The morning sunlight streamed softly through Evelyn's bedroom window, gently coaxing her eyes open on the early Sunday morning. She gazed at the barren trees outside and the partly cloudy sky painted behind them, enjoying the last few seconds of blissful ignorance before her brain fully awakened for the day.

She blinked again, and the sudden buzz of her phone on her nightstand caught her attention. She rolled over rather ungracefully and snatched the device from the tabletop, immediately surprised to see she had multiple missed calls and text messages. She was even more surprised to see that they were all from none other than Jacob Black.

Ev, please call me. I need to talk to you.

Please answer your phone. I need to explain things.

Sam told me that you know. Please call me back.

Ev, I need you to know that I'm not a monster. Call me.

You can't tell Bella.

Even if you don't talk to me again, you have to promise you won't tell. Please.

Evelyn sighed, throwing her phone down on the bed next to her and rolling onto her back. She stared up at her ceiling fan with a scowl on her face. Why couldn't she be living a normal life? Why couldn't she be like everyone else, and not have to worry about vengeful vampires lurking around or werewolves living in her backyard? It seemed the longer that she was in Forks, the more involved in the supernatural world she got... and she was not happy about it at all. Of course, she cared about her friends like Jacob and Will, but didn't Will say himself that even her knowledge of his kind put her and her family at risk?

She slightly resented her vampire companion for joining her in the meadow the previous day. Sure, she was glad to have his protection and company, but had he not been there Sam would not have had to reveal himself, and she would still be blissfully unaware of werewolves in Forks. She knew it was irrational, and yet she couldn't help it; the girl was tired. She was longing for the day when she could escape this town and the memories and secrets it holds, but it seemed like everyday she was here, it sunk its claws into her just a little bit deeper.

The fact that Jacob Black was trying to call her bothered her, too. As far as she knew, he and Sam and the rest of them could be responsible for the numerous hiker disappearances that had been happening around Forks. She had no idea if she could trust them, so she decided to ignore Jacob's messages for now until she could find out more information.

With a final sigh, Evelyn pulled herself from her bed and shuffled to the bathroom. The house was quiet since her aunt was likely at work; she was home alone, and she couldn't help the slight feeling of unease that settled in her stomach at the thought. She showered and brushed her teeth quickly, wondering idly what Leah was doing that day. Evelyn found herself wanting to spend time with her coworker more often now that most of her other friends were connected to the supernatural. Leah was a breath of fresh air, and her brutal honesty and perspective made Evelyn feel a bit more normal.

However, her plans were thrown out the window when she walked back to her bedroom and heard the telltale sound of Bella's monstrous vehicle roaring down the road to her house. Evelyn sighed, brushing a comb through her long, damp waves as she made her way out of her room and down the creaky steps.

Bella was there at the door when Evelyn swung it open, her hands still working at the knots in her hair. She frowned curiously when she noticed her friend's flushed cheeks and wide eyes.

"What's up, Bells?" She asked cautiously, slightly concerned about Bella's wild appearance.

Bella smiled sheepishly. "Hey. Um, I'm sorry if this is a bad time, but I came to ask if you could do me a favor."

Evelyn shifted her weight nervously, her hands working quicker on her hair. "Sure. What do you need?"

"Well, I've been thinking... Ed-- Edward and I used to go to this meadow," Bella began, painfully pausing on Edward's name. "I haven't been back since he left. But I can't get it out of my head. I think going there will help bring me some closure, somehow. So I wanted to ask you if you could come with me."

Evelyn bit her lip, and when she didn't answer right away, Bella continued. "If you don't want to come that's okay. I just don't really wanna go alone."

Though she didn't want to go venturing off deep into the woods, Evelyn could hear the sadness and pleading in Bella's voice. Ever since Jacob had abandoned her, Bella had been slowly shrinking back into herself. Evelyn was worried about her and the fact that Bella seemed to keep falling back into a vicious cycle no matter how much time had passed.

It was her concern for her friend that made her decision for her. "You know for sure where it is?" She asked, eyebrows raised.

"Positive. We used to go all the time," Bella confirmed, playing with her fingers in front of her.

With a sigh, Evelyn nodded. "Okay, I'll come with you. I can tell that it's really important to you." She turned slightly to grab her jacket from the hook, throwing her hair comb on the entry table before shutting the front door behind her. She couldn't help but smile as she shrugged her coat on when she saw Bella's victorious grin.

"It is. Thanks, Ev," she said, pulling her into a side hug before leading the way towards the ancient orange truck. "It shouldn't take too long. I just want to see if it's changed at all since the last time I've been."

"Okay," Evelyn said, though somehow she knew this trip wouldn't be as short as Bella thought it would be. She could see the bloodthirsty eyes of Victoria in her head, and the thought almost made her back out. But she didn't want Bella to be worried; she still couldn't bring herself to tell Bella about the vengeful vampire lurking around Forks and why she wanted to avoid the woods as much as possible. But then her hand went to her cell phone in her pocket, and she reasoned that she could call Will, or even Jacob, in case things got bad. Hopefully there'd be enough time.

She was still debating with herself even after they had began the drive to Bella's house.

***

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Evelyn asked as she followed Bella through the forest. She squeezed her arms tighter around herself as she stepped over a fallen log after her friend. Though it was only partly cloudy outside today, the air was bitingly cold.

"I think it's close," Bella called back over her shoulder. "It's just past this hill. Probably."

Evelyn fought an eyeroll as she trudged along after her. "Great. I'm glad you're so confident."

The brunette in front of her turned and shot her a dark look before continuing on. "You could have stayed home. I told you that you didn't have to come with me."

"You don't exactly have a great track record of coming back safe when you go into the woods alone," Evelyn pointed out.

Bella scoffed. "It was one time, Ev." She ducked clumsily under a low-hanging branch. "Look, I was originally going to ask Jake, but, well, you know..."

Evelyn nodded, ducking under the same branch. "I know. Sorry for bringing it up."

And truly, she was. She had not spoken to Jacob since before he cut Bella off, but she could only assume it was because of his secret. Sam had not been too happy about her knowing the pack's secret, and she could only imagine what the other boys had to do to keep it completely under wraps. She wouldn't be surprised if Jacob had been forbidden to see Bella because of what he had become.

The girls walked in silence for a few moments before Bella noticeably perked up.

"It's here," she said, breathless. "Just beyond these trees."

A few moments later they emerged into a small clearing. Evelyn could guess that in the spring and summertime it was a beautiful meadow, but right now it was mostly just dead grass. She wandered away from Bella, who looked to be in a trance as she slowly moved through the clearing, and sat down on an old stump on the edge of the meadow.

She couldn't help but feel a little sad as she watched Bella move slowly through the meadow. It was clear that her friend was living through the happy memories that were now painful to think about. Evelyn knew that feeling all too well, unfortunately. She hoped that this setback with Jacob wouldn't throw Bella too far back into her old ways, but she couldn't help but feel like it was useless to hope for such a thing.

After sitting for a while, Evelyn suddenly noticed the deathly stillness of the meadow. A heavy blanket of clouds stewed above them, and the air was silent with a lack of birdsong and the noises of nature. A chill crept slowly down her spine as goosebumps erupted on the skin of her arms and neck.

"Bella," she called, her voice high with anxiety. "I think we should start heading back now." Evelyn's stomach was filled with dread. She placed her shaking hand on the cellphone in her pocket. A certain red-haired vampire was the only thing that she was thinking about.

When Bella didn't acknowledge her, she got up and walked carefully towards her friend. "Bella," she said again, gently touching her shoulder, "we need to leave --"

She was interrupted by a soft breeze ruffling her hair, the only interruption in the deathly still clearing. With baited breath she turned, locking eyes with a pair of deep crimson irises.

Bella noticed her friend's eyes widen in fear, her gaze then following Evelyn's.

"Bella and Evelyn," Laurent drawled, his silky voice echoing through the meadow. "I didn't expect to find you both here."

Bella's hand immediately locked Evelyn's wrist in an iron grip. "Laurent," she breathed, surprise and fear evident in her voice.

Laurent smiled softly as he began to slowly walk towards them. Evelyn narrowed her sharp eyes as she watched him study her features, before he moved on to do the same to Bella. She knew this was bad; she could feel it in her gut. From the moment she had first set eyes on him last year she knew his intentions would never be good.

"I must say, it is nice to see old friends again," the vampire said. "Though you do not look so pleased to see me."

Evelyn straightened, her body going stiff. "I wouldn't exactly call us friends. We were almost killed because of you and your friends."

Laurent sighed, shrugging nonchalantly. "Ah, that. I suppose I can see why that might still bother you." His eyes shifted to Bella. "But you, Bella, don't seem as bitter as Evelyn."

"I'm just... surprised. I didn't expect to see you again," Bella said, her eyes wide in shock. Evelyn could swear that Bella almost seemed... happy to see the nomadic vampire again. For the life of her, she couldn't understand the reason why.

The vampire did not respond, instead choosing to change the subject. "I went to visit the Cullens, but instead I found the house to be empty. I admit, I am surprised to see that they left the two of you behind."

"We weren't left behind," Evelyn piped up, the lie slipping easily through her lips. "They had business elsewhere. They'll be back soon enough." She knew that he was digging for information.

"I see," Laurent said, a dark grin forming on his lips. He could see that she was lying. "It is still surprising. Aren't you... pets of theirs?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Bella's voice came out in an almost inaudible mumble. She was looking frantically between Laurent and Evelyn.

He paused in front of them, cocking his head in mock curiosity. "Do the Cullens... visit often?"

Bella hesitated just slightly, so Evelyn jumped in to try and cover her mistake. "Of course. In fact, you just missed them a couple of days ago. They call and check in all the time, too."

"Right," Bella spoke up from beside her. "We'll tell them that you stopped by." She glanced quickly at Evelyn, who was following Laurent's every move with her sharp gaze. "But we probably shouldn't tell Jasper or... Edward. 'Cause they're pretty protective."

"But they're far away, aren't they?" Laurent prodded, the villainous smirk on his face only growing. "How unfortunate for you."

"Why exactly are you here?" Evelyn asked, her voice dripping with venom that made even Laurent's eyebrows raise. Still, he was undeterred as his eyes narrowed on the green-eyed human girl before him.

"Since you so kindly asked," he said, the sarcasm in his tone clear, "I came as a favor to Victoria."

Beside her, Bella gasped. Though Evelyn had known Victoria had been seen in the area, it was like a punch to the gut to hear the news confirmed by Laurent. She was now regretting ever entering the woods today. Why did I let Bella drag us into the woods? Why didn't I just tell her what's been going on?

Laurent's smile widened as he saw the way his words affected the two girls. "She asked me to see if the two of you were still under the protection of the Cullens. Victoria feels that it's only fair to kill both Edward and Jasper's mate, given they killed James... an eye for an eye."

"Edward-- they would know who did it. And they would all come after you," Bella threatened desperately. Evelyn's heart was pounding in her ears now. Her free hand went to her pocket where her cellphone was, but she knew it was a lost cause. Laurent wouldn't even let her unlock it before he either crushed it or her. She hoped that somehow, some way, Will might find them, but she knew it was a lost cause to hope for such a thing. Today was the day that they were going to die. And they had willingly, stupidly, walked into the trap.

Laurent frowned, shaking his head as if out of pity. "You know Bella, I don't think they will. After all," he continued, his gaze flickering between them, "how much could you mean to them if they left you here completely unprotected?"

Evelyn ignored the pang in her chest as she felt the truth in his words.

He sighed loudly, shaking his head to himself. "Victoria won't be happy about me killing you... but I don't think I can help myself... you are both so mouthwatering."

"Please don't," Bella begged, desperation making her voice tremble. "You helped us --"

A sudden gasp left Evelyn lungs as Laurent suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of them. He hushed them gently as if to comfort them, his hands caressing both of their cheeks. Evelyn recoiled from his icy touch.

"Shh," he soothed. "Do not be afraid. I'm doing you a kindness. Victoria plans on killing you slowly... painfully...whereas I'll make it quick. I promise," he said, his voice now a low whisper. Evelyn shivered at his cold breath on her ear and neck, her heart thudding loudly in her head.

"Death will find you soon enough," she hissed through gritted teeth. "You're a fool if you think Jasper will let you live after killing me."

Evelyn couldn't help the satisfaction she felt when she saw Laurent pause, a flicker of worry flashing in his cold, red gaze. Honestly, she couldn't blame him; the scars that painted every inch of Jasper's body served as the most severe warning to any vampire who even thought about crossing him. There would be a fight, and Jasper would always win. Though she doubted her words because of the way things had ended between them, she was pleased to see the thought cross Laurent's mind.

His trepidation didn't seem to last for long, however. His hand slid from her cheek to her throat, making her breath catch as he squeezed just tight enough to cut off her air supply. "I'll take my chances. Goodbye, my dear Evelyn."

His brilliant crimson eyes flashed, and Evelyn shut her eyes tightly, preparing for the burning fire that would eventually bring her death. Just as Laurent was leaning down to sink his teeth into the artery throbbing in her fragile neck, a deep, menacing growl erupted from behind them.

Evelyn's eyes fluttered open at the sound, and she turned to see an enormous black wolf emerging from the dark forest begind them. Instead of fear, though, she felt relief flood through her veins. It was the same wolf she had seen only days before, and she knew that it was no ordinary wolf; Sam Uley had come to save them, and seeing the wolf's menacing growl and large teeth, she knew that he was not fond of vampires.

"I don't believe it," Laurent whispered, eyes wide in fear as he watched the wolf stalk towards them.

Right behind Sam, Evelyn watched as four more wolves emerged from the trees, jaws snapping and teeth bared. The clearing was filled with the sounds of their growls. She turned back to Laurent, whose hand was still around her throat, and smiled.

"Goodbye, Laurent," she choked out, mimicking what he had told her just moments before. Laurent snarled at her, but he was not stupid; with one more look at the wolves, he took off in a flash in the other direction, his obvious goal to disappear into the forest before the wolves could get him.

Evelyn clutched her throat, gasping at the sudden release of pressure. Suddenly, the wolves around them pounced, taking off after Laurent across the clearing. The girls watched as Sam reached him first, but Laurent was ready. He sent Sam flying with a backhand to his snout. But the others -- Evelyn did not know who was who -- were more than ready to take Sam's place. Sam himself was only down for a few moments before he was after the vampire once more.

The last wolf, a rather large, reddish-brown one, paused next to the two girls before joining his pack. He looked at Bella first, and then his gaze flickered to Evelyn. She stood frozen as she stared into the familiar, humanlike eyes. The wolf gave an exasperated huff, and then she knew immediately who it was.

The wolf did not linger, and followed his pack soon after he gave Evelyn an extremely pointed look. She watched as Jacob took off into the trees after Laurent and the others for only a second before she grabbed Bella's wrist.

"We're leaving," she said, pulling her towards the direction of Bella's house. "Now."

And for once, Bella did not argue with her.

***

As soon as Evelyn saw Bella's truck disappear around the corner to the Swan house, she had her phone in her hand and was dialing Will's number as she hurried up her porch steps and into her house.

He answered before the first ring had even ended. "Hello?"

"Are you busy?" She asked, her voice shaking with adrenaline as she bounded up the steps to go to her bedroom.

"Not particularly," he answered. "Why? What's wrong?" The concern was clear in his voice.

Evelyn sighed, flopping down on her bed. "Something happened in the woods today--"

"Christ, Evelyn, do you want to die?" He asked, his Scottish accent coming through as he got more and more upset with her.

She rolled her eyes. "Look, you can yell at me later. Can you please just come over, though? It's about Victoria."

She could tell that she had gotten his attention with that. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Okay, my address is--"

"I know where it is," he said, cutting her off. "Do not leave your house." Then the line went dead.

Evelyn closed her eyes as she rested on her bed. Laurent was probably already telling Victoria that she and Bella were practically sitting ducks, just waiting for her to come and take her revenge on Edward and Jasper. She could tell the wolves were strong, but she had no idea if they could take down a vampire; as far as she knew, only fire or another vampire could do that.

And now, she knew that Laurent and possibly Victoria had been the cause of all of the mysterious hiker disappearances and murders. She felt silly for even considering that the wolves had had anything to do with it earlier that morning.

Only a few minutes after her phone call with Will had ended, Evelyn's eyes flew open at the sound of her window sliding open. She sat up faster than she had ever done so in her life, ready to face Laurent or Victoria's crimson eyes only to see Will gracefully climbing into her bedroom. She sighed in relief as he shut the window behind him, but then she swallowed uncertainly when she saw the angry look in his eyes as he finally faced her.

"So," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Care to explain to me why you were in the woods by yourself again?"

She looked down at her folded hands in her lap. "Technically, I wasn't alone..."

She could practically hear his eyes roll back into his head. "Evelyn..."

"Bella was going to go by herself and she had no idea until today that Victoria was even around," Evelyn argued. "I couldn't let her go alone! And besides, it was fine, the wolves were there, and--"

Will sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "Christ, Evelyn. You can't always rely on them to come and save you when you make stupid decisions like this! It's going to get you killed!"

"Do you think I don't know that? I was almost killed today! Laurent literally had me by the throat and would have broken my neck if they had not shown up." She was standing now, her voice rising as her fear from earlier that day came out in anger. "It's not like I wanted to go. I was trying to protect my friend. You can't tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing." She paused, realizing that her eyes were blurring with tears, and she cursed herself for her inability to keep herself from crying when she was frustrated.

Her hand went to her throat at the sudden memory of Laurent's icy hand, and she winced at the sudden pain she felt when her fingers touched it. Will's golden eyes followed her fingers, settling on the reddish purple finger-shaped bruises that were beginning to form on her pale skin.

"Evelyn..." He breathed, stepping towards her and gently pulling her hand from her neck. The girl gazed at the vampire in front of her as he inspected the bruises with his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. She could feel the goosebumps erupt on her skin as Will's slender fingers traced gently over each bruise.

Will wished he could rip the bastard that did this to her apart himself, though he was sure that the wolves had already had the pleasure of taking care of that already. Why couldn't she have just called him?

"I'm so sorry," he said to her, his eyes meeting hers, which were now swimming with tears. "You shouldn't have to bear this burden on your own."

Evelyn shook her head frantically, her lip quivering as the tears began to spill down onto her cheeks. "I don't want this. I don't want this anymore. I can't do this anymore," she whispered, the mask that she had built finally cracking. "I can't..."

Will had just barely opened his arms before the girl had collapsed into him, powerful sobs wracking her body as she cried into his shirt. Evelyn gripped onto his shirt like it was a lifeline, her tears quickly soaking through the thin material as she wept into his chest. The vampire said nothing, simply wrapping his arms around her in his best attempt to make her feel safe. If this was the only way that he could help her anguish, then he would hold her for as long as she needed him to.

The reality of what had just happened had finally hit her. All Laurent had had to do was flick his wrist, and then she would have been dead. And she was done with it all. She was so tired of having to worry about herself and her friends all the time; she was so tired of fearing for her life because of this world that she had been thrown into. And all of her frustrations and emotions were finally coming out.

To Evelyn, it seemed like she cried for hours, but in reality she had calmed down to just a few sporadic sniffles in a matter of a few minutes. When she could breathe and the tears were no longer flowing, she lifted her head to meet the patient eyes of Will Cameron.

"I'm sorry," she said, her cheeks flushing. "I don't really know what happened there."

He grinned, wiping a few stray hairs from her forehead behind her ears. "No big deal. Plenty of women have used me as a shoulder to cry on in my lifetime."

Evelyn scoffed, shoving away from him and out of his arms, but she was smiling. "I hate you."

"You don't," he countered, grinning broadly because he had made her smile again. "But seriously, are you really okay? You can talk to me about it, if you want. I can listen."

"I don't want to bore you. I just... I just wish I had never met him." She said, sitting back down on her bed and staring at her hands. "None of this would have happened if I had never met him."

Will followed her, carefully sitting down on the bed at her side. "Jasper?" He asked tentatively. He already didn't like this vampire, and he had not even met him. He hated the fact that he had hurt Evelyn so deeply.

Evelyn nodded, but she didn't elaborate.

"Do you hate him? For what he did to you?" Will tried again, wanting to know how she was feeling.

Despite wanting with everything in her to say yes, Evelyn knew that she couldn't. "No. No, I don't hate him."

"But you don't love him anymore?"

Evelyn shook her head, fresh tears threatening to fall. "I don't know." She buried her head in her hands, groaning. "What is wrong with me?"

Will sighed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close once more. "You're human. Emotions are complicated. You're perfectly normal." He couldn't help but feel even more animosity towards whoever this Jasper was; how could he have hurt someone as pure and good as Evelyn?

"I'm glad you think so," Evelyn said, laughing bitterly. "At least now I know that it was Laurent who has been following me around the past couple of months."

Next to her, Will shifted uncomfortably. Evelyn lifted her head from his shoulder, eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"I have a confession to make," Will said, avoiding her eyes.

But Evelyn did not let him finish. She didn't have to; what he was about to say was obvious. "You're the one who was following me? Why?"

The vampire raised his hands in defense. "I haven't in months! I swear! It was only because I found yours and Bella's scent at the Cullen house when I first arrived. I was only curious about why Carlisle would have two humans hanging around his house so much. So, I investigated a little bit before I decided to talk to you. That's it, I promise."

Evelyn stared at him in silence for a few moments before responding. "As weird as that is, it's not the worst thing that's happened to me today. Just... please don't do it again. It's really creepy, Will."

"You have my word. I promise," he said. After a beat, though, he grinned his irritatingly perfect grin. "Though, I have to admit, it was quite entertaining seeing you try to walk up the stairs while you were drunk."

"You're impossible," Evelyn groaned, though she knew he was sincere when he said he would not follow her again.

"What did you find out about Victoria?" Will asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"She's planning on killing me and Bella, because the Cullens killed James. She sent Laurent to check and see if we were still under their protection. He's probably already told her that we're here by ourselves by now."

"Highly unlikely," Will answered. "The wolves would have taken care of him. There were too many of them for him to fight off."

Evelyn's brows furrowed. "How do you know that? I thought only fire and other vampires could kill vampires?"

"The wolves are our natural enemies. Their teeth are made to tear my kind apart. Did Carlisle not tell you?"

"No," she said, frowning. "They didn't tell me anything." She met his golden eyes again, which were already on her. "But how do you know that?"

Will sighed, looking up at the ceiling before meeting her gaze again. "It was something I picked up during my time with the Volturi. I worked as a tracker for them for a while and I encountered other packs around the world."

At Evelyn's curious look, Will elaborated. "My gift, if you want to call it that, is tracking. I can see where my target is in my head. It's like they are tied at one end of a string and I am tied to the other. I can follow the string to find pretty much anyone." At her confused look, he laughed. "It's hard to explain. It's more of a feeling, I guess. Like a mental picture."

"Oh." She eyed him curiously. "So is that why you're in Forks? You're tracking Victoria?"

Will nodded. "Yes. She and James hurt someone that I love. Now that James is dead, I'm going to find her. And when I do, I'm going to kill her." He eyed her carefully. "Sorry if that sounds morbid or harsh, but it's true." The fact that she was planning to kill Evelyn only gave him more incentive to wipe her from existence.

"I hope you get the chance," Evelyn whispered, her eyes meeting his. Neither of them said anything else, simply gazing at eachother in careful anticipation. The air was thick around them, and Evelyn could feel her heart pounding in her chest. His gold eyes were so painfully familiar, and her head was spinning trying to keep the past and present seperated.

Finally, Will cleared his throat and stood. "I should get going."

"Okay," Evelyn responded, feeling lightheaded and confused as she watched him walk back towards the window.

He paused by her desk, gently picking up the framed picture of her parents sitting on the tabletop. He stared at it quietly for a few minutes, seemingly lost in thought.

"These are your parents?" he asked finally, his voice soft and his eyes never leaving the photograph.

"Just before the fire," Evelyn confirmed, watching him curiously. "Why?"

Will shrugged, but then looked up at her with a grin. "You look just like your father, you know."

And just as soon as he had picked it up, he placed the frame carefully back onto the desk and was out the window within mere seconds.

Evelyn scrambled out of her bed and rushed to the window sill to find him, but Will had already disappeared into the night.

**********
little note: I know it's been 5 ever since Jasper has been in the story but DONT WORRY he is coming back so soon cause I miss him too haha... but Evelyn might not be too excited 🤭 thanks for reading everyone!