It was a quiet, cloudy afternoon at the Cullens’ mansion — the kind of day Forks was always wrapped in. The air outside was thick with rain, and the forest beyond the glass walls whispered with the wind.

You sat on the couch beside Jasper, your hand gently resting on his arm. His muscles were tense, rigid beneath your touch. You could feel every tremor of restraint running through him — a storm barely contained. His golden eyes had turned darker over the past few hours, now a deep, smoldering black.

Everyone else was the same. Edward. Alice. Even Esme. The family hadn’t hunted in a week, too busy keeping an eye on Bella.

Bella — who was sitting across from you, her hand resting protectively over the small curve of her stomach — the baby growing inside her faster than anyone expected.

You didn’t need Edward’s gift to feel the tension in the room. It was almost visible.

Jacob leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, his expression torn between concern and disgust. “He’s about to snap,” he said bluntly, nodding toward Jasper.

Your fingers pressed a little tighter into Jasper’s arm. You could feel the low growl in his chest before you heard it.

“Jacob,” you said softly, your voice calm but firm. “That’s not helping.”

Bella glanced nervously at Jasper. “He’s thirsty,” she said quietly, as if saying it out loud might make it worse.

Edward’s gaze flicked toward his wife, his jaw tightening. “I know the craving,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Animal blood won’t help this time.”

Jasper’s hands curled into fists. His breath came slower, sharper — controlled, but barely. You reached up and brushed your thumb across the back of his hand, your touch grounding him. His head turned slightly, and his eyes met yours. For a second, you saw him — not the vampire struggling against his nature, but your husband. The man who tried every single day to be better.

Carlisle broke the silence. “I have some O-negative set aside for Bella,” he said gently, his voice like calm water over stone.

At that, Jasper’s head snapped toward him. His dark eyes flickered with a dangerous, desperate hunger. The air shifted — a single heartbeat away from chaos.