Chapter 20

Paul gasped as he bolted up from his seat, sending the chair clattering to the floor. He leaned against the table, hands gripping the edges and gasping for air. Paul felt like a fish on dry land, gulping for air. It felt like the tight rubber band around his chest had snapped, allowing him to take proper lungfuls of air, and with every deep breath, he felt the pain in his chest vanish among the weakness that had been bothering him for weeks.

"What the fuck, Paul?" Sam asked, getting up from his seat as well. They'd been having coffee and talked about tonight's meeting with the leech fuckers.

He shook his head as his mind was getting clearer as well. It wasn't foggy anymore. Fuck he hadn't even realized how out of it he'd been.

Indeed, what the fuck was going on?!

Damn. Paul could breathe; he felt stronger by the second. He felt... good. Something he hadn't felt for a long time. Was the imprint broken? A smile spread onto his face. Fucking DAMN! It must be! But how?

"Hey man, you are fucking scaring me. What's going on?" Sam demanded to know.

"Fuck that I know, but I'm feeling fuck loads better as if the imprint pull had stopped. I don't feel shit, and I don't feel that bitch's claws on me anymore," Paul said, looking at Sam, who now looked shocked.

"Are you sure?" Sam asked.

"I know what I feel."

Bella.

Paul got a terrible feeling that something was wrong with Bella. It was a terrible contrast to his ecstatic feeling of not being suffocated anymore.

He grabbed his phone and called her. She didn't answer.

All this shit had something to do with Rachel. Their bond had gone. It was FUKCING GONE!

"Where is the place Rachel works at?"

"I don't know, somewhere in Forks. Why?"

"Bella has my truck. Can I borrow yours? I need to go and check on Rachel. I think that the imprint broke. But I feel there is something really wrong with Bella. Like Rachel has done something to her."

Fucking shit, this wasn't happening. Paul's wolf was clawing under the surface.

Not dead! Not dead! Cannot be dead! The beast was chanting.

Paul started to freak out. "I need to go! NOW!"

"I'm coming with you. Let's go!" Sam said, throwing the car keys to him.

They ran to his truck and headed towards Forks.

"I feel that the imprint bond is broken. I can breathe, don't feel shit anymore, and literally feel my body strength rushing back. I can think clearly. It can't be anything else. But how the fuck did it happen?"

"I don't understand this any more than you do," Sam answered, "But it's a fucking relief."

Paul didn't say anything. He was losing his shit worrying about Bella. Things weren't okay with her; he and his wolf felt it in their bones.

"Google the salon. Rachel talked about her work at the diner yesterday. It was called Touch and some shit."

Sam took his phone. "Touch of Elegance? It's on 790 South Forks Avenue."

They arrived at Forks in record time and found the salon quickly.

Paul saw his truck parked in front of the building. Fuck she'd come here. Damn Bella, what have you done!?

As soon as they got out of the truck, they smelled it: leech, no three leeches.

"Leeches." Sam smelled them too.

The smell was faint since the rain washed the traces away, but they were there. One was the blondie, and another was the smell Bella had on her the day Paul phased in front of her: the fucking stalker, but he didn't recognize the third one. And there was Bella's scent and something close to her, Benjamin. Why could he smell Benjamin?

They rushed inside the salon. Bella's scent hit him like a sledgehammer, mixed with fear and tears and... death? Paul's wolf was tearing up to get out. He had to use all his willpower; he had to keep it in. The sickening stench of leeches was everywhere. They found Rachel crying on the floor.

"What the fuck happened here? Where is Bella?!" Paul shouted.

Rachel lifted her head, and when she saw them, she got up and rushed at him and clung to him. Paul peeled her arms off him. Bella's scent was all over her.

"What the fuck have you done?"

"Please, Paul, tell me it didn't break. I love you I only want you. Please don't break the imprint."

"What happened?" Paul repeated the question. "What have you done to Bella?!"

"Leeches has that bitch now. They took her. You can't have her anymore, she's gone. You don't need her. You can have me now, please take me," the bitch sobbed.

Paul felt sick, and he pushed her away when she tried to grab his arm.

Paul grabbed his phone and called the blonde leech. The phone was switched off. "Fuck!" He scrolled his phone to find the blonde's mate's number.

"The bitch came here and started to blame me that you were sick and that I had to let you go. But I can't do that; you are mine. I realized you didn't want me as long she was alive. I did it for us, Paul for us..."

"You did WHAT? Did you hurt Bella?!" Paul shouted and yanked her against the wall, squeezing her neck. Now that the imprint bond was gone, the wolf wanted the bitch dead as the man did.

"Paul! Let go of her! You don't want to end up being a murderer!" Sam shouted and grabbed him, pulling him away from the bitch.

Rachel was gasping for air. He let her go as much as he wanted to kill the cunt. His priority was to find Bella. And the knowledge that they were finally free of this bitch kept him from breaking her neck. The wolf agreed. They needed to find their mate.

"Where is she now!?" Paul shouted at her.

"The leeches..."

Paul found Emmett's number and called Emmett as he left the salon. Sam followed him.

"Paul, don't go! She's dead, take me!" the bitch sobbed behind them. She was the most fucked up skunk he'd ever met.

"What's up, dog?" Emmett answered.

"What you know about Bella, Rose, and that fucker brother of yours?"

"Huh? I don't. I was hunting with Jasper, and when I came back, Rose wasn't here. Has something happened?"

"She's been in Forks, and we know that she's left with Bella, Bella's little brother, and that stalker fucker and another one whose smell I don't recognize. Do you have any idea what that means?"

Paul and Sam walked to the truck and hopped in. Sam was driving; now they just needed to know where the hell to.

The giant was silent for a moment. Paul was getting fucking frustrated, and the wolf was clawing and roaring inside of him. They needed to do something, anything that would help them get their mate back.

"I think it means that Edward has taken Bella's brother as a hostage so that Rosalie has to give up protecting Bella. I think it was Alice who was with them. Hey, wait, I hear something. I think it's Rose."

Paul heard muffled sounds from the phone and then the blonde's voice.

"Paul, Edward has Bella and her brother. He said he would leave Benjamin at the gas station before the turn to Port Angeles. Edward broke my and my sister's phones so that I couldn't reach you. If we had followed them, he would have killed the boy. I'm so sorry, but I didn't see that coming. I didn't think he could use a defenseless little boy to get Bella," Rose told him.

"Oh fuck, Ben has a heart condition. He might die of something like this. Damn! Is Bella okay?"

"She is now. I had to do CPR to her, that native bitch had strangled her, and she wasn't breathing when we got there."

"WHAT?!" Paul could not believe his ears. The fucking bitch had actually killed Bella. Only the need to find Bella stopped him from running back to the saloon to end what he'd started earlier.

"Yeah, she wasn't breathing, but it had been only a few moments, so I got her back in time without any big damage. I hope so, at least. She had dark bruises on her neck, and she couldn't talk properly, but she said she felt okay. She was so worried about her brother. She tried to get Edward to leave Ben with us, but he refused. I tried to make him see reason, that Bella might need a doctor and Carlisle could check her, but no use; he wasn't ready to give up whatever his plans are."

"Fuck!" Paul shouted. Sam heard all of it and got a murderous look on his face. He turned the truck to the road leading towards Port Angeles.

They needed to get Ben. The little man was probably scared shitles. He really hoped he was okay. Bella would die if something happened to him.

"We're getting Ben. Do you have any idea where the fucker is taking Bella?" Paul asked.

"No, unfortunately, no. My sister Alice can see the future, and she is trying to figure out Edward's plans and where he is taking Bella. But for some reason, she can't see his plans. He hadn't made his mind yet, or he's getting good shielding his intentions."

"Can see the future?" What weird shit was that.

"Yes, it's Alice's gift, and it's thanks to her that Bella is still alive. She saw Bella leaving the rez and what happened with that bitch. It's my fault that Bella almost died. If I'd stayed in Forks, I could have gotten there earlier. We were hunting at the Mt Rainier, so it took some time before we got there, it was damn close, but we got there in time. And it was just after I got Bella back when Edward called telling us he had Benjamin. We didn't have a choice."

Paul listened in horror, squeezing his eyes close. Bella would be dead if not for the leeches. She had, in fact, been dead. His wolf had sensed she'd been dead.

"I..." his voice cracked, "Thank you for saving her life. We just need to find her."

"Of course. I'm so relieved we got there in time. We'll let you know as soon as we know where Edward is taking Bella. Alice is very good, but this time Edward has been very secretive. But sooner or later, Alice will see it, and we'll let you know."

"Okay. I owe you Bella's life."

Paul ended the call and sighed. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Bella had died... how the fuck Paul hadn't realized she would try to do something like this. If his head had been on the game, maybe he would have. He should have.

"What do you think broke the imprint? Was it because she..." He'd shuddered, thinking how scared Bella must have been; she was strangled, for fuck's sake. "...she killed Bella?" Paul asked.

"It's the only explanation I can think of. The old stories don't tell anything about imprint bond breaking because of something that an imprint has done, but the legend says that an imprint must be worthy of a spirit warrior. Trying to kill another person without any reason and almost succeeding doesn't qualify as worthy."

"You are right. It must be it. And I'm fucking happy that I'm free of her, but Jesus, it almost cost Bella's life. How can I be happy about something that almost took Bella away? Can you imagine how much it must have hurt her? How fucking scared she must've been?"

"I know, man, that is fucked up."

It took them 40 minutes to reach the gas station. Paul hopped out of the truck before Sam stopped it and went to look for Ben. He followed his scent, and it led him behind the gas station. There he was, sitting on a fallen tree log, crying.

"Ben!" Paul shouted and went to get the boy. He grabbed him in his arms and hugged him tightly against his chest.

"Shh, Ben. You are safe now," he cooed. The boy was shivering; he was cold.

"Pal! Evil man has Bell. He took Bell!"

"Yes, I know. Are you okay, little man?"

Ben nodded and sniffed.

"You will save Bell?"

"Yes, I will save Bell. Did you hear anything that might help? Did the evil man say where he is taking Bell?"

"Evil man said he was going to make Bell happy. But she's happy."

"Yes. Did the evil man say anything else?"

Ben shook his head and pressed his head against Paul's chest. He was exhausted.

Paul was desperate. What should they do? They needed to get Ben back home, but driving back to Forks felt wrong, knowing Bella was going in another direction. But they didn't have a fucking clue where they might be heading at. Sam tried to find which way they left, but after the fucker had gone back to the car, the smell track ended.

They didn't have any other choice but to drive back to Forks. And Ben needed to get back home. Paul was worried about his heart; he needed to see a doctor.

As soon as they started driving towards Forks, Ben fell asleep on his lap. Paul brushed his hair. What should he tell Renée? Ben would be able to say something, but he didn't know what that fucker was, did he?

They got back to Forks, and as soon as their car stopped in front of the house, the door opened, and Bella's mother ran out.

"Ben! Oh, God, Ben! I was so worried. Where did you disappear?" Renée hugged Ben and made an inventory of him, ensuring he was okay.

"Hi, Renée. I don't have time to stay, but we'll tell you as soon as we know something. Bella is missing, and we need to find her. The same man who took Ben has Bella. Ben is safe now, but it might be a good idea to take him to a hospital if the scare was too much, you know, for his heart."

"Oh Paul, what happened? Who has Bella?"

"Sorry, Renée, I don't know much about what happened, but I promise you, we'll get her back. We have to go. I'll call you as soon as I know something."

Paul ran back to the truck, and just as he slammed the door closed, his phone rang. It was the blonde.

"We know where he's taking her."

AN:

So, Paul is finally free. YAY! Let me know what you think. Will they find Bella in time?

Thank you so much for the comments, favs, and follows, my dear readers. Always happy to hear what you think about this story.