Title: Paul's First Phase
Rating: M for Language, violence, and innuendo.
Pairing/Characters: Paul (POV), Sam, and Jared.
Summary: Paul's first phase.
Prompt: Sometimes the dragon needs rescuing and the villain aches to be helped.
Paul crawled out of bed, sweat pouring from his scalp as his muscles seized. On all fours, he shook violently, attempting to fight the spasms. He slowly made his way to the bathroom and gripped the door frame as he stood.
Fear pulsed through him as he looked in the mirror and watched his skin twitching. Pain prodded him from all of his joints, making his stomach roll as his anger took control.
Fucking Breathe, Paul, he scolded himself, squeezing his eyes shut. He had no clue how to stop the violent bodily attacks he had suffered for two weeks now. None of his friends or grandparents understood what was happening to him, not that he had confided very much. His temper had become worse since the fevers began, causing him to lash out at those he was closest to. He had never been the most pleasant person to be around as it was. Now he was being avoided, and Paul felt more abandoned than ever. Worst of all, his cousin had been hovering around him like a suspicious helicopter mom.
Fucking council ass-kisser, Paul snarled to himself. Sure, Paul had a bit of a wild streak, but what did they expect a teenager living alone to do? Not everyone could be a genius with a full ride like Sam. Paul was busting his ass with partial government aid paying for classes he wasn't sure he would pass. Paul resented that Sam gave up the opportunity to leave this town to just stomp around La Push like an angry dragon protecting his hoard of gold.
Why the hell stay here? Why the hell would he want to when he could leave? Especially now that he and Leah were toast. Leah was smoking hot but a total bitch most of the time.
Ugh, maybe that's your problem, Paul grumbled to himself. You need to get laid. You're practically crawling out of your skin. You even think Leah looks bangable at this point. Where the hell was the tourist season when you needed it?
Despite his efforts, Paul couldn't push the anger away with humor. As he slowly opened his eyes, he gasped, stumbling backward. The shape and colors of his eyes in the mirror had changed. Pain radiated through his face as his cheekbones widened.
I have got to be losing my damn mind. Paul was beginning to panic, suddenly feeling trapped in the tiny bathroom. His body moved without conscious thought as he ran for his front door. The cold night air filled his lungs with a sense of sweet relief under the open sky, but the shaking in his body intensified. With a sudden jerk, his arm shot forward and snapped. His skin stretched as the bone shifted, and Paul watched in horror as his hand swelled rapidly. He cringed as his fingernails pushed out into thick, sharp curved claws. Rather than cowering with the pain, Paul became enraged.
What the fuck is happening to me? Instinctively, he disregarded his near nakedness and bare feet as he ran for the woods beside his house. A howl ripped through the air nearby, and a sudden, crippling surge of pain enveloped him. Paul squeezed his eyes shut and screamed in agony, sure that his body had somehow exploded.
The pain eased almost immediately as he realized he could still feel all of his parts, and Paul slowly opened his eyes. Fuck, I'm alive? He noticed his hands and arms were now long, fur-covered limbs with massive paws. He stepped back and froze as his surprised yelling sounded more like an agonized howl. This isn't real. Bad dream, Paul! Wake up! Wake up! He stepped closer to the nearest tree and thumped his head against it. Ouch! Bad idea, Paul. Fuck.
Again a distant howl cut through the silent night, urging Paul forward as he slowly became conscious of a separate presence within him.
This is so fucked up, he thought as he searched for the source of the howling.
Call back, the presence pressed him. Paul let out a loud howl of his own and was greeted with not one but two in response.
Suddenly a deep, commanding voice asked, Where are you? And, who are you? Howl again.
Paul obeyed, unable to fight the command. Pounding footsteps shot toward him as Paul asked, Who the fuck are you? Get out of my head!
Ha. Good luck, another male voice said and laughed.
It only made Paul angrier as he snarled, waiting for their approach. Who the hell are you?
Fuck, the first voice said. Paul?
Paul's eyes widened as he recognized the voice, finally. Sam? What the hell? What the fuck did you do?
I didn't do shit, Paul. The ancestors did, Sam grumbled.
Accurately, Paul guessed, Like the legends? Paul's mouth hung open as two massive wolves stepped forward into his view. Holy shit. Which one are you, Sam?
The large black wolf nodded his head at Paul to indicate himself. That's Jared.
Jared Cameron?
The one and only, Jared said and laughed. I know this is scary shit right now, but everything is gonna be alright, dude.
I'm not scared, Paul lied. I'm pissed. I don't want this shit. What the fuck?
Come on, Sam said. We need to resume patrol. Let me explain while we show you the ropes.
You can trip on your fucking ropes, Sam. Paul snarled and took off in the opposite direction as fast as his limbs would move.
Despite the growing distance between them, Sam's voice was clearly present in his mind as he sighed in aggravation. He better not lead us all over for two weeks like you did.
Jared laughed in response as they slowly began to trail after Paul.
Paul didn't have time to go far as he would have liked. The distinct smell of bleach and death assaulted his senses, and Paul stopped where he was, gagging. Fuck, what is this?
Shit, Jared caught the smell just a moment before Sam as they both picked up their pace.
"Well, I've never seen you out here before."
Paul darted around frantically, searching for the female voice he heard nearby. He finally spotted her as she giggled, perched high in a tree with her flaming red hair in a wild mess around her. Her red eyes seemed even brighter than her hair, emphasizing the ethereal beauty of her heart-shaped face. She quickly climbed down rather than dropping in front of him. Her movements were intentionally sensual, almost feline. She gestured for him to come closer.
Paul chuckled to himself bitterly. No way, lady. Not even with nose plugs, contacts, and two rubbers.
Don't approach her, Paul, Sam warned as Jared fought back a laugh. We're coming.
Who the hell is she?
Jared said, We have to kill her.
Kill her? Paul let out an involuntary snarl at the redhead, fighting the urge to cover his nose with his massive paw. She smells so damn bad. I don't even want to touch her.
Yeah? Join the club, Jared grumbled.
Sam teased, So there is a female that Paul Lahote doesn't want? Paul's reputation was something Sam razzed him about nearly every time they saw each other.
Shut up and get the fuck over here, Paul snapped at his cousin. He could feel the recoil as Jared winced, anticipating Sam's temper.
Sam remained remarkably calm as he grumbled, Yeah, we are gonna have a chat about that later. We need to deal with this leech for now.
"Are they coming?" The redhead pouted at Paul as she glanced toward the sound of their massive paws. "Help me," she pleaded pitifully. She inched closer, reaching her hand out to brush her fingers against his fur. Paul growled at her and stepped aside suspiciously, obstructing her only chance of escape on the ground. "They will kill me if you let them catch me," she whispered.
He stared into her eyes, hoping to see a shred of honesty in them. There was none.
She smiled sweetly, tucking her red mane behind her ear as she asked, "You're not a killer, are you?"
Despite himself, Paul shook his head no. No, he certainly wasn't a killer. But she was. He could feel it in his bones.
She's a vampire, Paul, Sam warned.
Bullshit, Paul thought and rolled his eyes. She's a vampire, and I'm a fucking were... Paul glanced down at his massive paws and said, Okay. Bad example, but still ... A real vampire? Seriously?
She is a vampire, Jared insisted. She eats humans. That's why her eyes are red. We can't let her escape.
"Please help me," she crooned again. If it weren't for the lack of tears and the twinkle in her eye, Paul would have sworn she was crying. As Sam and Jared darted into view, the redhead stepped back. "My mate is missing. I'm just trying to find him."
She's lying, Sam warned. She has tried that line on us before, and the only one that keeps coming back is her. She's looking for something, but it's not another leech.
Do you think she's after a specific human?
Absolutely.
The girl growled in aggravation from Paul's lack of response and took a running leap to the closest tree. Sam leaped precisely at the right time, catching hold of her leg and yanking her to the ground. They rolled as they each battled for dominance.
Paul gaped in shock as she delivered a blow to Sam's face that left him reeling backward, and he whined in pain. Before he could recover, she bared her teeth at him and pounced. Sam squirmed under her to keep her venom-soaked teeth from catching his flesh.
Watching his cousin in danger renewed Paul's fury as he charged toward her. He slammed against her side as her teeth snapped shut, barely scraping along Sam's shoulder.
Paul held her down with one massive paw on the center of her chest as she yelled in rage. He was distracted as Jared asked, Did she break the skin?
No, Sam grumbled as he stood. Just grazed, thank god.
Paul asked, Their bites kill us? This bitch. As he looked back down at her, she delivered a hard blow to his chest, knocking the wind from him as one of his ribs cracked.
So much for the damsel in distress act, Paul grumbled and coughed. The wolves ran after her as Sam warned them not to lose her tail again. Paul felt like a spectator in his own body as the second presence inside of him took hold, desperate to catch and destroy.
As they neared the cliffside, the redhead dropped to the ground and scrambled toward the edge. All three wolves slid to a halt and watched her sink into the ocean.
Sam sighed and shook his head. I don't understand what the hell she wants.
Or who, Jared added.
She needs to stay the hell off our lands, Sam grumbled. Again, Sam reminded Paul of an angry dragon protecting its hoard. Sam chuckled and nodded.
It feels that way sometimes, he admitted. Of course, if I was a dragon, I could follow that bitch into the water and just eat her.
For the first time since waking that night, Paul chuckled. The anger in his body began to ease as his companions both seemed to relax.
Thanks for saving my ass, Sam said and nudged Paul gently with his snout. You're a natural.
Uh, yeah, Paul muttered. No problem. I guess even crank-ass dragons need some help sometimes.
