ACT III ▬▬▬▬ aunt jess

Sam had called Emily, and the moment she laid eyes on Hailey, tears spilled freely down her cheeks. Her breath hitched as she crossed the room in a few trembling steps and gathered Hailey into her arms like something precious thought lost and miraculously returned. Soft, trembling whispers spilled from her lips — comforting, disbelieving — as she stroked Hailey's hair, as if to reassure herself that the girl she held was real, warm, and breathing. Emily clung to her for a long moment, grounding herself in the impossible truth.

Jessica, still pale with the weight of what had happened, had done her best to explain it all to the pack. Words fumbled from her lips in pieces — some clinical, some barely a whisper — but they all meant one thing: Hailey had been reborn. Not metaphorically. Literally. She was back. She was alive.

Paul hadn't left her side for more than a second since. Now, Hailey sat curled under his arm on the worn couch, her legs tucked up, her cheek resting against his chest. He held her with a gentleness so unlike the hot-headed wolf they all knew. Around them, the rest of the pack had gathered, voices mingling in a tangle of updates, stories, inside jokes — anything to make up for the time she'd lost.

Jared lingered at the edge of the room, eyes fixed not on her, but on a far-off memory only he could see. He couldn't bring himself to look directly at her. Every time he tried, the image of her broken body in that diner — lifeless and cold — slammed into him with the weight of a tidal wave.

"So... let me get this straight," Hailey began, blinking slowly as she tried to make sense of the whirlwind she'd just been brought up to speed on. "Newborn vampire army... Jake kissed Bella, then got half his body shattered, then the glitter prince proposed to her—and now she's getting married?" Her voice rose with disbelief, eyes wide and slightly amused. She scoffed softly, the rasp in her voice betraying the lingering wear of resurrection. "I'm honestly surprised Jake hasn't run off to Canada in rebellion."

Embry's face twisted into a wince.

Hailey squinted at him, catching the look. "Wait... is that why he dipped this morning?" she asked, slowly, one brow raising. "God, he's so dramatic," she muttered, rolling her eyes, though affection clung to her voice like a second skin.

Sam's gaze softened as it landed on her, all the weight he usually carried in his shoulders melting away just for a second. His usual tone — hard, strained from the constant responsibility — shifted into something gentler, something full. "It's good to have you back, Hailey," he said quietly. "We missed you."

She offered him a small, knowing smile. "I'd say the same," she said, tilting her head. "But from what little I can remember... death was kinda peaceful. Not bad, honestly." She shrugged. Next to her, Paul stiffened. His hand, which had been drawing idle circles on her shoulder, stilled completely.

The room went quiet.

Then, without warning, Jared stood and walked out. Not a word, not a glance. The screen door creaked open, then snapped shut behind him with a sharp rattle.

Hailey watched him go. Her eyes lingered on the doorway, jaw working as if to say something — but she said nothing. Instead, she pushed herself off the couch and followed him, her steps silent on the wooden floor.

She stopped just behind the screen, her hand resting on the doorframe as she watched him out on the porch. He sat hunched forward on the top step, elbows on his knees, fingers running through his close-cropped hair again and again, like he could rake the memory of her death out of his head.

Quietly, she stepped out and sat beside him, shoulder barely brushing his. The night air was cool, but not uncomfortable. It smelled like salt and pine.

After a long moment, she reached over and placed her hand on his forearm. It was a simple touch — no words, no pressure — just a silent thank you. A grounding.

Then, gently, she rested her head against his. They sat like that, leaning into each other.

Before all this — before the wolves, the vampires, the bloodshed — Jared Cameron had just been some class clown who never knew when to shut up. She used to threaten to throw rocks at him just to get a moment of silence.

But now... now, Jared was the sun. He was warmth, steadiness, a constant light in the haze of chaos that had become her life. He had become a brother. Not by blood, but by choice — by pain, by loyalty, by the kind of love that didn't need to be spoken.

Still, sometimes — just sometimes — she kind of still wanted to throw rocks at him.

And that, she thought with a quiet smile, was probably never going to change.

Rin speaks

Just a short one, we're slowly getting back on track to the movie plot!!