Chapter 26

Bella felt that Paul was leaving her. Paul, don't go, she said in her mind, please don't leave me.

She opened her eyes.

"Paul, don't go."

"Bella!" Paul turned around and rushed back to her bedside. "You woke up. Jesus Christ, baby." Paul grabbed her into his arms and pressed her tightly against his chest. He rocked her to and fro and kissed her hair, mumbling her name.

"You..." Bella said weakly. Her voice sounded so strange, so coarse. "You brought me back." Her throat hurt, and she felt very lightheaded.

"I did?"

"Yes, I felt..." she cleared her throat, "I felt you moved away from me, and I wanted you to stay..." she told him. Her throat was hurting. "I wanted to follow you, and I got out. You pulled me back." It had been such a strong feeling, both mentally and physically, that she had really tried to move after him, but her body had felt like it was made of stone, and she hadn't been able to move.

She coughed a dry cough that made her throat ache even more. Her mouth was so dry. She was so thirsty.

"Oh fuck. I can't believe this," Paul mumbled and turned her head so that he could see her face. "You came back to me." His voice cracked, and his eyes welled in tears.

Bella nodded, staring into his deep eyes, feeling tears on hers.

"This is fucking unbelievable. I was so scared this wouldn't work," Paul said and leaned down to kiss her. It was such a sweet and tender kiss.

She could feel his heart hammering in his chest against her breasts. His warm arms around her felt like a dream. But she was so thirsty.

"Can I have some water?" Bella rasped.

"Oh shit, sorry, of course. I must give you some herbal tea, but I'll get you water first. You can't drink too much too soon, though."

Paul helped her to lie down again and grabbed the blanket hanging on the footboard, covering her almost naked body before he went to get her water. It was then that she noticed that parts of her body were covered in some kind of oil; it smelled good and felt soothing against her skin.

Bella closed her eyes and rubbed her face. How long has she been out? Where were they? What had happened to her? Was Ben alright? She had sensed him by her bed a few times, so he must be okay.

There were so many questions in her mind, not to mention all the things Paul had just told her. She had heard everything. The imprint was broken, but how? He was the alpha, but why? So much had happened while she was out.

Paul came back and brought her a big glass of water. He placed it on the table and helped her sit, lifting her pillow and taking a few more cushions from the other side of the bed. Then he gave her the glass.

Bella took a small sip first. The cool liquid felt like heaven in her mouth. She took one bigger sip, and then she drank all the water.

"Whoa, not too fast," Paul said, trying to slow her down by grabbing her hands holding the glass, but she had already emptied it. She had needed every drop and was already feeling better.

Paul took the glass, and she leaned back to the pillows and closed her eyes.

"I'll get you some tea now," Paul said. He returned with the glass filled with water in his other hand and the tea mug in the other.

Bella blinked when she watched his gorgeous form, wearing only low-hanging shorts. There was something different about him. The change to the alpha had made him even more magnificent than he'd been before.

"What happened?" she asked, clearing her throat. She touched her neck, the spot that had her last memory; it was where Edward had bitten her, or had she imagined it? The skin was smooth; there was no scarring or any marks.

"He bit you there on that spot, but there aren't any marks because my wolf healed it. His salvia mended the broken skin and left it unscarred."

"Oh," was all she said. The wolf had licked the spot.

"You know it is the spot the wolf wants to mark you."

"Wants?"

"Yeah, after the imprint broke, the urge to bite and mark you has come back tenfold."

"Oh, tell me how the imprint broke? But first, tell me how Ben is doing. He's alright, isn't he? I mean, I've felt him by my bedside a few times."

"Ben is alright. More than well," Paul said, smiling. "The kid had been doing what he loves the most: building you a lego house on your bedside table. They took it home, so you can see it when you go there."

Aww, Ben, she smiled; she could not wait to see him again. Bella took the tea mug from Paul and took a sip. It tasted weird but weird in a good way. She took another sip.

Paul was looking at her intently. He brushed the hair off her shoulder and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"Tell me what happened," Bella asked.

"Are you sure you want to do it now?" Paul looked at her with worry lacing his features.

Bella nodded and took a bigger sip this time. The tea was perfect. It made her feel stronger with every sip she took.

"All this happened three weeks ago," Paul started. Bella gasped; she's been out for three weeks!?

"Yes, you were gone for a long time. So, you can understand why I was so damn worried."

Bella nodded.

"Rachel strangled you, and when she did that, the imprint bond broke."

"Really?" Bella asked, surprised. Of all things, she had to almost die to break it.

"Yes. She's not worthy of being an imprint because she tried to kill you, an innocent human being."

Bella touched her neck, where she could almost feel Rachel's hands. She closed her eyes. She didn't want to remember the feeling of the suffocation, but it was impossible to forget.

"You are all healed, baby, there isn't any bruising anymore, but it looked terrible after it'd happened."

Bella opened her eyes and asked, "how did it happen? I mean, how did you know it was broken?"

"I felt it very strongly all over my body and in my mind the moment it happened. It was such a relief in every fucking way. I could breathe properly again and think clearly, and the strength just rushed back. I hadn't even understood how fucked up I'd been feeling. But then I realized we both did; my wolf and I felt that something had happened to you, that I was free because Rachel had hurt you. We came rushing to look for you, but by the time we arrived at the saloon, that motherfucker had already taken you."

Paul shook his head and squeezed his eyes close. "Of course, them being there saved your life. We would've been there too late."

Bella took Paul's hand.

"I'm here now."

Paul opened his eyes. "Yes."

"And Ben. He is okay, isn't he? Truly?"

"Ben is doing very well. He wasn't hurt in any way. We got there in time. Of course, he was scared and crying, but we got him home safely. Your mum is doing okay too, considering that her daughter has been in a coma for three weeks."

"Where are they now? Where are we?"

"We're at Harry's fishing cabin..."

"Harry! Have you found Harry?"

"Yeah, he came back, and it's because of him you woke up. He brought this shaman-dude to do his tricks, and he made this happen."

"Oh God, there are so many things going on, aren't there," Bella said.

"You can say that again," Paul chuckled. He had started to relax a bit.

"Can I have more tea?"

"If you're sure it won't make you feel sick if you drink more," Paul said and went to fill her mug.

"We're at the rez. You were at the hospital before we came here. The doc persuaded your mum to give permission to transfer you from the hospital. She doesn't know where you are since we can hardly tell her what is here. But she's home with Ben."

"What she thinks that happened to me?"

"I told her only that you, the same man that took Ben, took you and that we saved you in time, and he's gone."

"In time as not to be..." Bella was dreading to know, had he...

"Yes, in time. He hadn't ... the fucker didn't rape you, baby." She let out the breath she'd been holding. Paul squeezed her hand.

"And she's happy to know so little?" That surprised Bella. Her mother usually wanted to know all there was to know.

"I think she also knows there is more than meets the eye going on, and all she needs to know is that you are safe and he's dead."

"Dead? Tell me, what happened."

Paul told her everything that had happened after they'd taken Ben home: How they had come to save her, how Dr. Cullen had saved her and treated her at the hospital. Bella did, unfortunately, remember everything that had happened to her. How scared and terrified she'd been and so sure she would either die or end up being a vampire. She would have rather had died than become one of them.

"Would you have killed me if I've become one of them?" she asked, surprising herself and Paul; he cringed at the question.

Paul looked at her, pain in his eyes, and then answered, "yes."

"That's good."

They were silent for a long time, just looking at each other.

"How come you're the alpha now?" Paul never wanted to be an alpha.

Paul sighed and rubbed his face.

"That's another long story, and we can talk about it more later. But they say I'm the most dominant wolf in the pack, and as such, I replace the bloodline alpha, Jacob. Sam was only waiting for him to step up."

"Oh. So, Sam is not unhappy that you're the alpha, took his place?"

"Hell, no. He's happy as a clam. At first, he was stunned at why it happened; hell, we both were, but he hated being the alpha. According to this shaman-dude Kal-lape, the powershift happened when I killed my mortal enemy in defending my mate. It's the thing that aggravates my wolf and wolves, in general, the most, and it triggered the shift. If my wolf had bitten you and marked you, it would've done the same. Apparently, only alpha wolf bites and marks its mate."

Oh, that explained Old Quil's and Billy Black's behavior. They didn't tell the pack about the marking because they didn't want Paul to become an alpha. She understood why Billy might not want it, but what was Old Quil's reasons. Paul looked so tired. Bella cupped her hand on his cheek, and he leaned against her touch.

"How do you feel about it?" Bella seriously didn't know how he was feeling about the powershift.

"I'm not happy, that's for sure. But I guess I can't fight something that is meant to be. After the shift, I've felt more at peace, as much as possible when worrying about you. Fuck. I don't have to like it, but I know it was the right thing to happen. Fighting against it would do no good to anybody besides it would be pointless: I can't fight this damn thing."

Paul took her hand and kissed her fingers. "Hell, I'm up for anything as long as you are with me," he said quietly, almost whispering.

He leaned down and captured her lips. She felt a jolt of want go through her body, settling between her legs; she wanted so much more than she had the strength for. Already feeling dizzy, she deepened the kiss. They both moaned into the heated kiss. But too soon, the air became a necessity, and she gasped for air.

"Damn, baby, as much as I would want to make love to you claim you, you are not fit for that now," Paul said, kissing the tip of her nose. "You need more strength next time we make love. I won't be able to keep my wolf down anymore; his need to mark you is overwhelming, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know. And I want him to." Bella said. She was sure it was the right thing to do, even though it scared her. All this had been avoided if it had been done when the wolf wanted it for the first time.

Paul kissed her one more time.

"Do you mind if I'll let Kal-lape know you've woken up? He wants to check on you, and I'm sure he has thought about what you should eat now. If he hasn't, I'll go get something."

"No, I don't mind."

"He's pretty intense, and he wants to talk with you. Said you are remarkable human and one of a kind," Paul warned her smiling his amazing smile.

Bella blushed.

"That's fine."

Kal-lape heard the howl of the young alpha. His mate was already awake. That was fast. He'd been so sure it would've taken until the following day before she had found her way out. Their bond must be even more potent than he'd thought.

Kal-lape stretched his body and yawned feeling his yaws crack. He'd been lying on a sunny spot by a beautiful stream and had just fallen asleep. He got up and howled back before he took his way towards the reservation.

He was really waiting to meet this mate of the young alpha. As he had said to the young alpha Kal-lape had never met anybody with natural immunity to the cold one's mental powers. Kal-lape knew some of the cold ones had unique gifts that were weaker or latent when still human but powerful when turned. Bella's gift would probably have been one of the most powerful if she'd become a cold one.

Thank the spirits; the young alpha had found his mate in time. It would most likely have destroyed the whole pack if she had died. Strong alpha was fundamental for a shapeshifter pack, and this one was already weakened by the meddling of the two elders gone astray, blinded by prejudice, jealousy, and hate.

It's not the first time the elders have tried to interfere but never in this insolent way so without respect and understanding of the consequences of their actions. It made him see red to think about the devastation they had almost caused.

If he was honest, he was looking forward to meeting those two fools and showing them to their places. Kal-lape was so delighted to be dragged out from his solitary existence. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy his seclusion, but little action wouldn't hurt. He felt … inspired, for lack of a better word.

It didn't take him long to reach the tribal land. He felt the spiritual line when he crossed it.

He reached the forest line around the cabin and phased back. He heard laughter coming from the cabin. His heart filled with warmth and joy listening to the sounds of the young couple. This pair was going to live a long and happy life. There was so much love, beauty, and strength between them; they would also confront a lot of envy and hate. Human nature never changed.

He opened the door and found the pair sitting side by side on the bed, their backs against the headboard. Bella rested her head against her mate's shoulder, playing with his fingers.

"Hello, young Bella. It is nice to meet you," Kal-lape said. Bella looked up, and Kal-lape gasped; she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. The smile illuminated her pale face, and her eyes were bright. Young alpha was a fortunate man to have this woman.

"Hello," she greeted him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly good, thank you. What was in that tea?"

"It's a secret recipe," Kal-lape chuckled. "It is used to strengthen those who have returned from extended spirit walk. Now we need to get some food in you." Kal-lape walked to the refrigerator and took out eggs and mushrooms.

"Your young man is an excellent cook, I've heard, so he won't mind making you some eggs and mushrooms with special herbs. You won't eat much tonight, but it is good to stir up your appetite."

Young alpha chuckled, kissed Bella on the forehead, and moved to get up from the bed.

Kal-lape took a chair and moved it a bit closer to the bed. Bella looked at him with amused interest. He wondered what the young alpha had told her about him, feeling amused himself. This young woman was such a delight to be around. She made him feel more alive than he had in God knows how long.

"Did Paul tell you about your special gift?" Kal-lape asked.

"He mentioned it but left it to you to be explained," Bella answered, still smiling.

"You have a mental shield, or should we say you are a mental shield."

"A mental shield. What does it mean?"

"Well, you can block mental powers as you did with that cold one. No human I know of has ever been able to resist their allure and lived to tell the tale. But you did."

"Was that why he couldn't read my mind like he did everybody else's, well, mine and my brother's?"

"The cold one could read minds?"

Bella nodded.

"...Interesting... Yes, that is the reason. And he told you your brother was silent to him as well?" That was very intriguing. He really would want to meet him.

"Yes."

"But other than vampires not being able to read my mind or not being affected by their allure, how does this shield work in normal circumstances with humans?"

That was an interesting question.

"Well... it could mean, for example, that you have a perfect way of hiding your true emotions if you want to, or you can shield other people's emotions affecting you if you so wished. Or you can shut the world around you and concentrate solely on something in your mind. Do these things happen to you?"

Young alpha started to laugh. "Bella can lock herself inside her world, that's for sure."

Bella blushed and started to laugh too.

It was such a joyful sound.

"I play the violin, and when I'm in my bubble, the ground could vanish from under my feet, and I probably wouldn't notice."

Ah, there it was.

"And I guess that the whole ordeal with Rachel and imprints hating my guts didn't get under my skin as much as it would have without this shield thing," Bella said, shrugging.

"Yes, those sounds exactly sort of things that being a mental shield means. You said you play the violin. Any good?" Kai-lape was impressed even more with this beautiful young woman.

"She's amazing and has composed her own piece too," young alpha said before Bellaopenedn her mouth.

"I'm alright," she said, most likely downplaying her talent.

The room started to fill with delicious aromas of fresh herbs and eggs. Kal-lape felt his stomach rumble. "I hope you're making enough for us," he said, chuckling.

"Maybe enough to count as a starter."

"How do the smells make you feel?" Kal-lape asked Bella.

"I'm surprised that the eggs don't make me feel sick. Normally after being unwell, the smell of eggs makes me a bit queasy."

"That's good. If you manage to eat half of the portion I give you, that would be great," he said and went to make her a plate.

After eating, Bella started to yawn, which was a good sign. Normal sleep was exactly what she needed now.

"It is a good idea to spend the night here. Tomorrow you can think about where you two want to go or need to be."

"Okay. How can I be so tired even though I've just slept for three weeks straight," Bella said drowsily.

"It wasn't proper sleep. You drifted between sleep and unconsciousness. It is a very restless place to be, especially with your traumatic experience, and you need to rest as much as possible for the next few days."

"Okay," she said and was asleep before her head touched the pillow.

Kal-lape laughed.

"She for sure is something. You are one fortunate man."

"Yes, I know it. She is my life, and I can't even start to think how I can thank you for what you've done here," young alpha said.

"You don't have to thank me in any way," Kal-lape said, feeling a bit envious for the first time in his life, "helping you two was an honor."

Kal-lape rose from the chair and stretched his old limbs.

"I'm going to phase now and run back home. I will visit the reservation in two weeks' time and see those two old fools. And I think there is probably a need for purification for the pack if one or both of the elders have done something I suspect they probably have."

"That sounds like fun. I would like to be present when you meet them," young alpha chuckled.

"That would be appreciated. It was your life they tried to mess with after all, yours and everyone's in the pack."

They walked outside. It was getting dark.

"How long time does Bella need before my wolf can mark her?" the young alpha asked.

Ah. Kal-lape had been waiting for this question.

"I think around five days will do. By then, she should be back to normal," Kal-lape said. "If she eats a bit more every day and gets proper sleep," Kal-lape gave young alpha a pointed look.

He didn't look too happy.

"You can't take her back to your place before you can mark her, can you?"

"No. My wolf can't handle other wolves, other than you, to be close to her. Not anymore. He was fine in the hospital with Sam but not at the Res. Maybe we'll go to her mother's house for a few nights. Her mother and brother want to spend some time with her anyway. I can do things that need to be done in the Res during the day and then go back to be with her."

"That sounds like a good plan to me," Kal-lape said.

He ran into the forest and sent a silent blessing to the alpha pair before he phased and headed towards home, feeling elated to have a purpose after so many years of having none.