edward and bella's relationship is jeopardized when three nomadic vampires—james, victoria, and laurent—arrive in the forks area. they are responsible for a series of deaths being investigated as animal attacks. james, a tracker vampire with incredible hunting instincts, is incited by bella's scent and becomes obsessed with hunting her for sport. edward and the other cullens protect bella, but james tracks her to phoenix, arizona, where she is hiding with jasper and alice. james lures bella into a trap at her old ballet studio. he attacks bella and infects her with vampire venom. edward arrives and after a ferocious battle, he subdues james just as other cullens arrive. alice, emmett, and jasper kill james, decapitating and burning him, as edward removes the venom from bella's wrist, preventing her becoming a vampire. in the aftermath, bella has suffered a broken leg and is hospitalized. upon returning to forks, edward accompanies bella to the high school prom where he refuses her request to transform her into a vampire. they are unaware that james' mate, victoria, is secretly watching them, plotting revenge for her lover's death.