Leah POV
I felt heavy from breakfast, or rather the breakfast conversation, but I still slipped on my running gear and ran over to the clearing. As I jogged out of the house I could still feel Akeala brooding in my old bedroom. So much teenage angst.
I couldn't have been this moody? Could I have been?
Usually running helped me slide out of whatever melodramatic episode I was facing, but I was still riddled with anxiety as I moved through the res and into the forest. I couldn't shake the image of my daughter's angry face, crinkled and accusatory. Furthermore, Omar preferred to spend all his time with my brother. I was really winning at this mom thing.
Still, I felt pressure to help a teenage girl that wasn't my daughter and who I hardly knew: Ava. She and I were now bonded by experience, one I already had and tried to put to bed, but it still awaited her. No one helped me as the lone pack female, but I could help her, so I would.
As Paul requested, I reached the clearing early only to be greeted by the shimmering morning haze. As I moved toward the center of the field I spotted him coming out of the trees in wolf form. It had been so long since I'd seen his wolf. He was leaner than I remembered, but more massive too. His silver fur was so majestic in the fog as he lightly pawed over to me.
"Your wolf is beautiful," I said in amazement, almost as if I'd never seen him in this state, but that certainly wasn't true. Memories of running together in the forest, our paws pounding the earth below us, flooded back to my memory. Maybe I just never really looked before.
His wolf eyes stared at me and then he went behind a tree to phase. He sauntered out in just a pair of heathered sweatpants, with lust in his eyes.
Paul seemingly stalked over to me, even though he was in human form I sensed his wolf. His body glistened as he wrapped his broad arms around me, his wide hand pulling me in for a deep and sensual kiss. His lips felt swollen pressed upon mine, and his hands cradled me with such force, I was putty in his hand.
"Last night was amazing," he said in a low voice, maybe a half inch away from my lips. My eyes were closed, but I opened them just for a second to see the stubble on his face before he resumed the deep kiss. I indulged for another minute before breaking away.
"You... said… Strictly business," I panted in his ear, pulling away. My eyes were closed again. I needed less stimulation to get the actual words out. Despite the previous night, I still couldn't believe I was so hot for Paul, of all fucking people. I took a step back to see a huge tent in his pants. I smirked at the affirmation that he was hot for me too.
He placed his hands on his hips. It looked like he was entertaining the idea of saying something flirty or suggestive, but he let it pass. He knew that if he really wanted us to work together to train Ava, he'd have to separate the hanky panky from the work stuff.
He took a deep, almost meditative, breath.
"Okay, okay. We'll get into business stuff, but first agree to dinner tonight with me," he said authoritatively like I was one of us subordinates.
I looked at him seriously annoyed. "It's not just me here, Paul. I mean I came here for my mom, I also have a lot of work to do and," I paused, trying to frame my worried thoughts. He looked almost, what was that…? Crestfallen? It tugged at my heartstrings a bit, so I recalibrated my message.
"Paul, I really enjoyed last night, and that kiss… and I am very tempted to go out again, but …Akeala is going through something… she had a bad breakup in Chicago. I think something may have happened with her and Jared's son… the younger one…and she just needs her mom right now. Me. I need to be present with her."
He looked at me, eyes ruminating, hands still on hips, delicious chest and arms still exposed.
"Okay. Tomorrow then," he said flatly.
"Paul…" It came out as if I were his mother and he was being naughty. He smirked, but just a little. I could tell he wanted to move in closer, but he was respecting my strictly business boundary.
He huffed out a bunch of air. " Okay, how about Thursday? That's three nights in a row to tend to Sue, be a boss babe and be Joan Cleaver for Akeala. We good, babe?"
I rolled my eyes at his patronizing assessment of my tasks. I should have been so aggrieved at his arrogance and declined. But I wanted to see him again. Last night made me feel alive. I gave one firm nod, issuing that yes - we will have a repeat.
"So, what's the business? What did you want to talk about before Ava arrived?"
Now his eyes were locked on mine, his mind toiling with something. I gave him a wave to break the trance.
"I think you should go wolf." He said it like he was asking me to pass the mayonnaise.
"What?!" It was as if a thunderbolt had just cracked down mere feet from me.
Paul stood there still, cool as cucumber.
"I think it would be better if you could communicate with her over the mind link and also when we fold her in with the rest of the guys. It doesn't have to be forever obviously. I am not asking you to rejoin the pack permanently. Just come out of retirement for a couple days. Think of it as a victory lap.
Could I do it? Did I want to do it?
I don't know what I expected, but not this.
A/N: Should she do it? What will it mean for Akeala, Ava and Omar?
