Breathe In Union
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 08
~ Jambi ~
But I,
And I would,
If I could,
And I would
Wish it away,
Wish it away,
Wish it all away,
Wanna wish it all away,
No prize that could hold sway,
Or justify my giving away,
My center.
~o0o~
As soon as he'd witnessed Paul phase back to human, Jared rushed into the dense woods and phased. "Sam! The pup's back to his human form. Bring an extra pair of shorts, will ya?"
"How did you get him calm enough?" Sam questioned, his voice laced with surprise.
"Uh, well… shit, I'll just show you." With that, he let his memories of what he'd witnessed between Paul's wolf and Bella play out until he was startled by his Alpha's voice.
"What the hell was that?! How could you even allow her to get close much less allow what I just saw?" he hissed in anger.
Jared got defensive. "He was prepared to fight! There was a human girl there who refused to leave! What the fuck was I supposed to do, huh Sam? If I would'a touched her, shit would'a got real in a hurry and you know it!"
"Fine," Sam conceded reluctantly. "I see your point, but now we have a human girl to deal with…"
Jared paced between trees, his wolf snorting in imitation of a human scoff. "Pretty sure there's nothing to be done with her Boss. You saw that part, right? He marked her—his wolf marked her for fucks sake! She let him, while not showing an ounce of fear! Hell, she even bared her neck to him! Imprints I've heard of… but that?! Boss, just what the fuck WAS that?"
The sound of a mental sigh ghosted through their link. "Hell if I know Jared. Maybe the elders will know. At any rate, I'm almost there. What are they doing now?"
Jared peeked through the foliage. "They're sitting there," he answered in a flat tone. "He's holding her." He paced back into the thicker trees. "They're not even talking; just holding each other."
"Good," Sam snapped. "I'll be with you in a few minutes."
Jared flopped into a pile of leaves. "Yep, I'll be here."
~o0o~
After a few moments of just sitting together, Bella shifted in Paul's hold to face him. He met her eyes reluctantly as she cupped his face. "What happened after they took you Paul?"
He turned his face as he stared off in the distance, his body tensed as he answered. "The fuckers must have kept me drugged the whole trip here. I don't remember shit until waking up in that Sam guy's house. He was at the door to the room they had me in when I finally came to. I demanded answers, but he refused." He turned back to meet her eyes as her fingers stroked the back of his neck. He leaned forward and kissed just under her ear before continuing with a sigh. "I told him I'd kick his ass if he didn't answer and he led me out into the woods where that other guy was waiting. He still wouldn't tell me anything and it was pissing me off so I got in a couple a' hits. Then he started talking shit about you…"
Bella's eyes widened as Paul growled and started to shake. His eyes clenched and he tried to push her away. "Bella—get away baby—I think it's happening again…" His voice was tight with pain and the sound of it shook Bella from her shock. She wrapped herself around him and buried her face in his neck as she whispered in his ear. "Paul baby it's okay." She ran her fingers through his hair and kept talking in a low, soothing tone. "Shh, it doesn't matter what he said—just concentrate on us—just you and me, we're together now, we're all that matters…"
She placed feather-light kisses on his neck and smiled as she felt his arms encircle her again as he relaxed. He nuzzled his face into her neck and kissed over her mark. "Thank you Shorty. I'm okay now."
She backed away and met his eyes. "I know you are," she said as she cupped his face and kissed his lips. "Now, finish telling me what happened and don't get spun up because what he said can't really touch us baby. We're above all that."
He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, well he talked his shit and got the other guy, Jared to join in and I lost it. The next thing I knew…" He closed his eyes, dropped his head down and shook it slowly. "...I had turned into a giant fucking animal B. I attacked Sam. He turned into a wolf too. We fought." He raised his head and looked into Bella's eyes. "He was talking to me in my mind B. I could hear him and the other guy speaking…it…freaked me out even worse than I already was so I ran. I just needed to get away from them. That's when you found me."
The despair she saw in his eyes twisted her heart and she held his face as she spoke. "You're amazing and beautiful and mine. This isn't the end of anything Paul, do you hear? We're gonna learn all we can about this and deal with it together."
He scoffed and turned his face away. "How is this not the end of everything? It's the end of everything I've ever worked for Bella!" He looked back at her, a frown marring his brow. "How can I live a normal life if I turn into a massive animal when I get pissed off? I have a really shitty temper B. I always have…" He shook his head and looked away again.
She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah? Well, guess what? I'm stubborn and I'm not about to let you give up. I'm not about to lose you to anger and bitterness. It might be a challenge, but I'll find a way to kick your ass into shape before I let that happen."
He slowly turned his head and looked at her with one raven brow cocked. "You think so?"
She narrowed her eyes. "You don't scare me Paul, not even as a wolf. I mean, yeah, you could hurt me as a man and as a wolf, but would you?"
She watched as his brows drew together and he pulled her close and nuzzled her neck, his voice choked as he answered. "No. God, just the thought of hurting you tears at something inside me."
She nodded against him and kissed his neck. "That's what I thought. I feel the same way…" She backed away to look in his eyes and held up a menacing finger. "…however, kicking your ass for your own good is still on the table, so don't piss me off mister."
He stared at her as his brows inched up and a smile curved his lips. The next thing she knew, she was on her back in a pile of leaves with Paul tickling her mercilessly as she begged him to stop. When he finally did, she smirked at him as he loomed over her. Her eyes sparkled with mirth and heat as they trailed down his body. "Uh, Paul?" She looked in his eyes. "You do realize you're naked, right?"
"Damn, no wonder I was feeling a draft," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Yeah, apparently exploding into a giant wolf is tough on the clothes."
She grinned as she ran a hand down his muscled chest. "Oh darn. That's…" He hissed as she tweaked a nipple. "…a shame." She smirked.
A clearing throat had Paul grabbing her up with a growl as he faced the intruder.
Sam held up a hand and tossed a pair of shorts to him. "Thought you may need those. Put 'em on and we'll talk."
Paul shot him a dark look, but stood and set Bella on her feet as he grabbed the shorts and turned his back to slip them on. Just as he was about to button and zip them, he heard Bella. "Wait!"
He looked at her and cocked a brow as she grabbed the waist-band at the back and slipped her hand in. She pulled it out and held up a leaf as a blush heated her cheeks. "It was, uh…yeah…go ahead." She dropped the leaf and waved a hand.
He smirked at her as he zipped up and she scowled. "Fine, next time I'll let you deal with a leaf stuck to your butt."
He grabbed her into a hug and kissed her jaw as he murmured. "What would I do without you Shorty?"
She smiled against his chest. "Have a leafy ass?"
He laughed lightly until the sound of Sam clearing his throat caught his attention again and he scowled.
"I've called the elders. We need to meet with them. Billy Black and his son should be here with a truck soon to take us back to the rez since we need to take the girl. We're closest to Chief Swan's house so that's where we'll meet him." He turned his back and began walking. "Let's get going."
Paul bristled at what sounded like an order, and Bella rubbed his bicep as she held his tensed arm. "Calm baby. We already know he's lacking in people skills, but we need to hear what the elders have to say about all this."
He stared down into her eyes and nodded as he worked to relax. "Yeah, we do."
They began following Sam and Jared when Bella glanced back up at Paul with a frown. "You got bigger damn it."
He grinned and scooped her into his arms and she squeaked at the sudden move. "Warn me before you do that!" She laughed as he nuzzled her neck.
"Don't be sad 'cause you're little Shorty," he mumbled between kisses to her neck. "We fit together just right," he said as he nipped below her ear. "You remember?" he asked lowly and she just barely held back a moan at the feel of his hot kisses and the memories he'd just evoked.
He took a deep breath. "You smell so sweet when you're turned on B." He kissed her ear again and whispered, "I don't know what I want more…to taste you or to fuck you…you're driving me crazy."
"Paul," she groaned. "Shit, you have to stop. We're almost to my Dad's house. You know, Charlie…the cop with a gun?"
"I don't care," he mumbled and sucked at his mark on her neck. "A bullet would be worth it."
She laughed and pushed against him. "Well, I do care. He might shoot a part that I'm particularly fond of and that would really suck baby."
He raised his head with a sigh. "Fine, I see your point."
She laid her head on his shoulder with a smile as her hand traced the muscles of his chest. "Soon though," she whispered. "I'm dying to feel you inside me again."
He groaned as he reached down and adjusted himself. "Fuck B, not helping."
She smirked. "So, it's okay for you to get me all hot, but not the other way around?"
"Oh, I didn't say that. Just wait until later—I'll kick back and relax and you can get me as hot as you want." He smiled widely. "In any way you want."
Sam's voice filtered back to them then. "You two may want to change the topic of conversation. We're almost there and they're waiting on us."
Bella sighed. "Well, what to talk about then?"
He shrugged a shoulder. "Why don't you come to my house after this and we can have dinner? I'm fuckin' starving. I haven't eaten since I left my Aunt's house."
She gasped and pulled back to see his face. "They didn't feed you at all?!"
"I was knocked out the whole time Shorty. Shit kinda went to hell when I woke up, so no, I haven't eaten."
"Assholes," she grumbled as she rested back against him.
Paul broke through the tree line then and stopped short as a group of people stopped talking and turned to stare.
One stepped forward looking quite shocked and perplexed as he spoke. "Bells? What are you doing here so early," his voice dropped and eyes narrowed as he continued. "…and why are you in Paul Lahote's arms?"
Bella sat up and grinned sheepishly. "Uh, hi Charlie."
~ Jambi ~
But I,
And I would,
If I could,
And I would
Wish it away,
Wish it away,
Wish it all away,
Wanna wish it all away,
No prize that could hold sway,
Or justify my giving away,
My center.
~o0o~
As soon as he'd witnessed Paul phase back to human, Jared rushed into the dense woods and phased. "Sam! The pup's back to his human form. Bring an extra pair of shorts, will ya?"
"How did you get him calm enough?" Sam questioned, his voice laced with surprise.
"Uh, well… shit, I'll just show you." With that, he let his memories of what he'd witnessed between Paul's wolf and Bella play out until he was startled by his Alpha's voice.
"What the hell was that?! How could you even allow her to get close much less allow what I just saw?" he hissed in anger.
Jared got defensive. "He was prepared to fight! There was a human girl there who refused to leave! What the fuck was I supposed to do, huh Sam? If I would'a touched her, shit would'a got real in a hurry and you know it!"
"Fine," Sam conceded reluctantly. "I see your point, but now we have a human girl to deal with…"
Jared paced between trees, his wolf snorting in imitation of a human scoff. "Pretty sure there's nothing to be done with her Boss. You saw that part, right? He marked her—his wolf marked her for fucks sake! She let him, while not showing an ounce of fear! Hell, she even bared her neck to him! Imprints I've heard of… but that?! Boss, just what the fuck WAS that?"
The sound of a mental sigh ghosted through their link. "Hell if I know Jared. Maybe the elders will know. At any rate, I'm almost there. What are they doing now?"
Jared peeked through the foliage. "They're sitting there," he answered in a flat tone. "He's holding her." He paced back into the thicker trees. "They're not even talking; just holding each other."
"Good," Sam snapped. "I'll be with you in a few minutes."
Jared flopped into a pile of leaves. "Yep, I'll be here."
~o0o~
After a few moments of just sitting together, Bella shifted in Paul's hold to face him. He met her eyes reluctantly as she cupped his face. "What happened after they took you Paul?"
He turned his face as he stared off in the distance, his body tensed as he answered. "The fuckers must have kept me drugged the whole trip here. I don't remember shit until waking up in that Sam guy's house. He was at the door to the room they had me in when I finally came to. I demanded answers, but he refused." He turned back to meet her eyes as her fingers stroked the back of his neck. He leaned forward and kissed just under her ear before continuing with a sigh. "I told him I'd kick his ass if he didn't answer and he led me out into the woods where that other guy was waiting. He still wouldn't tell me anything and it was pissing me off so I got in a couple a' hits. Then he started talking shit about you…"
Bella's eyes widened as Paul growled and started to shake. His eyes clenched and he tried to push her away. "Bella—get away baby—I think it's happening again…" His voice was tight with pain and the sound of it shook Bella from her shock. She wrapped herself around him and buried her face in his neck as she whispered in his ear. "Paul baby it's okay." She ran her fingers through his hair and kept talking in a low, soothing tone. "Shh, it doesn't matter what he said—just concentrate on us—just you and me, we're together now, we're all that matters…"
She placed feather-light kisses on his neck and smiled as she felt his arms encircle her again as he relaxed. He nuzzled his face into her neck and kissed over her mark. "Thank you Shorty. I'm okay now."
She backed away and met his eyes. "I know you are," she said as she cupped his face and kissed his lips. "Now, finish telling me what happened and don't get spun up because what he said can't really touch us baby. We're above all that."
He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, well he talked his shit and got the other guy, Jared to join in and I lost it. The next thing I knew…" He closed his eyes, dropped his head down and shook it slowly. "...I had turned into a giant fucking animal B. I attacked Sam. He turned into a wolf too. We fought." He raised his head and looked into Bella's eyes. "He was talking to me in my mind B. I could hear him and the other guy speaking…it…freaked me out even worse than I already was so I ran. I just needed to get away from them. That's when you found me."
The despair she saw in his eyes twisted her heart and she held his face as she spoke. "You're amazing and beautiful and mine. This isn't the end of anything Paul, do you hear? We're gonna learn all we can about this and deal with it together."
He scoffed and turned his face away. "How is this not the end of everything? It's the end of everything I've ever worked for Bella!" He looked back at her, a frown marring his brow. "How can I live a normal life if I turn into a massive animal when I get pissed off? I have a really shitty temper B. I always have…" He shook his head and looked away again.
She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah? Well, guess what? I'm stubborn and I'm not about to let you give up. I'm not about to lose you to anger and bitterness. It might be a challenge, but I'll find a way to kick your ass into shape before I let that happen."
He slowly turned his head and looked at her with one raven brow cocked. "You think so?"
She narrowed her eyes. "You don't scare me Paul, not even as a wolf. I mean, yeah, you could hurt me as a man and as a wolf, but would you?"
She watched as his brows drew together and he pulled her close and nuzzled her neck, his voice choked as he answered. "No. God, just the thought of hurting you tears at something inside me."
She nodded against him and kissed his neck. "That's what I thought. I feel the same way…" She backed away to look in his eyes and held up a menacing finger. "…however, kicking your ass for your own good is still on the table, so don't piss me off mister."
He stared at her as his brows inched up and a smile curved his lips. The next thing she knew, she was on her back in a pile of leaves with Paul tickling her mercilessly as she begged him to stop. When he finally did, she smirked at him as he loomed over her. Her eyes sparkled with mirth and heat as they trailed down his body. "Uh, Paul?" She looked in his eyes. "You do realize you're naked, right?"
"Damn, no wonder I was feeling a draft," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Yeah, apparently exploding into a giant wolf is tough on the clothes."
She grinned as she ran a hand down his muscled chest. "Oh darn. That's…" He hissed as she tweaked a nipple. "…a shame." She smirked.
A clearing throat had Paul grabbing her up with a growl as he faced the intruder.
Sam held up a hand and tossed a pair of shorts to him. "Thought you may need those. Put 'em on and we'll talk."
Paul shot him a dark look, but stood and set Bella on her feet as he grabbed the shorts and turned his back to slip them on. Just as he was about to button and zip them, he heard Bella. "Wait!"
He looked at her and cocked a brow as she grabbed the waist-band at the back and slipped her hand in. She pulled it out and held up a leaf as a blush heated her cheeks. "It was, uh…yeah…go ahead." She dropped the leaf and waved a hand.
He smirked at her as he zipped up and she scowled. "Fine, next time I'll let you deal with a leaf stuck to your butt."
He grabbed her into a hug and kissed her jaw as he murmured. "What would I do without you Shorty?"
She smiled against his chest. "Have a leafy ass?"
He laughed lightly until the sound of Sam clearing his throat caught his attention again and he scowled.
"I've called the elders. We need to meet with them. Billy Black and his son should be here with a truck soon to take us back to the rez since we need to take the girl. We're closest to Chief Swan's house so that's where we'll meet him." He turned his back and began walking. "Let's get going."
Paul bristled at what sounded like an order, and Bella rubbed his bicep as she held his tensed arm. "Calm baby. We already know he's lacking in people skills, but we need to hear what the elders have to say about all this."
He stared down into her eyes and nodded as he worked to relax. "Yeah, we do."
They began following Sam and Jared when Bella glanced back up at Paul with a frown. "You got bigger damn it."
He grinned and scooped her into his arms and she squeaked at the sudden move. "Warn me before you do that!" She laughed as he nuzzled her neck.
"Don't be sad 'cause you're little Shorty," he mumbled between kisses to her neck. "We fit together just right," he said as he nipped below her ear. "You remember?" he asked lowly and she just barely held back a moan at the feel of his hot kisses and the memories he'd just evoked.
He took a deep breath. "You smell so sweet when you're turned on B." He kissed her ear again and whispered, "I don't know what I want more…to taste you or to fuck you…you're driving me crazy."
"Paul," she groaned. "Shit, you have to stop. We're almost to my Dad's house. You know, Charlie…the cop with a gun?"
"I don't care," he mumbled and sucked at his mark on her neck. "A bullet would be worth it."
She laughed and pushed against him. "Well, I do care. He might shoot a part that I'm particularly fond of and that would really suck baby."
He raised his head with a sigh. "Fine, I see your point."
She laid her head on his shoulder with a smile as her hand traced the muscles of his chest. "Soon though," she whispered. "I'm dying to feel you inside me again."
He groaned as he reached down and adjusted himself. "Fuck B, not helping."
She smirked. "So, it's okay for you to get me all hot, but not the other way around?"
"Oh, I didn't say that. Just wait until later—I'll kick back and relax and you can get me as hot as you want." He smiled widely. "In any way you want."
Sam's voice filtered back to them then. "You two may want to change the topic of conversation. We're almost there and they're waiting on us."
Bella sighed. "Well, what to talk about then?"
He shrugged a shoulder. "Why don't you come to my house after this and we can have dinner? I'm fuckin' starving. I haven't eaten since I left my Aunt's house."
She gasped and pulled back to see his face. "They didn't feed you at all?!"
"I was knocked out the whole time Shorty. Shit kinda went to hell when I woke up, so no, I haven't eaten."
"Assholes," she grumbled as she rested back against him.
Paul broke through the tree line then and stopped short as a group of people stopped talking and turned to stare.
One stepped forward looking quite shocked and perplexed as he spoke. "Bells? What are you doing here so early," his voice dropped and eyes narrowed as he continued. "…and why are you in Paul Lahote's arms?"
Bella sat up and grinned sheepishly. "Uh, hi Charlie."
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