Hello, darlings. Here, another chapter.

Thank you for all the love you've been giving this story, it makes me very happy. Keep the love coming :)

I hope you like it.

Stay safe and enjoy :).

SILVER

Chapter 4: That night.

Was it really that moment he lost her? Perhaps he had lost her a long time ago, and he didn't want to realize it.

His family was confused. He could see on Alice's mind that after this training, everyone was back on her visions, except for Bella. Another thing he noticed on his sister's mind was that her visions regarding Bella had been blurry for a few weeks. He saw that Bella had disappeared completely earlier that day. That meant he had officially lost her. He knew enough of the imprint thing to know she had unconsciously accepted it. However, he could tell that there was something she was hiding. He stared at her, letting her know in their secret way that he wanted to know. Alice sighed, defeated, and relayed the conversation she had had with Bella the other day. Alice had known that he had lost her and yet remained silent. He felt betrayed.

"It was not my place to tell you anything. She was figuring everything on her own. Get your head out of your ass. I didn't betray you." Jasper sensed his wife's turmoil. They couldn't afford to have an internal battle when they had a bigger enemy to fight. He sent calming waves to everyone who was riled up to prevent any escalation.

"What the hell is going on?" It was Emmet's subtle way of asking.

Paul huffed, annoyed. Bella seemed to be over her trance and lifted her head to see everyone staring back at her and Paul.

Edward could sense her internal turmoil. But it wasn't his place to explain it to her.

Sam, who had retreated to a nearby tree to retrieve his clothes, came back as a human. "Paul has imprinted on Bella."

Bella turned her face quickly, staring Paul's wolf in the eyes. Imprint? As in…what Jake had told her?

Carlisle was the only one in his family who fully understood. Edward had a vague idea of the implications.

Carlisle, on the other hand, had analyzed the wolves, their legends. He familiarized himself with their culture to establish the treaty. His thoughts were sad for the daughter he had lost in a way to the wolves.

"Care to explain what that is?" This time it was Jasper who asked.

The Alpha shook his head. "It's Paul's decision to tell her himself. I apologize, but we need to reschedule for tomorrow. Clearly, we're down one wolf." The last part was meant with humor, but Edward's heart didn't want humor. He wanted reassurance, but he knew he wasn't going to find one.

His eyes were fixed on Bella and the wolf. They seemed to be having some sort of silent conversation. His heart broke at that moment.

The wolves didn't retreat until Paul retrieved some clothes and stood in front of his imprint. Bella's eyes had a spark Edward hadn't seen since before her eighteenth birthday. She was all smiles and blushed cheeks. But there was an edge to her. She had never been precisely shy but reserved with her private life. Paul silently extended one hand to her, which she didn't hesitate to take.

"We have to talk." He said softly, repeating more or less what he had said that afternoon.

She nodded. "I know. And I know what it means." Paul was surprised by the last bit of information. In fact, everyone was. Jacob admitted to having told her. Jared rolled his eyes.

"You have no filter at all, do you?" But Jake shrugged his wolfy shoulders.

Bella never told Edward anything of what transpired at the reservation. "Well, more or less." Paul smiled.

She noticed it was a crooked smile. A bad boy smile. A smile that incited all sinful but probably delicious things. That had been the smile that had started all her troubles. The smile she now found enticing, or more accurately, that she had been thinking as enticing. It had been a smile that had totally infuriated her the first time she crossed paths with Paul, that day when she slapped him on behalf of Jacob.

Paul broke their moment to address the Cullens. "I will take her home."

Alice opened her mouth to discuss, but Paul had already advanced in the opposite direction with Bella beside him.

"Bella?" Edward's voice stopped her advances. She turned around on the spot and saw his defeated stance. She waited for the guilt to appear, but it never came. She was going home with Paul. She was going to figure out what this imprinting meant, and then she would talk to him tomorrow.

"I'll speak with you tomorrow." She said softly.

She didn't care if he thought it was selfish. She had followed his desires since they came back from Italy. She had put him first. She fought with Jake a lot because of him.

Not anymore. She chose herself this time.

She turned around again and closed the distance towards Paul. She took his hand. "Take me home."

Paul nodded and walked away with her.

…

…

Edward stood there, thinking of the latest developments. His knowledge of the imprint extended merely to what it was at the moment of the event. He suspected Bella had accepted the imprint. In her defense, she has been unequivocal on where she stood in regards to their relationship. He had thought (and perhaps she as well, to an extent) that her negative to marry him had something to do with her parent's opinion to teen marriage. He couldn't read her mind, but he could read her body. He had never sensed any other reason for trepidation. He should have been paying more attention.

The pack retreated safely, and within seconds they were out of range. Carlisle patted him on the back, offering his support in his thoughts. But nothing could be done now except let her go and be happy.

"I have no idea what just happened." Commented Emmet. Rose shook her head softly at him. She was just as lost as him. In fact, only Carlisle and Edward understood.

"I'll explain at home. Let's go." Carlisle softly commanded.

…

…

Back at the Swan's house, Paul was pacing back and forth in her bedroom, trying to conjure the right words to explain it to her. He had seen her countless times; he antagonized her (mostly to rile her up, to get a reaction from her, he hated seeing her so fucking submissive.) He had started to imprint on her that day of her first bonfire. But he had looked at her in the eyes countless of times afterward. Why now?

Apparently, all the attention he had given her led to this moment. To his wolf choosing her as his mate. Definitely.

"You're making me dizzy." He stopped his pacing in front of her. "I know what an imprint is. Jake told me a little about it. Just tell me your version. What happened in the clearing?"

He stopped pacing and faced her. "It wasn't the first time." He admitted. She opened her eyes widely. "Remember the bonfire, the day of the story of the third wife?" She nodded quietly. "My wolf chose you. I stared you in the eyes, and you stared back. But Jacob interrupted the moment, so it was an interrupted imprint."

She kind of understood what that meant. But then, he started pacing again.

"He had me pay attention to you as a human. But I just understand that right now. So all my attention to you has been genuine. I mean, you were so fucking submissive, and it pissed me off every time for some reason."

She nodded; she had noticed her attitude change the last few months. Especially every time Edward prohibited her from going to the Rez. Until that night when she put her foot down. The night of the third wife.

"Why now? I mean, what changed? What is different now?" She asked.

"I have the suspicion that the imprint completed because I took my head out of my ass." Bella snorted. How delicate. "I tried to behave. To be a friend to you. I didn't know if that's what you needed. But I thought, after the incident at Jacob's house, that I would try to be a friend. I already liked you. I liked messing with you because that meant that you would answer. That you would speak for yourself."

"You drove me crazy." She laughed.

He laughed too, stopping in front of her. "What changed for you? Because I felt it there. You accepted it. You didn't freak out when I approached you, and I wasn't exactly thinking clearly. It was pure instinct."

"When Edward told me about this training, I knew I wanted to be there. But it was more of an imperative need. I needed to be there. To know that everyone was safe. And the moment you looked at me, it's like everything finally fell into place. I was no longer the human that was to be protected. I felt strong. I didn't know what was happening, but I wanted that feeling to remain. I clutched to it. This is gonna sound crazy, but it was as if the feeling was coming from you. Meaning, you were making me feel that. Was that me accepting it? I don't know."

Paul tilted his head to the side, studying her. There was more to it. "Spill. There is more to it."

Bella nodded. "I have feelings for you; I had them for a while now. I was going to break up with Edward tonight. Then I heard about the training. I needed to be there. At first, I thought of Jake, Embry, and Quil, but I admit my thoughts stayed at you. I needed to know you were alright." She blushed deeper this time.

"That's why you were crying earlier today."

"I was crying because I hadn't allowed myself to feel my feelings. To be me. I was always doing what he wanted, trying not to hurt Jake, and I never considered my feelings." She shook her head. "I also cried because I felt guilty that I had feelings for you while still being in a relationship."

He crouched in front of her and took her face into his hands, brushing away the tears that had fallen. She sniffed. She hadn't realized she was crying.

"But you want this, right?" He waved his fingers between the two of them.

"I really, really do." She accompanied her words by nodding emphatically. "One hundred percent." She whispered bravely.

He smiled widely.