One of the best things about college is that your first two years are basically a repeat of highschool just amplified. General education courses are like a threat, holding your hand over the fire to see if you really did everything you said you did for the last four years. But at least I get to read Shakespeare again. Sometimes waking up in my dorm room feels akin to being shipwrecked on a foreign shore. For the first few minutes, I'm disorientated without Paul's warm body wrapped around mine and the soft smell of the sea absent from the overwhelming must of this old building. But being on a different shore helps me to keep things in perspective. At least I know what's waiting for me and I know my way back, but this shore offers so much promise and I feel guilty for even enjoying it sometimes.

"Fuck!" Paul's voice rang out across the backyard as the hammer he had been holding clattered to the ground. Paul held his throbbing hand, as the pain was already beginning to fade at his tendency to quickly heal. Paul placed his hands on his woodworking table and let his head hang as he took some deep breaths.

The last five weeks had not been his best. Although the ache had become sustainable, Paul felt like he was being buffeted by rough waves. His short fuse was flaring up again and he'd been losing track of his deadlines. Now, as he stood in his workshop trying to finish an overdue piece for one of his clients, he felt the familiar throb of the imprint settling at the base of his skull.

In and out. He told himself. Paul gritted his teeth against the nagging impulse to bolt for the airport and fly across the country to see Maya. He knew that's what was causing all of this, but she had seemed so happy and so even keel on their calls that he didn't want to overwhelm her with his need to be near her. Paul hadn't realized he had been gripping the work table so hard until he saw the shadow of Jacob's form block the light coming through the entrance and he loosened the tension in his shoulders.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice gruffer than usual.

"Fine," Paul said, still through gritted teeth. He took another breath before straightening and leaning down to pick up the hammer he had dropped. Jacob shuffled around the entrance of the workshop for a moment before coming to sit on a stool nearby. "What?" Paul almost snapped. Jacob didn't even react.

They were quite a pair—Jacob had gotten used to Paul's mood swings since Maya left, suffering from some of his own now that Becks was at Northwestern. It was probably a good thing the two of them were living together, seeing as they couldn't keep good company without snapping or lashing out every once in a while. Jacob lashed out less than Paul, but he still suffered from occasional irritability and generally wanted to be alone so he could dig into the work of building his house and fixing up the garage.

The two of them lacked sleep, finding it easier to just stay awake as much as possible and work on a house project or distract themselves with running extra rounds to ward off the images of their imprints showing up in their dreams. Sleep only added to Paul's frustration. He'd dream mostly of Maya, bare and pressed underneath him. The dream would always feel so real, vivid and warm—her lips on his were the most torturous part of it because when he'd wake up in bed alone, they felt wind chapped and cracked. After a particularly rousing dream, Paul would often pad downstairs or out to his workshop to continue renovations on the house, which would in turn wake Jacob up.

It was a den of grumbling, forlorn, emotionally strung out pair of men and each day felt like more and more effort. Now, Paul glared at Jacob as he watched him teeter on the small stool across his workshop.

"Dude, just go and see her. Enough is enough," Jacob said. He'd already been out to see Becks twice and while he was still suffering, he wasn't as much of a mess as Paul.

Paul let out a huge breath and then slapped the head of the hammer down on the piece he'd been finishing a little too hard and swore under his breath. "I'm seeing her next weekend."

"Fuck that, just go now!" Jacob retorted, "Seriously. A week won't may not make much of a difference to her, but it will for you. Just go." He was almost pleading with Paul now.

Ever the stubborn one though, Paul shook his head and continued. He promised himself that when she left for college, he'd really try and stick to their planned meetings to give her the space and time she deserved to be a real college student. He could do this. He had to do this.

"Fine, if you're hellbent on torturing yourself for another week, then I'm going to stay at the garage," Jacob said as he stood up roughly from his stool. Paul raised his eyes and quirked an eyebrow at him before continuing his work.

"Whatever, just don't come crying to me when you get eaten half to death by centipedes," Paul said under his breath. But Jacob was already gone from his workshop. The cool changing air of the coast washed over him. It would be fall soon, and then the snow would come. He was nowhere near where he wanted to be on the house renovations. He'd wanted Maya to come home by winter break and see the new addition finished, ready for her to pick wall color and furnishings like he promised her. But now as Paul let his eyes drift over the backyard, he didn't know if he'd make it.

With a groan, he threw down the hammer on the floor again and stalked off to his bedroom.

"Fuck this," he said through gritted teeth as he tapped a quick message to Michael via text.

P: I need you to negotiate an extension on that piece for Wateland. Knock down the price for the delay.

P: I'm heading to New York tonight.

"I'm going to die if we do this for much longer," Maya bemoaned to Beez who had her back turned to her, hunched over her desk in the low lamplight of their room. "Beez!" Maya whined.

They'd been at their homework for over three hours at this point and Noah had been incessantly texting them from the karaoke bar to come and join him and some friends. They were adamant about getting this assignment done before the weekend though since the freshman mixer was scheduled for the next night and the plan was to get absolutely obliterated.

"You'll be responsible for murder, Beez," Maya said as she collapsed onto her book. A non-committal noise sounded from Beez's desk. Maya had been doing well over the past few weeks as she settled into her new routine at Columbia. She was taking a full courseload and the immense amount of work that afforded her gave her enough of a distraction from the growing ache in her stomach to act like a normal teenage college student.

She and Paul had missed each other a few times that first week as Maya settled in. But after the first week, she was constantly chattering away with excitement about her classes, her friends, and New York to Paul. They video chatted almost every night before he left on rounds and Maya would smile as he'd walk her around their house, Jacob waving from the couch or out in the woodshop. He met Beez over video chat that first week and only prickled slightly when Noah waved from Maya's doorway as he headed out back to his dorm.

Paul didn't look too bad—a little paler maybe—but the distraction of renovating the house and travelling to Seattle for work more and doing extra rounds seemed to be keeping him even. Maya could tell he was in a little bit of pain though every time they saw each other through the screen.

Beez was talking under her breath at her desk now. Maya stared off into space with her cheek laid on her textbook. Her classes had definitely been more challenging than any coursework she'd completed in La Push, but Maya hadn't realized she'd been craving something like this until it was thrust upon her. She was thriving even if this particular assignment was dragging her through the mud. Maya had always enjoyed being challenged intellectually and the atmosphere college provided her set her alight with new determination and fire to succeed. She knew after just her first week of classes that she had made the right choice to leave the reservation, even if that meant leaving Paul.

Paul. Just the thought of him sent a pang through her stomach and settled uncomfortably between her legs. She'd be lying if she didn't admit that his absence was overwhelmingly felt, especially at night. He infiltrated every moment of her dreams and punctuated her waking hours. She made sure not to dwell on him too much when she was awake because the ache would come roaring back to life, but she couldn't help seeing his warm, smiling face, or his broad, muscular frame in her dreams.

More than once, Maya had woken in a sweat after a particularly active dream where she'd felt his sweltering body on top of hers, his lips trailing down the side of her face to her neck, his hand placed expertly between her legs and shoving them apart for more access. To say she missed him was an understatement.

As Maya let her mind wander to her most recent dream of Paul for just a moment—she was back in Santa Monica with him and his hand was gripped tightly to her waist, his thumb working at her center as she bounced on top of him, panting and exhausted but so full of him. She bit her lower lip, swallowing a smile before she heard Beez shout,

"This doesn't make SENSE! Come on, BEEZ!" Maya heard the distinct sound of her pencil rebounding off the wall and clattering to the floor. A knock sounded at the door and Maya jerked up, looking over her shoulder toward it. "That better not be fucking Noah come to drag us out of here. I've almost got it," Beez revised her earlier confusion.

Maya laughed and dragged herself up out of her chair, tightening the lopsided messy bun on top of her head and pushing back the sleeves of her dark blue, oversized Columbia sweatshirt. She'd bought one for Paul too. "I'll tell him to get lost," Maya said as she padded over to their door and yanked it open. The air felt sucked from her body though as she was overshadowed by the immense frame of—

"PAUL!" Maya all but screamed as she hurled her body into his. She heard that deep, familiar laugh wrack his body as she squeezed her arms around his neck letting out a sigh of relief into his neck. His arms were gripped down around her body, the hot expanse of his massive palms spreading pools of warmth within her. She let out of a huff of excitement, not realizing tears were springing to the corners of her eyes.

She pulled back to look at his face, bringing one hand to the scruff of his cheek. The dark circles were apparent under his eyes, but the joy that spilled from them was enough to send her into overdrive. He looked at her like that. Like there was nothing else worth looking at. With another huff of elated breath, she closed the distance and pressed her lips to his full ones and drank him in and the world disappeared for a moment. Maya was gripping him so tightly that her hands started to hurt and when they pulled apart breathless, she eeked out, "What are you doing here? You're a week early!"

Paul nudged his nose against hers, his hands tightening around her possessively, "I'd waited long enough. I needed to see you," he said and the color of his voice somehow turned the brightness up in hers. She let out a small laugh that made his eyes shoot to her mouth momentarily before he said, "Miss me?"

"So much," she said as one of her tears of joy escaped the corner of eye and drifted down her cheek. He smiled and Maya's heart ratcheted up as he brought his lips back down upon hers, flooding her mouth with the taste of forest, of home, of him.

After a few heart stopping moments lost in him, Maya pulled back for air, her eyes half lidded in that heady warmth of love. She brought a hand to his face and he reveled in the sensation for a moment, pressing his hand on top of hers for a moment.

"I"m so happy you're here," Maya said softly as she stepped back to wipe the tears off her cheeks. Paul automatically stepped forward into the room, hungry for her and determined for there to be no distance between them. "Oh!" Maya said as Paul wrapped an arm around her waist. "This is Beez!" Maya swiveled around and was met with the open mouth and shocked stare of Beez who had halted her homework at some point to watch the two lovers embrace.

"Beez, this is my boyfriend Paul." Maya said.

"Uuuhhh," Beez faltered, staring up at the intensely tall and muscular man–definitely a man!—standing in her dorm.

"Nice to meet you. Maya's said you're a great roommate, so thank you for making that part easy for her," Paul said in his warm, friendly tone. Maya smiled up at him and she felt his hand tighten its grip on her lower back.

"Y-y-yeah of course!" Beez finally managed as she stood up quickly, knocking over a cup of pens on her desk. She hastily held her hand out to Paul who leaned forward, not letting go of Maya and shook it gently. "You're so...so…"

Paul raised an eyebrow and looked from Beez to Maya, "Handsome?" he offered. Maya let out a laugh.

Beez gestured widely with her hands to try and communicate the sheer size of him. Paul, catching on now, nodded. "I ate a lot of protein growing up."

"It's the rez water," Maya quipped, "Makes them extra beefy."

"Wow," Beez sighed, her eyes clouding with that common look that most women outside of the reservation got when they saw a member of the pack. It was true, they were huge, gorgeous, towering figures. And their intense warmth emanated from their bodies offering some overwhelming feeling of protection to those nearby. Or maybe it was just all in their head, who knows, but the reaction from people outside of the rez was consistent.

Behind Beez, her phone rang. She whirled around to snatch it up and clap it to her ear. Maya turned back to Paul, her heart nearly melting at the sight of him. He leaned his face down close to hers and kissed her forehead, wrapping another arm around her and pressing her against his body. Maya's tension eased and she could feel Paul physically relax. It had been too long.

"I didn't mean to interrupt. I just thought five weeks was enough and I….needed you," Paul admitted again. Maya gave him a reassuring smile and placed a hand on the side of his neck.

"I know. It was too long, I hadn't even realized how different I'd felt until just now." Maya said. Paul relaxed a little at that. He'd been worried that the phone calls and video chats had been enough for her, but something in him felt satisfied that it hadn't been, that she needed him too.

"Okay! Fine! Jeez!" Beez hung up the phone and turned to Maya and Paul. "That was Noah. Our presence has been damn near demanded at Shilo's this evening. Apparently, Professor Moore's grad assistant is there and we might get the details for the midterm and a good face to match the name if we buy him beers or something." Beez grabbed her light jacket off of her bed and started to put on her shoes.

"Oh," Maya said, turning to look at Paul again, "Uhh, well." Now that Paul was here, she couldn't and didn't want to leave him. "I was gonna—"

"Let's go," Paul offered gently.

"Really?" Maya said, somewhat surprised. "But aren't you hungry?"

"Nah, I'm fine, let's go get those midterm details. And I can meet the rest of your friends, right?" he asked. Paul was starving. He hadn't bothered to eat before he left for his flight that afternoon, leaving in a rush but he wasn't going to derail Maya because he'd shown up earlier than planned.

"Okay!" Maya said, happiness pouring through her. This would be amazing, her two worlds colliding and she'd get to show off Paul. "Where are you staying?" Maya asked suddenly.

"A brownstone in West Harlem," Paul said nonchalantly. "Belongs to a client who's currently in Europe for the next six months so…"

"Nice," Beez said. Maya let out a hum of excitement and pulled out of Paul's arms to get changed.

"I'll just wait outside," he said, thumbing over his shoulder. When he left, Beez turned to Maya with an incredulous look on her face.

"How did you land THAT?!" she squealed.

"Keep your voice down!" Maya said, pulling on a long sleeve shirt and some high waisted jeans that hugged her curves. "It's a long story." After combing through her mess of hair and dabbing on some tinted chapstick, the trio were off in the direction of Shilo's, a local college pub that thankfully never checked any ID.

Maya threaded her hand through Paul's and pulled him along through the pub toward a particular corner where her friends usually sat. When Noah spotted Beez and Maya across the pub coming toward them, he gave out a hearty, "Heeeeey!" to which the rest of the people in the group did too. Maya beamed and gave a short wave.

She was proud of the friends she'd already made in the short time she'd been at Columbia. They had truly made her feel welcome and Noah especially had been kind in showing her and Beez all of the shortcuts to their classes, how to find their major advisor during the lunch hour when the department's building was deserted and where to go for the best on campus coffee.

Paul sat in a chair next to Maya and only then did she hear Noah ask, "Who's this?" Noah's eyes flitted confusedly from Maya to Paul.

"This is my boyfriend, Paul!" Maya said to mumbles of hellos around the table. "He's in town for the weekend."

"Oh! This is Paul!" Noah said, nodding and pouring a glass of beer from the table's pitcher for each of them. "Well, you are fucking good looking. Good to know My-pie wasn't exaggerating on that one."

Paul tried to hide the grimace at the nickname Noah termed Maya with and nodded, taking the glass of beer. The large group around the table raised their glasses in unison and they toasted. Maya leaned a little out of her chair to settle into Paul's side as he draped his arm around her shoulder.

After introducing each of her friends to Paul, they fell into casual conversation. Maya noticed that Noah was trying to keep up conversation with Paul, asking him what he did, how he liked Washington, if he had lived anywhere else, and digging for any common things they shared. Paul answered kindly, but his usual warmth that he shared with his brothers was nowhere to be seen here. He was definitely a little more on guard than usual, not giving any more information than was absolutely necessary without sounding rude.

Beez and Maya were talking to Professor Moore's graduate assistant, Tate, and trying to get in his good graces to boost their chances of a more favorable grade on the midterm. Moore was known for his particularly brutal midterms, so any chance they had at succeeding they were going to take it. Tate seemed charmed by Beez, but was especially interested in Maya. Paul's hand gripped her shoulder from time to time at a comment or two Tate would make at her, but that was the most reaction she got out of him seeing as he was preoccupied with Noah's chattering.

Around the time when Noah was bullied into getting another pitcher for the table, Maya excused herself to go to the bathroom. Paul's face looked a little worn and Maya knew she'd need to dip out of the evening soon with him so they could have some time alone.

On her way back from the bathroom though, Noah intercepted her, lightly grabbing her arm and tugging her toward the bar while he waited for his pitcher to be filled.

"Can I help you?" Maya teased. Noah dropped his hold from her arm and they both leaned on the bartop conspiratorially.

"So, that's your boyfriend, huh?" Noah gave an impressed whistle and Maya let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, he's pretty great," she smiled.

"I'll say, seems like he's done just about everything under the sun at least once," Noah crooned.

"What were you expecting? Some backwater hick of a boyfriend that couldn't string two sentences together?" Maya shot back nudging her shoulder into Noah's. He shook his head with light laughter and leaned his head toward hers.

"Nah, you're too smart to settle for something like that. Plus, if he was anything other than what he is, I would have swept you off your feet day one, admit it," he waggled his eyebrows at her and leaned his body toward hers playfully crowding her.

"Oh please, you're not my type anyway," Maya rolled her eyes and used both of her hands to shove against his shoulder and he dramatically flung himself onto the bar. They both laughed and Noah righted himself to fling his arm around her shoulders and pull their heads together as he said softly to her,

"No, My, he's really great. I'm happy for you. It must be hard to be out here without him," Noah always did this thing where he got right to the heart of stuff and while Maya still wasn't sure of his intentions, he'd only been kind and endearing to her so far.

"It's definitely not a cakewalk," Maya admitting, slumping a little sideways and leaning into Noah's side as she reached to pull the pitcher of beer toward him, "But we're making it work."

"Good," Noah said, "Now all we have to do is find me the girl of my dreams. My dad said if I came back without a wife he'd personally enlist the help of our neighborhood's matchmaker, who has successfully matched the pairing of three alley cat couples using expired cans of tuna. My prospects are not looking great." Just as they leaned up away from the bar, she felt the familiar prickle of eyes on her.

"Maya!" Paul said a little too aggressively, almost startling her. Maya turned as Noah let his arm drop, using both hands to hold the pitcher. "I think it's time to go." He said roughly.

"Uuuuh," Noah said confused for a half a second before Paul's glare silenced him.

"Paul," Maya started, taking a step toward him.

"Let's go," he said sharply again in that too loud, commanding voice. His eyes were on fire with what she could only place as anger and as Paul looked from Noah to Maya she realized what was fanning the flames—jealousy. She reached her hand out toward him and he took it quickly pulling her toward the door to Noah's bewilderment. Just as Noah tried calling after them, Paul nearly yanked her through the front door of the pub as it clattered closed behind them.

"Paul, slow down!" Maya said as he pulled her toward the street and looked to hail a cab. "You're going to rip my arm off," she said as he tugged her toward the curb. Paul looked down at her, venom now painting his features and Maya let out a huff. Paul raised his arm and a cab pulled up a few seconds later. He yanked open the door and all but pushed Maya through it and when she settled into the backseat crossing her arms over her chest as he gave the address to the driver, she was teleported back to when they first got together. Had the trust between them really evaporated that quickly?

Paul sat in stony silence as they wound through the city streets to the brownstone Paul was staying in. Maya was fuming but also a little worried—maybe this wouldn't actually work the way they needed it to.

"What happened back there?" Maya asked, trying to be gentle. But Paul stared out the window, small tremors shaking through his body. "Paul?" Maya tried again, but still nothing. She leaned her head back on the seat and gave out a sigh. After ten minutes of silence, the cab pulled up to their destination and Maya got out of the car following Paul but halfway up the steps she stopped.

"Paul!" she nearly shouted. "Talk to me. What happened?"

"Come inside," he said sharply, "Now."

Maya rolled her eyes at the commanding tone, "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"MAYA!" he whirled on her as the front door swung open, "Get inside now." Maya faltered back a step and then, her face turned into a frown, stomped past him into the house. He closed the door roughly behind him and as she turned to confront him again, he was on her. His hands wrapped in her hair, tight on the back of her head and crushed her lips to his. Maya let out a whimper of surprise as she felt the roughness of his beard scrub against her chin. He didn't let her go though and Maya began to melt into the all too good feeling of him.

He backed her up against the wall, pressing his body onto hers so that her breath was all but knocked from her, his lips still frantic on hers, drinking her in, wanting more, demanding more from her. Maya's hands fell to the top of his jeans, fingering the button clasp open and then letting her hands wander up under his shirt to feel his hard muscled body. God, she'd missed this. Paul wrenched his mouth off of hers for a second before descending on her neck, sucking and kissing and nibbling as little moans escaped her lips. His hands made quick work of her clothes, so much so that Maya was surprised to find that she was completely naked after just a short moment as she was caught up in his aggressive, peppered kisses down her body. His hand was between her thighs, spreading her and rubbing between her folds making her cry out. She hadn't been touched like this in five weeks and it showed. She became putty in his hands, gripping onto his shoulders and biting against his chest as he pushed her close to her edge. When he ripped his hand away just as she was about to cum, she let out a distraught whine and threw her head back to look at him.

"Paul," she panted, breathless. He scooped her up easily into his arms and towed her toward the living room complete with too grand furniture and an old fireplace. He grabbed a soft knitted blanket off of the tufted leather couch and spread it on the floor before laying Maya down. After taking off his clothes, he settled between her legs, bringing his lips onto hers again in a fevered rush. Maya reached down between them and took his length in her hand and as Paul let out a strangled moan. Her hand felt so good on him that he thought he'd explode right there, but instead, he let her guide him into her, pressing her open and watching the pained look on her face relax as he stretched her open again.

He sank slowly into her with all the control he had as she let out soft whines and wiggled underneath him trying to slow his path inside of her as she readjusted to him.

"Fuck!" he moaned into her neck as Maya's hands gripped his sides and he connected his hips to hers. "God, My," he breathed, "I missed you so much, baby."

"Missed you!" Maya gasped as he leaned up and started to slowly pump in and out of her, watching her beautiful face roll from side to side, lost in the overwhelming sensation of coming back together. Maya felt the familiar tightening in her stomach of their imprint, their bond, their destiny, crying out in relief as he cradled her head under his forearm and lifted her other leg up so he could angle into her deeper, hitting that sweet, sensitive spot he knew so well within her.

It didn't take Maya much longer before she felt herself shuddering around him, the pure absence of him before was starkly contrasted against him filling her now and it was almost too much. Maya threw her head back and pulled his head into her neck as she came around him, his orgasm not far behind as she clenched around him causing him to groan and slam into her quickly.

After he slipped out of her and came to rest on his back next to her, they both panted in unison, alight with release in one another.

"Paul," Maya started again. But Paul got to his feet and pulled her up into his arms.

"We're not finished," he said between breaths as he carried her up the stairs. Maya wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled as he lowered his face back down to hers enveloping her in a warm kiss before kicking the bedroom door closed behind them.

The next morning, Maya sat perched on the barstool in the kitchen as she ate her eggs and toast. Paul was standing and eating in front of her, a relieved look on his face as he finally ate. After another moment of silence, Maya pushed her disheveled hair from her face and opened her mouth to try and address what happened last night again, but Paul started up before her.

"Michael's finding me a place to move into out here next spring. I'll make sure it's close to campus," he said easily shoveling food into his mouth.

"Wha—" Maya started, but again, he cut her off.

"I want you to move in with me next spring out here. I'll still have to travel off and on between here and home but Michael wants me to start building more clientele out here so we can expand my reach. My clients in Seattle can only refer me so much to their friends before the pool empties." Paul turned toward the sink and started washing his dish.

"What is this?" Maya said skeptically.

"What do you mean?" he asked, turning back to her and taking a drink of coffee. "I'm coming out here to work, My."

"Paul, I live in the dorms," Maya said.

"This semester, yeah. But next semester, if I've got a place, it makes sense for you to just stay with me, right?" he asked, moving to pour himself some more coffee. Maya leaned her head down to rest in her hands and let out a frustrated groan.

"Why were you so fucking weird at the bar last night when you forced me to leave?" she got out finally.

"It was time to go. I didn't feel like sharing your company anymore and we had...things to take care of," he said, a small smile quirking at his lips. Maya groaned and looked at him, her hands cupped around her cheeks as she said,

"You nearly yanked me out of that bar when you saw me and Noah talking. And now you're moving out here next year? I thought we were going to try the visiting thing." Maya bemoaned.

Pauls hand gripped the countertop and she could see he was trying to steady himself, "My, that dude is into you and I was well within my rights to get you away from him. You're mine. He needs to know that," Paul said firmly. Maya stared at him, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open.

"Unbelievable," she breathed.

"What?!" Paul said, a tone of amusement in his voice.

"You're jealous of Noah?! Noah? Noah. Really? Noah?" she said over and over again as if saying his name would somehow make it more plausible, "You saw him right? Last night? And you're jealous of him? Paul...come on," Maya begged.

"He was all over you, My!" Paul shot back, some of that anger laced jealousy coming back. Maya gave a frustrated grumble and pushed back from the counter to come around and wrench open the fridge before shutting it again.

"You can't just move out here to keep tabs on me. I'm going to have a lot of male friends out here Paul, the department is DRIPPING with them. And none of them even come close to you, so I'm going to need you to not go all caveman on me every time I hang out with one of them. Besides, Tate was being way more obvious than Noah and you didn't seem too threatened by him." Maya was annoyed.

"I'm not coming out here to keep tabs on you," Paul said, leaning back against the sink and watching her.

"Oh bullshit!" she said glaring at him. He raised an eyebrow at her, daring her for a fight and she let out an exhausted breath. She knew it was useless. He was going to move out here whether she wanted him to or not. "I'm staying in the dorms next semester, but I'll obviously stay with you on weekends. But Paul, this is still my time out here. I know it's been hard for you—"

"No you don't know, My. I can barely fucking concentrate back home. I can't sleep, I don't want to eat. I'm behind on a ton of deadlines and Jacob wants to strangle me every time I come downstairs in the middle of the night and wake him up with my table saw."

"You….you're using your table saw in the middle of the night?" Maya said, a laugh just beyond her words. Paul stared at her, clearly on edge. She padded over to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, leaning her head into his chest. "I'm sorry it's been hard for you. We knew this wouldn't be easy. I just…." She pulled back to look up at him. His hand immediately cupped her cheek and she felt that breathless feeling push through her when he looked at her like that. The look that communicated that she was his and that there was no life without each other and she was silly for even trying. But she was still going to try. A look that, if it was at all possible, would probably get her pregnant. "Paul, I love you. I love our life in La Push, I just...was enjoying not blending the two together so quickly. Not yet anyway."

Paul's eyes moved around her face, worry and concern pulling at his features for just a moment before he leaned down, pressed a sweet, soft kiss to her forehead and connected his eyes with hers before saying barely above a whisper, "Tough."

Maya's eyes widened in surprise and then laughter. He swallowed her in another kiss and Maya let herself get lost for a little bit. If he was asking for this now, Maya knew it must have been hell back in La Push without her, so she wouldn't push the topic of moving in together out here next year just yet. For now, she just wanted to let herself go and feel that familiar warmth fill her up.

Maya turned on her phone as the plane landed and taxied to her gate. Paul had told her before she took off that he wouldn't be able to come pick her up but that she'd send someone from the pack to grab her. Expectantly, she waited as her phone found service to alert her with a text of who would be picking her up, but none popped up. Maya frowned and opened her last text from Paul.

M: Babe, who's coming to get me?

No answer. Not even as she deplaned and went to grab her suitcase that was mostly filled with textbooks and some Columbia gear to gift to the pack. As Maya made her way out of the Sea Tac airport to the pick up spot, she glanced around. The November air bit at her nose and she tucked into her jacket more, wishing that Paul had been there to greet her with his too hot arms wrapped down around her.

Maya didn't have to search for too long though before she saw a head towering above the rest of the milling crowd getting into cars and exchanging hugs. Seth Clearwater waved from his spot beside his Subaru and Maya grinned making her way toward him. He enveloped her in a hug when she was close enough and Maya couldn't help but feel like she was home.

"Good to see you, Maya!" Seth said gently. Maya pulled back to look at him and shook her head.

"I heard congratulations were in order," she replied and he looked off to the side, a soft blush coming across his cheeks as he nodded before looking back to her.

"Yeah, I just couldn't help myself." he said as he grabbed her suitcase and set it in the trunk before closing the passenger door after she clambered in. Paul had told her recently that Seth had popped the question to Sadie and she had obviously said yes. Maya was shocked—Seth and Sadie had known each other for less time than she and Paul and yet, here they were taking the next step. The council was obviously thrilled which made Maya squirm but before she could dwell too much on it, Paul had changed the subject, getting her input about a second bathroom for the guest bedroom addition.

She had texted Sadie her congratulations but now, with Seth in front of her, it all became real. Is this how fast imprints moved? She knew that Emily and Sam had been a pretty quick affair even with the crushing fact that Leah and Sam had been together at the time. Kim had spilled that she and Jared got together almost immediately too and they had tied the knot when they turned 19 to no one's surprise. But still, it all felt so…..fast.

Maya asked Seth about school and how he and Sadie were doing now that they lived together and were planning a wedding. All seemed to be normal back at the reservation and that was comforting for Maya. The two hour drive back to La Push was filled with easy conversation with Seth but when they pulled down her drive to the familiar blue house, Maya almost squealed with excitement. She'd missed her home, she'd missed this life, and she was so excited to get almost ten full days of bliss with him, uninterrupted.

Seth carried her suitcase up to the house despite her protests and as she unlocked the door and swung it open, she let her eyes sweep across the living room trying to take it all in before—

"OH FUCK!" she said, her eyes wide on the scene before her. She heard her suitcase clatter to the ground behind her that Seth no doubt dropped at the scream that rang out across the living room. Jacob and Becks sprang apart, fully naked and on her couch. Jacob grabbed a pillow and placed it in front of him as Becks wrapped herself in the knitted blanket that was kept thrown over the back of the couch.

"Fuck, Maya!" Jacob shouted as he back away toward the bathroom, "I'm—"

"My, this isn't...I mean," Becks started as she closed her eyes tight, as if she could make Maya and Seth disappear if she didn't see them. "This is...Ah!"

"What...the fuck!" Maya said, her eyes light with laughter.

"SETH! TURN THE FUCK AROUND. MAYA PLEASE!" Jacob yelled as he stood half in and half out of the bathroom.

"Were you two just...were you...were you fucking on my couch?" Maya pointed toward the couch and Becks bit her lower lip so hard she thought she tasted blood.

"Maya, I can explain." Becks started.

"You guys were. You guys were fucking on my couch. Oh my god!" Maya said, the panic starting to rise in her.

"Can you give us a minute?!" Jacob shouted across the room. Becks looked over her shoulder at him as if to ask him to keep quiet. "I just want to put my pants on! Seth, get out!"

Seth let out a barking laugh and hurdled out the door, his body already being turned away at Jacob's original request.

"Maya!" Jacob yelled again and her eyes snapped toward him. "Can you please go outside for a minute?!" he said, embarrassment thick in his voice.

"I'm sorry," Becks mouthed as Maya backed out of the front door, shutting it behind her and turning slowly. Seth was standing with his hands on his hips by his car.

"Are they together?" She asked incredulously.

"Looks like it," Seth said, sucking a sharp breath in between his teeth.

Everything and everyone was moving so fast—too fast. And now Becks and Jacob were….she couldn't even think about it. Her hand tightened into a fist just as her cell phone buzzed in her pocket but she ignored it. She wasn't upset that they were together, just that once again everything seemed to be so easy for everyone else and their imprint.

Her phone buzzed again and she heard Seth's voice swimming in her ear.

"You should answer it, I think it's Paul," he said looking down at his texts. Maya dug into her pocket and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey baby, did Seth get you okay?"

"How long have Becks and Jacob been hooking up?"

"What?" Paul said, taken off guard.

"I just walked in on them going at it in our living room." A groan could be heard on the other side of the line.

"I'm coming home. I'll be there in an hour, just sit tight." he said, not answering her question. Maya hung up and looked at Seth.

"So how long have you known, then?" she asked. Seth shifted from one foot to the other.

"A little over a month," he said finally. Maya nodded her head and looked at the ground, letting the sting of it sink in. Her best friend didn't even tell her, but everyone else seemed to know before her.

She knew it wasn't fair. She was all the way across the country trying to do her own thing. She'd chosen this, but still, she felt entirely left out of the loop. And the separation of it all made it all the more devastating. Seth looked at her, not knowing what to say and Maya stood frozen on her doorstep, the hurt twisting into that familiar anger that plagued her all too often now. She'd never felt so distant from her tribe or the pack than she did right now, even when she was all the way in New York. What was worse, she'd never felt this disconnected from her best fucking friend who obviously didn't care enough to pick up the phone and tell her what had been going on and how so much had changed.

Maybe they didn't recognize this Maya anymore. And that realization started to scare her just a little bit. This was her home, so why did she feel a million miles away right now?

The front door creaked open behind her and Maya slowly turned to see the sheepish look on Jacob's face, Becks standing firmly next to him. Did she even recognize this Becks? Maya tried her hardest to swallow the tears rising in her throat but Becks could see the hurt there plainly.

"My, I'm sorry I didn't tell you...I...I didn't think you'd take it very well...so I just..didn't," Becks started. Maya was still standing on her porch like she was a visitor to her home as Becks and Jacob stood comfortably in it's frame. The sense of not belonging started to creep in all around her.

"You didn't tell me," Maya repeated in a voice that she didn't wholly recognize.

"Paul thought it might be a good idea to—" Becks started, but Maya's look silenced her.

Paul thought!? Paul thought it might be a good idea not to tell me? What the fuck?! Maya was having a hard time controlling the anger that was bubbling up in her now, but she swallowed hard and nodded for Becks to continue.

"Paul thought it would be a good idea to wait until we were all together to tell you. But obviously...this is not how we wanted to do it. My...Please, I'm sorry," Becks said.

But she couldn't say what she was sorry for and that somehow made it worse. She wasn't sorry she didn't tell her, just that she found out this way. And the distance only grew in Maya.

"Come in," Jacob said, moving away from the door and Maya entered quietly, being invited into her own home and feeling worlds apart. Nothing felt like it was supposed to anymore but she was still hoping for anything to tether her to the spot. She turned and faced them before saying.

"So tell me," as she watched their faces morph into that of two worried parents consoling a child. "Tell me what's going on."