Hopeless Devotion ~ A Jasper Hale Story

Chapter 26 - The Wait

Jacob laid it all out—names, blood trails, the wild speculation that the pack hadn't just scared the redhead off this time. That maybe they'd killed her mate.

That's when Bella went ghost-pale, her eyes going wide like someone just told her prom was canceled and Edward was engaged to Tanya. She clutched her stomach and dry-heaved toward the sink.

I didn't flinch. Not even a little. Because I knew. I'd put it together weeks ago, when Bella wouldn't shut up about Laurent and the "voice" in her head. Something in me had clicked into place like the last puzzle piece falling in.

"She's not just picking them off for fun," I said flatly, arms crossed. "This is revenge. Edward killed her mate. A mate for a mate."

Jacob glanced at me like he was seeing me in a whole new light.

Bella was still wobbling, trying to breathe. "She's... she's coming after me?"

"Obviously," I muttered. "And if she's anything like Laurent described, she's smart. Patient. The kind that watches before she pounces."

Sam looked grave. "We'll protect you."

That wasn't enough. Not for me.

"We can't just go home," I said. "Not with Charlie there. Not with the girls from school gossiping. It's not safe to be around anyone who isn't in the know."

Emily's house... it was remote. Protected by the pack. Neutral ground. I hated feeling like a sitting duck, but this was the best option that didn't end with another obituary in the Forks Gazette.

So we stayed.

Bella took the couch and clutched a throw pillow like it might save her from a vampire vendetta. Emily was all warm smiles and distraction, feeding us muffins and pretending this wasn't insane.

I needed space. And a break from Bella's fear-induced silence.

So I slipped outside, wandering past the tree line, where I could breathe without the scent of eggs and tension choking me. That's where I found her—Leah Clearwater. Leaning against a tree like she'd been waiting, arms folded, expression unreadable.

"Hey," I said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't expect to see you out here."

"Nice night," I offered, which was the kind of filler you say when you're not allowed to mention the undead blood feud putting your life in danger.

Leah raised a brow, arms still crossed tight. "Mm. If you say so."

Silence again. Not uncomfortable, though. Not really. Just thick with things we couldn't say.

It was like standing in a pressure cooker, both of us pretending not to hear the howls in the distance or feel the tension vibrating under our skin.

I couldn't talk about what I'd seen—about Paul and Jacob phasing, or the way Sam's voice had that unspoken command weight behind it. I couldn't even explain how freaked out Bella was, or how close I was to doing something reckless just to protect her. Not yet.

But Leah knew. Not because I said it—but because she saw it.

"You ever feel like you're the only one in the room who hasn't been let in on the big joke?" I asked her.

She tilted her head. "All the time."

We didn't say anything else after that. Didn't have to. The truth was there, floating just beneath the surface like a shadow in the water. We weren't friends yet. But maybe we could be.

At least... until the truth caught up to me.