On her eighteenth birthday, Bella Swan awakens from a dream where she is an old woman and Edward Cullen, her immortal vampire boyfriend is forever young. Despite her lack of enthusiasm, Edward's family host a birthday reception for Bella at their residence. While unwrapping a gift, Bella receives a paper cut. Edward's foster brother, Jasper, overwhelmed by the scent of Bella's blood, attempts to attack her, but is restrained. Believing that he and his family are putting Bella's life in danger, Edward ends their relationship, and the Cullens leave Forks.
Bella is left severely depressed and isolated for months. Her concerned father, Charlie, decides to send Bella to live with her mother in Jacksonville, Florida. Bella refuses and promises to spend more time with her other school friends. She and Jessica see a movie. Afterwards, Bella approaches some rough-looking bikers outside the theater, much to Jessica's dismay. The dicey encounter reminds Bella of a previous near-assault where Edward rescued her. She imagines seeing and hearing Edward and realizes that thrill-seeking activities can evoke his preserved image.
Bella's Quileute friend Jacob Black, helps ease her pain by engaging her in various activities. Jacob mentions how many of his tribal friends are now controlled by Sam, another Quileute. While attending a movie with Bella and Mike, Jacob abruptly leaves after becoming inexplicably upset and suffering a burning fever. Bella drives to Jacob's home after he avoids seeing her. Jacob has cut his long hair and now has the same Quileute tattoo on his upper right arm as Sam and other tribe members.
When Bella hikes to the meadow that she and Edward often visited, she is confronted by Victoria's vampire companion, Laurent. As he is about to kill her, a wolf pack appears and attack him. Bella eventually discovers that Jacob and the other tribe members are shape-shifters who phase into giant wolves. Their age-old enemy are vampires, though a treaty exists between the Cullens and the tribe. Jacob's pack members are currently on alert for Victoria, the vampire seeking to avenge her mate, James, who Edward defeated to protect Bella. With Jacob focused on adapting to his new shape-shifting powers, Bella again finds herself alone and returns to seeking thrill-inducing activities, deliberately oblivious to Victoria's presence.
