Alex didn’t mind playing baseball with the vampire family. But first, he had to survive the rest of Friday’s school day and wait for Saturday to arrive. Fortunately, classes ended earlier on Fridays, and throughout the day, Alex only seriously considered skipping class a couple of times.

When the day finally came to an end, he headed home with Lucina and Alice. Alice was practically glowing with excitement for the upcoming game — she couldn’t wait to hit the field and, of course, win. Lucina, however, didn’t share her enthusiasm; the only physical activity she ever did was yoga in the mornings or evenings. Unless, of course, you counted the “exercises” that happened in the bedroom.

When they got home, the group walked in to find Samantha on the phone. Alex came closer, kissed her on the cheek, and accidentally overheard part of the conversation. The voice on the other end was familiar — it was Jessica.

“Hey, Jess,” Alex said lazily before heading to the fridge.

Grabbing some ice cream, he settled on the couch next to Samantha. She turned on the speakerphone so Alex could listen too. The conversation quickly shifted to Jessica’s recovery — fortunately, she was getting better and could finally sleep through the night without waking up from nightmares.

Alex listened with visible relief, but his eye twitched when Jessica mentioned that Chris had gotten back into supernatural hunting — and worse, joined some kind of amateur ghost-hunting group.

“Wait, Jess…” Alex frowned. “Are you telling me that idiot actually got himself into the very crap I warned him about a hundred times? Even after Sammi told him the same thing?”

“That’s what I’m saying!” Jessica replied irritably. “That stubborn idiot doesn’t listen to anyone. We all told him to stay out of it, but no! And to top it off, he even tried to drag Josh into it!”

“And Ashley?” Samantha asked, leaning against Alex and stealing a spoonful of his ice cream. “She could’ve stopped him, right?”

“She tried,” Jessica sighed. “But that idiot dragged her in too!”

“What kind of idiot group is this?” Alex raised an eyebrow. “Please tell me they’re not complete morons.”

“Oh, they’re complete morons,” Jessica shot back. “A bunch of nerds who think they’re great ghost hunters. They even have an internet show. What were they called again… Mike!” she shouted somewhere away from the phone. “Mike, what was that team of idiots called?”

“What idiots?” came Mike’s familiar voice from the speaker.

“Hey, Mike!” Samantha said cheerfully.

“Hey, Sammi. Alex there with you?” he asked, his tone clearly amused.

“Right here,” Alex said with a smirk. “So what’s this ‘great’ team Chris and Ashley joined?”

“Uh… Ghost… Ghost something… Oh yeah! Ghostfacers!” Mike said after a brief pause. “Chris showed us their online show recently. God, they’re such idiots. If those clowns had shown up back on Blackwood Mountain, we’d never have made it till dawn.”

“Exactly!” Jessica jumped in. “I told him a hundred times those Dickfacers are total morons! But no, he doesn’t listen!”

“Ghostfacers…” Alex muttered, rubbing his chin. “That sounds suspiciously familiar. I think I’ve heard that name somewhere before…”

While Alex was trying to remember where he’d heard it, Samantha kept chatting with Jessica and Mike. Jessica grew more and more frustrated as she went on about how Chris could drag Ashley into trouble since those Ghostfacers idiots didn’t seem trustworthy in the slightest.

Alex still couldn’t recall where he’d heard the name. But after a few minutes of deep thinking, it suddenly hit him. As soon as the memory surfaced, his eye twitched hard enough for Samantha to notice right away.

At that moment, Lucina and Alice came down to the first floor. Hearing Jessica’s loud voice echoing through the house, they exchanged curious glances. Samantha quickly explained what the conversation was about, and both girls turned to Alex, who looked like he was about to explode.

“I remember who they are… Oh, for heaven’s sake, Chris… why those idiots,” Alex groaned, covering his face with his hands.

“Alex,” came Mike’s voice from the speaker, “I can’t even see your face, but I can already tell you know something. Who are they?”

“Simply put,” Alex sighed, lowering his hands, “they’re a group of complete idiots who ruin everything they touch.”

“And what have they managed to ruin?” Samantha asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well… to start with, the tulpa incident in Richardson. Then they meddled in the haunted house in Indiana, where one of them died. If they hadn’t been helped back then, they would all have been dead. And that’s just a couple of cases out of many. In short, these guys seek trouble even when none is nearby.” Alex’s voice sounded dry and irritated.

“Wonderful…” Jessica said bitterly. “So what now? Chris still won’t listen, and Ashley could get hurt because of his stupidity.”

“Here’s what we’ll do,” Alex said calmly. “Have Ashley install a tracking app on his phone. I’ll connect to it. If that idiot ventures into any cursed place with those Dickfacers, I’ll know and get him out.”

“Perfect. Thank you, Alex.” Jessica’s voice softened noticeably. “I’ll call Ashley right away and explain everything. She can contact Sam once it’s done.”

The call ended. Alex shook his head and exhaled heavily — he was absolutely sure Chris would still get himself into trouble.

Meanwhile, Lucina, Samantha, and Alice, curious about this “legendary” group, decided to see what the Ghostfacers were all about. Hearing that they had their own online show, the girls quickly found it. Lucina connected the tablet to the TV, Samantha brought snacks, and they started watching from the first episode.

It only took a couple of minutes to realize — it was a total circus. The Ghostfacers turned out to be a bunch of nerds scared half to death, running through abandoned buildings and screaming at every little noise.

After a while, Bella joined the group. Hearing the explanations, she raised an eyebrow skeptically and admitted that these “ghost hunters” didn’t inspire any confidence in her.

In reality, the show resembled a comedy, where everyone ran around and screamed every time a bucket fell somewhere. And so passed Friday evening — full of laughter, disbelief, and discussions about how these “hunters” were still alive.

Saturday arrived. Alex sat on the living room couch, fully ready for the baseball game. He wore the familiar black and red uniform. Next to him, like loyal partners, sat GIR, MIMI, and Stitch — also in matching uniforms.

The trio had staged a real protest the previous night, demanding that Alex take them along. The protest lasted deep into the night until Alex, unable to resist the girls’ insistence, gave in and agreed. Now, looking at their satisfied faces, he was already beginning to regret it.

Why was Alex still sitting instead of heading out? The reason was simple: Alice was running around with a professional camera, clicking the shutter as if she were shooting a magazine cover. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch were not far behind — striking poses, smiling, even trying to wave their hands in sync. Meanwhile, Alex’s face remained stone-cold, like a model who had gone through a hundred photoshoots in a row.

To his great dismay, he had to take the chatty Claptrap along — the robot had thrown a full-blown tantrum when it realized it was being left behind. When Claptrap, in protest, fell onto its side and started spinning across the floor, leaving scratches on the hardwood, Alex’s patience finally snapped.

While Alice continued her photoshoot, Samantha and Lucina came down the stairs — also wearing matching baseball uniforms. It turned out that all of this was Alice’s doing: she had stayed up all night sewing uniforms for everyone.

“Alice, how much longer do I have to sit here? It’s time to go,” Alex said, glancing at the clock with the most exhausted expression in the world.

“Just a little longer!” Alice said enthusiastically. “Stand up, I want to see how the uniform fits you. I worked hard on it!”

Alex sighed heavily but got up. Lucina, watching the scene, quietly chuckled, forming her fingers into a heart and clearly not intending to interfere. Samantha, on the other hand, had already taken out her phone and started snapping pictures herself.

Realizing he had no allies, Alex resigned himself to his fate.

When the photoshoot finally ended, he looked at Claptrap — it was only wearing a baseball cap. Alice had even managed to dress Ichiko and Niko in miniature sports outfits.

When everyone was finally ready, Lucina, Alice, and Samantha picked up GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, while Alex shook his head, looked at Claptrap, and said, “Pretend you’re a trash can.”

Claptrap protested, spinning and squeaking until it got a light kick under its chassis. After that, it obediently fell silent.

Alex tucked it under his arm like a regular bucket and headed for the door.

Outside, he tossed Claptrap into the trunk of the Impala. The girls settled into their seats, but something nearby caught Alex’s attention — by the police pickup stood Charlie and a familiar woman.

She wore a brown leather jacket, a plaid shirt, and simple jeans. Alex immediately recognized her — Donna Hanskam, sheriff and long-time acquaintance of the Winchester brothers. After her encounters with vampires, she had taken up hunting them herself.

“Hmm… so she’s here because of that trio of vampires roaming Forks,” Alex guessed and approached to greet them.

“Good morning, Charlie. And miss…” he said with a slight smile, looking at the woman.

“Morning, Alex,” Charlie replied. “Bella already left with Edward. And this is my old friend — Sheriff Donna Hanskam.”

“Just Donna is fine,” she smiled warmly. “I see you’re about to play baseball. Great way to spend the time.”

“Agreed,” Alex nodded. “What brings you to our neck of the woods, Sheriff Donna?”

“Oh, just passing through,” she said cheerfully. “I heard about the wild animal attacks, so I decided to check it out. Maybe I could help somehow.”

“So no one’s been caught?” Alex raised an eyebrow. “I thought that case was closed. You went out searching, didn’t you, Charlie?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Charlie shook her head. “Only bodies. Yesterday, they found another one on the lakeshore. Poor guy was just torn apart.”

“Terrible,” Alex shook his head. “If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask. After all, neighbors.”

Donna glanced at the Impala and smiled. “Nice car. My friends drive the same model.”

“Ah, yes,” Alex smirked. “I built this one myself, piece by piece. You could say it’s my personal masterpiece.”

Donna nodded and smiled at his words. Alex chatted a bit more with Charlie and Donna, then said goodbye and got into the Impala. On the way, he explained to the girls who Donna was — Lucina recognized her immediately. Hearing that Donna only hunted vampires, Samantha quickly guessed that this was likely the reason the sheriff had appeared here. Alice nodded thoughtfully — the threat suddenly seemed much more real.

Alex confirmed Samantha’s suspicion: all the wild animal attacks in the area were somehow linked to the group of vampires heading toward Forks. Alice decided to warn the family — the appearance of a hunter could attract even more people and only complicate the situation.

To lighten the mood in the car, Alex turned on a cheerful tune and started singing along, trying to lift the spirits of those whose mood had just been dampened.

“So she said, ‘What’s the problem, baby? What’s the problem? I don’t know, well, maybe I’m in love (love)’,” he sang brightly.

GIR, MIMI, and Stitch were the first to join in — they didn’t care as long as it was fun. By the chorus, Lucina, Alice, and Samantha were singing along too: why worry about vampires when you could just enjoy yourself first? Laughter and music filled the car, and the mood genuinely lightened. Alice pointed the way so Alex wouldn’t get lost, while MIMI sat comfortably on her lap.

The Impala drove onto a forest clearing, and soon ahead appeared the place where the Cullen family had already set everything up for the game: four makeshift bases were arranged, and a few people were warming up. Bella stood next to Esme, watching Edward swing a baseball bat as if solving a complicated problem.

Alex parked the car near Edward’s SUV and got out with the girls.

“You made it. Didn’t get lost?” Esme asked warmly.

“You said that wrong, Esme. Alex, you’re late again,” Emmett smirked.

“Back off, Emmett. Today you won’t see victory,” Alex replied with a wide smile, folding his arms across his chest.

Smirks flashed between Alex and Emmett — neither was willing to back down in this game. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch ran around the field with bright, lively eyes, each holding a baseball bat in their paws.

“Your pets are playing too?” Rosalie snorted, pointing at the noisy trio.

“Something like that. And we even brought the umpire with us,” Alex nodded.

“Don’t tell me it’s that robot,” Jane said wearily.

“We had no choice,” Lucina sighed. “It screamed all night. I was ready to throw it out the window.”

Alex just shrugged and smiled: let the umpire be there — a little chaos on the field would make it more fun.

Esme and Carlisle didn’t quite understand what he was talking about, while Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper let out tired sighs — they already knew which robot was meant. To confirm it, Alice opened the Impala’s trunk and pulled out Claptrap. It immediately started shrieking, shaking, and spinning loudly in circles, hopping on one wheel.

Carlisle watched the robot with interest, then glanced at his children — their faces clearly showing they weren’t thrilled about its arrival. Bella approached Samantha and Lucina, who had perched themselves on the hood of the Impala.

“You’re playing too?” Bella asked, leaning on the car.

“Where did that idea come from, Bella?” Lucina raised an eyebrow.

“Well… the uniforms and all that,” Bella explained, embarrassed.

“Oh, that,” Lucina smiled. “Alice just made us uniforms. They’re comfy, and unlike you — we’re just the cheer squad.”

“Alice made everyone’s outfits in one night? How did she manage that?” Bella asked, astonished.

“Alice’s a vampire and a hyperactive workaholic,” Lucina smirked. “I’d be more surprised if she didn’t manage it.”

“I woke up in the middle of the night with Alice taking my measurements,” Samantha added, smiling. “It was creepy — you open your eyes, and in the dark, yellow eyes are staring at you.”

While the girls chatted about the nighttime seamstress, the others were already splitting into teams. Emmett ran laughing across the field, chased by GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, all waving baseball bats and shouting threats. On one team were Alex, Alice, GIR, MIMI, and Stitch; on the other — the Cullen family: Carlisle, Edward, Jasper, Jane, Emmett, and Rosalie. Esme took on the role of catcher for both teams — alternating turns. The fact that Alex’s team was missing one player didn’t bother anyone: sometimes just Alex and Alice were enough for the whole team. Claptrap, by agreement, served as umpire and already looked surprisingly serious.

Once the teams were set, Alex’s team was up to bat first. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch took their bases, while Alex stood at the edge of the field, ready to catch the ball — which he was sure would fly very far. Rosalie was up first. Alice took her position as pitcher, preparing to throw: the lightning was about to strike.

As soon as Alice was ready, Alex exhaled a cloud of white mist, and red streaks crackled around his body like lightning. Alice hurled the ball with such force that it sliced through the air, producing a faint pop — the sound of it striking the molecules of the atmosphere. Rosalie reacted instantly: she swung her bat, and the ball thundered off into the distance.

In that instant, Alex vanished, leaving a trail of sparking lightning that led toward the forest. A second later, the ball returned at breakneck speed from the edge of the trees, leaving a streak of light behind it. Rosalie sprinted across the bases, heading for the last one.

But Esme was alert: she caught the ball and, as Rosalie slid into the base, tagged her leg — a classic dog-tag, signaling an out.

“She’s… out!” Claptrap shouted, flailing its “arms” like a true rock-and-roller.

“I’ll get you one day, you damn trash can,” Rosalie hissed through clenched teeth, giving the robot an icy glare.

“You can’t!” Claptrap yelled, bouncing. “I’ve got super-cool weapons! But I won’t show you!” — and started dancing again, raising its “arms” overhead like a showman on an improvised stage.

Rosalie ground her teeth, barely holding back a growl, ready to turn the spinning Claptrap into a heap of metal at any second. Carlisle, suppressing a laugh, approached her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her. But Rosalie’s gaze still burned with fury directed at the wildly twirling robot.

When the situation finally cooled down a bit, Carlisle stepped up to bat. He raised his baseball bat, preparing for Alice’s pitch, and glanced at Alex.

“If Alex is that fast, I’ll need to hit higher,” he thought, gripping the bat tighter.

Thunder rumbled, Alice threw the pitch, and Carlisle smashed the ball high into the sky before sprinting forward. Alex just smiled — his body seemed to dissolve into mist, and in the next instant, he appeared in the air, catching the ball mid-flight. In the following moment, he threw it to Stitch, who flawlessly caught it and tagged out Carlisle.

“Damn it, Alex!” Emmett shouted from the other side of the field. “What was that?! Play fair! What’s with the lightning and mist tricks?! That’s not in the rules!”

“It’s a breathing technique, not a superpower,” Alex replied lazily, rolling his eyes. “These methods were used back in the Sengoku era. So stop whining like a child.”

“Emmett, Alex is right,” Alice chimed in. “People really did use these techniques when hunting monsters.”

“Yeah, screw you guys,” Emmett muttered, crossing his arms irritably.

Alex just laughed, and GIR, MIMI, and Stitch joined in, loudly teasing the clumsy vampire. Bella, watching everything unfold, blinked in surprise, wondering if she could learn it too.

“Of course you can,” Lucina said, catching her gaze. “You just need to start training.”

While Bella listened to Lucina attentively, the game continued. Alice pitched ball after ball, Alex caught them with lightning speed and returned them. Soon, the Cullen team was completely struck out, and it was Alex’s team’s turn to go on the offense.

Emmett stepped up to bat, grinning widely.

“Now we’re really going to get back at them,” he thought, stretching his arms.

First up was Stitch, carrying a bat nearly as tall as him.

“Well, little guy, ready?” Emmett smirked, eyeing the tiny opponent.

Alice nodded — the signal to pitch. Emmett swung and threw the ball, which whistled through the air straight into Carlisle’s glove.

“Strike!” Claptrap shouted after Stitch missed the first swing.

Stitch looked at the ball in Carlisle’s hands, confused, then slowly turned toward Emmett, whose face gleamed with a victorious smile.

“What’s the matter, little guy? Need me to get you a chair?” Emmett teased, feigning concern.

Stitch grinned widely, baring his sharp teeth. Alex and Lucina exchanged glances — both immediately knew Emmett was in trouble.

Stitch pulled a stepladder from his tiny bag. Nobody knew why he even carried it around, but it was Stitch — logic didn’t matter. Climbing up, he kept smiling, sending a chill down Emmett’s spine.

Emmett still threw the ball — and with a devilish laugh, Stitch smashed it with all his strength. The ball whistled loudly and struck Emmett square in the stomach. The vampire doubled over as Stitch, laughing maniacally, sprinted across the bases.

Edward rushed to pick up the ball and threw it toward Rosalie, who was waiting for Stitch at second base. But Stitch, without slowing down, scooped up sand with his paws and flung it straight at her face. Rosalie tried to dodge, instinctively shielding herself with her hand — enough to let Stitch reach the base, laughing loudly.

“You little brat,” Rosalie muttered, grabbing him by the ear. “Messing with my husband again, and now throwing sand at me too!”

“He started it! He started it first!” Stitch yelled cheerfully, still grinning.

Rosalie merely shook her head with a faint smile and let go of Stitch’s ear, while the others quietly chuckled at their little exchange. Emmett had already gotten back on his feet, realizing he’d miscalculated once again.

Next up to bat was GIR. Businesslike as ever, he dragged over a small stepladder, climbed it nimbly while hauling along a baseball bat nearly his own height. Once he reached the top, GIR gripped the bat tightly in his paws — blue electric arcs instantly danced across the metal.

Emmett narrowed his eyes. He knew that the green cyber-dog clearly intended to hit the ball straight at him. The vampire tensed, ready not only to pitch but to dodge as well.

He threw the ball with force — and as expected, GIR smacked it back with a crash. Emmett barely dodged as the ball whistled just inches from his face, disappearing somewhere into the forest. Right after, a baseball bat flew past, which Emmett narrowly avoided. Edward leapt into action, caught the ball, and threw it back. From the thicket, it flew straight to Jasper, who quickly tossed it to Jane. She caught it with a sly smile and tagged GIR before he could reach the base.

“You’re out, green one,” Jane said, smirking.

GIR looked up, frowned, then kicked Jane’s leg with a sulky expression and slumped back, while Stitch grinned smugly and teased him. A few seconds later, GIR exploded — yelling furiously, he lunged at Stitch, and the two of them rolled across the ground, squealing and growling, right at Rosalie’s feet.

“Oh, not again…” she muttered, unsure whether to intervene.

Alex stood nearby, calmly smoking, watching the scene like some chaotic play. The others laughed as GIR and Stitch staged a mini-brawl until Lucina and Alice intervened to separate them.

Even after being pulled apart, they wouldn’t quiet down — pointing paws at each other and shouting insults in every possible language, including mechanical squeaks and alien noises. Lucina and Alice barely kept from laughing as they dragged the pair to opposite ends of the field.

“They’re so funny,” Esme said with a kind smile, watching Alex head to the batter’s area.

“Funny?” Alex snorted, shaking his head. “That’s until they start wrecking the house. If I hadn’t brought Ichiko and Niko home, the living room would still be buried under pizza boxes and milkshake cups.”

Esme just chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand.

Meanwhile Alex took his position at bat. It felt odd — usually he used a bat not on sports fields but for much more… practical purposes. He turned the bat in his hands a little, as if checking its balance, then rested it on his shoulder and looked calmly at Emmett.

“You’re not going to hit me, are you?” Emmett asked, squinting suspiciously.

“What are you talking about, Emmett?” Alex replied with mock offense, placing a hand over his heart. “We saved Bright Falls together! We’re partners! How could you doubt my pure intentions?”

He theatrically brushed away an imaginary tear.

“That’s exactly what I mean,” Emmett grumbled, smirking. “With that face of yours you can’t be trusted.”

Alex clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. Emmett still stayed on guard; as thunder rolled, he wound up and threw the ball toward Alex. Alex smiled faintly and hit it straight — the ball whizzed past Emmett’s ear and the vampire ground his teeth in irritation.

At that moment Alice shuddered and froze, staring at a single point. Everyone turned to her — her gaze was unfocused. Alex understood without words: Alice had a vision, and he immediately felt the tension in the air.

“Edward, get closer to Bella. Now,” Alice snapped when the vision ended.

“Alice, what happened?” Carlisle asked, alarmed.

“There was a vision. The vampires who came to Forks will soon be here,” Alice said, frowning.

“Edward, protect Bella. I don’t like that vampires who drink humans have come into our territory,” Esme said through gritted teeth.

“Is this serious? What should we do?” Bella asked, bewildered, not knowing how to act.

“It’s okay, Bella,” Lucina replied calmly, swinging her legs lazily. “We’ve got three of our little ones and Alex here. You’re safe.”

But Bella still couldn’t settle while Edward stood nearby. Lucina and Samantha kept lounging on the Impala’s hood as if nothing had happened — they figured GIR, MIMI, and Stitch could handle a couple of vampires. Alex looked toward the forest with a light, almost carefree smile. Ideas flashed through his mind: send those drifters for study, dump them into the Red City, or just finish them. He could list methods for a long time, and the thought only widened his smile.

The Cullens exchanged glances — and seemed to calm down. Suddenly, three figures emerged from the forest: two men and a woman. The blond one, James, held the very baseball that Alex had hit. The second was Laurent — a dark-skinned vampire — and the third was Victoria. Alex struggled to recall: James and Victoria seemed to be a couple, while Laurent was just keeping them company.

James shot a mocking glance at Alice — her face flickered with vague, unpleasant memories. Alex narrowed his eyes; his look was anything but friendly. Lucina noticed it and understood without words: this vampire probably wouldn’t leave the field alive. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch had already readied their bolters, prepared to fire.

“Hey, mutt, wipe that expression off your face, or I’ll crush your head,” Alex said coldly.

“Oh, don’t get so worked up,” Laurent said, scanning everyone with a smirk. “We were just passing by and heard some playing. Mind if we join?”

James tossed the ball to Alex; he caught it smoothly.

“We’re just finishing up and about to leave,” Carlisle said, smiling good-naturedly. “But you understand, this territory is ours. So it’s better if you go.”

Fate, as it often does, intervened. A gust of wind blew — and the three vampires caught the scent of Bella. James couldn’t suppress a bestial snarl: blood glinted in his gaze, and he stared at Bella with hunger. Lucina instinctively reached for her gun. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch raised their bolters, ready to fire.

“Looks like you even brought snacks with you. How cute,” James smirked, stepping toward Bella. But a bat immediately appeared in front of his face.

“I told you: watch yourself, pathetic mutt,” Alex blocked his path, smiling pleasantly but staring coldly.

“James, let’s go! Right now!” Victoria shouted, her sense of danger sharpened.

In a voice as steady as a steel cable, Alex said:

“GIR, MIMI, Stitch — take out the extra one.”

A volley of shots erupted — loud, sharp bangs. Bella covered her ears and stepped back, while holes the size of fists suddenly appeared in Laurent’s body. He collapsed, slumping to the ground. The bullets used by GIR, MIMI, and Stitch were specially made — designed to kill anyone, no matter who they were.

James and Victoria were ready to flee after Laurent fell, but something pinned them in place. They looked down and saw something black, hair-like, coiling around their legs. Raising their eyes, they noticed Alex’s shadow stretching and merging with theirs.

Alex calmly handed the bat to Alice and lit a cigarette. He took a deep drag and slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke, smiling in a way that seemed almost gentle—but the threat in that smile was unmistakable.

“The rules are simple,” he said calmly, pacing around James and Victoria. “Because of my immutable nature, I like giving people like you a choice. So I’m giving you one. You have two options. First: one of you sacrifices the other—and I won’t pursue the survivor. Second: you run together… but then you’ll embark on a long, thrilling adventure straight to the end of your pathetic, insignificant lives. The choice is yours. I’d prefer the second option—especially for you, James. Think I don’t know you left a mark on my wife? Think I don’t see your tracks? What kind of husband would I be if I just let someone like you go?”

Everyone stared at Alex, feeling the same chill: the smile on his face promised nothing good. Only Lucina, Alice, and Samantha knew what was coming; the others—including Bella—were frightened. James and Victoria exchanged a glance and, thinking they had a chance, tried to run—they assumed Alex was just a regular vampire with limited power.

“I see you’ve chosen the second option. How touching,” Alex said, smiling innocently. “You could have sacrificed yourself for her—that would have been a good story. But fine. I’ll give you a head start. Five seconds.”

The black “hair” holding their legs instantly retracted back into Alex’s shadow—and James and Victoria bolted into the forest. Alex watched them with a wide grin: his shadow stretched all the way to the edge of the trees where the fleeing pair ran.

“Run, my piglets, run,” he called after them. “Don’t think you’ll get away for long!”

“Chum, this isn’t like you. Did you really let them go?” Emmett asked, placing a hand on Alex’s shoulder.

“Pfft, of course not,” Alex replied with an innocent smile. “But since they ran into the forest—let them run. It would’ve been a little easier in another direction.”

“What do you mean?” Rosalie asked, raising an eyebrow nervously.

Alex lowered his gaze to the ground, and everyone else saw what he was showing: the shadow from his feet stretched all the way to the trees. It was clear what this meant—Zhang Ya lived in Alex’s shadow, and for James and Victoria, the escape would not end so easily. Everyone, except Carlisle, Esme, and Bella, knew who Zhang Ya was and what she was capable of. No one felt any pity for the two vampires—even Carlisle and Esme felt none, though they remained silent.

Laurent’s body had already been taken by GIR, MIMI, and Stitch and carefully buried—they had dealt with this kind of thing before. Deep down, Alex wanted to keep James and Victoria alive: they still needed to be handed over to the Red and White for future experiments.

To be continued…

(Yeah, since I’ve never played baseball or even watched a single game, I had to work really hard to learn a few useful words. I’ll never do that again. Hahahaha.)

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep