Bella helped Leah and Emily carry the last of the food to the table. Tonight was Leah and Jake's engagement party, they had imprinted on each other a couple weeks after Leah had phased. Leah was able to forgive Sam and Emily afterward because she finally understood the pull of an imprint that hadn't been fully decided. They had started as friends since Leah refused to do to me what had been done to her. They had gotten close and when she told her that the love she had for Jake was that of a sister, they started dating. Now two and a half years later, we were months away from them walking down the aisle.
Bella looked up when she heard Charlie's cruiser pull into Sam's driveway. Sam had insisted that the party be at his place. Sue rushed toward Charlie and he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Everyone looked away and she noticed that some of the wolves looked embarrassed, she was thankful that she didn't have their hearing.
Harry had passed away from the heart attack that happened when he witnessed Leah and Seth change in front of him during an argument. Bella had helped them stay sane those first weeks when neither one would change back to human form due to heartbreak. Charlie had been there for Sue and when he witnessed Seth phase to human in front of him, he had been brought into the secret.
He and Bella had a very long discussion about the next time she even thought about dating anyone, whoever it was would have to be approved by every member of the pack and if he survived them he would have to meet him. The one person she knew that would be able to handle the pack and her dad was someone that she could never let them know about. Charlie and Sue had started dating six months ago and everyone was happy for them.
"Bells, it looks awesome." Jake said coming up behind Leah and wrapping his arms around her.
"Of course it looks awesome young Alpha. Emily and Bella have been cooking since this morning to make enough food for you wolves. Those girls make the best food." Old Quil said as he came to stand next to them. His opinion of Bella had changed the instant she had told the council about the Cullens powers.
He had been livid when he realized that they had never thought to inform the tribe that leeches could have gifts or that three of their coven had them. When the red headed leech had showed up six months after they had left, it had been the pack and Bella that kept everyone safe. Bella had distracted her, with a cut on her hand, long enough for the pack to tear her apart. Bella had been the one to light her on fire. The council had revoked the treaty that day. When they found out she had there for Bella, a mate for a mate she had claimed. Everyone had been been ready to light a torch and go after them when Bella had told them everything that had happened. How James had attacked and bitten her and Edward had removed the venom from her veins. How at her birthday due to a paper cut, the newest to the animal drinking had tried to go after her. Surprisingly, she didn't blame him at all due to the fact that he was an empath and could feel everyone's blood lust. She told them about what had happened in the woods, what he had said to her and how he left her heartbroken and confused. All but two of the leeches had knowingly brought Bella into their world, exposed her to deadly human-drinkers and abandoned her with this knowledge and the possibility that the leech they killed mate could come after her. Bella was part of their tribe, part of the pack even though she wasn't a imprint.
"Thanks Quilly." Bella said kissing the old man on the cheek.
"Okay that's not fair." Quil said from where he was watching his 5 year old imprint Claire dancing with Jared's imprint Kim. "How come she gets to call you Quilly, old man?"
"Simple, he likes her." Paul said with a laugh as everyone started sitting down at the table.
Billy was about to speak when a taxi pulled to a stop. Everyone watched as Rachel, one of Jake twin sisters, got out.
"Rachel, I thought that work and you couldn't get away until the wedding." Jake said with a small smile as he rushed up to his sister.
"Some stuff cleared up, so I thought I would come and visit for a while." Rachel said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes as Jake pulled her into a hug.
"Come join us, we have plenty of food. I can't wait for you to meet everyone." he said as he pulled her to the table. He slowly introducing her to everyone. When Paul stood to shake her hand, he froze.
"Oh fuck me." Bella whispered seeing the look on Paul's face.
"SHIT!" Billy exclaimed.
"Umm, what is going on?" Rachel asked confused.
"Billy, maybe you, Sue, Quil, Paul, my dad and Rachel should go back to your house to explain some things." Bella said, being the voice of reason. Something about Rachel wasn't feeling right to her but the gods had decided that she was Paul's imprint.
"That sounds like a good idea. Let's go." Charlie said as they headed toward Billy's house.
"Bella, what's up?" Jared asked. Like Bella he wanted to be happy for Paul but something felt off about Rachel suddenly showing up. He had been there when Jake had called inviting her and his other sister to come and spend some time with him and Billy and get to know Leah. Both had said that due to work and other things that niether would be able to make it until right before the wedding date.
"Not sure, I know that she is your sister Jake but she left you and your dad because she didn't want to be stuck here. She told you that she would not be able to come until right before the wedding and would only stay for a few nights. Now she shows up months early and plans on a long visit. It just doesn't feel right to me."
"Bella.." Jake started.
"Jake, I agree. It feels off." Leah said. The rest of the pack agreed. Unlike Jake, she remembered the twins being spoiled and stuck their nose in the air thinking they were better than everyone else and swore they would never step foot back on the rez. She remembered her dad having to bail out Billy more than once with bills because of them over spending and not paying him back.
"I want to believe she is here for me, Bells.." he was about to say more when a slightly tortured howl rang out.
"Oh, that's Paul." Emily cried. Sam quickly phased and ran.
"No one else phase." Jake ordered "Let Sam try to find out what's going on first."
Everyone was on edge when Sam and Paul came into the clearing still in wolf form. Paul's legs collapsed beneath him and curled into a ball. Leah had to grab Bells when she tried to rush to him. Sam phased not caring that he was naked. He looked livid.
"Sam..." Emily said as she started to him.
"Emily, stay away right now. Jake your sister is a freaking piece of work. The only reason she is even here is to try to get Billy to give her some money, she didn't even remember that the engagement party was today. She lost her job and is about to lose the place she is going to live and wants your dad to give her money so she and her fiancee can live in the style they are use too. Your other sister knew this and decided not to call and warn us. She doesn't care about you getting married, that you two are barely making it month to month on your income, that Billy's health is getting bad. She said the sooner Billy gives her the cash the sooner she will leave. She will not stay here any longer that necessary. She refused to believe Billy about us being wolves, about being Paul's imprint. She refused the imprint when Paul phased to prove to her about everything. She wants nothing to do with a pathetic little rez boy that has nothing going for him, her words. She, I can't even repeat some of the things that said. Holy crow, the things she said to him and Billy damn near broke my heart. Old Quil and Charlie had to remove Sue from the house." the hurt and anger were in his voice. A imprint had cruelly hurt his brother even if Paul didn't want it to be one like the others. He looked up and saw that everyone was beyond pissed. Paul hadn't felt any romantic feelings for Rachel at all. He knew that Paul didn't want anything other than to be her friend or protector but the things she had said to him had hurt.
Bella looked into Paul's eyes. She could feel the pain as if it was her own and could feel her anger rising. Paul had come so far and for his own imprint to say he had nothing going for him pissed her off. She turned as the pack phased to their wolf forms to try to help him come to terms with it. She stalked toward Billy's house, she could feel Leah and the imprints, save Claire, their sisters, right behind her. Rachel was leaving her rez tonight. She didn't care how but that bitch would be gone before morning. She slammed open the door and stared at Billy and her dad,who had come back after making sure Sue would stay at Old Quil's house, who were sitting in the living room.
"Where is she?" she demanded.
"Bells..." Billy started with tears in his eyes. He was heartbroken on what Rachel had said and done. His own daughter truly didn't care about anything other than herself.
"Where is that fucking bitch?!" Leah screamed.
"She is in her old room. Seems to think she has the right to stay here." Charlie said clenching his fists. He was pissed on what had happened. Rachel had dared to come to get money she had been living beyond her means and truly thought that Billy should just give her money so she could keep up with her over spending ways.
The girls walked past them and went right into the twins room. Charlie put his hand on Billy's arm when the yelling started.
"Let them handle this. Rachel refused Paul's imprint. She knows about the pack and only came for money not family. Leah loves you and your son, and Paul is her pack brother. Kim, Emily and Angela are imprints to Jared, Sam and Embry so they are pack sisters. Bells loves you and Jake like family and is in love with Paul, even if the idiot doesn't know it or sees it. I would hate to be Rachel right now." he told him refusing to let Billy go when the sounds of things breaking started.
Emily, Angela and Kim came into the living and sat down on the couch. They were a sight to see with their hair and clothes all over the place. The yelling had stopped but still Leah and Bells didn't come out of the room. Emily picked up the phone and dialed the number for a taxi to come soon.
After what seemed like hours they watched as Rachel staggered out of the room barely holding on to her bag. She knelt on the floor in front of Billy, tears and blood running down her face.
"I, Rachel Black, renounce my imprint to Paul Lahote. I renounce my bonds of family to William Black and Jacob Black. I am Quileute no longer. I will never contact anyone in La Push. I will never reveal any secrets of the tribe under penalty of death. Should I reveal anything I learned today or any of our tribal stories to anyone, my life is forfeit." Rachel refused to meet anyone's eyes as she spoke. Billy could see the pack, in wolf form, outside and knew they had heard her. She got up grabbed her bag and went outside not once looking at anyone.
In the Twins Room
They closed the door behind them. Bella knew that she wanted Rachel's blood.
"Get out of my room!" Rachel yelled from where she dared to lay on the bed.
"This is no longer your room!" Leah yelled pulling Rachel off the beds and slamming her against the wall.
"Save some for us." Kim and Angela said venomously.
"You are going to pack your shit and get the hell out of here." Emily said.
"I don't have to listen to you, you scarred freak." Rachel yelled as she pulled free for Leah.
Bells punched her in the nose. Rachel yelled and grabbed her nose. The instant her eyes were down all of them attacked her. Leah stayed on edges making sure Rachel didn't get away. Bells was the going after Rachel with a vengeance. Leah knew that she was going after her for not just herself but Leah as well because if Leah hit her she might kill her. Leah knew that Bella loved Jake and Billy but the fact that Rachel had broken Paul and dared to hurt him was the biggest thing that made her go after her.
Rachel was begging them to stop and saying she would do anything, that she would leave and never return. Leah had them stop and motioned for Emily, Kim and Angela to leave the room. They looked at each other and knew this part was for Leah and Bells to do.
Bella pulled on Rachel's hair and made her kneel in front of Leah. Rachel tried to get away from her but the hold Bella had was stronger than she thought possible.
"She is your brother's future wife and your fucking Alpha, you will show her some fucking respect and listen to her." Bella whispered in her ear and forced Rachel to look Leah in the eye.
"You are going to pack your shit and go out there and kneel in front of the man that was your father. You are going to renounce your imprint to Paul because you are unworthy of him, your bonds of family to Bill and Jake because they don't need a harpy like you, and the tribe. You are never to speak to anyone that lives is La Push. You are never to reveal anything about the pack or our legends. If it is known that you do you will be killed. Do you understand?" Leah could feel the alpha command in her voice.
"Speak." Bella hissed. She tightened her grip in Rachel's hair.
"I understand." Rachel whispered. She crawled away from Bella and Leah. Under their watchful eyes, she slowly put everything back into her bag. She kept her eyes down the entire time.
"What just happened?" Jake said watching his sister leave in a taxi. He had sent the others to go back to Sam and Emily's to pick up. The food that Emily and Bella had spent all day on would hopefully still be good.
"Rachel is no longer a part of our family, she has renounced all claims." Billy said, he was heartbroken that he had lost a daughter but part of him felt relief for the first time in a long time.
'How is Paul?" Bella asked was pulling her hair into a messy bun. She and Leah had taken showers while Rachel had renounced her ties.
"We got him to phase back. He is at his house sleeping." he told her. The words were barely out of his mouth when she rushed out of the house. He was about to go after her when Leah grabbed his arm.
"Let her go, I think it might help him." Leah said praying what she thought was going on was happening.
Bella didn't even hesitate when Jake had said that Paul was at his house. She knew that he would be awake, she didn't bother to knock, she never did when she came to visit him, she went right in. He was sitting on his couch with all the lights off just like she knew that he would be. She stood in front of him waiting for him to say something.
"You shouldn't be here, Bells. They will figure this out. Should have known that I would imprint on a royal bitch. She hurt us. She doesn't care about anyone besides herself." Paul said opening his eyes to look at her. She straddled him keeping her eyes locked with his. She knew that this would help him more than anything.
"She is never going to hurt you or them again. Leah had her renounce all ties after Emily,Angela, Kim and I beat the bitch out of her. Even though she denied the imprint Leah was still her Alpha. I couldn't let her have a chance to hurt you again." she whispered to him running her fingers through his hair.
He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her flush against him. He raised his head as she lowered hers. They were locked in a kiss that didn't seem to want to stop. He kissed down her neck, he pushed her shirt off her shoulder and licked the bite mark he had left on her the night before. He breathed in her scent and knew he was home.
"Mine." he growled.
"Always yours." she whispered as he picked her up and carried her to his room. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He kicked the door closed and laid them down on his bed. He could smell her excitement. They had been lucky to keep this from the pack for as long as they did. He knew, with the possibility of an imprint, he shouldn't have started anything with her but he truly loved her. She knew and still came to him, when others thought she was home or with a imprint. It had started as a simple friends with benefits and had turned into something more.
He had marked her last night. He had no control over the wolf at all, usually he could keep the wolf at bay when they were together but last night the wolf had been stronger. He thought the wolf had somehow known about Rachel showing up and wanted to give him the strength he was going to need. Unlike the others he had felt only friendship for her but when she had said and done what she did even that had been ripped away. He had been heartbroken that his imprint would be so cruel to her family and to him.
Bella ran her hand down to the front of his shorts and it took pure will power not to strip her. She might not be a virgin anymore thanks to him but he knew that any of the pack could show up at any time and they had kept this quiet for six months. Both had wanted to tell everyone after it had started to get serious, he had wanted to tell his brothers and her father to put him through whatever they wanted him to do but the possibility of him imprinting someday had made both of them keep it hidden.
"Oh SHIT!" Jared exclaimed opening the bedroom door. Quil, Embry and he had come by to check on Paul and to make sure Bells had everything under control.
"Get out." Paul growled.
Jared quickly shut the door and joined Quil and Embry in the living room. They just stared at each other in complete shock.
"How did he keep that from us?" Quil asked.
"Lots of showers and very fucking carefully not thinking about her when I was phased." Paul said coming into the room. He hadn't bothered to fix his pant so they could see that he still had a boner. Bells was hiding in the room waiting for him to come back.
"Guess she has everything under control. We are going to go back to Sam's and let them know you two are good." Jared said trying to get Quil and Embry to leave with him.
"Can I be the one to tell Charlie about this?" Quil said with a smile.
"Shit." they heard Bells say.
"Tell him, just give us a couple hours before you say anything." Paul asked looking back at the bedroom room door.
"We can give you two before everyone starts banging one your door." with that Jared pulled them out of the house the ran back to Sam's house. They would tell him right away and in two hours the would tell Charlie that his daughter was involved with Paul. They couldn't wait to put Paul through the wringer.
"We have two hours." Paul said when he reenter the room and laid down next to her.
"Plenty of time." with a smile she pulled him to her, thankful he was finally hers. "Mine" she whispered against his mouth.
"Always yours." he whispered back knowing it was now the truth.
The wolf curled in Paul content that his work was done. The gods were not always right about what a wolf truly needs. Bells was everything that Paul and the wolf needed to be happy.