"So," she said, finally looking up. "What's your favorite?"
I supposed I should have expected something like that, but I hadn't. Bella was always interesting, at the very least.
"That was a great compliment," Jacob said and Bella rolled her eyes.
"Mountain lion," I answered brusquely.
"Really?" Bella said, the idea of hunting a mountain lion seemed scary too... but she remembered how Emmett had hunted the bear... they couldn't be hurt by animals.
"Ah," she said in a neutral tone. Her heartbeat continued steady and even, as if we were discussing a favorite restaurant.
Fine, then. If she wanted to act like this was nothing unusual...
"Of course, we have to be careful not to impact the environment with injudicious hunting," I told her, my voice detached and clinical. "We try to focus on areas with an overpopulation of predators - ranging as far away as we need. There's always plenty of deer and elk here, and they'll do, but where's the fun in that?"
She listened with a politely interested expression, as if I were a teacher giving a lecture. I had to smile.
"Where indeed," she murmured calmly, taking another bite of pizza.
"Early spring is Emmett's favorite bear season," I said, continuing with the lecture. "They're just coming out of hibernation, so they're more irritable."
Seventy years later, and he still hadn't gotten over losing that first match.
"Yeah well, he basically died, didn't he? I wouldn't have gotten over that quickly either," Jacob said.
"Nothing more fun than an irritated grizzly bear," Bella agreed, nodding solemnly.
Jacob snorted. "You are so weird."
I couldn't hold back a chuckle as I shook my head at her illogical calm. It had to be put on. "Tell me what you're really thinking, please."
"I'm trying to picture it - but I can't," she said, the crease appearing between her eyes. "How to you hunt a bear without weapons?"
"It's not difficult at all for them," Bella answered.
"Oh, we have weapons," I told her, and then flashed her a wide smile. I expected her to recoil, but she was very still, watching me. "Just not the kind they consider when writing hunting laws. If you've ever seen a bear attack on television, you should be able to visualize Emmett hunting."
She glanced toward the table where the others sat, and shuddered.
Finally. And then I laughed at myself, because I knew part of me was wishing she would stay oblivious.
Her dark eyes were wide and deep as she stared at me now. "Are you like a bear, too?" she asked in an almost-whisper.
"More like the lion, or so they tell me," I told her, striving to sound detached again. "Perhaps our preferences are indicative."
"That's an interesting theory," Bella said. "I wonder how the others hunt and what their preferences are."
Her lips pulled up a tiny bit at the corners. "Perhaps," she repeated. And then her head leaned to the side, and curiosity was suddenly clear in her eyes. "Is that something I might get to see?"
"NO!" Jacob said.
"Why... it's not that bad?" Bella said.
"It would be very dangerous for you to be there," Jacob said. "I mean beyond dangerous... don't you get it, you're his prey."
"Jacob..." Bella started.
"I get that he doesn't want that to be the case, but that doesn't change the fact that you've got to be a hell of a lot more appealing than any of those animals he would be hunting," Jacob said.
"Right," Bella gulped, that did sound dangerous.
I didn't need pictures from Alice to illustrate this horror - my imagination was quite enough.
"Absolutely not," I snarled at her.
She jerked away from me, her eyes bewildered and frightened.
I leaned back, too, wanting to put space between us. She was never going to see, was she? She wouldn't do one thing to help me keep her alive.
Jacob grimaced at Bella as she rolled her eyes at Edward's comment.
"Too scary for me?" she asked, her voice even. Her heart, however, was still moving in double time.
"If that were it, I would take you out tonight," I retorted through my teeth. "You need a healthy dose of fear. Nothing could be more beneficial for you."
"Then why?" she demanded, undeterred.
I glared at her blackly, waiting for her to be afraid. I was afraid. I could imagine only too clearly having Bella near when I hunted...
Her eyes remained curious, impatient, nothing more. She waited for her answer, not giving in.
But our hour was up.
"Later," I snapped, and I rose to my feet. "We're going to be late."
She looked around herself, disoriented, like she'd forgotten we were at lunch.
Like she'd forgotten we were even at school - surprised that we were not alone in some private place. I understood that feeling exactly. It was hard to remember the rest of the world when I was with her.
She got up quickly, bobbling once, and threw her bag over her shoulder.
"Later, then," she said, and I could see the determination in the set of her mouth she would hold me to that.
"Which means she's going to bring this up later," Jacob said.
"That's the end of the chapter," Bella said.