✓ | 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍, j. hale [1]

XVI. Hunted

Evelyn watched the intruders approach them through the gap between Carlisle and Esme's shoulders, wrapping her free hand around Jasper's arm and pressing her cheek against his bicep as she shifted slightly behind him. He tensed under her warm touch, but he didn't move. The blood pounding in her ears made it difficult to focus, and her fingers twitched from the adrenaline that was pumping through her veins. She hoped that the intruders wouldn't be able to hear it, but she knew that was unlikely.

The three nomadic vampires came to a stop in front of the Cullens, allowing Evelyn to clearly see their features. The man in the front, who she assumed must be the leader, seemed friendly enough in his demeanor, but the other two made her skin prickle in trepidation. The fiery-haired woman reminded her of a fox, and Evelyn noticed her eyes darting back and forth between the faces of the Cullen family. She seemed anxious or almost afraid of something, and by the way she was standing Evelyn could tell that she was prepared to run at the first sign of trouble. The other man truly scared her the most; his eyes were hard and predatory, and she watched as his gaze took in each and every one of the vampires around her. He took his time, as if he had nothing to be afraid of despite being severely outnumbered. Her throat tightened as she recognized the jacket of Waylon Forge concealing his porcelain skin. So these were the vampires who have been murdering innocents.

The leader grinned, raising his fist and revealing the baseball that they had been using for the game. "I believe this belongs to you," he spoke, his voice soothing and smooth. He tossed the ball to Carlisle with what Evelyn knew must be unimaginable strength. "I am Laurent, and this is Victoria," he nodded towards the woman, "and James." Neither one spoke, but Evelyn kept her eyes on James, who had tilted his head curiously as he observed the Cullens. Her fingers tightened on Jasper's arm as the intruder's crimson eyes slid over her, but she did not move.

"I am Carlisle, and this is my family." Carlisle gestured generally around him, careful not to draw any attention to a specific person. "I'm afraid your hunting activities have made something of a mess for us."

Laurent raised his eyebrows in surprise, crimson eyes flashing. "Our apologies. We did not realize the territory had been claimed." Somehow, Evelyn could tell that they were in fact not apologetic at all. She fought back a scowl as she continued to watch Laurent.

"Yes, well, we maintain a permanent residence nearby." Evelyn knew that Carlisle was trying to be polite, but even she could detect the edge in his voice, serving as a warning to the nomadic vampires.

"Really?" Laurent looked incredulously at James, who paid him no attention. Evelyn saw that he was intently watching Edward, who had an angry glare on his face as he held Bella protectively. "Well we won't be a problem for you anymore. We were just passing through."

"The humans were tracking us, but we led them east. You should be safe." Evelyn's attention flickered to Victoria as she spoke, and she noticed that she had relaxed significantly. She didn't like the dismissive tone she used when speaking about humans; it was difficult to remember that not all vampires were like the Cullens. She knew these three likely had little to no regard for human life, and the thought of them noticing her or Bella made her heart beat even louder in her ears. She squeezed Bella's hand again more to comfort herself rather than her friend. Jasper remained still as a statue under her touch, his muscles taut with the tension she could feel emanating from his body. She didn't dare look at his face, afraid of what she would see.

Jasper's mind was laser-focused, intent on creating a calm atmosphere around them to avoid a fight. He was sifting through the intruders' emotions while also trying to shield Bella, Evelyn, and Alice from James, who Jasper knew to be the real leader of the group. He focused on making them seem unimportant and mundane; he knew that they would most likely be looking at Emmett as the most threatening enemy, anyway. He guessed that Edward knew Laurent was not the leader by now, and he also knew that Edward would have also identified James as the most direct threat to Evelyn and Bella's safety.