Chapter 73

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Edward's roar sliced through the murmur of the rain as he lunged at James.

The impact was brutal, sending up an arc of water and mud as Edward slammed into James with all his strength. But James spun with unsettling agility, using Edward's own momentum to hurl him aside. Edward's body flew several meters before crashing to the ground with a dull thud, mud and stones scattering as he skidded to a stop.

James smirked arrogantly, straightening as he shook the dirty blond hair out of his eyes, which glowed with a dark fire.

But he barely had a second to breathe before Jasper and Emmett charged in, their roars shaking the air. Jasper moved with surgical precision, each strike aimed at vital points, while Emmett attacked with crushing strength, every punch snapping branches and making the ground tremble.

Off to the side, Carlisle and Alice lunged at Victoria. The red-haired vampire moved like lightning between them, dodging each grab with movements that looked like an improvised dance, her wet hair tracing red lines through the air with every spin.

Laurent, eyes wide, watched the chaos for a second longer before slowly backing away. Then he turned, ready to flee into the trees, his dark figure swallowed by the rain and mist without a sound.

But before he could fully disappear, Rosalie dashed after him without hesitation, her agile figure cutting across the clearing, vanishing in the same direction in a flash of golden hair.

As the sound of blows filled the clearing, Nate, his face serious, grabbed Bella's wrist and pulled her back, away from the center of the fight. Esme immediately positioned herself beside them, her golden eyes glinting as she watched every movement, ready to shield them with her body if needed.

Nate and Bella could only watch the fight in stunned silence.

James blocked and dodged, but he could no longer do it with elegance. His movements grew more frantic as he retreated, his feet sinking into the mud with every blow he barely managed to deflect. Jasper attacked swiftly, forcing him to react, while Emmett pressed him with sheer power, making him leap and twist at impossible angles to avoid being caught.

A flash of lightning lit up the clearing, revealing James' face: no longer full of confidence, but tense. His eyes darted quickly, searching for an escape as he panted, his crooked grin twisting into a strained grimace.

Edward rose from the mud with a growl, sludge dripping from his clothes as his golden eyes burned with fury. In a heartbeat, he launched himself back into the fight, joining Jasper and Emmett as they closed in on James completely.

Now it was three against one, and it showed. Jasper set the pace, anticipating James' every dodge, while Emmett threw punches that forced him back, and Edward moved like a whip, cutting off his escape routes.

James kept blocking, his agility keeping him on his feet, but his reactions were starting to falter, his movements becoming increasingly desperate. Each flash of lightning illuminated the frustration and anger in his eyes as he realized he was seconds away from being taken down, overwhelmed by Emmett's brute strength and Jasper's lethal strategy.

It was then that James understood he wasn't going to win.

With a glint in his eyes, he barely turned his head, searching for Victoria in the chaos. A near-imperceptible gesture, a quick hand signal.

Victoria, who had been facing off against Carlisle and Alice in a constant dance of dodges, caught the message instantly. With a move that even surprised Alice, Victoria spun, launching herself off a fallen log to change direction. She landed crouched in the rain, digging her hand into the mud and throwing up a cloud of dirt and water that covered Jasper and Emmett for an instant.

That single moment of distraction was enough.

James pushed back with a growl, narrowly dodging Edward's grasp before bolting toward the forest, disappearing into the mist with desperate speed.

Emmett and Jasper roared and took off after him, vanishing into the thicket in pursuit.

Edward and Alice immediately turned toward Victoria, blocking her escape, their stances tense and ready to capture her. Carlisle positioned himself behind her, waiting for the right moment to intervene.

Victoria smirked with a mocking glint, dodging with movements that seemed purely improvised, each spin and leap an instinctive reaction. Nate, watching closely, noticed how she reacted with surprise to certain feints, her body shifting before her eyes even registered the threat.

He couldn't see every blow or dodge, but he began recognizing patterns: the way her shoulders tilted before a spin, how her feet planted before launching in a direction.

For an instant, Edward glanced slightly at Nate, his brow furrowed in concentration.

At that exact moment, Edward turned his body, throwing a punch at an empty space… that stopped being empty when Victoria instinctively dodged right into it. The punch connected hard, sending her flying back with a crash that echoed through the clearing.

Victoria got up immediately, eyes wide and fury flashing across her face. For a second, fear flickered in her expression. Then, with a low growl and eyes locked on Edward, she turned and shot into the forest after James, her red figure vanishing among the trees and mist.

Edward and Alice sped after her, leaving only the echo of their departure in the electricity-charged air.

For a moment, everything fell silent, broken only by Nate's heavy breathing as he kept Bella behind him.

Carlisle stepped forward, taking his wife's hand with a worried expression, his eyes scanning the clearing to ensure everyone was safe. His gaze rested on Bella, then on Nate, before he nodded calmly, though his face remained tense and alert.

Bella slipped out of Nate's grasp the moment the tension eased, her eyes scanning the forest desperately.

"Is Edward okay?" she asked, her voice breaking with worry as she looked at Nate, waiting for an answer.

Carlisle took a deep breath before nodding, his eyes fixed on the spot where Edward had disappeared into the rain. "He's with his brothers. They look out for each other."

Bella pressed her lips together, her hands trembling as Esme wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a comforting gesture, keeping her watchful gaze on the forest.

A moment later, the sound of quick footsteps broke through the rain's murmur, and Edward emerged from the forest with Alice at his side. They both stopped as they reached the clearing, their clothes stained with mud, raindrops sliding down their stone-like faces.

Edward walked straight to Bella, his expression hardened, eyes still burning with the fury of the fight. Without thinking, Bella threw herself into his arms, hugging him desperately as the rain soaked her hair.

Edward looked down at her, closing his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her, his chest rising and falling with tense breaths.

"This is all my fault…" he murmured, barely audible, his lips brushing against Bella's wet hair.

Bella pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. "Don't say that."

Edward clenched his jaw, his gaze darkening. Nate, standing to the side, stepped forward.

"What's the situation?" he asked calmly, his voice slicing through the moment, needing to understand what they were facing.

Edward lifted his gaze, meeting Nate's eyes, his hand firm on Bella's back. "I heard it… in his thoughts." His voice was low, but each word struck the dense air of the clearing like a blow. "James… isn't going to stop."

Alice lowered her gaze, her face tense, as Esme stepped closer, forming a small circle around Bella and Edward.

"He's obsessed with her," Edward continued, his voice hardening. "To him… this is a game. A challenge that's now become personal."

Bella clung tighter to Edward, a tremor running through her arms. "What does that mean?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"It means," Edward said, lifting his eyes toward the forest, a spark of fury reigniting in his gaze, "that he will follow us. No matter where we go. He won't stop until he has you."

The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the patter of rain and a distant rumble of thunder. Nate crossed his arms, analyzing coldly.

Before Edward could continue, a crackling sound in the trees made everyone look up. A figure emerged, walking with steady steps, blond hair plastered to her face by the rain, an arrogant smile curling her lips.

Rosalie.

Behind her, hands raised in a gesture of surrender and a resigned look in his eyes, came Laurent, his tall, dark figure contrasting with the wet clearing. His red eyes moved cautiously from one Cullen to another, though there was no aggression in his posture.

"Looks like I was luckier," Rosalie commented, her smile widening as she looked at Edward and then at Emmett, who had just returned to the clearing with Jasper, both breathing heavily after the failed chase.

Laurent stopped, slowly lowering his hands as his gaze met Carlisle's, seeking a hint of mercy.

"Laurent says he wants to talk," Rosalie added, her voice carrying a barely contained pride as she crossed her arms.

The clearing fell silent again, raindrops falling between the tense bodies of the Cullens, Bella's heartbeat loud as she remained under Edward's protective arm.

All eyes turned to Laurent.

"Then speak," Carlisle said calmly, though there was steel in his gaze, ready to defend his family.

Laurent looked around, his hands still raised, as the Cullen circle slowly closed around him. Carlisle stood calmly in front of him, Edward beside Bella, his brow furrowed and hands clenched, while Alice moved to stand next to Nate, her watchful eyes never leaving the visitor.

The rain kept falling, marking the moment with its steady drumming on the soaked leaves and earth.

Laurent sighed, lowering his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"James… will not stop," he began in a deep voice, his red eyes sweeping over each Cullen. "He's a hunter; when he chooses prey, there is no reason or plea that will convince him otherwise. He is… relentless."

Bella trembled, her fingers gripping Edward's sleeve, while Nate kept his eyes fixed on Laurent, evaluating him.

"And Victoria?" Carlisle asked calmly, though his posture remained firm.

Laurent turned his head slightly, letting the rain slide down his face. "Victoria… is more loyal to James than you can imagine. She's not as violent, but… her cunning makes up for what she lacks in strength, and she's nearly impossible to catch. She's persistent, and if James wants something, she will help him get it."

Nate frowned before speaking up. "Why didn't you keep running? You could have escaped."

Laurent turned to him, a resigned smile on his lips as he ran a hand through his wet hair. "Rosalie is… faster than she looks." He glanced at Rosalie, who raised an eyebrow with a cold smile. "Besides, being honest here seemed… more convenient. I didn't help James in the fight, so when he's done with…" His gaze slid toward Bella. "…the girl, he'll come for me too. He doesn't forgive what he sees as betrayal."

A heavy silence followed, broken only by distant thunder. Bella froze, the color draining from her face as Edward clenched his jaw in fury, lowering his eyes to hide the desperation within them.

Nate stepped away from the group, frowning as he processed each of Laurent's words, mentally analyzing escape routes and possibilities, feeling the weight of every passing second.

Laurent, oblivious to the tension, turned to Carlisle, sudden curiosity in his red eyes.

"Your family… your lifestyle is interesting," he commented, inclining his head respectfully. "I've never seen a coven so organized, so integrated with humans. How did you manage it?"

Carlisle nodded calmly. "We feed on animals. It's not enough to fully quench the thirst, but it's enough to lessen it. It has taken years of discipline, but it's possible."

Laurent raised an intrigued eyebrow. "And there are… others like you?"

"In Alaska," Carlisle replied, a hopeful light in his eyes. "The Denali, our friends. They share our way of life. If you truly seek a change…"

Laurent lowered his gaze, thoughtful, before sighing. "Maybe… I'll consider it."

He turned, ready to leave, but before taking a step, his eyes lingered on Nate, a curious glint in his red eyes.

"And you…" Laurent said, his tone lighter, "Are you planning to become one of us?"

Silence fell over the clearing like a hammer, even Bella, trapped in her own shock, looking up at Nate, while Alice turned with a flash of surprise and tension in her eyes.

Nate raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on Laurent, not answering, letting the silence speak for him.

Laurent smiled, flashing his white fangs for a brief moment. "If you wish… I could help you with that."

The tension grew so thick it could be felt in every raindrop that fell. Alice frowned, her gaze shifting from Laurent to Nate, while Rosalie let out a dry chuckle, crossing her arms.

Nate tilted his head slightly, analyzing Laurent's every move. There was no malice, only an intent to ingratiate himself, to appear cooperative. What unsettled Nate wasn't the offer itself, but the sense that Laurent was trying to curry favor… with him.

"I appreciate the offer," Nate replied neutrally, "but it won't be necessary for now."

Laurent shrugged indifferently, though his smile remained. "The offer stands."

With one last glance at Carlisle, Laurent turned and walked into the forest with silent steps until his figure vanished into the rain and mist.

The group fell silent for a moment.

Bella, breathing heavily, snapped out of her shock, looking at Edward in desperation. "What are we going to do?"

Edward opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment, Alice lifted a hand to her temple, her eyes going glassy and distant.

"Alice…" Nate murmured, stepping closer.

Alice blinked, water running down her face, before looking directly at Edward, her voice so low it seemed to break the air.

"James… is headed to the Swan house."

Thunder rumbled, shattering the silence with a roar, as fear painted itself across Bella's eyes.