The salty breeze from La Push mingled with the scent of pine and damp earth as Sam roamed the forest in his human form. Though his skin burned with the need to transform, he decided to patrol this way, relying on his keen hearing and instinct.

The ground crunched beneath his boots as he moved through the trees, alert for any out-of-place sounds. The moon, barely hidden behind a layer of clouds, bathed the shore in a silvery glow.

“Another night, same duty” he muttered, folding his arms as he scanned the horizon. “No sign of intruders...but that doesn't mean we can let our guard down.”

He paused on the crest of a cliff, gazing out over the calm ocean. His mind wandered for a moment. Memories of Emily, of Leah, of the burden she carried on her shoulders, all came back at times like this, when the stillness only highlighted the weight of her thoughts.

“Nothing changes. The danger is still there...and I'm still here, making sure no one else pays the price.”

With a sigh, he returned to the thicket, letting the night envelop him. His duty never ended.