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The family, gathered outside the house, finally felt like they could breathe again. The cold Forks air wrapped around them, but what dominated the moment was relief. Rosalie let out a brief laugh before pulling Emmett into a hug, and he lifted her off the ground with the enthusiasm of a child. Even Jasper allowed a small smile to soften his usually tense expression.
They all knew that sooner or later they would have to leave Forks; it was the inevitable fate of their kind. But even so, a part of them saw this place as a home they had earned through effort. Especially Edward.
He stood a little apart from the others, staring into the forest as if he could finally close a worry that had consumed him for weeks. A mix of gratitude and tightly restrained anticipation vibrated in his chest.
Bella.
Now that the treaty remained intact, nothing prevented him from seeing her again. No more boundaries. No more uncertainty. A faint, rare smile touched his lips as he promised himself he would go to her house at dawn and wait for her to wake. He would deliver the news himself, even though he knew a solid hour of scolding and complaints awaited him for his absence and silence. But none of that mattered compared to the joy of being able to hold her in his arms again.
As the relieved laughter and sighs filled the air, Carlisle stepped toward Nate and placed a hand on his shoulder. His eyes were full of profound gratitude.
"You have no idea how glad I am, Nate… We can only thank you," he said sincerely. "For a moment, I thought this was going to erupt into a fight with the Quileutes. But I'm relieved the Alpha agreed to let us stay. Tell me—how did the conversation go?"
Nate didn't flinch at the close gesture. It was clear he had rehearsed his account several times in his mind, because he simply began speaking with calm composure.
"When we arrived, all the wolves were gathered. For a moment, I thought Sam would come out to face us, but it turns out the Alpha is Jacob."
Jasper raised an eyebrow, surprised. "That explains why we never saw him during patrols… but he's so young. Is that normal?"
Carlisle answered immediately, as if clarifying something he already expected. "It's not that surprising. When we made the original agreement, it was with an ancestor of the Black family. The Quileutes may value lineage more than experience."
The conversation began drifting toward theories and details until Rosalie cut in with impatience.
"We can talk about that later. I want to know what happened with the dogs."
Carlisle frowned slightly at the term, though he said nothing. He gestured for Nate to continue.
"Anyway… Jacob introduced himself as the Alpha. I assume he gathered the whole pack to witness the conversation—or maybe as a surprise, because he didn't mention it during our first encounter. We talked for a while. The Quileutes were doing all of this because of Riley's attack, after all."
Nate's eyes chilled for a second at the name, but he quickly continued.
"I insisted that your family's presence was necessary. That you were an extra layer of protection for the humans in Forks… Not all of them agreed. A few had an outburst of anger and attacked me… I let them land a couple of hits so they'd see I wasn't trying to fight… that helped, and Jacob stopped them before anything other than my clothes ended up torn…"
He paused, gauging everyone's reaction before going on.
"In the end, after a lot of debating, they agreed to let you stay… on the condition that we contribute to the safety of the town."
Carlisle's smile widened with genuine pride.
"Even without the treaty, we would help anyone in danger here. You did well, Nate. On behalf of my family, thank you. Now we can breathe easy again. And who knows… maybe your friendship with Jacob can be a bridge so the Quileutes and our family stop being just allies and finally become friends too."
Nate simply nodded, showing little enthusiasm. Alice, standing beside him, lowered her gaze for a moment, feeling the weight of the truth behind her partner's words. Most of what Nate had just said was a carefully crafted lie, a script the two of them had prepared to keep the family safe.
But lies or not, the result was there: the family was safe. And that was the only thing that mattered.
Alice took a deep breath and lifted her gaze again, returning the relieved smile everyone shared, though hers trembled just a bit.
Feeling briefly disappointed to break the cheerful mood—and wanting to shift the conversation away from something built on lies—Alice spoke softly, her voice tinged with regret.
"Dad… I'm sorry to bring this up now that everyone is happy, but I think this is the right moment since we're all together. We talked it over, and as we agreed when we arrived… We'll be leaving at dawn to begin the search for Riley."
The effect was immediate.
The family's festive atmosphere collapsed as if someone had switched off a light.
Esme, who had been radiating joy just a moment earlier, frowned with sadness.
"So soon? You've only been here a few days… I thought you'd stay a little longer. Dawn is just a few hours away—we should be celebrating right now."
Alice lowered her gaze, visibly affected by her mother's reaction, and looked at Nate so he could continue the conversation.
Nate took a deep breath before speaking.
"Now that Alistair is gone, we'll have to search for Riley the traditional way. It'll take us much longer to find even a single clue, so we can't afford to waste time. Alice and I need to start investigating as soon as possible. With a bit of luck, he's still in the country… but wherever he is, we can't let him get farther. Or worse, decide to act."
The family nodded slowly, understanding that this wasn't a whim but a necessity. Carlisle, though saddened, spoke with empathy.
"I'm sorry Alistair wasn't of much help… but maybe if we assist you, we could find something. You've helped us far too much, Nate, and you're part of our family. We can't allow that vampire to keep roaming free, threatening our own."
That simple comment sparked a new kind of energy among the Cullens:
Collaboration. Determination. Loyalty.
"Graduation is in a little over a month," Carlisle continued. "After that, the kids' absence will go unnoticed. Some of us could go with you, making the trip safer. And the more of us go, the higher the chance of finding him."
The Cullen siblings exchanged looks and, almost in unison, nodded with shared understanding.
Emmett was the first to speak, as enthusiastic as ever.
"It might even be fun! I don't think Edward can come with us, but you can count on Rosalie and me."
Rosalie, though more composed, didn't deny her agreement. Jasper, who had remained quiet as he observed every gesture, added calmly:
"I can go too. I know some people near the border… I could call in a few favors. If Riley escaped to the south, someone must have seen him."
But as each offer of support piled on, Nate felt the weight of a much bigger problem.
The presence of any of them—noble as their intentions were—would only complicate things.
His expression hardened slightly as he prepared to explain, but Alice cut in before he could speak.
"I truly love all of you," she said with a small but sincere smile, "but we have to do this on our own."
Nate turned toward her.
He saw something in her eyes that left him silent: a mixture of sadness, responsibility, and the faint shadow of something else… something that had flickered for an instant when the family offered to join the hunt, but that now had dimmed, leaving only determination.
"It's something I talked about with Nate," Alice continued. "It's better if we go alone. After all, if Riley comes back here, you'll be safer if you stay together."
Emmett frowned, concerned.
"And what about you? Even if you find him, Riley might not be alone. You'd need all the help you can get."
Alice replied with a crooked smile, ironic and sweet all at once.
"I'll be with Nate. Trust me… that's safer than staying here. No offense, brother, but I'm more worried about you guys than myself."
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable.
It was a silent acknowledgment.
An acceptance.
Because none of them could deny the obvious:
Not even all of them together could defeat Nate.
And if Alice was with him, her safety wasn't a concern—
It was a certainty.
It took only a few seconds for everyone to agree with her words.
But even if they accepted the explanation, that didn't ease their worry. There was a bitter note in the air: they had just entrusted everything with the Quileutes to Nate and Alice, and now they had to watch them leave right when they themselves needed support.
No one said it out loud, but they all felt it.
The conversation was about to drag on when Carlisle raised a hand gently, asking for silence. His eyes settled first on Alice, then on Nate. He took a deep breath before speaking.
"We understand," he said at last. "After all, you've shown again and again that you can handle anything. We only hope that if you need help, you won't hesitate to come to us. We'll drop whatever is necessary and help."
Nate held his gaze for a moment. There was firmness in his eyes, but also a faint trace of silent acknowledgment. Finally, he simply nodded. Carlisle seemed to relax, even if only slightly.
Alice, noticing how tension was thickening in the air once again, smiled gently, trying to bring some lightness back into the moment.
"Now that everything's settled… why don't we make the most of these last hours before we have to leave?"
Her suggestion fell like a spark onto dry grass: instantly, the group's spirits began to rise again. Emmett stepped forward with a wide, almost childlike grin and threw an arm around Nate's shoulders, pushing him playfully toward the house.
"Come on! If we only have a few hours, you at least need to have some fun. Jasper got a new movie recently, and we can play 'guess the ending.'"
Nate let out a barely visible but genuine smile. With a swift movement, he slipped out of Emmett's hold and, in a gesture as unexpected as it was natural, lifted Alice effortlessly into his arms.
"Only this time, we get the big couch."
Alice laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and the comment triggered a chorus of playful exclamations and protests from the rest of the family.
In an instant, they all dashed toward the house, shoving one another, laughing as if they hadn't spent days under tension and threat.
It was a contagious energy, a sparkling relief that wrapped around them all.
The brightness in their eyes was unmistakable: the happiness of having the family together, whole, and safe. Even if only for a few hours, even with dawn right around the corner, they wanted to savor every second.
Because those were the moments the Cullens treasured.
And that night, for at least one brief instant, there was nothing hunting them.
..............................................................
Dawn arrived so quickly it felt like nothing more than a blink.
The night before their departure had been so warm, so unexpectedly light, that even Nate allowed himself to relax his shoulders and spend time with the Cullens with a natural ease he had never shown before.
Alice didn't leave his side for a single moment; she was an endless mix of bright laughter, quick remarks, and small gestures of affection that seemed to draw from Nate a serenity he rarely displayed. The rest of the family matched her energy: Emmett laughed until he fell off his couch, Rosalie allowed herself several genuine smiles, Jasper was swept up by the vibrant atmosphere… and even Edward let out an occasional laugh—brief but real—before his expression darkened every time his eyes met Nate's.
But the night slipped away like water between their fingers. And when the first faint rays of diffuse sunlight began filtering through Forks' perpetual clouds, the family was already gathered at the front of the house, ready to say goodbye to Nate and Alice.
The air held a strange weight: a mixture of sadness and warmth, of pride and unease. Each of them offered words of encouragement, repeated reminders to call if they found any leads, promises of immediate support, fragile smiles, and tight embraces. They knew Nate and Alice would return, but that didn't make the farewell any easier.
When everyone had said a few words, Carlisle stepped forward. His expression, as paternal as ever, managed to silence the remaining murmurs.
"Alice… Nate."
He spoke in a warm voice, though wounded by the parting.
"Even though it pains me to see you go, I know this is only temporary. I'm sure that before we know it, we'll all be together again."
Then he turned toward Nate; the kindness in his gaze shifted into something more serious, almost solemn.
"Please… protect her. And don't put yourself at risk either, son."
The word hit Nate like an unexpected spark.
Son.
Something tightened inside him for a brief instant, an emotion hard to name, but he didn't let it show. He only nodded firmly, his voice calm but resolute.
"We'll be fine. Stay together, and if anything happens, contact Alice. We'll be back as soon as possible."
Alice smiled when she heard him, with a lively and confident expression.
"I'll keep an eye on the phone! And I'll send updates whenever I can."
Carlisle returned the smile with deep affection, as if those simple words eased, even a little, the weight of letting them go.
For a moment, the family stood in silence, wrapped in a blend of fondness, nostalgia, and worry.
Nate glanced toward the forest, as if wanting to check one last time whether any russet fur was hiding among the trees. But he saw nothing. Only Forks' thick grayness and the deceptive calm of sunrise. Finally, he turned to Alice. She didn't need to speak; she simply nodded, softly determined, ready to leave.
With a final gesture to the family, Nate pushed off the ground. In a single fluid movement, he and Alice vanished into the trees, leaving behind only a faint rush of air that dissipated almost instantly.
The Cullen family watched the direction they had taken, unmoving, until Carlisle clapped his hands gently to break the heavy air left by the farewell.
"Well… even if it's Sunday, I think we should take advantage of the day and enjoy our renewed freedom."
The Cullens understood immediately and, with slow steps, headed back inside the house. Carlisle allowed himself a small, satisfied smile as he watched them go—until he noticed something.
Edward hadn't moved.
He remained exactly where he was, rigid, his gaze lost in the forest.
"Are you alright, son?" Carlisle asked, taking a step toward him. "I thought you'd go see Bella right away."
Edward blinked as if waking from a trance. For a moment, Stefan's soft, mocking laughter echoed inside his mind—an unsettling sound that chilled his nerves.
"I need to do something first…" he murmured, his tone tight with tension.
Before Carlisle could respond, Edward had already shot forward in a burst of air, racing in the same direction Nate and Alice had taken.
Carlisle watched him disappear, utterly perplexed, wondering what his son could possibly need to say—or do—before seeing Bella.