Chapter 6

Bella had listened to the arguing long enough. "Sam?" she said as he and Paul and Jake were all yelling at one another. "SAM?!" she finally yelled.

All three men whipped their heads in her direction.

"What is it, Bella?" he asked brusquely, but not unkindly.

"Use me," she said.

"Huh?" Jake asked in confusion.

"Alice said they're coming. And they're not going to care who or what they kill. Let's control the situation. Use me."

"The fu-" Jake started.

"No," Paul interrupted. "Let her talk."

"How do you think we should use you, Bella?" Sam asked with his forehead crinkling in concentration.

"I'm told my blood smells really tasty to all of them. Hell, it was probably Edward's main attraction to me, if I'm being honest." She heard growls at that.

"Shut up, you guys. You all like her smell, too," Leah barked, which earned snickers from the rest of the pack.

Bella didn't want to even think about that. She'd put that away for another day. She shook it off and continued.

"I just mean I could leave a blood trail. Hell, you could tie me up in the middle of a field far away from everyone. The new vamps don't know about you. If I'm in a field and they advance, I don't think they'll even think about it. They'll run at me without noticing you guys in the forest line."

"Bella, no!" Jake protested.

"It's too dangerous," Sam huffed.

The other wolves mumbled and argued with one another until Paul, who had been looking at her since her declaration, finally spoke. "I think she has a point. It's some solid strategy that would probably minimize loss of civilian life."

Bella gazed at him and quietly nodded.

And there it was again. Paul knew her. He still didn't understand everything about her. Like why Bella Swan thought her life wasn't worth much. She was living now. And mostly making the best of things, as far as he could tell. But he was again struck by how little care she took for whether she lived or died. It was like she was missing that piece of human instinct. Maybe that's why she'd been so easily drawn in by the bloodsuckers in the first place. Or had that come after?

In this case, though, it was a ballsy strategy and he was pretty sure she was right. The others kept arguing. Telling her it was too dangerous. But some instinct told him she needed this. This was atonement for her, too. Just like those notes to Charlie. Paul turned his attention back to his Alpha when Sam stopped arguing.

"The Cold Ones want to meet with us on neutral territory. Have a meeting to hash things out. We have a translation problem, though. I don't think I can be near them without being phased. Anyone else?"

Nods and murmurs and shivers seemed to indicate that meeting in human form was not ideal.

"E-...Edward can translate," Bella said quietly and Paul wanted to punch something when she saw her arms fold around her body as she spoke about him. "He reads minds. As long as your thoughts are human? I guess? I mean...your thoughts are human when you're phased, right?"

"Sorta," Jake answered. "It's like smells and sounds are turned WAY up in our senses. So those get more priority than when we're human. But other than that, yeah."

"That must've sucked having a boyfriend who could read your mind," Leah drawled, looking with a raised eyebrow at Sam as she did.

The wolves were all silent, but Bella actually snorted. "Ah, no. Unlike your problem, I'm the exception. He can read everyone except for me."

"Woah," Quil said. "So your super power is that mind reading vampires can't read you?"

"Well…," Bella said, "Actually, any of the vamps who have special powers can't seem to get into my mind."

"Bella," Sam said seriously, "we need to know about these special powers they have. Everything."

She looked conflicted for a moment, but Paul smiled as she got a determined look on her face and purposefully put her arms at her sides. "Yeah. You do. Gather 'round, friends, for story time with Bella."

Damn, he was proud of her in that moment.

The meeting with the Cullens was set for the following night. When Sam ordered Bella to stay on the reservation until the meeting, she arched her eyebrow and crossed her arms, starting at him until he backed off and asked her nicely. Paul and his wolf both found that very, very hot.

"C'mon, Bells! You can come sleep at my house. You know your Dad won't mind that," Jake offered.

"Same goes for us," Leah said.

Bella looked at Paul who was suddenly not looking at her.

"Thanks, guys. Sam, can I use your phone?" Bella asked. Cell reception on the rez was spotty, but she wanted to call her Dad. They all pretended not to hear her conversation with him as she explained that she was going to spend the next 2 nights out here with Jake and Billy while she helped everyone study for finals. She then called out of work with promises to work doubles the week after her finals when the high school kids were still in school and tourists were starting to come in more.

Paul wasn't sure what to do. He could feel his temper rising at the thought of her sleeping at Jake's. And then rising again because he was being stupid. She didn't belong to him. Shit, his wolf was clawing to come out. He was just about to head out to patrol for something to do, when Bella touched his arm.

"C'mon, Paul. We still have studying and homework to finish tonight. Let's go back to your house and finish up. Jake? I'll be over as soon as I'm done at Paul's."

She wanted to come to his house? The wolf was suddenly more interested in this. And Paul felt better, too.

"You'll walk her over?" Sam asked/told Paul.

"Of course I will!" Paul growled.

"Good. Then I'll expect to have you on patrol afterwards," Sam nodded as if it was already decided.

Before anyone could argue, Paul felt Bella's hand in his. "Let's go, please?" she whispered.

Paul nodded, grabbed their respective backpacks, and headed out the door.

"Thank you," she said when they got to her truck. "I was ready to be done with strategizing for tonight. It's just...when you spend a long time trying to stop thinking about things and then they land in your lap again, it's just a lot…"

"You did a good job tonight, though. I wouldn't have pegged you as a military type, but your instincts were legit, Swan," Paul said.

She chuckled. "Thanks for backing me up in there. I thought Jake was about to lock me in a tower!"

"I've seen his thoughts. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing he's thought to do with you!"

"Gah! Gross!" Bella said, scrunching her face up. "Stop talking immediately. I don't even want to know!"

It was Paul's turn to chuckle as she pulled the truck in front of his house. His wolf was practically purring with anticipation of having her in his house.