His head was throbbing, his body ached like it never had before and he couldn't open his eyes. So he settled for a pathetic groan of pain and tried to sit up but he was pushed lightly back.

"Sam, he's waking up. Get your ass in here." It was Emily, he felt a hand on his face and one of his eye were opened, his vision was incredibly blurry.

"Good I can kick his ass." He heard the door slam open and heavy footsteps coming closer.

"Oh no you don't. You don't get to kick any asses, this is your fault." Emily sounded stern, like she sounded if you disturbed her while cooking.

"My fault?! How is this my fault? He's the shit for brains who attacked her with no warning!"

"That's your fault dumbass!" She never cussed, she must really be pissed. "If you had told him when it happened or I don't know, anytime in the year since it happened, he might not have reacted like that! What the hell was he supposed to think? Some woman jumps eighty feet out of a tree and takes off running at superhuman speed, what the hell would you think Sam?"

"Alright, I get it okay? He's still a shit head. Seth and Leah told him not to chase her and he didn't listen."

"He barely listens to you Sam." Emily dead panned. "You have to tell him now, I know you were waiting until the bonfire so the elders could tell him but…" she cut off with a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry. You don't need me yelling at you, it's a fucked up situation as it is"

"That's it," Paul grumbled from his position on the bed "Someone better start talking, right fucking now." He tried to sit up again.

"Take it slow, you're gonna be sore." Sam instructed, holding Paul's elbow and guiding him to a sitting position. Slowly his vision started to return, going from incredibly blurry to moderately so.

"Yeah, I'm curious about that. Why exactly am I sore? It's been years since I've felt this bad." He felt a glass being pushed into his hand and his eyesight moved from moderate to the kind of blur you have right after waking up. He drank some water.

"Well when you get jumped three pack members at once, you tend to not feel too good afterwards. What the fuck were you thinking dumbass?" Paul growled, he didn't like being talked to like that, especially with no explanation. He felt something peel from his head and he winced.

"It's an ice pack, you had some swelling." Emily explained. Vision almost back to normal.

"So again, what happened? Why the hell did Seth and Leah jump me like that?" he looked to Sam whose facial features were only slightly smudged now, but Sam seemed to be struggling with himself. They stared at each other for a good thirty seconds. "Well?" Still no answer. Emily re-entered the room with a pair of shorts and a t-shirt in hand.

"When you can get up put some clothes on, we've got a bonfire to get to." And she was gone again. Paul grabbed the clothes and started to try and swing his legs out of bed.

"Sam, are you gonna fucking talk or what? I want to know what the hell happened right the fuck now." Sam looked up at Paul and considered him for a moment before finally opening his mouth.

"Go get cleaned up, you heard Em, we've got a bonfire." He stood to leave the room but stopped in the doorway. "You'll get your answers there."

Paul finally managed to get to the bathroom, the soreness dissipating slowly. He examined himself in the mirror, grimacing at the state of his arms and chest. It was nothing serious, just dozens of pink scars all over and he could see them already vanishing. After a shower during which he watched a dozen pine needles and some tree bark swirl down the drain, he dressed and joined Sam and Emily in the living room.

"So you going to tell me now?" he demanded of Sam as they exited the house.

"I told you, you'll find out at the bonfire." Emily was glaring straight ahead pointedly refusing to even touch Sam…that had to hurt. They walked to the beach, seeing as it wasn't far away and as soon as they arrived Emily disappeared into the group of people. Sam wandered off, mumbling something about needing to talk to someone. Paul didn't care, he just wanted answers...and a beer, yeah that sounded good. After snagging a beer from a cooler (knowing full well it wouldn't do anything, he just liked the taste) he stood back from the crowd and surveyed.

"Hey, the gimp is up and at 'em!" a hand clapped his shoulder and Paul turned to find his best friend Jared, beaming at him.

"Hey man, what's up?" they hugged and pounded each other's backs. "It's good to see you. How you been?"

"Better than you I hear. Got your ass nailed this morning huh? Sounds like you're losing your touch bro." Jared took a pull off his beer and grinned at Paul, who punched his arm cheerfully.

"Fuck off. Something happened around here and Sam's being cryptic as fuck and won't tell me what." Jared's shrugged.

"Yeah well…that's a hard one." He didn't elaborate, just continued to survey the crowd. Paul's eyes landed on Seth and Leah standing on the other side of the fire laughing. Leah looked a hundred times better than she did last he'd seen her in her human form. She'd cut her hair into a more attractive a-line, way better than the angry hack job she'd been sporting before. Seth was well, different. Just as he'd expected, he'd about doubled in size. He was more broad chested and filled out than Paul would have thought possible for such a gangly kid. He seemed much older than eighteen, like he'd done a lot of growing up in a small amount of time. He watched as Sam walked up to them and they seemed to tense up, he was talking calmly but Leah looked about to hit him. Paul tried to listen in but Jared had started talking again.

"So hey, you wanna hit Port Angeles with me Saturday? I know it's not like your college town but I swear some great tail has moved into town this summer." He gave Paul a sly grin, Paul couldn't help but laugh at his friend.

"Yeah that sounds good." He looked back at Sam and the Clearwater's; they seemed to be arguing now.

"Hey, what's going-." But Sue Clearwater called for everyone to join her around the fire to listen to the legends. Neither moved from their spots but drank more beer and listened in anyway as was expected of them.

"The legend of the hybrid," began Sue, "Is an old one, a tale almost lost to us." Paul vaguely remembered this one. "The legend tells us of a warrior that will bring about the end of the cold ones in our lands. A warrior not of our tribe, nor of any tribe. Not born but made. A warrior in a form no one could have foreseen." her voice was steady, as it always was when she told the stories. "In the woods one day, a girl waited for her wolves to return. She always waited in the woods. Unbeknownst to her, the protectors were chasing a cold one across our borders, it had slipped past them in pursuit of her blood, for it sang to it. Though they chased it, the cold one found the girl in her clearing and attacked. It toyed with her, tortured her and attempted to drink from her. The protectors found her just in time, and were able to destroy the monster, but the girl was all but lost to them. She was bleeding from many wounds and had gone cold and blue."

Suddenly the images Paul had seen all through his dreams the night before flashed across his mind, a faceless girl trying to breath through the blood in her lungs, mere inches from death.

"A young protector stepped forward, desperate to comfort her. He curled around the girls dying form and cleaned her wounds, in an attempt to ease her passing. By no less than a miracle she survived, though she slept for many days, and was in such pain, nothing could ease her. When she finally woke, the girl was changed. A wolf had been bestowed upon her and the gods had blessed her with the golden eyes of a protector and twice the strength. Though her wolf stays on the inside, her purpose is clear. This warrior and her wolf are meant to rid the Quileute of the cold ones forever." Sue finished and he then noticed that a girl had come to kneel beside her. She held Sue's hand to her forehead and whispered gently in the native tongue, he really should pick up the language again. The raucous air of the bonfire returned and he watched the girl go back to Seth and Leah, Seth smiled and touched her chin. Paul was able to get a good look at her and he was instantly jealous of Seth. The girl he was currently touching was by far the most beautiful, Paul had ever seen. She was short, at least by pack standards only reaching about five foot seven with expanses of perfect tanned skin. Her long legs stuck out from a pair of tiny cut offs and her small flat midsection was displayed by the stomach bearing shirt she was wearing. It looked like an old football jersey. Her long dark auburn hair was pulled into a high ponytail that showed off a sleek neck and pretty face.

"You wanna be a bit more obvious?" Jared asked shoving another beer at his friend, snapping Paul out of his shameless ogling.

"Huh?"

"Dude, quit staring, you're gonna get your ass kicked…again."

"What, is she gonna do it?" Paul asked as he popped the top and drank.

"She could yeah, but I'm talking about Seth. He doesn't like when guys stare at her." Paul choked slightly on his beer. No way.

"Is that his imprint? Seriously?"

"No, well not exactly. But-."

"Then what's the problem? I'm looking not touching, that never did any harm to anyone."

"This is you we're talking about. I'm just trying to save your skin." Paul continued to watch the girl while she laughed with the siblings, her laugh was musical and it made him smile. Just then Leah spotted him looking and nudged her. The girl whipped her head around to him and the sight made Paul's stomach drop, he stopped breathing momentarily. Big golden eyes looked directly into his and stared him down coolly. A tan chest blocked his view mere seconds after their eyes met, Seth had stood in front of the girl glaring over at Paul.

"I'm telling you, quit while you're ahead man."

"Are you sure, that's not his imprint? He seems pretty damn protective of her."

"Positive." Sam answered as he walked up beside the two. "So Paul did you get your answer?" Sam nodded towards Seth who seemed to have ushered the two women away towards the trees before making his way to Sam.

"Not really, I'm still curious why you couldn't just tell me this before. Big deal I was attacked by a mutant chick." Jared shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"She's not a mutant." Seth growled crossing his arms, he glared at Paul.

"Sounds like it, but if you say so pup." He barely had to look down at all anymore.

"Just stay away Lahote, I'm serious. Keep away from Bella she's been through enough shit and she doesn't need your ass bothering her." Paul nearly howled with laughter

"Bella? Bella Swan? Now what the hell would I want to bug the leech lo-." Jared elbowed him in the side.

"Seth you know they can't be separated forever, they'll have to patrol together eventually."

"Wait what? Swan is patrolling? What do you do use her as bait?" Seth growled.

"Paul, as my second in command I know you are not this stupid." Sam said exasperated.

"Yeah he is."

"What the fuck is going on?" he seemed to be asking this question a lot today, it was getting old. "What are you talking about?" no one spoke for a moment, but Jared broke the silence.

"Look at her dumbass," he pointed to the unnamed girl standing with Leah. "Look like anyone you know…or hate?" Paul looked at her; she was standing defiantly with her arms crossed just outside the trees. They locked eyes, both staring the other down. A force seemed to make them both stagger.

"Holy shit, fucking Swan?!"

"Yes," said Seth getting back into his face. "Like I said, stay away from her." He turned and made his way to Bella, Paul still trying to piece everything together. Seth flicked Leah's nose and she giggled then kissed the top of Bella's hair, and they all disappeared into the shadows.

"What the fuck is going on around here?" Paul demanded. Sam and Jared walked him further away from the crowd, they sat on a log while he paced. "How the hell did this happen Sam? The leech lover is part of the pack now, are you shitting me?" Sam continued to watch him pace while Paul kept spouting random expletives. He knew Paul was no fan of Bella, she had slapped him once and technically she kind of was the reason for most of their shifting. But he figured that the couple years away would simmer his anger towards the girl…apparently he'd been wrong, very wrong.

"Are you done?" Paul was still pacing but he said nothing. "What exactly don't you get? The legend was pretty clear."

"How the hell does something like this happen? You can't just turn someone into a shifter, Sam that's insane!" Sam seemed to consider Paul for a moment.

"DNA. Seth cleaned her wounds, like we do after a marking." Paul scoffed at the idea. "Our DNA can heal a wound and he just wanted her to die in as little pain as possible, she's his step-sister after all. He had no idea what it would do, there was no way to know. We concluded it was something in her blood, you remember how she said her blood sang to Edward way back when? It's some kind of blood mutation she has." Paul was baffled.

"Okay, so Seth slobbers all over the lee- Swan and infects her with shifter DNA. Is that why Seth gets his dick in a twist over her?" Sam gave him a stern look, but answered anyway.

"Yes, by sharing his DNA a connection was formed between the two of them. It's something like an imprint but there's only a familial bond, nothing romantic at all. While she was out, Seth and Leah barely left her side, until he started going into something of a second phase. When she finally woke up and she was changed, so was he. They're like a creator and his creation; he's very protective of her." Paul's head felt heavy under all the information. 'You asked for it dumbass.'

"This is great. I'm gone a couple of years and shit gets turned on its ear. The former leech lover mutates into some pack super warrior, Seth becomes some kind of guard dog…"

"You get your ass kicked." Jared supplied. That was it.

"Fuck this I'm going home. I need to sleep on this shit." With that, hands shoved in his pockets Paul shuffled back to his house, his mind still reeling from all the information. It took him much longer to fall asleep this time than it had the night before. He tossed and turned, unable to shake strange images from his mind. He dreamed of the screams of a girl in excruciating pain and the gold eyes that had made him freeze. He woke in a cold sweat and punched his pillow. Fucking leech lover.