James followed patterns. All predators do. The trick is letting them think the pattern is yours.
From the moment I left Charlie's house, my plan had already begun moving in multiple directions at once— threads pulling through the forest, the roads, the smells I left behind, and the things I didn't leave. A web is only effective if the spider doesn't announce it.
Edward worried the whole drive. I didn't. Hunters expect fear. I prefer strategy.
Alice and Jasper had their role. Simple, but vital. Jasper could mimic my presence just enough through his emotional signature, and Alice could chart the path James was most likely to take.
I gave Alice my jacket, the one with the dried grave-ash stitched into the lining. She raised an eyebrow but didn't ask; she's learned I don't give answers until the moment they matter.
The two of them left first, speeding down the road with Emmett bounding through the trees beside them, the three of them radiating Wednesday-ness in different ways:
Alice's movements, Jasper's emotional influence, Emmett's loud, chaotic loyalty. A perfect decoy.
James would smell the jacket. Sense Jasper's mimicry. Hear Emmett making sure the whole forest knew he existed. He would follow. Predictably.
While James was stalking the decoy trail, I stayed close. So close that the idea of me fleeing became absurd.
Edward didn't like it. "You're too calm." he muttered as we waited behind a fallen cedar near the ridge. "James is the most dangerous tracker our kind has ever seen."
"I've dealt with worse."
"Worse?" he repeated, as if offended on James's behalf.
"A possessed marionette once pursued me for three days because I insulted its craftsmanship. Compared to that, James is practically civilized."
Edward pinched the bridge of his nose like a man experiencing the worst headache in the history of migraines. But he trusted me. That's what mattered.
We hiked upward through a series of ridges and cliffs, high enough that James wouldn't expect me to go there. Humans avoid heights. I do not.
Edward carried me the last stretch, not because I needed it, but because he wanted to get into position faster.
We hid in the treeline above the old ranger station, the building I knew James would eventually reach when the decoy trail went cold.
This place mattered for one reason, there were cameras. Old, rusty, but functional.
And I'd found them days ago. James didn't know that.
Hours passed. Storms rolled over the mountains. Edward remained still beside me, tense as stone.
Then, Leaves shifted. Branches snapped. A blur of pale skin and hunger moved through the trees. It's James. He reached the clearing, nose twitching, irritated.
He'd followed the Alice–Jasper–Emmett trail for hours. Then, it either ended abruptly, intentionally, without logic— or he figured out it wasn't me.
James looked furious. Good. Edward tensed, but I touched his arm. "Wait for it."
James paced. Circling. Sniffing the air. Then he looked up, right at the ranger station camera. A blink of confusion. A tilt of his head. Exactly what I wanted.
He moved closer, inspecting it. The camera clicked faintly, drawing his attention like a moth to flame.
Predators aren't used to being watched. He snarled at it. Then smashed it.
Perfect. I whispered to Edward, "Now he thinks someone else is tracking him. Someone clever enough to anticipate him. Someone close. Although, there could also be a 8% chance he figured it was me."
Edward's eyes widened in realization.
"You made him feel hunted."
"Fear distorts instinct." I replied. "And James is nothing without his instincts."
The tracker scanned the trees again, momentarily unsure. His scent path, our path, was intentionally inconsistent. Too many dead ends. Too many false turns. Too much deliberate interference Jasper had sprinkled into the air.
James wasn't used to confusion. He wasn't used to puzzles. He was used to prey. I watched his jaw tighten, fury boiling under the surface. Good. Anger makes creatures sloppy.
Finally, he gave a frustrated, guttural growl and bolted in the opposite direction—toward where he thought we were pushing him.
Straight into the path the Cullens wanted him on. Toward the trap.
Edward and I stayed hidden until the forest settled. Only then did he turn to me, voice low.
"Wednesday… you planned all of this?"
"Yes."
"And you never told anyone?"
"Telling people ruins the element of surprise."
He stared at me for a long moment, expression torn between admiration, fear, and something softer.
"…What exactly did you do?" he whispered.
I let the satisfaction settle in my voice.
"Simple," I said.
"I didn't run. I made him run."
1. Use Alice, Jasper, and Emmett as the decoy trio, their combined traits mimic my scent trail and emotional footprint well enough to fool James temporarily.
2. Intentionally leave conflicting clues so the trail is chaotic and inconsistent, forcing James to doubt his instincts.
3. Lead him to the ranger station, where old cameras and human artifacts would unsettle him.
4. Let him discover the camera, making him feel observed and hunted, reversing the predator-prey dynamic.
5. Force him into an emotional state where anger, not instinct, drives him.
6. Drive him straight toward where the Cullens were waiting, not me.
7. Stay hidden the entire time, making it impossible for him to get a real read on my location or behavior.
8. Control the game board without ever stepping onto it.
Predators win by instinct. I win by design. And now James is exactly where I want him. Uncertain. Unbalanced. And running blind into the Cullens' territory. The hunt has officially changed sides.
Except, one thing. He eventually figured out it was a set up and stop following my scent. James called Carlisle, asking me to show myself, or else he'd kill my mother.
I've expected this. I've expected my plans to falter. I met up with Carlisle and called back James. He insisted I meet you alone at the abandoned ranger station and not to tell the Cullen's. I abliged. I faced Edward and nodded, then left.
I left in the truck Charlie gave to me. A long, silent drive, without nothing but my thoughts.
The ranger station was abandoned, silent except for the faint hum of fluorescent lights dying slowly overhead. I stepped inside, curiousity overflowing, wondering what his next move will be.
James had figured out my trick, and he was livid.
He appeared from the shadows with a smile that looked carved into his face.
"Clever girl." he said. "Almost had me."
"Almost is generous." I replied. "You fell for it embarrassingly fast. I've seen toddlers resist bait better."
His smile twitched. Good. Irritation made people sloppy.
"Besides," I continued. "I knew you didn't have my mother, you were just hoping I'd call for the bait. I know my mother would jump at the idea of becoming a vampire."
He narrowed his eyes. "Yet, here you are."
"Don't be confused. I simply came to see your face when I kill you."
He chuckled. "You're not afraid." he said, stepping closer.
"Of you? I've met mall Santas scarier."
That wiped the smile off entirely. In a blur, he slammed me against the wall. My spine jolted. I fell to the ground as he let me go.
James squatted over me, grabbing my right leg. "I'll make sure you suffer." My leg twisted sharply, and pain flared white. The snap echoed in the empty building.
I hissed through my teeth. "Well. That was rude."
My lack of fear only enraged him more. He leaned in close, eyes wild. "You should be terrified."
"Oh, I am." I replied. "Terrified you'll start monologuing."
His snarl vibrated in the air, right before another sound cut through it.
A low, vicious growl. Edward.
He materialized from the doorway so fast the air seemed to snap around him. For once, he didn't look ethereal or angelic. No marble statue. No calm immortal. He looked like a storm made flesh.
The moment he saw my leg uselessly twisted, something in him broke.
"James." he said, voice barely human, trembling with fury.
James smirked. "You're too late." And then he bit me.
It was fast, a flash of teeth, a bright burning shock. Fire ignited beneath my skin, racing through my veins like living electricity. I gasped despite myself.
That was all it took. Edward attacked him.
I didn't see the details— only blur and sound. A crash. A snarl. Something heavy thrown across the room. I heard James laugh once, then choke on that laughter. It was over almost instantly.
Suddenly Edward was at my side, hands shaking as he lifted me off the floor like I was made of glass.
"Wednesday— no, no, stay with me—" His voice cracked. "I'm so sorry. I should've gotten here faster."
"It's… fine." I managed, though every nerve in my leg felt like molten metal. "I've had worse. Once I ate a public-school cafeteria burrito."
He didn't laugh. His eyes were locked on the purpling bite mark.
Then Carlisle's voice cut in sharply: "Edward. You have to suck the venom out. Now."
Alice, Jasper, and Emmett surrounded us, forming a protective circle. I heard crackling flames — Emmett and Jasper was already dealing with the rest of James.
Edward froze, torn. "I don't know if I can stop."
"You can." Carlisle said. "Remember who you are."
Edward pressed his lips to my arm, teeth brushing the wound. The fire in my veins pulsed, spread — then slowly… slowly.. Faded.
He continued even after sucking out the venom. It was clear to me in that moment he couldn't control himself.
"Edward! The venom is out, you're killing her!" Carlisle said in desperation.
Edward gripped my arm tightly, as if he was trying his best to stop himself.
My head grew light. The world blurred. I heard Edward whisper my name, terrified, desperate, as everything went dark around the edges. And then I passed out.