Changing Tides
by Momma2fan
Chapter 22
Edward had broken almost every bone on the left side of Paul’s body. One of his broken ribs had punctured a lung, his spleen had been torn and he was covered in bruises. Carlisle had to do surgery to take out the spleen and stop some internal bleeding. The wolf was very lucky.
Bella lay beside him, sleeping soundly for the first time in over a week. She had stayed awake watching as his body healed, wondering how she ever thought of a life with Edward. Paul was her everything.
Emily sat at the side of the bed as Bella slept, wiping sweat from Paul’s brow, neck and chest. She worried for her brother and her sister, knowing Bella would never survive if anything happened to him. She also worried about the rest of the pack, especially since there was a vampire, in pieces, in her backyard.
Sam refused to allow Leah and Brady to kill Edward. He wanted Paul and Bella to have the final say. He really couldn’t wait to watch him burn. He worried it wouldn’t happen since Paul had been in a coma for almost two weeks. He could see the toll it was taking on Bella, as well as the rest of the pack.
He kept wolves on constant guard of Edward, switching out every four hours, while he and Emily stayed with Bella and Paul. He had just lifted his coffee cup to take a drink when he heard her start to whimper.
Bella sat up, screaming Paul’s name. She looked around and saw him still unmoving beside her. She met Emily’s eyes on the other side, tears leaking down her friends cheeks.
“Sorry, Em.” Bella ran a hand through her tangled locks. She leaned over and pressed her lips to the forehead of her prone boyfriend. “Has he moved at all?”
“No,” Emily whispered as she ran the cool cloth along Paul’s neck. “Bella, I’m worried about you. You haven’t left this room in two weeks, you need to get some fresh air.”
“I can’t—”
“She’s right, Sis.” Sam interrupted. “Come on, take a walk with me.”
“Sam...”
“I’m not asking you, Bella.” Sam held out his hand and waited for her to join him.
Sighing, Bella leaned over to Paul. “Sam is making me get fresh air. I love you.” Pressing a kiss to his cheek and then his lips, she got out of the bed and followed Sam.
Sam led her to the beach and they walked silently. He waited her out, knowing eventually she would open up. He didn’t have to wait long.
“I’m scared, Sam. What if he doesn’t wake up?” She could feel her chest tighten at the thought.
“Bella, Paul is a fighter. I’m sure he’ll wake up soon.” Sam put a comforting arm around her. “You guys are gonna have a happy life together, a long one. Jared, Paul and I are gonna drive you, Kim and Emily crazy when we’re older.”
Bella smiled, “More than you already do?”
“Hey!” Sam laughed. “The three of you wouldn’t know what to do without us.”
Bella looked up at her brother, “You’re right.” She wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Thanks, Sam.”
Sam pressed a kiss to her hair. “He’ll be okay, Bella. Remember, I’ve seen our destinies.”
***CT***
Paul felt like he was floating in a sea of blackness and pain. He was trying to break through the surface, but just as he saw the light above, he sank back under. He could hear garbled noises and feel someone touching him, but he couldn’t surface to see who it was.
His conscious mind knew Bella must be going crazy with worry and felt his chest tug. He needed to see her, to touch her. He began fighting harder to break out of the dungeon his body was locked in.
Bella stood staring out the bedroom window, allowing some sunlight in the darkened room. She could see the backyard from where she stood and stared at Jacob and Quil whose turn it was to guard her vampire ex.
Paul made his way out of the darkness and blinked open his eyes. He slowly looked around, letting his vision clear. He turned his head and met the beautiful sight of his imprint. She looked ethereal with the sunlight all around her.
Licking his dry lips, “You look like an angel.”
Bella whipped around at the sound of his voice. She smiled softly when she saw his brown eyes on hers. Walking forward, she kneeled on the bed beside him and reached out to touch his face.
“Don’t ever do that to me again, Paul Lahote. I thought I’d lost you.”
“I’m here, baby.” Paul reached up and cupped her cheek. “I love you, Bella.”
“I love you, too.” Leaning down, she pressed her lips to his.
When they broke apart, Paul studied her face. She had dark circles under her eyes and her cheeks had hollowed a little. “You need to eat and get some sleep.”
“I’ll eat when you do. And I’ve slept a little, but the nightmares won’t stay away.”
“Come here.” Paul urged her to lay down beside him, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her to him. “Rest, baby. I’ve got you.”
When Emily poked her head in the door, she saw Bella curled around Paul and his arm around her. She said a silent thank you to Taha-Aki and closed the door. She walked down the stairs and faced Sam and the rest of the pack.
“He must have woken up at some point. He has his arms around her and they’re both asleep.”
“Thank the Spirits,” Sam muttered as his brothers nodded.
***CT***
Two days after he woke, Paul was walking around as if his injuries had never happened. Bella was still fussing over him, which he took good naturedly. When it came to meal times, he pulled her onto his lap and made her eat.
“So, is someone gonna tell me why there is a vampire in the backyard?”
Jared grinned, “Pay up, motherfuckers!”
The pack thought Paul would let Edward suffer for at least a week, Jared argued it would only be a couple of days. Grumbling about how he could have known, the entire pack threw money at him.
“I told Leah and Brady to keep him alive. I knew you would want a say on what happened to him.” Sam told him.
Paul nodded and pushed his empty plate from him. “I think we need to take him, all of him, to the treaty line and meet with the rest of them.”
“We should discuss what’s gonna happen first.” Jake suggested.
“Edward is gonna burn.” Bella stated matter of factly. “He would have drained me if Paul and Leah hadn’t arrived when they did. Then he tried to kill Paul. He’s dead in my opinion.”
“Agreed,” Sam said with a nod.
“What about the rest?” Seth asked.
“Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper are innocent. They had no idea what was going on. I don’t think Carlisle did either. Esme defended Edward above all else. I’m fairly certain she wouldn’t have protested if he had drained me.”
“Okay, so what are you thinking?” Jared asked what everyone else wanted to know.
Bella sighed and stood from Paul’s lap. Scrubbing her hands over her face, she looked out the window at the unmoving monster she used to love. She couldn’t be responsible for separating a mated pair, but Alice’s machinations were almost as bad as Edward’s. But were they worth letting Jasper, who had never wronged her, live in agony without his mate. She turned and met the eyes of the pack, her family, before resting on Paul. Staring into his eyes, she knew what she needed to do.
Edward had broken almost every bone on the left side of Paul’s body. One of his broken ribs had punctured a lung, his spleen had been torn and he was covered in bruises. Carlisle had to do surgery to take out the spleen and stop some internal bleeding. The wolf was very lucky.
Bella lay beside him, sleeping soundly for the first time in over a week. She had stayed awake watching as his body healed, wondering how she ever thought of a life with Edward. Paul was her everything.
Emily sat at the side of the bed as Bella slept, wiping sweat from Paul’s brow, neck and chest. She worried for her brother and her sister, knowing Bella would never survive if anything happened to him. She also worried about the rest of the pack, especially since there was a vampire, in pieces, in her backyard.
Sam refused to allow Leah and Brady to kill Edward. He wanted Paul and Bella to have the final say. He really couldn’t wait to watch him burn. He worried it wouldn’t happen since Paul had been in a coma for almost two weeks. He could see the toll it was taking on Bella, as well as the rest of the pack.
He kept wolves on constant guard of Edward, switching out every four hours, while he and Emily stayed with Bella and Paul. He had just lifted his coffee cup to take a drink when he heard her start to whimper.
Bella sat up, screaming Paul’s name. She looked around and saw him still unmoving beside her. She met Emily’s eyes on the other side, tears leaking down her friends cheeks.
“Sorry, Em.” Bella ran a hand through her tangled locks. She leaned over and pressed her lips to the forehead of her prone boyfriend. “Has he moved at all?”
“No,” Emily whispered as she ran the cool cloth along Paul’s neck. “Bella, I’m worried about you. You haven’t left this room in two weeks, you need to get some fresh air.”
“I can’t—”
“She’s right, Sis.” Sam interrupted. “Come on, take a walk with me.”
“Sam...”
“I’m not asking you, Bella.” Sam held out his hand and waited for her to join him.
Sighing, Bella leaned over to Paul. “Sam is making me get fresh air. I love you.” Pressing a kiss to his cheek and then his lips, she got out of the bed and followed Sam.
Sam led her to the beach and they walked silently. He waited her out, knowing eventually she would open up. He didn’t have to wait long.
“I’m scared, Sam. What if he doesn’t wake up?” She could feel her chest tighten at the thought.
“Bella, Paul is a fighter. I’m sure he’ll wake up soon.” Sam put a comforting arm around her. “You guys are gonna have a happy life together, a long one. Jared, Paul and I are gonna drive you, Kim and Emily crazy when we’re older.”
Bella smiled, “More than you already do?”
“Hey!” Sam laughed. “The three of you wouldn’t know what to do without us.”
Bella looked up at her brother, “You’re right.” She wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Thanks, Sam.”
Sam pressed a kiss to her hair. “He’ll be okay, Bella. Remember, I’ve seen our destinies.”
***CT***
Paul felt like he was floating in a sea of blackness and pain. He was trying to break through the surface, but just as he saw the light above, he sank back under. He could hear garbled noises and feel someone touching him, but he couldn’t surface to see who it was.
His conscious mind knew Bella must be going crazy with worry and felt his chest tug. He needed to see her, to touch her. He began fighting harder to break out of the dungeon his body was locked in.
Bella stood staring out the bedroom window, allowing some sunlight in the darkened room. She could see the backyard from where she stood and stared at Jacob and Quil whose turn it was to guard her vampire ex.
Paul made his way out of the darkness and blinked open his eyes. He slowly looked around, letting his vision clear. He turned his head and met the beautiful sight of his imprint. She looked ethereal with the sunlight all around her.
Licking his dry lips, “You look like an angel.”
Bella whipped around at the sound of his voice. She smiled softly when she saw his brown eyes on hers. Walking forward, she kneeled on the bed beside him and reached out to touch his face.
“Don’t ever do that to me again, Paul Lahote. I thought I’d lost you.”
“I’m here, baby.” Paul reached up and cupped her cheek. “I love you, Bella.”
“I love you, too.” Leaning down, she pressed her lips to his.
When they broke apart, Paul studied her face. She had dark circles under her eyes and her cheeks had hollowed a little. “You need to eat and get some sleep.”
“I’ll eat when you do. And I’ve slept a little, but the nightmares won’t stay away.”
“Come here.” Paul urged her to lay down beside him, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her to him. “Rest, baby. I’ve got you.”
When Emily poked her head in the door, she saw Bella curled around Paul and his arm around her. She said a silent thank you to Taha-Aki and closed the door. She walked down the stairs and faced Sam and the rest of the pack.
“He must have woken up at some point. He has his arms around her and they’re both asleep.”
“Thank the Spirits,” Sam muttered as his brothers nodded.
***CT***
Two days after he woke, Paul was walking around as if his injuries had never happened. Bella was still fussing over him, which he took good naturedly. When it came to meal times, he pulled her onto his lap and made her eat.
“So, is someone gonna tell me why there is a vampire in the backyard?”
Jared grinned, “Pay up, motherfuckers!”
The pack thought Paul would let Edward suffer for at least a week, Jared argued it would only be a couple of days. Grumbling about how he could have known, the entire pack threw money at him.
“I told Leah and Brady to keep him alive. I knew you would want a say on what happened to him.” Sam told him.
Paul nodded and pushed his empty plate from him. “I think we need to take him, all of him, to the treaty line and meet with the rest of them.”
“We should discuss what’s gonna happen first.” Jake suggested.
“Edward is gonna burn.” Bella stated matter of factly. “He would have drained me if Paul and Leah hadn’t arrived when they did. Then he tried to kill Paul. He’s dead in my opinion.”
“Agreed,” Sam said with a nod.
“What about the rest?” Seth asked.
“Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper are innocent. They had no idea what was going on. I don’t think Carlisle did either. Esme defended Edward above all else. I’m fairly certain she wouldn’t have protested if he had drained me.”
“Okay, so what are you thinking?” Jared asked what everyone else wanted to know.
Bella sighed and stood from Paul’s lap. Scrubbing her hands over her face, she looked out the window at the unmoving monster she used to love. She couldn’t be responsible for separating a mated pair, but Alice’s machinations were almost as bad as Edward’s. But were they worth letting Jasper, who had never wronged her, live in agony without his mate. She turned and met the eyes of the pack, her family, before resting on Paul. Staring into his eyes, she knew what she needed to do.