Behind Enemy Lines

Chapter Twenty-Four

James circled back through the forest, his mind replaying the scene in the clearing. The scent that had caught his attention wasn't just human—it was something far more intriguing. The girl with the dark hair carried the unmistakable fragrance of vampires woven into her very essence, yet her heart beat with the steady rhythm of mortality.

"Fascinating," he murmured to himself, crouching beside a fallen log as he analyzed what he'd experienced. In centuries of hunting, he'd never encountered anything quite like it.

Victoria appeared beside him with fluid grace. "You're lingering," she observed, her red hair catching the filtered sunlight. "We should be putting distance between ourselves and those wolves."

"The human girl," James said, his voice taking on the obsessive quality that Victoria knew all too well. "She smells like them—like the Cullens—but she's not turned. How is that possible?"

Laurent materialized on his other side, looking uncomfortable. "James, we have bigger concerns. The pack was larger than expected, and—"

"No." James's eyes gleamed with predatory excitement. "This changes everything. A human who carries vampire scent? She's been living with them. Feeding from them, perhaps? Or maybe..." His voice trailed off as possibilities raced through his mind.

Victoria's expression shifted to one of interest. "You think she's some kind of experiment?"

"I think she's unprecedented," James replied, standing with predatory grace. "And I'm going to find out exactly what makes her so special."

"The wolves won't let you near her," Laurent warned.

James's smile was razor-sharp. "Then I'll have to be creative."

The hunt had taken on an entirely new dimension. This wasn't just about the thrill of the chase anymore—it was about solving a mystery that had captured his ancient mind completely. A human girl who smelled like vampires represented a puzzle he'd never encountered in all his centuries of existence.

And James had always been excellent at solving puzzles.

As this struggle was going on deep in the woods, the Cullens and the wolves were moving fast to protect the human girls.

"I could hear Jame's thoughts, he wants Marissa." Edward stated.

"What exactly did you hear?" Sam demanded, his body still tense and ready to shift at a moment's notice.

Edward's eyes were distant, processing the fragments of James's thoughts. "He's intrigued by Marissa's unique scent. He sees her as some kind of... anomaly. A human connected to vampires in a way he's never encountered before."

Carlisle stepped forward, his medical training and centuries of experience evident in his calm demeanor. "Her connection to our family makes her a potential target. James is a tracker—once he decides to hunt something, he doesn't stop."

Paul growled, a deep rumbling sound that seemed to vibrate through the clearing. "Then we'll make sure he can't get near her."

"It's not that simple," Edward said, meeting Paul's fierce gaze. "James is methodical. Ruthless. He won't just charge in. He'll plan, he'll wait, he'll find a weakness."

Rosalie, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "We can't let him near her. Not after everything that's already happened."

The wolves and vampires exchanged a look—an unspoken agreement that, despite their usual antagonism, Marissa's safety was now a shared priority.

"We need to coordinate," Carlisle said, breaking the heavy silence. His voice carried the weight of centuries of diplomatic experience. "This threat is bigger than our territorial agreements."