Shifting.

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The car made a familiar humming sound as Nate turned onto the street that would take him to Jacob's house.

"Alright, heads up," Nate heard Bella say as he looked in the rearview mirror to see her face while he focused on the road.

"What's that?" Nate asked simply.

After leaving the pack lodge, Nate had quickly gone home to shower and change clothes, so when Bella arrived, he'd be ready to leave immediately. He hadn't taken into account, though, how teenage girls liked to take their time when getting ready for outings with friends.

Even Bella, who Nate had thought was different, seemed to be affected by this affliction.

"Jessica, that's what's up," Bella said, pulling Nate from his thoughts.

Nate made a confused face. He didn't know anyone named Jessica, but after thinking for a moment, he recognized the name as belonging to one of Bella's friends.

"Your friend, what about her?" Nate asked, seeing the familiar house closing in.

Bella, who made a weird sound, said, "Let's just say she has a thing for handsome boys." That made Nate, who had been wearing a passive expression, smile and turn his head.

"You think I'm handsome?" To which Bella groaned, "Please, Nate, don't start," she said. Nate laughed audibly as he brought the car to a stop in front of the Black residence.

"I'm trying to tell you that she'll be hitting on you," Bella explained as they watched the front door of Jacob's house open, and Jacob stepped out with his dad following behind him.

"Hmm, got you, thanks for the heads up," Nate said, his attention caught by Jacob, who had made an impossible transformation since the last time he had seen him three days ago when Bella had hit her head.

The changes wouldn't be noticeable to the human eye unless they paid extra attention, but to Nate, whose senses were superior, he could see every small change.

Larger muscle mass, denser bones, a heartbeat that was slow but powerful like an endurance athlete, and the smell.

If the smell he exuded compared to the pack members was light the last time Nate had seen him, now he couldn't tell the difference between Jacob and Sam if they stood near each other.

"It was a good idea I came along," Nate whispered, looking at Jacob, who was waving as he walked to the car and opened the backseat door.

"Hey, Bells, Nate," Jacob said, entering the car as Nate's nose twitched lightly. He may have hung around the pack members a lot, but that didn't mean he liked how they smelled—in fact, it was the opposite.

"Sup," Nate greeted shortly.

"Hey," Bella said, smiling at him as Nate looked out of the car to see the man in the wheelchair sitting on the porch.

Billy waved at Nate and nodded at him knowingly, which made Nate smile a little and wave back before starting the car and driving off.

'I guess Sam told him about me,' Nate thought, as Bella and Jacob were talking about the movie they were going to see.

While driving, Nate would occasionally answer questions Bella and Jacob asked him, but anything beyond that, he would just stay quiet, focusing on driving the car and enjoying the ambient sounds the forest provided, along with the sound of Bella and Jacob laughing.

Nate hadn't realized it, but for the past couple of days, due to the stress and frustration of the lack of information about his father, he'd had a constant frown on his face.

Bella and Charlie didn't ask him about it because Charlie was still under the impression that Nate was healing from his mother's death, and Bella just thought he was feeling frustrated because of his work as an artist… Both of them couldn't have been further from the truth.

Though now, driving the car, Nate seemed to forget about all his worries and just enjoy the process. But, unfortunately, as it had always been with his life, every peace was a calm before the storm.

Nate's phone rang.

He pulled the phone from his pocket and saw the name "Anna" on the caller ID.

"Shit," he said lightly, getting both Bella's and Jacob's attention.

"Nate, you okay?" Bella asked, clearly hearing the cursing. Nate shook his head before looking in the rearview mirror.

"I'm okay, just got to take this call, okay?" he said, Bella and Jacob nodding in understanding as he answered the phone.

"Hello," he said.

"Hello, Nate, how are you? Did I catch you at a bad time?" Anna asked from the other end of the phone, her usual caring tone in her voice.

Nate, who had heard the question, looked at the road before glancing back at the rearview mirror to see both Bella and Jacob watching the passing trees.

"No," he said shortly, not feeling comfortable with her.

"Alright, well, I wanted to ask when we could hold our next session. We were making a breakthrough in our last session before it came to an end," she said, sounding regretful, like it wasn't her who had kicked Nate out.

"You kicked me out," he said, sounding grave, which made both Jacob and Bella in the back twitch.

They were listening, Nate thought, observing how they twitched. It was inevitable since they were in such a small space.

"I'm really sorry, dear, but I had another client coming in. It's part of my policy that clients don't see each other for their safety and comfort," she explained, but Nate could tell she was lying. The way her tone wavered suggested that she was being untruthful.

But Nate didn't really care whether or not she kicked him out last time; he wanted to know what Anna knew about his father. So, her calling him to book another meeting worked in his favor, but he couldn't jump on the chance too quickly after what she did last time, afraid of coming off as suspicious.

So he acted like any normal person would in this situation.

... Nate was quiet for a moment, selling the act while thinking of all the different reasons why she would want him to come in.

"Please, Nate, I'm sorry for what happened last time. But for the sake of the memory you hold of your father... let me help you." Nate, who heard what she said, was very close to flooring the brake in anger.

How dare she use his father's name to get him to agree?

But instead of lashing out in anger, Nate took a deep breath and, with the calmest voice he could muster, said, "How does next Monday sound?" he asked.

"That's perfect, same time as last time?" she asked, and Nate nodded.

"Yeah, same time works perfectly."

"Perfect. Well, I'll see you then... and Nate," she said. By this point, Nate was so furious that he was squeezing the steering wheel hard enough for it to start crumbling under the pressure.

"Yes?" he said, keeping the anger from his tone.

"Thanks for giving me a chance. Your father would be proud." Before she could say any more, he cut the call right then and there and threw the phone onto the passenger seat.

Nate's face was stone cold. He heard Bella opening her mouth, and before she could ask the question she was going to, he interjected.

"Work-related," he said, knowing she couldn't talk about his work while Jacob was in the car.

"Okay," she said lightly, clearly seeing that something was up but not prying.

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After arriving and parking at the theater, they all walked to the entrance, where two people—a boy and a girl—were standing and waiting, both looking awkward for some reason.

"Mike, Jessica," Bella called out in a meek voice, while Jacob and Nate followed behind her. One was deep in thought, still a little angry about the call, while the other seemed nervous to meet Bella's friends.

"Oh, Bella, you're here!" Jessica said, walking toward them while Mike followed closely behind her.

Jessica, who gave Bella a quick hug, looked at Jacob first before turning to look at Nate, instantly zooming in on her target.

"Nate, right?" she said, getting into Nate's personal space. He looked at the girl, eyes widening and taking a step back from how close she came to him. Jacob, who was standing next to Nate, also took a step back, but more as an instinct.

"Yeah," Nate said curtly, nodding his head while turning his gaze to the other boy, who for some reason looked like he had eaten something sour.

"And you're Mike, right?" Nate asked, stepping around Jessica and extending his arm for a handshake. The boy seemed confused for a moment before he realized Nate was extending his hand.

As Mike clamped his hand around Nate's, Nate couldn't help but feel disgusted. Mike's hand was sweaty and clammy.

"Y...yeah, I'm Mike. But, uh, who are you?" he asked in a very timid fashion, looking around the group to figure out who Nate was. Before Nate could answer, though, Jessica jumped in, grabbing Nate's arm and squeezing her chest against it.

"This is Nate, Bella's cousin," she said. Nate grimaced at the act, while Jacob, still standing where he was earlier, stifled a laugh.

"That's correct," Nate said, gently taking his arm away from Jessica so as not to hurt her feelings. "Bella here invited me, hope that's not a bother," he added. Mike shook his head in rapid succession before saying, "No, not at all. You're welcome to join!" Mike said, laughing, which sounded like the most relieved laugh Nate had ever heard.

God, this one too, Nate thought, looking at both Jacob and Mike, who had a crush on his cousin. He also glanced at Bella, making sure to get his thoughts across with his eyes. She nodded in embarrassment and confirmation.

"Well, anyway, I'm gonna go in to get us the tickets. Jessica, you want to come with me?" Bella said, attempting to give Nate space to breathe.

"No, I think I'll stay here," Jessica said, giving Nate a look. He made sure not to look her direction. "If that's fine with you, that is," she continued, turning toward Bella, who was looking at her cousin apologetically.

"Yeah, I guess," Bella said before she turned on her heel and entered the movie theater, while silence descended on the group.

Nate, who was still feeling a bit angry from the previous call with Anna and uncomfortable with Jessica, turned to Jacob and Mike. "I'm gonna get some popcorn, want anything?" he asked, making sure to spare Jessica a glance to show her he was extending the same courtesy of buying snacks.

"Nah."

"No, I'm good."

Both Jacob and Mike said, while Jessica took on a thinking pose. Nate, seeing this, knew where she was going with it and decided leaving now would benefit him more. So, he did exactly that and turned on his heel, entering the building, hearing Jessica whine as he left.

"God, Bella really wasn't kidding, was she?" Nate muttered, walking into the building as the smell of popcorn, sweets, and drinks filled his nostrils.

Following the smell, Nate turned a corner and bumped into a person. Both of them almost lost their balance.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Nate said, turning to look at the person he bumped into. The man had long black disheveled hair, a fisherman cap, a full beard, and a green fisherman's coat.

"It's fine," the man said shortly, his voice sounding oddly familiar to Nate. The man gathered himself and started walking the way he had just come from.

"Hey, wait?" Nate called, a look of confusion on his face as he realized something. The man... How did he not sense him coming? Better yet, how did his senses not pick anything up? That never happened before.

The man picked up his pace, and as Nate saw this, he started walking after him, first slowly and then jogging lightly to avoid losing him. But as the man took a turn and Nate lost sight of him, Nate increased his pace to a sprint and turned the corner, only to see nothing—just an empty corridor.

"That can't be," Nate said before he activated his echolocation. He heard the noises from the movies playing, but... nothing that would indicate the man was there.

"That's impossible," he muttered audibly. Just as he was about to take a step forward to continue down the corridor, someone tried to grab his shoulder. Instinctively, Nate grabbed the person's hand in a vice grip before he heard a familiar scream of pain.

"Bella?" he said, turning around instantly, letting Bella go as she held her hand in pain.

"What the hell, Nate?" she asked, looking at the red handprint on her wrist. Nate sighed in relief as he looked at her hand.

Thankfully, he hadn't used too much force. If he had? Well, she wouldn't have an arm now, and the conversation they were about to have would have been very different.

"I'm sorry, Isabella, I didn't mean to. I'm just a little spooked," he said, gently grabbing the arm he squeezed and rubbing it lightly.

"Ugh," she vocalized in pain as he pressed and prodded to check if there were any broken bones.

"It's fine," she said, pulling her hand away as she looked at Nate with an unfamiliar expression. Nate, seeing her look, was a bit confused until Bella spoke again.

"The others already entered the screening room. Jessica said you went to get some snacks, so I came to look for you," she informed him, as he looked back down the corridor where the man could have slipped away.

"Are you sure you're okay, Nate? You look like you've seen a ghost?" Bella asked, her voice now full of worry as she looked at him.

Nate turned around to face Bella and stared at her for a moment.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Like I said, just spooked. Why don't we just go see the movie?" Nate said, turning Bella around and guiding her away from the empty corridor.

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Nate felt miserable.

He sat between Mike and Jessica, while his cousin sat between both of the boys who seemed to have a crush on her.

Now, the reason why he felt the way he did was because of the woman—or girl—sitting next to him, doing everything she could to gain his attention. Whether it was using her legs to slowly caress his, acting sleepy as if to lean on Nate, or asking him to get her snacks—something he'd already done twice—he felt suffocated. He couldn't leave, though, because he was sure his cousin felt the same way with the two boys. He would've never let this happen, but they had entered the room late and the seating arrangements were already set. Jacob and Mike had saved a seat for Bella, and Jessica had saved one for him. When he'd tried to sit in Bella's seat, Mike had indirectly protested by saying Jessica had saved him a seat and that she was looking forward to his company.

Nate was going to give Mike his thoughts, but before he could, Bella interjected and said it was fine. Hence, they were now in this position.

I'm gonna drink this woman dry if she doesn't stop, Nate thought, making one of his first vampire jokes in his head as Jessica caressed his arm.

He couldn't even concentrate on the movie because of how uncomfortable it was.

Nate, looking for an escape, was about to say he needed the bathroom and just wait it out until the movie ended, but thankfully he didn't have to do that. A savior, in the form of Mike's stomach, came to the rescue.

"Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick," he said, as the main protagonist of the movie severed an alien's head.

"Ugh, yeah, no, I can't do this," he said audibly, standing up and hurrying out of the room, while Bella and Jacob looked at each other before standing up as well.

Thank God, Nate thought, before he stood as well and started leaving after Mike, with Bella, Jacob, and now Jessica following him out.

"What a marshmallow," Jacob commented as they stepped out of the screening room to see Mike running toward the bathroom sign.

"Stop," Bella said, laughing at the joke, while Nate was just thankful to be out of that disaster of a situation.

Nate, following Bella and Jacob to a stairwell, felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned around to see Jessica holding his sleeve and indicating with her head to a spot a bit further from Bella and Jacob.

"Alright?" he said, following her from prying eyes.

"Well, how can I help?" Nate asked, looking at the squirming girl under his gaze.

Just a moment ago, she was trying to get him to get physical with her, so why was she suddenly being modest and shy?

"Well, the truth is, I think you're a great guy, Nate," she said, which made Nate roll his eyes. She knew nothing about him to come to that conclusion, but instead of being mean to the girl who was trying her luck, he listened attentively.

That was the least he could do.

"And the truth is, I find you attractive. So, would you maybe like to get to know each other?" she said, locking her hazel-colored eyes with Nate. He had to admit, the girl was pretty in all rights... but he already had someone.

"I'm sorry, Jessica," he started lightly, which made her visibly deflate. "Don't get me wrong, you're a wonderful girl, a bit on the passionate side, but wonderful nonetheless," he added, trying to lighten the mood, which helped a little if her smile was any indication.

"But I already have someone I'm pursuing," he said shortly, making sure to look her in the eyes to get his message across.

"Gosh, of course you do. I mean, look at you," she said in a way that made Nate a bit uncomfortable, and she realized, for the first time this entire night...

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Haha, it's fine," Nate laughed it off, looking at the girl who, just an hour ago, he'd been contemplating having for dinner, now in a completely different light.

"What's your problem, man!" Nate overheard a heated discussion taking place a little ways back. Looking at where Bella and Jacob were situated, he saw Jacob getting in Mike's space in a confrontational manner.

"You're my problem!" Jacob shouted, his voice unusually angry. As Nate saw this and smelled the stench that wafted into his face, he instantly ran toward the two guys, who were about to clash.

"Maybe you should've gone to the hospital. You want me to do it for you?" Jacob said angrily, as Bella, who was holding his arm, tried to hold him back. Nate got between them just in time.

"Hey, hey, hey, why don't we calm down?" Nate said, holding his arms out to keep the boys apart, not really having to worry about Mike, who seemed to have gotten even more sick while out in the bathroom. Jacob, however, was another matter entirely.

"Get out of my way!" Jacob shouted, slapping Nate's arm away, which prompted Bella to scream.

"Jacob!" she yelled as she yanked his hand back, finally realizing something was wrong when she felt the heat emanating from his skin.

"Jacob... you're burning up," she said, grabbing his hands to confirm if what she felt was real.

Nate, who had felt Jacob's skin when he made contact with him, knew instantly what was going on.

He's shifting, he thought, as Jacob slowly pulled his hands away from Bella, breathing heavily as he looked between all of them, and Jessica, who had also approached the commotion carefully.

"I... I gotta go," Jacob said, taking off toward the exit, while Nate grabbed Bella, who was about to run after him.

"Wait, Bella," he said, holding her in place. She turned around to look at him, worry clearly on her face.

"Don't worry, I'll go after him. You take this," Nate said, taking his car keys out and handing them to Bella. "Take Mike and Jessica home. I'll sort this out," he added, trying to reassure his cousin.

"What about you though? Won't you need a car to get back?" she asked, calming down.

"I'll take a cab or something. Now, I'll be going. Okay? I'll see you at the house," Nate said before giving her a kiss on the forehead and turning on his heels to run after the familiar scent that led him to Jacob.

He didn't need to run far after leaving the movie theater—just a couple blocks—and there he was, Jacob writhing in an alley alone.

"Ugh!" Jacob half-screamed, half-groaned, as his bones broke in a very abnormal fashion.

"JACOB!" Nate stopped in front of the alley, watching the scene unfold. Jacob, delirious from the pain, only heard his name being called, which is why he said, "Please, help!" in a desperate manner, making Nate's stomach twist with pity.

"It's alright, Jacob, don't fight it," Nate said, getting closer as Jacob's body slowly broke down and rebuilt itself before he was fully turned into a wolf.

"That's it," Nate said, just five feet away from Jacob. But before he could take another step, he had to jump over the very person he was trying to help.

"What the hell?" Nate said, staring at Jacob, now fully in wolf form, standing where he had been just a moment ago.

"SNARL!" Jacob snarled at him as he turned around to face Nate. Nate, seeing this, had a very bad feeling in his stomach.

"You're not in control, are you?" he said, mostly to himself, as Jacob, now in full wolf form, ran toward him and tried to bite him. Nate was too fast, though, and easily evaded the attack.

Jacob crashed into a dumpster, shook his head, and turned around to face Nate once again.

"You really are persistent, aren't you?" Nate said, activating his senses to check for any people nearby. Unfortunately, there were some, and if he didn't get Jacob out of town, something catastrophic could happen. Using his senses, Nate formed a mental picture of the safest way to lead Jacob, which was through the forest. He turned his attention back to Jacob, who was slowly stalking him like prey.

"Well then, if you want a piece of me, you're going to have to work for it," Nate said, turning around and taking off just in time for Jacob to pounce on him. Nate made sure to keep Jacob at an appropriate distance so his focus remained on him, ensuring that Jacob wouldn't wander off, and also using his echolocation to avoid any people.

That's how Nate guided the crazed Jacob out of town and into the forest, where he quickly climbed a tree and took out his phone to text Sam.

Jacob = Wolf -

He wrote, looking down to see Jacob in wolf form, jumping up and down trying to reach him.

"This is turning out to be a very interesting day," he said as he heard the ping of a message.

Can u brng Q rez -

The message read, and seeing the unmistakable signs of fast texting, Nate sighed, realizing Sam understood him. He quickly typed "Yes."

Looking down at Jacob once again, Nate sighed before jumping down from the tree and landing smoothly on the forest floor.

Seeing Nate jump down, Jacob turned and ran straight at him before the game of cat and mouse started again.

It didn't take long for Nate to lead Jacob to the Quileute lands. As they neared the river, Nate could hear the unmistakable sounds of paws hitting the forest floor and more than one approaching at a fast pace. As he committed to jumping over the river, Jacob followed in pursuit. However, he was cut off by three wolves jumping from the other side, intercepting him mid-air.

All of them crashed to the ground hard enough to shake it before the three newcomers recovered quickly and began snarling and biting at Jacob to keep him at bay.

Nate, seeing this, sighed audibly—not because he was exhausted or scared, but because he was sure Jacob was in good hands now.

"You did good," Nate heard Sam approaching from behind. He had heard Sam stop a distance away to shift back but wasn't sure why he had done it when Jacob needed his help the most.

Apparently, it showed on Nate's face if Sam's answer was anything to go by. "They can handle him. The telepathic link was formed automatically," Sam explained as he approached Nate and clapped him on the shoulder in thanks.

"What do you mean, telepathic link?" Nate asked, looking Sam in the eyes.

"See for yourself," Sam said, nodding toward Jacob. Nate turned around to see Jacob, who had just been a crazed wolf, now making sounds that resembled whining and surrender.

"You guys can talk to each other in that form?" Nate asked. Sam nodded in confirmation.

Nate sighed before saying, "I guess that makes sense, but why did he go all AWOL?" Sam nodded before explaining, "It's a common thing when shifters shift for the first time. They lose control because of their emotional state. In other words, heightened emotions like anger or sadness can trigger the shift, and that emotion clouds their judgment, even though the person inside is conscious."

Nate understood what Sam meant. Jacob had been angry before he shifted, so that anger had been his driving force when he saw Nate and tried to attack him.

But as Nate watched Jacob now getting along with Paul, Embry, and Jared, he decided it was time to go back.

"Well, you guys got things handled here, right?" Nate asked Sam, who was watching Jacob with a smile on his face. Sam turned to Nate and nodded.

"Yeah, we got things handled. You can go back home. You don't have to patrol today. You've had a stressful day with this morning's incident and now this. Take the day off," Sam said sincerely.

Nate shook his head. "I'm a man of my word. I'll be patrolling tonight. Besides, even if I didn't patrol, I'd stay up all night. This gives me something productive to do," Nate said shortly, which made Sam chuckle before waving Nate off. Nate nodded at Sam, looking at Jacob one last time before heading off toward his house.

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Hey everyone! This is my longest chapter yet, and I really hope you enjoy it.

I've received so much support for this fanfiction, and I truly appreciate it. This chapter is dedicated to all of you, so sit back and enjoy!

Who do you think the man Nate saw in the movie theater was?What do you think will happen next?We're getting close to the end of the first arc. How do you think it will conclude?

Don't be afraid to share your thoughts, ideas, or start a conversation in the comments.

As always, I'll see you in the next one!