𝐈𝐊𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐈 :: paul lahote

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝓿𝓲.

vi. SHADOWS OF THE PAST.

FLEUR LOCKLEAR KNEW HER WAY AROUND MOTORCYCLES AND CARS BETTER THAN MOST, AT LEAST, BETTER THAN BELLA SWAN. Her father, once a revered mechanic, had ensured she was proficient in the basics. She didn't need anyone's help, though cars weren't her forte-her revoked license was a testament to that. Bikes were her preference. Sleek, stealthy, and easy to handle, despite her mother's relentless objections.

Perched on her bike, Fleur watched as Jacob Black guided Bella Swan through the mechanics of hers. She leaned back, idly twirling a strand of hair around her finger, her gaze drifting. That cliff again. Her eyes always seemed to find it, drawn by some inexplicable force. Was it because Embry and his new friends were always jumping off it? She couldn't be sure.

With a sigh, she shifted her focus from the cliff to the dense forest ahead. Her breath caught-there it was. The silver wolf. Relief washed over her, though she'd never admit it. She hadn't seen him since her visit to Forks, and she'd worried he might have been hurt. Over the past month, his constant presence had gone from unsettling to oddly comforting. He had become a silent sentinel in her life, a mysterious guardian she wasn't quite ready to let go of.

Jacob's voice shouting Bella's name snapped Fleur back to reality. She looked over at her friends, getting up from her bike when she noticed Bella on the ground, the bike half on top of her. Jacob swiftly kicked the bike off Bella, the rumbling engine choking to a stop.

"Bella?" Jacob shook her shoulder.

"I'm fine," the girl mumbled, dazed.

Jacob was pulling her to my feet. "Did you hit your head?" he asked.

Fleur clutched Bella's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly, her thumb tracing gentle circles over her jacket. Her eyes drifted once again to the tree line, fully expecting the silver wolf to have vanished. But to her surprise-and relief-he was still there, his watchful eyes fixed on them.

"Did you hit your head?" Fleur asked.

"I don't think so." Bella shook it back and forth, checking. "I didn't hurt the bike, did I?"

"No. You just stalled the engine," Jacob interjected, halting Bella's rapid stream of conjectures. "You let go of the clutch too fast."

Bella nodded. "Let's try again."

"Are you sure?" Jacob asked.

"Positive."

"Bella, maybe you shouldn't-" but Bella wasn't listening to Fleur, already lifting her bike and gearing up for another attempt. A muscle twitched in Fleur's jaw, irritation evident as she shot a glance back at the silver wolf, still observing them. To her surprise, he was closer than before.

Fleur felt a strange contentment with the wolf's nearness, surprised that her friends hadn't noticed him. She didn't point him out, fearing they'd chase him away. Instead, she found herself subtly leaning in his direction, a frown marring her features at the realization that he was still so far away.

Fleur's attention drifted from her friends, her head tilted as she studied the wolf. What was he doing here? Didn't he have a pack or something? Questions swirled in her mind, but she doubted the wolf could provide any answers.

Then, a loud crashing noise drew Fleur's attention back to her friends. Bella was on the ground once more, the bike pinned over her. It seemed as if three entities were snarling: the bike, Jacob-unexpectedly-and perhaps Fleur herself, though she wondered if she was imagining the snarl that escaped her own lips.