AN: Hello darlings! I am excited to get this chapter out to you all. Our newly mated couple... Sigh! Lemon warning!

Enjoy!

That Time You Refused Your Instinct

The first thing I notice as the iron-clad shield around my human consciousness begins to lift, is an astonishing sense of peace and unity. Keeping my focus inward, I allow my mind to tentatively reach out, moving beyond the place I've kept myself hidden. I'm surprised when I find my wolf is sprawled out in complete relaxation and deep sleep. For most wolf-shifters, it was common for the animal to stand guard while the human slept. In fact, I don't think there's ever been a time where I haven't woken up to the happy thump of my wolf's tail or her welcoming little bark. Glancing her way, I quickly realize that she's still completely out of it and appears to have been that way for a while.

Reaching out, I take the reins of control, doing a quick inward check before I make another move. I'm pleased to find that my wolf has managed to shift us back into our human form without any assistance. Stretching ever so slightly, I feel my body slowly come to life. As I move, my naked skin sensually brushes against his and a soft moan quickly rises to my lips. A ripple of desire sizzles low in my belly as I become more and more aware of him. His solid, hot front against my back protecting me, his addictive and rich scent surrounding me, his commanding presence completely and utterly owning me. Filled with intense yearning unlike anything I've ever felt before, I slide against him as I turn, feeling his responding groan vibrate against my lips as I instinctively close my mouth against his.

In absolutely no time at all, our tongues are sliding against one another in perfect harmony and that sizzling desire is rapidly replaced by an intense lust that will not be ignored. Paul's large hands move down my lower back before pausing at my ass, possessively grabbing a tight hold as he grinds his hardening length exactly where I need him.

"Yes," I hiss revealing the frenzy I feel boiling up inside of me.

Desperate for more, I throw one leg over his narrow hips and I push him beneath me as I crawl on top of his almost god-like body. Mine. The intense possessiveness I feel for him takes me a little off guard, but I do my best to brush it to the side. Unable to wait any longer, place him at my core, before slowly lowering my body onto his. Savoring the feel of him inside of me.

"Jesus, Leah," he groans, my name falling from his lips like a prayer.

Opening my eyes ever so slightly, I glance down at him, immediately hit by an overwhelming feeling of dejavu. Placing my hands on his muscular chest for support, I make sure to keep my eyes locked on my mate's as I slowly begin to move. Taking my time, I watch how pleasure and deep satisfaction spread across his handsome face, making me feel dizzy with power. Unlike the last time, we're surrounded by bright sunlight, exposing our every reaction as the soft rays dance around us with the subtle movements of the trees. His fingers dig into the muscles of my ass, trying to urge me to move faster, his dark eyes burning with lust.

Leaning forward, I drop a soft kiss to his lips, making sure to move away before the kiss has time to build. Keeping my pace slow and steady, I leave a row of wet kisses across his jaw. His scent becomes stronger, beckoning me as I continue my exploration down his neck. When I reach that little spot where his neck meets his shoulder, I pause, suddenly mesmerized by a pulsing vein directly in my line of sight. Tilting my head, I slowly increase my pace, the rush of pleasure building inside of me is nothing compared to the anticipation I feel as I watch how those tantalizing pulses grow faster and even more pronounced. Fascinated I lean closer, my hips moving on their own as more and more of my attention is drawn to those rapid pulses behind that thin layer of skin.

A familiar shiver shoots down my spine, and before I have a chance to even react, I feel my body begin to shift. Panic rises, but is quickly soothed by the commanding presence of my wolf. I hadn't even noticed she was awake. Then something very strange begins to happen. Our body stops mid-phase, our minds merging together, both animal and human lusting after one thing and one thing only. Our mate's blood.

Running my tongue over my mouth, I'm not surprised when I find a pair of sharp fangs, but instead of feeling scared, I tap into the intense anticipation I feel building up inside of me. My body is taut and at the brink of release… I'm- We're so close… A rush of adrenaline pumps through me creating an unfamiliar hum in my ear. Inhaling deeply, I feel my mouth water at his heady scent, reacting completely on instinct I lean forward, ready to plunge my sharp teeth into his skin.

"Leah, DON'T!"

I can hear Paul's voice in the distance, but it's as though I'm submerged in water. Suddenly, the world spins and the next thing I know, I'm on my back, being held down by Paul's mighty grip as he shackles my wrists to the forest floor above my head. My wolf snarls out in disappointment, but when her eyes meet the fiery amber of her mate, she quickly calms down submitting to him completely. A thrill of something resembling both fear and excitement washes over me when I take in his animal eyes and sharp teeth. He too has stopped mid-shift.

Paul's eyes trail hotly across my skin, devouring every inch as a pregnant pause builds between us as tension rises. The muscles deep inside of me clench around him, urging him to bring us both to completion. Tightening his hold on my wrists he gives almost an experimental thrust before he pauses again. Moaning loudly, I throw my head back, my wolf and I working together as we bare our neck, hoping that we might entice our mate to sink his teeth-.

"AH!" I shout when Paul's thrusts roughly increase in pace.

The rest is a frenzy of passion and movement. In a matter of seconds, I feel my breath hitch just before a flash of white explodes behind my eyelids and a rush of heat spreads across every inch of my body as it shudders with ecstasy and fulfillment. Coming to, I feel my wolf slowly retreat back into the shadows, there's a slight tingling sensation in my gums as I feel my human teeth return as I phase back to my original form. Paul soon collapses against me, his large body trembling with exertion, perhaps because he too phases back. The stronghold he had around my wrists disappears as he struggles to catch his breath and I feel my heart warm with affection towards him. Enjoying the solid weight of him against me, I wrap my arms around him, hugging him close. Trailing my fingers up and down his spine, I feel him sigh out in satisfaction.

"Jesus Christ, woman, you're seriously going to kill me."

Perhaps it's due to the large quantities of endorphins running through my body, but the gruffness and absolute certainty in his tone sends me into a fit of giggles. My reaction gives Paul the energy he needs to move, raising his upper body high enough to meet my gaze. The sweet tenderness I find in his dark, human eyes and the soft smile on his lips sends a swarm of butterflies soaring in my stomach. When he lightly brushes some hair away from my face, tucking the strands behind my ears, I feel my laughter quickly die down.

"What a way to go, though?" I can't help but comment.

Paul's husky chuckle sends a jolt of desire through me. I know it's common for newly mated couples, but I still can't really comprehend how it's physically possible that I still want him?

"You'll have to go easy on your "elderly" mate," he teases with a smile as his thumb lightly strokes my cheek.

"You're not "elderly", Paul."

He raises an eyebrow in disbelief and I make sure to take a moment and study every small wrinkle or mark on his beautiful face. When I've finished, I know he can see the open admiration and heat in my gaze. Moving my fingers to the nape of his neck, I gently tug his head down as I lift my lips to cover his in a searing kiss. When we eventually pull back, we're both breathless.

"Like I said, you're going to kill me," he whispers, nuzzling my neck for a moment before pulling away.

The moment is achingly sweet, but as he creates a small space between us I'm unable to hide my horror when I find an ugly-looking gash on his upper arm. Pushing harshly against his chest, I practically spring into a seated position so that I can inspect his injury better. I'm shocked when I realize that it looks like a nasty bitemark.

"Paul? How the hell did you get this?" I ask, glancing around us to see if I can find the culprit.

His healing abilities are already kicking in, but if the bite came from something poisonous it could still-.

"Leah, I'm fine," Paul begins, curling his fingers with mine to gain my attention.

"No, Paul, we have to figure out what bit you so that I can treat it."

I'm just about to get to my feet to start scouring the area, when he wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me to his lap.

"Paul-," I begin to argue, but he quickly interrupts me.

"I bit my own arm, Leah."

My brows immediately tighten together in confusion, however in a matter of seconds I'm struck by the memory of having Paul towering over me with vibrant amber eyes and fully distended, razor-sharp fangs. My chest tightens uncomfortably.

"You bit your own arm," I repeat his strange words before continuing, "to keep from blood bonding with me."

For some reason, I can't help but feel a little betrayed. Blood bonding was never something I thought I'd ever want, but after having seen the effects such a bond had on my grandparents and now with Bella and Edward, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like. Paul must sense that I'm somewhat lost in thought and tightens his hold to gain my attention.

"You're my mate, Leah," he proclaims, his almost black eyes piercing into mine with an intensity that I've never seen from him before.

"And as your mate, it's my responsibility to always keep you safe. Even if that sometimes means that I'll need to protect you from myself."

I feel my eyebrows draw together, if memory serves I'd been the one who almost bit him first, not the other way around. However, before I can even raise my voice to question him, he continues.

"My animal's instinct is to bind you to us in any way that he can, Leah, he's strong willed and a pretentious asshole, but don't worry, after years of being on my own, I've learned to keep him in control. You will have your freedom," his tone is achingly sweet as though he's assuring a small child.

"Freedom?"

Paul nods.

"The imprint reveals who our mate is, but we are still in control of our own destiny, Leah. We have choices and I for one am determined to give you as much freedom and choice that I can. A blood bond would ruin that."

His explanation makes sense, even though it's clear that my wolf disagrees. Determined not to let anything ruin our first day together, I simply nod my head.

"Now, I don't know about you, but I think I'm done communing with nature for the time being," his roguish smile makes my cheeks flush with heat.

He continues holding my hand while he urges me to my feet. Glancing around, I realize that we're pretty deep in the woods and quite the distance away from where Paul parked his motorcycle, so we'll need to phase-.

"Hey," he says softly, successfully stopping my train of thought.

Turning to face him, I feel my heart race in my chest when I'm met by a boyishly handsome smile. Paul reaches his empty hand out to take mine, gently cradling each of my hands in his. Something about his expression tugs at my distant memories of him. The man in front of me is a far cry from the angry and sullen teen I met so many years ago, however the smile he's sending my way is the exact replica of the one he sent my way that day long ago at the swimming hole. That smile that had made a young, insignificant girl feel both brave and special.

"Happy birthday, Quahlí."

His tender tone sends a ripple of intense happiness through me. Instead of thanking him vocally, I tug my hands free so that I can wrap my arms around his waist and hug him close. He welcomes me immediately, using his strong arms to wrap around me. I feel his lips brush against the top of my head before he leans his cheek against it. The sweet intimacy of this moment makes my heart surge and I realize that it is exactly what I've spent my life longing for. What I've always dreamt my imprint would give me; affection and companionship. Wrapped tightly in the protective arms of my new mate, I can't imagine a better birthday present.

Happy birthday, indeed.

§§§

We shift into our wolf-forms and take off. Paul's wolf is magnificent, but quite intimidating and intense. He's surprisingly serious and clearly doesn't enjoy nonsensical activities, because he ignores her completely when my wolf tries to engage him in a playful fight. My wolf is goofy and in a pretty silly mood, which makes me smile. Although the memories of our wolves' night together is blocked from me, I can see that the relationship between them has already begun to develop. He's fiercely protective of her and she appears to have made it her goal to loosen him up. Finding her mate has also had a distinct effect on my wolf. She's more centered somehow and far more confident than she was before.

Observing their interaction is fascinating. She's constantly pushing his buttons, desperately seeking some kind of playful reaction from him, but he doesn't budge. Finally, she relents, changing her course as she tries to lure him to a race. My wolf is perhaps one of the fastest runners in the pack and we're both anxious to see if that is still the case. It doesn't take long before she takes off, shooting through the trees at lightning speed, as she tests her limits. Paul's wolf gives chase, which excites us both to no end. He stays hot on our heels as we practically fly down the final hillside. Spotting his motorcycle, I watch how the thrill of winning pumps through her, fueling her speed even further. Just before we reach the finishing line, however, something crashes into us, sending us tumbling to the ground. Bracing myself for the impact, I'm surprised when I feel something break our fall. Rolling a few more rounds, it takes us a moment before we finally come to a complete stop. Breathing heavily from our long run and feeling a little dazed by our fall, I don't realize right away that Paul's wolf is towering over us, growling menacingly, reminding me of some feral wolf that is inches away from an attack. Fear shoots down my spine, my first instinct being to get the hell out of there, but my wolf fights against me. Whimpering softly, she tries to placate him by wagging her tail and licking the side of his face repeatedly. It appears to be working, but once in a while he releases a few soft growls. Deciding to up her game, my wolf promptly lays down, baring her neck, Paul's wolf reacts almost immediately, burying his teeth in her soft fur. His quick and intense reaction takes me by surprise and I instinctively take back the control, but pause when I realize that although he is keeping a firm hold on our neck, it isn't at all painful. In fact it as though he's just discovered some enormous erogenous zone which feels fucking amazing.

Unable to hold back my moan, I feel my body begin to tingle as each limb slowly begins to shift back into my human form. Lost in the incredible sensations of his mouth against my neck, I close my eyes and lose myself in them.

Jesus, will this intense lust I feel for him ever stop?

A large, familiar hand roams down the length of my naked body, searching for that one specific spot that will make my body sing. When a pair of long fingers confidently circle my clit right at the exact same time that he bites down, drawing my sensitive skin between his human teeth, I literally see fireworks. The combination of pleasure and pain is incredibly intense and it almost feels like an out of body experience. Two fingers dip into me, while his thumb continues to tease my clit. It's ridiculous how quickly he's able to bring me to the very brink of pleasure, but I'm too intoxicated by his touch to even care.

"Paul, please," I beg, my entire body straining against his touch.

Instead of giving me what I need, he releases his hold on my neck and brings his tantalizing movements to a complete stop as he lifts his head to meet my gaze. There's a wicked promise in his eye that sends a delicious shiver through me. Biting the inside of my cheek to keep from screaming out in frustration, I school my features and boldly keep my eyes fixed on his.

"Oh, my sweet temptress, haven't you learned to never tease a wolf?"

His fingers deep inside of me resume their previous movement, however his thumb remains completely still.

"Mmm-."

There's no way I can answer him.

"You never know what could happen… Wolves are completely unreliable."

He leaves a lingering kiss just below my right ear, his fingers moving in and out of me increase their tempo ever so slightly.

"Right, my sweet?"

I'm completely unable to do anything else but nod.

"Good, because we wouldn't want you to get bitten," his whispers hotly in my ear and I feel my body begin to shake.

The image of him leaning over me, his fangs primed and ready to sink into me flashes in my mind, making it impossible for me to hold in my needy cry. Luckily, Paul decides to show mercy, giving me exactly what I need. Right before I shatter, I feel the sting of a human bite around my nipple, the hint of pain launching me into the sky. As my body continues to tremble from the aftereffects of yet another powerful orgasm, I realize that the topic of blood bonding was far from over. My wolf wasn't the only one who craved it.

"Fuck, your brothers are going to beat me to a pulp."

There's a deep satisfaction in his expression that completely contradicts his words. Unsure of what he's talking about, I realize that his eyes are fixed on a specific area on the side of my neck. Considering the ample amount of attention it's just received and the fact that my skin bruises easily, it doesn't take long for me to connect the dots.

"Good thing I own a wide variety of turtle necks and scarves," I tell him seductively, tugging his face down to kiss me.

He quickly obeys, but his answering smile is still a little tense when he pulls back after a light peck.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

He looks away for a second clearly contemplating his answer and for a moment I wonder if he'll simply brush it off, but thankfully he doesn't.

"I hate the idea of hurting you," he whispers and yet again I'm struck by a truckload of old memories that had somehow stayed hidden deep within my subconscious up until now.

That day the Uley's had first arrived at our Ranch, I'd been much more interested in Sam and our dog Lucky, but in this moment another memory slowly becomes clear. A racing run down truck coming up the driveway, the tires screaming as it comes to an abrupt stop right in front of the porch where I'm playing. The screeching sound of the door opening, revealing a young and scared looking Paul, who immediately races towards the barn, pulling my father with him when he soon returns. The way he tries to hide his fear and the ugly looking bruise his face and cut lip as he desperately asks for help.

"My Ma's hurt, please help!"

Glancing up at him now, I feel my heart shatter for him as I recognize the look on his face. Cupping his cheeks, I make sure to hold his gaze as I do my best to assure him of my wellbeing.

"You haven't hurt me, Paul. I feel fine."

His expression doesn't really change, so instead I slowly get to my feet, making sure to intertwine my fingers with his as I lead him towards his motorcycle. Grabbing our bag of clothes, I throw a t-shirt over my head to hide some of the marks on my skin before assisting Paul. He sends me a confused look, probably wondering why I'm insisting on dressing him instead of allowing him to do it himself. However, when I begin leaving a string of soft kisses across his chest while my hands explore every inch of his flesh before dragging his tight t-shirt slowly over his head and over his skin, he doesn't put up much of a fight.

It's strange how sensual dressing someone can be. Because of his height I've led him to his motorcycle and he is obediently leaning against the seat as I finish clothing his upper body. Picking up his boxers, I crouch down to guide his feet into the right spot, noticing just how turned on he is by this. Pulling the waistband over his hips, I feel the muscles deep inside of me quiver in anticipation as I watch his jaw tighten and his nostrils flare when my hand "accidentally" brushes against the straining material. The air around us feels sultry, sizzling with expectation as I make quick work of his jeans (leaving it open at his waist) while I spend a little more time pulling on his socks before lacing up his shoes.

His eyes are pitch black when I finally finish, the muscles in his body painfully tense. Dragging my nails up the rough material of his jeans I slowly move between his legs, finding a comfortable position on my knees. Pushing my hands into the waistband of his boxers, I boldly hold his gaze as my fingers run down the hard, silky length of him. His visible shiver and muffled groan fuels me with female courage and determination. The following moans and groans that soar from his lips are surprisingly addicting, however it's the deep, guttural cry he releases just before he explodes in my mouth that really makes my heart sing.

Rushing back to his apartment, we literally just make it inside the door, before we've both reached the limits of our control. He is back inside me where he belongs in a matter of seconds, the rest of the world disappearing from our minds as our recent imprint continues to urge us to mate as many times as possible to seal the strands of our fresh and new mating bond. How the hell we're supposed to leave for Forks the next day is beyond me, for now the only thing that really matters is my mate.