artistic　sense　overpower　practicalities
  on　that　one。　Maneuvering　the　Cullens'　staircase　in　heels　and　a　train　sounded　impossible。　I　should　have
  practiced。
  Then　there　was　the　guest　list。
  Tanya's　family；　the　Denali　clan；　would　be　arriving　sometime　before　the　ceremony。
  It　would　be　touchy　to　have　Tanya's　family　in　the　same　room　with　our　guests　from　the　Quileute
  reservation；　Jacob's　father　and　the　Clearwaters。　The　Denalis　were　no　fans　of　the　werewolves。　In　fact；
  Tanya's　sister　irina　was　not　coming　to　the　wedding　at　all。　She　still　nursed　a　vendetta　against　the
  werewolves　for　killing　her　friend　Laurent　（just　as　he　was　about　to　kill　me）。　Thanks　to　that　grudge；　the
  Denalis　had　abandoned　Edward's　family　in　their　worst　hour　of　need。　It　had　been　the　unlikely　alliance　with
  the　Quileute　wolves　that　had　saved　all　our　lives　when　the　horde　of　newborn　vampires　had　attacked___
  Edward　had　promised　me　it　wouldn't　be　dangerous　to　have　the　Denalis　near　the　Quileutes。　Tanya　and　all
  herfamily—besides　Irina—felt　horribly　guilty　for　that　defection。　A　truce　with　the　werewolves　was　a　small
  price　to　make　up　some　of　that　debt；　a　price　they　were　prepared　to　pay。
  That　was　the　big　problem；　but　there　was　a　small　problem；　too：　my　fragile　self…esteem。
  I'd　never　seen　Tanya　before；　but　I　was　sure　that　meeting　her　wouldn't　be　a　pleasant　experience　for　my
  ego。　Once　upon　a　time；　before　I　was　born　probably；　she'd　made　her　play　for　Edward—not　that　I　blamed
  her　or　anyone　else　for　wanting　him。　Still；　she　would　be　beautiful　at　the　very　least　and　magnificent　at　best。
  Though　Edward　clearly—if　inconceivably—preferred　me；　I　wouldn't　be　able　to　help　making
  comparisons。
  I　had　grumbled　a　little　until　Edward；　who　knew　my　weaknesses；　made　me　feel　guilty。
  〃We're　the　closest　thing　they　have　to　family；　Bella；'7he'd　reminded　me。　〃They　still　feel　like　orphans；　you
  know；　even　after　all　this　time。〃
  So　I'd　conceded；　hiding　my　frown。
  Tanya　had　a　big　family　now；　almost　as　big　as　the　Cullens。　There　were　five　of　them；　Tanya；　Kate；　and
  Irina　had　been　joined　by　Carmen　and　Eleazar　much　the　same　way　the　Cullens　had　been　joined　by　Alice
  and　Jasper；　all　of　them　bonded　by　their　desire　to　live　more　compassionately　than　normal　vampires　did。
  For　all　the　company；　though；　Tanya　and　her　sisters　were　still　alone　in　one　way。　Still　in　mourning。　Because
  a　very　long　time　ago；　they'd　had　a　mother；　too。
  I　could　imagine　the　hole　that　loss　would　leave；　even　after　a　thousand　years；　I　tried　to　visualize　the　Cullen
  family　without　their　creator；　their　center；　and　their　guide—their　father；　Carlisle。　I　couldn't　see　it。
  Carlisle　had　explained　Tanya's　history　during　one　of　the　many　nights　I'd　stayed　late　at　the　Cullens'　home；
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  learning　as　much　as　I　could；　preparing　as　much　as　was　possible　for　the　future　I'd　chosen。　Tanya's
  mother's　story　was　one　among　many；　a　cautionary　tale　illustrating　just　one　of　the　rules　I　would　need　to　be
  aware　of　when　I　joined　the　immortal　world。　Only　one　rule；　actually—one　law　that　broke　down　into　a
  thousand　different　facets：　Keep　the　secret。
  Keeping　the　secret　meant　a　lot　of　things—living　inconspicuously　like　the　Cullens；　moving　on　before
  humans　could　suspect　they　weren't　aging。　Or　keeping　clear　of　humans　altogether—except　at
  mealtime—the　way　nomads　like　James　and　Victoria　had　lived；　the　way　Jasper's　friends；　Peter　and
  Charlotte；　still　lived。　It　meant　keeping　control　of　whatever　new　vampires　you　created；　like　Jasper　had
  done　when　he'd　lived　with　Maria。　Like　Victoria　had　failed　to　do　with　her　newborns。
  And　it　meant　not　creating　some　things　in　the　first　place；　because　some　creations　were　uncontrollable。
  〃I　don't　know　Tanya's　mother's　name；〃　Carlisle　had　admitted；　his　golden　eyes；　almost　the　exact　shade　of
  his　fair　hair；　sad　with　remembering　Tanya's　pain。　〃They　never　speak　of　her　if　they　can　avoid　it；　never　think
  ofherwillingly。
  〃The　woman　who　created　Tanya；　Kate；　and　Irina—who　loved　them；　I　believe—lived　many　years　before
  I　was　born；　during　a　time　of　plague　in　our　world；　the　plague　of　the　immortal　children。
  〃What　they　were　thinking；　those　ancient　ones；　I　can't　begin　to　understand。　They　created　vampires　out　of
  humans　who　were　barely　more　than　infants。〃
  I'd　had　to　swallow　back　the　bile　that　rose　in　my　throat　as　I'd　pictured　what　he　was　describing。
  〃They　were　very　beautiful；〃　Carlisle　had　explained　quickly；　seeing　my　reaction。　〃So　endearing；　so
  enchanting；　you　can't　imagine。　You　had　but　to　be　near　them　to　love　them；　it　was　an　automatic　thing。
  〃However；　they　could　not　be　taught。　They　were　frozen　at　whatever　level　of　development　they'd　achieved
  before
  being　bitten。　Adorable　two…year…olds　with　dimples　and　lisps　that　could　destroy　half　a　village　in　one　of
  their　tantrums。　If　they　hungered；　they　fed；　and　no　words　of　warning　could　restrain　them。　Humans　saw
  them；　stories　circulated；　fear　spread　like　fire　in　dry　brush___
  〃Tanya's　mother　created　such　a　child。　As　with　the　other　ancients；　i　cannot　fathom　her　reasons。〃　He'd
  taken　a　deep；　steadying　breath。　〃The　Volturi　became　involved；　of　course。〃
  I'd　flinched　as　I　always　did　at　that　name；　but　of　course　the　legion　of　Italian　vampires—royalty　in　their
  own　estimation—was　central　to　this　story。　There　couldn't　be　a　law　if　there　was　no　punishment；　there
  couldn't　be　a　punishment　if　there　was　no　one　to　deliver　it。　The　ancients　Aro；　Caius；　and　Marcus　ruled　the
  Volturi　forces；　I'd　only　met　them　once；　but　in　that　brief　encounter；　it　seemed　to　me　that　Aro；　with　his
  powerful　mind…reading　gift—one　touch；　and　he　knew　every　thought　a　mind　had　ever　held—was　the　true
  leader。
  〃The　Volturi　studied　the　immortal　children；　at　home　in　Volterra　and　all　around　the　world。　Caius　decided
  the　young　ones　were　incapable　of　protecting　our　secret。　And　so　they　had　to　be　destroyed。
  〃I　told　you　they　were　loveable。　Well；　covens　fought　to　the　last　man—were　utterly　decimated—to　protect
  them。　The　carnage　was　not　as　widespread　as　the　southern　wars　on　this　continent；　but　more　devastating　in
  its　own　way。　Long…established　covens；　old　traditions；　friends。。。　Much　was　lost。　In　the　end；　the　practice
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