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Part IV- Imprint

Chapter 13- Need

Paul POV-

'A silver furred wolf was running deep in the woods, passing the luscious green foliage taking quick steps in, but instead of a howl of happiness escaping his mouth, this time around it was a howl of pain and sadness. The passing trees and the cold wind lay a witness to his misery and loneliness. He was searching for someone, desperately, his mate probably, but the snow furred female was nowhere to be found, and neither were his pups. His adorable little pups with the boisterous laugh and a mischief always on their sleeves were missing, and no matter how much he looked for them he just could not find them. He howled once again in the hope that maybe his mate would call for him this time around, maybe she would give him some indication that she was alive and well and his worries were for nothing, but no such call came and with the passing of every minute which was going by as quickly as it could, his worries only increased and the sadness within him became more and more prominent, till it was as big as it could, hole deep within his chest. He needed his mate. Where was she? Was she injured? Why could he feel this pain, this feeling of being alone, as if something had happened to his mate?

The silver wolf known for his strength and rage howled again, a clear warning to anyone who had dared to harm his mate. She was his, and he knew with full surety that whoever dared to cause her even an inch of pain would have to face him, at his worst. He would take revenge for every cry that had left her mouth, but for that again, he had to find her first. Where was she? Where were his pups? He did not like being without them, being without his family. He needed them. He needed her….. He needed his mate… He needed his she- wolf…'

I woke up with a gasp, a trail of sweat visible on my forehead as my breaths came out faster than they normally did. I took my head in my hands, breathing a sigh of relief when I realized that this was only a dream, vividly as such, but still a dream and I was physically okay, mentally maybe not as much.

What was this dream? It was the same dream that had often haunted me over the past months, though I had not seen this same dream in a while now, but this time it was different than usual. The silver wolf who often played the protagonist in such weird dreams of mine that made me question my imagination, was alone instead of being with his family of four, that was so fond of running in the deep green woods, laughing and enjoying themselves. This time around there was some sort of sadness and pain at being alone that had surrounded him, and the need to see his mate had been all- consuming. I had never known that someone could and would 'need' someone else in their life this desperately. It was a scary thought. But what did it mean? I had seen the white she-wolf that I fondly referred to as Snow around in the woods, who were this Silver wolf's mate, apparently, so did that mean that this Silver wolf also existed in the real world? And even if he did, why on earth would I dream of him and his loneliness, and his incessant need to see his mate? It was completely absurd and illogical.

I rubbed my chest trying to decipher the cause of this sudden pain that was trying to pulverize me. It was a huge gaping hole within my chest…. Almost like I was feeling what the wolf had felt in my dream. It was a feeling of something bad, something that should never have happened in the first place. It was a feeling of doom and dread.

I got up from my bed with a rough jerk, as I started pacing the hardwood floors of my bedroom. Something was terribly wrong, I could feel it. It was one of those instincts that came from within, telling you, informing you that something, somewhere, with someone you care about has gone wrong, that someone is not as fine or in as good health as you would wish for them to be.

But who was the question here?

'Bella' the answer came from somewhere within me, a nagging small thought that made its appearance known, but that small of a thought was enough to roughly snatch away the ground from under my feet, making me fall directly in a deep dark tunnel, from which there was no way out and no light to make me feel even an ounce of safety.

"Bella" I said aloud, as the pain in my chest increased in significant amounts, and my eyes widened in disbelief and shock.

Something was wrong with her. Something was terribly wrong with Bella, something that should have never happened.

I needed to see her. I needed to see with my own eyes that she was okay. I needed to be relieved of this tension that had fallen on my shoulders on not knowing where she was and more importantly how she was.

I knew it was silly. I had seen her just a few hours back, smiling and laughing, telling me all about her. We had had such an amazing day together. These ridiculous feeling of doom was well exactly that, ridiculous, but just for the sake of my sanity, I needed to see her once. I needed to be sure that everything was okay and I was just being an irrational fool who was trying to find the hidden meaning in a dream, that didn't even have one in the first place.

Yes, this was it. I had to see her. So what if it was the middle of the night and I had no reasonable explanation to give for my behavior, she would understand. A small rational part of my brain was begging me to reconsider and wait till the morning but I ignored that part.

I needed to see her. It was more than a need or choice; it was a compulsion that couldn't be ignored. Something was wrong and this dread that I was feeling kept increasing with every millisecond that passed, increasing to a desperate urge that was threatening to cripple me.

No, I had to see her, consequences be damned.

With this thought in mind, and the urgency that lay behind it, I quickly started a search for the crumpled shirt and the pair of dark jeans that I had worn yesterday, and had roughly thrown on the floor when the heat in my room had become too much to bear. Seriously, the air conditioner in my room was blasting such cold air that it would have made a normal human shiver, but still here I was who could not control the sweating this same air conditioned air caused in me. It was like living in a fucking sauna these days, as no matter how low the temperature in the room was set, it did nothing to make me feel the cool in the air.

I rolled my eyes at the weirdness of this as I quickly walked down the stairs, two at a time in my hurry to run out.

What was I going to say when I finally saw Bella?

I couldn't possibly blurt out that I just 'needed' to see her at this late in the night, because that is just plain weird and mildly obsessive and even stalkerish, maybe, and so I had no justified reason for popping up like this unexpected.

I rubbed my chest once again, making my way through the pitch dark living room that I was too much in a hurry for switching on the lights off. Just a few more steps and I would be out of here. Having lived in this same house, with the same layout for as many years as I did, I knew these four walls like the back of my hand, and so sneaking out in the dark was really not much of an issue.

"Ow!" snapped a voice, as I felt the sensation of hitting something, or rather someone in my haste to leave the house "Watch where you are going" she growled, adding a few curse words to her sentence.

I quickly took two steps back, followed by a slight step in the left where I knew the correct switch that would light up the room lay, and flicked on the lights, making me frown and squint at the discomfort the sudden intrusion of bright light caused.

"What are you doing up?" I asked hurriedly, at the same time as she questioned a little worriedly "Whoa! Where's the fire"

"You first" I shrugged, looking at the wall clock in the room impatiently. I needed to see Bella right now. The hole in my chest was still increasing with each passing second, and it didn't seem like it would be lessening any time soon.

She grinned looking at me "Couldn't sleep, had too much caffeine in my system. So thought of Netflixing instead, and then I craved some Ben and Jerry's so came down to grab some Chunky Monkey and retire back to bed. But what are you doing up? Wait, are you sneaking out" she gave me an amused look "but why? It was not like I was going to ground you or stop talking to you or something equally dramatic if you told me you had plans tonight, or rather early morning I guess from the time that it is. Though, I must say I am a bit disappointed that you did not invite me in them. I thought we were friends here" she huffed, crossing her arms.

I sighed, completely ignoring the look of mock disappointment on her face "Look, I am going to see Bella. Something is wrong, I can feel it. I need to see her, to see from my own eyes that she is alright…"

"Whoa. Calm down" Cherry said, her eyes wide "Did she call you, or message you asking for help?"

I shook my head instantly, the worry on my face not diminishing a bit.

She gave me a confused stare "Then how did you know that she is in trouble?"

I sighed again. I did not know how to explain this irrationality in a rational way, but still I tried "It is a feeling. I just know something is wrong. I can feel it in me"

Saying this, I quickly pushed past her and with huge steps walked towards the front door. We would just have to continue this conversation later on, as right now the pull in my chest was leading me elsewhere, and every minute that I resisted this pull was suffocating.

"Okay stop" she said exasperated, as she came and stood in between of me and the door "Gosh! I have never seen you behave like this, this impulsively and this… this impatiently. What the fuck is wrong with you? And what crap are you talking about, feelings and intuitions and all. I didn't even know you believed in crap like that" she said disbelievingly "Umm okay, how about this. You call her up and ask her if she is okay. If she answers your call you have your answer, and anyways it is almost four in the morning, a bit late or in a way too early to make social calls, don't you think?"

A big part of me protested wildly as an involuntary growl left my mouth. Hearing her voice was just not enough. I needed to see her with my own eyes to know that she was okay….. What the fuck is wrong with me? Why am I feeling this desperate and hopeless? When did I become such a pussy to believe in feelings and intuitions?

"Think about it Paul" she said softly "It can cause more problems for her. Imagine if her mother or brother open the door, the probability of which is higher. They will definitely wonder why you are there, and what if they assume that this is not your first time doing so. They may very well assume that Bella sneaks out or calls people over after they sleep. I know it is wild guess, but still you never know how they may react, and don't forget the awkwardness that you would have to face when Bella asks you why you are there in the middle of the night. Just call her up, make up some excuse and ask her if she is okay. As simple as that"

I frowned. I knew she was being the voice of reason here, but for me right now, she was just being an annoying pest who was trying to keep me away from what I needed in life, at this moment.

I sighed after a minute of silence. I did not want to do this, but what Cherry said did make sense. It would no doubt be awkward. She still lived with her family and though we were friends, we were not quite there yet, wherein going to one another's house in the middle of the night uninvited would be considered okay.

Very reluctantly I picked up my cell phone that I had conveniently forgotten picking up the night before, and so rested on my center table, before dialing the familiar number that I had memorized, in this time and age when no one bothered with memorizing phone numbers as that was what your phone memory was for.

Ring….Ring….Ring, her favorite song played continuously on line, as she just refused to pick it up.

"See, she is not picking up" I frowned, my resolution to see her becoming even more firm by the minute. I tried calling her once, and then twice again, before roughly throwing it on the couch "I told you something is wrong with her, but no, you just don't believe me" I scowled at her.

She smirked at me, looking way too amused for the dire situation we were in "Or maybe she is just a heavy sleeper, and is sleeping like normal people generally do. Come on give her a break. Just talk to her tomorrow, err today" she corrected, glancing at the clock "I am sure your worries are for nothing"

"No" I shook my head hurriedly "She is hurt. I can feel it"

The hole in my chest increased by leaps and bounds as the word 'hurt' left my mouth. I gasped aloud at the sudden pain it caused in my chest. Someone had hurt her, I could feel it. But who, I just needed the name and they were sure to have wished that they were never born….

"Hey" she interrupted my pleasurable internal musings "You are shaking. Are you okay? Maybe, you are coming down with something"

"I am fine" I said through gritted teeth "or rather I will be once I see her"

"But" she protested angrily and simultaneously worriedly "You need to…"

"Look" I interrupted her rudely "I don't have the time to play penny for your thoughts with you. I have to be somewhere else right now"

The words oddly felt right on my tongue as without waiting for her answer, I rushed out of the house, leaving a shocked Cherry behind me. I faintly heard her whisper 'I have never seen you care about anyone this much', but I couldn't have been sure. Anyways it did not matter. Right now nothing else mattered.

I ran the short distance from my house to Bella's, using one of the few shortcuts that I knew off to reach her house. This was one of the shortest, but also, the eeriest. There was nothing around for miles together, and the thick canopy of trees, the leaves of which swung around due to the wind, did nothing to alleviate the spookiness in this moonless night. I used the dim light of my phone to help me in navigating my way as I ignored the occasional howl of a seemingly hungry wolf, or the loud screeching of the bats around, that I heard on my way. I was man enough to admit though that it was spooky as hell. If this had not been for Bella, I would have never passed through this shortcut, no matter how much freaking time it saved.

I shook my head, increasing my pace as I ran the last half a mile that would lead me directly to her doorstep. I straightened my clothes that were now slightly disheveled due to all the running, before running a hand through my short hair as I walked close to her front door. All fears of what exactly I would say when she opened the door were forgotten for now. I would cross that bridge when I came to it.

'Bang….Bang…..Bang' I harshly and impatiently knocked on the front door of the Uley house, waiting for it to open from the inside. Every second that passed felt like a lifetime, and I once again pulled onto my hair in frustration. Finally after what felt like hours, I felt footsteps leading towards the door.

I stared at the front door in restlessness as I felt the lock on the door being turned from the inside, before a bewildered Sam Uley opened the door.

I rolled my eyes. It was just my luck that out of all the four people who could have possibly opened the door, it was freaking saint Sam Uley who had opened it. He was not even going to answer me properly. I was sure of that.

"Lahote" he whispered, as a scowl covered his face "What are you doing here? Though I must say I am not as surprised to see you" he muttered under his breath, a tinge of something close to relief visible on his face. Why would he be relieved to see me though, I had no idea of that. Anyways it was a strange thought that he would be relieved to see me.

"Where is she?" I growled out, now that I could sense that she was around, waiting even a minute more to see her, was out of question. I was going crazy here in my urgency to see her. I quickly sidestepped him, barging into the house. It was as if I had been possessed, like my body no longer belonged to me, but to someone else who was pulling the strings and forcing me to sit when he said to, and jump when he said to.

"Whoa…. Stop" Sam said, coming and standing in front of me, and slightly pushing me back, in his attempt to stop me from entering. I was strong, there was no two ways about that, but Sam was like the damn hulk or something, as no matter how much strength I used, he just could not be pushed out of the way. It was almost supernaturally abnormal to have that much strength.

"Who are you talking about?" he finally asked, looking as nonplussed as one could.

"You know very well who I am talking about" I said through gritted teeth. I could not believe the pretentiousness that I could see on his face. He very well knew who I was talking about, it was written with bold letters on his face, for the world to read.

He sighed, in an almost accepting defeat kind of way. A conflict of contradicting ideas was visible on his face for a few minutes before everything cleared out, and his stony face once again became the mask that it generally was.

"Fine" he sighed "Come in. Probably you being around will be good for her, and it may just be the motivation she needs to finally wake up"

"What do you mean?" I glared at him, my eyes wide in a clear threat, as my body shook in rage.

Instead of opening his annoying trap of a mouth and answering my question, he rolled his eyes, walking inside the house and climbing the two flights of stairs leading to Bella's room. I looked around me at the familiar surroundings that I had seen years back, when both Bella and I had just been kids, and would hang out at her house when it was too cold to go to the beach. Several photos lined the cream colored walls of the living room that led to the stairway, and I involuntarily smiled as I saw photos of the pigtailed preschooler Bella posing for the camera with a huge grin on her face, or the shy preteen Bella with braces on her teeth who refused to be captured by the camera and tried to hide her face behind her hand, in a not so brilliant attempt. There were photos of Sam, Embry and her as they posed standing in the backyard, definitely on Allison's insistence, and a few with Allison too in them, in a perfectly coordinated family photograph. Then there were photos of her and Kim, the three musketeers as Jacob, Embry and Quil liked to call themselves and a few photos of Leah and Sam in them. It felt like going back in time as I took a quick look at the arrangement they had been placed in, going from their childhood to their teenage and adult years.

Nothing had changed here. Even the rare showpieces and lamps that lighted the room were the same as they had been, four years back. But then again that wasn't very uncommon for La Push. Things almost always remained the same here as they had been, no matter how much time passed.

"Now remember" said Sam, turning and looking at me from one of the stair that he stood on "If you feel even the slightest bit that you are losing it, and can't control your anger anymore, leave the room and house then and there, and run out through the backyard"

I looked at him perplexed with my eyebrows raised. What kind of fucked up request/ suggestion/ order this was? It made absolutely no sense.

He sighed "Look, just trust me on this. You will understand soon enough"

I gave him a small nod suspiciously, as he shook his head with a deep sigh, and walked the last few steps to Bella's room, pushing it wide open for me to enter.

It was dark in here, was my first impression as I entered the room. A small table lap was lighted beside the Queen's bed that lay touching the wall, on which Bella was asleep, the covers covering her from shoulders down. Allison was sitting on a chair beside the bed, and the exhausted look on her sleeping face was enough to convey that they had had a long night.

I walked closer to Bella's sleeping form, the low light in the room illuminating her face, giving an almost ethereal glowing effect to it. She was still, too still, and any misconception that I had, for a brief second, that she was just asleep vanished immediately. Her face though calm, looked tired, and an angry red scar marred her face, leaving an ugly sharp line on the right side of her cheek.

Anger flared through me. I knew it, she was hurt. Not caring of who thought what, I quickly pulled her covers away, wanting to see how hurt she really was, and when the extent of her injury reached my eyes, I was forced to take a step back in shock, and ball my hands in fists, as anger flared through every pore of mine.

Her perfect flawless soft skin was now marred with several angry red scratches, her hands and shoulders taking the brunt of it. They were deep and dark red, almost as if they had recently come to mar her skin. But what caught my attention, and caused tremors to flow through my body was the crescent shaped moon that lay on the left side of her shoulder, close to her collar bone. It was a bite. Someone had bitten her.

"Paul calm down" said Sam, making me realize that I had been convulsing in anger. I growled at him. Who had dared to bite her? I was going to rip their head apart from their body, taking pleasure in their pain. I knew it was evil but I did not care. Someone had dared to hurt her, so painfully.

"Speak" I half shouted half growled at Sam, my loud voice waking Allison up whom fearfully looked at Sam for an answer, who gave her a calming nod in return before looking at me.

"Not here" he said firmly, pulling me through the collar, out of the house. My shakes seemed to be intensifying with every passing minute, and I was positively sure that I had never been this angry in life before.

"Explain" I said finally, when we were out of the house, in the open backyard, away from the prying eyes, and he let my collar go, pushing me back a step.

He sighed, regret in his eyes "I was hoping that it would happen, but I guess you are still not ready yet"

I gave him a confused stare as he continued.

"As you know she is not sleeping. She is hurt, and even we are confused as to why she is not regaining consciousness. She should have by now. They removed it out" he whispered, his voice filled with remorse and guilt.

"Who" I questioned, asking for the name of the person responsible for this, I just needed the name.

He shook his head, sighing once again, talking to himself more than replying to me "Why me? This should have been her job, telling you all of this"

He ignored my questioning look, as he took a deep sigh before he opened his mouth again to answer my question.

Sam POV-

'Why me' was the question rotating through my mind, as I stared at Paul waiting for his answer. Why did fate or destiny or the spirits, maybe, decide that I would be the one to tell him that our Quileute legends were in fact true, and a bunch of young boys and a girl were a part of a shape shifter wolf pack. I was not close the guy, in fact it could be said that I despised him, but still I was the one who would be telling him everything today. It was not even my decision to tell him or not, in the first place. Heck that was Bella's choice if she wanted to tell her imprint or not, or of when to tell him if yes, but considering the circumstances, I knew that Paul needed to know.

I sighed audibly. Why couldn't Levi have been here for this? He was much more experienced than me, and knew how to share such information with others, but off he was to the Cullens place in Forks, thanking Carlisle Cullen for coming here and sucking the venom out of Bella, on one frantic call from us. He had said that Bella should regain consciousness soon, the venom was out of her blood, but still she was yet to wake up. He had a brief suspicion that because her injuries were to this extent, the healing process that we all wolves possessed would be slower than usual in her case, but he was optimistic that it would kick in, when, was the question though. He had said that he had done all he could, and now it remained on Bella's shoulders to heal her injuries. At least that part of our legends which stated that the shape shifter would die if bitten, was about to be proven wrong, or maybe Bella had just been lucky that we found someone to get the poison out of her before it could cause any severe irrevocable damage.

"I am waiting" snarled Paul, getting my attention back to him.

I sighed. There was no easy way to do this.

"So, keep an open mind while listening to what I have to say"

He nodded his head, rather reluctantly, as I took a deep breath, and opened my mouth to tell him the truth about our legends, and about his imprinter who was fighting for her life at this very moment.