AN: Another Wednesday, another chapter. If you need to get a feel for Paul this chapter (and who doesn't) I recommend watching Never Back Down 2. Alex Meraz's character heavily influenced this part, and you should at least google some videos of the fight scenes, especially the Capoeria combo. He seriously looks supernatural with the way he moves. Anyway, on with the story...

Chapter 9

2 years later
Thursday night

Charlie POV
"Hey, honey. How was work?" Tiffany met me at the door with a kiss as she took my jacket to hang on the rack. I grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a hug. Some days I didn't know what I would do if I didn't have her waiting for me at home.

She felt so good in my arms, and I held on a bit longer than I normally would. Her voice was muffled against my chest as she squeezed me back. "Long day?"

I stepped back and nodded, still keeping my hands on her shoulders. "Yeah, we had a bad wreck out on the highway—a kid swerved to miss an animal and hit a tree. He was messed up pretty bad, but it looks like Doc Cullen might have saved his life," I told her, still a bit in awe of Carlisle's dedication. I thought the driver was gone for sure, but he worked for hours getting the boy stable enough for surgery. It didn't help that Bella's sixteenth birthday was just a few months ago, and I worried about her driving all the way down there in Arizona.

Tiff's eyes were full of compassion as she gazed up at me like I was some kind of hero. I never got used to that. She smiled when I leaned over to kiss her, and Embry picked that moment to come barreling down the stairs.

"Aw, come on! I don't need to see that!" he whined as he walked to the kitchen with his hand over his eyes. We pulled apart with a laugh and I wrapped my arm around my wife, eager to see what she had waiting for supper.

"Smells good, princess," I told her. "Need me to help with anything?"

She just shooed me to the sink to wash my hands, and I stopped to ruffle Embry's hair as I walked by. "School okay?"

He shrugged, but didn't offer anything else so I let it go for the moment. If there was something bothering him, he would tell us eventually. We ate the pot roast that Tiff made, both us boys starving after a long day of work and school. I was still adjusting to my new position as Chief, a job I never expected to hold.

After supper I sent Tiffany off to relax and pulled Embry to the sink to help me with the dishes. He was quiet until we put away the last dish, and then he caught me as I started out of the room with my beer. "Hey, Charlie?"

I turned and looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "You think we might go out to La Push on Saturday?"

He sounded dejected, like he was already sure of my answer, and I hated to see him disappointed again. I knew he missed his friends, shoot—he missed his brother, even if Quil didn't know that's what he was. But I just couldn't deal with Billy and Harry and their stupid prejudices.

Walking over to him, I put my hand on his shoulder and waited for him to look at me. "Why don't you call Quil and see if he has free time tomorrow after school. If he does, I'll drop you off and maybe you can spend some time with him and Jake this weekend."

Embry grinned and nodded, running to grab the phone and call his brother. Joy was working Quil pretty hard in the family store, but even he had it easy compared to Jacob. I still couldn't believe that both of Billy's girls took off as soon as they graduated. Jake was only fourteen, and he was way too young to take care of his dad now that Billy's diabetes had put him in a wheelchair.

I had to turn a blind eye when I saw Jake driving Billy around town, but I couldn't keep my mouth shut when Billy refused to go to the Fork's hospital. He had Sue or Joy or anyone else available driving him out to Port Angeles every time he had to see a doctor, all because he didn't like the Cullens. Superstitious old fool.

~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~

Friday morning

Paul POV
"Yeah, babe, right there. That's it." I closed my eyes to block out the sight of the blonde on her knees and tried hard not to imagine the girl who'd starred in my first fantasies. She always seemed to pop into my head at the worst possible times.

I hadn't seen Bella in more than a year, but I wasn't sure if it was Charlie keeping her away from me, or Embry. Charlie had been on my case since that first arrest, and Embry hadn't spoken to me since he caught me sneaking out of Rachel Black's bedroom when I was fourteen. I'm sure he probably told his new "sister" to stay away from me.

With Bella's face behind my closed eyelids, I let my head fall back against the wall as I finally came, then stepped aside as I tucked my junk back in and buttoned my jeans. "Thanks. See ya later." I turned my head to hide my smile as the girl's fury welled up. She really thought I'd actually fuck again her stone-cold sober in the morning light. Bitch forgot my rule—I don't go back for seconds.

She was still screeching as I cut through the trees, headed for the highway to try and catch a ride back to the rez. The alcohol was long gone, but my head was pounding and the early morning sun trying to show up wasn't helping things much. Neither was the loud truck coming down the road.

I turned to see if I recognized the driver, because I sure as hell didn't feel like walking anymore, but I turned back around and ducked my head when I saw who it was. Fucking Sam Uley. That bastard wouldn't leave me alone lately—trying to act like we were friends or some shit like that.

The asshole ran off my real friends—Aaron got sent to prison, and the rest of them all took off when they got out of school. I was the only loser left stuck here. I had no idea what to do without them now. Aaron had been training me, and when I turned sixteen he was gonna get me in the cage matches up in Seattle. That was my ticket out of this dump, and Sam made sure I lost that.

"Paul!" Fuck, he stopped. I kept walking and tried to ignore him, but he rolled slowly right along with me. "Need a ride?"

I could hear the smile in his voice and it pissed me off to no end, but I knew he wouldn't leave me alone either. His face was back in his infuriating mask when I turned to open the door, and I just sneered as I pulled myself up into the cab.

"Lovely morning for a walk, huh Paul?" Seriously, we were gonna talk now? What the fuck was up with that? "Been in any good fights lately?"

I really didn't know why he was pushing me, but Sam was one of the few people I actually didn't want to fight with. Even with my recent growth spurt, he was still sporting muscles I didn't even know existed. I might be pissed the fuck off, but I wasn't stupid. I just turned my head to the window and tried to ignore him.

When we pulled up in front of my house, Sam put his hand on my arm and I nearly lost it. I whirled my head around and jerked my arm free. "Keep your fuckin hands off me, Uley."

He just stared at me as I stood there, practically vibrating with anger. I wasn't sure what was up, but I needed to work off some steam. Sam didn't say anything else as I jumped out of the truck and slammed the door, not even bothering to look back and thank him. He could go fuck himself.

I didn't feel like taking a chance with my dad being home, so I ran around the side of the house and back to my shed that I built near the trees. Sam's granddad had given me some leftover building supplies years ago when Jared and I wanted a fort. Once I started training, I took it apart and built it higher to hold my punching bag that was more duct tape than vinyl, and a sturdy bar that could support my body weight for workouts.

I knew I couldn't go in hitting without warming up, I was too pissed off. I stretched briefly, then pulled myself up on the bar to work off some of the fury. I felt a sense of calm take me over as my muscles were put to the test, and I knew hitting the bag would help me over the rest.

I pulled on the gloves that Aaron had given me, channeling my anger and using it as fuel. I focused on my movements as I punched, kicked, jabbed, and twirled, losing track of time until the back door slammed and I heard my dad yelling for me.

For just a minute I thought about slipping into the woods and running away, but I knew that would backfire and make things even worse when he caught up to me eventually. If I faced him now I had a chance of walking away with minimal damage.

"Paul! Where the hell are you?" His voice was already slurred and it wasn't even nine yet.

Gritting my teeth, I stepped out of my shed, tossing my gloves to the side so I wouldn't be tempted to use them. As much as I'd love to beat the shit out of my dad, I wasn't sure where else I could go if he finally tossed me out of the house. I just needed to hang on for three more years.

His eyes narrowed when he spotted me, and I wondered for a minute if coming home this morning was a mistake. I had hoped he would be gone, but when Sam dropped me off I was disappointed to see his truck parked crookedly in the driveway.

"Why ain't you at school, boy?"

I really should have kept my mouth shut. I knew better than that. But he'd interrupted my workout and I was already pissed off after Sam goaded me. The words came out before I thought better. "Why aren't you at work?"

Despite my new inches, he was still taller than me, and his reach was longer too. I tasted blood as my head snapped to the side, shame filling me as the slap of his hand put me back in my place.

But for the first time in my life, something deep inside me boiled over. The simmering rage I constantly lived with seemed to take on a life of its own—building to a roaring, writhing inferno centered deep in my chest.

I tried to breathe through the unfamiliar feelings—feelings that honestly scared the shit out of me. I was hanging onto my control by half a thread, and it didn't feel like it would take much to push me over the edge.

My father laughed—the same derisive snicker that had eroded my self-worth year after year. His muttered insult of "fucking pussy" was the last straw. I couldn't hold the thing inside me back any longer. I exploded.

I flew toward my adversary, raining hits and kicks faster than I thought was humanly possible. A rumbling sound of pleasure built in my chest as I bathed in the blood of the one who had so thoroughly destroyed me. It was my turn to destroy him.

His pleading words fell on deaf ears, and I laughed a strange, hoarse laugh at his pained whimpers. The rage I was feeling didn't decrease as I continued to pursue him, but instead it coiled tighter and tighter, pushing me closer and closer to the edge of something just out of reach.

I hit the dirt when I was tackled from behind, and I turned in a rage only to be caught from the other side as well. Four strong, hot arms wrapped me up and dragged me away from my prey, and I let out a fierce yell that shocked me when it came out as a loud growl.

"Come on, Paul. We need to get in the trees. Stop fighting us, don't fight the change. Just give in." I knew that voice. Fucking Uley.

"What about Tommy? Is he–" Jared? Was that Jared? I hadn't seen him at school for the past few weeks, but I had heard he was hanging around with Sam. What the fuck were they doing to me now?

"No, he'll keep for now. He's not dead… yet," Sam answered, his voice strained with tension as he wrenched me further away from the bleeding mess I'd left behind. I knew I should probably feel concerned about my victim, but my focus was now on the boys pulling me away.

Jared wrenched my arms behind my back, and Sam ran up to nail me in the stomach with his shoulder, surprising me with the strength he showed when he picked me up and ran me deeper in the woods, tossing me roughly to the damp leaves.

I started to get up, but my body gave out on me suddenly, and I rolled to my stomach as my bones seemed to crack and bend, making me scream out in pain and frustration.

"It's okay, Paul. It'll get better after this. Just let it happen." Jared was close, but not close enough to touch, and I pulled myself up on my knees, digging my fingers into the dirt as I panted frantically, still trying to find my center.

The shaking had slowed a bit when Sam came up and got right in front of me. He stooped down and looked into my face, his expression giving nothing away. I met his eyes, trying to ask him what was happening but I couldn't get the words past the agonizing pain in my body.

I don't know what he saw, but he finally sighed shook his head. "I didn't want to do this, but you're fighting it too hard. You need to phase."

His words didn't make any sense, so I looked to Jared, hoping for some kind explanation. I never saw Sam's fist coming straight for my nose, but as soon as he connected, waves of pain and betrayal flooded through me and this time I really exploded.

Calm down, Paul. You have to submit.

Give in Paul. I can't let you run.

The voices were in my head, along with a fierce snarling that seemed to be a part of me. I whirled on my feet and saw a huge black wolf and another smaller brown one. I barely stopped to think about the fact that my feet were now paws, and I lunged toward the traitor animal with jaws wide open. Paul Lahote would never submit without a fight. Never again.