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Nate drove along the winding road that connected La Push to Forks, leaving Billy Black's house behind.
The engine of his old car purred softly as he kept his eyes on the road, but his mind was racing much faster. He had left his worries behind—once again, he felt confident.
He had all the information he needed. The pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place.
The Cullens weren't as dangerous as he had initially believed. At least, not entirely. That didn't make them harmless, but they were... more peaceful. More restrained.
And with the tacit support of the Quileute tribe, Nate knew he had an ancestral, deep, and real safety net. He had allies. He had a plan.
For a moment, as the trees blurred past his window like shifting shadows, he thought about the Cullens with a degree of objectivity.
Not all of them seemed to be the problem.
Emmett, for example—the big, muscular guy—had been surprisingly friendly. There was something transparent about him. Almost clumsy, but without deception. A guy who laughed loudly and spoke plainly. He didn't seem like the type of creature that crept over rooftops in search of victims.
And Carlisle… it was hard not to empathize with him. Even knowing that, in theory, he had to feed on blood, Nate couldn't ignore what he did every day: hospital doctor. Saving lives. Helping people.
How does someone like him resist his impulses?
Maybe they fed on blood from the hospital, Nate thought. That wouldn't be the worst thing, considering the alternative.
And Alice...
Nate squinted, almost reluctantly.
Her soft voice. Her mischievous smile, the way her eyes looked at him and seemed to understand him. There was something special about her. Something... kind.
A discreet, sincere sweetness. A way of speaking that seemed genuinely excited to uncover what lay beneath Nate's armor.
But he shook his head—literally.
He couldn't allow himself that. He couldn't fall for appearances.
He already knew enough not to be fooled.
Edward Cullen was still a direct threat to Bella, no matter how much he tried to restrain himself. He could fight his nature all he wanted, but the smallest mistake... a single slip... and she'd be dead.
Nate wasn't willing to let that happen.
Bella was still young. She had no idea what it really meant to love someone like Edward. She was idealizing him, blinded by mystery and intensity.
Eventually, she'd meet other people, Nate thought.
Maybe Jacob would even manage to get closer to her.
That made him smile.
For a moment, he pictured his two friends together: Bella laughing, Jacob looking at her with that goofy, adoring expression that was already starting to show.
He could help a little, he told himself. Gently nudge things in that direction—for both their sakes.
But before playing matchmaker, there was a more urgent goal:
Getting rid of the Cullens.
Or at least, making them leave Forks.
Nate had already started categorizing them as vampires—because, in the end, that's what they were. Everything matched the classic folklore.
He no longer cared how "different" they claimed to be.
If they had a need to feed on human life, superhuman strength, golden eyes, and cold skin... they were monsters, period.
No matter how human they tried to seem.
And Edward... he was Nate's main concern.
The most emotional, the most unstable. The one, in Nate's eyes, with the highest chance of hurting Bella.
But also the easiest to provoke.
Edward was afraid of Nate. He had seen it in his eyes the day he discovered his secret. He already felt cornered, and now—with the certainty that he couldn't lay a hand on him—it was only a matter of time.
He just had to scare him enough to make him leave.
As he neared his house, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out with one hand, still driving.
It was a message from Bella:
"Are you free this afternoon? I wanted to go out for a bit and chat. After all, you must be even more bored than I am."
Nate smiled.
"Bored" would be the last word he'd use to describe himself right now. He replied without hesitation:
"Sounds great. I'll pick you up after school. I can ask Charlie to send someone for your truck."
A few seconds later, another message:
"I wouldn't want to trouble Charlie, but after everything that happened yesterday, I don't think he'll mind. I'll be waiting after school. Oh… and by the way, I gave your number to Alice Cullen… well, actually, I gave it to Edward, but he said it was for his sister."
Nate paused for a second.
Edward wasn't wasting any time.
It seemed both sides had decided to be proactive.
Perfect.
Even if he couldn't drive them away, he could at least make Bella's opinion of Edward worsen.
The fact that Edward might come looking for him only played in his favor.
He replied:
"No problem. I hope she gets in touch soon."
A few seconds later, Bella responded in a playful tone:
"Didn't think you were the direct type. Hope you have good luck with Alice!"
Nate laughed again, shaking his head.
Convenient misunderstandings, he thought.
For now, he wasn't going to correct her.
Letting Bella think that only worked in his favor.
As the sun began to filter through the eternal clouds of Forks, Nate parked in front of his house with a light heart.
He was closer than ever to keeping Bella safe…
and to make the fog of monsters surrounding her vanish forever.
And best of all…
now, everything finally felt under control.