Ghost of Ourselves (Twilight X Reader)

I'd gotten picked up by Embry right at the mall as Alice and Jasper continued to shop and pick out things for me.

Embry's truck rumbles down the darkening reservation roads, his warm hand wrapped around mine. The moonstone at my throat feels a tad heavy.

"You smell different today," he says carefully, thumb tracing patterns on my palm. "Like crystal and honey."

Alice and Jasper. I should have known their scent would linger. "I went shopping after school."

His smile is gentle but knowing. "With the Cullens."

Before I can respond, we pull up to Sam and Emily's house. The pack is already gathered, their usual boisterous energy replaced by something more serious. Seth's normal bounce is subdued, and Paul paces the length of the porch like a caged animal.

Emily meets us at the door, her scarred face drawn with concern. "They found fresh trails," she whispers, pulling me into a quick hug. "All over Forks."

The living room feels too small for so many large, tense wolf-boys. Sam stands at the center, emanating alpha energy that makes the air feel thick.

"The redhead's getting bolder,  as annoyingas that is" he announces without preamble. "Testing boundaries, leaving obvious trails. Like she wants us to know she's watching."

"Not just her," Paul cuts in, his hands shaking slightly. "That tracker's back too. James."

The name sends ice through my veins. Embry must feel me tense because his arm slides around my waist, pulling me closer to his warmth.

"They're circling something," Jacob adds from his position by the window. His eyes flick to me briefly. "Or someone."

"Multiple someones," Sam corrects. "The trails lead to both Swan houses, plus the Cullen property."

Both Swan houses? Does Bella have 2 houses? ...Oh are they talking about me?!

"It's like they're mapping out connections," Embry says quietly. "Learning patterns."

"We're doubling patrols," Sam continues. "No one goes anywhere alone, especially..." his eyes meet mine meaningfully, "those under pack protection."

Embry shifts beside me, his nostrils flaring slightly. There's something in his expression—confusion mixed with concern. The vampire scent on me isn't just the Cullens, and I can tell he knows it, even if he can't identify its source. His arm tightens around my waist, protective and perhaps a little possessive.

"I can take  watch," Paul volunteers, his usual aggression tempered by genuine concern.

"There's something else," Emily speaks up. "Something... different in the woods lately. Tell her what you found, Seth."

The youngest wolf straightens. "It's not just James and Victoria's trails we're finding. There's another scent sometimes, one we don't recognize. Never crosses our borders, but..." he glances at me, "it seems to circle certain areas. Like it's watching too, but differently."

My heart skips, thinking of Laurent. Embry's hand finds mine, his thumb tracing my palm as he studies my face.

"You okay?" he asks softly. "Your heart's racing."

"Just worried," I manage, which isn't entirely a lie.

"The unknown vampire concerns us," Sam continues, his alpha voice steady. "We can't tell if it's with James and Victoria or... something else entirely."

If they only knew that "something else" was going on evening rants with me in wooded forest.

"We should tell the Cullens," Jacob suggests reluctantly. "About the new scent, I mean. As much as we hate to admit it, we need unified protection right now. They could kill more towns people."