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Less than an hour had passed since Edward's departure, and the silence in the house remained peaceful, broken only by the occasional creak of wood or the whisper of wind brushing against the windows. Nate and Alice were still on the couch, comfortable in their shared quiet. Until a few minutes ago, Nate's mind had been tangled in doubt, but all those thoughts had dissolved as he felt the calm warmth radiating from his companion.
She was lying across his chest—practically on top of him—her fingers tracing gentle patterns over his exposed knuckles. Nate, motionless, kept his eyes closed, letting himself drift in that rare serenity he so seldom allowed himself.
There was no rush between them. It was one of those moments suspended in time, when everything seemed to stop, and for a few fleeting instants, the world itself felt at peace.
The sound of an engine approaching shattered that calm, followed by the front door opening and the familiar clamor of three voices. Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie had just returned. Their laughter and banter spilled through the room before the three stepped into the living area.
Alice looked up, smiling softly as she saw them enter. Nate barely moved, though his gaze flicked toward them for a second.
Jasper was the first to stop, and while his expression stayed neutral, his energy shifted ever so slightly. Nate noticed it at once: the faint tension in the air had nothing to do with hostility, but with surprise. It wasn't common for the rest of the family to see them so at ease, so close. Normally, they barely ever saw Nate outside of Alice's room.
Emmett, on the other hand, grinned broadly and crossed his arms.
"Well, well, look at this," he said teasingly. "And here I thought you wouldn't leave that room even if we brought a crane."
Alice let out a small laugh, and Nate raised an eyebrow, unbothered.
"Today I felt like a change of scenery," he replied calmly.
"Perfect," Emmett said immediately, his excitement rising. "Then come outside with me. I need to move a little, and I'm not going to waste this chance. Come on, we could toss a ball around… or have a little match. Something fun."
Rosalie rolled her eyes, a restrained smile tugging at her lips.
"What he means," she said, "is that he wants to see who's stronger. He's been trying to pick some competition with you for days."
Nate watched him for a few seconds, as if weighing whether it was worth indulging him. Then he turned to Alice. She was already looking at him with a calm smile — the kind that said more than words ever could.
"Go," she told him simply, giving him a light push on the arm. "It'll be good for you to take your mind off things."
Nate sighed, resigned, though not unwilling to step outside for some fresh air.
"As you wish," he said at last, meeting Emmett's gaze. "But I can't promise you won't get hurt."
Emmett laughed at first, though a flicker of hesitation crossed his face a moment later. Finally, he clapped Nate on the shoulder and nodded.
"Deal."
Alice and Rosalie followed them without a word, and Jasper, after a brief pause, decided to join as well. They all shared the same quiet curiosity — to see how the family's strongest would fare against Nate.
The damp Forks air wrapped around them the moment they stepped outside. The sky had turned a steely gray, heavy with the promise of rain. Emmett had already found a clear spot near the trees and shot Nate a challenging look while the others settled nearby to watch.
Nate stepped forward, locking eyes with him. His expression was calm, but the steadiness in his gaze made it clear he was taking this seriously.
"So you want to start with a sparring match?" he asked plainly.
Emmett raised both hands, shaking his head.
"No, no… I think I'd rather start with something lighter. How about a race?"
Nate considered it for a few seconds before shaking his head.
"Even if the Quileutes aren't lurking anymore, there's still a chance we could run into a human… Besides, I doubt your mother would be happy seeing me go too far from the house after what happened yesterday."
A brief silence followed. Emmett shrugged, still smiling, though it was clear he was thinking of another idea.
Rosalie, standing between Alice and Jasper, was the one who broke the pause.
"What about arm wrestling?" she suggested, a smile playing on her lips.
The suggestion caught everyone's attention until Jasper spoke, as composed as ever.
"Arm wrestling against a newborn wouldn't be much of a challenge," he said. "Obviously, Nate would win."
Nate didn't deny it. He knew Jasper was right. Even among newborns, his strength was exceptional. He'd proven that the day he killed Victoria—none of the others had even come close to matching him.
Without saying another word, he slipped off his jacket and placed it on a nearby rock. The fabric fell with a faint sound, barely audible. He was left in a fitted black shirt that outlined the solid precision of his body—firm, defined muscles beneath pale skin. Rosalie, who was rarely impressed, raised an eyebrow. Even though she was used to Emmett's imposing build, she couldn't help but notice the natural way Nate moved, as if his body had been made for combat.
"Jasper's right," Nate finally said, rolling his shoulders slowly to loosen the tension. "It wouldn't be much fun… Better come at me with everything you've got. I don't think you'll manage much, but there's always something new to learn."
His tone was calm, not mocking. Though Nate trusted his abilities, he had learned the previous day that he could still be surprised. He had promised himself not to underestimate anyone again—and to learn from every opponent he faced.
Even so, Emmett took it differently. His grin remained, but the gleam in his eyes shifted—the unshakable calm in Nate's voice made him feel challenged, underestimated.
"If you're looking to learn something new," he replied, a competitive spark lighting his gaze, "then you're about to meet your teacher."
Without waiting, he lunged forward. The air cracked with the motion. Emmett moved like a wave of raw force, kicking up a gust of leaves and damp dust as he collided with Nate.
The impact thundered through the clearing, the ground vibrating under the others' feet.
To a human eye, the movement would have seemed instantaneous—just a blink before the hit. But for the vampires watching, every detail was clear.
In the instant Nate sensed Emmett's attack, he dropped his center of gravity slightly and, using the opponent's momentum, grabbed his arm in a swift, precise motion. He turned with the force of the blow, using Emmett's strength against him, and threw him several meters away. The ground trembled when the burly vampire hit with a dull thud.
While the others followed Emmett's trajectory, Nate turned his gaze toward Alice. A small smile curved his lips—calm, confident, faintly teasing.
"I think I already knew that trick…" he said lightly.
Alice couldn't help but laugh, a brief, melodic sound that broke the tension for a moment. Jasper and Rosalie, however, stayed silent, watching with a mix of astonishment and caution. The ease with which Nate had countered the attack was unsettling, even to them.
Rosalie frowned slightly; she knew Emmett didn't stand much of a chance against someone who had defeated Kate, but seeing how effortlessly Nate neutralized him was almost insulting.
Before anyone could say a word, Emmett reappeared. His figure cut across the clearing like a blur, and with surprising agility for his size, he began darting between the trees, leaping from branch to branch until he dropped from above with a powerful kick aimed straight at Nate.
The newborn barely moved—he sidestepped with flawless precision and countered with a clean kick that sent Emmett flying again, though only a few meters this time.
A low sound escaped Jasper, something between a muffled laugh and a quiet snort of amusement. Emmett heard it and turned toward him with a frustrated grimace.
"If you think you can do better, go ahead and try!"
Jasper shook his head calmly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"I don't think it's fair for it to be two against one…"
Nate, who had followed every word without breaking his stance, lifted his gaze serenely.
"I don't mind. Do your best."
Jasper raised an eyebrow. Unlike Emmett, he didn't sense arrogance in Nate's tone—just a composed, tempered confidence. He nodded once, stepping beside his brother and adopting a ready stance.
The air grew tense instantly, dense and expectant. The Forks forest fell silent; not even a leaf stirred.
Alice, a few meters back, watched with a faint smile, equal parts amusement and pride. Rosalie, on the other hand, crossed her arms, her sharp eyes tracking every movement, every subtle shift in the trio's posture.
For a moment, everything stood still.
Then, the clearing erupted in motion once more.
Emmett and Jasper attacked in unison, moving with surprising synchronization. Nate, however, didn't take long to decipher their fighting styles. Emmett was pure strength—brutal, direct, impulsive; a force of nature that knew no restraint. Jasper, in contrast, was measured and precise, accustomed to observing, to waiting for the perfect opening before striking.
Unfortunately for them, Nate didn't need much to counter either. A slight twist of his wrist, a deliberately misplaced step, or a clean sidestep was enough to divert their attacks.
He remembered watching them fight together months ago, when he was still human, facing James. Back then, he could barely follow their movements—everything was a blur of speed and force. But now… now it felt almost too easy. He could read them clearly: every impulse, every muscle's tension, every feint.
Jasper was the better fighter, no doubt. His technique was refined, his discipline evident, but he lacked aggression. Emmett, on the other hand, had more than enough energy but little coordination; he seemed to rely on the idea that one good hit would end the fight.
Nate waited for the right moment, let them both close in—and then he moved.
With a low kick, sharp as a whip, he swept Emmett's legs out from under him. At the same time, he spun and struck Jasper in the chest with an open-handed blow. The impact echoed through the air, sending Jasper flying several meters back. In less than two seconds, both were on the ground.
They got up immediately—without even a fraction of hesitation—but their faces said it all. They had no idea how to beat him.
Off to the side, Alice watched with restrained delight, her eyes shining with pride. Even if it was just a friendly match, she loved seeing him interact with her brothers.
Rosalie, however, looked more irritated than impressed. She crossed her arms impatiently, frowning as she watched Emmett charge again without any real strategy.
"Emmett! Stop being so impulsive! You should coordinate better!" she snapped in exasperation.
Nate heard her clearly and turned his head slightly toward her, still smiling.
"If you'd like, you can join in too," he said evenly, his tone calm but challenging. "The more you try, the more interesting this gets."
Emmett and Jasper exchanged a quick glance, unsure if Nate was serious… until Rosalie stepped forward with a cool, icy smile.
"You don't need to tell me twice," she said, slowly slipping off her jacket and tossing it to the ground.
Emmett immediately grinned, his enthusiasm returning.
"This is gonna be good."
In the blink of an eye, all three lunged at once.
Rosalie moved with precision and restrained fury, Emmett with raw power, and Jasper with strategic calculation from the flanks. Nate barely had time to retreat before he was forced to fight back harder.
His strikes grew stronger, his kicks carving out space before any of them could pin him down. The ground sank under their feet, and branches shuddered with every impact.
As Nate dodged one of Emmett's direct hits, a fleeting thought crossed his mind.
He remembered the fight from the day before—against Jacob and the other two wolves. They had fought as one mind: fluid, coordinated, every attack flowing seamlessly into the next. Vampires, however, were different. Stronger, yes… but more individualistic. Sometimes their movements clashed with one another, even when they tried to work as a team.
Even so, the fight wasn't easy. Rosalie was fast, her attacks sharp and precise; Jasper analyzed constantly, searching for any weakness; and Emmett, relentless, didn't give him a moment to breathe.
Nate began to move faster, driven by a feeling he didn't immediately recognize: anger. It was faint, but enough to make him react with unusual intensity. For a moment, the emotion confused him. It wasn't his.
He snapped his head toward Jasper, who was standing just behind Emmett, waiting for an opening. Without looking away, Nate blocked one of Rosalie's strikes and shoved her back with such speed that she crashed directly into Emmett, sending both staggering.
"Are you the one doing that?" Nate asked suddenly, his voice calm but weighted with intent.
Jasper looked at him, startled, not quite understanding.
"Doing what?"
"That anger," Nate replied, keeping his eyes locked on him.
For a second, Jasper hesitated—but finally nodded.
"Sometimes I do that during fights. I calm vampires down so they get careless… or I make them angry so they get reckless."
Nate vanished from sight—and the next instant, he was right in front of him. He drove a kick straight into Jasper's chest, sending him crashing against a tree that split almost in half from the impact.
"I wouldn't recommend doing that," Nate said quietly, though there was no trace of anger in his voice.
Before Jasper could get up, Nate had already immobilized Emmett, twisting his arm with enough pressure to pin him to the ground. Rosalie tried to intervene, lunging toward him, but Nate repelled her with a swift motion of his arm, sending her skidding back several meters.
The silence that followed was brief, broken only by the crunch of leaves under Jasper's feet as he stood up again. He looked at Nate with a mix of respect and curiosity, his pulse still racing from the hit.
For a moment, he wondered what it would be like to fight him seriously—without restraint, without holding back, without either of them limiting their strength.
The thought was as terrifying as it was intriguing.