CHAPTER 9
On the docks of Forks, Waylon — the man who once played Santa Claus — was standing on his boat, scraping old paint while a half-empty beer can sat nearby. He listened to music on his worn-out player.
His dog rested beside him, ears twitching toward the sounds coming from the forest.
Everything was normal. The weather, for Forks, even looked pleasant — still gray, but a bit brighter.
Until suddenly…
Everything went silent.
The forest shut down.
The river stopped sounding.
And a strange feeling spread through the air.
A feeling you only sense when you're on the path of a predator.
It was different. Wrong. The smell of the air felt off.
The dog lifted its head and growled, but Waylon didn't notice at first.
He kept working and humming until he realized something was wrong. His dog was gone.
"Jerry?" he called out into the emptiness.
No answer.
He quickly untied the rope of his boat, letting it float for a few seconds on the river — which suddenly felt like the most terrifying place he could be.
From the dark forest, a man appeared.
The boat rocked violently as the stranger landed silently right on top of it.
Pale skin.
Silver-blond hair.
Eyes with a feline glow.
A sinister aura wrapped around him.
His eyes almost crimson.
Something about him sent a human shiver up the spine.
"How… how did you do that?" Waylon asked the stranger.
The man chuckled, amused.
"Always the same stupid questions…"
Waylon turned and saw a woman appear beside him.
She looked around twenty-five, with messy red hair, a model's body and face, and an aura that screamed danger. Everything about her was lethal.
Waylon turned to jump, but froze when he found a third person in front of him.
A man with dark skin, black braids, ragged clothes, and no shoes.
The cold didn't seem to affect him at all.
"What do you want?" Waylon continued, trembling.
"Why do you think we do this?" the red-haired woman asked with a chilling smile.
The braided man spoke in a deep voice.
"James, please…" he said, looking at the blond one.
James grinned again, his face shifting.
This wasn't a person anymore.
This was a monster wearing human skin.
"The real question is… will it hurt?" he mocked, eyes turning predatory.
The redhead smiled wickedly. Her eyes gleamed for a second.
The three of them lunged at Waylon—
Blood splattered into his scream.
No one would help him.
He was alone, and life left his eyes.
---
After feeding, the woman sensed something strange in the air.
Her instincts sharpened — now that her hunger was gone, she could perceive everything more clearly.
And then she froze, staring into the empty forest longer than she should have.
"Victoria?" James asked, following her gaze. "What is it?"
Victoria felt a human shiver crawl through her whole body.
A scent.
A powerful, electrifying scent…
"It's nothing…" she said quickly, shaking off the feeling.
"I just heard something odd."
And with that, the three vampires sprinted faster than any wild animal, vanishing into the forest.
---
La Push Beach
It was freezing.
Gray skies.
Waves crashing violently against the shore.
But Mike and the others were still putting on their wetsuits, ready to surf.
Bella and Angela walked along the wooden walkway, taking pictures.
"I keep thinking Eric will ask me to the dance… but I don't know, why isn't he doing it?" Angela asked with a gloomy look.
Bella smiled softly to comfort her.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" she suggested.
Angela blushed, insecure but hopeful.
"You're strong, independent," Bella encouraged. "You can do it!"
"You really think so?" Angela asked, slightly brighter.
Bella looked ahead and recognized a familiar face.
"Bella!" Jacob called, smiling broadly.
Three boys she didn't know followed behind him.
Bella smiled and introduced him.
"Girls, this is Jacob. He's Jimmy's cousin."
At the mention of Logan, Jacob's expression twisted for a second.
The boys behind Jacob exchanged uncomfortable looks.
"Jacob, are you stalking me?" Bella joked, not noticing their tension.
Jacob laughed.
"Not at all. You're on my reservation, remember?"
"You surf?" he asked teasingly.
Bella rolled her eyes with a smile.
"Not even close."
Jessica laughed softly.
"You can keep her company," she said mockingly. "Her date didn't come."
Eric gasped.
"Date? Did you invite Jimmy?"
"I wish it was him," Jessica replied. "She invited Edward."
Bella nearly died of embarrassment.
"I was just being polite…"
Angela tried to defend her.
"I think that was sweet," she said. "Nobody asks him out."
"That's because they're freaks," Mike added mockingly.
"He's right," Jacob's friend said coldly.
Bella glared.
"And you know him well enough to say that?"
"The Cullens don't come here," he answered bluntly.
Jacob shot him a warning look.
Bella noticed.
More questions formed in her mind.
Why didn't they come here?
What was different about them?
She made a subtle signal to Jacob to walk away and talk.
---
Forest
Logan had a bad feeling that day.
Every night, he felt a strange sensation crawl across his body…
Like being marked by a wild animal.
Those vampires were close.
In his massive bear form, he ran through the forest with crushing strength, smashing obstacles as if they were nothing. Every transformation made him feel invincible.
But deep down, he knew he wasn't.
He needed to know how strong he truly was.
If he wanted to hunt these vampires, he needed to understand where he stood in the food chain.
And for that, he had only one option—
To visit Dr. Carlisle Cullen.
The only vampire he had ever spoken to.
And the only one who might have the answers he needed...
To be continued…
---
Thank you so much for reading the chapter!
I just wanted to say sorry if some parts felt a bit different or awkward. Translating from Spanish to English isn't always easy — a lot of words and feelings don't have a perfect match, so I had to change a few things more than I wanted.
I really tried to keep the same vibe and meaning as the original Spanish version, but some things get a little lost in translation. I hope it didn't feel too strange!
Anyway, thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving it a chance. Your support means the world to me.
P.S.: The original Spanish version is on my profile if you ever want to compare!
— Ashura23 🐻