A/N: Update is a little early but since I'll not be able tomorrow or Friday (like I wanted to), I'll do it now. Please read the A/N at the bottom of the chapter and enjoy.

Grace was alone. Sol and Becca had taken Billy to their new home to show him around and Jacob was working.

She had fully intended to stay in bed and laze the day away but her mind had other plans. She dragged her laptop out to the kitchen where she set it up next to her camera so that she could download all the photos.

Autumn's words about the fairy lights had given her an idea and she wanted to see if it would work and look as good as it did in her head.

She'd gone with Solomon when he'd taken a trip to the local animal sanctuary. He wanted to see what the wildlife vets got up to and she'd tagged along for the photography opportunities.

It was how she'd landed her job there as a part-time photographer for school fieldtrips.

She'd gotten a lot of photos of the local wildlife and of a huge mountain lion that had been found in a cage in some random idiot's backyard.

She zoomed in on the beautiful creature and smiled as she wondered if she could work her into one of the beach photos. Perhaps next to Leah on the rock…

She smiled as she set about importing and copying the photos she wanted to use and cracked her knuckles before hobbling towards the kettle to make some more tea. She felt a whole lot better but Mrs. Uley had promised her that she could continue drinking the tea after her flu had disappeared.

The pictures she'd taken in the forest were her favorite. They looked amazing and she blushed at the memories of getting them.

Paul had been a very patient perch and he had a knack for pointing out the tiniest details that could make the photo better. It obviously didn't hurt that she thought he was gorgeous.

She knew it was pointless since she'd be going back to Kailua once her foot had healed up. Becca and Sol had found a house faster than expected but she was happy for them; she was just unsure what she'd do with them gone.

She knew she had to go back. She needed to send them their packed-up stuff and handle the open house on their behalf; because heavens knew the realtor was a harpy.

It made her sad that she'd have to leave. She liked Jacob's banter and funnily pronounced Hawaiian and Billy's stories and Clara's unconventionality and Emily's warmth and Autumn's friendship…

And Paul. She liked Paul because he was funny and strong and kind and… everything she'd always thought she'd need in a man; even though she'd only known him three full days.

Jacob found her an hour later, glaring at her computer screen as she mumbled something technical under her breath. She hadn't noticed his entrance and he tiptoed to stand behind her and almost choked when he saw what she was working on.

Leah was standing on a rock in the forest, staring down at a snarling mountain lion. "Holy shit, did you take that?"

Grace screamed loudly and Jacob grunted as he lunged to set her back upright after she'd toppled sideways. She'd knocked her tea mug to the ground and grimaced at it – she'd pay Billy back as soon as she was back in Kailua.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she crossed her arms angrily and watched him clean up and chuckle at her. "It's not funny, Jake, with my luck… I could have cracked my skull open."

Paul would have flayed him if she'd gotten hurt and Jacob sobered up and apologized profusely as he settled in a chair next to her.

"It's a good picture though…" he pointed at the lion. "How'd you do that?"

"Photoshop." Grace showed him the three original pictures. "Leah's a good subject and I thought I might do something nice for Autumn after this… you know?"

Jacob grinned at her at the thought of Leah willingly being the subject of a photographer. "Does Leah know you have this?"

Grace shook her head and pointed a warning finger at him as she opened Leah's photo again. "I've only noticed that she has tattoos now. What's the one on her shoulder mean?"

Jacob shifted in his seat and Grace glanced up at him questioningly. "We all have them. It was like a friendship thing a few years back…"

Grace smiled and zoomed in on the tattoo that all bound them to pack life. "I love it. It looks like a wolf…"

"Wolves are the Quileute ancestor." Jacob said nonchalantly. "There are legends that say we're descended from wolves… blah blah. It seemed kind of fitting."

"Oh!" Grace's face lit up. "Becca's told me all the old stories – she says your dad used to tell them at bonfires. It must be great knowing you're part of such a rich history…"

Jacob blinked down at the girl and cleared his throat uncomfortably before standing up and offering her something to drink.

"Spirit wolves." Grace giggled. "I'd give my left big toe that it was real so I could catch one on film… it'd be amazing."

"What?" Sol's voice pulled their attention and she smiled at Billy as Jake removed more mugs.

"Grace was just lamenting that the old stories about the spirit wolves aren't true." Jacob coughed and glanced at the floor. "She wants to take photos of them…"

Rebecca laughed and patted Grace's shoulder. "Don't be so sure that they aren't real… I've heard the stories enough that even I believe they could be real."

Jacob could hear the teasing tone in his sisters' voice and shook his head as Grace sighed dreamily. "Wolves the size of small cars… they'd look amazing surrounded by the forest and fireflies as a background."

"It'd be a great gallery piece, tita." Solomon smiled. He rubbed his hands over her shoulders. "You'd be famous."

"I would not." She said, crossing her arms. "Could you imagine the stupid people that would come down here to hunt them? No, I'd keep them to myself because I'm not cruel enough to make a buck over the safety of something as magical as that."

Rebecca kissed Sol's head. "Well, it won't ever come to that because despite our best wishes… they aren't real."

"Would the 'Cold Ones'… the vampires, I mean, that's what they are, right? Would they show up on film?" Grace murmured and Jacob choked on his coffee as Solomon and Rebecca laughed at the idea.

Paul wiped his hands against his jeans nervously. He could hear Grace and Rebecca in the kitchen, pattering like women often do when they've been left at home alone.

He hadn't seen her in two days because he'd been helping his dad with the house – and because he didn't want to face her when he knew he could get upset about her leaving.

Jacob had told Sam that Rebecca and Solomon were moving back but that Grace was set to go back to Kailua as soon as her foot healed up. He didn't want to deal with the fact that she was travelling more than two thousand miles away from him.

He'd lain in the tree line watching over her at night, thinking ways he could get her to stay with him…

Which was why he was standing on Billy Black's porch holding a bouquet of beautiful wildflowers and a picnic basket. He needed to convince her to stay; for the sake of his sanity.

"Are you gonna stand there and look all pretty or are you gonna actually knock…?" Jacob chuckled as he pushed open the door and then closed it behind him again. "Grace, there's a package for you on the porch."

Paul cursed Jacob silently and turned to leave but the door had already opened and he blinked as Rebecca's mouth fell open and Grace appeared over her shoulder. She was without crutches but still limping.

Her cheeks instantly turned pink when she saw him and he had to fight the urge to run his lips over every inch of her. Slow… slow.

"Package?" Grace sniggered and Paul heard Jake laugh. "You're such an ass, Jake. Come on in, Paul, it's drizzling."

He carefully pushed passed Rebecca and followed Grace into the living room and sat down on the slightly too small sofa. "How's your foot?"

She grinned down at him and his grip around the flowers tightened. "I got sick of the crutches but it's fine. Those are nice…"

Paul noticed her gaze and quickly thrust the flowers at her. "I saw them and thought about you."

Jacob coughed something that sounded dangerously like 'cheesy' behind them but he was beyond caring when Grace giggled girlishly and bent down to kiss his cheek.

"That's so sweet, Paul." Her dark eyes danced and he felt himself being sucked in deeper. "I love wildflowers."

His chest puffed again and he cleared his throat. "I know a spot where they grow real nice and I thought maybe you could bring your camera and we make a day of it…"

"It's raining." Rebecca's sharp voice suddenly cut across the room and Grace and Paul turned to face her. Stony faced and arms crossed next to her brother. "And I need Grace's help with something before she leaves to go back home."

Grace frowned down at her socked feet as Paul's shoulders sagged at the reminder. Rebecca was glaring now and he turned his back on her.

"Yeah…" Grace fidgeted with her small fingers, hair forming a curtain around her face. "I promised I'd help Becca with the final details for the move. I forgot, sorry."

Paul willed her to look at him. To meet his eyes so he could convince her somehow to leave with him but she just gave a dull laugh and moved passed him.

Rebecca followed her with a last narrowed gaze aimed at him and he growled as Jacob's pitying gaze found his own. He was shaking like he hadn't in years and he swallowed down the bile in his throat as he slammed the picnic basket on the coffee table and stormed out of the house.

The cool air outside did nothing to help his temper and he was almost halfway towards his house when he had to pull over the truck to phase.

Back at Billy's, Grace stared at the little basket on her bed with guilt. Paul had been nothing but nice to her ever since she'd met him and she knew that he'd come to ask her on a date but she couldn't do that to him.

She was leaving in three days and she couldn't let him think that anything was going to evolve between them. She needed distance…

With a groan, she opened the basket and peered inside. Blanket. Chicken wraps, mini pizzas, quesadillas, mason jars with various drinks. A box of chocolate. A small packet of pop rocks…

"Oh my god." She rubbed at her chest as it ached. He'd gone through so much trouble and she'd just brushed him off like it was nothing. "I'm such an idiot."

She stared at the flowers on the bedside table next to her camera and felt tears well up in her eyes. She'd made him think that she didn't like him…

She'd made him look stupid in front of Jake and Rebecca.

But she was leaving. She was going home and it was no use going on a date with a man she wouldn't see again for a good amount of time. "What a mess!"

Paul, man, where are you? Jared howled as he watched the landscape fly past his friend. A local found your truck next to the road with claw marks in the door and the police are at your dads asking questions.

Paul ignored him and banked left to avoid hitting a tree. Everything was out of whack. His feelings were all over the place and he didn't know why. He needed to get away from La Push before he did something as stupid as kidnap Grace to keep her there.

She won't be able to stay away for long, man. Quil sighed. You know this. The pull is too strong…

Could you just shut up? I don't need the pack psychobabble right now… I need peace and fucking quiet.

He skidded to a stop and phased out, ignoring his nakedness as he carried on his path by foot. He knew all about 'the pull' – he'd heard enough of it from his packmates but he didn't need to hear that it would slowly drive them both crazy the longer she stayed away.

How every time when he'd think about her, his chest would feel like it'd been ripped to shreds. And he was too proud to leave La Push to follow her to Hawaii and beg her to come back…

He wouldn't want her to think he was as possessive as he was feeling or that he was a creepy stalker. But he could go back and tell her where he was coming from. He could wait for her like a normal person…

By the time he made the decision and started making his way back to Billy's, Jared and Quil had gone into full on panic mode – the leech had made another appearance near Charlie's place.

Grace looked up sharply when there was a knock on the door. Paul's father, Joseph, had called earlier asking for Paul and she'd found out that someone had found his truck at the side of the road with claw marks in the door. Jake had told her and Becca not to worry and she'd just stared at him as if he'd lost his marbles.

Billy had gone to Joseph's to hear the whole story and Grace and Jake had stayed behind while Sol and Becca drove around to look for him in case he was hurt.

"What the hell man-"

She watched as Paul pushed his way through the door - wearing nothing but a raggedy pair of jean cutoffs - and shoulder checked Jake. He had a slightly crazed look in his eyes on top of the fact that he panting and wet.

"Paul, where have you been? Are you okay?" she felt him shiver as she searched his skin for wounds. He was hot, as usual, and she blushed when he put his hands over hers to keep them firmly against his stomach. "Paul?"

He was staring down at her, water droplets hanging from his hair and the tip of his nose. His eyebrows were furrowed as if he were looking for something in her face.

"I know you want to leave and I know that you'll think I'm crazy for asking this but I need you to stay."

Grace blinked up at him in astonishment. He did sound crazy and she opened her mouth to tell that to him several times but found that nothing came out.

"I need you to stay right here because I want to get to know you, Grace Finau, and I can't do that while you're in Hawaii. This is where you belong." She gasped as he dragged her hand up to rest over his rapidly beating heart. "You're mine now. Stay."

The next thing she knew, he had slammed his lips to hers and nearly knocked all wind from her lungs when he pulled her against his chest.

She hardly had a moment to react before he pressed his tongue to the seam of her lips. It was a very sloppy kiss and she was faintly aware of Jacob still in the doorway and it was all just too much.

It was the breaking point of her patience. At that moment, she was blinded by a five-course serving of rage that tasted bitter and left her face rigid, jaw clamped tight, teeth grinding.

She pulled back and hit him.

The slap was as loud as a clap of thunder and stung her hand. "Get out. How dare you disappear like that – leaving everyone sick with worry - and then come here like nothing happened? You are insane and I don't ever want to see you again. Get out."

She didn't wait for anyone to say anything before storming into her room and slamming the door shut. She touched her bruised mouth and felt more tears as she heaved her bag onto the bed and began packing as fast as she could.

She could hear Jacob yelling in the front room and closed her eyes as she tried to breathe evenly and block them out.

He had been everything she'd hoped for in a man right up until the moment he hadn't and she hated that she'd ever entertained the notion of them.

Pain ripped through her chest and she sunk to her knees as she heard the front door slam.

"Grace? Honey, are you okay?" she sobbed harder as Jacob's soft voice and shook her head even though he couldn't see her.

She needed to leave now. The sooner the better.

A/N: I have a poll up on my profile about possible sequels – unfortunately only registered readers can vote but if you're a guest, go check it out and comment on a chapter with your choice. Keep in mind that any sequels will be a while off and this is just so I have an idea of what you guys want.

Let me know what you think in a review. Shout out to orangeporqupine and yaaaaaasmickeeyy for theirs.

Love,

Nikolene.