Emmett's jovial, booming laughter was completely filling the night air. His joy felt infectious. Running from the woods, I saw him approach and as if a bolt of energy shocked him, he charged at me for a high five. I rolled my eyes, but relented and raised my hand to his. He smacked it with unnecessary, exuberant force. I grinned at him and wrenched the handle to the Jeep open, sliding into the back seat. Carlisle arrived next to me, Jasper took the front seat, and Emmett slid behind the wheel.

Emmett was positively beaming. He had successfully brought down an entire herd of deer, completely destroying his previous record of the "Seven Minute Slaughter", as he liked to call it. I suppressed another smirk as I remembered the massive smile that adorned his face as Jasper called out the defeat of his previous personal record. The new record was established at seven deer in six minutes and twenty-nine seconds. I heard him repeatedly congratulate himself in his thoughts, marveling at his own prowess and strength. Carlisle smiled at his adopted son, musing at his fervor for competition, even with himself.

"Yes!” he squealed, slapping the back of Jasper’s seat with his right hand, leaving a hand imprint on the fine leather.

He turned to beam at me from behind the wheel and cast a quick gloating look at Jasper. Jasper sighed in the front seat and turned his thoughts to his memories of hunting as a human young man. There were others with him in the image and I briefly wondered if they were his human family. I blocked him intentionally. His thoughts were fascinating, but it felt inappropriate to intrude. Emmett exhaled loudly again in self-satisfaction and turned to face the dirt road, switching the key over in the ignition and shaking his head at himself in pure delight.

“I will never tell you my secret, guys. But I can tell you that it's all about pacing yourself…" he said.

He had addressed all of us, but he was talking to me. His eyes trained on mine in the rear-view mirror.

"Emmett…I stalk and you charge. I know more about pacing than you could possibly imagine," I pointed out.

I added emphasis on those last few words with a slightly raised brow. I wore an intentionally smug look on my face. I truly was the more graceful and efficient hunter and he knew it.