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𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥, and honestly, it had been the only thing occupying her mind.
She'd tried to avoid the pack as much as possible in the short span of two days, but with Jacob now a wolf, that was easier said than done. She and Jay practically lived at Sam and Emily's house when they weren't home themselves. Still, fate threw her a small mercy: her boss called in sick, and Mia eagerly picked up the late shift at the diner.
It wasn't that she didn't want to be around the pack—it was that every time she so much as glimpsed Embry, her face flushed, her palms sweated, and her brain stopped working. It confused her completely. She'd never felt like this before—and she'd only hung out with the guy a few times.
She blamed it on hormones. She was a teenager, after all. But that didn't explain why his laugh echoed in her thoughts or why the thought of him made her lose focus—just like it was doing now. She was snapped out of her daydream by the soft chime of the diner's doorbell.
"We're closed!" she called out, not bothering to look up. It was ten past eight, and the diner always closed early on Sundays. When she didn't hear anyone respond or leave, she dropped her mop with a sigh and turned.
"Why do I have to suffer because you're a shitty timekeeper? I said we're clos—"
Her words died in her throat. Standing by the door was a vampire. His red eyes locked onto hers with an eerie stillness. For a second, nothing happened—until a cold smile slid across his face. He knew that she knew.
"My apologies, my dear," Laurent said in his velvet voice, surveying the empty diner with mild interest. "Didn't mean to startle you."
Mia's legs felt rooted to the ground. Her mouth wouldn't work. Despite always claiming she wasn't scared of anything, she was currently scared out of her mind.
"I'm looking for Bella Swan," Laurent continued, taking a slow step toward her. "A friend of yours, I'm told."
Each step he took, she backed away, heart pounding so loudly it drowned out everything else. She only stopped when her legs bumped into the table behind her. Laurent closed the gap in a flash, now mere inches away. He leaned in, his voice low and taunting.
"You'll pass the message on, won't you, dear? I'd hate to get those pesky wolves involved."
He lifted a single hand and placed it lightly against her neck. The chill of his skin sent a violent shiver down her spine.
"I know how possessive they can get with their mutts," he added, voice dripping with mockery.
The hunger in his eyes was clear, restrained only by his desire not to start a war he couldn't finish. He stared at her for a long moment—then withdrew his hand and turned, vanishing out the door like a shadow melting into the night.
It took several minutes before Mia could move. Then, her body kicked into autopilot. She rushed around the diner, cleaning up, locking the doors, and sprinting to her car. The drive to Sam's was a blur—nothing registered except the constant ringing in her ears and the repeated voicemails she left for Bella, who wasn't answering.
She thought about going to Bella's house, but the image of Laurent's red eyes made her think better of it. Her body chose survival. She drove to the one place she knew she'd be safe.
She barely parked before racing into the pack house without knocking. The living room was full—Sam, Paul, Jared, and the rest all lounging in conversation. But the second they saw her face, everything stopped.
"What the hell happened?" Sam asked, setting Emily gently aside and standing up.
Mia didn't answer. Paul placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and that's when she broke.
The sobs hit hard and fast. Paul caught her and carried her to the couch. The others watched helplessly—none of them had ever seen her cry like this. Jared made a move to awkwardly comfort her, but Emily slid in and took over, soothing her with soft murmurs and firm arms.
Eventually, through the tears, Mia explained what had happened. The pack was visibly shaken, but they stayed calm. They assured her Bella would be fine. Only once the danger felt distant did her crying ease.
Mia was grateful that Jacob, Jay, and Embry weren't around. The thought of either of the first two reacting to the vampire threat made her stomach twist—and Embry? The last thing she wanted was for him to see her like this: mascara-streaked and emotionally wrecked.
But of course, that's exactly what fate had in store.
She heard their voices before they came in—Embry and Jacob laughing just outside.
"Dear god, don't let Embry see me like this!" Mia hissed, grabbing a throw pillow and smashing it against her face.
The pack shared a confused glance, but Sam didn't question it. He nodded to Paul, who moved toward the front door. Embry was caught off guard when Paul blocked his way inside—especially after Jacob had already gone in.
"What's going on?" Embry asked, confused. "Why can't I go in?"
"It's Mia," Paul said. "She's upset."
The second her name left Paul's mouth, Embry stiffened.
"Is she okay? Who hurt her?" he asked, already pushing forward.
Paul held firm, shoving him back. "Everyone's fine, man. Just—back off."
Embry growled.
Not playfully. Not teasingly. This was low and guttural—full of warning and rage. Paul blinked in shock. He had never heard that sound from the usually easygoing teen.
Before Paul could respond, Embry clenched his fists and spat out the words he'd never said out loud before.
