AN: Go check out the Meet the Mate contest under my favorite authors- voting is open until Aug 27.

I also posted a Paul/Embry slash one shot that is based on these characters (very different world though).

Disclaimer: I own nothing but some shirtless pics of Alex Meraz. SM owns all.

Chapter 28

Charlie POV
I always prided myself on being a logical, practical man. I looked at problems with an open mind, then set about finding the best solution. It was one aspect of my personality that led me into my chosen career in law enforcement.

When my girlfriend of less than three weeks came to me and told me she was pregnant, I did the honorable thing and married her, providing her and our daughter with a stable home. Renee was never one to be tied down though, and when she told me she longed to be free I did the only logical thing I could—I gave her her freedom.

Bella was the one person to break through each and every one of my tidy walls and worm her way right into my heart. When I held her for the first time, right there in La Push, surrounded by my closest friends and family, I knew I was a goner. She turned those big eyes at me and I knew there was nothing I wouldn't do for my little girl.

I had dealt with my fair share of heartache over the years, but overall I was happy. I had a good wife now, the true match to my soul, and the best kids a man could ask for. Having two teenagers in the house could have been a living nightmare, but Bella and Embry made life easy for Tiff and me.

But they really weren't my kids, were they? As much as I loved them, I hadn't sired them—either one of them. I hadn't wanted to think about it, but I'd had some doubts about Bella as she grew up. It was just the little things that didn't quite add up.

Renee went into labor a month before she was supposed to, but Bella didn't look premature. Then there was the fact that she looked just like my Aunt Molly. I tried to explain that away since she and my dad resembled each other, but it was more than that. She had Aunt Molly's facial expressions, even her smile, things she couldn't have gotten from either Renee or me.

Then there was Quil. My only cousin, and my very best friend. He adored Bella. It was easy to pass off since Bella was the only girl in their little group. But he had never paid that much attention to Leah or the Black twins.

I cried for that man when his boat went down. I cried like a baby at his memorial service, and I didn't care who saw me.

The pain in my hand and the slamming of the door behind me brought me out of my contemplation. Bella's soft little hands were holding mine carefully, her big brown eyes staring up at me. "Daddy?"

That word nearly broke my heart, because for a split second I wasn't sure if she was talking to me or him. The wolf that used to be my best friend (who used to be dead) suddenly whined and stood up to move around me. I glanced over at Paul but he wasn't looking at us at all.

"Mom! Wait! It's not what you think!" Embry ran past us to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Paul. Looking between them, I saw my wife standing there with my shotgun. The shotgun I taught her to shoot—very well. I thought about trying to get everyone out of the way and let her take a shot at Quil, but I knew she would feel bad if she actually hurt him.

"Mom, can you put the gun down? We can explain, and maybe the wolf will go back to the woods…" Quil had never been the brightest of us, and now, in the face of my wife with a shotgun, he hadn't grown any new intelligence along with his fur. Instead of running to the safety of the trees like Embry hinted, he crawled forward on his belly, whining like a damn puppy dog.

Sighing, I pulled my broken hand carefully out of Bella's grasp, absently kissing her forehead as I stepped around her. "Tiff? Honey? It's okay. Everything will be just fine." Embry and Paul looked like they were going to try and stop me, but I gave them each my Chief Swan glare and they backed down quickly enough.

I finally reached my wife, and she turned her wide, scared eyes on me as I reached my good hand out to lower the muzzle of the gun to the relative safety of the ground. Embry stepped up to take it out of her hands, just as Quil decided it would be a good time to change back to his human form. His fucking naked human form.

Bella squeaked and turned her face to Paul's chest, while Tiffany's mouth fell open in shock. Embry reached up to cover her eyes as he growled back at Quil.

I started to walk toward them when my broken hand began to throb again, reminding me of the pain I had pushed away. Turning back, I shot my cousin a glare. "Quil, I know I can't hurt you with my fists, but why don't you head back to La Push before I let somebody shoot you."

Tiffany gasped, finally realizing exactly who he was, but Embry stepped up next to me and looked toward his father. "I can hurt him for you, Charlie—I don't mind a bit."

Paul tried to muffle his laughter as he urged Tiff and Bella to the door. I just smirked out at Quil and wrapped my good arm around Embry. "Now son, I know we raised you better than that."

Immature? Maybe. But that one socked him right in the gut. Quil took two steps into the trees before exploding into a wolf and running away. I shook my head and followed my family inside, determined to focus on one issue at a time. I knew Harry and Billy would probably call me over for a beer and think that would solve things with Quil, but I would deal with them later.

"You okay there, Chief?" Paul met me inside the door with a guarded expression. He eyed my hand, taking in the swelling with a practiced eye. "Need to spend some time with my punching bag once you're healed up? I can give you some pointers."

I couldn't help but laugh as I clapped him on the shoulder. Moving further inside, I stumbled on a hushed conversation between my wife and kids. Not ready to know what they were arguing about, I cleared my throat. "So, who's taking me to the hospital?"

I wasn't too surprised when I ended up in the car with my wife. Paul said Embry needed to stay home, so I told him to stay there with both of them. Bella blushed as red as a fire truck when I warned Paul to stay out of her bedroom or I would shoot me a wolf before the day was out. The boy just chuckled like I wasn't serious.

Tiffany kept up a running commentary on the way to the hospital. She babbled nonstop about wolves and legends, and how she just knew there was something fishy going on down in La Push. The one subject she avoided was the very large elephant in the room that was Big Quil's sudden return from the dead.

It wasn't until I had been x-rayed and my hand placed on ice that I worked up the courage to ask her. "Did you know? Did you know she was his brother? Did you know she wasn't mine?"

Her head had dropped at my first question, but her eyes were full of fire when she met looked up at the last one. "She is yours, you stubborn old goat! I can't even believe we're having this conversation right now."

I felt a surge of heat was through me. I knew my wife wasn't the enemy here, but I had been lied to long enough. "Don't bullshit me, Tiff! Did you know?"

My heart hit the floor when she dropped her head and nodded once. I could barely get the words past the lump in my throat. "How long?"

She at least gave me the courtesy of looking me in the eye. "Renee told me. When Embry was born."

~oOo~oOo~oOo~

Bella POV

It had been the longest week of my life. On top of the unbearable tension in my family, I had barely seen Paul all week. He was patrolling almost obsessively, barely checking in for a few minutes at a time each day. I knew he was close by—I could feel that with our bond—but it was a poor replacement for his presence.

Sitting in the backyard, I tried to tune out the sounds of my dad and Tiffany fighting again. I couldn't help but feel that this was somehow all my fault. If I had just stayed in Arizona, my dad would be none the wiser, and his marriage would not be in jeopardy. I hastily wiped away my tears before they could get out of control, but my attention was drawn to the woods when I heard the familiar sound of my wolf howling plaintively.

Paul ran out of the trees looking half-crazed, and stalked toward me with a feral gleam in his eye. I couldn't hold back a squeak when I noticed that he had not bothered to get dressed after phasing, and I felt heat wash over my face as I tried to avoid looking there.

"Need you," he growled as he fell to his knees before me, laying his ear against my breast. I was sure he could clearly hear my heart trying to beat its way out of my chest, but the sound seemed to soothe him at least a little. His breath still came in harsh gasps, but his hands that had been clenching my hips almost painfully had softened to a gentler, more protective hold.

After an interminable length of time, Paul rose gracefully to his feet, scooping me up in his arms as he did. He stalked to the trees with a determined gait, giving me no time to protest.

Under the shelter of the forest, Paul set me on my feet and stepped back. "I'm gonna phase—hop on," was his terse order, and a small sliver of fear worked its way up my spine at his dangerous tone. Still, I was confident that Paul would never hurt me, so I waited for my silver wolf to appear, then climbed gingerly onto his back.

He whirled around and started running hard through the trees, leaving me to hang onto his fur for dear life. I closed my eyes tightly, fighting off dizziness at the speed, and laid my head on his neck as he ran.

We came to a rather abrupt stop, and I lifted my head to see what I assumed was the back of Paul's house. In all the years I'd known him, his house was one place I'd never been. We were still under the shelter of the trees, so I slid down to the ground and stepped back to give Paul room to phase.

I looked away, giving him time to pull his shorts on, so the sudden descent of his lips onto mine caught me completely off guard. Paul wrapped one arm around my back, pulling me flush with his chest, while his free hand reached up to tangle in my hair, holding me firmly in place.

His lips were urgent, demanding almost, and a soft whine worked its way up through his mouth as his tongue moved feverishly against mine. I reached up to stroke the short hairs at the back of his neck, instinctively trying to soothe his frantic need.

Just when I thought I might pass out from the lack of air, Paul pulled away and lowered his forehead to my shoulder. I worked my fingers through his hair as I tried to catch my breath, and I noticed that his broad shoulders were trembling even as his heat radiated out toward me.

"Paul? Are you okay? Did something happen?" The last I knew, he was going to be at a pack meeting at Sam's house. Jared had patrol while he was gone, so I'd been more than a little surprised to see Paul.

His breathing hitched sharply and he shook his head against my shirt, unwilling to look up. I was worried, but I knew Paul would talk when he was ready.

The sounds of the wind in the trees and the birds calling had lulled me to distraction when he finally spoke. "You don't know how close I came to losing you."

He jerked his head up and those dark eyes bored into mine with an unreadable expression. "Those bloodsuckers—those filthy Cullens were just going to let you die! They were going to let that blond leech bite you, let him inject you with his poison and make you one of them!"

I nearly fell when Paul stepped back abruptly, fisting his hands in his hair as he let out an ear-splitting roar. "They saw you as one of them! The little bitch said it was the only future she could see for you! And they were just gonna let it happen!"

Without warning, I was in his arms again and he was striding through the back door of his house. I didn't get a good look around before he pushed open the door on the right side of the short hallway, revealing a tidy—if slightly spartan—bedroom.

Paul let me down slowly, my body sliding down the front of his with a sensual motion that had my blood heating instantly. As soon as my feet hit the floor, his mouth covered mine once more. This kiss was deep, full of need and full of promise. I melted against him, moaning quietly as he pulled me tighter to him.

Time seemed to stop as his mouth coaxed mine open, his tongue tracing every square inch inside. His hands left my waist and began to explore, one slipping up under my shirt, his fingers tracing my ribs before they drifted up to slip under the cup of my bra. I jumped at the unexpected sensation, but then his other hand completely distracted me.

His nimble fingers grazed my stomach and he had my jeans unbuttoned before I could suck in a breath. He growled low in his chest as his hand plunged into my jeans, kneading my butt and pressing me even closer. I shivered when I felt his very hard thing digging into my stomach with only the thin fabric of his shorts separating us.

A wave of heat washed through me at this undeniable physical evidence of his attraction. Suddenly nothing else mattered—I needed him. I needed my Paul. "Paul," I moaned when he slipped my shirt off and reached for my bra. He had it off in seconds, and my knees buckled when his hot mouth covered my nipple.

In a flash of movement, I was lifted up onto Paul's bed, laid carefully in the middle, and my jeans and underwear were pulled off in one quick motion. I felt my face heat with embarrassment when Paul sat back on his heels to survey my completely naked body, but it didn't take long for the intense desire I was feeling to take over again.

I reached up and grabbed his hand, pulling him to cover my bare skin with his own hot body. My fingers became suddenly daring as I traced the sharp ridges of his abdomen before diving beneath the waistband of his shorts. The combination moan/growl I received when I wrapped my inexperienced hand around him was extremely gratifying.

Paul suddenly pried my hand away and pinned it above my head with my other one. He lifted his body off of mine, putting some unwanted distance between us. "Bella, wait. You weren't ready for this. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you, let the wolf take over like that."

"Paul!" I gasped, shamelessly lifting my hips, writhing desperately in an attempt to make contact with his hot, hard body. "I really don't want to wait!"

"Bella, look at me." Paul's voice was husky, and I could hear the strain he felt as he held himself above me. I obediently met his eyes, and I gasped at the sheer amount of heat and devotion in his gaze. "Bella, I need to ask you this—can I mark you?"

Paul had told me a little about marking, mentioning it was something to do with imprints and mating, but I didn't know that much about it. What I did know was that I would do whatever it took to lose my virginity right there in Paul's bed.

"Yes, please, Paul! Just do it!" I tried once more to pull him down against me, but he continued to resist.

"Bella, you need to understand that if I do this, it's permanent. There will never be another man for you, and you won't be able to have children with anyone else either. You'll be mine, only mine."

I smiled as I took in his worried expression. "Paul, I've always been yours. Now get your ass down here and fuck me!"

He looked like he almost swallowed his tongue at my words, but then his eyes darkened with lust as he lowered his body to touch mine again, and I felt my heart swell when he leaned down to give me a soft, tender kiss. "I love you."

With those precious words, he began to kiss his way down my body, starting with my neck. He alternated between soft little nips and gentle kisses to more intense attention, pulling my sensitive skin into his mouth and caressing with his lips and tongue. I knew I would be covered with hickeys and I couldn't find it in me to be worried about that.

My stomach tensed at his nose brushed over my throbbing core, grazing that sensitive little nub that had me so wound up before. He hummed as his tongue darted out to taste me, and my legs jolted at the sheer power of that feeling—it was completely indescribable.

"Shh," Paul murmured as he wrapped one arm over my hips to hold me in place. "You taste so good." With those words, he was off. His mouth covered my lower lips, positively devouring me. He worked his tongue all around, lapping at my clit, then stroking along the inside of my walls.

He gently worked a finger into me, caressing me softly as my body slowly opened up to him. When he added a second one, I felt a twinge of fear at the thought of something even larger entering me, but he lowered his mouth to me again and all I could think about was Paul.

The soft growls he made were turning me on even more, and I could quickly feel my climax approaching. I vaguely noticed Paul shifting on the bed before I heard a harsh snarl and felt a sharp pain on the inside of my left thigh. Paul's thumb was circling my clit at the same time and those sensations all came together to send me over the most intense edge I'd ever felt. "Paul!"

When I came back to earth, Paul had slipped his fingers from my body and was gently licking that spot on my leg. "Paul? What happened?"

His hooded eyes met mine and I gasped as I saw the glow of his wolf in those dark depths. "I marked you," he growled, pressing another kiss to my skin.

I was confused by his words—I had thought marking had something to do with...sex. "I don't understand."

Paul raised up, then grimaced as he looked down at his shorts. He stood and swiftly pulled them off, wiping at something before he tossed them aside. I swallowed heavily when he crawled over me, but he leaned over on one side and pulled me close to his chest. "You weren't ready, babe. I don't want to rush this with you, and do something you'll regret in the morning. This way worked out better—my wolf is content, and we can wait until you're ready for more."

I couldn't deny the relief I felt at his words. With the haze of arousal dissipated somewhat, I was more than a little intimidated at the thought of actually going all the way with Paul. Still, I felt bad that he had taken care of me and didn't get anything himself. I started to reach for him, but he grabbed my wrist before my hand could make contact.

"Hold off there for a minute, babe—it's a little too sensitive right now." I looked at him in confusion and was amazed when he ducked his head. I could see the slight darkening of his cheeks as he looked between us, his hands rubbing soothingly over my back.

"That… uh, that marking was some powerful shit," he explained, wedging his knee between mine and raising his leg so his thigh brushed against his mark. "I, um, I… fuck. I came in my damn pants, Bella. I haven't done that since I was twelve—and that was your fault then, too!"

I really tried not to laugh, but there was no way I could stop it. I collapsed into giggles, letting out a shriek when Paul growled and pounced on me, tickling me mercilessly. "I'll show you funny," he laughed as his fingers danced over my ribs until I finally begged for mercy.

He held me safe in his arms, and we drifted off to sleep together—the worries of the week forgotten in the wake of our new, tighter bond.