Eleven months. It had been eleven whole months since the imprint. And when I think back about who I was just eleven months ago, I can't help but not recognize parts of her. It's not a bad thing, I don't think. I should be changing—I've gone through so much this year. But this imprint could quite possibly be the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me. Whenever I slip my hand into Paul's wide one, the panic that sometimes rises in me at the little things quiets. And when I look up at him and he gives me that soft, reassuring smile that sends my heart fluttering, lips parting as if I'm staring into a sunset, a part in me understands why this imprint is important and how lucky I actually got. So, everytime I make myself say goodbye to him, it pulls at me a little bit deeper, and rips my heart in two just a little bit more. We were never good at goodbyes, but every time I leave it doesn't get easier. He lets me go anyway though and that's how I choose to define our imprint—letting each other leave and knowing we'll always come back.
The front door banged open as Paul and Maya spilled through it. Paul was already tugging at the loose t-shirt Maya had tucked into her jeans to splay his hands across her waist and back as he shuffled her easily across the floor. Her hands were threaded through his hair arching her body toward him to feel his too hot heat against her.
This had been the soundtrack of their past few days together—rushed and panting and hungry for one another. It was as if the impending flight that would take Maya back to New York had spiked the intensity of every kiss, every touch, every moment spent together. It was saturated with need and desperation for one last long kiss or thrust before succumbing to sleep. The imprint tightly threaded them together, but Maya and Paul sealed it with a strong, needy knot.
Maya's fingers frantically fumbled with the button on Paul's jeans as he continued to move her back toward the kitchen. Maya successfully slipped out of her jeans and felt Paul's hands move down to knead the flesh of her ass roughly. When she hit the hard edge of the wooden table, Paul lifted her quickly on top of it and Maya finally succeeded in undoing the button of his jeans as she tugged at them feverishly down his hips. His lips coasted down her jawline to her neck, nipping gently at the soft dip between her neck and shoulder. He pulled back to nearly rip her shirt up and over her head, unsnapping her bra and flinging it toward the living room. With a teasing smirk, he took her face in both of his broad hands and encased her mouth in another hot, heart wrenching kiss that made Maya's head spin.
Maya always felt like they were running out of time these days. She knew it wouldn't last forever and that soon enough they would be together all of the time, but the pull within her was starting to grow deep and make everything else seem less urgent. It terrified her.
"Lay back," he said gruffly against her mouth. Maya obeyed, laying flat on her back on the kitchen table as Paul gripped her hips tightly between his hands. He pulled her forward sharply so that her ass hung partway off the table and then he dropped to his knees, draping her legs over his broad shoulders and pressing soft kisses to her inner thighs. Maya gasped and clenched at nothing in anticipation as warm heat spread between her legs. When Paul dipped his head hungrily between her thighs and pulled his tongue flat and soft up her slit, Maya couldn't help but arch her back off the worn wooden table and cry out a moan as if she hadn't been touched in years. That was the thing with Paul—and with this imprint, she assumed—every touch always felt new, intensified by their deepening bond. Her body thrilled at his touch alone and her brain scrambled in these moments of bliss with him. Still, as fevered and rushed as she felt, she knew Paul would take his time with her and that put her at peace to push off the thought of tomorrow just a little longer.
Maya, Paul, Becks, and Jacob arrived at Becks' gate that would take her back to Chicago roughly forty-five minutes before Maya's plane was expected to board.
"Okay, so text me when you land and call me when you get back to your dorm," Jacob was mumbling against the top of Becks' head as he enveloped her in a tight hug against him. Becks was holding on for dear life and pressing her face so hard into Jacob's chest, Maya worried she couldn't breathe. Becks took long and slow deep breaths as if she was fighting off the urge to vomit.
Maya clenched her jaw and tightened her hold on Paul's hand. If she thought their bond was intense, Becks and Jacob were taking it to a whole new level. Paul shifted the strap of Maya's backpack on his shoulder and tugged her a bit closer to him. Jacob leaned down and was pressing firm kisses into the top of Becks' head and whispering something to her that Maya couldn't hear. She looked up at Paul, knowing he could hear every word, for insight but he kept his eyes forward and focused on the couple in front of him.
"Three weeks. I'll pick you up in three weeks," Jacob said, his voice on the verge of breaking as he pulled Becks' face away from his chest to hold it in his hands. He dipped down to bring himself eye level with her and Maya almost had to turn away from the absolute broken sob that escaped Becks as Jacob nearly crumbled. "Okay, okay," he said gently, trying to reassure himself as much as Becks in this moment.
"Final boarding call for flight 726, service to Chicago. Final boarding call," The intercom buzzed at the gate.
"Okay?" Jacob said again as Becks hiccuped and nodded quickly. Jacob swiped his broad thumbs across her cheeks to wipe away the tears that had fallen so quickly and he nodded.
"Okay," she said in barely a whisper. Jacob leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead before shuffling Becks toward the gate. His grip was still tightly around her though, and as the attendant scanned Becks' ticket, she turned to press her lips against his and a strangled sound escaped Jacob's throat. She wrenched from his grasp and hurried down the jetway as Jacob automatically took a step forward as if to follow her.
The attendants closed the door and Becks was swallowed up by the tunnel beyond it. Jacob's hands flew up to grip behind his head as he grit his teeth, stifling a snarl. Maya stepped in closer to Paul. He stared at the closed door for a long moment before turning, not quite meeting Paul or Maya's eyes as he said roughly,
"I'm gonna run back instead." Paul gave a short nod as Jacob, his eyes wild, hurried past them back toward the terminal.
"That was rough," Maya said, exhaling sharply. Paul watched Jacob go quietly for a moment longer and once he disappeared within a throng of people he tugged at Maya's hand and muttered a soft,
"Let's go."
They were never going to get good at goodbyes. Maya didn't think they were meant to. In fact, everything within her was screaming to stay with Paul. She grimaced at the pleased-as-punch smile that she envisioned Chief Black would wear if he saw her now. They'd been right—their bond was essential, but she still wanted all of the things she'd plan for. Now it was about finding how to balance both.
When they arrived at her gate, the attendants were just beginning to open the door to the jetway for boarding. Maya sucked in a deep breath and turned to look up at Paul with a smile. They could do this, they'd done it before.
"Hey," she said as Paul's eyes flickered down to hers away from the opened gate door. "Three weeks." He nodded stoically and his hands came to rest firmly on her ribcage. She could tell that he was trying his best to hold it together this time. A soft sadness must have crept over her face because when she raised her hand to cup his cheek, he leaned into it and let out a small sound that made her heart ache. "We've got this. Three weeks and I'll be back for the holidays. And you need to finish that guest room extension, so you'll have plenty to do. Yeah?"
"Yeah," he breathed out heavily, his eyes roaming her face slowly as if he was drinking her in for the first time. Maya gave him a small smile and his grip around her waist tightened. "Three weeks." he replied solemnly.
She nodded, "Just three weeks."
As the attendants announced boarding for Maya's flight, Paul's eyes rose frantically above her head and he stepped in closer to her. She stifled a laugh and leaned up to kiss him.
"Backpack." she nodded softly to his shoulder. He reluctantly handed it over and as Maya slung it over her own shoulder she took a step back from him. "I love you," she said easily, reassuringly, as she walked toward the door backward so she could keep her eyes on him as long as possible. Maya knew as soon as she was out of his sight, the ache would begin to pulse in earnest.
"I love you." He replied, standing very still, but Maya could see that his fists were clenched and he was trembling slightly. He'll probably run home too, she thought sadly. With one last nod, Maya turned and headed quickly down the jetway after scanning her boarding pass, all the while whispering "Three weeks, three weeks, it's just three weeks," under her breath as the familiar knot wound in her belly, begging her to stay.
Maya found it easy to fall back into her routine once she had set foot on campus again, even with the dull ache pulsing in her belly. It was another late night, huddled in the Butler library with Noah and Beez a week and half after she had returned and Maya was trying her hardest not to let the impending pressure of finals eat her alive. Beez was mouthing formulas silently as K-pop blasted through her too big headphones. Noah was hunched over his textbook, scribbling and then erasing for the umpteenth time as he tried to work out a problem. Every now and then he'd glance up and look at Maya, giving her a small, tired smile which she sometimes returned and sometimes gazed absently over his shoulder.
They had been at it for hours and Maya was determined to get a good chunk of her physics material reviewed before heading back to her dorm. Her phone had buzzed a few times with texts from her mom, Paul, and Keye but she had mostly ignored them as she tried to stay focused on studying.
In her daily facetimes with Paul, he held that same tired, strained look on his face that reminded Maya that the imprint pull affected him more than her, but when he was talking about the extension, she noticed his tone was more animated than usual. This reassured Maya at the very least that a distraction was key to keeping Paul tethered to La Push while she was at school. The promise of him moving out east next semester still loomed and Maya hoped that he had forgotten all about it. She missed him more everyday, but this felt like something she was meant to do alone.
As Maya worked through her physics outline and midnight came at went, she felt her eyes getting tired. Beez had slumped over her text and was drooling softly on the wooden library table and Noah was tapping himself in the forehead with his pencil to keep himself awake. A sharper buzz startled Maya and her eyes flitted to the screen of her phone.
Incoming call: Becks
It was almost 2 a.m., which meant it was nearly 1 a.m. where Becks was. Maya watched as her phone vibrated for a moment, almost in a trance as her best friend's face smiled up at her. Just as she reached for the phone to swipe and answer, her phone darkened, missing the call, and Maya shook her head going back to her physics book. Why is Becks calling me in the middle of the night? She wondered tiredly to herself. But with her head swimming in formulas and machinations, there was little room to let the creeping worry seep in.
It wasn't until the next morning, when Maya rolled over and noticed the voicemail notification that Becks had left last night that she felt the worry sink into something deeper. Maya jolted upright in bed and slapped the phone to her ear to listen to the voicemail, her study haze having cleared and a new urgency swept through her:
Hey My, it's me. Listen, I was just wondering if…agh, how do you know if….A longer pause this time. So much so that Maya thought maybe she had hung up and then:
Remember when we went to Multnomah Falls in eighth grade and you said that it made you feel like a bird? Like you could fly right over the bridge and into the water? I….yeah I think about that a lot. Sigh. I just—this stuff with Jacob can get to be so much you know? And I know you know, because you and Paul have been through it, but everything that happens with them feels so….final, you know? Like…fate sealed. Or whatever… Anyway, I just wanted to see if you were up. Sorry for calling so late. You're probably studying….I should probably be studying. Fuck…okay. Bye!
Maya pulled the phone back from her ear and stared at it. Becks had sounded…strange. Like she was dazed or possibly scared. Not in danger, but there was definitely a hesitance in her voice that made Maya think she was worried about something. Becks, cool and calm and collected Becks, never sounded so disjointed and nervous.
Maya called her back but her phone rang twice and then went to voicemail. She tried a few more times with the same result and after typing out a hasty Call me back, I just got your voicemail text as she pulled on some sweats and an oversized hoodie, she called Paul. He answered quickly despite the early hour on his end.
"My?"
"Hey, sorry did I wake you up?"
"No baby, it's fine. What time is it?" The second sentence was punctuated with a yawn and Maya suppressed a smile.
"Early."
"Shit, I have to run rounds." Maya could hear the shuffling of bedsheets as her eyes darted around her own darkened dorm room.
"Have you heard from Jacob at all?"
"What?"
"Jacob?"
"No. Should I?" More rustling, like the sound of a shirt coming over his head and muffling the phone receiver for a minute.
"I just got a weird voicemail from Becks last night when I was at the library studying. It was super late and she was rambling. And now I can't get a hold of her."
"Did she seem like she was in trouble?" Paul said, some of the grog clearing from his voice. Maya bit her lip. Did she sound like she was in trouble?
"No, not really. Just… It was weird. She was talking about this old school trip we took to Multnomah Falls and how our fates seemed sealed, I don't know, did Jacob say—"
Maya heard the familiar sound of a door shutting on the other side of the line as Paul cut her off hastily, "My, I haven't talked to Jacob. Not really. Not since the whole Charlie incident. I'm sure Becks is fine. Did you check with Keye?"
"No," Maya sighed softly and rubbed her forehead.
"Okay, well see if she got any weird voicemails. I'm sure she's fine. Listen babe, I got to go. Can I call you this afternoon?"
"Yeah…yeah sure. Love you."
"Love you." He replied before the call ended. Maya sighed and flopped back onto her bed. For a moment she scrunched up her face in confusion replaying the content of the voicemail in her head.
Everything that happens with them feels so….final, you know? Like…fate sealed.
The words rolled around in Maya's head. Was Becks feeling trapped much like Maya had when the imprint with Paul had first happened? She cringed at the warming sensation in her stomach then. It wasn't that she wanted Becks to feel the way Maya had felt, but she had felt something close to relief—even reassured that another imprint had finally seemed to feel the way Maya had felt instead of hopelessly and easily in love. Even though Maya was all of those things with Paul now, it had taken her awhile to get there and she couldn't help but feel like maybe that wasn't the norm.
And now Becks seemed to finally understand. Her best friend, the imprint of a rogue alpha, was feeling what Maya had felt. She swallowed again, trying to drown the warmth of recognition spreading through her. Finally, I'm not crazy. She felt understood.
Maya brought her phone up over her head and navigated to a message thread between her and Keye and typed out:
Hey, have you heard from Becks?
Keye probably wasn't even awake yet. Maya let her arms fall to either side of her body and stared up at the ceiling. That nagging warmth wouldn't dissipate and she knew she'd have to distract herself more thoroughly if she was going to not obsessively check her phone all day, so she packed her things and headed out to the library.
Around 2 p.m., Keye finally texted back. But to Maya's disappointment, she hadn't heard from Becks either. That nagging warmth in her belly was now shifting to full on worry. By late that evening, still huddled under the low lamplight of the library desk lamps, Maya hadn't heard from anyone—not even Paul who said he would call. Something felt off, but Maya didn't have the time or mental capacity to figure out what. She was too far away and finals loomed only days away.
When Paul texted her in the late morning the next day to apologize for not calling her back, he reassured her everything was fine. He didn't mention Jacob though. After Maya tried two more times to call Becks with no answer, she realized she had to put it aside. She was out here for one purpose and that was school. Jacob, nor Paul would let anything happen to Becks, and no one had raised the alarm that something was wrong, so she had no other choice but to go with it.
So she did.
The next week and half passed in a tired, frenzied blur of highlighted texts, crumpled notebook paper, and worn down number two pencils. As her professor announced the closing of her last final, Maya shuffled to the front of the room and handed in her exam that she had had just a few minutes extra to look over before time was up. She felt all in all that she had done well, but only time would tell.
Out in the hall, someone grabbed her arm—Noah. He gave her that soft reassuring smile and Maya felt herself start to ascend out of the foggy finals induced haze she had been saturated in. Her first semester was over, she could breathe.
"How did it go?" He asked as he nudged her down the hall, no doubt to lead her off campus toward their favorite watering hole to commiserate.
"I think it went well," Maya said with a hint of cheer in her voice. The realization that she would soon get to see Paul started to infiltrate her senses again and she pulled her phone out of her pocket skimming the last text he had sent her this morning before her last two finals:
Good luck, I love you and I'll see you tonight.
She typed out a quick: I love you. All finished!
"What time are you out of here?" Noah said as he held the door open for Maya as they stumbled out onto the quad.
"About 6 tonight. I need to be at JFK by 4:30, so just a few hours," Maya buzzed with excitement. The atmosphere on campus was intoxicating. The giant exhale of relief from everyone around her could be felt on the cold breeze that zipped through campus. The cheerful chattering and smiles had returned as the pressure fell off of them. Finally. Maya thought for the second time in a week.
"Just enough time for a drink then," Noah said happily as they made their way toward their favorite bar just off campus. After they'd settled into their favorite booth, a few other friends joined them in celebration. Maya couldn't help but tap her foot impatiently. She couldn't wait to get home and see Paul. When she pulled out her phone, she took another sip of her beer. Noah laughed loudly to her left and casually draped his arm across the back of the booth, his hand hanging over her shoulder.
Maya hardly noticed it though, scrolling through her texts and rereading a conversation her and Paul had a couple of days ago. Becks had never gotten back to her which still nagged at her and Keye was also heavy into finals so they were spread thin. Paul, though, had mentioned that he'd seen Jacob and that he seemed…upbeat. She reread the thread again for the tenth time to try and discern any new meaning from her woefully vague boyfriend as the sounds of the bar muffled around her:
Maya: Upbeat?
Paul: Yeah, upbeat.
M: Upbeat how? Like about to break out into song or snagged the last cinnamon star at Clearwater Coffee?
P: I didn't know you liked Sue's cinnamon stars. I'm more of a sweet bean roll kind of guy.
M: Paul.
P: Upbeat like he just got good news. Maybe Charlie is skipping town again or he got a new part for his bike. I don't know, My. We don't share the link.
M: Has he talked to Becks?
P: Maybe. Embry said he took a call while on rounds the other night. Took them off their normal route just to get to it.
M: Did Embry say what the call was about?
P: Not really. It might have been Becks, but he didn't say.
M: Did he seem different after, though?
P: I don't know. We haven't seen him in a few days.
M: Wtf Paul.
P: What?
It had to have been Becks then, Maya concluded. Paul went on to say that he thought the stress of finals was getting to Maya and that she should let it go for now. Which had kind of pissed her off. Something wasn't right, she knew it. What if he's proposing?! Maya had a sudden fleeting thought.
"Oh fuck," she said under her breath, suddenly rousing from her text induced coma and realizing she was at a bar, surrounded by hundreds of newly relieved college students. She reached for the glass of beer in front of her Noah must have ordered for her and chugged it down to the delighted cheers of her table mates. Noah patted her shoulder and said,
"Thatta girl!" he picked up his own glass and gulped down the remainder of his beer and rose from the table to get another round, hopping over Maya.
That has to be it, she thought to herself. He's gonna ask her to marry him. The pace of their relationship if he were to propose would outrage just about any normal person, but Maya knew in the world of imprints and the pack, this was just business as usual. Becks had said she was feeling like her fate was sealed. Did she feel trapped? Pressured?
The urgency to get home again flooded through her. Maybe she could call Michael and see if he could get her on an earlier flight. But her plane was slated to leave in a few hours anyway. No, she could wait. It wasn't like anyone was forthcoming with information anyway, even if they had it.
Noah set another beer down in front of her and Maya drank from it quickly, her eyes on the clock.
"This is me," Maya said as she walked up to her gate, shifting her too heavy duffel bag over her shoulder and readjusting the straps of her backpack. Noah had insisted on coming with her to the airport even though his flight home wasn't for another four hours.
"Cool," he said, shifting from one foot to the other a little nervously. Maya raised an eyebrow at him, but he launched into another subject before she could ask what was up: "So, how was your first official semester? You sure you're going to come back for round two?" he joked. Maya gave a small laugh and nodded.
"Yeah, I think I just might. It wasn't all bad," she said, her mind wandering back to late nights at the library or up with Beez, sifting through texts or peer reviewed articles until all hours of the night. She had felt challenged, but good. When she looked up, Noah was looking at her weird and a small smile reached his eyes. "What about you?" she offered.
"Yeah, best year yet," he nodded, looking toward the ground for a second and then back up at her. Maya nodded genially and the intercom overhead announced boarding.
"Oh!" she said, turning as if to leave, happy to get out of whatever it was they were doing.
"Wait!" Noah said. Maya turned back to him and tried to swallow the somewhat pained look on her face. She was ready to leave. Noah dug in his pocket for something and held out a small wrapped box for her.
"Oh, Noah," she said hesitantly.
"Open it." he insisted as she took it from his hands. It was small, not unlike a jewelry box and she really, really hoped Noah wasn't that dumb.
"I didn't get you anything," Maya said softly as she dropped her duffel bag and started to tear open the wrapping paper.
"Ah," he said noncommittally and shoving his hands deep in his pockets. Maya bit her lip and when she pulled away the wrapping paper, it revealed a plain white box. She glanced up at Noah suspiciously who had an easy smile on his face.
She really, really, really hoped it wasn't jewelry. What would she tell Paul? He almost detonated when he saw the gold bracelets from Jeremy and he already had said that Noah was into her. As she pulled back the top of the box, trying to swallow the nauseous feeling rising in her throat, she could just imagine Paul's frown, the line that would form between his eyebrows, and the way he would silently shake as he tried to stay calm when he discovered whatever piece of jewelry Noah had stupidly gifted her in her bag.
Emily had mentioned to her long ago that Paul was considered extremely hot-headed growing up, but that he had worked hard to get it under control, channel it even, but Maya still saw some of it there. It never scared her, even if he sometimes accidentally directed it at her, but she knew Paul was fiercely protective, prone to jealousy, and needed to be in control to ensure that his anger didn't boil over. This would surely boil him over.
"Do you like it?" Noah asked. Maya's eyes focused on the thick keyring that lay in the box. She pulled it out and held it up in front of her face. It was a thick metal circle, dotted with lights and when she pressed the inside, the whole thing lit up. "You're always losing your key card or your mail key in your bag at night, so I thought this would be great for when you get back from all of our late night studying."
Maya's smile reached her eyes now, "Noah, this is great. Thank you!" she said gently as she walked into his arms and gave him a hug. Thoughtful, he was being thoughtful. Maya almost felt stupid for assuming it was anything other than a friendly gift. Noah hugged her back and a small chuckle escaped him over her head.
"It's just a keyring," he said.
Maya pulled back and flashed the ring a couple more times before attaching it to her backpack. "It's really nice of you. Thanks," She confirmed warmly.
Noah nodded as the overhead speaker announced final boarding calls. Maya's eyes shot open wide and she snatched her duffel bag up turning toward the door.
"Thanks Noah! See you next semester!"
Noah raised a hand and gave a short wave, and Maya thought she saw what looked like small hope creep across his face before the door shut behind her.
"Ready?" Paul said from behind her as his hands gripped her hips warmly. Maya, dressed in only Paul's dark t-shirt and fuzzy socks, kept her eyes closed and nodded. He planted a soft kiss to her neck before straightening and reaching around her to open the door they had been standing in front of.
"Open," he said. Maya, hardly able to contain her excitement, gasped when she let her eyes settle on the room. Paul had finished the guest room extension as promised and Maya was nearly knocked over from the impressive room laid before her. The floors matched the rest of the house but the interior walls were a lighter, warmer wood and steepled in a wide A-frame that gave the room impressive height. A custom triangular window looked out over the wide woods that sloped down toward the beach and there were a few long, shallow steps leading up to the main platform of the room where the bed she had picked out earlier sat beneath the wide windows that flanked on either side. Even with the low light from the cloudy day, the room was swathed in light.
"Paul! This is amazing!" she all but squealed. Paul patted her hip and let go of her as she bounded into the room. As she ascended the soft shallow steps toward the bed, small warm lights illuminated under the stairway. "This is nicer than our room!" she breathed and turned around to smile at him.
"Oh come on," he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe, his hard, broad chest on display. "It's still smaller than our room. The windows just make it seem big."
Maya skipped into the room, circling the bed and gazing out of the wide ceiling to floor windows that flanked the bed. In the summer, you'd be able to see the tops of the sprawling forest, lush with ferns and fringe in the trees. And in the winter when it snowed, it would serve as a frosty, clean white backdrop to the warmth emanating from the room.
"Can we go to Port Angeles and pick up some things to finish it off?" She asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. It was only blanketed by white linen sheets. Paul pushed himself off of the doorframe and slowly walked toward her.
"We," he said in that warm, gruff voice of his, "Can do anything you want, baby." He gave her that sly, playful grin and came to stand in front of her before leaning down, trapping her between his wide biceps and forcing her to lay back and propped up on her elbows. Maya giggled as he nuzzled his scruff-covered chin against her neck. His t-shirt that she wore rode up high on her thighs just barely covering her and she gasped when she felt him nip at the soft spot where her neck met her shoulder.
This moment was a sharp contrast to just an hour ago when Paul veered off the highway and abruptly parked them in a deserted dirt lot at a lookout point and pulled Maya over to his lap where he had expertly unfastened her jeans and plunged his hand beneath the thin silk of her underwear to cup her and drag his middle finger across her. She had already been aching and soaked for him and if she was being honest, the minute she had saw him in the airport baggage claim, her entire body felt like it had caught on fire. And when they had connected after Maya had launched herself into his arms, that aching pulse had started between her thighs.
As if he had sensed it or maybe just felt that deep need pull in him too, he had pulled off to the deserted lookout point to satiate both of them. His mouth on hers was warm but almost frenzied. When he plunged his middle finger into her hot center, followed by his index finger, she whimpered in slight relief. He returned the sound with a deep groan that transformed into a tight growl as she drenched his palm and grinded against his hand.
A fire began to bloom in her belly and as if on cue, Paul had broken their kiss and opened his eyes to look at her. She was barely eye level with him despite sitting in his lap due to their size difference, but she was still able to see that his pupils, blown dark and hungry, watched as she continued to pant and grind into his hand as he curled his fingers into her. His other hand cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking the soft expanse and over her lips. When he had pressed a particularly soft spot within her, she had keened, arching her back and grinding a little faster with soft huffs punctuating her quiet moans.
Paul watched transfixed, drinking in this lusty, perfect moment between them, but when she felt she couldn't take anymore and begged with his name, Maya saw his jaw twitch and that hungry, punch drunk look in his eye had transformed into something else that almost made her freeze. But before she could, he had quickly slipped his hand out and used both to rip the jeans from her body. Maya barely had time to register what had happened before he had lifted her onto his length and the sweet aching burn pressed through her as he sunk to his hilt.
Now as Maya watched him hover her in the low light of the guest room, his fingers dancing across the soft line of her hips, she let a gentle smile take over her face as she cupped his cheek. He smiled back, that overwhelmingly sweet smile that let her know she was this man's and he could ask her to do just about anything at this point and she'd say yes. He had her completely. He leaned his face into her hand before turning his head to kiss her palm. Her pulse ticked up and when he leaned forward to press a soft, careful kiss to her mouth, she felt her heart stammer. She could feel him smile against her lips as he took pleasure in the effect he had on her. Paul's hand ghosted across the skin of her hips again and took the hem of his shirt she was wearing before pulling it off of her in one swift movement. Maya gasped and came back to rest on her elbows, setting herself on display for him—only him.
This time, he looked across her face and down every line of her body in adoration. The hunger was still there but sat beneath this overwhelming look of covetous love. He lowered his face to gently kiss at her neck, the feeling was a whisper on her skin, one hand still gripping her waist. Paul took his time gliding his lips softly across the line of her collarbone, down her quickly rising chest and sucking one taut nipple into his mouth before releasing it too soon and moving down her belly. Here he paused, his warm breath cascading over her stomach and swirling in her belly button. Soon though, he continued his descent to her core and when she felt his hot breath across her bare lips, she whimpered. Paul brought his hands to press her thighs open wide, spreading her and watching as she glistened for him. Maya heard that deep groan run through his chest and her hips bucked upward automatically. He rested his forearm across her hips to hold her still and Maya couldn't help but squirm against his hold.
His other hand rested just above where her slit began and he let his thumb stroke soft circles to her swollen bud that started Maya moaning again. She tried to press her hips up to connect herself to his mouth as he breathed warmth over her but his hold was still tight on her. She whimpered longingly, bringing a hand to knead at her breast and pinch her nipple for some relief. The slick that dripped and dragged from her core down her ass and onto the bed was enough torture to get her begging outright again. How this man could undo her with one touch was beyond her.
"Paul," she breathed, "Please….please," she panted. But Paul continued to gently circle her clit with his thumb with barely there pressure that was causing Maya's mind to blind white. Her sweet moans turned into heady huffs and Maya heard herself beg more, promise just about anything if he would just—
That sweet ache rushed through her as she felt his mouth descend on her core with a hot, open mouth kiss. He sucked her hungrily into his mouth letting his tongue lick the expanse of her and the soothing vibration of his lips on her as he groaned sent Maya into orbit. She was getting there, feeling the warmth creep up toward her belly, making her face hot and flush with red. But just as she started to climb, he pulled back and the cool rush of air in his absence sliced through the sweet warmth and left an unbearable ache.
"Paul!" she protested and wiggled her hips against his forearm but he pressed tighter and she groaned.
He pressed his index finger into the line of her slit and dragged it up slowly before punctuating it with a sharp tap to her bud. Maya gave a soft "Ah!" and looked down at him.
"Don't cum yet," he said gruffly. Maya leaned up on her elbows, her chest heaving and a light sheen of sweat covering her body. He was watching his finger drag and tap, drag and tap.
"What?!" she breathed, completely lost in the pulsing pleasure erupting through her. She fell back onto the bed as he continued the agonizing drag, tap, drag, tap against her clit and fisted her hands into the sheet. "Paul," she begged again, the whimper dragging out tears to the corners of her eyes.
"Maya," he chided, "Don't. Cum." she could feel his lips say the words against her core and she arched into the sound. "Listen to me, baby," he said firmly. "Cum when I say. Only when I say." The delicious, ache pulsed through her again and she focused on the sound of his voice. The fire started to bloom again in her belly and she wanted nothing more than to obey this request. The world around her faded and she could only hear him and her own heart beat and—
Drag, tap. Drag, tap.
"Focus, Maya," he said as he pressed a wet kiss to the inside of her thigh, torturously close to her core. "Not yet."
The stuttering moans that escaped Maya didn't sound like her, but the blinding pleasure that swept through her could only be associated with that aching pull of the imprint. Everything that made her sway in favor of him. She wanted to listen, she really did, but when he dipped his tongue inside of her and pinched the swollen bundle of her nerves she exploded.
She felt him suck and drink her down as she cried out letting that great big oh wash through her and ring her out. Maya was lost in the swaying beat of her pulse and when she felt Paul's lips press down on hers suddenly she was surprised by the sweet taste of herself in his mouth.
He took no time to line himself up and press her apart as he leaned up to look down at the complete mess he made of her and said, "That's my girl." Paul took his time sliding his hard length into her, watching as she made soft sounds and her gaze focused in and out. This was his to take. He pulled her thigh up and to the side so he could press deeper and he revelled in the sharp intake of breath she made and the whimper of pain and pleasure mixing as she squeezed around him, trying to take him all in. His hand pressed the wild mess of her hair back as he kissed her forehead covered in sweet sweat and whispered, "Good girl," before groaning and starting to rock in and out of her, taking his time to chase his high and bring her with him.
Maya plugged in the bedside lamp and stepped back to admire her handiwork. She straightened the thick, burnt orange quilt that was draped across the cream sunken armchair she had nestled into one of the corners of the room by the window with the clearest view line down to the beach. The soft, white woven rug balanced the dark warmth of the room and she smiled at the soft bulge of the bed that was layered with dark green and white sheets and quilted comforter that looked soft and welcoming.
Once she was able to drag Paul away from bed and into Port Angeles, it had taken her almost no time to find pieces that would bring the room together. Paul had hauled everything inside and upstairs for her and had started on the dinner they were cooking for a few members of the pack that night. Jacob and Becks were planning on staying with Paul and Maya for a few days while their renovated loft above the garage was being insulated.
Kim and Jared were bringing a tree that they could all set up and decorate together, and Seth and Sadie were bringing drinks and some extra decorations. Maya was so excited to see everyone but more than that, she was eager to get a good look at Becks.
She had finally texted Maya back that afternoon and Paul had glanced at her worriedly as she read through the text over and over to confirm that she was fine, just busy with the end of finals and getting back to La Push and something with Jacob.
"'Jacob's been a little more intense than usual lately, so sorry I haven't reached out sooner.' Intense? What does that mean?" Maya had said on their drive to Port Angeles. Paul's jaw tightened and he looked over at her briefly before back at the road.
"Maybe she means protective?" Paul offered.
"Sounds more possessive," Maya said a deep frown forming as she read the message again.
"I'm possessive," Paul stated matter-of-factly. Maya rolled her eyes and looked over at him.
"Yeah, I know. And it's a pain in the ass," she replied.
"Can you blame me? Look at you," he said with that soft look in his eye again. Maya let out a laugh that bordered on annoyance and went back to rereading the text.
As she slipped on her camel suede skirt with her lined sheer black tights and a casual, sweetheart black long sleeve shirt, Maya couldn't help the bubbling of anticipation inside of her. She bounded down the stairs after straightening a few items on the new bookshelf tucked into the guest room and came into the kitchen where Paul was stirring a creamy looking sauce. No sooner had he turned to bring the wooden spoon to her mouth for a taste did the door shake with a few good knocks and muffled laughter. Maya took a quick taste, her eyes going wide in delight and nodded enthusiastically before she skipped off toward the front door.
Yanking it open, Kim, Jared, Seth, and Sadie gave a raucous cry of greeting and Maya felt like she was about to burst with happiness.
Between hugs and kisses to the cheek and Seth and Jared hauling the tree into the living room and getting it fitted into the stand, Maya was glowing with appreciation. Sadie set the decorations down and Paul came out of the kitchen to hug his brothers and help shuffle the tree to Maya's directed spot. Maya kept glancing back at the front door, and for a fleeting moment she thought Becks and Jacob might not show after all. Paul wrapped his arm around her and leaned down to kiss the top of her head before Jared shouted a hearty, "Let's drink!"
It was about twenty more minutes before Jacob and Becks finally arrived. Becks was bundled against the mild cold as if she were living in the arctic and when Maya, pulling her into a hug gave her a curious look, Becks had just rolled her eyes and nodded toward Jacob. Maya nodded knowingly.
"Intense," she mouthed to Becks who nodded and looked over toward Jacob again. But instead of annoyance, Maya saw that soft look of adoration color her face and Jacob turned to give her a secret smile before leaning forward to kiss Becks and help her out of her coat.
She seemed fine, Maya thought relieved. They were fine. No ring in sight and Maya tried to swallow the feeling of something unsaid rising in her throat. After they had eaten around the table and started decorating the tree, fully plied with alcohol now, things began to feel a little better.
"And then!" Sadie said animatedly from her place on the couch, holding a glass of champagne in her hand as Seth placed another ornament on the tree next to Maya. Paul and Jacob were in the kitchen cleaning up and Jared had Kim tucked underneath him on the other end of the couch. Becks was sitting in low, tufted armchair with a blanket.
"And then he said that there was no way I could possibly finish two essays in six hours," Sadie giggled, "And still get at least a B. But what Seth didn't know is that Mr. Ornez has a soft spot for me."
"Mr. HORN-ez more like," Seth said rolling his eyes. "And to be fair, you didn't finish both in six hours, you got an extension and I nearly burst a blood vessel watching you twirl your hair around your finger when you asked him if you could have an extra week."
Maya's mouth hung open in a laugh and Kim raised a glass to toast her, "I mean, can you blame her?" Kim said.
"Yes, I can!" Seth laughed, "She pulls the same on me all the time!"
"Hey!" Sadie cried out.
"Oh, 'hey! Hey! I'm cute, don't blame me!' Sound about right?" he asked as he crossed over to the couch and leaned down toward her to plant a kiss on her. Sadie, all giggles, held his face to her and muttered it with kisses.
"I'm so so sorry," she teased, "That you have such a beautiful girlfriend who gets her way and causes you so much stress."
"I'm sure you are," Seth said letting the barrage of kisses continue.
"Oh, gross," Jacob said as he sauntered out of the kitchen, Paul following. He beelined it to Becks and handed her a tall glass of water, "This is a party, not an orgy, Seth," Jacob joked.
"What kind of orgies do you go to?" Jared asked nonchalantly. Becks let out a laugh and Jacob glanced down at the sound of it.
"Better ones than you've ever been too, that's for sure. I didn't get locked down in my third period algebra class when In was 16, so I've lived a little more life than you sweet pea," he said.
Jared rolled his eyes, "Yeah, if you consider ice dick a suitable orgy, then you've got me pegged for sure."
"You're into pegging?" Becks quipped and Jacob nearly fell off the side of the armchair he barked with laughter.
"Jesus Christ, alright," Paul said as he pulled Maya down into his lap in the armchair across from Jacob and Becks'.
"Oh no, you're making dad mad," Seth said as he sank into the couch next to Sadie.
"I didn't realize this was a kink shaming household," Kim muttered as she sipped her drink. Paul leaned his head back and groaned and Maya giggled, pressing a kiss onto his exposed throat.
"What other surprise revelations do we have planned for tonight, huh?" Jared challenged, "My, did you win the award for smartest person at Columbia yet?"
"Not yet," Maya sighed, sinking into Paul's chest as he let his hand rub against her waist, "It's only a matter of time before they print my plaque though and hang it in the library though. 'Girl who lives in the library and never sleeps award.' But, I think I did pretty well on finals, so there's hope for me yet." Paul kissed her temple and she turned to give him a soft smile.
"Anyone in your cohort get pregnant yet? I hear college is a hotbed for unprotected sex and accidents," Jared took a swig of beer and Maya felt Paul's grip tighten on her. Maya laughed and shook her head.
"No way, we're all a bunch of math nerds masquerading as cool New York students. I think the sexiest conversation we had all semester was if Dr. Tobin was having an affair with his T.A. Thomas. Turns out it's just his nephew, so just good old fashioned nepotism." Maya grabbed Paul's beer and took a drink.
"Boring," Sadie sighed, "What about you Becks?! Any thrilling one night stands or secret student mafias at Northwestern?"
Maya watched as Becks shifted uncomfortably in her seat and Jacob looked down at her. He was smiling though and something prickled on the back of Maya's arm.
"Jacob's my longest running one-night stand at Northwestern, but who knows what the spring holds," she joked. "But there definitely was a surprise this semester." Her voice got a little quieter and Maya tried to lean up. Paul held onto her tightly though and she looked back at him for a second.
"Oh? Did a professor get caught with a student in the elevator?" Sadie leaned forward, her eyes glassy and hopeful.
"No, no," Becks chuckled, glancing down at her waterglass and then making eye contact with Maya. She felt Paul's grip tighten on her waist as her pulse increased. Here it comes. Maya thought. "Nothing like that."
Maya's eyes darted from Becks to Jacob, but Jacob was still staring down at Becks, the smile on his face so sweet and warm. He held Becks' hand and his thumb stroked across her wrist.
"We, uh," Becks cleared her throat and looked up at Jacob, "No, the uh biggest surprise this semester was I found out that I'm pregnant."
All of the air left Maya's lungs in one great whoosh and the shouts of laughter, surprise, congratulations that swept around the room seemed to dim as Maya watched, her lips parted in surprise, as Becks began to shake with laughter, tears of joys coming to her eyes as Sadie and Kim descended upon her in a hug and Jacob laughed loud as Seth, then Jared clapped him on the back.
"Are you serious?!" Sadie squealed. Kim's eyes were brimming with tears now as she covered her smile with both hands.
"Becks! This is incredible! I just—" Kim was cut off by a sob that broke in her throat and Becks rose to hug her properly now. "This is so wonderful." She said into Becks' shoulder.
Maya was frozen. She should get up, go to Becks, hug her, anything. But all that swirled in her head was the echoing moment: I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant.
Oh god. Paul pressed his lips to her ear and whispered, "It's okay. Take a deep breath."
Maya pushed off of Paul's lap in one hurried step and when Becks pulled away from Kim, Maya wrapped her in a tight hug.
"Oh!" Becks said startled and with a little laugh she said, "Thanks, My."
"Congratulations," Maya said in a strained voice.
"Thank you," Becks breathed a sigh of relief and when she pulled back to look at her, Maya fitted her face with a soft, encouraging smile.
"So that's why you didn't call me back," Maya choked out as a lone tear rushed down her cheek. Becks wiped it away and let out a wet laugh through her own tears.
"Yeah, well, there was a lot going on," she motioned to Jacob who was surrounded now. "He panicked when I told him and came to get me. It took everything I had to let him let me stay and finish finals before he brought me back to La Push."
Maya exhaled and nodded, her eyes glued to Becks' face. She could tell she was happy, overwhelming so, but Becks was searching for something in Maya's own face and she was afraid of what she might find there. Disappointment? Fear? Hesitance? Maya took a step back then as Jacob threaded an arm around her and planted a kiss to her forehead, still in conversation with Jared and Seth. Paul kept his face even, although he kept glancing worriedly at Maya.
She could be happy for Becks. She could wait until she was in the dark of her own bedroom to let the reality of this revelation sink in. But she wouldn't dampen anything, not here, not for Becks. So she pressed a kiss to Becks' cheek and plastered on a big wide smile and nodded. She would be happy, she had to be. For Becks. For what this moment meant to her.
"Wait, does Sam know!?" Kim interjected suddenly.
If Sam knew, then the council knew. Maya could only imagine the renewed baby fever they would impress upon all of them at the news. Maya groaned outwardly and everyone broke into laughter. So much for a relaxing holiday.