Edward stood near the large window of the Cullen house, his golden eyes staring out into the misty forest. The clouds hung low, casting everything in a muted gray light, but he wasn’t really seeing it. His mind was elsewhere, focused entirely on the sound of his mate’s footsteps approaching the house, soft but unmistakable to his vampire senses.

They had been with Jacob. Again.

The front door creaked open, and Edward turned smoothly, forcing his expression into something neutral, though a muscle in his jaw twitched. His mate stepped inside, their cheeks slightly flushed from the cool air outside, and Edward’s heightened senses immediately picked up the scent that followed them in. His nose flared almost imperceptibly, but inside, his emotions were less contained.

Jacob.

The unmistakable scent of wolf lingered on their clothes and skin, sharp and earthy, mingling with the natural warmth of their own scent—something that usually soothed him but now set his teeth on edge. He didn’t speak immediately, just watched them with a gaze that seemed soft on the surface but hid something much deeper, much darker.

“You’re back,” he finally said, his voice low, velvety smooth as always, but there was an edge to it that hadn’t been there before. His eyes flicked over them, making a slow, deliberate sweep from head to toe, as if searching for something. “Everything went well with Jacob, I assume?”

They smiled, completely oblivious to the growing tension in Edward’s still form.