AN: This chapter has a lot of action and a lot of information. Read it carefully, and if you still have questions they will probably be answered in the next chapter.

I also posted a new one shot- "A Soldier's Coming Home"

Disclaimer: I own nothing but some shirtless pics of Alex Meraz that clog up the memory on my phone. SM owns all.

Chapter 25

Paul POV
So let me get this straight, Sam stopped running and turned to look at me with a rather hilarious look on his face. Bella, Embry, and Quil all have the same father. They all know it, but Charlie doesn't? How did Bella find out? Is she going to tell Charlie? Does Billy know?

Slow down there, boss. I cut in, trying to slow him down. Jared was just listening quietly as we ran toward the meeting point. Yes, Big Quil was a busy guy, apparently. Billy knows, now at least. I don't think he knew before, but Old Quil has known all along.

Sam shook his head and started running again, trying to get his mind on the meeting ahead, rather than my imprint and her twisted family tree. It had been physically painful for me to leave her at her house and run out to meet with the bloodsuckers, but Sam said they insisted we all be there.

I tried to calm my wolf by remembering the way she looked when I left her—her hair fanned out on her pillow, and one soft little hand tucked under her cheek as she slept. She looked like a fucking angel.

The scent of the Cullens became stronger as we got closer, and I couldn't keep the snarl off my face as we ran into view. Calm down, Paul. We can't do anything to them so don't go picking any fights we don't need.

"Welcome," the blond doctor leech greeted us, like we were walking into their damn living room or something. "We appreciate you joining us here tonight. We have fond memories of our time with the last pack. Ephraim was a man wise beyond his years."

At his words, Sam phased back to human and his typical stoic mask fell. He actually looked a lot like… me. "Yeah, well, do you remember Levi?" he asked, crossing his arms and staring down the group. "Because we're his descendants," he said, pointing between himself and me.

The largest vampire tried to hide his laughter, and the younger one—the one who had shared a class with Bella on her first day—gave him an arrogant look not unlike the ones Sam used to keep me in line. I guess the little boy had rank in the coven.

As if he heard me, he turned to me with a sneer and growled lowly, only quieting when Carlisle gave him a look of his own.

"Yes, we remember Levi well. It is good to see his family line—the ability to carry on through our children and grandchildren is something we lose when we become vampires."

When you die, you mean. Jared offered his own comments since Sam wasn't sharing the pack mind.

"Okay, the reminiscing is nice and all, but why don't you just tell us why we're here." Sam's words were more an edict than a question, and I smirked when I saw the bloodsuckers bristle at his tone. I was surprised—and more than a little impressed—to see this side of him. Sam was normally the poster child for respect. He must hate these leeches even more than I thought.

"Yes, well." Dr. Fang cleared his throat, even though we all knew he didn't need to. "My daughter, Alice," he said, pointing to the small one with black hair, "has seen a vision that affects your pack—or more specifically, Isabella Swan."

Nothing could hold me back at the sound of my imprint's name coming off his dead lips. I was wound up too tight, and my wolf lunged forward with jaws wide, ready to rip the heads off these fuckers. Nothing could stop me–

Paul, STOP! Nothing except an order from my alpha and his teeth around my neck. Damn it.

I didn't have time for dignity as I lay there beneath him, my wolf whining with the need to see our mate, our Bella.

It's okay, Paul. She's fine. Remember? Sam sent me the image I'd thought of on the way over, and I could nearly taste the way her scent saturated the air around her, wrapping me in comfort and desire.

"Stop, please stop," the little boy vampire groaned, closing his eyes and shaking his head like he was in pain. I had no idea what his problem was, but it was enough of a distraction that I was able to calm myself down. I felt around inside for my connection with Bella and noted that she was still calm and at peace, so she was likely still sleeping.

Sam phased back and reached for my shorts since he had phased out of his. "What's his problem?" he asked the leader, pointing to the copper top.

Carlisle reached over and a laid a hand on his boy's arm, patting him like a damn puppy. "Edward has a gift, a special ability. He can hear the thoughts of those around him."

Of course the little prick is a mind reader. As if the pack mind isn't bad enough. He gave me a glare and another pathetic growl as I sat there pretending like I hadn't said anything. Don't like what you hear, don't listen.

I tuned out most of the meeting while Sam and the doctor discussed their reasons for returning to Forks. Apparently the mind reader's mate was somewhere in the area, but the pixie couldn't see her. They were waiting for a group of nomads to come through because she had seen that they would lead the family to the girl.

It all sounded like a load of bullshit to me, but what did I know. My ears perked up when I heard them mention my Bella's name again, but I had to be ordered down when I heard what the little prissy Cullen's specific interest in her was.

"She is his singer—it means that her blood is especially appealing to Edward," the doctor explained. "He has excellent control, however, and he has removed himself from the one class that he shared with her. He has also taken steps to become accustomed to her scent while at school. She is in no danger from him."

I kept up a steady growl even under the alpha order. Sam's words nearly sent me over the edge once more. "Appealing? You don't think you have some kind of connection to Bella, do you? Because I can tell you for a fact that she is Paul's mate—absolutely and without question."

Prissy boy shook his head, his eyes wide and shocked. "No! Not at all!" he yelled with a shiver of disgust, or maybe horror. "That would be the worst kind of irony. The universe wouldn't give me a mate whose blood was that enticing. I–"

Whatever he was going to say was cut off when he looked to the pixie girl. "No! They're too early!" he said, then turned to look me straight in the eye. "Bella needs you—there isn't much time!"

Sam's orders dissolved at the mention of Bella's need. I turned without a thought and raced straight back to my girl. My feet pounded the earth with the rhythm of her name—Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella. I was surprised to see the boy—Edward—keeping pace with me as I ran.

He must have heard my thoughts because he gave me a cocky smile, still running full speed. "I'm the fastest of my family. Ephraim used to race me through these forests—he thought that if he could catch me, he could catch any vampire."

I tried to ignore the mental picture of the former alpha running through the woods with this joker, but I realized he was trying to distract me from my worry. Too bad. Bella had my complete focus.

We scented the bloodsuckers before we reached the house, Edward and I in front, with Sam and Jared close behind us. "There are three of them, but I'm not sure they are all still here," the leech said, looking as if he was trying to listen to something. "I can only hear one now, and…"

What the fuck? Get off my sister! Embry's mental voice exploded into the pack mind, just as we reached the edge of the property. I saw red when I realized that the bloodsucker actually had his hands on my mate, my Bella.

Embry was looking for an opening, and the thought of a brand new wolf that close to my imprint had me even more nervous. Embry, back off a bit, let us handle this. Sam's words weren't an order, but they were a moot point anyway.

Out of nowhere, a dark brown wolf came flying up behind the vamp, taking its head off in one quick, efficient bite. Embry and Sam pounced on the body as Edward darted over to pull Bella out of harm's way.

I snarled out at him, but he quickly pushed her to my side and held his hands up in surrender. "I was just trying to help. She's fine, Paul. She may need you on two legs though."

I phased back without a thought and pulled Bella into my arms, pressing her face against my chest when I smelled her tears. She sobbed against me as I checked her over, and I couldn't hold back a growl when I saw the bruises developing on her arm and her uninjured wrist.

When the sound of tearing metal stopped, Sam and Embry stepped back as Edward tossed a lighter on the shredded remains. I had all but forgotten about the strange new wolf, but he drew my attention when he sat back with a pleased growl.

It was clearly a shifter, but I didn't remember hearing a new voice in the pack mind, other than Embry. I looked at the wolf as I held my girl, taking in its dark brown matted fur, and lean, rangy appearance.

Edward was the one to break the silence as he looked between us, taking a step back from the burning vamp. "Do you know who this is?" he asked, giving Embry an odd look.

Sam was the one to answer as he phased back and gave the wolf a thorough once-over. "No, and I can't hear him in the pack mind either."

Edward nodded as if he expected that. "His thoughts are nearly feral—I'm only getting glimpses of images and a stray word or two." I growled when he glanced over at my mate.

"What words?" Sam asked, stepping closer as he saw the way the wolf was whining and trying to approach a skittish Embry. The pup had certainly had a thorough initiation into the pack, and he was shaking as he sat there probably trying to regain his skin. I remembered that part all too well.

Edward cleared his throat and I caught him looking at Bella again and then back to the wolf in question. "He's saying my pups."

At his words, the wolf let out a bark and inched forward toward Embry's wolf, reaching out to nudge him with his nose. Embry cocked his head, then surprised us all by reaching out and rubbing the other wolf's jaw with his muzzle.

It took Sam the longest to catch on, but Bella gasped just as my mind made the connection. Her voice was soft, but I could feel the hope as she whispered, "Big Quil?"

The wolf gave another happy bark, confirming our suspicions, and I had to grab Bella quickly as she swayed on her feet. She had a strange expression on her face as she looked from Embry's wolf, to her father's, then to me.

She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes, her voice odd and breathy. "We're going to have puppies someday, aren't we?" she said with a strangled laugh, just before her eyes rolled back and she passed out in my arms.

It had been a rough day for my girl, so I couldn't blame her too much. I just scooped her up and followed my alpha as he led our new pack members into the woods behind a mind-reading vampire. Business as usual.