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They stayed lying on the bed for several minutes, wrapped in a warm silence, almost heavy with a mix of guilt and satisfaction. Nate stared at the ceiling, his eyes fixed on an indefinite point, as if processing every recent sensation. In a thread of a voice, almost a whisper, he murmured, "Things really are different when you're a vampire…"
Alice laughed softly, a light and playful sound that filled the room with a silent complicity. "Yeah… you definitely got wilder," she commented, her voice teasing yet with a glint of admiration in her eyes.
Nate lowered his gaze to look into her eyes in disbelief, a light smile playing on his lips as he enjoyed the moment's ease, but his expression quickly turned more serious. "I meant the thirst," he said, his voice deep and tense. "Every time it comes back, I feel like I lose my mind, move on autopilot, and lose control. I don't know if I'll be ready to interact with humans soon…"
Alice watched him with a flash of concern and then pressed her head against his chest, letting her hair brush his torso as her fingers traced absent-minded circles on his shoulder. Her touch was soft, comforting, a caress that seemed to anchor him. "You'll see that you can," she murmured. "We've all been in the same situation before. It's never completely easy, but over time it gets easier."
Nate held the embrace a little tighter, feeling gratitude and relief from her words. Then, his gaze wandered around the room. The scene was chaotic: bookshelves had toppled, books scattered across the floor; the walls bore deep scratches telling the story of their movements' force; the bed they were still resting on was broken, partially stuck to the floor, unable to support itself in its original form.
A small humor crept into him, prompting a light laugh. "Looks like we've been fighting," he commented, raising an eyebrow with amusement.
Alice followed the joke with a mischievous smile. "If that's the case, then I admit you won me…" They both laughed, letting the lightness of the moment ease the tension still lingering in the room.
Nate turned toward one of the windows, noticing the sunlight filtering in, bathing the room with a warm glow that contrasted with the mess filling the space. "Looks like it's already daytime," he said, his voice more relaxed.
Alice stood, stretching her back elegantly as her fingers brushed over the remnants of the dress and scattered garments. "Best we see about fixing this room," she said, her voice firm yet still tinged with amusement. "Besides, I need to feed soon, too."
Nate rose in a single swift motion, surveying the disaster with critical eyes. "Yeah, seems like the best idea for now," he said, but before moving, he noticed the empty blood bags in a corner, and a dangerous thought crossed his mind.
He took a deep breath and, with a thread of concern, voiced what troubled him: "We fed before coming to the Denali house… barely a day has passed, and the thirst is back. Could it be that I need more blood than usual?" The thought made him shudder, and his gaze darkened for a moment as he measured every sensation coursing through his body.
Alice pondered for a few seconds before responding, looking at him intently while weighing the possibilities. "I don't think so… I fed just a few minutes after you, and I'm thirsty too. It's strange, but it doesn't seem out of the ordinary," she said, offering a reassuring smile.
Trying to distract herself, Alice reached for her phone to check the time, but when she approached the shelf where she had left it, she noticed it was dead. She plugged it into a charger, and while waiting for it to respond, they began tidying the room. Their movements were fast and coordinated: Nate picked up books, Alice arranged the sheets, and with every gesture their hands brushed casually, sparking silent closeness.
The atmosphere became very comfortable, though they were still naked and occasionally exchanged glances with double meanings; they were aware that if they got lost in lust again, Alice's thirst would only intensify.
Nate started picking up the clothes he would wear, but felt it was a bad idea to change like this, without more. Though there was no sweat, he felt they needed to clean up. Luckily, the room had its own bathroom. Upon entering, Nate noticed curiously that there was only one shower. "Curious…" he murmured, analyzing the space. "But in a house built for vampires, it doesn't surprise me. There's probably a full bathroom somewhere else to avoid suspicion."
Nate gestured for Alice to come closer, and soon they decided to shower together. Nate held Alice by the waist as she moved under the stream of water, making sure the water didn't bother her and allowing her space to lather. Their hands constantly met: he brushed wet strands of hair from her face, she clung to his arm, hugging him slightly from behind. Between laughter and small jokes, the shower became a moment of intimacy and comfort, where physical contact and closeness spoke louder than any words.
Watching her, Nate thought that if his eternity would always be like this, with moments of closeness, laughter, and complicity, then he had no regrets about becoming a vampire. The thought brought a sense of relief and acceptance he had never felt before, and his gaze softened as it swept over her, smiling under the water.
When they finished, Nate lifted her in his arms and carried her out of the bathroom, placing her carefully on a chair that had luckily survived the previous night. With Alice seated, Nate passed the towel over her wet hair, making sure each strand was free of drops. Alice leaned against him, closing her eyes and enjoying his gesture and the softness of his hands. Then Nate quickly dried himself, and they began dressing, both happy with the closeness they shared.
When they were ready to head to the rest of the house, Alice looked a bit self-conscious, certain the other occupants had heard everything from outside. Nate shrugged naturally. "The Denalis seem pretty liberal in that regard… basically, there are two couples here, so it shouldn't be anything new. At most, we'll have to apologize for the mess in the room."
Alice nodded, though not entirely convinced, remembering how in her family, when Emmett and Rosalie went on their honeymoon every few years, they always made the effort to find a separate place so as not to inconvenience the rest of the family.
When they finally left the room, they noticed the house was empty. The lights were still on, some things were left running, and a book Kate had been reading lay on the sofa as if someone had left in a hurry. Nate's expression hardened; something in the atmosphere told him the absence wasn't casual. Cautiously, he began sniffing the air, looking for a trace. The Denalis' scent was strong yet absent, as if they had been out of the house for some time.
Concerned, Nate went outside with Alice following closely. She also seemed uneasy, slightly nervous, aware that something might have happened during the hours they had been "distracted." Nate continued sniffing until he caught a fresher trail. Without wasting time, they began following it, venturing into the nearby forest.
As they advanced, they noticed a small wisp of smoke rising among the trees, small and concentrated, more like a campfire than a wildfire. When they arrived, they found the Denalis gathered around the fire, the couples embracing, laughing, and sharing stories.
Tanya was the first to notice their arrival. With an amused smile, she exclaimed, "Finally done? We thought you'd take the whole week…"
Laurent chuckled a bit and, in a teasing tone, said to Irina, "Looks like I won the bet."
Irina, amused, responded almost defensively, "It had been a while since I was around a neophyte; I thought they could last longer without feeding…"
Laurent raised his chin triumphantly. "Only 'vegetarian' vampires have that habit of feeding every one or two weeks. Normal vampires feed more often, simply because of the craving for blood."
Alice, confused, furrowed her brow and asked, "What exactly do you mean?"
Kate, without taking her eyes off the fire, replied indifferently, "We bet among ourselves how long it would take before you'd have to stop to feed… apparently, Laurent won. He was the only one who said you couldn't go more than five days without blood…"
Nate's eyes widened in surprise, but his voice remained serious. "We were in the room for five days?"
Tanya laughed, noticing his expression. "Yes… for a moment we thought you were hurting her, almost came in to reinforce…," she said playfully, without any real intent to be serious, "but in the end, we decided to give you some space. We've been here, in the forest, for five days…"
Alice brought a hand to her forehead and lowered her gaze, closing her eyes while shaking her head slightly. Though she couldn't blush, she felt embarrassment rise to her head. Her breathing became light and evasive, and in a tone trying to seem unconcerned, she commented that it would be best to feed and that she would return in a few hours.
Carmen, who was embraced by Eleazar, got up with a soft, playful laugh. Her body moved gracefully as she announced she would accompany her, as she was thirsty as well. With a quick blink, they ventured further into the forest, disappearing among the trunks and vegetation that let beams of light filter through the leaves. The rest of the group remained silent, watching them vanish into the tree shadows.
The group's eyes turned to Nate. He hesitated, each movement and decision measured as he evaluated what to do next. Tanya, noticing his gaze following the path Alice and Carmen had taken, tilted her head slightly and asked:
"Have you fed yet?"
Nate nodded, his face serious, taking a deep breath as his gaze swept over everyone in the group. Tanya turned to the others and received a slight nod of approval from each, confirming that the plan was ready. She then looked back at Nate, this time with a more serious expression, though still full of calm and determination.
"You know…" she began in a calm voice, "we've been talking. You seem calmer when Alice is around. Maybe we should take advantage of the fact that you're sated and she isn't to test your control. I think if we all go with you, at least within the forest limits, near the nearest town, we could get an idea of how well you can stay in control."
Nate frowned, his mind filled with doubt and fear. His voice was barely a whisper, laced with mistrust. "I don't know… Honestly, I don't think it's a good idea…"
Tanya stepped a little closer, her presence firm and reassuring. Her gaze sought Nate's, trying to convey security while speaking quickly but without pressure.
"Relax. No one expects you to have perfect control. But it's a good opportunity. We'll all hold you, and Kate will incapacitate you if anything happens. Also, we won't enter the town; we'll just let you sense the scent of a human nearby."
Nate still seemed unsure, a slight tremor running through his shoulders as he murmured to himself:
"I honestly don't think they could stop me if I lose control…"
Kate, hearing those words, immediately stood, her body straight, her expression hardened with determination. Her voice cut through the air firmly.
"Don't be foolish. This isn't a fight. I'll have a hand on the back of your neck at all times. The moment you lose control, I'll incapacitate you, and together we'll move you away in a blink."
Nate took a deep breath, feeling the tension in his shoulders begin to ease slightly. He looked at the faces around him: firm, attentive, and ready to help without hesitation. The certainty that he wasn't alone gave him an odd sense of relief, though the unease about what could happen remained.
The sunlight filtering through the trees cast long shadows on the forest floor, and the air smelled of wet leaves and freshly turned soil. Nate focused on that scent, on the security of his group, and slowly began to yield to the possibility of trusting this group of people…