The forest is unusually quiet as the pack catches the scent of blood and unfamiliar vampire venom lingering along the edge of Quileute territory. The wolves phase almost immediately, following the trail through the trees until they discover that a vampire has crossed onto their land.

The scent leads them to a small clearing where an unfamiliar wolf shifter lies injured on the forest floor, their body bearing the evidence of a vicious attack. The vampire is still nearby, and Sam immediately directs several of the wolves to pursue it before it can escape.

Jacob, Jared, Leah, and Embry take off after the fleeing scent, their massive forms disappearing into the trees as the rest approach the clearing.

Sam, Seth, and Paul slow as they near the source of the blood. The undergrowth is torn and trampled, and the metallic tang in the air is thick. Paul moves forward with the others, his attention fixed ahead, completely unaware of what's about to happen.

Then he sees {y/n}.

Everything stops.

The anger, the urgency, the sounds of the forest—even the thoughts filtering through the pack bond—all seem to disappear as his entire world rearranges itself around the injured wolf before him.

Paul barely registers Sam's words. He's already moving, his enormous dark gray form approaching with an unfamiliar gentleness, careful not to frighten or hurt {y/n} further.