Chapter 38 Secrets Are Like Families You Can't Keep Them Hidden for Long

Jake POV

I was running with Embry in silence for a while not saying anything, but occurs only I would catch glimpse of Paul as he ran through the this point I didn't know what to think, I always assume that Paul didn't regret a signal thing that he did. I mean every time that I looked at him he was positively glowing when he was around Bella. But just catching a glimpse of his feeling was enough to make me go into a tail spine. Don't get me wrong this isn't me forgiving him but maybe i could at least let go of some of this anger. "Then maybe you should talk to him-Embry"

I shook my head there was no talking to Paul, if he wanted you to know something then he would have told you straight up. If he didn't want to talk to you then he made it his life mission to ignore the conversation. I could try to get into his mind but every always said his mind was a steel trap. How did he do it?

"He recites the conjugations of Spanish in his head-Embry" I look at Embry my eyes drawn to the large patch of black fur on his nose. This odor took over my sense the smell of decay and death. But it also had this sickly sweet smell to it. "Vampire-Embry" His frantic voice filled my head but I was filled with curiosity was that really what they smelled like. I snapped my head up to see that there was a pale thin man, he had bright fiery red hair and he was looking at me this smug look on his face.

He laughed at me as I coked my head to the side as that stenched filled my nose but there was something else. It was the same smell that always came off of Paul. It was when he was being cocky. Was this what the emotion smelled like. I looked at him for another moment, just trying to pinpoint what the smell remind me of.

That was until he threw a ball of searing red fireball at me, I barely had any time to dance out of the way. The vampire look startled as his bright red eyes turned black as tar, that smell listening as he opened his mouth to speak. "Looks like the mutt have a few moves but you still couldn't take me even if you wanted to." I snarled at him as I began to chase after him, but he flew effortlessly through the trees. His feet thudding against the branches causing the leaves to flutter in the air as they made there way to the ground.

"Calm down, don't let him bait you-Embry" I rolled my eyes we had to kill him so we might as well do it. I chased after him not waiting another moment, I felt my legs tighten and untighten as I race through the trees. Trees and shrubs passing by me in blurs of deep forest green. "Good go for the kill don't let it escape" My inner wolf again ached and shudder at the thought of killing this thing. He did had a annoying habit of poking up in my mind every time that i was trying to kill something. "Any time really it doesn't matter to me, I was just being polite." I grumbled under breath as I felt heat singe my fur. I looked up to see that my bright red fire burning into my coat. Dammit.

I was dropped to the ground as Embry's rushed voice filled my head,"Roll on your back then catch up-Embry." I nodded my head as tuft of fur fell of my bad as the cool ground sooth my back. The most lasting smell took up residence in my nose, I knew that it was burning was a close call and I didn't plan for it it happened again. I took off thinking about Paul, trying to get him to reason.

But for some reason he couldn't hear me couldn't respond,could he have been out of range. How was that even possible the one time that we needed him and he is a no show what a waste of energy. We are in the middle of a war and he wants to be a brat and run in silence."Your telling me, Sam is going to be pissted-Embry."

Why the hell would Sam be pissed, you know what this is not the time to be thinking about none important question when my life's on the line. I ran at my top speed catching up to Embr in no time but the vampire was gone. What the hell. I frowned at my paws before looking at Embry who was out of breath.

The hell happened when I was out of commission? "He got away duh, he shot me with a bunch of flames and was gone within seconds-Embry" I sighed heavily this was not good, Paul was going to lose it, and he would probably blame the whole thing on us. Even though he was the one that was absent for actions.

"There you are we have been freaking out-Embry" I looked up to see that Paul was running over to his, his large gray wolf seemed to be stalking toward us angrily. I felt my mind flash with vision of the red-haired leech as Paul let out a fierce snarl as his visions shifted between the two of us. His cold red gaze burning up with anger. "Why didn't you chase after him.-Paul" His rage was so strong that it forced a whimper out of me, it not like I intend it too but his rage, was so much more intense then i had ever known possible. You two are idiots, what the hell were you think about letting him go, jeez what has Sam been teaching you?-Paul"

At this point his anger was starting to whip my wolf up and I was tried for cowering because of him. I snarl at him before walking a little bit closer trying my best to seem dangerous. "Well it's time for the bonfire and its mandatory-Me." I watched as he shook his head sadly before glaring at me and then at Embry this new found plusing anger filled the hive mind. "I'm not going Jakey, Im going to go be with Bella, shift and head back to Emily's, I'm sure that she is cooking for the bonfire. Later-Paul"

He couldn't just not go, Sam told him that he had to go, but he just kept running, forcing me and Embry to chase after him. There was no way that we would get off scot free if we didn't at least try to stop him. But as I got closer Paul, I felt his emotion, something more overpowering then his anger. It was his guilt. But for what, I tried to dive deep into his mind but he wasn't bduging, that way until he thought that we were no longer in hearing distance. I knew that it would be messed up and a total invasions of privacy. But he and Sam have been lying to me for the better part of 2 years. So I watched as his flashback as it played in my mind.

Flashback

I watched her get dress in her room as some Thousand Miles played on her iPod dock, it was one of the few songs that I didn't agree with her on. But more importantly, my mind was with the new pack members.

We were going to have to have a bonfire for Embry and Jake but didn't I want to go. Did he want me to be there probably even want to kill me, which I could understand why?

The prize for world's worst brother definitely would go to me. "Hello, Pauly" I looked up to see this aggravated look on Bella's face as she stomped her foot on the ground and anger lines start to form on the corner of her mouth. "Sorry, what did you say, babe."

I looked at her, hair chocolate brown curls hang loosely on her face as she slowly pulled her hair up in a hug messy bun. She glared at met before shaking her head like she was trying to blow off the fact that I wasn't paying attention to her.

"Nothing just forget what I said, oh wait you cant forget what I said because you weren't even listening." Her own voice was snarky and rude and I was trying to be nice but I had other things to think about than her shit.

"Isabella look at me." I made my voice boom as she let out a moan and turned to look at me. Both her hands on her hips as I slowly rose from her back and kissed her neck then her cheek. "No Paul you're not going to make my anger go away by seducing me."

I let out a low groan before pulling away and sitting in her desk chair while looking at a picture of her and Jake when they went to some street fair way back. What the hell did she even still have the stupid ass picture. I simply turn around and looked at her for a moment before sighing."I'm sorry if I wasn't paying attention to your insignificant problems seeing as how my brother hates me and wants to kill me. But please let's talk about you."

She looked at me wide eyes for a moment before snarling and slamming her foot in the ground before walking over to me. Nothing but rage in her eyes. "I asked would you please come with me to Phoenix next week to see my mother's grave it will be the anniversary of her death. But you are right it is insignificant compare to your alive brother that at least has the choice to want you dead."

I felt guilty crawl into my throat as she looked at me nothing but angry tears filled her eyes as I felt her disgust and rage hit me like a cannonball. When she spun sound on the heels to run away from me I grabbed her wrist yanking back on her arms as she looked at me. "Don't touch me you lost that right now let go Paul or so help my god." I scoffed at her threat what the hell was she going to do dump me, maybe sleep with my brother.I watched her eyes widen in shock as she looked at me.

"You did not just think that" Fuck this stupid bond now I got her in my mind to. "I regret never telling Jake. I should have told him I fell in love with his piece of shit self-absorbed brother who only thinks about himself and thinks that everyone else's problems taker a back know what fuck off and get out of my house."

I snarled at her and stood my hand still firmly place on her waist as my other hand gripping her chin forcing her to look at me. I saw nothing but hate and anger in her eyes as she looked me like I was nothing but a piece of shit that wasn't worth her time. "Well, you are so maybe you should get to stepping bitch." I scoffed at her, watch a few movies and now she thinks that she is a gangster. I growled at her.

"I never said that my suffering was greater than your, but you're such a train wreck that you are used to begin every once center of attention. It was funny I'm not allowed to be upset after you basically destroying what little family I had left. But I'm the piece of shit and not you." I watched her eyes pop from shock as she cocked her fist back ready to punch me but I caught it with were there in a stalemate just simply looking at each other when my phone went off. I let out a snarl of aggression as I looked down at the called id. "Sam"

I shook my head and answered the phone and his voice rang out over the sound of pots and pans clanging in the background.I heard Emily giggle as I snarled lowly I didn't have time for this.

"Watch yourself,Paul I just wanted to tell you that we are having a pack meeting tonight be there and bring Bella. No more of this bullshit the imprints need to bury the hatchet just like you and Embry got that." I noticed how he didn't say Jakes name, which meant that he thought Jake still had the right to be pissed at me and I couldn't agree even more. "Yup we will be there.

End of the flashback

"Wow that looked horrible so are you guys good now-Embry" I could hear Embry's shocked voice but I was took shock to say a word. The fight wasn't the shocking part at least not for me. His guilt for what he did, is what truly shocked me was that what has been causing all of his arguments with Bella. The fact that he had been hiding how he felt about me and about the whole fucked up situation has to be the most surprising thing. I could hear him thinking to himself as he started to run faster.I was never going to get my answer if he ran away from me, I chased after him.

"I thought that I was out of telepathic range, which meant if he saw that then Jake saw it. Shit this is just my fucking luck. I don't want him to see into my mind for reasons that were my own.-Paul" What possible reason could he have to lie about how terrible he felt about all of this. "Like what I would be glad to hear them-Me" I wanted to know everything and I knew that us being in wolf form was the only way that I would get those answer without any lies.

I cut him off at the trees jumping from log to log till I was standing in the path of freezer silver wolf. I hear him roar as the very ground shook from his anger, he was trying to scare me. To get me to move without having it hurt me but I wasn't just going to roll over. Not this time, not ever again. "It's two against 1 Paul, just tell me the truth for once, why didn't you tell me how you felt about all of this. Why didn't man up and tell me that my girlfriend loves you not me.-Me"

He snarled as I felt his aggravation roll over him as I tried to pry deep into his mind, but I got nothing but a few snippets here and there. His arguments with mom, and Sam about coming clean. He fights with Bella at school everytime he told her that he couldn't think that he could hold it back much longer. Then there was nothing just his blackness, even when he was back into a concern he still had tight control of his mind.

"Dammit Paul stop shutting me out I have aright to know-Me." He snarled widely at me like I was the one in the wrong and maybe I was but I wasn't moving from this spot till I got my answer. "Exactly you have the right to hate me, and I have the right to let you, I didn't say a word because it wouldn't have changed a thing, you would still be in pain only you would have thought that I was blaming you for my pain. I didn't want that, I didn't want you hating the fact that you might want to forgive me. Yeah I feel guilty and I regret it every day that I think about the pain you were in, that you are still in. You have only been a wolf for about a week. I have been a wolf for the better part of 2 years. I smell your pain and your anger every day you came home. So I wasn't just going to come to you crying begging for forgiveness that I don't even deserve. Now please get outta my way I have to see Bella.-Paul."

His voice was filled with sorrow that I couldn't even being to imagen , Embry recoiled and whimper in the hive mind. His mental anguish was physically causing me pain. I didn't think that there could be pain like this. But as I watched Paul shift and froth trying to break past me I knew that he had steeled his nerves. He would brush past me with any force necessary and I knew that I couldn't take him

So I moved to the side it was better to get yell at, then to be put in a comma from the beating Paul would have thrown me. He ran out of sight within seconds I don't think that I had ever seen him run so fast. "Dude that was intense, did you see the way that they went at it in that flash back.- Embry" I nodded my head but didn't say a word, I just started to run towards first beach. As we got closer the smell of the salty ocean filled my nose as the waves came crashing into my ear.

I shifted quickly before throwing a pair of cut off short on before running through the trees. The first thing that I was met with was Sam was talking with Jared and the blonde Kimmy what the hell was that bitch doing here. She tried to kill me, but then again I was trying to kill Paul and she love the guy. I rolled my eyes this was all so confusing and now I would have to man up and tell Sam that Paul wasn't coming.

I silently walked over to him as Embry came lumbering after me slapping my back before running to the guys. He had this wide grin on his face like he was looking forward to seeing Sam lose it. "Pauls not coming." He said it in such a cheery voice that it almost didn't sound like bad news. Sam looked at me as I as made my way over to him and he sniffed the air.I knew that he could smell the burned flesh and fur. "What happened on patrol?"

His voice was deadly calm but I knew that he was burning with rage and it was in this moment that I released that Sam was the rarest wolf in the back. Rage was overfilling in him but he seems to keep his composure perfectly. So when he blew up you knew that it was going to be bad I was starting to regret not skipping this is Paul.

I mustered as much courage as I could before speaking three sets of eyes looking at me intently."We ran into a vampire but Paul ran out of mental range so we were stuck to deal with him on our own. He had a some gift, he could shot and control flames. He burned my back and got away in the confusion. By the time that Paul made it over to us he is gone, I'm sure that he was on his way to the army. Amway Paul lost it and flipped, then he said that he was going home to Bella. So we chased after him, he was so angry and he was oblivious to the fact that we were following him so when he thought back to a fight that he had with Bella that involved me in a sense. I confronted him but that only pissted him off and he ran off."

Sam snarled under his breath, wild and untamed nothing that I had heard from him before, how was he still control. If the roles were reversed Paul would have shifted by now. I shifted my vision to look at Jared and Kimmy who shared the same worried look. Kimmy took her phone out to call Paul but go no answer. She had a frantic energy coming off of her as I shirred back to see a shaking Sam.

"He is so dead." Jared chuckled at the end of it but I knew that he was just trying to lighten the mood what the hell was he talking about. His cunning eyes told me that this was a big deal even if I didn't understand what was going on."Seriously, he doesn't have a pray of talking his way out this time. This was the 3rd time that he disobeyed a command I might be new to pack life but even I know that you don't disobey the alpha." I looked at Kimmy what did she mean keen to pack life as in she joined the pack. I moaned loudly before looking at the white sandy shore. Why couldn't we just enjoy one day with no problems, I heard this laughter that I knew belong to Bella. She was giggling along with Kim and Emily but I thought that she hates them.

I shook my head before chnace a glance at Sam he took in a few deep breath before the shaking slowed. Shifting his worried gaze from me to Embry. "Are the two of you okay." I looked at him and nodded my head seeing the worry that filled his deep brown eyes as he sighed. At least it was going back to normal Sam for the moment,"Alright well we can discuss this later, not now with the council on there way. They will most likely wonder where Paul is." He shook his head sadly as I walked passed him and over to the imprints. I smiled gently at each them but Bella paid me no mind she simply rubbed her foot that i am sure was killing her. "Do you girls mind if I talk to Bella?"

I watch Emily and Kim both look up at me confused before shifting to look nervously at Bella who smiled reassuring at the both of them. When did they get so close, the wind whipped up the sand as both girls got up from the spot and ran off to talk to the guys. I'm sure that they were listening to see what I was going to say to Bells. I took in a deep breath before taking up the vacant seat Emily left.

Bella came me this impatient look like she just wanted to get this over with, "Come Jake just spit it out, tell me how much you hate me and get it over with. I really hate getting yelled at so if we could just rip the band-aid off that would be really helpful." I was genuinely confused what the hell did he mean by that. "Don't give me that I don't know what you're talking about look. Everytime you talk to me it's, I hate you, or your a lying whore, and I hope my brother leaves you, or there is my personal favorite, it's rather new but it seems to be your new favorite saying. I hope a vampire rips you apart, that was right after you found out about wolves and you tribe."

Did I really say all those things to her, and did she really let me talk to her like that, she also just shrugged them off but as I looked at her eyes drinking with pain. I could see the heavy tear that was barely hanging onto her thick eyelashes.

"Please don't cry I am not here to yell at you, it's about the whole thing between you, Paul and I." She didn't even look close to stop crying if anything I think that I made it worse. I could hear shifting and I was keenly aware that the rest of the pack was watching me make a fool of myself.

I shook my head slightly before looking at back at her creamy skin this glow that seemed to come off of her skin from the bonfire. "Really Bella I want to talk not insult you I swear on my father grave." I watched her give me this cautious glare like every word out of my mouth was a lie. "Fine talk quick," Why was she in such a hurry was there something that I was missing.

I took in every detail of her face, the way that she chewed on her bottom lips every time I let you a sigh out like she is afraid that I would blow up, or how her eyebrows knitted together every time she was deep in thought. Or how her eyes looked columns in the fire in the bonfire light.

"I saw into Pauls mind today, I saw the fight that the two of you got into this morning, it was pretty bad but I also felt his guilt for all of it, not just what he said to you but also about everything that went down with the two of us. Why didn't either of you tells me how much you regretted it. I felt your emotions along with his, you know that imprint bond works even in memories."

I watched the shock register on her face for a moment before a cold mask slipped on her face as she looked down at her interlace fingers."Why would we tell you that, you wanted nothing to do with us, you needed space and that was evident. Us telling you how we felt about the whole mess wouldn't change the way that you saw us. It wouldn't make you want to forgive us so why would we waste our breath on something that we both knew was a lost cause. Plus it's not like we deserve it."

I shocked at how calm her voice was as she spoke, not a single ounce of venom, or hate for the way that I had blown up on her or anything her voice was expecting and kind even. I sighed heavily and looked at her for a minute. That cold mask of indifference was still on her face. I couldn't even smell her emotions not that i knew what pain smelled like. But I knew that she was trying hard or hid them from me.

"Is the reason that you are messing with Bella." I looked up to see that Paul glaring at me brows slumped downward with anger before shifting to look at Bella whose shoulder seemed to slump in relief."Isabella what are you doing here? You should have stayed in bed. I nearly had a heart attack when I couldn't find you."

I watched Paul crouched down placing a gentle kiss to her temple, any other time I would have gagged and been filled with rage. But at the moment I was numb with confusion about everything. "Sorry I don't want to stay in the house and I need to apologize to the girls." Paul nodded his head and looked at me. "Can we talk up in the parking lot." I look at him his question caught me off guard. He made it pretty clear that he didn't want to talk to me any anything for the entire school year.

"Sure" I ran up the wooden steps two at a time till I was standing in a dark and lonely parking lot. Paul was right behind me, I could see his crimson red eyes glowing in the dark. "I don't know why you feel the need to make Bella upset, but I don't want to be mad at me then be mad at me. I tired of you taking shit out on her that is my fault." I looked at him confused what the hell was wrong with him. She seemed fine to me but all my confusion earn me was an annoyed eye roll. "Are you really that much of a novice that you could smell the pain that you were causing her."

Now I was really confused I didn't smell anything coming off of her let alone pain. I just look at him too stunned to speak all he really did was shake his head sadly."I seriously can't believe that Sam has not had time to teach you the basic of detecting emotions…." Before he could finish saying anything I watched a large muscular fist punch him right in the face. The sound of Paul bones cracking under the force of the meaty fist.

When I turned back to the entrance of the parking lot, Kimmy's her eyes glowing gold and Jared had her arms pinned behind her back. No matter how hard she fought against him, his grip was like iron. "Jake step back at least a few feet." Sam cold voice startled me but as I looked up there here was his eyes glowing a dangerous blue. His eyes cruel as I looked down to see Paul collapsed on the ground. Spitting blood, something in my chest aches as I moved closer to Paul but Sam snarled wildly at me. Without person I moved back to stand alongside Kimmy and Jared. "I am the alpha and you will listen there will be no more disobeying for any of you."

I was taken back from his brutal and harsh tone, I had never heard it like that before but he meant business and Paul was just going to have to take this beating. Sam cocked his fist back before letting it fly punching Paul with more froe. His knuckles cracking as they came in contact with Paul lower jaw. I could hear the sound of Paul jaw crumbling and breaking under the force of the heat.

I flinched at the sound of it,"Stop it." I watched as Kimmy break out of Jared grasp but not before he had her pinned again. Embry ran up the stairs staring wide-eyed at the scene. He must have heard Sam's voice and ran up the stairs. But as I looked past his shoulder I could see little Bella hobbling up the stairs. While Kimmy growler and whined anything to get same to stop but he wouldn't.

Sam kicked Paul square in the chest causing him to fly back a few feet till his back came in contact with a red oak. The sound of his backing snapping was enough to make me want to howl out in pain. But Paul didn't so much as scream or whimper, he slowly stood struggling to stay on his feet. But there was this different fire in his eyes, he was determined not to fall, his large hand rising out his face snapping his jaw back into place with one slick motion.

That had to hurt like a bitch how was he being so stoic about all of this, this sly grin formed on his face, as he spit out blood and teeth alike. But my gaze was focused on his bright red eyes. There was something about his cold gaze that told me he was going to say something stupid. "Orders are not optional, they aren't suggestion, if I say run with them I mean it. If I say this bonfire is mandatory then I mean it." Sams cold voice rang out as Paul rolled his eyes.

The sound of Sam anger was enough to make me collapsing to the ground to get on my knees and whimper in submission. But as Paul got closer, I could Sam muscle tense he wasn't nearly down beating the living shit out of Paul. But that didn't stop Paul from smirking he knew it was coming but he didn't seem to care. Paul lumbered over to him just as Sam grabbed the scruff of Paul hair before lambing his fist into Pauls face, over and over again till he collapsed on the ground.

I felt every bone causing blow as if it was my body taking that beat, there was this gurgling moan of pain that escaped Paul lips. That was the first time that his body regards the pain that it was in. Sam snarled as he finally let Paul dropped to the ground, his body a crumpled and broken mess, it almost looked like he was dead. But I could hear the tell-tale heart that was thumping slowly.

As I turned back Kimmy's eyes were glowing as her body started to tremble, but soon it subsided as Bella walks over to her giving her a kind smile. But the rest o her face was impassive that smile was just to calm Kimmy down. She was staring at Paul, knew she had to be as shocked as me because Paul of all people never lost a fight.

"You done yet Sammy I thought that you would last longer than that, don't tell me, did my face hurt you hands." Paul smug voice reached my ears as Bella sighed under her breath and groaned at Paul like he had just said something wrong. As if on cue Sam kicked him in the chest and I hear this clicking sound that had to be his breastplate. How was he even being smug in a brutal beating like this.

His deep copper skin was covered in crimson red blood from head to toe, it was a gruesome sight and his skin was starting to pale from blood loss. Cold glowing icy blue eyes met fiery hot red eyes. A silent battle of wills taking place as Paul smirked at him. "Really is all you gotta bro, who both know I have taken way worse beatings than this."Paul smirked I mean he actually smoke and I thought that it would be a gruesome sight. With blood covering his gums and missing teeth. But his body was already healing.

"Let me make this clear of all of you old and new pack member, my laws, my rules are absolute and let this be a example of what happen when you deviate from them." His voice boomed over all of us with authority unlike anything that I ever heard. Each of us nodded our heads and he walked back to the beach where Kim and Emily still were. "You idiot, what were you thinking?"

I watched as Bella walked towards a smiling Paul. Who seemed like he didn't have a care in the world even though he just got the living shit kicked out of him. "Yeah well you know me babe, I can't help but egg the man on. I tested my limit and now I know what they are."

I watched her shake her head sadly as the rest of the pack walked over to him and each of them sighing at his pitful state."Paul, you are shot man, you know that." I looked over to see that Jared who as this sad frown on his face as his eyes wander to the beach. I'm sure that he was thinking about getting back to Kim after that startling sight. "The council should be here so and you are in no shape to be here. Maybe you should head home and get some rest." Paul scoffed at Jared like he was the idiot.

"Oh and disobey oh mighty Sam, yeah, think I will pass on that one." Paul slowly stood taking a few tentative steps before starting over to the beach, we all stood there stunned, he shouldn't even be able to stand let alone walk. This was going to be a weird and long night.