Thank you to those of you who continue leaving your thoughts on this story. I am sorry it's taking so long - and this chapter is somewhat short.
This is sort of a spacer chapter (I really should just tack it on to the end of the last one) and I'm sorry that I don't have more for you guys at the moment. I hope you all had a Happy Halloween. As always, leave your comments and critiques. They're appreciated more than you know!


(PPOV)

The screen door slammed shut as Reagan followed Jacob outside. Assuming Bella would bolt from his lap and resume packing, Paul kept a semi-tight hold on her waist.

To his surprise, she twisted in his lap to face him, buried her nose into his shoulder, and choked out a gut-wrenching sob. Bella had seemed much calmer just a moment before, and Paul was unsure what to do. He sighed as he cracked his neck anxiously and leaned back into the corner of the couch.

Bella followed suit, one knee digging into the cushion at his hip, her fingers clutching his t-shirt as her other arm clung to his waist. She gasped for air before another sob escaped her.

Paul quietly shushed her as he lifted her higher, supporting her with one hand under her ass and her leg draped over his waist. He gently pried her fingers from his shirt so he could pull the hem back down before tightening his hold around her.

"Baby, breathe," he said and rolled his eyes as she gasped for air again. Paul pressed his lips to her forehead and rubbed her back as he waited for her to calm down. His wolf paced worriedly inside of him as she clung tighter.

Hey, he told the wolf. She's alright. We're not going anywh…

Understanding hit Paul like a brick.

Shame and fear had waylaid Bella, sending her into a panic. Now as her heart thumped rapidly in her chest, she grasped onto him like a lifeline.

What can I possibly say besides driving home what was already said? Still, he had to do something.

Paul whispered, "Bella, Sweetheart, I'm not going anywhere, and neither is Jake. You're not losing anybody over this."

Bella raised her head from his rain and tear-soaked shirt, cheeks glistening in the dim, artificial votive lights. She shuddered as she choked back another sob, though she was visibly trying to calm herself. Chocolate brown eyes, bloodshot and swollen, bore into his desperately as she took slow, deep breaths.

Paul repeated, "I'm not going anywhere. What happened tonight doesn't change anything. I meant what I said."

Bella could only stare at him, absorbing his promise, and unable to speak. For a few minutes, the only sounds in the house were the rain on the roof and her sniffling.

Clearly, she didn't believe it the first time. Paul tried not to frown as he wondered if it was because of his actions, her shame, or both.

"Come here," he said, guiding her to rest her head back on his shoulder.

As she settled against him, Paul asked, "Is this one of those times that you are too anxious to speak?" Despite knowing the answer, he sighed as she nodded.

"You know, Bells? I would be a damn liar if I said I didn't worry this would happen. I had to force myself not to think about it many times." He chuckled, slowly running one hand up into her hair to absently play with the curls there. "I did think about it, though. I even told Reagan about it outside. I advised you that there are things about my past you might not like. I knew going into this what you mean to Jake. This shit isn't going to drive me off."

"I don't deserve you," she croaked out and trembled through another sharp breath.

"Why?"

"I told you. I fuck up everything." Pulling away from him, Bella abruptly moved to stand. She nearly toppled over and miraculously caught her balance with the coffee table. Her already flushed cheeks darkened with embarrassment. Shame quickly gained way to anger as she demanded, "Why aren't you pissed at me? You should be! You would have every right to be."

"Well, I have reasons to say the same thing." He frowned in consternation as she scoffed. "Remember when you said you were never mad at me for sleeping with Shari?"

"Yes," she muttered. He had to bite back a grin as the tiniest flash of jealousy traversed her face.

"It is the same thing," Paul said. "You were never mad at me over Shari. I'm not mad at you over Jake. I would even go as far as to say I won't care if it happens again. It is reasonable to assume that it could. I think I might rather not know if it happens, though."

Bella's eyes nearly bugged out of her skull, and Paul laughed as she shook her head in disbelief.

"That's how I have always felt about it, Bella."

And it was true. Paul had never felt any jealousy where Bella and Jacob were concerned. It was every other guy that chased her that Paul was jealous of. Even his wolf had long accepted that she would always partly belong to his future Alpha.

Paul had told Reagan as much in the car. She called him a fucking idiot.

Maybe I am one, he thought as he leaned forward to grab Bella's waist. Paul had gone into their situation with his eyes wide open. He had only gotten a glimpse into this beautiful woman's soul through everything that had happened since meeting her. And he had nearly lost her twice already.

Paul yanked Bella back into his lap, not caring whether or not he was an idiot. His heart (and wolf) wanted her. Bella had accepted him wholly - shit past, recent behavior, and all. Staring into her big, sad eyes, he knew he would move mountains to keep her.

Paul turned them onto their sides and played with her hair as they lay in silence. Bella fell asleep with her nose pressed to his neck, his shirt clutched back into her fist.

He did his best to keep from jostling her later as he carried her to her room. Cussing her open luggage on the bed, Paul laid her down carefully and cleared all other items away. He slid into the bed next to Bella and pulled her back into his embrace. Paul buried his nose into her strawberry-scented hair, diluting the lingering smells of sex and Jacob remaining in the room. Her knee slid between his, and still sleeping, she sighed.

Comfortable enough for the moment, he closed his eyes. Paul would stay as long as she needed.


Paul jerked awake a short time later and immediately checked to ensure he did not wake her. Bella remained sleeping, the dried tear streaks on her face still visible in the poorly-lit room. He could feel Jacob watching them from the doorway as Paul carefully crawled out from under her sprawling form and softly crossed the kitchen.

Jacob dried himself off as he walked to the front door and cleaned up the trail of water he left in reverse.

"Where is Reagan?"

Signaling that he needed a moment, Jacob sighed as he tugged on dry shorts before throwing his soaked jeans into the washing machine.

Paul focused on Bella's bedroom door, listening to the sound of her steady breathing while waiting for Jacob to take his usual place on the couch.

Jacob whispered, "She went home, needing some time. I can't blame her for that."

Time. The only thing Bella had ever asked for, and I freaked out. Jacob's handling that request better than I fucking did. Paul was surprised to realize Jacob seemed oddly optimistic for someone who had just totaled his love life.

Turning to meet Paul's gaze, Jacob said, "Thank you. You didn't have to do that for me. You didn't have to do any of it. "

"I know," Paul said softly. "How did she handle seeing old Red?"

Jacob snickered at the nickname for his wolf and said, "Rae hyperventilated a little bit, but she still handled it better than I would have ever thought. You didn't leave a damn thing out, did you?"

No, I certainly didn't. In his quest to help Reagan understand, he may have told her far too much. "Hey. I just broke every single rule the council has ever put in place. That's all."

"Revealing secrets."

"Dating another man's imprint," Paul added and sighed. Our lives are so damn weird.

"How did you get around that, anyway? The gag order?"

"Contrary to popular belief, I am not the big mouth everyone thinks. I was never Alpha ordered to keep quiet, Jake. I didn't want people to know about the wolves. Sam knew I would never tell anyone unnecessarily."

Jacob seemed almost offended by the revelation but quickly schooled his features. Sam's gag order on Jacob had been necessary. Jacob's too-soft bleeding heart was sometimes linked to an enormous mouth - one he put his foot into frequently. It made his secretive situation with Bella all-the-more unbelievable, even with Sam's help.

Jacob said, "I think I need to talk to Sue. Bella and I already think she suspects, so she is probably our best bet for advice."

Paul asked, "Advice about what?"

Jacob grimaced before admitting, "Claiming or breaking the imprint ...releasing Bella from this mess if we can."

Paul sighed and rubbed his hands through his hair in aggravation. "What will that do to both of you, though? If you break it by claiming Reagan - if she wants you to - how will it affect Bella when she already has abandonment issues?"
Lightning cracked outside and both men froze as they waited for her to stir. Jacob relaxed as her breathing remained low and even. He whispered, "I wouldn't abandon her. Things might be strained for a minute while we figure out our new normal, but I would never cut Bella out of my life, Paul. Not ever."

Paul said, "That doesn't mean it won't hurt, Jake. Besides that, claiming is …it is supposed to be similar to the imprint. You know this. That's why none of us have ever truly entertained the fucking idea. We're not even entirely sure how it works. What will you do if you claim Rae, and she demands that you stay away from Bella?"

"I know there is a risk," Jacob whispered. "Without the imprint to interfere, there should not be a reason for that. It would stop the pull, and neither of us would have to worry about being unfaithful."

Sharper than intended, Paul hissed, "What if it doesn't? What if it just leaves you tied to them both? None of the stories say anything about claiming while you already have an imprint."

Jacob said, "They also say the subject of the imprint controls the relationship, but that's not true. Bella is not in love with me, but even she can't fight the imprint all the time. Every single thing we know about imprinting is based on theories that support our histories. Look at how much concerning the wolves has been wrong already."

Sarcastically, Paul asked, "So I guess you've given up the theory that you and Bella can be platonic, huh?"

Jacob huffed and shook his head. "I hung out in the garage for a few minutes after Rae left to think about shit. After what happened right before she left, I got an idea …But this involves all of us."

"What happened right before Reagan left, Jake?" Paul leaned back to observe his pack brother.

Jacob swallowed nervously and shifted his sitting position as he turned toward Paul. "Wolf seems to get a little confused."

When he didn't continue speaking right away, Paul impatiently gestured for Jacob to go on. "What is there to be confused about? We're not wolves at the moment, dude. I can't read your mind."

Jacob huffed and said, "I'm trying to figure out how to explain it. When Rae saw my wolf, she dropped her jaw and the damn umbrella. She started to freak out, so I phased back in front of her and rushed her into the garage. I had to chase after the damn umbrella because my Dad would bitch about it. The next thing I knew, I heard this hysterical laughter. She was watching me sliding through the yard after this umbrella, damn near pissing herself. When she finally calmed down, she just grinned at me for a long time. Then Rae started asking a bunch of questions about what it was like to be a wolf. It was like she had suddenly accepted that it was real. She seemed almost excited about it. I asked her if she was creeped out by it, and she said no."

"Dude, your girlfriend is a furry," Paul teased.

"Shut up," Jacob said through his laughter. "She is still unsure of what to think about the imprint, of course. She doesn't hate us, so that was a plus. Before she left, she wanted to see the wolf again."

Paul chuckled. "I hope she sticks around, Jake. I like her. She's feisty."

"She is," he nodded. "But at that moment, when she asked to see him …it was like Wolf was appreciating her for the first time. It was like he finally saw in her what I saw."

"I get it," Paul said. "My wolf and I are on the same page where Bella is concerned. We will likely have a million fights over stupid shit and drive each other batshit crazy. But I want that if it is with her ...and my wolf does, too."

Jacob said, "It felt like my wolf has been fighting me about Reagan. But now, it feels as if maybe he might learn to love her. If that's the case, then maybe he can eventually accept my and Bells having a strictly platonic relationship again."

Paul harrumphed. That could help things tremendously. Paul was unsure that Bella moving out was not a good idea in the long run. After what transpired that evening, Bella sure thought so. "So, what was your idea?"

Jacob chuckled nervously. "What if we could each claim the girls? At the same time? You and Bells. Me and Reagan."

Paul's wolf hopped up and cheered at the idea, yet his stomach sank like lead. It was too soon for either relationship to take that turn, and he refused to get his hopes up.

"That might be something to consider one day," he answered cautiously. "But, I think it should be discussed between the four of us before you run to Sue. This is your first serious relationship, and you are talking about life, Jacob."

"I agree," Jacob said. "I guess it will depend on what everyone wants in the end. Besides, you have mentioned the idea of maybe claiming Bella one day."

"And I probably would if it was what she wanted. Later, though, after plenty of time together and standing on solid ground. We all have a lot of fucking learning to do here."

Jacob's grin was almost affectionate as he said, "You've grown up a lot over the last six months or so, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah," Paul grumbled as he waved him off.

The truth was, however, that Paul barely recognized himself lately. He had begun to change the day Bella Swan walked into his life. Paul wanted better for her - to be better for her.

Jacob said, "In the meantime, I have to convince Bells to stay put. Until this vampire situation is dealt with, at least. I'm not as worried about Cullen now. He had his chances to get to her. Maybe he truly only wants to talk to her."

Paul bit back a growl at the thought of Bella being near a leech - Especially Edward Cullen.

Jacob continued, "We don't know who this other vampire is, though. Forks is too far away to get to her if a vamp shows up, and we don't have the kind of schedules that allow for constant patrolling by anyone but Seth. Everyone else has jobs. Besides, we learned that lesson years ago when Laurent almost fucking ate her. She's safer here."

Paul said, "She can always stay at my place. I have a spare room if Bella would prefer. I would be more than happy to adhere to whatever she needs for the time being."

Jacob smirked at Paul curiously but remained silent.

Paul continued, "I want whatever she thinks is best for herself right now. My lawn care schedule is about to nosedive with the colder weather, so I can guard her plenty if she wants me to."

Jacob said, "I will let you make those suggestions. I don't want it to seem like I am trying to cling to or push her away. I will support whatever she decides in the end, but I don't want her to go. I like having her here. After everything that just happened …I think things will be easier. Better."

"I hope you are right." Paul leaned forward and looked toward the bedroom as Bella shifted around restlessly.

Jacob nodded toward her room and said, "Go back to bed if you want. She will wake up soon if you don't."

Paul stood up and gave Jacob an affectionate pat on the shoulder before heading back to Bella.

She smiled contentedly in her sleep and happily murmured his name as he wrapped his arms around her. Paul could not help but think about the future they might have without the imprint trying her down.

For the sake of her freedom, more than anything, Paul hoped Jacob was right.