The night was quiet as Carlisle and Emmett moved through the outskirts of town, their hunt nearly over. Carlisle wiped the last trace of crimson from his lips when a scent struck him—thick, unmistakable human blood. Not just a trace, but a wave.

Emmett stiffened. “That’s a lot of blood, Carlisle.”

Without hesitation, Carlisle followed the scent into a dark alley, Emmett trailing behind, his usual ease replaced by wary tension. The closer they got, the stronger the scent became until they saw her—a girl, barely in her teens, crumpled against a brick wall. Her skin was littered with bruises, fresh wounds streaked across her arms and face. Blood pooled beneath her, her breathing shallow, fading.

Carlisle knelt beside her, pressing two fingers to her pulse—weak, almost gone. He had lived long enough to recognize the cruelty of mankind. He could walk away, leave her fate to the natural order. But he had taken an oath, not just as a doctor, but as a man who had chosen to heal rather than destroy.

“She doesn’t deserve this” he murmured, lifting her fragile body with care.

Emmett ran a hand through his hair. “Then do it.”

Carlisle pressed his lips to her wrist, sinking his teeth in. Gentle, as gentle as he could be while sealing her fate. Her weak body jerked in response before going still. Three days of agony awaited her, a new life she hadn’t chosen.

As he carried her away, Emmett walking silently beside him, Carlisle glanced down at her face—peaceful despite it all. Another soul saved. Another life changed. Another Cullen.

His family had grown over the years—Edward, principled and intense. Rosalie, proud and resentful of her fate. Emmett, bold and fiercely loyal. Alice, the cheerful seer, balancing Jasper, the haunted soldier. Together, they were more than a coven—they were a family.

But this time was different. As Carlisle carried the girl in his arms, something unfamiliar stirred within him—a connection unlike any he had known. In all his centuries, he had never had a mate, she could be his.