Stephanie Meyer owns all, except for dolly and Monty. _

Paul's Story

Chapter One

(Paul's' POV)

Delectable Dolly

Sometimes the fates just like to mess with you and I'm looking at an example of that right now, damn. Who would have thought the woman I've ran from, even acted extra shitty and more of a jerk around would turn out to be my imprint.

It's not that I didn't find her attractive, I did, it's just that the emotions I felt when I first saw her scared me, that's right, scared me, me big bad Paul, because until that moment I never believed in love at first sight, would roll my eyes and scoff at people who said it happened to them, I thought what they felt was lust at first sight not love, then the tables turned when I laid eyes on Dolores Noin Gardener, Dolly for short.

I always made it a point to have a woman on my arm when I knew I would run into her, no I never slept with all of them, something my brothers have found out now, I'm not as wild and uncaring as some think I am, it was just for protection against being hurt. It wasn't as if she would hurt me if I got involved with her, it was when and how, after all, everyone I ever loved hurt me, well, except my brothers and their families, but that's different, their love is unconditional.

My mind tries to take me back to memories I can't deal with now, memories of such emotional pain, when all I wanted was to be loved and accepted, would bring me to my knees right here in front of everyone, but I can't go there, at least not yet, but if I want her to understand me I will have to open up eventually, though that isn't something I'm looking forward to.

I grin in my mind, thinking how everything comes back full circle, the one I fell in love with at first sight and ran from, fought against feeling anything for is the one that truly belonged to me, the one my wolf wants. I grin again and shook my head, I was a coward.

Yeah, that's right, big bad Paul was a coward, scared of the strong feelings I had for this female on first sight. I didn't want to have that kind of feelings for any woman, didn't want to be weak, and ruled by my emotions.

Afraid of being hurt, again.

Well, the running stops now, all the emotional baggage from the past as to be put at aside, at least for now. I have to find a way to convince her I'm not the jerk I made her believe I am.

I look around at all the mated couples, the love and connection between them is really something to see, especially Jacob and Bella, there is none more in love and connected than those two. He loved and went after her, not caring about imprinting; refusing to let it stop him from having the woman he loved. They went through a lot to be together and I truly believed him when he said that if he didn't imprint on Bella, he wouldn't imprint on anyone and if he did, too bad, he wanted Bella, yeah, I believed him, I saw it in his mind when ever we were phased. I admit I gave him a hard time about her, not because I didn't like the girl, but because of her association with the Cullens, our enemies, but she has proven her loyalty to the pack, her on ending love for Jake, now I think of her as a sister, I would give my life protecting her the same as I would my brothers.

Like a magnet my eyes is pulled back to her, I remember waking from unconsciousness a week ago and found her sitting by my beside, I asked her if she was there to make sure I died then thanked her for helping us. She saucily informed me that she wanted to make sure I lived because no one gets the pleasure of killing him but her and for me to hurry and get out of that bed so she can get on with it.

Then she walked out the room. I smiled from ear to ear when she did, thinking the fates knew what they were doing after all, she was more than a match for me. Now all I have to do is convince her. It won't be easy, this will be the hardest most important battle of my life, but one I had no intention of loosing.

Though we are not out here alone, her scent reaches me as if we were. It is the most intoxicating scent I have ever smelt, I wanted to roll in it all day and night. Shit, I can't take it anymore, I had to be near her, to hear her voice, even if that voice was telling me to get lost, it would still be music to me.

I got up and silently moved towards her. I had tried to approach her once before but she had been less than receptive in short she saw me coming and went the other way and has been avoiding me until today. I kept silently moving towards her, her scent like a magnet pulling me like a leash. Before I knew it I was behind her, my nose just inches from her neck, wanting to bury my face there, but before I could her hand came up and slapped me away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked without turning around.

I walked around to stand in front of her. "I just wanted to see if you were okay, if you needed anything." I replied, staring into the mesmerizing chocolate pools of her eyes as she stared back at me in disbelief.

An eyebrow raised. "Oh? Is that why your nose was almost pressed to my neck, so you could find out by smell whether I was okay or needed anything?" She asked sarcastically.

I winked at her. "We wolves can find out many things just by smell." I took a deep breath then smiled at her. "Many things."

"Is that right?" She asked simply

I dramatically took another deep breath in her direction. "Yes, everything." I replied, grinning slyly.

"So dolly." I began. "How have you be … "

"I'm busy." She interrupted

"Been?" I finished. "Those were some awesome moves you put on those bloodsuckers the other night, thanks again for your help. I would really love to learn more about your ancestry."

She rolled her eyes at me. "You thanked me already. As for my ancestry, you didn't want to know anything about me before, even went out of your way to be a jerk, as if I couldn't see through that act, but the point is, you went out of your way to prove your disinterest, now I have no interest in telling you anything." She finished, looking down at her book dismissing me.

She had me there. But what did she mean by seeing right through it? Did she know it was all an act after all? I guess she figured I knew her interest and attraction for me, but went out of my way to prove she had the opposite affect on me. She was so very wrong.

I looked down at her book, then at her bent head. "Why are you reading at a bonfire? Why aren't you enjoying yourself. I know the girls would love to talk to you, get to know more about you." Then they could tell me what I need to know, maybe they could pull out of her how she really feels about me. But I have a feeling she saw right through that too.

She looked up at, closing her book. "I'm not in the talking mood and even if I was, I never talk about … personal things with anyone." Then she grinned. "Yeah, saw through that too."

"So why did you come?" I asked

"Bella came over and invited me personally. She is a nice person and I didn't want to hurt her feelings." She replied.

I just nodded, but kept staring at her.

"You know." She started conversationally. "If you stand there staring at me like that, I might decide to consider you a threat and snap." Placing her hand on the blade she kept at her waist.

I wondered what she did with the two katanna swords she had shown with. Thinking back, I was amazed how she had shown up with two other girls, brandishing those swords like a nubian

warrior queen, making short work of those two vampires I was in a fierce battle with after being seperated from my brothers.

I must of zoned out, "Is there a reason why you're still standing here grinning like an idiot." I guess I got a little too caught up in the memories. My smile widened,damn, I loved her voice, it was low and husky, bedroom voice. My eyes went to her luscious breast, I wanted to bury my face between them and ...

"My eyes are up here." She snapped.

I guiltily moved my eyes back up to hers. I decided to try another tactic. "You know if you wanted to leave early, I'm sure Bella wouldn't understand. I could even walk you home, to you know, make sure you got there safe." I gave her my most innocent smile. I looked around, I knew everyone was watching us and my brothers and the other wolves could hear what was being said, but frankly I didn't care, I brought my eyes back to her. She stared at me for a minute then burst out laughing.

"You're so full of shit Paul." She said after calming down.

I felt myself tense up. "What?"

"You heard me." She replied, still amused. "Just wanted to walk me home to make sure I'm safe, sounding all sweet and innocent." She shook her head. "Sweet and innocent my ass. If you hadn't notice, I can take care of myself. I was shocked, for the first time in a long time someone shocked me, she really did see through me, but she had the wrong perceptions. "You've misjudged me." I informed her. She stood and walked over to stand right in front of me. "I might have misjudged you in many things, but you coming off as innocent, don't wash with me. I don't care what line of crap you try to sell everybody else."

She studied me closely and I couldn't help staring in those chocolate depths of hers. I wondered if her chocolate colored complexion, tasted like it.

"I see it in your eyes." She continued. "You're all wolf, but there's something more. Something …. " She stared up at me and it felt as though she was seeing a part of my soul that I locked away a long time ago. She nodded. "Yeah, you're a warrior, a conqueror but so much more than you let others see, and that's a shame, but you know what Paul?" She didn't wait for me to answer. "I'm not some country, some enemy for you to conquer, so go find one of those girls you use to have on your arm, who'll happily buy this bullshit, whose heart you can break without a seconds thought, one who does not care that what you show her isn't the real you, just as long as she can be seen on your arm. I'm off limits."

She stepped away from me, but I still couldn't stop staring, I have never wanted anyone or anything more in my life, but she is wrong, she is mine, the wolf and the man agrees. I plan on spending the rest of my life with her, getting to know her, caring for and protecting her. Oh yeah. Spending those nights in her bed, between those smooth chocolate thighs, is an added bonus, though not the most important. I want to know everything about her.

"Dolly?" She looked at me, a small smile sliding across her beautiful lips. "Paul?"

I stepped as close to her as I could get. She didn't back away. "I want to tell you something."

"Oh, yeah?" She replied. "What is that?"

"That you're absolutely right."

"Am I?" She said sounding amused.

"Yeah." I slid my hand behind the back of her neck and leaned down so our faces were really close. "I am a warrior."

I snatched her to me, lifting her completely off the ground and kissed her, the kind of kiss I wanted to give her since I first saw her, but instead ran from her. It was no gently kiss, it was passionate, conquering her mouth with mine. Mt heart leapt when I realized she was kissing me back, her mouth opened to me. She moaned when my tongue slipped pass her lips and connected with her own, I felt nails slidding across the flesh on my back, it aroused me more than I have ever been aroused in my life.

My hands on her waist held her flat against me. She clutched me, trying to pull me closer. I had to have this woman. Who knew the fates liked me so much, matching me with the perfect woman, a woman whose passions were equal to my own. I slowly ended the kiss, letting her down to stand but kept my hand possessively at the nape of her neck and my forehead against hers as we tried to catch our breaths. I had to bend to reach her, but I didn't care, especially when all I wanted to do at this moment was rip her clothes off, and to make love to her until we both lost our voices because of screaming from the pleasure of it.

"Can I walk you home now?" I asked, getting my breathing under control.

She was panting and her heart was beating so fast and hard, I thought it would come out of her chest. She pulled back and looked me in the eye. She smiled at me. It was real, warm and all mine.

"Forget it." She replied, pulling herself out of my arms and walking away without a backward glance. "See you around, warrior."

I was so turned on, I could still feel the places she touched. Pulling myself up to my full height, I fought the urge to go after her and snatch her up, taking her to the closest cave. Oh yeah, she might not know, might think that's the end of that, but I got news for her , there's a wolf on her tail and there is nowhere she can run and hide where I won't find her. Her smell, the feel of her is imprinted in me.

I heard movement behind and over my shoulder, a member of Jacob's cousin pack, Monty, was also watching her as she walked away. I growled bringing his attention to me, turning back to watch her delectable rump move in those shorts she was wearing.

"Back off." I warned him, without looking at him. "She's mine."

I heard him walk away. When I could see her no longer, I walked over to where the food was setup, whistling. I knew they all watched, I glanced at Jake and he was grinning. When I got the to table, I made myself a hefty plate and walked over and sat on one of the branches around the fire, grinning the whole time. I was suddenly in a fantastic mood, felt better than I've done in a while, if a bloodsucker showed up now, I would probably hug it, okay, okay, I wouldn't go that far. I do know one thing, I was going to enjoy hunting down and claiming my delectable Dolly.