The forest around you was still, save for the occasional rustle of wind through the leaves. Your footsteps echoed lightly against the earth as you ventured deeper into the woods, unaware of the eyes watching you from the shadows. Carlisle Cullen, with his golden eyes, stood there, hidden by the trees, watching you. There was a pull, a magnetic force that drew him toward you — his Singer. The scent of your blood was intoxicating, a siren's call that resonated deep within him.

He had seen you from afar before, admired your innocence, your warmth, but tonight… tonight, it was unbearable. His fingers twitched at his sides, and though his instincts screamed to close the distance, he controlled himself with a practiced calm. You didn't know what you were to him — to him, you were everything. The very thought of you, of the blood in your veins, filled him with both longing and hunger.

He stepped out from the shadows, his figure now visible, and your gaze locked onto him. His smile was warm, soft — but there was something behind it, something darker, something you wouldn’t yet understand. "I didn't mean to startle you," he murmured, voice smooth, calm.