Chapter 72

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The rain fell lightly as thunder rumbled over the forest, marking the beginning of the storm Alice had been waiting for. They walked along the muddy trail toward the clearing, Bella clutching Edward's arm while Alice kept to Nate's side, matching his pace.

"Try not to blink too much or you'll miss everything," Alice said with an amused smile.

"I promise I'll pay attention," Nate replied, curiosity outweighing humor in his voice.

When they reached the clearing, Carlisle raised a hand, and the Cullens stopped immediately, forming a half-circle.

"Emmett, Jasper, and I against Edward, Rosalie, and Alice," Carlisle announced calmly, his voice clear even over the rumble of the storm.

"What about me?" Esme asked, turning toward him with a mischievous smile.

"Only you can be the referee, my love," Carlisle replied with a slight nod of his head.

As the Cullens positioned themselves, Nate felt a chill crawl down the back of his neck. Despite their relaxed appearance, each of them moved with a silent coordination that made it clear this was no simple game.

Then Jasper threw the ball.

The hit sounded like a cannon blast, covered by a thunderclap that shook the air as the ball disappeared in an impossible arc. Nate blinked, trying to follow it, but all he saw was a blurred streak before Rosalie shot after it, moving so fast her feet barely seemed to touch the wet ground.

Emmett let out a victorious yell as he ran between bases that didn't exist, Carlisle following with calm strides that didn't match the speed at which he crossed the field.

Nate felt his throat dry as he watched, unable to fully track the Cullens' movements. He couldn't follow them with his eyes; he barely caught a glimpse before they were already in another part of the clearing. Yet with each play, he began to recognize patterns: the way Emmett tended to hit diagonally, how Rosalie moved forward on every throw, how Jasper tilted his shoulders just before a fast pitch. Little by little, Nate began to predict some of their movements.

"And here I thought baseball was kind of boring," he murmured to himself.

Alice let out a soft laugh as she passed by him. "Now you see why we need the storm," she said, returning to the game with renewed excitement.

During one of Edward's turns, Nate saw the steel bat bend slightly at the moment of impact before the ball disappeared with a buzz that split the air. The hit was so brutal that the echo thudded in Nate's chest, blending with the crash of lightning.

"God…" Nate exhaled, letting out an incredulous laugh as he shook his head. "If they really wanted to, they could smash a house apart with that."

The game continued for several minutes that felt like seconds to Nate. Though he still couldn't anticipate every trajectory, each time he watched, he noticed that precise dance between them, like pieces of a brutally efficient machine.

And yet, the atmosphere wasn't intimidating, but charged with excitement, laughter, and playful shouts between the Cullens, as if, at least for a moment, they could pretend to be just a family enjoying a game in the rain.

Nate exchanged a glance with Edward, who, holding the bat easily, gave him a slight nod before returning to his position.

"They're happy," Bella said softly.

"They like being able to be themselves," Nate replied with a gentle smile as he watched them.

Bella didn't respond, but her attention returned to the field as the next play was prepared. The rain began to pour harder, the scent of wet earth filling the air, covering the quickening beat in her chest as she watched the Cullens' strength unfold before her eyes.

Then, Alice tensed suddenly.

"Alice?" Nate asked, stepping closer.

Alice's eyes fixed on nothing for a moment before she blinked.

"They're coming," she said calmly, clutching Nate's sleeve.

Edward immediately turned toward her, his gaze hardening. The rest of the Cullens stopped, and silence fell over the clearing, broken only by the whisper of the rain and distant thunder.

The wind shifted, bringing a metallic scent that Nate couldn't identify, but that made all the Cullens lift their heads in unison.

Bella, standing close to Edward, looked up at him with wide eyes. "What is it?"

Edward squeezed her hand gently. "Don't move."

The rain fell harder as the Cullens regrouped, forming a protective line in front of Bella and Nate. The clearing, lit intermittently by lightning, felt smaller, as if the forest were closing in around them.

Nate noticed how Alice tensed, her hand gripping his arm as her eyes drifted into the future for a moment before returning.

"They're close," she said quietly.

Then Nate saw them.

Three figures emerged from between the trees with silent steps, moving with an unsettling fluidity that reminded him of the Cullens but with something different: a rougher energy, a wilder aura, the scent of wet earth trailing behind them.

The first was tall, dark-skinned, with braided hair down to his shoulders. His eyes scanned the clearing with feline calm as he walked barefoot over the wet grass. Though his clothes were intact, there was something predatory in the way he moved, like a hunter surveying territory.

Beside him, a lean man advanced with elastic steps, dirty blond hair falling in messy strands around a pale, sharp face. His eyes never stopped moving, analyzing every detail and breath, a crooked smile on his lips showing a hint of arrogance.

Behind them, a woman moved with almost dancing steps, her bare feet leaving barely a trace in the mud. Her tangled, wet red hair clung to her face, and her eyes stayed fixed on the group with an intensity that sent a chill through Nate.

His breath caught for a second. He had seen the Cullens move with speed and strength, but these vampires were different: wilder, rawer. Their bodies leaned forward with each step as if they were holding back an instinct ready to break free.

The difference was clear, even to a human.

Lightning lit up the clearing, revealing the wet shine in their eyes and the raindrops sliding down their pale skin. Without shoes, without the calm civility of the Cullens, each of them was a living reminder that, no matter how beautiful they were, they were still predators.

The thunder that followed rumbled in Nate's chest as he watched the Cullens shift carefully, closing the space between Bella and the threat without turning their backs.

Nate swallowed, eyes fixed on the figures stopping a few meters away, sniffing, evaluating, each gaze carrying a different reaction.

The first to step forward was the tall, dark-skinned vampire with the wet braids stuck to his shoulders. His eyes calmly scanned each Cullen before stopping, with a curious glint, on Nate.

A calm smile spread across his lips as he raised a hand in a friendly gesture.

"Sorry for the interruption," he said in a deep but surprisingly cordial voice that echoed softly over the rain. "I'm Laurent."

He took another step into the clearing, and for a moment, Nate thought he was addressing him directly. Laurent inclined his head slightly, as if studying him with a mix of curiosity and respect, his red eyes scanning him carefully.

"These are James and Victoria," he continued, turning his head slightly to indicate his companions.

That was when Nate shifted his attention to the lean, blond-haired vampire who remained a few steps back. There was a strange glint in his eyes as he looked at Alice, a spark of recognition, almost of challenge, before his gaze darkened and slowly moved toward Bella.

The change was almost imperceptible, but Nate felt it in the air, like a cold current running down his spine.

At that moment, a breeze lifted between the group, moving Bella's wet hair and carrying her scent with the wind.

The blond vampire tensed, his nostrils flaring as the crooked smile vanished from his face, replaced by a predatory, focused expression. His eyes, once intrigued by Alice, locked onto Bella with an intensity that made Nate's chest pound heavily.

Edward's growl rumbled, low and deep, a warning that cut through the damp air of the clearing as he instantly positioned himself in front of Bella with a movement so quick Nate could barely track it.

The Cullens reacted instantly, closing ranks around them, their stances firm as their gazes sharpened, their golden eyes flashing cold each time the lightning lit up the forest.

Laurent raised both hands calmly, stepping back a couple of paces, with visible confusion in his eyes as he looked first at James and then at Carlisle, as if trying to defuse the tension growing around them.

The red-haired woman, Victoria, slid to stand beside the blond vampire, her bare feet leaving faint prints in the mud. Her eyes locked onto the Cullens, her posture leaning forward, ready to strike if her companion did.

Thunder crashed violently, lighting up the clearing with a flash that made the raindrops shine on the marble-like skin of the three vampires. For an instant, everything was silent, broken only by Nate's measured breathing as he forced himself to stay steady, analyzing every glance, every tension in their shoulders, every muscle vibrating with the promise of imminent conflict.

Nate focused on the blond vampire.

He didn't seem nervous or uncomfortable. If anything, he looked excited.

His pale eyes shifted between Bella and Edward with a predatory glint, as if he savored every drop of tension in the air, every heartbeat vibrating in the clearing under the rain.

Then he spoke, with a lightness that sounded crueler than casual, his voice projecting effortlessly over the murmur of the storm:

"Well, with two snacks, you could share one."

Those words ignited something in Nate. For a moment, he didn't see a vampire in front of him, but the men in Port Angeles, those cowards who had tried to take advantage of Bella. He felt anger rise in his throat, cold and controlled, but firm.

Edward reacted instantly, a low growl escaping him as he leaned forward, ready to spring.

"No!" Carlisle intervened, raising his hand, his calm barely trembling in his voice.

Laurent, his hands still raised, stepped back, visible confusion on his face as he looked first at James and then at Carlisle, as if trying to stop the tension rising around them. Victoria also began to step back, each step measured, never turning her back on the group, her eyes shining, ready to pounce at the slightest change.

But James didn't move.

Nate noticed it. The way his stance shifted forward, the way his feet planted firmly in the mud, his gaze fixed on Edward and Bella, just a flicker of calculation in his eyes. He was preparing himself. Like an animal watching, choosing the exact moment to strike.

A chill ran through Nate.

This wasn't going to end here.

He thought then, with intention, with force, hoping Edward would hear him:

Provoke him. If he leaves now, he'll come back for Bella. I'm sure he's already planning it.

Edward didn't take his eyes off James, but they flickered just slightly, finding Nate for an instant, and a spark of understanding crossed his gaze.

James smiled, that crooked smile growing with the tension in the air, as he began to step back. Then another. His movements seemed almost relaxed, but Nate recognized the deception: the way his body stayed crouched, his gaze measuring angles, studying distances.

Now, Nate thought again, firmly. They're at a disadvantage. One of them won't intervene. You have your whole family here.

Thunder shook the air, vibrating in Nate's chest.

And in that instant, Edward reacted. A flash in his eyes, like a spark igniting his whole body in a single heartbeat.

With a low roar that cut through the rain's murmur, Edward lunged at James.

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-I expect several powerstones!