"Why are you laughing at me?"

He stopped at once, and I could see he was wary again.

Keep it under control,I thought to myself. I had to watch my temper. Just like I was a young werewolf
rather than a vampire.

"I'm not laughing at you,Bella. I'm laughing because I am in shock. And I am in shock because I am
completely amazed."

"Why?"

"You shouldn't be able to do any of this. You shouldn't be so... so rational. You shouldn't be able to
stand here discussing this with me calmly and coolly. And, much more than any of that, you should not
have been able to break

off mid-hunt with the scent of human blood in the air. Even mature vampires have difficulty with that
—we're always very careful of where we hunt so as not to put ourselves in the path of temptation. Bella,
you're behaving like you're decades rather than days old."

"Oh." But I'd known it was going to be hard. That was why I'd been so on guard. I'd been expecting it
to be difficult.

He put his hands on my face again, and his eyes were full of wonder. "What wouldn't I give to be able to
see into your mind for just this one moment."

Such powerful emotions. I'd been prepared for the thirst part, but not this. I'd been so sure it wouldn't
be the same when he touched me. Well, truthfully, it wasn't the same.

It was stronger.

I reached up to trace the planes of his face; my fingers lingered on his lips.

"I thought I wouldn't feel this way for a long time?" My uncertainty made the words a question. "But I
stillwant you."

He blinked in shock. "How can you even concentrate on that? Aren't you unbearably thirsty?"


Of course I was now, now that he'd brought it up again!