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Nate closed the bedroom door softly and let out a sigh. The weight of the bags still hung from his hands, but he quickly set them down on the bed. Alice watched him with a knowing smile as he carefully pulled out, one by one, the clothes she had bought. The pile grew rapidly: light dresses, elegant blouses, fine coats, and perfectly chosen shoes. Alice's clothes seemed endless, each piece more colorful and stylish than the last.
Among the folds of soft fabrics and faint scents still clinging to the fibers, Nate discovered a couple of bags meant for him. He raised an eyebrow curiously and began pulling out the men's clothing. There were modern-cut shirts, fitted pants, dark jackets, and a couple of sweaters, nothing like what he usually wore.
Nate chuckled under his breath as he held up a gray shirt that shimmered faintly under the light.
"This isn't exactly what I usually wear."
Alice, radiant, turned toward him, her eyes sparkling.
"Trust me. Try them at least once—if only as an experiment."
Nate shrugged with resignation.
"Alright, at least once."
With unhurried movements, he began unbuttoning his shirt and slipping off his pants, letting the clothes fall lazily over the back of a chair. Alice, with her back turned as she arranged some of her things in the closet, didn't notice right away. She was too focused on hanging the dresses on hangers, choosing the order as if it were part of some perfect ritual of order.
It was then, in a careful tone, that she broke the silence.
"While we were shopping with the Denali, Bella sent me several messages."
Nate, who was just trying on the new shirt, lifted his head slightly. A flicker of interest crossed his eyes.
"How is she?"
Alice sighed, still not looking at him.
"Things in Forks are tense. Charlie woke up, but he seemed a little in shock. He says he doesn't remember well what happened, though he's deeply shaken by your grandmother's death."
Nate's brows furrowed. The mention of his grandmother made his skin prickle, though he said nothing. Alice went on, her voice softer now:
"Bella told me Charlie's been having nightmares. Some nights he wakes up screaming."
Nate clenched his jaw, hardening his features.
"Hasn't Edward been able to read his mind and figure out how much he remembers?"
Alice nodded faintly, still hanging clothes without turning around.
"Not entirely. Charlie's thoughts are too muddled for him. But Edward thinks he already suspects something… that he imagines it. Still, he denies it, because it feels impossible to accept that truth. Before anything else, he wants to see Jacob, to confirm his suspicions."
The name lingered in the room like an uncomfortable echo. Nate raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone edged with disinterest as he asked:
"And Jacob hasn't shown up?"
Alice slowly shook her head, her lips curved in a faintly serious line.
"According to Bella, no. She went to the reservation, but the Quileute boys blocked her way. Even Billy told her Jacob had mononucleosis and couldn't receive visitors for now."
Silence stretched between them. Nate adjusted the new jacket over his shoulders, glancing at himself in the room's mirror. The fabric fit him surprisingly well, though he wouldn't admit it easily.
Now fully dressed, Nate leaned against the wall, adjusting the sleeves of his shirt as if distracting himself with something so trivial. His eyes drifted for a moment into the void before he murmured thoughtfully:
"I don't know how hard the transformation process is for the Quileutes… Maybe Jacob's in the same condition I was, trying to get used to his new body."
Alice, hanging the last garment in its place, rested a hand against her chin. Her expression was reflective, almost grave, as she answered without taking her eyes off the closet.
"I'm not sure either. But Bella said she'd keep trying. What surprised me most is that she mentioned the Quileute boys speak differently of Jacob now… she said there was something like respect in their words."
Nate arched an eyebrow with momentary interest. But the curiosity didn't last long; a short huff was enough to dismiss the thought. Calmly, he began unbuttoning the top half of his clothes again, removing them carefully, and reached for another bag to try on more outfits. Standing before the mirror, he commented in a low voice:
"I think that's for the best. The longer he stays away, the fewer chances Charlie has of confirming his suspicions. It's better if he believes it was all just a nightmare…"
Alice, already reaching for another pair of bags and leaning over them, let out a soft sigh before nodding slowly.
"Yes… I think that would be best. He'd be safer that way. Though now the problem is Bella."
Nate's interest lit up immediately.
"Why? What's wrong with her now?"
Alice paused a moment, as if weighing her words carefully. Then, in a lower, almost confidential tone, she replied:
"Emmett slipped up about your transformation. Since then, Bella's been more insistent than ever about wanting to see you. My family's trying to convince her it's a bad idea… but the worst part is, now she's obsessed with becoming a vampire. Her argument is that I didn't wait to transform you—that you asked me and I agreed right away, or at least that's what she thinks. So she's pushing Edward harder. And from the way she told me, I have the impression she believes that if he won't change her, she might convince you instead…"
Nate's brows furrowed at once, a shadow of irritation darkening his face. He shook his head sharply, as if he didn't even want to consider the possibility. Meanwhile, Alice, having finally finished organizing everything neatly, turned toward him with a wide, almost triumphant smile, as if expecting praise for the meticulous order she had achieved.
But she froze mid-expression. Her lips parted, suspended between pride and surprise. Before her stood Nate, shirtless, trying on more clothes with disarming ease. The light hanging from the ceiling fell across the definition of his muscles, taut and sharply carved, and the contrast with his severe expression only intensified the fierce aura that enveloped him.
Alice blinked, startled, her half-smile faltering, as if the air in the room had suddenly shifted.
Nate noticed at once the way Alice was looking at him—that mix of curiosity and something deeper hiding behind her bright eyes. Intrigued, he tilted his head slightly, his voice slipping out softly.
"What is it?"
Alice feigned indifference with a near-theatrical gesture, as if her attention were anywhere but on him. She stepped forward with casual elegance, her tone light, though her words cut with intent.
"Are you against the idea of Bella becoming a vampire?" she asked, still closing the distance between them, as if the question floated idly in the air.
Nate seemed to pause in the current of his own thoughts. He frowned faintly, lowering his gaze for a moment before answering calmly.
"I'd be lying if I said I don't see the advantages. She'd be safer… and I'm intrigued by how her gift might evolve. The fact Edward can't read her mind makes me think that once she changes, she might develop a powerful ability—some kind of mental invulnerability or something similar." He paused, breathing with a trace of gravity in his eyes. "But I'd also want her to enjoy her parents more, her life. She could wait until she's twenty-two or twenty-three. The age difference would barely show, and with enough care, she could pass for a teenager easily. She'd still have eternity with Edward. Those five years would be enough time to ensure her family will be alright."
A flare of anger ignited in his eyes then, like embers burning in a dark sea.
"Besides, there's no danger anymore, no reason to rush… It's only Riley now, and I'll deal with him as soon as I find him."
Alice was already standing before him as he spoke those last words. Her expression didn't mirror Nate's tension; instead, it was distant, as if her thoughts were flowing in an entirely different direction. With the ease of someone who never asks permission, she let her hand drift slowly across his bare chest, her touch soft, almost curious, as if testing the difference between the human and the eternal.
Nate arched an eyebrow, smiling at how absorbed she seemed, so caught up in something far removed from the conversation.
"Is it really that different from when I was human?"
Alice looked up immediately, smiling with the faintest hint of apology on her lips. She pulled her hand back slightly, though her eyes never left him.
"Sorry, I got distracted," she murmured softly, before regaining the serious tone of their talk. "As for Bella, I don't think Edward will change her anytime soon. But knowing her… if he doesn't give her an answer, she'll probably end up asking you instead. So you need to be ready for that."
The seriousness in her gaze was clear, though only seconds later her eyes drifted downward again, slowly tracing Nate's torso as if she found more fascination in every line of his body than in Bella's uncertain future.
Nate seemed amused at how captivated she was. With calm steps, he sat on the bed, extending his hand to draw her toward him. Alice, with a mischievous smile tugging at her lips, let herself be guided naturally until she was seated on his lap. The firmness of his gesture contrasted with the softness of the moment.
With a steady, almost solemn tone, Nate closed the subject of Bella.
"I'm not going to interfere with her choices," he declared serenely, though a shadow of concern flickered in his eyes. "I'm certain she'll end up a vampire, but it won't be because of me. Not because I don't want to help her… but because I can't even trust myself to be in the same room without killing her."
Alice listened in silence, nodding gently. Her slender fingers brushed aside a stray lock of hair falling over his face, the intimate gesture tender as she remained seated across his lap. Nate smiled faintly at the warmth of the touch, and after a brief clearing of his throat, he shifted the tone of the conversation to something lighter.
"So tell me," he murmured playfully, his eyes gleaming as he looked at her, "what is it you keep seeing in me that has you so distracted?"
She let out a short, musical laugh that softened the moment's tension.
"The truth is… I must admit you have a gallant yet wild air about you," she answered teasingly, her eyes flashing with complicity. "I wasn't the only one to notice it today. While we were shopping, the Denali wouldn't stop asking about you. Tanya in particular congratulated me for having such an… attractive partner."
Nate laughed softly, one eyebrow raised in mild disbelief, but Alice wasn't finished. Lowering her voice as if confessing a forbidden secret, she leaned close to his ear, her nearness crackling with electricity.
"In fact, Tanya's always had a weakness for handsome, mysterious men. That's why her last interest was Edward… but I hope, for your sake, you don't get any ideas about her."
He let out another laugh, short and deep, as if the thought itself were absurd. His eyes traveled slowly over Alice's figure on his lap, from head to toe, with a look both delicate and intent, charged with meaning. The intensity of his gaze made Alice drop her guard for a moment; she rested a hand against his chest, caressing him softly, as if unconsciously answering his intentions.
The tension between them thickened in silence, almost tangible. Nate's hand slid firmly along Alice's leg, tracing her contour slowly until it reached beneath her dress. The touch made her shiver lightly, a mix of surprise and anticipation coursing through her.
In a low, almost alarmed whisper, Alice tried to hold him back.
"Are you sure? There are plenty of vampires here… they'll definitely hear us…"
Nate ignored the warning. His decision burned in the glint of his eyes. With a firm movement, he leaned in toward her, and without giving her the chance to resist, stole a kiss blazing with fire—deep and consuming—as if the world around them no longer mattered.