第4部分(第5/7 頁)

Emmett　chuckled　with　delight。

I　took　the　little　package；　rolling　my　eyes　at　Edward　while　I　stuck　my　finger

under　the　edge　of　the　paper

and　jerked　it　under　the　tape。

〃Shoot；〃　I　muttered　when　the　paper　sliced　my　finger；　I　pulled　it　out　to

examine　the　damage。　A　single　drop

of　blood　oozed　from　the　tiny　cut。

It　all　happened　very　quickly　then。

〃No！〃　Edward　roared。

He　threw　himself　at　me；　flinging　me　back　across　the　table。　It　fell；　as　I　did；

scattering　the　cake　and　the

presents；　the　flowers　and　the　plates。　I　landed　in　the　mess　of　shattered

crystal。

Jasper　slammed　into　Edward；　and　the　sound　was　like　the　crash　of　boulders　in　a

rock　slide。

There　was　another　noise；　a　grisly　snarling　that　seemed　to　be　ing　from　deep

in　Jasper's　chest。　Jasper

tried　to　shove　past　Edward；　snapping　his　teeth　just　inches　from　Edward's　face。

Emmett　grabbed　Jasper　from　behind　in　the　next　second；　locking　him　into　his

massive　steel　grip；　but

Jasper　struggled　on；　his　wild；　empty　eyes　focused　only　on　me。

Beyond　the　shock；　there　was　also　pain。　I'd　tumbled　down　to　the　floor　by　the

piano；　with　my　arms　thrown

out　instinctively　to　catch　my　fall；　into　the　jagged　shards　of　glass。　Only　now

did　I　feel　the　searing；　stinging

pain　that　ran　from　my　wrist　to　the　crease　inside　my　elbow。

Dazed　and　disoriented；　I　looked　up　from　the　bright　red　blood　pulsing　out　of　my

arm—into　the　fevered

eyes　of　the　six　suddenly　ravenous　vampires。

2。STITCHES

CARLISLE　WAS　NOT　THE　ONLY　ONE　WHO　STAYED　calm。　Centuries　of　experience　in　the

emergency　room　were　evident　in　his　quiet；　authoritative　voice。

〃Emmett；　Rose；　get　Jaspe