Chapter 11: Patrol Duty

Patrol duty today, he normally wouldn't mind but this was one of the few days that he was on the morning shift. He didn't like doing the morning shift because Daiane worked at the same time, he couldn't go and protect her at work. They alternated shift so none of them were on the same shift all the time and got complacent, but he usually tried to switch with someone so he could watch over Daiane at work.

Now that he knows Daiane was a shifter too, it made him feel a little better about leaving her, but he still liked being there for her if she needed him. He had to work too and the work that still needed to be done on his house was being put on the back burner a little too much for his liking. He wanted to finish it so he could ask her to leave Charlie's house and come to his.

He ran up a hill to a clearing that overlook a large area, with large evergreens and bare trees that are just starting to regain their leaves from winter, he scans the trees and forest below. Seeing nothing he moves on, to the next point on his route. They ran in a circular pattern around their land and Forks, maybe more oval. Two wolves run clockwise as one ran counterclockwise if there were three groups like today, if not then both wolve ran clockwise. They had spots that they stopped at, like the clearing he just left, and thankfully one of the council members had a house on the route so they could stop and get some food or a quick drink while on patrol. Sam ran a strict patrol, now that there was an active vampire around, so they only got a 30-minute break in the middle of their shift to rest and eat a large meal at the council member's house.

'Hey Paul,' Quil asks in his head. He was on the other side of their land with Embry; Quil was still training, and he was assigned to shadow Embry today. He would be shadowing him tomorrow, luck him. 'Can I ask you a question about your Imprint?'

'No,' Paul returns. If Embry put him up to this, he was probably going to make fun of him and his imprint in some way. He knew Embry never meant it in a mean way but sometimes he could take teasing a little too far.

'Paul, I just want to know why she's so skittish around Sam,' Quil asks, whining a little. 'I noticed it earlier, at the barbeque and the picnic, although Sam you were a little mean there. Sam isn't mean normally. So why is she so upset around him?'

Paul didn't answer and he wasn't going to, his imprint's uncertainties were his to protect and he wasn't going to let Quil or anyone else speculate on her. But Sam's voice chimes in, the deep Alpha voice says, 'I would like to know that too.' It wasn't a command just a question, but as alpha his voice was always heard louder than the rest.

Paul stops in his route, looking down at the ground, he didn't want to answer. But he felt the urge all the same. They all felt the need to answer him when he asked a question, but they knew he didn't want to force them too, it was just a wolf thing. He sits down and breathing hard for a minute, deciding how to handle this.

'You do not have to answer, Paul,' Sam says, kindly, releasing his wolf from the urge to answer. 'I only wish to understand. What she did for Emily was amazing and I just wish I understood why she is so … uneasy around me.'

'It's because you're an alpha,' Paul nearly shouts in the pack mind.

He can feel Sam's wolf stopping short as he says, 'So Triago hurt her that bad?'

'Yes,' he wasn't saying anymore as he gets up and continues his pace. They are silent for a time only saying a quick 'clear' when they reach a checkpoint. He thinks of his imprints fears and pain when Sam came charging over to them at the picnic. Sam was overprotective of Emily as his imprint but they all understood why. Paul was a little overprotective of Daiane too, that's why he tried so hard to outran Sam. Sam may not have intended to upset anyone, he was just his usual overbearing self when it came to Emily. Sam sees red anytime Emily cries, but Paul saw red anytime Daiane eyes widened with fear, so he couldn't judge Sam to harshly. But that didn't mean he like he way Sam treated her.

He still hated the way Sam seemed to be so accusatory to Daiane. He sees Sam runs up to him in the opposite direction, Sam was on counterclockwise duty while Embry, Quil and he were on clockwise. He stops making Sam stop too, he doesn't say anything in the pack mind just tilts his head to the side and walk behind a tree. He wanted to talk to Sam without the others hearing.

"What is it, Paul?" Sam says after phasing back to human form and putting his pants on. "I don't want to leave Embry and Quil out there alone."

Paul had something to say and he was mad after thinking about his imprint's frightened face at the picnic, and Sam had caused that fear. Paul walks out from behind the tree and shoves at Sam's chest saying, "What is your problem with my imprint?"

Sam steps back, his eyes darkening with angry and annoyance at being challenged. "I don't have a problem," he says stepping back into Paul's personal space and towering over him. He wasn't backing down on this though, his imprint was too important. They stare each other down; Sam was taller than him, but he wasn't going to let that be an issue.

"You acted like you were going to run her out at the barbeque when we saw her change. And at the picnic, she fucking healed Emily and you still act like she was an outsider," Paul says shoving at him again. "She's a shifter like us. You are pissing me off; she's my imprint, someone sacred to our people. How would you like it if I started fucking around with Emily and making her upset on purpose?"

"I'm not trying to upset her," Sam growls back, starting to lose his temper.

"The fuck you're not," Paul yells, punching Sam in the face. He was not going to let Sam treat his Imprint like she wasn't a part of their pack. She may not be able to be in the pack the way they were, but she was an imprint and like the other imprints she was a member, honorary member.

Sam throws a hard punch in his face, knocking him back but he rams Sam in the middle and wrestles with him on the forest floor, get dirt on their faces and bodies as they fight each other furiously. Sam kicks him into the bottom of a tree, his back aches from the blow but he gets up and starts punching Sam again and yells, "You've treated her differently from the beginning."

Sam blocks his fists and hits him back as he yells, "She's an outsider." So, what if all the other imprints were Quileute. Kim was a member of the tribe and had live here all her life. Emily moved back after collage, she was Quileute and Hoh, another tribe in the area. And of course, little Claire was Quileute on her mother's side and a mix of tribe on her father's side. So, what if Daiane wasn't Quileute.

"THAT SHOULDN'T MATTER," he screams and goes berserk on Sam, throwing fists and kicks in all directions. Sam defends himself well against Paul's assault but they are both bleeding and out of breath by the end. Paul stands to the side holding his knees to keep himself upright and Sam holds a tree to stay standing. "You—treated her—different from the—first," Paul says out of breath. "Fucking—Bella—got to know before MY imprint." He hits him chest to bring the point across. How was that fine, that Jake got to let Bella in on their secret but for weeks his imprint was kept in the dark.

"And who fucking fault is that," Sam yells at him. Paul's head jerks up to Sam, madness in his eyes. Yes, he lost control and nearly attacked Bella, letting the wolf out of the bag as Embry put it. Sam stands up straighter and glares at him, blood on his lip but he was healing quickly. "As for upsetting her. I can't help what I am, I'm an Alpha. If that upsets her, I can't change that."

He knew that but he still hated it and wanted to tear into Sam for it. Sam looks away, uncertainty in his eyes as he says, "Paul, I may have not handled things perfectly, and she not the only one, Clair—"

"FUCK NO, Claire has seen Quil change into a wolf. She may be too young to fully understand but—DON'T YOU FUCKIN' SAY SHE DOESN'T KNOW." Sam's lips thin, he was holding on to his control by a tread. But Paul didn't care this needed to stop.

They glare at each other in silent defiance of each other. "Paul, I accept your imprint. I will admit that I am wary of this pack she comes from and I don't like the unknown qualities about her. But she is your imprint and she will not come to harm by anyone in this pack, including me."

Paul nods his understanding and Sam jerkily points his finger to the right and says stiffly, "Patrol."

They phase back and instantly hears Embry's panicky voice says, 'Guys something is running in the trees. Guys—Paul—Sam!'

'Where are they—Holy fuck did you see that?' Quil says, out of breath.

Sam's black wolf turns its large head to Paul and growls, 'Never do that again on patrol!'

Paul feels a bit bad but how was he to know something would happen in the middle of the day. And why didn't Embry and Quil howl in warning. If there was a time to cry wolf, now was it.

'What's going on,' Sam says as he bolts off in their general direction, Paul right behind him.

'Something's in the trees, moving fast,' Embry says.

'Like super-fast, I can hardly keep up with it," Quil says.

'Where are you,' Sam asks.

'Over by Forks,' Embry says, showing them a picture of where they were, 'Heading Southwest towards Oil City."

Sam and Paul turn in that direction if they were right, they should run right into them and attack whatever this was from both sides. They weave through the trees as they race to get to Embry and Quil, they weren't in trouble yet but they could be at any moment. They push themselves faster and faster to get to the others.

'Hey I think it's two somethings,' Quil says.

'Yeah, I think you're right,' Embry says in disbelief. 'I've never seen something move that fast in the tree.'

'Vampire,' Quil asks.

'It smells nasty enough,' Embry confirms, Sam and Paul speed up.

Suddenly over to their right a man falls from the trees to the ground. He is a middle age man, maybe late 30s early 40s, with short brown hair and ivory skin that shimmered a little in the sunlight. He wore a hoodie and jeans, he looked around scared and confused as he gets up to quickly for a human, vampire speed. Sam and Paul growl and move towards him. The man's eyes jerk to them, eyes wide and afraid of the oversized wolve heading his way.

Before they could do more than growl and step forward to attack the vampire, a large black jaguar fell from the trees. Its mouth open, aim true as its powerful jaws clamped down on the vampire's face and head. The vampire's head shattered in the jaguar's mouth, pieces falling from its teeth.

'Daiane,' his mind shouts. She single-mindedly starts attacking the vampire with no face, ripping it to pieces with her power jaws.

Paul barks as Quil and Embry break through the trees, breaking her concentration as she looks up for the first time. She lowers her head submissively to them and back away. The vampire's body is partially crashed, its head, shoulder and arm shattered, stone pieces marbled in colors of flesh, reds and peaches, no blood.

'What in the Jumanji is going on here,' Embry says. 'That was her the whole time?'

'Can we do that stuff too,' Quil asks.

Sam steps forward and Daiane bows and makes some meows and clicking sounds, her tail swishing back and forth nervously.

'Stop it, Sam,' Paul snaps, stepping in front of Sam, between Daiane and the others.

'I'm not doing anything,' Sam says, 'Like I said Paul, I can't help what I am.' He knew this but he didn't like watching Daiane act so submissive in front of Sam.

He turns to her and barks softly to her, looking into her eyes trying to convey that she wasn't in any danger here, that there was no reason for her to act this way. She gets up and stares at them, her eyes watching their body language.

'She killed on our land,' Sam says matter of fact.

'Yeah, so what,' he returns, 'It's a vampire.'

'Man, you should have seen her in the trees Sam,' Embry says, impressed, 'Like a franken rocket.'

'I'm not upset, Paul,' Sam says, ignoring Embry. 'I'm a little annoyed that we didn't get it first. We need to increase our patrols.'

They phase back behind the trees and light the bloodsucker body on fire, destroying it. He looks at Daiane wondering why her stayed in animal form, then it hits him. She must have phase quickly after work, scenting the vampire on her walk home. She didn't have any clothes. He takes off his shirt and puts it on the jaguars back, she moves behind a tree and after a moment walks out in nothing but his oversized shirt. Damn he wanted to see her in his clothes more often.

"I'm sorry about hunting on your land," she says.

"No, it's fine," Sam says quickly. "I said you were welcome, and you are." Sam meets his eyes quickly, silently telling him that this was his apology, Paul nods his head in understanding back.

"I scented him on the way home," she says, confirming his suspicions. "He was too close to town. And he is a young one, he would not have been able to control himself around so many humans, at his age."

He didn't understand what she was talking about but killing any vampire near humans was a good thing in his book. Any vampire that came into this general area was fair game in his eyes.

"Can you teach me how you ran through the trees?" Embry says, excitedly. Quil look equally as enthusiastic at the idea.

"Aaaa, I am not sure," she says, uncertain. "Jaguars are known for climbing. Honestly, I don't think wolf can climb a tree if they wanted too."

"No way," Embry says, "So unfair." He looks so disheartened, his shoulders droop and his eyebrows coming together in annoyance.

"I would think that there are things you can do that I can't as while," she says, trying to cheer him up. "Wolve are the best endurance runners. I can only run about 5 miles and then I'm done for a while."

"How is that as cool as tree hopping," Quil says.

"Well, vampires don't get tried. So, if I was chasing a vampire. I would have to stop a lot sooner than you would," she replies. "Don't discount the things that you can do as useless."

"She right, now come on, patrol's not over." Sam says as the flame from the vampire dies down.

"I'll take Daiane back to town and meet back up with you," Paul says. He turns to Daiane putting him hand on the small of her back, guiding her away from the others. They walk into the woods and find a place to phase. Daiane being his shirt back to him in her mouth.

They don't run back to town, Daiane looks a little tired of running after races after a vampire. She trots next to him on the path. Maybe she was right about jaguars not being the best runner. He could go for hours, never slowing or getting to tried. And he supposed that her legs were shorter than his, stockier too.

He turns them towards the west towards the council members home, she looks tired and weary. Maybe she needed to eat something after all that running and chasing. He sends a quick shout to the other saying he was taking Daiane to the house for food, Sam grunts in agreement. Sam was being very understand with him after their fight, and he felt bad about accusing him of treating Daiane badly. Sam was right he couldn't help what he was. He knew he would never hurt Daiane, Imprint could never be hurt by the pack, it was their most sacred law. But that didn't change his feeling about Daiane's fears.

Daiane looks at him, confused. He gives her his best wolf grin, showing his teeth and barking lightly. When she just stares at him, he pushes at her side in the direction of the council member's house. She walks alongside him but is still a little uneasy as she looks around and sniffs at the underbrush. They reach Tom Strongblood's house and Paul phases and walks over to Daiane saying, "Wait here for a minute." He walks up to the house, as Tom opens to door looking like he is taking out the garbage. He is surprise to see him, it was early for the morning shift to start arriving for their breaks.

"Hey, Tom," Paul says with a wave. The older man smiles and walk right up to him with a hug. Tom is a man in his mid-60s with short salt and pepper hair and a mustache. His skin is a deep copper from years in the sun and hard work, lines mar his face, but he has a welcoming and approachable attitude.

"What are you doing here, kwoli," Tom says slapping him of the back as he breaks the hug. "I wasn't expecting any of you for at least another hour."

"I know, we had an unexpected problem on our land," Paul says and motions to the tree line where a jaguar's eyes looked out at them. "And I have a very tired friend with me."

Tom's eyes widen in surprise. "So, it true?" He looks in wonder at the green eyes watching them near the trees. Tom wasn't at the barbeque that revealed her for what she was, and had never seen her in this form or met her. Paul beckons with his hand for her to come forward. He was pride of his imprint, and maybe it was wrong but he wanted to show off just how incredible and beautiful she was. The large jaguar step forward and into Tom's view, she bows her head.

"She needs some clothes," he says. Tom stares at the beautiful jaguar for a moment, a bit awestruck, but he nods and goes into the house, looking back as the jaguar by his side at the door. She looks at him, questions in her eyes so he says, "This is Tom's house, he is a bit of a caretaker of the pack and we stop here for breaks and food… I'll introduce you properly after you shift."

Tom returns with some of Leah's clothes and gives them to Daiane who gently takes them with her teeth and turns to phase behind the trees. "She is beautiful, KwashKwash," Tom says, using his nickname from childhood meaning blue jay. He always said that he was like an angry jay bird that attacking him once, driving at him and hurling its self at him nearly hurting itself just to get at him. Tom said he most have gotten to close to the bird's nest or something because it was the most furious little thing he had ever encounter. Paul was small as a child when he first came to the reservation and untrusting of the people here. He would lash out at anyone who wasn't him father that came near him, hating them for not letting his mother come. But that wasn't true, he child's mind didn't want to accept that his mother didn't want him anymore.

Daiane came out of the woods in Leah's tank top and shorts. She bows to Tom and says, "Sorry if we are intruding?" She seems uncertain and looks to him for guidance, he smirks at her and tells her with his eyes that everything is ok, then quickly introduces Tom to Daiane and vise versa.

Tom leads them into his house saying that he didn't have all the food ready yet. But he did have some sandwiches ready, because Embry aways wanted to take some food with him after his break. This didn't surprise him; he was just a like annoyed that Tom didn't give him any and says so. Tom laugh and says he will start making some togo bags for them.

After Tom puts some food in front of them, he sits and asks, "So what was the trouble you were talking about," he waves at Daiane with a sandwich halfway to her mouth. "She doesn't look like much trouble."

"A vampire traveled to close to Forks," Paul says.

"Oh," Tom asks looking at Paul now, "Did you boy get it?"

"No, Daiane did," he says pride in his voice, he sees Daiane's blush and continues, "Came right down on it from above." He smacks his hand together.

"You did," Tom says, "I was curious when Sam said there were other spirit warriors out there. So, you're a cat."

"Jaguar," Daiane corrects, "We don't like being called cats."

"Sorry," Tom says, understanding, "I would think that we don't like being called dogs either."

"Are you a wolf," Daiane asks. She looks up, excited.

"No," Tom says, "That's for the young. But I wish I was"

"Oh," she replies, looking back at her sandwich thoughtfully.

The conversation goes to how Daiane killed the vampire, Paul loved talking about it too. Daiane was amazing and could take down a vampire all by herself and he couldn't be prouder to have her as his imprint, no other wolf had ever imprinted on such a strong shifter in the history of the pack. Daiane was hands down the best imprint in the pack and he was going to make sure the elders knew it. Daiane doesn't add too much to what he says about her, just sits there blushing and looking a little timid.

After a few minutes she touches his hand and says, "Paul, I did what any shifter would do. It is nothing to get so excited about." Was she kidding?

Tom laughs and tells her, "I think he would act like this even if you missed the vampire and fell flat on your face."

Daiane looks doubtful and says, "It not like this is the first time I've taken down a vampire."

He supposed that he was going a little overboard, but he was just so happy with the strength and power his imprint showed as she fell on the vampire like vengeance from above. Tom just smiles at them listening and welcoming Paul's adoration of his imprint.

"It's not a big deal," she says. "Faron would have gotten him way sooner than I did."

"Who's Faron?" Tom had to ask and Daiane goes into how he was the best shifter in the Amazon. How he could take down a vampire even in human form. She practically gushed about this guy like he was her idol. He couldn't explain why but the more she talked about him the angrier he got, shaking slightly and staring at his sandwich with animosity.

"So, you can climb into the tree and just fall on them," Tom asks.

"We call it Tiggering," she answers. "That's what the young shifters call it." She laughs and continues, "We use to have a competition every Tuesday, Tigger Tuesdays, we would see who could Tigger the others. You had to watch the tree all the time, you never knew if there was a jaguar up there waiting for you."

Tom laughs, and Paul couldn't help his smile at the idea of a bunch of shifters play such a game. "So, you guys play game too?"

"What games do wolves play?" She asks him.

"We play some hide and seek games, to home our tracking skills and sometimes games of chase. And we all cliff dive a lot," he answers, liking the change in subject away from this Faron guy. "But I wouldn't think a cat would like that," he jokes, smiling at her.

"What are you thinking about; jaguars are great swimmers," she says with false outrage.

"Maybe you should come with us sometime," he offers.

"Maybe I will and show you wolves how it's done," she smirks.

"Does your alpha play with you," Tom asks, offhandedly.

He was afraid that Daiane would clam up at the mention of an alpha, but she surprised him by saying, "Well my grandmother would have our ass if we tiggered her and no one could get Faron unaware either."

That last part annoyed him, back to fuckin' Faron. Did he protect her from the alpha who attacked her? No, he didn't and the way she talked about him like he was God's gift to shifters was pissing him off. He would go up against his own alpha to protect her and did. And this asshole, Faron, wouldn't lift a finger to help her.

He stands up abruptly and tells Tom that he needed to get back. Thankfully they had finished eating so he didn't feel too bad as Tom looks at them over his mug with a knowing look, silently telling him that he knew how jealous he was right now. Hell, yeah, he was jealous, his imprint should want him not some other shifter who didn't even protect her when she needed him. Daiane looks up at him, uncertainty on her face, but she gets up and bows to Tom, saying their goodbyes. He was still annoyed but he couldn't help being proud that his imprint was so respectful to a council member.

They leave heading into the woods towards Forks. Once they reach Charlie's house, she phases back. She had taken Leah's clothes with her, so she didn't have to try and get into the home with any clothes on.

She turns to him still unsure why he was so upset, "Ummm I'll bring these back to Leah tomorrow, okey. Will you tell her?" He didn't like upsetting her like this. He chastises himself in his head, he was sure the others could hear him, but they said nothing. He nods to her letting her know that he would. Her hand hesitantly touches his fur in a soft pet as she says, "I'll see you around."

She runs off and into Charlie's house, at this rate she was never going to move in with him and he was going to be in the friend zone for the rest of his life.