"So, what do we do now? We have too many things to deal with without adding the blood singer," Rosalie crossed her arms.
"I'll just alter her mind again. Hoping she would not remember this time," Nathaniel sighed and rubbed his mate's side. Alice's eyes glazed over nothing as she was sucked into a vision.
♡
The first scene was disturbing. It showed Bella, who was running in the school's hallway, screaming at everyone that the Cullens were vampires. She seemed to have lost her mind.
"THEY'RE VAMPIRES. I PROMISE, I SAW THEM. I GOT BIT BY ONE," She motioned to her wrist, where James had bitten her. The small group of students that were around her started to be afraid of her. Vampires? Really? "But my Edward saved me... but he didn't turn me. Please, you have to get him, he has to turn me so we can be together forever!" Bella continued yelling.
The vision changed. It wasn't at school anymore, but in the middle of the street in front of the Swan's house. The weather was rather dark that day. It was raining heavily and it only added more to the somber aura that the vision had. One of the people was blurry, but Alice recognized the Swan wolf. Madelyn and Nathaniel were standing in front of each other. The shapeshifter had tears in her eyes while the vampire had this dark look in his. He didn't seem to recognize the girl as his mate. Madelyn felt like a stranger to him.
"Nate... please. Listen to me," Madelyn tried to press her hand on his cheek, but he pushed her back.
"Go away," Nathaniel spat, trying to walk past her.
"My love, it's me. Nate, wake up, please..." She pleaded, finally being able to cup his face. Madelyn made him look at her in the eyes, hoping he was going to get out of this dark stance he was in.
"I said go away," He roared, pushing Madelyn back sharply. The shapeshifter didn't expect to get attack by her imprint and she fell a few meters away.
"What are you doing..." She whimpered lowly, trying to back away from him when Nathaniel walked to her menacingly. Madelyn's back was bleeding, but it healed quickly. She didn't really feel the physical pain, but the pain in her heart made her cried out. Her imprint was rejecting her.
"I'm doing what I should have done decades ago," He got down in front of Madelyn, tilting her chin up with a finger and smirked wickedly. "You really thought I would stay by your side forever, mon amour [my love]?" Nathaniel mocked her, wrapping his hand tightly around her neck and bringing her closer to his face. Madelyn tried to kick him back, but he restrained her. "My gift hasn't been offered to me so I could be in stupid coven playing sweet mortal life," He glared at the girl before him and started to choke her harder.
"Nate, please. Stop it, this isn't you," She wanted to tell more, but Nathaniel slammed her head on the concrete. Her breath hitched.
"Oh darling," He frowned with fake sadness, shaking his head. "This is the real me. I want everyone to kneel before me," His smirk was back. "With my gift, I can control the vampire world. Hell, I can control the entire world if I wanted to. You are an obstacle that prevents me from reaching my goal. I should have killed you when I had the occasion," Madelyn was crying silently, staring at the man before her. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of making any pain noises. Madelyn felt like a part of her was being ripped from her body.
"This is only the beginning, mon amour [my love]. Now, get out of my way before I make you," Nathaniel's grip tighten around Madelyn's neck, making her close her eyes tightly, still trying to not make any sounds. He let her go and got up, staring at her while she tried to breath normally again. Madelyn looked up at him, her face voided of emotions. The teacher's face got pained for a second before it went blank again. He turned on his heels and left.
Madelyn was staring at his retracting form until she couldn't. Only then, she broke down. She sobbed, sitting on the ground. She brought her legs up and buried her head between them, trying to deal with the pain that her own imprint inflicted her.
Alice gasped, trying to catch her non-needed breath. They were all staring at the pixie-like vampire, worrying about her vision. Edward was shocked about the vision. How come Nathaniel, the man who waited for his mate for 500 years, could turn his back on her? And try to choke her?
"No Nate, don't use your gift on Bella again," Alice shook her head rapidly.
"Why? What did you see?" The teacher wondered.
"I saw Bella..." The seer's eyes moved quickly side to side, trying to see if there was something else she was missing.
"She was at school, yelling at everyone we are vampires. She didn't look like herself, she looked... mad," Edward continued.
"That's all?" Rosalie pressed on, wanting to know why Alice and Edward looked so panicked.
"No. After, it was Maddy and Nate standing in the middle of the street and -," Before Alice could carry on, Jasper cut her.
"How come you saw Maddy in your vision?" Alice shook her head at her husband.
"She was really blurry, actually. I don't know why I saw her, but the consequences of altering Bella's mind are too disastrous to risk it. So, they were standing in front of each other and Nate seemed to be, darker?" Alice didn't know how to put it.
"Yes, he looked like a completely different person. You were so engrossed by power, like an insensitive manipulator, and Madelyn tried to bring you back, but you just... left," Edward didn't want to insist on the fact that Nathaniel almost killed his mate. They were not going to alter Bella's mind anyway, there was no need to tell them.
"But I would never do that," Nathaniel frowned deeply and brought Madelyn closer to him, holding her to him tighter than ever.
"Maybe we should consult Eleazar, for your gift. Something must have changed for you to be so... evil," Carlisle suggested.
"I believe it was Nate using his manipulation gift on Bella for a second time that had greater consequences. On Bella and on Nate. You might have to be careful while using your gift, it might not be a good idea to use it a lot," Alice advised. "But yes, maybe Eleazar would know something. Did he already say anything to you? How many times had you use your gift?"
"He wanted to show me his gift, so just told me what mine was, even if I already knew that part. Nothing special. In that moment, I only used it to practice on Carlisle, but there were minor lies. And the other time was to leave the Volturi," Nathaniel explained while Alice nodded, deep in thought.
"Maybe the effects get worse the more you use your power?" Madelyn suggested.
"Or it is because you use your gift two times on the same person?" Esme continued.
"Maybe. Hey, didn't you have patrol?" Nathaniel reminded his mate, who jumped up from the couch. After saying goodbye, she quickly shifted and ran to the reservation.
"Are you sure it's a bad idea? Isabella will get in the way if I don't use my gift on her," Nathaniel turned back to his family when Madelyn left.
"Nate, really, you don't want to do this," Edward warned him.
"I can't see your visions, you're going to have to explain me," The black haired teacher shook his head stubbornly.
"We already did. You got really evil and pushed Madelyn away like she was nothing to you," Alice glared a little at her uncle, upset that he didn't want to understand. He wanted to deal with one situation at the time, but it wasn't an option anymore.
"I would never do that. Your visions must be wrong ; you guys know how important Madelyn is to me," The rest of the vampires looked at Alice, Edward and Nathaniel going back and forth. They understood Nathaniel wanted to deal with Bella so they could concentrate on Victoria after, but if Edward and Alice said it was really bad, it must be. They usually didn't sugar-coat anything.
"Nate, no -," Edward sent him cold look.
"Just one time, it wouldn't do that much damage -," Nathaniel didn't want to let this go, and finally, Alice had enough.
"YOU ALMOST KILLED HER NATHANIEL," Alice yelled at him, getting up to her feet. The girl never screamed, not in a serious way at least. Nathaniel was frozen, not entirely understanding.
"W-what?" His voice was not louder than a whisper, it would have been hard for a human to hear it. Venom filled his eyes quickly. "I-I did?"
"Yes. Well, in the vision. You told her she was in your way to gain more power over the vampire world. That's why you shouldn't use your gift again on Bella. You would become insensitive, even towards your mate and you don't want that -," Edward explained, but Nathaniel wasn't listening to him. He tried to kill his mate. Well, he didn't, but he might. He swore to himself to stay away from Isabella Swan, as far away as possible. He just couldn't risk using his gift on her if it could lead to him trying to kill his own mate. Edward was still talking, but the teacher had heard enough. He got up hastily and speeded to his room upstairs. His knees felt weak as he sat down on his bed.
Downstairs, the Cullens shared a look. Jasper kept his eyes closed, pain covering his face as he felt the distress coming out from Nathaniel. He hadn't felt that kind of pain since a long time. Even when he was turned into a vampire, it didn't hurt that much. Hurting your mate, even the thought of hurting your mate was really the most painful thing ever. Carlisle sighed and got up as well.
"I am going to check on him," Esme nodded and smiled sadly at her mate. The doctor was most likely the only person he wanted to talk with as they have been together for a very long time. Joining his coven brother in his room, he sat besides him and stayed silent. He wanted Nathaniel to know he was ready to listen, if he was ready to talk.
"Can you promise me one thing?" Nathaniel whispered in a hoarse voice.
"Anything, brother," The blond vampire shot him a reassuring look. It truly broke his frozen heart to see the vampire before him that way.
"If I ever do that. If I ever become that... monster, I want you to light up a fire and throw me in it," Carlisle almost protested, he was going to promise anything but that, but Nathaniel stopped him before he could. "Please, Carlisle. I'm begging you."
"You can't ask me that," The doctor had venom in his eyes, too.
"I am asking you because I know you will respect my decision. If I hurt Madelyn in any way, I won't forgive myself," The teacher looked away from his friend, staring instead at the forest. The Olympic coven leader sighed but nodded either way.
"Fine. If you ever do anything like that, which I am sure you will not, I will do what you want."
"Good," Nathaniel squeezed Carlisle's shoulder and without waiting longer, he left to the Swan's house.
After jumping inside his beloved's bedroom, he buried himself under her bed sheets. He breathed in deeply and almost calmed down just smelling her lovely scent. But the thought of him hurting Madelyn came right back. For quite some time, as he was waiting for his mate to come back from patrol, he let out tearless sobs, his dead heart tightening hurtfully. Nathaniel didn't really understand himself, he hadn't done it. He hadn't hurt Madelyn.
Yet, his mind reminded him.
He closed his eyes tighter and pulled on his long hair slightly, thinking the same sentences over and over. He didn't hurt his mate. That moment didn't happen. He wasn't an insensitive monster. He had control over himself. Everything was fine.
♡
Madelyn was done with her patrol in the middle of the afternoon and walked back to her house after. She heard muffled sounds coming from her bedroom and easily recognized her imprint. Walking inside, she quickly went to her room, eager to spend some time with her beloved. She closed the door behind her and tiptoed to her bed, where she saw Nathaniel's body form under the covers. She didn't really understand why he wrapped himself in her bed as he didn't feel the cold.
Nathaniel was still in his thoughts when he noticed his mate's calming scent was stronger. All the reassuring sentences he told himself for the past minutes flew out the window. Without giving time for Madelyn to blink, he fell down to his knees and hugged her waist, burying his face into her stomach.
"Nate?" Madelyn's heart broke as she watched her fiancé dry sobbing. It must be so frustrating to cry without the tears falling, not matter how much you wanted them to fall. "My love, what happened?" She took his head in her hands and pressed a kiss on the top of it. She wanted to help him get up and sit on her bed, but he didn't want to move, only squeezing his arms around her tighter.
"Je suis tellement désolé, ma chérie. Je le jure, je ne voulais pas. Jamais je ne pourrais me pardonner si je faisais cela. Je te promets, je vais te chérir jusqu'à la fin des temps. Je suis tellement désolé. Pardonne-moi. Je t'aime tellement. Je préfèrerais mourir plutôt que de te faire le moindre mal [I am so sorry, my darling. I swear, I didn't mean to. I could never forgive myself if I ever did that. I promise, I will cherish you till the end of time. I am so sorry. Forgive me. I love you so much. I would rather die than hurt you]," Nathaniel kept going on. Madelyn understood most of what he said and was confused about why was he sorry for? He hadn't hurt her.
"Shh, calm down a little for me, my love. What happened? What are you apologizing for?" Madelyn stroked his long black hair in a calming manner.
"Alice explained more the vision. She told me if I use my gift on Isabella again, I'll become so engrossed by power and manipulation that I hurt you. But you are everything to me. I tried to kill you. I am so sorry," Nathaniel's shoulder were moving slightly with his sobs.
"You have nothing to apologize for, my love," However, he kept saying sorry for a while and pressed soft kisses on his beloved's stomach. Madelyn was saddened at the fact that a vision that didn't happen affected him so much. And it would surely not happen, but she comforted her imprint the best she could. The wolf girl succeeded to drag him to her bed and she lied down, him on top of her. Nathaniel snuggled his face on Madelyn's breast while she was still stroking his hair, kissing him every so often. His arms were wrapped tightly around her body as if she was the only thing that kept him ground to earth. After a few minutes of cuddling together, the vampire calmed down enough so he wasn't shaking anymore.
This is how Charlie found them after coming back from work. He opened the door to see his oldest and her fiancé cuddling. The Swan man smiled a little, happy that one of his daughters found happiness. He closed the door and let them take a nap together, walking downstairs with that ever-present grin.
♡
I hope you liked this chapter, thank you for reading!