Embry had broken the news to Layla about her mom coming to Seattle which prompted Layla to call her mother and have a very heated 'discussion'. Her mother had married Stefan in Russia and decided to adopt a child. A teenage child, to be exact. Layla was curious that her mother has dragged another helpless person into her newfound crazy. The girl was the same age as Layla, a few months older, and came from an all girls home in Scotland. Other than that, she wouldn't really divulge any information, besides the girl's first name. Marsaili.

Layla had one week to prepare for the ball that Bonnie was throwing, having invited the who's who from all over the United States and Russia. Embry and Layla had talked to Sam about what was going on, Embry mentioning the bad feeling he got from the whole thing. Since Emily was close to birth, Sam assigned Jake and Leah to go with the couple as a backup if needed. The others would be doing patrols around the reservation.

…

Marsaili sat in the bedroom her newly adopted parents had given her. She thought them a little odd, but she was glad to finally be rid of the girl's home and the horrible house mothers. They always smelled of cheap liquor and were all too eager to use the paddle instead of using words. Each girl over age 5 had a particular job to do around the home whether it's taking care of the younger girls, cooking, cleaning, bathing, or helping with school work. Marsaili helped another of the older girls take care of the infants in the home.

"Pack your things, Marsaili. We're going on a trip to get your sister from the bunch of mutts she's staying with." Bonnie said, disrupting Marsaili's thoughts. "Pack the green ball gown, it goes best with that wild red hair of yours."

There was something odd about Bonnie and Stefan that Marsaili couldn't quite put her finger on. She chalked it up to rich people getting way more plastic surgery than anyone could ever need. "Yes, miss." Marsaili replied. "Wait, a sister?"

"My biological daughter. Layla. You'll meet her soon enough. You've got one hour to pack before we leave for the airport." Bonnie said before walking out of the room.

"Crazy as a loon, needs to lay off all the botox she does." Marsaili muttered. She heard footsteps stop before coming back to the room.

"What did you say, you ungrateful brat?" Bonnie asked. Marsaili really needed to learn how to keep her mouth shut.

"Sorry, miss." Marsaili said. She had learned after the first few days living with Bonnie and Stefan that nothing disrespectful was tolerated and, like the house mothers, they preferred swift physical punishment. Bonnie narrowed her eyes, walking forward, forcing Marsaili back until she bumped into the wall,lowering her eyes. She'd learned also that direct eye contact upset Bonnie and Stefan even more.

"Get the strap. You're doing 5 for that snide little comment." Bonnie said. Marsaili walked over to the closet, her eyes still cast downward, opening the door and grabbing the leather strap. She walked to Bonnie and handed it to her before going to lean over the desk in her bedroom. Marsaili raised her long, layered skirt and waited.

"Count them aloud, girl." Bonnie ordered. She brought the strap down across the backs of Marsaili's thighs.

"One, miss." Marsaili said, careful to keep her voice even. She heard the strap whistle in the air before it was brought back down against her backside, making her flinch slightly.

"Two, miss." Marsaili said.

By the time she had been given 5 lashes with the strap, Stefan walked in, seeing Marsaili gently lowering her skirt layers. He laughed.

"Did she get disrespectful again, my love?" Stefan cooed to Bonnie.

"Disrespectful...isn't she always? What is it with the girls I get, Stefan? I do and do and do and it's just never enough." Bonnie lamented.

"Do not worry, my love. We'll teach this one, lash by lash. Then we'll get Layla back and we'll change her." Stefan promised. "To think of her choosing to stay with that bastard mutt over us...shameful."

"So, so shameful. You have 10 minutes left to pack, Marsaili." Bonnie said, walking out of the room with Stefan.

Marsaili felt stinging, burning pain with every step, every movement. She truly felt sorrow for the adopted sister she had, that Stefan and Bonnie were out to get. Marsaili wished she could warn her.

And maybe beg her to kidnap her.

…

A few days later, Layla was standing in her bedroom looking at the ballgown she had purchased. She was trying to decide what jewelery and shoes she should pair with it.

"I like the silver sparkly ones." Paul said from her doorway. "it matches the sparkly band in the dress."

"That's what I was thinking. Thanks." Layla said.

"You don't have to worry about whatever it is your mother and Stefan have planned." Paul said.

"I just feel like...I don't know. Stefan, for what little time I knew him, was really weird. He always wore this weird freaking red contact lenses." Layla said. "He wouldn't even eat with us."

Paul froze at her words. "What else? Can you tell me anything else?" he asked, coming to sit on Layla's bed, gesturing her to sit with him.

"The dude wore more freaking makeup than my mom and I put together. Like an off rate Johnny Depp with body glitter from the 90's." Layla snorted.

"How old was he?" Paul asked.

"Couldn't have been that much older than us. Maybe 25, if even that." Layla said. "I think he'd been living in Russia way too long, too."

"Why do you say that?" Paul asked, afraid he already knew the answer.

"His hands stayed cold." Layla said thoughtfully. Paul felt his body start to shake as he stood up and ran out of the house,heading for the trees, phasing as soon as he could. One loud, long howl was enough to get the attention of his brothers. Jake came running up to him, hearing the howl of distress.

'What's wrong?' Jake asked, using the telepathic link.

'Layla's step father, Stefan? Fucking leach! They're coming to Seattle!' Paul growled out. 'Red eyes, cold, the skin, won't eat...that's how Layla described him! He's a fucking leech!'

Jake returned the growl. 'I'm going to get Sam to call a pack meeting. Go get Layla and meet us at Sam's.' he said.

Jake phased and slipped on a pair of shorts,running to Sam's house. Paul took several deep breaths and finally phased as well, putting on another pair of sorts and going back to get Layla. He heard Sam calling out that there was to be a pack meeting at his house in 5 minutes through the telepathic link. Shit was about to hit the fan.

...

A/N: It's a Paul story! He won, barely, after tallying ask the votes from the poll, messages, and on mibba. Second place was Sam, then Sam/Paul. I still want to do a double imprinting. Maybe my next story will. I'm sorry this took a while to get out. My little bit for sick and now I'm sick as a dog. Strep and I think maybe a little bronchitis. The next chapter might take a few days to type out. But as soon as I'm well again I'll bet posting regularly. I just feel like a bag of smashed assholes right now. So, whatcha think? The first chapter is always the hardest for me. Please leave me a review abd let me know whatcha think.