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Nate and Alice returned at a swift pace to the Denali house. The bags they carried barely swayed with their speed, but what stood out most wasn't the light flutter of fabric—it was the seriousness etched into their faces. The smiles they had worn when leaving were gone, replaced now by a steely determination that showed in every gesture.
When they crossed the threshold, the Denali clan was already waiting. Some wore their nervousness openly, unable to mask it; others, like Kate and Laurent, lounged on the sofas with an air of confidence, certain everything had gone well. Tanya, however, was the first to break the taut silence.
"How did it go?" she asked, a note of anxiety in her voice as her eyes scanned Nate's face with meticulous care. She searched for any sign—a flicker of loss of control, a trace of blood. She even allowed herself a discreet sniff of the air, but found none of the metallic scent she dreaded. Her chest eased slightly, almost in a sigh of relief.
From the sofa, Kate let out a short laugh and said with a tone laced with annoyance, "See? I told you it went fine."
Nate glanced sideways at her, not irritated but with a silent acknowledgment. He knew Kate and Laurent had followed them in secret to make sure nothing got out of hand, and though once that would have angered him, now he took it as a gesture of concern. With calm composure, he replied to Tanya:
"Everything went just as I expected."
Alice, wearing a serene smile, quickly added, "It was a big step forward. He managed to restrain himself without any trouble, and we even enjoyed ourselves."
Her words seemed to dissolve the tension that lingered in the room. Tanya smiled in relief and stepped closer to Nate. Placing a hand warmly on his shoulder, she said with genuine enthusiasm, "Excellent, Nate. In a few more months, you might even be able to go out alone. These are great achievements for a newborn."
Nate met her gaze and gave a quiet thank you, though inside he was weighed down by another decision. How could he tell them that he and Alice were planning to leave? After months with the Denali, he felt a sincere affection for them all. He didn't know if the news would offend them—or worse, sadden them.
Without waiting any longer, he excused himself and took Alice's hand. With quick strides, they headed to their room, leaving behind the curiosity that now grew among the Denali. Once inside, they shut the door and set the bags aside. Alice watched him closely, her golden eyes gleaming in the dim light.
"Do you want to call Carlisle now?" she asked softly, as if she had been waiting for this moment ever since they'd returned.
Nate nodded briefly, but before she could start dialing, he raised a hand.
"Not here. I don't want the Denali overhearing me with Carlisle… I feel like this might turn into an argument."
Alice blinked in surprise, then nodded in understanding. Without another word, she crossed to the window and pushed it wide open. The night breeze swept in with an icy murmur.
In an instant, both leapt into the darkness of the forest, their swift steps barely brushing the ground. The moon followed them overhead, casting its light on their figures as they slid through the trees like silent shadows. The quiet of the place was broken only by the wind through the branches and the occasional crunch of dry leaves beneath their feet.
When they had gone far enough that no stray ear could overhear, Alice pulled out the phone. Her fingers moved quickly across the keys, and the dial tone rang out, breaking the stillness of the forest. Nate watched her, his eyes lit with the same determination that had burned in him since they crossed the Denali threshold.
The ringing stretched into the silence, echoing faintly through the trees. Nate gave Alice a look of uncertainty; for an instant, he feared Carlisle might not answer. Every second that passed seemed longer than it truly was, and impatience began to gnaw at him.
Suddenly, Carlisle's velvet voice broke the tension—warm, yet tinged with a caution that did not go unnoticed.
"Yes? Is everything all right, daughter?"
Alice answered without hesitation, her tone firm and swift, carrying a trace of urgency.
"Yes, everything's fine here. We just needed to talk…"
A brief silence bled through the line, laced with something unsettling. When Carlisle finally replied, his voice was low, slightly rushed.
"I'm a bit busy at the moment. Is this urgent?"
Nate instantly picked up on how unusual that sounded. Carlisle always spoke calmly, with that natural warmth that brought peace even in the middle of problems. But now, that tone was gone—replaced by something that sounded more like distraction… or worry.
With a small gesture, Nate lifted a hand toward Alice, signaling her to take the next step. She understood at once and spoke decisively:
"Yes… It's urgent. But it's Nate who wants to talk to you. I'll hand him over now."
Before Carlisle could object, Alice passed the phone to Nate. For a second, silence hung heavy again. Only the whisper of the wind and the crackle of branches under Nate's feet filled the air, as if the forest itself held its breath.
Carlisle spoke first. His voice, though controlled, was tense.
"Listen, Nate. I know why you're calling. I understand you need to find Riley, but the friend I mentioned doesn't exactly have a phone. I have a general idea of where he is, but it's complicated for me to move right now…"
Nate absorbed every word carefully, without reproach, though it was clear something was wrong. His tone was sharp, incisive:
"Carlisle, tell me… what's going on there?"
Faint murmurs came through the line—inaudible to human ears, but perfectly clear to him. The call had interrupted something delicate. Among those voices, he picked out Bella's—low, nervous—though to Nate it sounded as if she were only a few steps away:
"Edward… don't you think they'd listen to Nate? He's closer to Jacob than I am. Maybe he has a chance. Maybe they'd actually listen to him…"
A sudden rush of air told Nate that Carlisle had moved quickly, retreating from his family to continue the conversation in private.
"Jacob…" Nate's voice came out heavy, tight with tension. "What's happening with him?"
Carlisle answered with attempted calm, though it was clear he was dodging the truth.
"It's nothing, Nate. Just a small situation here. We can handle it. You need to focus on your control…"
Nate began pacing under the shadows of the trees, every step crushing dry leaves that cracked sharply in the still night. His patience frayed, and Alice stood motionless, watching him with concern.
"I'm not staying here any longer, Carlisle. My control is strong enough to start searching for Riley. But I need that tracker. And I need you to tell me what has you so tied up. If it's about Jacob, Bella's right—I could fix this with a call."
Carlisle hesitated a moment before responding. When he did, his voice carried the resignation of someone who could no longer keep a secret.
"No, Nate. It's not exactly Jacob. It's more the Quileute in general…"
Another pause—heavier than the last—hung in the air, as if he weighed each word before letting it out.
"Look, things have been tense here. Since the incident with Riley, we've tried to talk to Jacob, mostly to ease Charlie's doubts about what happened that night. Only he and Charlie were with your grandmother that day. With Jacob's first transformation, and Charlie left unconscious and confused, everything was set up perfectly to convince him it was an animal attack. That's what Charlie believes now… but we needed Jacob to confirm it."
The air around Nate seemed to grow denser, as though the forest itself were closing in. His jaw clenched, fists tightening as he listened.
"The problem," Carlisle went on, "is that—as Alice must have told you—they haven't let us near him. Every attempt we've made has been blocked. That's how it's been for months… until a couple of weeks ago, when Sam Uley showed up with two wolves. He told us the pack had decided to break the treaty. We were given a month to leave… or there would be war."
Nate stood rigid, the grinding of his teeth the only sound. Rage began to burn in his eyes.
"Bella tried to talk to Jacob to persuade them not to break the treaty," Carlisle continued quickly, "but they refused to let her near him because of her ties to Edward. It almost felt like a warning more than anything. But a few days ago, Sam returned. Not only did he demand we leave, he insisted we cut all ties with Bella, claiming she was under their protection…"
Nate let out a bitter laugh—disbelieving, laced with anger.
"That's ridiculous. Now they want to play guardians of this place? Forcing you out doesn't matter anymore—Bella's already too involved. She'll be safer with you."
Carlisle murmured agreement, though his voice carried its usual careful restraint.
"They won't listen to reason. Both times Sam came, he spoke and left, leaving no room for discussion. The trouble is, some Quileute now linger around the school… and at night, they roam near the house. They haven't done anything openly hostile, but their constant presence is suffocating."
Nate's mind flashed back to his first meeting with Sam in La Push, remembering the way another young man had looked at him with respect, as if his words carried undeniable authority. It wasn't hard to imagine Sam truly was the leader.
In a low, almost thoughtful voice, Nate asked:
"And if Jacob won't answer… have you tried talking to Billy? He doesn't like you, but he might be more reasonable. If a fight breaks out, they won't want to lose anyone."
Carlisle's sigh came weighted with exhaustion deeper than anything physical.
"He only answered me once. Said the decision was made by the pack's Alpha, and as an elder, he could only advise."
Nate's fist tightened. It was clear: they blamed the Cullens for his grandmother's death. And knowing Jacob, Nate had no doubt he'd pushed the pack's leader to sever Bella's ties with them as well.
"So what do you plan to do?" Nate asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Carlisle hesitated, but finally spoke, with that unshakable calm that only fueled Nate's frustration.
"I won't put my family at risk for one town. In any case, we weren't planning to stay more than a few years. What matters most to us is Bella. She and Edward are too bound to each other, and Edward won't leave her here. And they demand she stay. In a few days, I'll gather my family and meet them at the border of our territory. They have the right to drive us out… but not to decide for Bella. She's part of our family. With all of us together, they'll have to listen…"
Nate squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his temple with his free hand. Carlisle's passivity was unbearable. There were too many ways that the plan could go wrong. To Nate, the Quileute—noble as they might be—had no right to expel the only vampires with ideals different from the rest of the world… besides the Denali.
Frustration burned through him. All he wanted was to find the tracker, to reach Riley, and close that chapter for good. But there was always another obstacle.
His voice came out dark, almost threatening:
"I'll head to Forks right now. I'll drag Jacob out of whatever hole he's hiding in and make him convince whoever he has to that the treaty should stand. But you won't have excuses anymore, Carlisle. Once I take care of this, you'll take me to the tracker."
Carlisle tried to soothe him.
"No, Nate. You don't need to get involved. I trust we'll reach an agreement…"
"No," Nate cut him off, sharp and final. "I'm going immediately. If this escalates, you'll all be at risk—Bella included. Besides, I was planning to leave here anyway. This will just be a stop along the way. I'll see you in a few days. Keep a low profile."
Carlisle seemed ready to answer, but Nate ended the call before he could.
He exhaled sharply, shoving the phone away with force. He lifted his gaze toward Alice, ready to apologize for losing his composure—but froze at the sight of her face.
She stood rigid, her eyes glassy, lost in a distant void. She didn't respond, as if trapped in her own thoughts.
"Alice…" Nate called, his voice heavy with concern.
She remained in a trance for a few more seconds, motionless as stone. Finally, her eyes refocused, and she looked at him with grave seriousness.
In a low, cautious tone, she spoke words that shifted Nate's plans once again:
"One of the Romanians is coming this way…"