Paul had woken to find Bella missing from the house, and his bedroom door open. He lurched forward and followed the scent outside until he hit the forest outskirts of his house. Paul didn't hesitate, he phased and ripped his clothes into scrap of unrecognizable clothes. Bella had gone into the forest without him. His wolf thundered through the forest floor and he felt the fear rise like bile in the wolf's stomach. Bella had gone into the forest. The fucking forest. The pack members that had phased felt the shift of their minds pulling right.
The unity of the 3 pack members shimmered around the mind of Paul to listen closely. His wolf's emotion glimmered over their own thoughts as they too lurched in the opposite direction to find the missing link of their pack. The united mind of the pack searched the outskirts of the forest. The whole motion of the 4 created a leading scented that captured the overly sweet smell of the creature that had evaded the LaPush lands so long.
Paul could smell the coffee through the forest. Bella was running. She was at least 4 miles out away from him. She was running and he could hear the boots he had bought her thundering forward to the direction of his house. Paul pushed himself forward as fast as he could. He wanted to reach her. He could hear the vampire keeping a steady walking pace after his mate. Paul was close enough he could smell the fear from Bella now. He could hear the thundering of her heart in her chest; her breathing coming out in fits of despair and raggedness, and he was sure he could feel the regret in his own mind of the pack.
Paul used the trees to keep himself from making to much noise as he approached the vampire. He could hear the yank she exerted on Bella's hair. But what truly wounded his own heart was the scream that Bella had responded with. He could hear her heart miss beats, and he could hear the impact her body had as her back hit the forest floor and was dragged against the floor of the forest. Paul let out a roar as her bounced silent fro tree trunk to tree trunk. That very moment the pain had overcome Bella and she had closed her eyes in agony. Paul landed a heavy paw on the unaware vampire's shoulder and the metallic of his hard nails ripped a loud metal sheet sounding screech through the right arm that was entangled in Bella's hair.
Victoria let out a squeal of surprise before she registered her arm had been removed from her body. As she stared at the large wolf hovering possessively over an unconscious Bella she weighted the heavy options. She could fight the wolf with one arm and sustain reasonable injury trying to injury the despicable human girl and maybe lose her own life. Victoria could hear the other three wolves closing in closely. She decided suddenly living was fair more important that just injuring the unconscious human. She wanted Bella to beg for her life. She wanted to pull her nails from her fingers and toes first, and then she wanted to break the bones in both her legs before she grew tired and fell unconscious. Then she wanted to let the girl painfully live until she woke up for one last breath to experience her beating weak heart ripped from her chest. Victoria would plunge her entire first and burst Bella's chest open. And more importantly she wanted the wolf there to see it.
Victoria was extremely good at being elusive. She retreated quickly and led the three other wolves fair away before she indulged herself in the ocean waters off the cliffs of their territory. The wolves resounded with humiliated and agonizing howls in the day sky. They had saved Bella but had only barely missed the chance to truly take her out of harms way. They had missed the opportunity to avenge their unconscious friend-their pack sister. The pack brothers trudged safely back to the outskirts of Paul's house to rid of the arm he had left behind after taking Bella to Sue's house.
Paul placed a tender palm against the crook where Bella's shoulder and neck met. The girl was fine. She would be fine. Her hair laid gentle swooped to the other side of her neck in jagged uneven pieces. Removing stone entangled in the girls hair had proven a difficult task for him and Sue. It would grow back even eventually. She only needed a few inches trimmed off her hair and she'd be good as new. Paul glazed over her resting form one more time before he placed his upper half across her waste exhaled a shaky breathe and cried.
Paul understood how much the imprint had effected his brother's suddenly. He understood why Sam had never forgiven himself for hurting Emily. He understood why Jared spent his nights he was suppose to be resting by Kim's side. This girl-Bella had become the sole focus of his existence besides the pestering urge to protect the tribal lands. He knew he every facial expression, he knew the annoying habits that she inhabited all over his house like twisting all the coffee mugs so the handles pointed to the left when filed away in the cabinets. He knew the tender natured-ness of her heart... She spent hours with him some nights talking about her feelings and his about their life lessons and losses.
When he had imprinted on Bella he felt like his own heart had split in two. He had given her half of his world, the sole focus of the man, the desires of the man he was, and the other half belonged to the wolf in him. He had felt a blistering adoration for the sleeping girl constantly all times of the day. He dreamed of her laughing. He daydreamed of her laying in his bed with him. He wished for her presence every second of the day. He ached to smell coffee in the morning. He ached for coffee all times of the day like a fiend for heroin. He had become this man with longing needs to fulfill the girls every desire.
Paul vaguely assumed the reason the gene that carried the wolf trait had given them the ability to imprint because the wolf part of his soul and spirit took so much of his humanity. These girls, the women they'd imprinted on had been the true form of preserving the manhood in the wolf. Being half beast was becoming overly dominant in Paul's life. He had forgotten not to be so serious. He had forgotten when he'd laid down at night how it felt to be in love. He had forgotten how it felt to love.
He loved his pack brothers dearly but he also felt a blistering rage almost all the time. Control over the wolf was easy. Summoning a possessive part of who he was became like breathing. But destroying and defeating the hot white rage inside him was harder for the man. He was alone. He was a murder and he had little worth while redeemable qualities in him. He had made a promise to himself that he would give Bella a life to live. He would help her if it was the last thing he could do. He'd keep one promise in his life. He had failed his family but he wouldn't fail her.
Imprinting was beyond the need to implant the wolf gene in baby descendants. The imprint was meant to keep the man sane. The imprint gave the man more purpose to balance with the wolf. It was as if Paul needed a reason to phase out of his four legged form. Bella was a great incentive. Family was a great incentive. Love was a great incentive to remain human. To be human. Without it Paul wondered vaguely where he would be. He imagined he'd be somewhere better the bridges that connected him to the animal. A man beast stuck with a billowing cloud of despair, unworthiness and anger that possessed every part of his being. But with Bella he couldn't be angry. He couldn't be stuck in unworthiness. He'd been given a task, and not as a wolf. Paul the man had a task to save the girl. And he wouldn't fail the only task he'd been given since he had watched his family die in his arms. The wolf wasn't the only part of him capable of greatness-or in Paul's mind capable of saving a life.
Yet today he had come so close to losing her that the fear of a world without Bella had left his heart laden with burdening sadness. Paul wasn't aware quite how much her life effected his yet because Bella was only in the phase of accepting the man in her heart. He wasn't as attuned with her as he should be emotionally and spiritually because apart of her wasn't his to behold. Paul had almost lost the most important thing in his life. He had nothing left. No one and nothing without Bella. He'd let time pass and he still couldn't get Bella to love him truly. Paul vaguely registered Bella's eyes opening in small slits first as she took in his sobbing form.
The fear that Paul would lose her heavily outweighed the fear that he would fail his last promise. Bella's life was everything to him. Bella's was life was the only thing in his world worth living. He was a murder. He was a man with nothing in his life-
Paul never got to finish his thoughts because a small hand had placed itself on his shoulder and began running smooth circles on his back. Bella gingerly pushed herself upright so that Paul's upper half was in her lap. He didn't left his head ashamed to let her see his tears. Bella continued to comfort him while he tried to get himself together. He hadn't figured everything out with her yet. He was to ashamed of himself. To ashamed of the failing role he'd taken as her protector-and her newly inherited role he possessed as her boyfriend.
"I'm sorry" it was a whisper. Bella leaned herself over his body and stuck her nose in his back. "I only took a walk to get things off my mind. I wasn't thinking. I forget when I'm with you my life is in danger sometimes. You make me feel so safe. I forgot Paul. That's stupid I know" she placed her whole cheek in his back. " I didn't know. I promise. I ran as soon as I figured out she was there. I ran back to you as fast as I could Paul".
The words struck a nerve in Paul's stomach. She had said she was running back to him as fast as she could. The words soothed his raging heart to a small ache. He pushed himself upright and engulfed Bella in his arms. She held him back silently. Paul had to do better. He had to fight for Bella's life. She had decided to live. She wanted to live. And he'd make sure of it. He hadn't failed completely. He sucked in his feelings of self pity and wallowing and put them aside for a time when he was alone.
"I'm sorry Bella. I should have woken up sooner. I should have known you were in danger." Paul placed a hand and ran it through her uneven hair. He needed her forgiveness. Bella pulled back so that she could look at the man in front of her. She could see his eyes were duller than usual. He wasn't smirking or smiling like her usually did. He wasn't himself. Paul was sad. And she couldn't exactly comprehend why. But Bella did know she'd forgive him for anything.
"I forgive you. Paul..." Bella placed a delicate hand on his moist cheeks. Paul looked at her expectedly. "I thought I'd never see you again... I thought I'd ruined everything... I thought I'd lost you...". Paul watched her blink away tears. He couldn't understand why in a moment of her almost dying she'd thought she'd lost him. Bella knew though her life to Paul was everything. She couldn't risk herself so recklessly because it risked Paul. She wouldn't let that happen again she wouldn't and couldn't let that happen. "Kiss me".
Paul drew back in surprise. He'd known Bella liked him. But other than the kiss yesterday they'd had limited physically intimate contact like that other than the boundaries of him holding and occasionally sneaking loving touches. Bella watched him hesitate before leaning in tentatively to see if she was sure. Paul was moving to slow for her pace, she met him half way.
The kiss they shared was shy at first two lips lingering against another before Bella slipped her hands around Paul's neck to deepen the kiss. She felt her heart settle and the warmth of happiness spill over into her whole body. A delightful shiver ran through her body. Paul felt his own churning emotion pacify as he kissed Bella. She tasted great. The scent of coffee touched him again and he slipped his arms around her back. The couple settled on stealing kisses the rest of the night in his bedroom until Bella had fallen asleep.
Somewhere Alice Cullen sat in a dark room with her husband scrambling to pack all the clothes she could. Jasper watched her in silent despair. Her emotions were a cocktail of pain, longing and aggravation. She'd had a vision of Victoria. The pesky red haired vampire Jasper had wanted to track down as soon as he'd shredded James into pieces. While the vixens emotional ties hadn't at the time been very strong over the dead make it was clear his family had under estimated the willingness and eagerness of her to avenge the man.
Alice was certain that doom was creeping slowly up on Bella. She'd seen her hair being ripped by Victoria and then darkness. Alice had been sure her best friend had lost her life. She'd fallen to her knees in a cloud of pain so strong Jasper couldn't smooth her heart. Bella was such an important part of the reason he's fought so hard to remain in the Cullen diet. He hadn't had a slip up since-he barely struggled these days. Alice on the other hand loved the girl beyond the limitations her brother had placed over her. She'd seen the pain Bella was in and saw no solution to the problem with her involvement. She couldn't insert herself in Bella's life temporarily without pushing her over the edge.
It wasn't until Alice had a vision of Edward and Bella standing out in the Swan yard by her bedroom window tree that Alice was sure Bella was alright. She had to find Edward and reconnect the shattered Cullen family. She'd dialed away on the small technology calling her parents and siblings to move back to Forks and set herself along with Jasper and Emmett on a mission to find Edward. He was somewhere in South America. Alice sighed in distraught as her husband wrapped a soothing warm arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. She needed to return to Bella. And more importantly she had to find Edward to return him to Bella.