The story opens with the revelation that Seattle is being plagued by a string of unsolved murders, which Edward suspects is caused by a young vampire that is unable to control its thirst for human blood. As Edward and Bella apply to colleges, Bella explains to Edward her desire
to see her werewolf friend,
Jacob Black, again. Although Edward fears for her safety, Bella insists that neither Jacob nor his werewolf pack would ever harm her, and she begins visiting him occasionally. Meanwhile,
Alice Cullen has a vision that
Victoria, a vampire who is hunting Bella for revenge, has returned to Forks. A few days later, Edward proposes to Bella and, despite having an
aversion to marriage, she accepts. Bella and the Cullens realize that the murders in Seattle are being
committed by an "army" of newborn vampires, controlled by Victoria. The Cullens join forces with the werewolf pack to combat this threat. As everyone else prepares for battle, Edward, Bella, and Jacob camp up in the mountains, hidden during the battle, where they are later joined by
Seth Clearwater, a young member of the werewolf pack, to wait out the fight. In the morning, Jacob becomes upset when he overhears Edward and Bella discussing their engagement and threatens to join the fight and
get himself killed. To stop him, Bella kisses Jacob and realizes that she also loves him. During the battle, Victoria tracks Edward's scent to where Bella is hidden in the woods, and Edward is forced to fight. After Victoria and her army are successfully destroyed, Bella explains to Jacob that while she loves him, her love for Edward is greater.
After receiving a wedding invitation from Edward, Jacob runs away in his wolf form to escape his pain, angry at Bella's decision to become a vampire.
