FORKS - carlisle cullen

S I X

Carlisle Cullen's POV

After I heard about the death of Nancy Martin, it took everything in me not to race to comfort the young woman that I have discovered to be my mate. This was then confirmed by Alice having a vision the day that I met her.

I decide to take a run over to the home where she is staying, having gotten the address from her grandmother's patient file. I was already familiar with that area, and then I know that I could just follow her scent that calls to me so strongly.

I know that she will probably be asleep by this hour, but I just want to check on her. I sprint at top speed through the night to get to her home. After only a few minutes, I arrive in her driveway, inhaling deeply only to become utterly confused. Her scent is already very strong to me, but it is far too strong right now for her to be inside the house. I silently circle around to the backyard, listening before leaping over the wooden privacy fence.

I turn to face the house, being greeted by a concerning and heart-breaking sight. Eleanor is slumped over in one of the deck chairs in front of the metal table. One arm is tossed over her stomach, and the other rests on the table, her hand loosely clutching a near-empty bottle of whiskey. I look for a moment more before realizing the actual danger in this situation.

It is nearly 2 in the morning, and the temperature has dropped far below freezing. There's no telling how long she's been out here and she couldn't be thinking clearly enough in her intoxicated state to realize the danger of being outside for an extended period of time. She doesn't even have a coat on.

I quickly get to her, lifting her gently into my arms so that she won't wake up. Pressed against my torso, her body doesn't feel much warmer than mine is; a startling discovery. I walk inside with her in my grip, finding the thermostat and turning it up several degrees. I immediately lay her down into the bed that I know she has been using because of the strength of her scent on it. I bring blankets from all around the house and pile them into her, desperate to raise her body temperature without waking her.

I stay long enough to see her cheeks regain their pink color and feel the warmth radiating off of her through the blankets. I sigh in relief when her temperature has seemed to returned to normal, thankful that she is out of the cold and warming up.

I shiver at the thought of what could have happened if I hadn't have come by to check on her.