good thing I've got a strong stomach

I tried to check out mentally so the next step went by quickly. Carlisle hurried me away and began the process of collecting my blood. Once he had collected a sufficient amount—and I was totally light-headed—he rushed off to perform some tests to make sure it was compatible with Beau's body. Royal followed behind him, maybe to see the results for himself, or maybe to make sure Carlisle didn't swap my blood out for some bloodsucker venom at the last second.

I slowly stumbled back to where Beau and Edward were. Beau's eyes glanced down at the bandage on my arm—which was pointless, I had already healed—and a guilty look passed over his face.

Edward hadn't moved, he was still standing there holding Beau's hand. His face was dead again. He didn't seem to have the energy to keep up even that little hint of hope he'd had before. They stared into each other's eyes, but not in a gooey way. It was like they were having a conversation. Kind of reminded me of Sam and Emily.

No, it wasn't gooey, but that only made it harder to watch.

I knew what it was like for Liam, having to see that all the time. Having to hear it in Sam's head. Of course, we all felt bad for Liam, we weren't monsters—in that sense, anyway. But I guess we'd all blamed him for how he handled it. Lashing out at everyone, trying to make us all as miserable as he was.

I would never blame him again. How could anyone help spreading this kind of misery around? How could anyone not try to ease some of the burden by shoving a little piece of it off on someone else?

And if it meant that I had to have a pack, how could I blame Liam for taking my freedom? I would do the same. If there was a way to escape this pain, I'd take it, too.

Royal darted downstairs after a second, flying through the room like a sharp breeze, stirring up the burning smell. He stopped at a little table next to Beau's hospital bed and placed a clean needle on it.

"Cover that, Royal," Edward murmured. He rolled his eyes.

Beau made a concentrated effort not to look at the needle, he swallowed.

Royal placed a cloth over the needle and blew back out of the room, disappearing again.

"How did you get roped into this?" Beau whispered, his voice rough as he strained to make it loud enough for me to hear. Forgetting that I could hear just fine. I kind of liked how, a lot of the time, he seemed to forget that I wasn't completely human. I moved closer, so that he wouldn't have to work so hard.

"I'm not totally sure. But if it helps, I don't mind."

He smiled a little, but it was sad. "I didn't expect to see you again."

"Yeah, me either," I said.

It felt weird just standing here, but the vampires had shoved all the furniture out of the way for the medical setup. I imagined that it didn't bother them—sitting or standing didn't make much difference when you were stone. Wouldn't bother me much, either, except that I was so exhausted.

"Edward told me what you had to do. With the pack, I mean. I'm sorry."

"S'okay. It was probably only a matter of time till I snapped over something Sam wanted me to do," I lied.

"And Seth," he whispered.

"He's actually happy to help."

"I hate causing you trouble."

I laughed once—more a bark than a laugh.

He breathed a faint sigh. "I guess that's nothing new, is it?"

"No, not really."

"You don't have to stay, you can go rest Jake," he said, barely mouthing the words.

I could leave. It was probably a good idea. But if I did, with the way he looked right now, I could be missing the last fifteen minutes of his life.

"I don't really have anywhere else to go," I told him, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice. "The wolf thing is a lot less appealing since Liam joined up."

"Liam?" he gasped.

"You didn't tell him?" I asked Edward.

He just shrugged without moving his eyes from Beau's face. I could see it wasn't very exciting news to him, not something worth sharing with the more important events that were going down.

Beau didn't take it so lightly. It looked like it was bad news to him.

"Why?" he breathed.

I didn't want to get into the whole novel-length version. "To keep an eye on Seth."

"But Liam hates us," he whispered.

Us. Nice. I could see that he was afraid, though.

"Liam's not going to bug anyone." But me. "He's in my pack"—I grimaced at the words—"so he follows my lead." Ugh.

Beau didn't look convinced.

"You're scared of Liam, but you're best buds with the psychopath blond?"

There was a low hiss from the second floor. Cool, he'd heard me.

Beau frowned at me. "Don't. Roy... is just trying to help."

"Yeah," I grunted. "He's trying to help you die."

"Stop, Jacob, please," Beau whispered. "Don't be a jerk."

He looked too weak to get mad at. I tried to smile instead. "You say that like it's possible."

Beau tried not to smile back for a second, but he couldn't help it in the end; his chalky lips pulled up at the corners.

And then Carlisle and the psycho in question were there. Carlisle had one of those hospital bags of blood—my blood—in one hand, and a long tube in the other. Royal darted to the little table and collected the needle. Carlisle moved toward the metal pole near Beau's bed that held the IV bag.

Carlisle hesitated as he hung the blood bag. Beau eyed it, looking vaguely nauseous.

"Beau, I can't guarantee that this will work," Carlisle said quietly.

"It's fine, Carlisle," Beau whispered.

"Nor can I guarantee it's completely without risks."

Beau considered this for a minute. Then he sighed and held out his arm where the IV needle was stuck.

"Let's just do this." Beau said, pulling his eyes tightly closed.

Carlisle moved quickly, in a flash Beau was hooked up to the blood bag.

"Alright, let's begin." Carlisle said quietly.

"You're completely sure about this, Beau?" the blond asked, his face serious.

"Royal—" Edward snapped.

"Give it a rest, both of you." Beau sighed, disgruntled. "Go head, Carlisle."

Royal put a hand on Beau's shoulder as Carlisle messed with the blood bag. My donated blood started slowly draining from the bag and moving down the tube into Beau.

He squeezed his eyes shut and wrinkled his nose. The seconds seemed to tick by slower than usual as we all watched him, Carlisle was carefully monitoring his vital signs. Then Beau shifted slightly and groaned quietly with his eyes still closed.

Edward and I stepped forward at the same time. He touched Beau's face. I clenched my hands behind my back.

"Beau, love—"

"I'm okay," he whispered. "I'm fine, don't worry."

"Incredible…" Carlisle muttered.

Edward's expression lit up, that glimmer of hope reappeared in his eyes.

"What is it, Carlisle?" Royal asked.

"Give it a minute, it's too soon to say." Carlisle said, but he seemed excited.

"Am I sprouting any fur yet?" Beau asked, half amused at his own joke.

Royal rolled his eyes.

If this worked, Edward was going to owe me. Big time.

"We'll discuss it later," Edward said, so low the words were just a breath.

"What?" Beau whispered.

"Just talking to myself," he lied smoothly.

If he succeeded with this, if Beau lived, Edward wasn't going to be able to get away with so much when his senses were as sharp as his. He'd have to work on the honesty thing.

Edward's lips twitched, fighting a smile.

Beau stared past us toward the window, dutifully avoiding looking at the blood bag. I wondered if my blood was tempting the vampires or if it repulsed them as much as my scent did—it must not be very appetizing to them, otherwise they'd probably rip the bag off the hook and chug it themselves.

Edward rolled his eyes.

Jeez, how did anyone stand living with him? It was really too bad he couldn't hear Beau's thoughts. Then he'd annoy the crap out of him, too, and he'd get tired of him.

Edward chuckled once. Beau's eyes flicked to him immediately, and then he half-smiled at the humor in his face. I would guess that wasn't something he'd seen in a while.

"Something funny?" he breathed.

"Jacob," he answered.

He looked over with another sad, weary smile for me. "Jake's good at cheering people up," he agreed.

I don't know why that hit me so hard. The honesty in his voice maybe. "I try," I mumbled.

He smiled again, then sighed. "Alright, Carlisle, how's it looking?"

"Much better, Beau, much better." Carlisle said, sounding pleased.

Royal looked surprised, but not unhappy.

We could all see it—the blood had made an immediate difference. His color was returning—there was a tiny hint of pink in his waxy cheeks. Already he didn't seem nearly as frail as he had just a few minutes ago. His breathing was easier, and I could swear his heartbeat was stronger, more even.

Everything accelerated.

The ghost of hope in Edward's eyes had turned into the real thing.

"You really feel better?" Royal pressed.

Beau nodded.

"You don't feel…" Royal trailed off.

"Wolfy?" Beau's lips pulled up into a smile.

Royal rolled his eyes, then he glanced at me. "You're in decent standing, dog." He narrowed his eyes. "For now."

"I guess that's a thank you," I smirked.

Royal sniffed and turned his head away.

"There does appear to be a marked improvement," Carlisle mused. "But we'll need more blood eventually." He looked thoughtful. "I'm going to go make some notes about this development, if Jacob is still willing I'll determine when we'll need to collect more blood… and when it's safe to collect it."

He glanced at me, and I nodded.

"I'll be right back." Carlisle said.

Beau stared at me while he disappeared.

"Jake, you look awful," he croaked.

"Look who's talking."

"Seriously. You just donated blood—and when's the last time you slept?"

I thought about that for a second. "Huh. I'm not actually sure."

"Aw, Jake. Now I'm messing with your health, too. Don't do that to yourself."

I dropped my eyes from his. Somehow I always felt so guilty when he scolded me like that.

"Get some rest, please," he went on. "There's a few beds upstairs—you're welcome to any of them."

The look on Royal's face made it clear that I wasn't welcome to one of them. It made me wonder what Sleepless Beauty needed a bed for anyway. Was he that possessive of his props?

"Thanks, babe, but I'd rather sleep on the ground. Away from the stench, you know."

He grimaced. "Right."

He really was looking better. He pulled himself forward, being careful of the tubes, and scooted into a sitting position. Royal hovered, his hands ready to catch Beau if he sagged. But Beau didn't need the help. His breathing continued, steady as his heart.

"How do you feel now?" Carlisle asked walking back into the room.

"Not sick. Sort of hungry actually," Beau mused, "Man, didn't think I'd feel hungry again."

"I think we still have some food in the house," Royal murmured. "Hopefully nothing has spoiled."

"Esme ensured the fridge and pantry were well stocked, we should be able to find something," Carlisle said. "Does anything sound particularly good, Beau?"

"I'll think about it and let you know," He said, his voice sounding stronger. He looked up at Edward and they exchanged smiles. Edward's smile was brittle, but there was more life on his face than before.

I blinked then, and almost forgot how to open my eyes again.

"Jacob," Edward murmured. "You really should sleep. As Beau said, you're certainly welcome to the accommodations here, though you'd probably be more comfortable outside. Don't worry about anything—I promise I'll find you if there's a need."

"Sure, sure," I mumbled. Now that it appeared Beau had a few more hours, I could escape. Go curl up under a tree somewhere.... Far enough away that the smell couldn't reach me. The bloodsucker would wake me up if something went wrong. He owed me.

"I do," Edward agreed.

I nodded and then put my hand on Beau's. His skin was icy cold again.

"Feel better," I said.

"Thank you, Jacob. Really." He turned his hand over and squeezed mine. I felt the thin band of his wedding ring riding loose on his skinny finger. "And I'm sorry."

"Get him a blanket or something," I muttered as I turned for the door.

Before I made it, two howls pierced the still morning air. There was no mistaking the urgency of the tone. No misunderstanding this time.

"Dammit," I snarled, and I threw myself through the door. I hurled my body off the porch, letting the fire rip me apart midair. There was a sharp tearing sound as my shorts shredded. Crap. Those were the only clothes I had. Didn't matter now. I landed on paws and took off toward the west.

What is it? I shouted in my head.

Incoming,Seth answered. At least three.

Did they split up?

I'm running the line back to Seth at the speed of light, Liam promised. I could feel the air huffing through his lungs as he pushed himself to an incredible velocity. The forest whipped around him. So far, no other point of attack.

Seth, do not challenge them. Wait for me.

They're slowing. Ugh—it's so off not being able to hear them. I think...

What?

I think they've stopped.

Waiting for the rest of the pack?

Shh. Feel that?

I absorbed his impressions. The faint, soundless shimmer in the air.

Someone's phasing? Feels like it, Seth agreed.

Liam flew into the small open space where Seth waited. He raked his claws into the dirt, spinning out like a race car.

Got your back, bro.

They're coming, Seth said nervously. Slow. Walking.

Almost there, I told them. I tried to fly like Liam. It felt horrible being separated from Seth and Liam with potential danger closer to their end than mine. Wrong. I should be with them, between them and whatever was coming.

Look who's getting all paternal, Liam thought wryly.

Head in the game, Liam.

Four, Seth decided. Kid had good ears. Three wolves, one man.

I made the little clearing then, moving immediately to the point. Seth sighed with relief and then straightened up, already in place at my right shoulder. Liam fell in on my left with a little less enthusiasm.

So now I rank under Seth, he grumbled to himself.

First come, first served, Seth thought smugly. 'Sides, you were never an Alpha's Third before. Still an upgrade.

Under my baby brother is not an upgrade.

Shh! I complained. I don't care where you stand. Shut up and get ready.

They came into view a few seconds later, walking, as Seth had thought. Jared in the front, human, hands up. Paul and Quil and Collin on four legs behind him. There was no aggression in their postures. They hung back behind Jared, ears up, alert but calm.

But... it was weird that Sam would send Collin rather than Embry. That wasn't what I would do if I were sending a diplomacy party into enemy territory. I wouldn't send a kid. I'd send the experienced fighter.

A diversion? Liam thought.

Were Sam, Embry, and Brady making a move alone? That didn't seem likely.

Want me to check? I can run the line and be back in two minutes.

Should I warn the Cullens? Seth wondered.

What if the point was to divide us? I asked. The Cullens know something's up. They're ready.

Sam wouldn't be so stupid..., Liam whispered, fear jagged in his mind. He was imagining Sam attacking the Cullens with only the two others beside him.

No, he wouldn't, I assured him, though I felt a little sick at the image in his head, too.

All the while, Jared and the three wolves stared at us, waiting. It was eerie not to hear what Quil and Paul and Collin were saying to one another. Their expressions were blank —unreadable.

Jared cleared his throat, and then he nodded to me. "White flag of truce, Jake. We're here to talk."

Think it's true? Seth asked. Makes sense, but...

Yeah, Liam agreed. But.

We didn't relax.

Jared frowned. "It would be easier to talk if I could hear you, too."

I stared him down. I wasn't going to phase back until I felt better about this situation. Until it made sense. Why Collin? That was the part that had me most worried.

"Okay. I guess I'll just talk, then," Jared said. "Jake, we want you to come back."

Quil let out a soft whine behind him. Seconding the statement.

"You've torn our family apart. It's not meant to be this way."

I wasn't exactly in disagreement with that, but it was hardly the point. There were a few unresolved differences of opinion between me and Sam at the moment.

"We know that you feel... strongly about the situation with the Cullens. We know that's a problem. But this is an overreaction."

Seth growled. Overreaction? And attacking our allies without warning isn't?

Seth, you ever heard of a poker face? Cool it.

Sorry.

Jared's eyes flickered to Seth and back to me. "Sam is willing to take this slowly, Jacob. He's calmed down, talked to the other Elders. They've decided that immediate action is in no one's best interest at this point."

Translation: They've already lost the element of surprise, Liam thought.

It was weird how distinct our joint thinking was. The pack was already Sam's pack, was already "them" to us. Something outside and other. It was especially weird to have Liam thinking that way—to have him be a solid part of the "us."

"Billy and Sue agree with you, Jacob, that we can wait for Beau..." He paused, choosing his words more carefully, "We can wait and see how this illness plays out. Killing him is not something any of us feel comfortable with."

Though I'd just given Seth crap for it, I couldn't hold back a small snarl of my own. So they didn't quite feel comfortable with murder, huh?

Jared raised his hands again. "Easy, Jake. You know what I mean. The point is, we're going to wait and reassess the situation. Decide later if there's a problem with the... treaty."

Ha, Liam thought. What a load.

You don't buy it?

I know what they're thinking, Jake. What Sam's thinking. They're betting on Beau dying anyway. And then they figure you'll be so torn up...

That I'll lead the attack myself. My ears pressed against my skull. What Liam was guessing sounded pretty spot-on. And very possible, too. When... if the disease killed Beau, it was going to be easy to forget how I felt about Carlisle's family right now. They would probably look like enemies—like no more than bloodsucking leeches—to me all over again.

I'll remind you, Seth whispered.

I know you will, kid. Question is whether I'll listen to you.

"Jake?" Jared asked.

I huffed a sigh.

Liam, make a circuit—just to be sure. I'm going to have to talk to him, and I want to be positivethere isn't anything else going on while I'm phased.

Give me a break, Jacob. You can phase in front of me. Despite my best efforts, I've seen you naked before—doesn't do much for me, so no worries.

I'm not trying to protect the innocence of your eyes, I'm trying to protect our backs. Get out of here.

Liam snorted once and then launched himself into the forest. I could hear his claws cutting into the soil, pushing him faster.

Nudity was an inconvenient but unavoidable part of pack life. We'd all thought nothing of it before Liam came along. Then it got awkward. Mostly for Liam and me. Being the only two in the pack who were interested in guys, we sometimes caught each other looking a second longer than we should. It was always super awkward, but it wasn't like Liam wasn't worth looking at...

Jake. Really? Seth shook his head, annoyed. That's still my brother.

In your dreams, Jacob Black. Liam thought as he ran, amused and annoyed all at once.

"Where's he going?" Jared asked, snapping me back to the present situation.

He and the others were staring at the place where Liam had disappeared into the brush with wary expressions.

I ignored him, closing my eyes and pulling myself together again. It felt like the air was trembling around me, shaking out from me in small waves. I lifted myself up on my hind legs, catching the moment just right so that I was fully upright as I shimmered down into my human self.

"Oh," Jared said. "Hey, Jake."

"Hey, Jared."

"Thanks for talking to me."

"Yeah."

"We want you to come back, man."

Quil whined again.

"I don't know if it's that easy, Jared."

"Come home," he said, leaning forward. Pleading. "We can sort this out. You don't belong here. Let Seth and Liam come home, too."

I laughed. "Right. Like I haven't been begging them to do that from hour one."

Seth snorted behind me.

Jared assessed that, his eyes cautious again. "So, what now, then?"

I thought that over for a minute while he waited.

"I don't know. But I'm not sure things could just go back to normal anyway, Jared. I don't know how it works—it doesn't feel like I can just turn this Alpha thing off and on as the mood strikes. It feels sort of permanent."

"You still belong with us."

I raised my eyebrows. "Two Alphas can't belong in the same place, Jared. Remember how close it got last night? The instinct is too competitive."

"So are you all just going to hang out with the parasites for the rest of your lives?" he demanded. "You don't have a home here. You're already out of clothes," he pointed out. "You gonna stay wolf all the time? You know Liam doesn't like eating that way."

"Liam can do whatever he wants when he gets hungry. He's here by his own choice. I'm not telling anyone what to do."

Jared sighed. "Sam is sorry about what he did to you."

I nodded. "I'm not angry anymore."

"But?"

"But I'm not coming back, not now. We're going to wait and see how it plays out, too. And we're going to watch out for the Cullens for as long as that seems necessary. Because, despite what you think, this isn't just about Beau. We're protecting those who should be protected. And that applies to the Cullens, too." At least a fair number of them, anyway.

Seth yelped softly in agreement.

Jared frowned. "I guess there's nothing I can say to you, then."

"Not now. We'll see how things go."

Jared turned to face Seth, concentrating on him now, separate from me. "Sue asked me to tell you—no, to beg you—to come home. She's brokenhearted, Seth. All alone. I don't know how you and Liam can do this to her. Abandon her this way, when your dad just barely died—"

Seth whimpered.

"Ease up, Jared," I warned.

"Just letting him know how it is."

I snorted. "Right." Sue was tougher than anyone I knew. Tougher than my dad, tougher than me. Tough enough to play on her kids' sympathies if that's what it took to get them home. But it wasn't fair to work Seth that way. "Sue's known about this for how many hours now? And most of that time spent with Billy and Old Quil and Sam? Yeah, I'm sure she's just perishing of loneliness. 'Course you're free to go if you want, Seth. You know that."

Seth sniffed.

Then, a second later, he cocked an ear to the north. Liam must be close. Jeez, he was fast. Two beats, and Liam skidded to a stop in the brush a few yards away. He trotted in, taking the point in front of Seth. He kept his nose in the air, very obviously not looking in my direction.

I appreciated that.

"Liam?" Jared asked.

He met Jared's gaze, his muzzle pulling back a little over his teeth.

Jared didn't seem surprised by his hostility. "Liam, you know you don't want to be here."

He snarled at him. I gave Liam a warning glance he didn't see. Seth whined and nudged him with his shoulder.

"Sorry," Jared said. "Guess I shouldn't assume. But you don't have any ties to the bloodsuckers."

Liam very deliberately looked at his brother and then at me.

"So you want to watch out for Seth, I get that," Jared said. His eyes touched my face and then went back to Liam's. Probably wondering about that second look—just like I was. "But Jake's not going to let anything happen to him, and he's not afraid to be here." Jared made a face. "Anyway, please, Liam. We want you back. Sam wants you back."

Liam's tail twitched.

"Sam told me to beg. He told me to literally get down on my knees if I have to. He wants you home, Lee-Lee, where you belong."

I saw Liam flinch when Jared used Sam's old nickname for him. And then, when he added those last three words, his hackles rose and he was yowling a long stream of snarls through his teeth. I didn't have to be in his head to hear the cussing-out he was giving Jared, and neither did he. You could almost hear the exact words Liam was using.

I waited till he was done. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Liam belongs wherever he wants to be."

Liam growled, but, as he was glaring at Jared, I figured it was in agreement.

"Look, Jared, we're still family, okay? We'll get past the feud, but, until we do, you probably ought to stick to your land. Just so there aren't misunderstandings. Nobody wants a family brawl, right? Sam doesn't want that, either, does he?"

"Of course, not," Jared snapped. "We'll stick to our land. But where is your land, Jacob? Is it vampire land?"

"No, Jared. Homeless at the moment. But don't worry—this isn't going to last forever." I had to take a breath. "There's not that much time... left. Okay? Then the Cullens will probably go, and Seth and Liam will come home."

Liam and Seth whined together, their noses turning my direction in synchronization.

"And what about you, Jake?"

"Back to the forest, I think. I can't really stick around La Push. Two Alphas means too much tension. 'Sides, I was headed that way anyway. Before this mess."

"What if we need to talk?" Jared asked.

"Howl—but watch the line, 'kay? We'll come to you. And Sam doesn't need to send so many. We aren't looking for a fight."

Jared scowled, but nodded. He didn't like me setting conditions for Sam. "See you around, Jake. Or not." He waved halfheartedly.

"Wait, Jared. Is Embry okay?"

Surprise crossed his face. "Embry? Sure, he's fine. Why?"

"Just wondering why Sam sent Collin."

I watched his reaction, still suspicious that something was going on. I saw knowledge flash in his eyes, but it didn't look like the kind I was expecting.

"That's not really your business anymore, Jake."

"Guess not. Just curious."

I saw a twitch from the corner of my eye, but I didn't acknowledge it, because I didn't want to give Quil away. He was reacting to the subject.

"I'll let Sam know about your... instructions. Goodbye, Jacob."

I sighed. "Yeah. Bye, Jared. Hey, tell my dad that I'm okay, will you? And that I'm sorry, and that I love him."

"I'll pass that along."

"Thanks."

"C'mon, guys," Jared said. He turned away from us, tugging his clothes off as he prepared to phase. Paul and Collin were right on his heels, but Quil hesitated. He yelped softly, and I took a step toward him.

"Yeah, I miss you, too, bro."

Quil jogged over to me, his head hanging down morosely. I patted his shoulder. "It'll be okay."

He whined.

"Tell Embry I miss having you two on my flanks."

He nodded and then pressed his nose to my forehead. Liam snorted. Quil looked up, but not at him. He looked back over his shoulder at where the others had gone.

"Yeah, go home," I told him.

Quil yelped again and then took off after the others. I'd bet Jared wasn't waiting super- patiently. As soon as he was gone, I pulled the warmth from the center of my body and let it surge through my limbs. In a flash of heat, I was on four legs again.

Thought you were going to make out with him, Liam snickered. I ignored him.

Was that okay? I asked them. It worried me, speaking for them that way, when I couldn't hear exactly what they were thinking. I didn't want to assume anything. I didn't want to be like Jared that way. Did I say anything you didn't want me to? Did I not say something I should have?

You did great, Jake! Seth encouraged.

You could have hit Jared, Liam thought. I wouldn't have minded that.

I guess we know why Embry wasn't allowed to come, Seth thought.

I didn't understand. Not allowed?

Jake, didya see Quil? He's pretty torn up, right? I'd put ten to one that Embry's even more upset. And Embry doesn't have an Elise. There's no way Quil can just pick up and walk away from La Push. Embry might. So Sam's not going to take any chances on him getting convinced to jump ship. He doesn't want our pack any bigger than it is now.

Really? You think? I doubt Embry would mind shredding some Cullens.

But he's your best friend, Jake. He and Quil would rather stand behind you than face you in a fight.

Well, I'm glad Sam kept him home, then. This pack is big enough. I sighed. Okay, then. So we're good, for now. Seth, you mind keeping an eye on things for a while? Liam and I both need to crash. This felt on the level, but who knows? Maybe it was a distraction.

I wasn't always so paranoid, but I remembered the feel of Sam's commitment. The total one-track focus on destroying the danger he saw. Would he take advantage of the fact that he could lie to us now?

No problem! Seth was only too eager to do whatever he could. You want me to explain to the Cullens? They're probably still kinda tense.

I got it. I want to check things out anyway.

They caught the whir of images from my fried brain.

Seth whimpered in surprise. Whoa.

Liam tilted his head to the side, curiously. That's… Huh. Well, if it works, I guess..

Hey, maybe  you passed some of your healing powers to Beau! Seth thought excitedly, Maybe you're making him better! That would be so cool!

Both Liam and I stared at him.

What?

Mom dropped him a lot when he was a baby, Liam told me.

On his head, apparently. I mused.

He used to gnaw on the crib bars, too.

Lead paint?

Looks like it, Liam thought.

Seth snorted. Funny. Why don't you two shut up and sleep?