Chapter 3
Author's note: thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews!
Paul's point of view:
Groaning, I stood from my spot in the floor. The physical pain of her kick to my rather sensitive areas, even as a werewolf that hurt like a motherfucker, faded soon. The emotional pain of my imprint's rejection and her fear of my touch lasted longer. I stared after her longingly, wondering what had gone wrong.
The guys behind me were howling with laughter now that she was out of the room but I blocked it all out. I turned to Sam, searching for a clue as to why she had run from me. The confusion was as clear on my Alpha's face as it was on my own. I felt a hand on my trembling arm which belonged to Emily I found as I glanced down. "Come outside with me, I'll explain," she said self assuredly as she left the room. Glancing at the other men in the room gave me no clue as they all just shrugged and went back to eating.
Emily was tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for me. "Took you long enough," she huffed playfully. "What just happened?" She shook her head at my question, holding up her hands, "I'm getting to that!" "Okay, okay, geez,"I surrendered.
"Liri isn't like other girls. She was raised in foster care. From what her social worker tells me she was a 'problem child' but from what I can tell she seems very shy, sweet." I nodded, that assumption was correct. "By problem child they mean she was the oldest usually in her foster homes, left in charge of the younger ones. She's gotten kicked out of schools for fist fighting, she's gotten in trouble with the law for getting physical with some of her foster parents and foster siblings, theft too." My brows crumpled, why was she fighting her classmates? Why were her foster parents fighting with her?
As if she could read my mind she tried to reason with me. "Most people in the foster system don't really care about the kids they take in. Some just use them for the money the government gives them, and others use them for more perverse reasons. I think Liri has been in homes where she felt responsible for the other kids, she probably fought with her foster parents to protect them from abusive foster parents."
I began to shake with rage at the thought of something happening to her, someone hitting her. My thoughts on imprinting had completely changed. I was no longer worried about being pussy whipped or being forced to love someone I didn't want. I loved her, I hadn't even spoken to her and I loved her. The thought of someone laying a hand on her made me so angry I felt like I might explode. Technically I might, into a very large wolf.
I moved away, not wanting to hurt Emily. Sam appeared from inside, pushing her behind him protectively. "Control yourself," he commanded in his Alpha tone. I took deep breaths, thinking of my imprint, Liri. I soon calmed, shaking stilling as I nodded at Sam. "I'm okay," I reassured him. With a nod Sam let me pass back into the house.
The boys were quiet around the table, having heard mine and Emily's conversation. Werewolf hearing did that for you, no privacy. Emily and Sam reentered the room not long after I did, talking quietly as we politely ignored them. Emily came over to me, smiling wickedly.
"I'm gonna go talk to her, see if I can calm her down. I'll tell her you're just real touchy feely, something like that," she laughed. I thanked her quietly, hoping Liri would come back down and let me introduce myself properly. Maybe this time I wouldn't freak her out.
