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Alice stepped out of the guest room with light, purposeful steps and headed straight for Tanya. It took them only a few minutes to decide to go shopping for clothes and a few other items that would make Alice and Nate's stay at the Denali house more comfortable. Carmen and Irina immediately joined in, energized by Alice's enthusiasm, as if this little adventure were the perfect excuse to shift the pace of the afternoon.
They quickly tried to drag Kate along too, but she let out a dismissive huff and sank further into the back of the armchair, eyes fixed on the book in her hands as if the suggestion were utterly trivial.
Eleazar, meanwhile, seemed tempted to accompany them, perhaps just to pass the time. However, before he could decide, Nate approached with calm steps.
"Since it looks like we'll have a little time alone, how about I take you up on your offer and get your help understanding my gift?" he said with a slight smile, though a note of contained expectation lingered in his voice.
Eleazar's eyes lit up with immediate, unmistakable interest. He rose with elegance, straightening his shoulders, and nodded firmly.
"That sounds far more interesting than a night of shopping."
Laurent, who had been observing from the corner of the room, stepped away from the wall in a quick, fluid motion. In the blink of an eye, he was alongside them.
"I'll join too. That way we can get to know each other better."
Kate, despite pretending indifference, finally lifted her gaze from the book. Her eyes lingered on Nate for a few seconds, coldly appraising him. Finally, she snapped the book shut and stood. Without a word, she walked to the front of the house and seated herself on the façade, arms crossed. She didn't truly blend in, but her presence made it clear she would participate, even if only as a spectator.
Meanwhile, the girls were already preparing to leave. Tanya was the first to cross the doorway, urging the others along with the excuse that night would fall soon. Carmen and Irina quickly followed; before stepping outside, they bid farewell to their partners with small, affectionate gestures that filled the room with warmth.
Alice was the last to move. As she passed Nate, she lightly brushed the back of her hand along his arm in an intimate, almost secret gesture that left a quiet warmth lingering. Their eyes met, and Alice gave him a brief, knowing smile, loaded with unspoken promises, before turning to join the others.
In the next instant, everything happened in a gust of wind. The four of them sprinted into the forest, their bodies transforming into streaks of speed, leaving behind a swirl of cold air that fluttered the curtains and a trail of laughter that faded among the trees. Nate caught snippets of their animated debate over which shops to visit first, overlapping voices drifting like a joyful echo across the snow.
When silence returned, Eleazar stepped forward a few paces, stopping in the clearing in front of the house. His stance was that of a teacher about to begin a lesson. Laurent followed, calm but alert, concealing genuine interest. Kate remained on the façade, relaxed yet attentive, as if nothing could escape her notice.
Eleazar gestured for Nate to come closer. Nate walked toward him with steady steps, feeling the weight of what was about to begin. Once face-to-face, Eleazar cleared his throat and straightened his back even more.
"All right," he said in a tone combining patience and enthusiasm. "To start, tell me in detail what you believe your gift can do."
Nate seemed to think for only a few seconds, his gaze fixed on the ground as if arranging invisible pieces in his mind. Then he spoke calmly:
"Honestly, I don't feel it's a gift… When I was human, my mind helped me analyze and solve things. It was like someone tossed a puzzle in the air, and as soon as it landed, the pieces fit together to give me the answer. Now that I'm a vampire, the process is much faster. I only need fractions of a second to understand what's happening, whether it's a situation or a person."
Eleazar listened attentively, nodding slowly as each of Nate's words seemed to form a mental map. Noticing a pause, he intervened with an interested tone:
"But exactly how do you use it? For example… I was very intrigued when Kate entered the factory to stop you. Instead of confronting her with violence, you deflected her with a single move. Anyone else would have fought until defeating their opponent, but you consciously avoided touching her."
Nate recalled that scene easily, as if rewinding a memory were as natural as breathing. It had happened just a day before, and he explained it almost indifferently, without embellishment:
"At that moment, I didn't know who Kate was—I'd never seen her in person. But when she attacked, her stance was too open. Her movements were erratic, almost as if she only wanted to reach me with her hands… Yet there was no tension in her body for a second strike. That caught my attention because usually an attacker immediately prepares to continue, but she didn't. Her energy was concentrated in a single contact, as if she knew one touch would be enough. So I thought it wiser to deflect her with one move and wait to see what she'd do next."
Kate, who had remained silent until then, suddenly rose, her face flushed. Her steps rang out firm and fast as she approached, visibly upset.
"So that's why you beat me? You're saying if I'd been more persistent in my attacks, I could have defeated you right there?"
Nate showed no sign of agitation. His voice was confident, but devoid of arrogance:
"I don't think so. Now that I know what you can do, I can't imagine losing to you."
The words, spoken with such certainty, seemed to ignite Kate even further. A spark of fury crossed her eyes as she raised her hand, fingers curled like claws, her expression transforming into a palpable threat.
"Then let's put it to the test…"
Tension surged suddenly, as if the air itself had thickened. Eleazar intervened swiftly, raising both hands to stand between them, his voice firm and urging.
"Wait, wait! Remember the purpose of all this. First, I want to understand Nate's ability."
The echo of his words hung for a moment, marking a fragile line between calm and a confrontation that could erupt at any instant.
Seconds passed until Kate regained her composure and set aside her obvious annoyance. Eleazar, with his usual calm interest, suggested observing Nate's ability in action. The way he described it seemed far too applicable to a confrontation to ignore.
Nate nodded silently, accepting the challenge without a word. Kate, who had stayed nearby, quickly stepped toward him, a spark in her eyes, clearly ready to be the first to test him. However, Eleazar extended an arm, placing a firm hand on her shoulder.
"I think it would be better if Laurent went first. You… might get carried away."
Kate glared for a moment, annoyed by the suggestion. Her amber eyes flicked toward Nate, daring him, and seeing no trace of fear, she huffed in frustration. Then she turned and returned to her spot on the façade, collapsing back into the seat to watch, with the same distant expression as before, though now with a more evident interest.
Laurent, in contrast, grinned with delight.
"I'll be more than happy to help."
They positioned themselves face-to-face, a few steps from the house entrance. Eleazar, with a patient gesture, stepped aside.
"It will be just a brief sparring. No need to hurt each other," he instructed neutrally.
Nate inclined his head in acknowledgment, and Laurent did the same. Silence settled over the scene, broken only by the cold wind weaving through the nearby trees.
Nate closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them, his expression had changed: his face was now severe, calculating, and in the depths of his gaze was a contained darkness that sent a slight shiver through those watching. Suddenly, his presence felt denser, almost threatening, and Laurent, despite knowing he wouldn't be harmed, felt a slight knot in his stomach.
Eleazar stepped back a few paces, raising a hand as a signal.
"Begin."
Laurent moved immediately, lunging forward like a gust, his steps so swift they stirred whispers in the snow. The attack was direct, impulsive, with the force characteristic of his kind, but Nate didn't react with the same brutality. He remained still, observing, reading Laurent's body language as if the intentions were drawn in the air before being executed.
The contrast was clear: Laurent's experience in physical combat seemed limited, or perhaps he simply lacked aptitude for the fight. The instant his fist descended toward him, Nate moved with surgical precision.
With a fluid twist, he caught Laurent's wrist mid-attack, used the momentum of the blow, and guided him down, bending him over himself. Before Laurent could react, he was pinned to the ground, his arm twisted behind his back firmly but without cruelty.
It all happened within seconds.
Laurent, breathing heavily more from surprise than effort, let out a nervous laugh from the ground, incredulous at how easily he had been subdued.
Nate didn't take long to release him. Though unnecessary, he offered a hand to help him up. The gesture was polite but distant; his expression, previously sharp, softened to an indifferent, almost expressionless frown.
The others didn't look away. Kate had stood, eyes wide, incredulous at how quickly and easily Nate had neutralized Laurent. What was unsettling was that it hadn't seemed luck—it looked as though Nate had known exactly what move his opponent would make before he even attempted it.
Eleazar, on the other hand, remained calm, hand on his chin, murmuring thoughtfully:
"Could it be some kind of premonition? No… I feel the analysis has something to do with it, but it seems separate from his gift. As if it were a tool that complements it…"
His thoughtful tone faded into a murmur, and he returned his gaze to Nate with analytical eyes. One sparring match was clearly not enough to understand him. He took a deep breath and, without wanting to dismiss Laurent, turned to Kate. His expression grew serious as he asked:
"Are you sure you can face him without getting carried away?"
Kate arched an eyebrow, and a fierce smile appeared on her face, revealing more competitiveness than amusement. She leaned slightly forward, hands on her knees, before standing straight with natural confidence.
"Of course. It's just to help the new member of the family…"
Her words sounded like a joke, but in her tone lay the promise that she wouldn't hold back easily.
Nate observed her silently, his opaque calm betraying no emotion. Yet he understood immediately: Kate was not Laurent. Treating her lightly would be a mistake.
Eleazar still seemed hesitant, though not enough to stop them. Finally, he sighed and warned firmly:
"Remember, it's only sparring."
The words hung like an invisible boundary that neither seemed fully willing to respect.
Kate stepped forward, lowering her body slightly while extending her hands, ready to spring at any moment. Her stance radiated contained energy, like a spring about to release its force.
Nate, in contrast, showed no aggressive gesture. He opened his stance slightly, planting his feet firmly, and fixed his eyes on Kate's. The intensity in his gaze was cold and calculated, as if every detail of her body were already dissected in his mind.
The atmosphere tensed, and for a moment, even the air seemed to hold its breath.