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Nate looked at Alice, clearly confused by the somber expression on her face. The dim afternoon light filtered through the large window, casting elongated shadows across the worn wooden floor.
"What did Carlisle say?" Nate asked softly, almost as if afraid to break the atmosphere.
Alice seemed to consider it for a moment. Her golden eyes drifted briefly to the glass, as if searching for an omen. Then she turned her gaze back to Nate, her expression marked with seriousness. She stepped closer and sat in the chair across from him, folding her hands over her knees, as if trying to steady herself.
"Emmett and Jasper contacted him. As you know, they've been in Seattle this whole time. They were tracking Victoria, but until a few days ago, they hadn't been able to find her."
Nate tilted his head, his furrowed brows reflecting the weight of the information.
"Nothing?"
"Not a solid lead. Just scattered signs. But while they searched, they noticed something strange... disappearances. Several. At first, they thought it was normal. Vampires don't usually settle in one place for long to avoid drawing attention due to feeding deaths. But the numbers were unusual."
Nate frowned deeper, not interrupting, feeling a knot form in his throat.
"They thought maybe Victoria was feeding more than usual. Maybe with help from the newborn I saw in my vision."
Alice lowered her gaze for a second, as if still trying to process everything she had heard.
"But they were wrong. While following a trail that seemed to be hers, they ran into a newborn. He was young, feral… barely able to control himself. He attacked them without hesitation, but he didn't stand a chance against the two."
"And did they talk to him?" Nate asked, voice laced with curiosity and concern.
"Yes. The boy was scared. He just wanted to get as far from Seattle as possible, so he told them everything."
She paused briefly, her breathing growing heavier, as if the story weighed on her chest.
"Victoria's not alone. She's building a small army. According to the boy, there are between twenty and thirty newborns. All recently turned. Wild. Unstable. Dangerous."
Nate remained silent. The mere idea of that many vampires loose in a city was unsettling.
"The newborn said Victoria was training them with help from another newborn. They were being taught to control themselves and kill other vampires. The boy, terrified, said there used to be even more of them, but they kept killing each other. Sometimes during training, sometimes in fits of rage. The only thing that's unclear is when they plan to move."
"How did he escape?" Nate asked, genuinely curious.
"He took advantage of the trainer being gone. Said only Victoria was around, but she was distracted. Paranoid. As if she knew she was being hunted. She didn't trust anyone. Seemed constantly on edge, always looking over her shoulder. Like she might run at any moment."
"You think she already noticed Emmett and Jasper are after her?" Nate asked.
"Definitely. Her instincts are sharp. She's by far the most elusive vampire we've ever seen," Alice answered with solemn eyes.
Nate stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the table, trying to absorb the magnitude of the threat.
The silence between them grew heavy, almost tangible, like a storm threatening to erupt at any moment.
"Thirty newborns? Is it even possible to control that?" Nate asked, a thread of worry betraying his voice.
Alice held his gaze for a moment, her eyes shining with a calm intensity that left no room for doubt.
"Yes. Jasper has done it before," she said, her voice low but firm. "During the years he was with Maria, his main task was to train newborns. He taught them to control their thirst, to move as a unit. He was efficient. Cold. His gift let him calm their emotions, even manipulate them if needed. That helped a lot to build a somewhat stable group."
Nate tried to picture Jasper in that role, a strict, distant figure keeping a savage group under control. But something in the way Alice described it planted a shadow of doubt.
"But that sounds like a precise strategy. Victoria doesn't seem capable of handling a group that size if she's leaving so many traces."
Alice grimaced, a shadow of frustration crossing her face.
"She isn't," she replied. "The boy said Victoria barely showed up. Until recently, she just supervised. Everything was left in the hands of another newborn, a guy named Riley. He was the one trying to train them, but without method, without control. The newborns are out of their minds. Wild. Unstable."
Nate ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture that revealed his growing unease.
"And what does Carlisle plan to do about it?"
Alice took a deep breath, as if bracing herself for something she didn't fully want to admit.
"A quick strike. Decisive. Victoria's army is still unstable. If we attack now, while they're disorganized, we have a better chance of wiping them out in one blow." —Her eyes locked onto Nate's. "Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie are heading to Seattle right now."
"They're going alone?"
"No. Carlisle spoke to our Denali cousins. They'll join the fight. With our combined strength, I'm sure we'll win without losing anyone."
Nate raised his eyebrows, surprised by the confidence in her strategy.
"They agreed that easily?"
Alice gave a faint smile, a small gesture that didn't quite reach her face.
"Our covens are very close. There was even talk about uniting not too long ago. If they were in danger, we'd respond instantly. Now they're doing the same. Carlisle even said Laurent is going, too. When he heard about the army, he realized Victoria's out of control, so he believes it's best to end her now."
Nate remained silent, his jaw tight and thoughts racing.
"Laurent's only helping because he already betrayed Victoria once. He knows that if the Cullens fall… he's next," he said at last, his voice tense.
Alice nodded slowly, not arguing.
"Probably. But what matters is he's on our side now. He's with Irina, so I don't think he'll betray us."
She paused a moment, as if searching for the right words. Her eyes locked onto Nate's, and her voice dropped just a bit, heavy with a weariness that seemed to carry the weight of the world.
"But Nate… the call wasn't just to inform me. Carlisle wants me to go too."
Nate looked at her in silence, unsure of what to say. The air grew thick, as if every word had to push through an invisible wall.
"They already have everything planned," Alice continued, more resolute now. "The Denalis are meeting up with them. Kate will be there. Her gift… It's powerful. She only has to touch Victoria once to incapacitate her. But for the plan to work, they need my visions. We need to follow every decision she makes in real time. We can't risk her disappearing again."
Nate frowned, feeling the weight of that responsibility resting on Alice.
"While you're here, you can't help…" he murmured, more to himself than to her. "The wolf is blocking your visions."
Alice nodded, her face darkening, eyes full of a sadness that seemed to come from far away.
"Exactly. I have to leave immediately. The plan is solid, Nate. It's our best chance to end this once and for all. But to do it… I need peace of mind. I need to know you'll be safe."
Her eyes searched his with urgency, sincerity, and almost pleading.
"I want you to go to Forks. Edward will be there. He's staying behind to protect Bella. He can protect you too. We don't know if Victoria has another plan in motion. I can't leave you here alone."
Nate looked down, his hands clenched into trembling fists at his sides, betraying his inner conflict.
"Alice… I know you're right. But if I leave now, I may never find him again. It was already too lucky that the wolf stayed in the city. If I leave now, I'll lose him. And all of this—this trip, everything we've done—will have been for nothing."
He took a deep breath, trying to organize his thoughts.
"Finding out what happened to my parents was the reason I came to D.C. And I'm too close."
Alice stepped toward him, as if wanting to close the distance between him and that longed-for truth.
"What's the point of knowing the truth if you die trying?"
Nate's tone rose, unintentionally, tinged with frustration.
"I'm not going to die!" he exclaimed, then lowered his voice, firmer than before. "I'm not going to die, Alice. I'm not helpless. And I won't be alone—I'm going to find him tonight, I'm sure I'll find him at the bar. Once I do, once I know the truth, I'll go to Forks right away. I swear."
Alice shook her head, tension in her jaw, desperation in her eyes.
"I can't leave knowing something might happen to you. The wolf is dangerous. And if he attacks, if something goes wrong… I won't see it coming. I won't see anything. I'll be blind. Do you know what that means for me?"
"Of course I do. It's the same thing I'll feel when you go to Seattle—there's no guarantee you won't get hurt either. But I'm not asking you to stay or not to go," he replied softly. "You actually make a difference. If you're not there, the plan won't work. And if the plan fails, everyone is at risk. This isn't just about us. It's about everyone you love."
She looked at him, her eyes trembling, lips pressed tightly together.
"Then I'm asking you to trust me," Nate said gently. "Let me finish this. Let me close this chapter of my life. I'll never be at peace until I know the truth."
Alice stepped back, shaking her head again, frustrated, hands clenched.
"I can't. I can't just leave you…"
"We have to trust each other. Just one more day. One last day here," Nate interrupted, gaze steady.
Alice shook her head harder, voice cracking.
"It's not the same, Nate. I'm going there to prevent more deaths. I understand that finding the truth matters to you, I do… but there's no real reason for you to stay."
She paused, struggling to find her words.
"I'll be with my entire family, with the Denali. Vampires with centuries of experience, allies, people who'll protect me if anything goes wrong. I'll be safe."
She looked at him, voice softer but just as firm.
"You, on the other hand, will be alone. Alone, Nate. Facing an enemy you don't know, one we know is dangerous. And even if you find the truth… what difference will it make if it hurts you in the process?"
Alice stepped closer, now just inches from him. Her hands reached up and clutched his shirt as if it could stop him from fading away.
"Please…" she whispered, her eyes shining. "For me… go back to Forks. I don't want something to happen to you when I can't protect you. I don't want to lose you."
Nate clenched his fists tightly, his jaw tense. Alice's words pierced through him like needles: precise, painful, true.
For a moment, the silence was almost unbearable. Nate was about to respond, finally ready to give in, when a sharp thump echoed from the floor above, reverberating through the old house like an unexpected warning.
Alice tensed instantly, her fingers tightening around Nate's shirt, her eyes darting up to the ceiling. Her expression shifted, a mix of frustration and immediate alertness.
"Not now..." she muttered through gritted teeth, her voice barely a whisper, laced with anxiety.
The knocking ceased as suddenly as it had started, but soon footsteps echoed on the stairs—measured, graceful, with the feline ease of those who own the space they walk through.
Vladimir and Stefan appeared moments later, their silhouettes outlined against the light from the upstairs hall. Both wore calm, almost confident smiles that sharply contrasted the tension in the room. Their cold, piercing eyes immediately locked onto Nate and Alice, still standing close together.
Vladimir raised an eyebrow with slight amusement, though his smile never wavered. His voice, soft yet firm, filled the room with undeniable authority.
"I trust tonight we proceed with the plan."
Alice stepped slightly away from Nate, straightening and turning toward them with a determined and unflinching gaze.
"There's been a change of plans," she announced, her voice like steel wrapped in silk. "We're leaving immediately."
Stefan, who had stopped a few steps higher, showed no surprise. His face remained unshaken, like the statue of an ancient warrior who had seen too many battles.
"What has happened?" he asked calmly, without raising his voice.
It was Nate who answered this time, with a firmness that even surprised himself.
"We have a conflict with a vampire. She's been building an army of newborns. Her goal is Alice's family. She wants to destroy them."
The Romanians listened in silence. For a moment, their expressions remained unreadable, as if calculating every word, every possible consequence. Then, Vladimir let out a quiet, almost amused chuckle. Stefan followed with a rough murmur, tinged with disdain.
"And what will you do against a newborn army, Nathaniel?" Vladimir asked with slight mockery, though not cruelly. It was more a challenge than a threat.
Alice was the one to respond, her voice firm, laced with restrained anger.
"He won't face anyone. He's leaving. To a place where he'll be safe."
Vladimir and Stefan exchanged a brief glance. Then Stefan raised an eyebrow, clearly curious.
"And you agree with that, Nathaniel? Leaving things like this?"
Nate clenched his fists again, the inner turmoil plainly written in his eyes. The tension in his body was nearly tangible.
Alice noticed it instantly and stepped toward him, her tone urgent.
"No. No, please. You have to go. Edward will keep you safe, Nate."
The Romanians turned their calm eyes toward her, their voices soft but charged with a strange intensity.
"Can he protect him better than we can?" Vladimir asked, tilting his head slightly.
Stefan added, with an ambiguous smirk,
"I highly doubt that."
Nate and Alice stared at them in silence for several seconds, processing the weight of the unspoken meaning behind those words.
Vladimir was the first to break the silence, brushing aside the tension with a smile that seemed to hide more than it revealed.
"Have you found the wolf, Nathaniel?"
Nate nodded slowly.
The Romanians exchanged a satisfied look. Vladimir smiled with clear delight, and Stefan let out a nearly theatrical sigh.
"Then let the girl leave," Vladimir said, his voice soft but cutting. "You stay. We'll keep you safe. And you can face the wolf with us."
Alice immediately stepped in front of Nate, her eyes burning with restrained anger.
"You don't care about his safety. You just want him to lead you to the wolf."
Vladimir rolled his eyes, and Stefan made a vague gesture with his hand, as if swatting away an old, tired accusation.
"We're not saints," Vladimir admitted with a sardonic smile. "But our word means something. If we say we'll keep him safe, you can take it as fact."
Nate observed them silently, without blinking. He saw no kindness in them—but also no lies. There was something in the firmness of their voices, in the solemn way they spoke, that left no room for doubt.
They were telling the truth.
Alice saw it in his expression, and her frustration swelled, nearly becoming palpable. The air between them seemed denser now, charged with restrained electricity.
"I don't think they're lying," Nate finally said. "They want to find the wolf as much as I do. Maybe I won't be completely safe here, but I wouldn't be in Forks either. We don't know if Victoria has another plan… but at least here I can do something. I just need to guide them—they'll handle the rest."
"It's not the same," Alice exclaimed, her voice rising. "In Forks, I could see you in my visions, warn you if anything happened. Here in D.C., you'd have to rely on them!"
The Romanians flinched slightly. Vladimir's brow furrowed faintly, and Stefan tilted his head, as if a new piece of the puzzle had just revealed itself.
"Visions?" Vladimir repeated, looking to Stefan with renewed interest. Stefan returned the look, and for a brief moment, something unspoken passed between them.
Nate paid them no mind. He looked at Alice with calm firmness in his eyes.
"Don't trust them. Trust me. You know what I'm capable of. Just one more night. I'll leave tomorrow morning, no matter what happens—whether I find the wolf or not. The Romanians want me alive. They've even hinted at wanting me to join their coven. They won't let me die. Once they have the wolf, and I have the truth… I'll leave without looking back."
Alice seemed to think about it for several long minutes. The silence was tense, almost reverent, as if the world itself held its breath around them. Finally, she let out a long, resigned sigh and spoke in a low but firm voice:
"I really don't want this… but I know you'd come back here the moment I left, just to uncover the truth."
Then she looked him in the eyes, her expression intense, almost pleading.
"Just promise me you'll come back safe."
Nate pulled her into his arms with a slow, protective gesture.
"Only if you promise me the same," he said in a low voice. "If things go south over there… run. Don't try to face anything alone. Come back with me."
Alice held his gaze for a few seconds that felt like forever. Then, with regret, she nodded. She pulled away gently and turned on her heel.
She approached the Romanians, who watched her in silence. She stopped a few steps away, and when she spoke, her voice was steel wrapped in silk.
"If anything happens to Nate… I'll tell the Volturi everything that's happened here. And this time, their hunt won't be so merciful."
The Romanians didn't respond immediately. They merely stared at her with those ancient, unshakable eyes—though for a moment, a flicker of anger crossed their faces.
Finally, Vladimir broke the silence, his voice low but cutting:
"We'll give you a moment to say goodbye. But don't take too long."
Stefan cast one last look at them, loaded with something indecipherable, and then the two of them ascended the stairs without another word.
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-Author's Notes: Hi! I was expecting the difference between Patreon and webnovel to be bigger, but since the recent chapters are sooo long, I think it's fine this way! (At least I feel like the difference is noticeable) I hope you keep reading!