A/N: Enjoy! Please review and tell me what you cheeky chaps think 3

He could feel the pull. Feel the strength of it, even in his human form, serenading him back to one specific point in the direction of his land. The tug made him feel wanted, needed, and pleased him enormously. He had never had something like the pull before. It was beautiful and frustrating.

The only real distraction to it, pressing gently on his mind, was a slight sense of amused confusion.

Who was he?

He couldn't really remember anymore, and the entwinement and liberation of his lack of identity made him feel almost drunk. His name was Paul and he was from La Push and he had no family and he wanted to be loved. But apart from those basic facts and memories from the years gone by, he couldn't remember what he was. Was he a wolf-man? The two parts of him used to be separate. They weren't now. He looked down. Shoes. Yes, he was in his human body.

The pull got stronger, distracting him, and he felt a low rumbling growl escape his chest. A small part of him noticed that this human body had never growled that effortlessly before. And then he began to run, following the tug.

His bike lay forgotten by the side of the road.

He was hunting the pull now, playing with the feeling. The forest moved past him as he gained speed and ran in the tug's direction. He wondered what it could be, this new thing that was so appealing to his new man. He met no animals, and no birds flew above him. The grass was wet under his shoes.

The pull tugged harder and the simplicity of Paul's desire to reach it changed. Desperation overcame him. What if it left! What if he couldn't reach the source in time! He needed to protect it, but even with his extraordinary speed he felt like he couldn't run fast enough.

But his body knew what was wanted - responding unthinkingly to the desire - and phased, ripping through his clothing in a motion as natural as breathing. It had never been that easy before. Nor as loud in the pack mind.

It was chaos, but wolf-Paul tried to ignore it, uncaring as he ran now faster towards his prize, paws hitting the ground and tearing away clumps of earth with each step. The bedlam was only a distraction between him and the pull's source. He could feel himself getting closer to it, but knew he would not be satisfied until it was in his protection, right with him or within him.

The voices in the pack mind grew louder as he entered the distinctive 'homeness' of his pack's territory. And then, emerging from the babble, Sam's loud angry voice knocked him flat.

'Everybody stop, NOW!'

There was no choice but to obey his alpha's command. Paul stopped, and with him felt all the others halt too. The pull continued, beckoning him, but he was unable to respond with the weight of the order overpowering him.

'All of you need to make your way immediately to the clearing, no fucking excuses, now!' Sam continued, growling out his dominance.

He had to obey. Though it felt like the worst crime possible, he had to go to Sam. Fucking order. But Paul ran fast, racing through the pine trees, with the hope that the sooner he got there, the sooner he could leave. The bite of frustration had broken through his bewitched state of mind though, and he paid attention to the others now, hoping for a hint as to what had happened.

There was a lot to listen to.

The most prevalent thought was that of frustration and pain at ignoring the things pulling at their attention. Though, despite their similar situation, each pull seemed to be from a different outlet, some closer than others. The idea of them all sharing the same source angered Paul, made him feel possessive and jealous to an extent that he hadn't ever experienced before. He wouldn't share, it was his! Even Sam, asserting his order through the pack mind was heavily affected, a light tremor of want escaping him.

Another ripple through the pack mind was from Seth, panicked frightened Seth. The memory of an argument with his mom triggering this heat and fur ran round and round his mind. He was fucked up, justifiably so. Leah however, though distracted by her pull, was desperately trying to get to her brother, furious at this having happened to him without her noticing. He tried not to pry into her mind too much, and pulled out a little. When it came to Leah, best not to know.

Jacob was angry too. Shit. At him.

Didn't really matter anymore though, not by comparison to tonight.

The clearing drew closer and closer now, what with Paul's haste and desperation. He could hear his pack outside their joint mind now; he could hear their paws hit the ground and the air whistle around the speed of their bodies.

And then he was there, and so were all the others, but Jared who was still approaching.

'Right,' Sam growled, 'Does anyone know anything I should know?'

'I'm not meant to be here, I'm not whatever the hell you guys are,' Seth whimpered from his place behind Sam, not making eye contact with any of them.

'Seth, it's going to be ok –'

'Leah?!' Seth barked, looking up at the female wolf.

'Yeah Seth, it's me.' She moved slowly towards him, ears down and belly cringing downwards in an outwards sign of submission. She was trying her best not to freak him out further. 'Listen, all those beautiful stories Mum and Dad told us when we were kids – they're true. We're shapeshifters. A pack. And we protect people.'

'Sam…' Quil interjected, the desperation for this meeting to end shaking his frame.

'Seth – under normal circumstances you'd get a decent induction and introduction to all this, but right now something has happened and we need to figure out what the fuck is going on,' Sam apologised. 'So when Seth changed, we changed. We have no idea why, but currently everyone but Seth is itching to fuck off towards whatever it is that's yanking our chains. Right. Ok. This is what is going to hap-'

And then Jared ran into the clearing, and Leah looked up.

Waving off Jess, Bella took out her keys and let herself into the house. It hadn't been the best evening. But then, it hadn't been the worst either.

She'd had a nice meal.

She was worried now though.

The end had been abrupt to say the least. Without warning the wolves had sprinted off, most towards the forest, but Leah and Embry back along the beach towards the homes. Jess had sported an identical look of surprise at the suddenness of their departure. It had been weird, even for them.

Their drive home hadn't been quiet. She had told Jess all about the stand-off with Jake.

'So he just left?'

'Yeah,' Bella answered quietly. 'I don't blame him. I might have done the same had our positions been reserved. Better than fighting in any case.'

'I guess so. And you're ok?'

'Yeah I'm fine. Just a bit sad that it all unfolded this way. I had it coming though.'

'You didn't make life easier for yourself.'

'Nope. Me and Jacob – we're friends though, we'll work it out.'

'Well yeah, but, I mean – don't you think you're missing out?'

'What?' she asked, confused, glancing up at Jess.

'Don't you think you're missing out on Jake? I mean – well Bella, take it from someone who has only experienced dating with douchebags, but he's crazy about you. And he's lovely and would be an amazing boyfriend, and you know it. Don't you think that you should just bite the bullet and give him a chance?!'

Bella was surprised. Seemed like Jess had been paying attention to Jake.

'Do you- do you like him?'

Jessica was silent for a second or two, and when she spoke – keeping her eyes on the road – she spoke surely. 'Yes and no. I wouldn't want him if he couldn't love me the way he loves you. But my god Bells, I would do anything for him to love me like that. Hell, having anyone feel that way would be nice. But this doesn't change anything.' She glanced across at her friend. 'He can only be a cheeky fantasy for me, but it could be the real deal for you. We ok?'

'Yeah we good. I'm more confused than ever but we're tight.'

'Maybe you should text Angela about it? She's good with this kind of thing.'

'How do you think she and Ben do it?'

'No idea. But I hate them a little bit.'

Bella laughed, Jess grinning with her.

Now in the house, Bella was glad they'd been honest with one another, was glad they had ended their chat in a wave and a laugh. She didn't want to worry about Jess. And, though it came from a secret part of herself she'd never admit to, she was glad she didn't need to watch her back. Just because she didn't want Jake didn't mean she was ok with him and Jess getting together, even if that made her horrible. She wanted them both to be happy, but maybe not together.

She could hear her dad snoring upstairs. She wasn't spending enough time with him. She should work on that. Her coming back so late wasn't enabling time together.

Tired, she sat down on the brown leather couch and leaned, elbows on knees, head on palms.

She had really screwed up today, with Jake, with Paul.

She sighed softly, pushing her hair behind her ear.

She hadn't done herself justice today. Bella remembered the kiss in the kitchen, the warmth of his body, as she sat up straight. She traced her lips with her index finger, remembering his touch. His smell. He had tasted so good.

Then the doorbell rang, interrupting her daydreaming, or night-dreaming as the time indicated. It was late, it was weird for someone to be at the bell. She'd have though burglars wouldn't ring.

Confused, she walked towards the front and peeked through the peep-hole.

It was Paul. He looked anxious and upset, scanning her yard. She undid the lock and opened the door.

'Paul - are you ok?' she whispered worriedly, anxious but not wanting to wake Charlie.

He was only wearing jeans, despite the cool night. He turned around, large body trembling.

But then his eyes met hers.

And then he understood.

He fell to his knees as his gravity shifted, irrevocably.

She was everything.