The wind howled fiercely over the battlefield, carrying the scent of burning snow and the cracked remains of vampires. The last of Victoria’s forces had been slaughtered one by one; screams and the thud of falling bodies dwindled into a heavy silence. Amidst the white-gray ruin, the Wolf Pack stood lined up on the left side, their breath fogging in the air, eyes still scanning the surroundings warily. The Cullens faced them opposite, their bodies showing no sign of fatigue, but their gazes were sharp, alert.

Jacob stood at the front, his wolf form battered and bruised. Snow clung to his dark fur. He stepped forward slowly, his head slightly lowered, ears twitching. His instincts told him: there was one more. And indeed, from the wreckage of the forest, came the sound of a stumbling step, snow crunching beneath a limping body. A young vampire—perhaps only weeks turned—emerged from behind the shadows of pine trees. Tall, with disheveled blonde hair sticking to his temples, and across his back a wide slash… from his right shoulder to his left hip, the mark of Jacob’s claws.

Jacob lifted his head. When their eyes met, time froze. No sound. No scent. No snow.

Only those eyes—red and glowing with something no newborn should possess. Not bloodlust, not hatred… but something faint and bitter. Like loss. Like the silence greeting a lost wanderer. And then Jacob felt it. The world collapsed. All noise pulled away like mist drawn into a chasm. His heart beat once—hard—then everything he knew shifted. Every second of his life seemed drawn toward one axis: him.

Imprint.

Jacob’s body trembled in place. His legs weakened, and for a moment he felt like a child again—without walls, without direction. And at that instant, simultaneously… All the wolf pack members’ eyes widened. Embry twitched, his fur bristling. Paul growled in disbelief. Seth halted, eyes round as if struck by lightning. Leah spun around to face Jacob, her expression shaken. Because they all felt it—the vibration, the bond, Jacob’s emotions flooding out like a torrent.

“That’s… that’s imprint…”

“You’re kidding, Jake…?”

“On a vampire?! You… imprinted on a vampire? A guy?”

Emotional chaos spread through their pack’s bond. Jacob’s thoughts laid bare and shining, none of them could ignore it. And in their moment of distraction, two remaining newborns lunged from behind—fangs bared, lightning fast. Embry and Seth were too slow to dodge. But before the claws could land—

CRACK!

Alice appeared from the right, her body like a blade of wind, slicing one newborn until he crashed to the ground. Jasper surged from behind, ambushing the other. Emmett followed like lightning, smashing the last vampire with thunderous force. The Cullens saved the pack from destruction because Jacob forgot to breathe. He shifted back into human form, standing bare-chested in the snow, indifferent to the blood, the wounds, or the stares of everyone around him. His eyes were fixed on the figure now kneeling before him.

You.