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Tanya suddenly grew serious at Nate's question. Her eyes hardened and, without looking at him, she answered in a dry tone, sharp as a blade cutting through the icy air:
"You shouldn't ask questions like that… not even if you don't mean them."
Nate feigned indifference, shifting slightly in the snow with a studied expression of calm. His voice came out light, almost casual, as if his words carried no weight at all:
"I was just making conversation. I think vegetarianism would be good for everyone. There are plenty of vampires out there, like Laurent, who didn't even know it existed… If someone with your ideals were in charge, maybe vampire society would be better off."
Tanya slowly shook her head. Her golden hair, glowing in the reflection of the sky, fell gently over her shoulders with the movement.
"No. The Volturi do a good job… they keep order, uphold the rules, and they're fair. That's more than we can ask for."
Nate felt a spark of anger flicker inside him, though his tone remained steady, as calm as the steady stream of the brook a few steps away.
"I thought you, of all people, would be glad at the idea of the Volturi no longer existing."
For the first time, Tanya looked at him directly. Her expression was firm, but in the depths of her eyes was a glimmer of doubt, a crack she couldn't hide. For an instant, she seemed torn between two truths, but finally, resolution settled over her face.
"No. I'm sure the Cullens told you what happened to our mother… She committed a crime, and the Volturi only carried out the punishment. Even after that, they spared our lives when they saw we were innocent. Not everyone would have done that—not with the risk that someday we might seek revenge. They stuck to the rules and let us live. It's not a perfect system… but they are fair."
Nate studied her in silence, and when he spoke again, his voice was flat, perfectly calm:
"And if they weren't as fair as you think? Would you be willing to stand against them?"
Tanya held his gaze, silent reproach glinting in her eyes as though she could stop him with a look alone. She didn't answer right away.
Before she could, Nate continued, cutting through the tension with words so quiet they were unsettling:
"Of course, I'm only speaking hypothetically. No need to get so serious."
The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the murmur of the brook and the occasional crunch of snow sliding from the branches nearby. Tanya turned her eyes to the white horizon, as if she needed its vastness to sort her thoughts. At last, she let out a faint sigh that melted into the frozen afternoon air:
"If that were the case… I suppose yes. But I'm fairly sure they and their rules are good for us."
Nate nodded slowly. The gesture seemed insignificant, yet it carried a faint shadow of relief, barely perceptible against the hardness of his features. He didn't want to keep feeding the heavy mood. Rising to his feet, he brushed the snow from his clothes in a mechanical motion.
Still seated, Tanya followed him with her gaze. Her clear eyes, bright under the muted light, betrayed a spark of doubt. And as if unable to resist, she let the question slip, soft but cautious:
"Is that what you're doing with the Romanians? Did they recruit you to stand against the Volturi?"
Nate stopped and turned his face slightly toward her. His calm was unnerving, as though no judgment could touch him. When he spoke, his tone was low and steady, almost philosophical:
"In that sense, I'm like you. I wouldn't stand against the Volturi without a reason. Besides, you said it yourself, didn't you? As long as they're fair, they're a good thing for everyone."
Tanya regarded him silently. There was something in his words, in the measured way he delivered them, that felt too deliberate to be casual. They weren't just remarks; they were carefully guarded thoughts, secrets he wasn't willing to share.
Silence fell between them again, thick as fresh snow. Tanya sensed there was more behind his answers, a depth he wasn't showing her.
It was Nate who broke it, with a remark that sounded like a deflection, though his tone stayed just as controlled:
"I think I feel better now. The thirst is gone. Let's head back to the house… Alice should be home by now."
He stepped toward the path. Tanya lingered for a moment, watching his tall figure against the snowy landscape. Something inside her screamed that there was far more at stake than he let on.
Finally, with a faint motion, she stood and caught up with him. Their steps fell in sync on the snow, and though their conversation had ended on the surface, the doubt still echoed in her mind like a persistent whisper, cutting deeper with every shared second of silence.
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It didn't take them long to return to the Denali house. Inside, the family was gathered in the living room, chatting cheerfully. The atmosphere was so relaxed that it seemed impossible to imagine that only hours earlier, they had been restraining Nate from attacking the village. At the sight of their return, a few glanced up at Tanya and Nate, offering them subtle nods of greeting, inviting them to sit.
In the center of the room, on a low table, Kate and Eleazar were locked in a chess match. The intensity of their focus stood out against the lively chatter of the others. Nate, curious about the scene and noticing Alice's absence, wandered over to watch with mild interest.
Eleazar played with calm precision, sliding his pieces with confident, assured moves. In contrast, Kate looked on the verge of frustration—her finger pressed to her temple, her lips tight, as if she were struggling to crack an impossible code.
Nate let his eyes trace the board for a few moments. On the surface, Eleazar held the advantage, though not as much as his air of smug certainty suggested. Nate leaned closer to Kate and whispered something in her ear. She shot him a sideways glance, skeptical at first, but her expression softened quickly. With newfound composure, she made a series of calculated moves.
Within seconds, the game turned around: Eleazar's pieces were cornered, and Kate claimed a surprising victory.
Eleazar froze, incredulous, then narrowed his eyes at Nate and exclaimed with a touch of irritation:
"That's not fair… You told her how to win, didn't you?!"
Kate, smug and triumphant, scoffed:
"He only gave me a hint, don't take it so personally."
Laughter rippled through the room, easing the last of the day's lingering tension. Nate noticed that, despite what had happened at the forest's edge, no one seemed to hold anything against him. That quiet acceptance comforted him more than he would admit. With a grateful sigh, he sank into one of the couches, closing his eyes as his thoughts drifted.
Since his transformation, Nate had felt his emotions surge uncontrollably. His lust, his anger, his thirst… everything was magnified to the extreme. A single word could provoke him, a simple touch from Alice could ignite him, and the faintest trace of blood could drive him insane.
He didn't know how long they would remain in the Denali house, but he suspected it was only a temporary refuge. His mind was already heavy with unresolved matters: his grandmother's funeral, the newborns he had left with the Romanians, the situation with Riley. Carlisle, so far, hadn't contacted him about meeting the tracker who would help find him. And though Nate tried to convince himself to wait, he knew that if it dragged on much longer, he would go after Riley himself.
Just picturing Riley roaming free filled him with nearly tangible fury. He no longer fully trusted Edward to protect Bella and Charlie. Finding Riley quickly was his priority: the sooner he found him, the fewer tragedies would happen.
His thoughts drifted then to Charlie. Unlike Bella, whose transformation had always been a looming possibility, Charlie had a full life, a respected job, and a community that valued him. Nate was certain he would never accept immortality. In fact, he suspected Charlie would never approve of Nate's decision to become a vampire, let alone that his daughter might follow the same path.
Fortunately, Charlie's memories of the vampire attack were still hazy. It would only take convincing him it had all been the product of shock, a bad dream disguised as memory. But Nate knew he would have to handle it himself: Bella lacked the conviction, and Edward relied too heavily on his gift to be persuasive.
His thoughts swirled like a storm: too many loose ends, too many responsibilities. Still, he pushed the weight of it aside. For now, the only thing he could do was relax, learn his abilities, and gain control over himself. Perhaps he would never reach perfect self-control, but at the very least, he had to achieve enough mastery to face what lay ahead.
With a small sigh, he leaned back and let his eyes wander to the ceiling.
Tanya, watching him, pressed her lips together. With a decisive motion, she opened a drawer in a nearby cabinet and pulled out a board game. She called her family over with exaggerated enthusiasm. Though most of them reacted with mild reluctance, a subtle look from Tanya toward Nate was all it took for them to understand. They feigned renewed excitement, pretending to be far more eager than they really were.
Nate eyed them sidelong, unimpressed. It was Laurent who approached him with an easy stride, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on, Nathaniel, it's a team game. I need you on my side to teach Eleazar a lesson… I've got a feeling he cheats."
Nate's red eyes locked onto him, cold and unreadable for a second. But soon he caught the meaning behind the invitation, and with a resigned motion, he rose to join the others at the dining table.
And just like that, the hours slipped away unnoticed.
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When Alice returned to the house with Carmen, the sight that met her eyes left her momentarily stunned. Around the table, the Denalis were laughing uproariously: Kate and Laurent leaned forward, nearly doubled over with laughter, while Laurent, unrestrained, had an arm draped over Nate's shoulders. Across from them, Eleazar looked unusually disgruntled, Tanya smiling beside him in quiet amusement tinged with resignation. Irina, however, glared at Laurent with narrowed eyes, clearly annoyed by his exuberance.
Nate, though slightly uncomfortable with Laurent's touch, wore a small, serene smile on his lips. Alice's face lit up at the sight. She had feared Nate could only feel at ease when he was with her, but seeing him laugh with the Denalis brought her a warmth she hadn't expected.
Silently, she stepped behind him and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. Nate returned the gesture naturally, drawing her close by the neck to give her a brief kiss in greeting.
Amused, Alice pulled back slightly and asked the group:
"What are you playing?"
Eleazar, still sulking with arms crossed, grumbled:
"Nothing anymore… Your partner keeps winning no matter what we do."
Nate shrugged with feigned indifference.
"Maybe you're just bad at playing."
The remark sent Kate into another fit of laughter, clearly enjoying Eleazar's losing streak. Carmen, smiling sweetly, moved to comfort her mate, resting a hand on his arm.
Alice circled behind Nate and rested her chin on his shoulder. She smiled, though a faint worry flickered in her eyes. The warm, familial atmosphere was such a stark contrast to the chaos of the past few days. And while the Denalis were welcoming, a pang of unease struck her: what if Nate could never feel this way with the Cullens?
Masking her melancholy, she gently stroked Nate's jawline. He noticed the gesture and smiled, turning to her. But when he saw the shadow in her eyes, he lingered, watching her with quiet concern. Alice, avoiding his gaze, looked instead at the Denalis, her face softening with nostalgia. Nate, sensing it, pressed his lips together, swallowing what he wanted to say.
The tension dissolved when Eleazar proposed a rematch now that they had more players. The evening stretched on for hours, filled with laughter, playful arguments, and a warmth that, for a moment, made Nate remember a simpler, calmer time in his life.