Breathe In Union
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 23
P.S. Wolf speak is in bold italics.
"Well," she muttered while taking his hand. "You remember that old woman I told you about when we first met?"
His brow creased. "Back in Arizona, at the Pow Wow?"
"Yeah," she answered with a smile. "That's the one."
"Sure, I remember you telling me about her, but what does that have to do with you blowing me off and coming to the meeting?"
She shot him an exasperated glare. "I'm getting to that."
He rolled his eyes. "Is this gonna be a long story B, because I'm kinda hungry and I'd hate to starve to death while you get to the point," he finished with a smirk.
Quick as lightning, she reached out and pinched his nipple and he hissed. "Okay! Shit, I'm sorry!"
She turned loose with a smirk while he glared and rubbed his chest. "Vicious woman," he grumbled.
"As I was saying…" she said in a higher tone and he rolled his hand in the air.
"I'm listening."
"After you and Rudy left for the meeting, I saw a glow coming from the woods and went to check it out."
He shot up and glared at her. "You did what?! Jesus B, what if it had been a leech? How could you be so…" He cut himself off when she glared at him.
"Don't say something that we'll both regret Paul."
He clenched his fists before blowing out a breath as he ran his hands through his hair.
"Look," she said, her tone low and soothing as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jared and Embry were patrolling, they would have known if a vampire…"
"They're not infallible Bella!" he cut her off as he stood and slipped into his discarded shorts. He turned and glared at her. "They can make mistakes or miss something until it's too late." He leaned down on the bed, his face inches from hers as he growled out his next sentence. "Can you at least try to keep yourself safe? Will you please use your head for fuck's sake?" He punched the mattress before whirling away to pace to the window. "Fuck!" he yelled before putting a fist through the glass.
Bella gasped and covered her mouth with a hand as she stared at Paul's tense back before grabbing the sheet to cover herself as their door burst open.
"What the fuck's going on?!" Rudy looked frantic as he glanced between the two in the room. "I heard shouting and glass breaking…" he said weakly as Paul shot a glare at him over his shoulder. "I thought maybe a leech got to you…" he finished with a shrug.
Bella wiped a few tears from her cheeks and shook her head. She was surprised by them as she hadn't realized she'd shed them. "No D, no vampires, just us." She met his worried gaze with a wan smile. "We're just talking some things out. We'll be fine."
His brow creased as he looked between Bella and his brother's tense form. "Talking…sure," he said as he grabbed the door knob. "I'll just…" he motioned into the hall. "…be out here if you need me."
Bella smiled. "Thanks D."
He nodded, shot one last look at his brother's back and left, closing the door quietly.
Bella sagged and rested her face against her raised knees. "That went well," she murmured before raising her head to look at Paul. "Are you calm now? Wanna try this again, like adults this time?"
She flipped back the sheet and rose from the bed. "Look," she said as she dug some sleepwear from the dresser drawer. "I'm going to get dressed and get the first aid kit for your hand. Then I'm going to patch you up, get some food in you and then we'll continue this talk."
Once dressed, she marched into the bathroom and came out moments later with a box in her hands. He glanced at her and she pointed to the bed. "Sit," she ordered. "And no, that wasn't a dog joke. I'm just pissed at you right now and don't feel like being nice," she grumbled as he walked over and sat on the bed without a word.
"Hand," she demanded while spreading a towel over his lap. He set his hand, palm side down on the towel and she began picking glass out of the cuts. When she was through, she poured antiseptic over it and he hissed. "Does it hurt?" she questioned while screwing the cap back on the medicine. He nodded. "Good," she said while avoiding his gaze. "You earned it."
He rolled his eyes and looked away while she wrapped his hand in gauze. "Okay," she said as she put everything away. "Now you go get what you need to clean up all that glass while I make you something to eat. I'll call you when it's done." She turned and left the room and his shoulders sagged as he ran a hand over his face. He knew he'd fucked up, but he still felt he had the right to be pissed.
Standing with a sigh, he left to go get the vacuum and a trash can.
~o0o~
Bella was deep in thought when she walked into the kitchen so the sound of a voice made her jump and clutch at her chest. "Shit D, you scared the hell outta me," she breathed out in relief as he stared at her from the breakfast bar. She walked toward the fridge and he cocked a brow. "So," he drawled. "You two done…talking?" he asked with a smirk and she rolled her eyes while piling sandwich fixings on the counter.
"For the moment, until he can come down from his temper tantrum."
His brows climbed. "This is Paul we're talking about, right? You might be waiting a while."
She shot him a flat look and began assembling sandwiches. He shrugged and took a bite of his food. "Just sayin', he mumbled through a full mouth before chewing.
"He'll be fine. This is why I'm giving him time. I figure having him clean up the mess he made and feeding him will do wonders for his attitude. By the time he's finished, he should be ready to have a civil discussion."
Rudy snorted and quickly took a drink while looking everywhere but at her. Bella ignored him and plated the sandwiches. "So, where are my dad and Lisa?" she asked, deftly changing the subject.
Rudy swallowed and took a sip of water before answering. "They're overnighting in Seattle." He motioned to a note on the counter. "Guess they had some wedding shit to pick up."
"Shit, that's right!" she said with wide eyes. "I need to find a dress!" She groaned. "I hate shopping, especially for dresses." He smirked and she narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you looking smug for? You need a suit, so does Paul…you guys are going with me."
"Fuck," he muttered and stuffed the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth.
She grinned and picked up the plate she'd prepared. "Be ready tomorrow D, and remember, if I must suffer, so shall you." She chuckled darkly and walked out of the kitchen only to run into Paul as he was stowing the vacuum back in the utility closet.
"Hi," he muttered while looking contrite.
She held up the plate. "You wanna eat in the kitchen or our room?"
He took the plate. "Kitchen. I'm gonna grab a drink too."
"Okay," she said as she moved to go around him. He stopped her with a hand on her arm and she met his gaze.
"Come with me? I'm…ready to talk now."
She nodded and fell into step beside him. Rudy took one look at them as they entered and got up while grabbing his water bottle. "So," he motioned toward the doors. "I'm just gonna…yeah…" he muttered and hurried from the room. Bella smiled and leaned against the kitchen side of the bar while Paul took a seat on the other side.
"You want a water?" she asked and he nodded.
"Yeah, please."
She got it from the fridge and set it beside his plate. He gestured toward the food. "You're not eating?"
"Not hungry," she answered while watching him.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look B, I'm sorry for losing my shit, okay? I just…this whole thing…the risks you take…" he trailed off as he looked away from her. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." He looked back at her and the pain in his eyes made her breath catch. "Just thinking of it tears me apart inside. It would kill me B. I know it."
His head dropped down and tears came to her eyes as he continued, his voice tight with emotion. "All the rest of this shit? I can take it. Loosing the scholarship and baseball…it sucks, but I can handle it…" He raised his head and met her teary gaze. "Losing you? There's just no way…" His voice cracked as his head dropped again and she was around the bar and in his arms the next second, both of them holding tight.
"You're not going to lose me," she quietly cried against him. "We're gonna make it through this just fine, you'll see." She looked up at him and he wiped at her tears as she continued. "We have more going for us than you know," she assured him while cupping his cheek. "That's part of what I need to tell you. There are unbelievable powers behind us Paul. Powers that are helping us and strengthening us for what we need to do. They won't let us fail."
His gaze flitted between her shining brown eyes as he studied her for a moment before nodding. "I have to believe you B, because the alternative is terrifying. War Bella…we're supposed to fight some kind of fucked up supernatural war…jesus…" he trailed off with a shake of his head.
She took his face in both hands and stared into his eyes. "You're gonna kick ass Paul, don't you doubt it, and I'll be beside you the whole time as will the pack. This has all been foretold, we just need to believe."
He nodded and she leaned forward and kissed him, their lips brushing softly as they took comfort in each other. "I love you," she whispered before kissing him again while he pulled her close.
"God, I love you too," he answered as he nuzzled her neck. "So damn much…"
She pulled away with a smile and nodded at his plate. "You should eat. You're always an ass when you're hungry."
He rolled his eyes and picked up a sandwich while she took a seat beside him. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered before taking a healthy bite.
"Besides," she said as he chewed. "If your mouth's busy, you won't be able to bitch."
He narrowed his eyes at her and took a drink of his water. "Just get on with it B," he grumbled and went back to eating while shooting her an expectant look.
"Fine," she said. "I'll cut to the chase, shall I?"
He rolled one hand in the air. "Please do," he agreed before taking another bite.
"Okay, so, the old lady…"
He looked over with raised brows and she grinned. "I saw her again! That's what the glow in the woods was…well that and these two beautiful white wolves…"
He shot her a flat look and she sighed. "Okay, the lady…um, she told me stuff…"
Paul rolled his eyes while chewing and she scowled. "So, I'm not that great at telling stories, sue me." He shook his head and kept eating. She went back to talking.
"She told me the legend of the silver wolf is true. There will be a war, but we will win it as long as we stick together and help each other. She said that I will be vital and that, when the time comes, she will visit me again and tell me what I need to do."
He took a swig of water and eyed her for a beat. "Yeah, that's not vague at all…" he muttered dryly.
She slapped his shoulder and he shrugged and started on the next sandwich. "You told me yourself that the elders were known for being cryptic."
He nodded.
"So no surprises there, right?" she questioned.
He shook his head and she continued.
"Anyway, after that, she told me I needed to go get Billy and get to the meeting. That if I didn't, it was gonna go to shit…" his brows shot up and she muttered, "Well, not in so many words, but you get the gist…"
He smirked and took another bite while eyeing her. She smiled and kept talking. "She said it was important to keep the Cullen's on our side; that they would be important in defeating the red-eyed vampires and two of their Kings, one with the hair of the raven and one with the hair of moonlight. She said the Cullen leader and the Warrior would both help govern all cold ones in the future; that they would be vital to establishing peace between all tribes and their race." She looked at Paul who was now watching her closely. "She said those two Cullens would replace the two kings…that would be destroyed by the silver wolf."
"Two," he muttered while peeling the label on his water bottle. He met her cautious gaze. "I thought there were three of them."
She nodded. "That's what we were told, yeah." She shrugged. "I'm guessing one of the three isn't going to die…or whatever it is they do."
"Burn," he growled while staring into the distance. "Burn is what the fuckers are gonna do."
She shivered at his tone, glad that he'd never directed it at her. It was chilling.
He shook himself mentally from the dark place he'd gone for a moment and looked at her. "Well, that's quite the info-dump. Where's the old lady now?"
Bella frowned. "I don't know, she just sort of walked back into the trees and I couldn't exactly follow her. I had to get Billy and get to the meeting."
He glanced askance at her and finished off his sandwich while she traced the pattern in the granite countertop with a finger. When he'd finished, he pushed his plate away with a sigh. "So, I have to make nice with the local leeches, eh?" he asked with a curl to his lip.
She nodded and looked at him hesitantly. "Yeah, we all do and besides, my best friend is probably gonna be one of them."
He scowled. "How can she even consider it?!"
Bella shrugged and met his gaze. "She loves him."
He shuddered. "How could she even get close enough to love that thing. I mean, it's dead and stinks like it too…fuck. It's disgusting."
Bella shrugged again. "I don't know, they smell kinda like sweet perfume to me; not bad at all really."
He looked at her in horror. "You stay the hell away from them B. I can't stand it when their scent is on you."
She looked down at her hands for a moment, trying to find the courage to bring up a subject she knew was going to piss him off again. "Uh, Paul?"
She looked up into his narrowed gaze. "Yeah?" he drawled while watching her become more nervous by the second.
"Uh, I have to talk to you about school. You know, it starts up again next week…"
He shot up from his seat. "No fucking way!" he shouted. "You can't be serious right now!"
She straightened in her seat and glared up at him. "You don't even know what I'm gonna say!" she fired back and he chuckled darkly.
"Well, let's see Isabella, you started looking nervous as hell and then you bring up school…it doesn't take a fucking brain surgeon to figure out you're gonna tell me you still want to go to Forks High! Which happens to be where your leech-lover friend and her group of pet leeches go!"
She twisted her hands together while looking at him. "Paul, come on, be reasonable…"
His mouth dropped open as his brows shot up. "Me? You're telling me to be reasonable?! Un-fucking-believable!" He turned his face away and she rose from the barstool.
"I know you probably thought I would go the the rez school now that I live here, but I'm already registered at Forks. They have the AP courses I need and the rez school doesn't. It's a school filled with hundreds of students and teachers. I'll be safe there and…I'm going Paul. I know in time you'll understand."
He glowered at her for a moment, his nostrils flared and his body trembling before turning and leaving without a word. Seconds later, she flinched as the front door slammed, almost shattering the glass.
She closed her eyes and tried to stifle the emotions rampaging through her as a lone tear escaped one eye.
"Hey, you okay?"
She spun around and tried to calm her heart while swiping at her wet cheek. "God damn it Rudy! Make some noise or something, will ya?" she snapped.
"Shit, sorry B, I just heard…well, I just wanted to make sure you were all right."
Her anger deflated like a balloon and she nodded. "No, I'm sorry D. I shouldn't have snapped at you." She smiled sadly at him. "I'm okay," she lied and he cocked a skeptical brow. "Okay, I'm not, but I will be. It's not that serious."
He opened his arms. "Come'ere," he invited and she let herself be wrapped in his arms. "You want me to go kick his ass?" he offered and she laughed.
"No." She backed away and cocked a brow at him. "Besides, you said you can't beat him."
He shrugged. "True," he said while grabbing a bag of chips and flopping into a seat. "But I can still get some good hits in before he lays me out. I'm willing to do it for you B."
She sagged into the barstool next to him. "Well, thanks D, but I'll pass. He just has to work through it, that's all. It's not like he hurt me…"
He munched a chip. "Oh, I know that. If he had, I wouldn't even ask you. I'd just give him a beating. No questions."
She looked at him with an arched brow and he rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'd try like hell to give him a beating. Happy?"
She laughed and he shoved her playfully. "No need to rub it in, B," he grumbled.
She patted his shoulder as he shoveled in more chips. "You know I love you D."
"Yeah, yeah…" he muttered. "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride…"
~o0o~
Paul jogged into the trees, stripped and phased, a vicious snarl ripping from his wolf form as he took off into the forest. He was angry, no question about it, and he felt totally justified. How could she even think of going to school with those…
His thoughts were cut off by a familiar acrid scent and he growled as he took off after the scent trail while tuning in mentally to the pack. "Hey! Who's phased?" he questioned while listening carefully.
"Just me man." Jared piped in seconds later. "Why, what's up?"
"I'm headed toward the northern part of the treaty line and caught a fresh leech trail. Get over here, now."
"Shit, really? I'm on the way."
Paul raced through the trees until his nose ached from the strength of the scent. He could now tell there were two of them and he chuffed as he ran. 'Jesus, they stink,' he thought and Jared answered him.
"Don't I know it."
"Yeah well, just get here. There's two of them. It'd be nice to have help."
"Hauling ass as fast as I can bro," Jared huffed.
Paul spotted a blond pony tail just as he reached the treaty line and kept after it even when he spotted the honey-blond leech and the big muscled one from the Cullen coven joining in the chase.
The muscled one called out, "Jasper, I'm going after the red-head in the trees. See ya." He veered off and now it was just Paul and the leech called Jasper chasing the pony tail.
Jasper glanced at him. "That your top speed?" he asked with a grin. Paul snarled. "Okay man, just askin'. How 'bout you take the left and I'll veer right? We cut him off from both sides?"
Paul angled left and Jasper nodded. "Okay then, see ya at the bonfire."
They both poured on the speed and began gaining on the laughing vampire who abruptly stopped laughing as Paul nipped a chunk out of his left arm. "Fuck!" pony-tail hissed and Jasper chuckled as he drew close.
"Ain't near as fun now is it Sunshine?" he mocked the hissing vamp. "That's all right though. We're fixin' to end this little romp, right quick," Jasper taunted with a grin.
"Fuck off," pony-tail snarled and tried to launch himself into the trees. Just as he did though, both Paul and Jasper jumped with Paul clamping his jaws over the vamp's shoulders while Jasper grabbed his lower torso and twisted as they fell. Between the two of them, they tore the struggling vampire in half just as they both hit the ground.
An agonized shriek had them looking up at the trees to see the red-head's face contorted with rage as she watched her mate's pieces twitch and squirm. "You'll pay!" she screeched venomously before taking off like a shot through the high branches.
Jasper looked at Paul. "You got this?" he questioned and Paul growled. "Excellent, gotta go then! Later Pup!" he said as he took off and Paul shook his head as he began tearing the vamp into smaller pieces to burn.
"Dude!" Jared piped in as he caught up and saw the carnage. "You bagged it! Awesome!"
"Yeah, thanks for the help," Paul groused before phasing to his human form. Jared phased too and looked sheepish.
"Took me a while to catch up. You fuckers were moving!"
Paul merely glowered. "Yeah well, I was out to kill this fucker. Wasn't about to lose it either. Bad enough the red-head got away."
Jared started piling pieces together. "Shit, really? That sucks."
Paul held out a hand for a lighter and Jared knelt and dug one out from his little pouch. Paul lit a dry stick and tossed it on the pile of parts before handing the lighter back.
"So, she really got away? I thought the Cullen leeches were helping," Jared muttered as he stared into the hissing fire.
"They were. Not sure if they caught up to the bitch or not. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."
Jared looked up at their surroundings. "At least you got them off the rez."
Paul nodded. "Small consolation because if they didn't catch her, she'll be back." He met Jared's gaze. "And when she comes back, you can almost bet she's gonna have a plan."
~o0o~
Angela jumped and Edward hissed lowly as the front door to the Cullen mansion slammed open. "Emmett, do you think you could manage entering our home in a civil manner please?" he chastised while holding his human girlfriend close. "You frightened Angela."
Emmett shot Edward a dark look. "Forgive me if I'm a little amped up after chasing rogue vamps through the woods."
"Did you catch them?" Edward questioned sharply.
Emmett's lip curled. "Jasper and a wolf caught one, I chased the other."
Jasper strolled in and quietly closed the door. "Too bad ya didn't catch her," he teased and laughed as Em slugged him in the arm with a muttered "Asshole".
"Language Emmett, come on," Edward rebuked with a glance at a blushing Angela.
"Forgive me my lady," Em said with a bow. "I wasn't aware you've never heard the word asshole before. I shan't make such an egregious error again."
She giggled while Edward glared hotly.
Jasper cleared his throat while shooting a dubious look and a smirk at a grinning Emmett. "Maybe we should go clean up?" he suggested.
Emmett glanced down at his muddied clothes. "Shit, if you insist bro."
Jasper patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah, somethin' tells me Esme would appreciate it greatly."
They left and Edward relaxed back into his seat on the couch. "You'd think they were raised in a barn," he grumbled and Angela shook her head while looking at him. "What?" he questioned.
"You should loosen up and cut them some slack. They were just chasing the vampires who are after me, you know," she reminded him while glancing up at him.
He sighed. "I know, but they are so crass. I can handle it, but they could tone it down for your benefit at least."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Edward, what am I made of?"
His brow pinched. "What? Flesh, blood, bone, like all humans… What kind of a question is that?"
"Right, what I am not made of is glass. I won't shatter easily. You don't have to protect me from every little thing, especially when it comes to your family. I've heard the word asshole plenty of times and even say it on occasion, okay? Surprisingly enough, the world hasn't ended because of it."
He nodded and looked down into his lap. "I know this, but I just feel that you should be treated like a lady." He glanced at her and she took his hand.
"I know, and I love you for it." She turned in her seat to face him. "Tell you what. I'll let you know if I'm ever offended and then you can take care of the problem, okay? That way, we'll both be happy."
He gave her a shy smile. "Sounds reasonable," he conceded and she leaned over and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you," she murmured as he cupped her cheek and brushed his lips against hers.
"Anything for you, love."
"That's good," she said while looking into his eyes. "Because I've made my decision.
"I want to join you. I want you to change me."
P.S. Wolf speak is in bold italics.
"Well," she muttered while taking his hand. "You remember that old woman I told you about when we first met?"
His brow creased. "Back in Arizona, at the Pow Wow?"
"Yeah," she answered with a smile. "That's the one."
"Sure, I remember you telling me about her, but what does that have to do with you blowing me off and coming to the meeting?"
She shot him an exasperated glare. "I'm getting to that."
He rolled his eyes. "Is this gonna be a long story B, because I'm kinda hungry and I'd hate to starve to death while you get to the point," he finished with a smirk.
Quick as lightning, she reached out and pinched his nipple and he hissed. "Okay! Shit, I'm sorry!"
She turned loose with a smirk while he glared and rubbed his chest. "Vicious woman," he grumbled.
"As I was saying…" she said in a higher tone and he rolled his hand in the air.
"I'm listening."
"After you and Rudy left for the meeting, I saw a glow coming from the woods and went to check it out."
He shot up and glared at her. "You did what?! Jesus B, what if it had been a leech? How could you be so…" He cut himself off when she glared at him.
"Don't say something that we'll both regret Paul."
He clenched his fists before blowing out a breath as he ran his hands through his hair.
"Look," she said, her tone low and soothing as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jared and Embry were patrolling, they would have known if a vampire…"
"They're not infallible Bella!" he cut her off as he stood and slipped into his discarded shorts. He turned and glared at her. "They can make mistakes or miss something until it's too late." He leaned down on the bed, his face inches from hers as he growled out his next sentence. "Can you at least try to keep yourself safe? Will you please use your head for fuck's sake?" He punched the mattress before whirling away to pace to the window. "Fuck!" he yelled before putting a fist through the glass.
Bella gasped and covered her mouth with a hand as she stared at Paul's tense back before grabbing the sheet to cover herself as their door burst open.
"What the fuck's going on?!" Rudy looked frantic as he glanced between the two in the room. "I heard shouting and glass breaking…" he said weakly as Paul shot a glare at him over his shoulder. "I thought maybe a leech got to you…" he finished with a shrug.
Bella wiped a few tears from her cheeks and shook her head. She was surprised by them as she hadn't realized she'd shed them. "No D, no vampires, just us." She met his worried gaze with a wan smile. "We're just talking some things out. We'll be fine."
His brow creased as he looked between Bella and his brother's tense form. "Talking…sure," he said as he grabbed the door knob. "I'll just…" he motioned into the hall. "…be out here if you need me."
Bella smiled. "Thanks D."
He nodded, shot one last look at his brother's back and left, closing the door quietly.
Bella sagged and rested her face against her raised knees. "That went well," she murmured before raising her head to look at Paul. "Are you calm now? Wanna try this again, like adults this time?"
She flipped back the sheet and rose from the bed. "Look," she said as she dug some sleepwear from the dresser drawer. "I'm going to get dressed and get the first aid kit for your hand. Then I'm going to patch you up, get some food in you and then we'll continue this talk."
Once dressed, she marched into the bathroom and came out moments later with a box in her hands. He glanced at her and she pointed to the bed. "Sit," she ordered. "And no, that wasn't a dog joke. I'm just pissed at you right now and don't feel like being nice," she grumbled as he walked over and sat on the bed without a word.
"Hand," she demanded while spreading a towel over his lap. He set his hand, palm side down on the towel and she began picking glass out of the cuts. When she was through, she poured antiseptic over it and he hissed. "Does it hurt?" she questioned while screwing the cap back on the medicine. He nodded. "Good," she said while avoiding his gaze. "You earned it."
He rolled his eyes and looked away while she wrapped his hand in gauze. "Okay," she said as she put everything away. "Now you go get what you need to clean up all that glass while I make you something to eat. I'll call you when it's done." She turned and left the room and his shoulders sagged as he ran a hand over his face. He knew he'd fucked up, but he still felt he had the right to be pissed.
Standing with a sigh, he left to go get the vacuum and a trash can.
~o0o~
Bella was deep in thought when she walked into the kitchen so the sound of a voice made her jump and clutch at her chest. "Shit D, you scared the hell outta me," she breathed out in relief as he stared at her from the breakfast bar. She walked toward the fridge and he cocked a brow. "So," he drawled. "You two done…talking?" he asked with a smirk and she rolled her eyes while piling sandwich fixings on the counter.
"For the moment, until he can come down from his temper tantrum."
His brows climbed. "This is Paul we're talking about, right? You might be waiting a while."
She shot him a flat look and began assembling sandwiches. He shrugged and took a bite of his food. "Just sayin', he mumbled through a full mouth before chewing.
"He'll be fine. This is why I'm giving him time. I figure having him clean up the mess he made and feeding him will do wonders for his attitude. By the time he's finished, he should be ready to have a civil discussion."
Rudy snorted and quickly took a drink while looking everywhere but at her. Bella ignored him and plated the sandwiches. "So, where are my dad and Lisa?" she asked, deftly changing the subject.
Rudy swallowed and took a sip of water before answering. "They're overnighting in Seattle." He motioned to a note on the counter. "Guess they had some wedding shit to pick up."
"Shit, that's right!" she said with wide eyes. "I need to find a dress!" She groaned. "I hate shopping, especially for dresses." He smirked and she narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you looking smug for? You need a suit, so does Paul…you guys are going with me."
"Fuck," he muttered and stuffed the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth.
She grinned and picked up the plate she'd prepared. "Be ready tomorrow D, and remember, if I must suffer, so shall you." She chuckled darkly and walked out of the kitchen only to run into Paul as he was stowing the vacuum back in the utility closet.
"Hi," he muttered while looking contrite.
She held up the plate. "You wanna eat in the kitchen or our room?"
He took the plate. "Kitchen. I'm gonna grab a drink too."
"Okay," she said as she moved to go around him. He stopped her with a hand on her arm and she met his gaze.
"Come with me? I'm…ready to talk now."
She nodded and fell into step beside him. Rudy took one look at them as they entered and got up while grabbing his water bottle. "So," he motioned toward the doors. "I'm just gonna…yeah…" he muttered and hurried from the room. Bella smiled and leaned against the kitchen side of the bar while Paul took a seat on the other side.
"You want a water?" she asked and he nodded.
"Yeah, please."
She got it from the fridge and set it beside his plate. He gestured toward the food. "You're not eating?"
"Not hungry," she answered while watching him.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look B, I'm sorry for losing my shit, okay? I just…this whole thing…the risks you take…" he trailed off as he looked away from her. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." He looked back at her and the pain in his eyes made her breath catch. "Just thinking of it tears me apart inside. It would kill me B. I know it."
His head dropped down and tears came to her eyes as he continued, his voice tight with emotion. "All the rest of this shit? I can take it. Loosing the scholarship and baseball…it sucks, but I can handle it…" He raised his head and met her teary gaze. "Losing you? There's just no way…" His voice cracked as his head dropped again and she was around the bar and in his arms the next second, both of them holding tight.
"You're not going to lose me," she quietly cried against him. "We're gonna make it through this just fine, you'll see." She looked up at him and he wiped at her tears as she continued. "We have more going for us than you know," she assured him while cupping his cheek. "That's part of what I need to tell you. There are unbelievable powers behind us Paul. Powers that are helping us and strengthening us for what we need to do. They won't let us fail."
His gaze flitted between her shining brown eyes as he studied her for a moment before nodding. "I have to believe you B, because the alternative is terrifying. War Bella…we're supposed to fight some kind of fucked up supernatural war…jesus…" he trailed off with a shake of his head.
She took his face in both hands and stared into his eyes. "You're gonna kick ass Paul, don't you doubt it, and I'll be beside you the whole time as will the pack. This has all been foretold, we just need to believe."
He nodded and she leaned forward and kissed him, their lips brushing softly as they took comfort in each other. "I love you," she whispered before kissing him again while he pulled her close.
"God, I love you too," he answered as he nuzzled her neck. "So damn much…"
She pulled away with a smile and nodded at his plate. "You should eat. You're always an ass when you're hungry."
He rolled his eyes and picked up a sandwich while she took a seat beside him. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered before taking a healthy bite.
"Besides," she said as he chewed. "If your mouth's busy, you won't be able to bitch."
He narrowed his eyes at her and took a drink of his water. "Just get on with it B," he grumbled and went back to eating while shooting her an expectant look.
"Fine," she said. "I'll cut to the chase, shall I?"
He rolled one hand in the air. "Please do," he agreed before taking another bite.
"Okay, so, the old lady…"
He looked over with raised brows and she grinned. "I saw her again! That's what the glow in the woods was…well that and these two beautiful white wolves…"
He shot her a flat look and she sighed. "Okay, the lady…um, she told me stuff…"
Paul rolled his eyes while chewing and she scowled. "So, I'm not that great at telling stories, sue me." He shook his head and kept eating. She went back to talking.
"She told me the legend of the silver wolf is true. There will be a war, but we will win it as long as we stick together and help each other. She said that I will be vital and that, when the time comes, she will visit me again and tell me what I need to do."
He took a swig of water and eyed her for a beat. "Yeah, that's not vague at all…" he muttered dryly.
She slapped his shoulder and he shrugged and started on the next sandwich. "You told me yourself that the elders were known for being cryptic."
He nodded.
"So no surprises there, right?" she questioned.
He shook his head and she continued.
"Anyway, after that, she told me I needed to go get Billy and get to the meeting. That if I didn't, it was gonna go to shit…" his brows shot up and she muttered, "Well, not in so many words, but you get the gist…"
He smirked and took another bite while eyeing her. She smiled and kept talking. "She said it was important to keep the Cullen's on our side; that they would be important in defeating the red-eyed vampires and two of their Kings, one with the hair of the raven and one with the hair of moonlight. She said the Cullen leader and the Warrior would both help govern all cold ones in the future; that they would be vital to establishing peace between all tribes and their race." She looked at Paul who was now watching her closely. "She said those two Cullens would replace the two kings…that would be destroyed by the silver wolf."
"Two," he muttered while peeling the label on his water bottle. He met her cautious gaze. "I thought there were three of them."
She nodded. "That's what we were told, yeah." She shrugged. "I'm guessing one of the three isn't going to die…or whatever it is they do."
"Burn," he growled while staring into the distance. "Burn is what the fuckers are gonna do."
She shivered at his tone, glad that he'd never directed it at her. It was chilling.
He shook himself mentally from the dark place he'd gone for a moment and looked at her. "Well, that's quite the info-dump. Where's the old lady now?"
Bella frowned. "I don't know, she just sort of walked back into the trees and I couldn't exactly follow her. I had to get Billy and get to the meeting."
He glanced askance at her and finished off his sandwich while she traced the pattern in the granite countertop with a finger. When he'd finished, he pushed his plate away with a sigh. "So, I have to make nice with the local leeches, eh?" he asked with a curl to his lip.
She nodded and looked at him hesitantly. "Yeah, we all do and besides, my best friend is probably gonna be one of them."
He scowled. "How can she even consider it?!"
Bella shrugged and met his gaze. "She loves him."
He shuddered. "How could she even get close enough to love that thing. I mean, it's dead and stinks like it too…fuck. It's disgusting."
Bella shrugged again. "I don't know, they smell kinda like sweet perfume to me; not bad at all really."
He looked at her in horror. "You stay the hell away from them B. I can't stand it when their scent is on you."
She looked down at her hands for a moment, trying to find the courage to bring up a subject she knew was going to piss him off again. "Uh, Paul?"
She looked up into his narrowed gaze. "Yeah?" he drawled while watching her become more nervous by the second.
"Uh, I have to talk to you about school. You know, it starts up again next week…"
He shot up from his seat. "No fucking way!" he shouted. "You can't be serious right now!"
She straightened in her seat and glared up at him. "You don't even know what I'm gonna say!" she fired back and he chuckled darkly.
"Well, let's see Isabella, you started looking nervous as hell and then you bring up school…it doesn't take a fucking brain surgeon to figure out you're gonna tell me you still want to go to Forks High! Which happens to be where your leech-lover friend and her group of pet leeches go!"
She twisted her hands together while looking at him. "Paul, come on, be reasonable…"
His mouth dropped open as his brows shot up. "Me? You're telling me to be reasonable?! Un-fucking-believable!" He turned his face away and she rose from the barstool.
"I know you probably thought I would go the the rez school now that I live here, but I'm already registered at Forks. They have the AP courses I need and the rez school doesn't. It's a school filled with hundreds of students and teachers. I'll be safe there and…I'm going Paul. I know in time you'll understand."
He glowered at her for a moment, his nostrils flared and his body trembling before turning and leaving without a word. Seconds later, she flinched as the front door slammed, almost shattering the glass.
She closed her eyes and tried to stifle the emotions rampaging through her as a lone tear escaped one eye.
"Hey, you okay?"
She spun around and tried to calm her heart while swiping at her wet cheek. "God damn it Rudy! Make some noise or something, will ya?" she snapped.
"Shit, sorry B, I just heard…well, I just wanted to make sure you were all right."
Her anger deflated like a balloon and she nodded. "No, I'm sorry D. I shouldn't have snapped at you." She smiled sadly at him. "I'm okay," she lied and he cocked a skeptical brow. "Okay, I'm not, but I will be. It's not that serious."
He opened his arms. "Come'ere," he invited and she let herself be wrapped in his arms. "You want me to go kick his ass?" he offered and she laughed.
"No." She backed away and cocked a brow at him. "Besides, you said you can't beat him."
He shrugged. "True," he said while grabbing a bag of chips and flopping into a seat. "But I can still get some good hits in before he lays me out. I'm willing to do it for you B."
She sagged into the barstool next to him. "Well, thanks D, but I'll pass. He just has to work through it, that's all. It's not like he hurt me…"
He munched a chip. "Oh, I know that. If he had, I wouldn't even ask you. I'd just give him a beating. No questions."
She looked at him with an arched brow and he rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'd try like hell to give him a beating. Happy?"
She laughed and he shoved her playfully. "No need to rub it in, B," he grumbled.
She patted his shoulder as he shoveled in more chips. "You know I love you D."
"Yeah, yeah…" he muttered. "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride…"
~o0o~
Paul jogged into the trees, stripped and phased, a vicious snarl ripping from his wolf form as he took off into the forest. He was angry, no question about it, and he felt totally justified. How could she even think of going to school with those…
His thoughts were cut off by a familiar acrid scent and he growled as he took off after the scent trail while tuning in mentally to the pack. "Hey! Who's phased?" he questioned while listening carefully.
"Just me man." Jared piped in seconds later. "Why, what's up?"
"I'm headed toward the northern part of the treaty line and caught a fresh leech trail. Get over here, now."
"Shit, really? I'm on the way."
Paul raced through the trees until his nose ached from the strength of the scent. He could now tell there were two of them and he chuffed as he ran. 'Jesus, they stink,' he thought and Jared answered him.
"Don't I know it."
"Yeah well, just get here. There's two of them. It'd be nice to have help."
"Hauling ass as fast as I can bro," Jared huffed.
Paul spotted a blond pony tail just as he reached the treaty line and kept after it even when he spotted the honey-blond leech and the big muscled one from the Cullen coven joining in the chase.
The muscled one called out, "Jasper, I'm going after the red-head in the trees. See ya." He veered off and now it was just Paul and the leech called Jasper chasing the pony tail.
Jasper glanced at him. "That your top speed?" he asked with a grin. Paul snarled. "Okay man, just askin'. How 'bout you take the left and I'll veer right? We cut him off from both sides?"
Paul angled left and Jasper nodded. "Okay then, see ya at the bonfire."
They both poured on the speed and began gaining on the laughing vampire who abruptly stopped laughing as Paul nipped a chunk out of his left arm. "Fuck!" pony-tail hissed and Jasper chuckled as he drew close.
"Ain't near as fun now is it Sunshine?" he mocked the hissing vamp. "That's all right though. We're fixin' to end this little romp, right quick," Jasper taunted with a grin.
"Fuck off," pony-tail snarled and tried to launch himself into the trees. Just as he did though, both Paul and Jasper jumped with Paul clamping his jaws over the vamp's shoulders while Jasper grabbed his lower torso and twisted as they fell. Between the two of them, they tore the struggling vampire in half just as they both hit the ground.
An agonized shriek had them looking up at the trees to see the red-head's face contorted with rage as she watched her mate's pieces twitch and squirm. "You'll pay!" she screeched venomously before taking off like a shot through the high branches.
Jasper looked at Paul. "You got this?" he questioned and Paul growled. "Excellent, gotta go then! Later Pup!" he said as he took off and Paul shook his head as he began tearing the vamp into smaller pieces to burn.
"Dude!" Jared piped in as he caught up and saw the carnage. "You bagged it! Awesome!"
"Yeah, thanks for the help," Paul groused before phasing to his human form. Jared phased too and looked sheepish.
"Took me a while to catch up. You fuckers were moving!"
Paul merely glowered. "Yeah well, I was out to kill this fucker. Wasn't about to lose it either. Bad enough the red-head got away."
Jared started piling pieces together. "Shit, really? That sucks."
Paul held out a hand for a lighter and Jared knelt and dug one out from his little pouch. Paul lit a dry stick and tossed it on the pile of parts before handing the lighter back.
"So, she really got away? I thought the Cullen leeches were helping," Jared muttered as he stared into the hissing fire.
"They were. Not sure if they caught up to the bitch or not. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."
Jared looked up at their surroundings. "At least you got them off the rez."
Paul nodded. "Small consolation because if they didn't catch her, she'll be back." He met Jared's gaze. "And when she comes back, you can almost bet she's gonna have a plan."
~o0o~
Angela jumped and Edward hissed lowly as the front door to the Cullen mansion slammed open. "Emmett, do you think you could manage entering our home in a civil manner please?" he chastised while holding his human girlfriend close. "You frightened Angela."
Emmett shot Edward a dark look. "Forgive me if I'm a little amped up after chasing rogue vamps through the woods."
"Did you catch them?" Edward questioned sharply.
Emmett's lip curled. "Jasper and a wolf caught one, I chased the other."
Jasper strolled in and quietly closed the door. "Too bad ya didn't catch her," he teased and laughed as Em slugged him in the arm with a muttered "Asshole".
"Language Emmett, come on," Edward rebuked with a glance at a blushing Angela.
"Forgive me my lady," Em said with a bow. "I wasn't aware you've never heard the word asshole before. I shan't make such an egregious error again."
She giggled while Edward glared hotly.
Jasper cleared his throat while shooting a dubious look and a smirk at a grinning Emmett. "Maybe we should go clean up?" he suggested.
Emmett glanced down at his muddied clothes. "Shit, if you insist bro."
Jasper patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah, somethin' tells me Esme would appreciate it greatly."
They left and Edward relaxed back into his seat on the couch. "You'd think they were raised in a barn," he grumbled and Angela shook her head while looking at him. "What?" he questioned.
"You should loosen up and cut them some slack. They were just chasing the vampires who are after me, you know," she reminded him while glancing up at him.
He sighed. "I know, but they are so crass. I can handle it, but they could tone it down for your benefit at least."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Edward, what am I made of?"
His brow pinched. "What? Flesh, blood, bone, like all humans… What kind of a question is that?"
"Right, what I am not made of is glass. I won't shatter easily. You don't have to protect me from every little thing, especially when it comes to your family. I've heard the word asshole plenty of times and even say it on occasion, okay? Surprisingly enough, the world hasn't ended because of it."
He nodded and looked down into his lap. "I know this, but I just feel that you should be treated like a lady." He glanced at her and she took his hand.
"I know, and I love you for it." She turned in her seat to face him. "Tell you what. I'll let you know if I'm ever offended and then you can take care of the problem, okay? That way, we'll both be happy."
He gave her a shy smile. "Sounds reasonable," he conceded and she leaned over and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you," she murmured as he cupped her cheek and brushed his lips against hers.
"Anything for you, love."
"That's good," she said while looking into his eyes. "Because I've made my decision.
"I want to join you. I want you to change me."
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.