✔ | 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍, jasper hale

thirty-two

"Damn, too early in the morning," she mumbles as she leaves a peck on Emily's head, silently excusing herself.

Paul steps aside as Madelline exited the house, stretching her limbs out. He nearly scrunches his nose in disgust when a piece of bacon hangs from her mouth.

"Jesus, eat your food first, woman."

Madelline sends him a glare while stretching her neck. "What do you think I've been doing?" she grumbles before speeding away, leaving him behind with his mouth wide open in shock.

"She really just left me?!"

.・゜゜・

"How do you not get lost here?"

Sam turns his head to see Madelline leaned over by his side, clutching her stomach as she pants. She straightens her back out as she winces. "I think I'm going to get indigestion," she groans, earning a snort from Jared.

"That's not possible. Before your intestine could even get twisted and all, you've practically healed already," he retorted.

After gaining her composure, she peaks over Sam's body just to send him a glare. Despite being in his wolf form, the boy still has his ways to annoy the life out of her. As if he could read her mind, he smirks and turns his head in front.

Madelline follows their line of sight and saw Bella with a really familiar man. Her eyebrows furrow in concentration and leans forward to look closely.

A growl escapes her throat at the realization, earning the pack's attention.

"Do you know him? Is he Bella's friend?" Jacob continuously asks.

"He's anything but a friend," Madelline glowers as she takes a step forward.

She grew worried the moment Laurent takes a step forward as if taunting the girl in front of him. His eyes held such glint that hinted Madelline that he wasn't there for a friendly catch-up, not after what they did to his friend.

Laurent's head shoots up at the sound of a twig snapping. His smirk widens at the sight of a familiar face despite his gut telling him to do anything but linger there.

He takes a careful step away from the two girls in front of him.

"Madelline Smith," he calls out with his arms wide open as if to welcome her. "It is nice to see you."

"I don't think I share the same sentiments but thank you."

The man in front of him holds back a smile as he circled the two. From where he was, he could already see what the difference was between the two, yet he couldn't blame them, seeing as one of them is beyond powerful—even more so than him.

"Immortality becomes you," he remarks, eyeing her down. "Tell me, weren't Mr. Hale in love with you? Why were you left behind?"

Madelline slowly takes a step toward Bella, gently pulling her closer to her. "I have other priorities, Laurent," she casually answers him.

"Or were you just someone they considered as pet?" he ponders out loud.

Bella could feel her heart beating erratically against her chest at the entire interaction, however, what happened next made her regret coming out in the forest carelessly, or going out at all.

Laurent attempted to speed around Madelline to reach Bella, but it was as if Madelline could foresee and anticipate his movements with how quick she had spun Bella around before his mere fingertips could even graze her skin. Doing so, she unconsciously pushes Bella back with a force that sends her too far back.