Chapter 14

While he waited for his outgoing call to be answered, Jake held the ringing phone away from his ear and addressed the image of perfection still pressed tightly to his chest. "Paul could have seriously hurt you, Lee. We can't do that again unless there's a leech nearby to direct that rage. He was a loose cannon."

Her kiss-swollen lips parted to fire back in her own defense when they were interrupted by a gruff voice picking up the phone on the other end of the call. The short and direct manner was a force of habit thanks to the man's line of work.

"Chief Swan."

Jake cut straight to the point, "Quil and Bella are here at my place. Don't worry Charlie, everyone is okay. It was a minor accident and Paul just bumped his head," Jake lied through his teeth. He had no idea where Quil or Bella was and he was calling from the middle of the forest, not his living room.

Quil had explained the cover story he had told Charlie to explain their sudden and urgent departure. Jacob couldn't help but be annoyed at his friend and pack brother for picking this lie to tell Charlie. The Chief of Police cared about honesty above all and this fib was going to be a bitch to cover up. A car accident? Whose car was going to have to be sacrificed to fill the blanks in their story. Cars weren't exactly a disposable commodity on the rez. It didn't have to be major damage but still, not something Jake was happy to do to anyone's property just to cover their tracks.

Where was Paul supposedly going? If there was an accident it would have to have taken place on the rez or else Charlie would be suspicious at the lack of police report. Who was supposed to have hit Paul? Whose car would Paul even have been in? Jake swallowed down the bile that choked him for even thinking his next words.

"He was taking the Rabbit into town to get something for my dad when somebody ran a stop sign and hit the front panel. It's just a dent. Paul whacked his head on the window but you know him, his thick skull came in handy." Jake hoped the lame attempt at humor would drag Charlie off course, but the man was a bloodhound. Leah could easily hear both sides of the phone call from Jake's side. Her arms were still wrapped around his waist, her hands absentmindedly playing with the cute dimples on either side of his lower back just above his ass. Neither of them was quite ready to break contact yet.

"Why would Paul be running errands for Billy? And why the hell did you let him drive your car? Was he inebriated? Are you sure Paul wasn't the one to run a stop sign?" Charlie wasn't letting up. Jake knew the story didn't add up but it was all he had. He was finally able to talk the Chief down by ignoring all of his questions and pulling the conversation from Paul to Bella.

"Bells is going to spend the night at my place if that's okay," he asked, knowing Charlie didn't have a say in whether or not Bella was home tonight. Jake, the pack Alpha, didn't have a say in whether or not Bella was home tonight. He knew by the look on Paul's mug that she wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon. And she probably wouldn't be able to walk. Jake could only pray his lie was convincing enough. "Paul has a concussion and we have to keep him awake. She's babying Paul like he got hit by a semi. He's fine. You know the girl, she worries. But he's on the couch and if she needs to sleep, she can have my room."

The resigned sigh from the other end of the phone was all Jake needed to hear to know the lie had worked. They said their goodbyes and Jake looked back to Leah, passing back her cell. At least she was prepared. She was such a better Alpha than him. He didn't even have a stitch of clothing and she had a whole stash of extra clothes and a burner cell hidden in a waterproof bag in a nearby tree. Her voice broke through his self-derisive thoughts like a balm to his soul.

"The Rabbit, Jay? Really?"

He couldn't bear the idea of damaging someone else's vehicle out of selfish desires to keep his baby blemish free. He was a leader after all and he couldn't delegate hardships. He barely drove the thing anyway. Getting around on four paws was more practical and even if he had the time to joyride, he couldn't afford the gas. At least she understood how much the car meant to him. It was the last vestige of his teenage years before he was thrown into adult responsibilities and an impending supernatural war.

But now he had a mate by his side to support him and their pack. He had the rest of his life to show her how much he needed her.

He didn't want to dwell on the fate of his poor car and he had the lovely opportunity for distraction right in his arms. Pulling her face back to his with a hand on the back of her neck, Jake kissed the concerned look right off of Leah's face.

"You know," Leah paused to lick her lips, "the first time you did that, I was really tempted to deck you."

"Wait, really?" Jake panicked until he saw the lazy smile pulling at the corner of her lips. She seemed more than willing the first time they kissed and she definitely seemed to enjoy their kisses now. The contented purr that percolated in her chest seemed like enough evidence for him to fairly jest back. "That bad, huh?"

"No, no, no. Not like that. It was just more out of principle. As Alpha Female I thought I'd want to prove my dominance but my wolf was.."

Jake raised his eyebrows in question when she trailed off. He couldn't tell if she was embarrassed or nervous by whatever she was about to say but the bashful look made his dominant side flair. She tucked her face into his chest and he urged her on with a tickle to her side.

"My wolf was content," she mumbled into his heated skin.

"Damn, right. Your wolf knows who she belongs to." An indignant growl was her only response. Jake knew the warrior that held the spirit of Kaliso was nobody's property, but he was in a jovial mood so he kept up the joking. "Besides, you totally kissed me first."

Predictably, she stood her ground.

"I did no such thing, Jacob Blaー" his lips silenced her and her protests happily melted into lazy kisses. Leah appreciated her wolf more than ever right now. The scrapes on her back and knees were already healed. The soreness from how roughly Jake had taken her was gone before they had even caught their breath.

Languid kisses quickly turned into pawing hands and desperate panting breaths. What would this be? Round 5?

Unfortunately, they didn't have time for this.

"Leah," Jake breathed between kisses, slowing down despite every cell in his body demanding he continue. He placed his hands on either side of Leah's heated face for one last firm kiss. He dragged in a deep breath through his nose to sear the moment into his senses before pulling back from her honeyed taste. His lips still tingled from her touch.

Taking a step back as if to gather his composure from the heavy fog of her presence, Jacob looked her up and down one more time. A wide smile cracked his face in half when he caught her doing the same to him. They were completely comfortable with each other for the first time since she had phased.

The Alpha held his hand out to the woman he trusted with his life. Without hesitation Leah took his offering and took her rightful place at his side. He could walk straight into Hell if this woman was by his side.

"Let's go put a fat dent in my most prized possession, Lee."

XXXXXXXX

Paul's wolf had no patience for the slow pace of his tiny human. Walking hand in hand lasted about three strides into the trees before he simply picked her up and kept a more acceptable clip. Holding her pressed up against his chest bridal style, Paul ran through the trees. Grace and agility beyond humanity made the journey comfortable enough for Bella to ignore the speed that had made her nauseous when Edward had carried her. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and nestled further into his heat.

In these parts of the woods the canopy of trees overhead blocked the moonlight from cutting through. Even in the pitch black night, Bella could see the eyes of her wolf. The lambent gold flames danced in his irises, glowing bright enough to cast shadows over his sharp cheekbones. He was watching his path as he moved effortlessly through the forest, but every few steps those eyes would find her, just to make sure she was really there.

When his pace slowed, Bella wasn't surprised that they were still somewhere in the trees, but she couldn't see anything outside of their little bubble. She guessed that the forest was where he felt most comfortable. She had no idea where he had taken her and it didn't matter. She had come to her wolf willing to lay it all on the line for him so Bella was going to follow his lead. It was her turn to be whatever he needed.

She wasn't entirely sure Paul would understand her if she spoke right now so she kept her insecure rambling to herself and took inventory of her mate. He was all wolf right now, but she could still read the emotions in his face. They flicked across his features like pages of a book. First was the pure rage that she knew was synonymous with the wolf. His hardened features melted into desire and longing for his mate. Then uncertainty furrowed his brow and concern pulled down the corners of his mouth. Wanting to reassure and comfort him, Bella went with the tried and true method she knew was most universal to the wolves. Touch.

Reaching up with slow calculated movements, Bella ran her thumb up the creased confusion between his brows and across his forehead. Her hand came to rest on the side of his face, gently angling him down so she could reach just barely on her tiptoes. The first brush of her lips moved over his unresponsive mouth. She pulled back just enough to see his shining golden eyes and the uncertainty in them that made him look more like a magical puppy than the dangerous beast barely contained in human skin.

"Yours."

The whispered word awoke the beast once again. Her one word consent was all the wolf needed to be uncollared and given free reign. This time it was his mouth moving to meet hers. He moved so quickly it nearly knocked the breath out of her. Paul had her pinned against a tree with her legs wrapped around him before she could even react to his lips. It wasn't a kiss, it was pure hunger. He plundered her mouth with lips and tongue in a practiced dance that she struggled to keep up with. Her hands found purchase in his hair in an attempt to hold herself to Earth. It wasn't gravity, it was Paul that kept her from floating away into space.

Gasping breaths between ravaging kisses kept her from passing out from the onslaught of it all. She knew Paul wasn't in control right now and she was taking everything he gave her. She needed all of him. She needed more.

Digging her nails into his shoulders earned her a growl that brewed deep in his chest. The rumbling in his torso vibrated through her whole being causing delicious sensations in her core, tightly pressed against his abdomen. She tightened her legs around his back petitioning for more. Paul's hands gripped her ass with bruising force, wanting to grind his needy flesh into her. Even with his impressive size, his tip could barely graze her backside in this position.

Their height difference only really became problematic when face to face. In order to line up their sexes, Bella would have to be shifted a considerable way down his body, putting her face somewhere in the area of his sternum. He couldn't kiss her without uncomfortably craning his neck down and even then, it was an awkward angle for making out. In this position it was one or the other and the wolf had clear priorities. He was here to claim his mate and from smell alone the man and the beast could tell she was more than ready.

In swift motions that would have Bella tripping over her own feet if unassisted, Paul had her flipped around and on all fours in only seconds. This wasn't about romancing or playing the part of a suitor. She was already his and the wolf was going to lay claim to what belonged to him the most thorough way the animal knew how.

He couldn't be bothered with getting her undressed, just the bare minimum. He dug his fingers into the back of her yoga pants and panties and split the seam open like it was made of wet tissue paper. A large hand pressing down on her spine directed her to arch her back, allowing him the perfect angle to enter her in one thrust. The growl that tore through the forest sent frightened birds fleeing the trees and electric tingles zapping Bella's every synapse. He paused just long enough for Bella to catch her breath from the pleasured yelp he had pushed out of her.

His fingers wrapped around her delicate shoulder, careful of how much force her human body could withstand. His hips snapped forward with each pull of his hands to meet in the middle with jarring impact. Feral snarls and grunts mixed in the cool night air with Bella's sounds of pleasure and the slapping sound of skin on skin. He was lost to the wolf, but she was right there with him every step of the way.

Bella had waited so long to sleep with Paul initially because she didn't want sex, she wanted to make love. Sleeping with Jacob had been about just losing her virginity with someone she was comfortable with. Edward had made her feel like such a dainty white flower that shouldn't be touched. Plowing through that barrier ーwith Jacob's dickー had been about self-empowerment and being in control of her own body. With her next sexual encounter she wanted passion and tenderness and whispered 'I love you's. She wanted that, but she didn't know she needed this. Rough and desperate. She didn't need foreplay and romancing when just his growl got her soaked.

She could feel the beginnings of an orgasm she knew would be life changing. Monumental. The tingles started down deep in her belly and radiated out her limbs. The crest of pleasure was working it's way up her spine and into the base of her skull. Every thrust pushed her closer and closer to the brink. Her nails dug into the earth below her and her breath came out in horse pants between cries of ecstasy.

The pace increased and she knew he was close too. Paul's large form folded over her body, surrounding her in his nearly suffocating heat. His hands now held her hips steady as he rutted into her desperately. Hot panting breaths against her neck and shoulder only added to the fevered overwhelm of the moment.

A savage growl and the fiercest thrust yet sent Bella sailing into the stars. She didn't register a second of pain as Paul's teeth tore into the slope of her shoulder where it met her neck. He took two gulping swallows of the sharp metallic liquid that flooded his mouth. The wolf relished the taste on his tongue before he licked it clean. Long lapping strokes sealed the wound closed, leaving a pearl string of scars. One for each tooth, four larger ones for each inhuman canine.

Blood loss and pleasure left her spinning. He held her close, their bodies still interlocked, while her mind floated away into the void.

When the shuddering aftershocks of her release subsided to light trembles, Paul shifted his hips just enough for his softening member to pull out from her body with an uncomfortable wet squelch that would have set Bella's cheeks aflame if she was conscious. Even after that rough animalistic coupling in the forest, she would probably still be embarrassed about their bodies natural consequential noises and fluids. Paul didn't even flinch at the sound. The wolf was far from embarassed, proud even, at the thought of his seed filling his mate. Now he just needed to feel her skin against his and monitor her heart rate. The wolf was unconcerned with his mate's lifeless form as long as her heart beat steadily in her chest and air moved in and out of her lungs.

With the gentlest touch and not a word, Paul's wolf removed what was left of Bella's clothes. Her yoga pants were useless. The waistband was the only thing holding the two halves together where he had ripped the crotch open in desperate need to get to her core. Her tank top was mostly intact, only one shoulder ripped open from where his mouth was desperate to get to her flesh. He pressed kisses to her shoulder where a bruise was already forming from the pressure of him snapping the fabric open. Paul, the man, would be disgusted with himself for putting bruises on her delicate body, but the wolf was unconcerned. His mate was strong.

Cradling her to his chest where she fit like a puzzle piece, Paul sank to the forest floor. The sensation of his naked body curled protectively around hers was all he needed. He would forsake food and water if he could sustain himself from the electric feeling of her milky skin against his.

It took several minutes for Bella's racing heart to slow down to an even tempo. Each thump of her pulse brought Paul closer to the surface of awareness. Like the clicking of a fishing line being reeled in slowly. The daze cleared like he was looking up from the ocean floor, raising closer to the surface, breaking through with a gasp.

Paul would have panicked if the sudden inhale hadn't been heavily dosed with the scent of mate and their combined sex. It was the grounding sensation that allowed him to pause long enough to take inventory of his other senses. It was a technique Quil's mom had taught him to overcome panic attacks and bouts of rage when he first phased, mentally going through the five senses like a checklist.

Smell. He could smell Bella.

Sound. He could hear small animals in the trees and the faint sound of a large animal running. One of his pack brothers was running patrol.

Touch. He could feel Bella's small form curled against him. There was a stick poking him in the thigh and Bella's hair was tickling his nose.

Sight. He could see the stars shining through the thick tree cover above them. His wolf senses allowed him to see through the darkness to the surrounding trees.

Taste. He could taste...what the fuck. Every square millimeter of his mouth tasted like blood. The taste matched the scent perfectly. Bella's blood.

Now was the time to panic. His mental inventory of his senses started over once again, not to calm himself, but to investigate. He could smell Bella's fear and lust. He could hear her deep even breathing but she wasn't just asleep, she was seriously out cold. He could feel the layer of grime on his skin from being in wolf form for days now. This was the first time he'd been in his human skin since what...Wednesday? He could see...

He could see a ring of scars on the side of her neck, just where it meets her shoulder. Not that he went around biting shit, but he knew without a doubt that those were his teeth marks.

What. The. Fuck.

Sam has talked about marking. There was a legend Billy told occasionally that covered this but in a really vague, unhelpful way. Like most of the oral history regarding the wolves. One of Kaliso's pack mates marked their imprint. Something about a stronger bond. Wasn't an imprint enough?

Oh god. How could he hurt her like this? He could smell the sex on them both, but he did not remember anything. Surely he would remember something monumental such as marking his imprint in the throes of passion. Last time they were together, she had freaked out and ran away from him. She didn't want him. And now he had taken her and brutally mounted her like an animal. Was it possible that he had just raped his imprint?

Paul frantically scrambled away from her and threw up bile and her blood into the leaves and dirt.

Last thing he remembered was… trying to bite Leah's head off. Great. Not only was he a rapist, he was potentially a murderer. She was fine, right? She was an Alpha. Leah had to be fine. As sorry as he felt he was way more concerned about Bella right now. Jake would have killed him already if Leah wasn't okay so he needed to focus his attention where it was needed most.

On the bloodied, naked girl he had left on the forest floor.

Oh god, she must be freezing. He hurried back to gather her still unconscious form into his arms. What now? His feet were already carrying them towards his home. He was supposed to be taking care of her and this is what he had done? Self-loathing was not an unfamiliar feeling for Paul but this was a new depth of repugnance.

His body had been on auto-pilot. Or more accurately, wolf-pilot. Now he needed to take the reins and care for her the way his other form was incapable of. He didn't turn on a single light as he entered his home. Paul could see just fine in the dark and he didn't want to witness what he had done to her more clearly than necessary.

His first stop was the shower. Still clutching her to his chest, he stepped into the tepid water. Anything that felt warm to wolf temperatures would scald her precious petal skin. When most of the grime had been rinsed off, he plugged the tub and set her down ever so gently. Maybe this way he could at least get her own blood out of her hair. He knew she hated the smell of blood.

Paul had not been home in days. He could smell moldy bread in his kitchen all the way from the bathroom. Last time he was here, he was preparing for when Bella would come back to him. There were fresh sheets on the bed and some of her favorite foods in the fridge. He had cleaned and prepared his home for her.

But that was days ago. Now there was moldy bread and a stale unslept in bed waiting for her. If she was half as smart as Paul knew she was, she would run. Again. He couldn't care for her. He couldn't provide for her.

He had ra-

He couldn't even think that word.

He deserved to endure the lowest circle of Hell for eternity.

Taking care of her now wasn't to redeem himself. This was the least he could do until she came to and ran away, never looking back. He gingerly lifted her bruised and battered body from the bath, wrapping her in a clean towel. He didn't want to try and dress her so he set her down on the bed still wrapped in the towel. He squeezed the water from her dripping waves as best he could without jostling her.

He was going to leave her here to sleep while he found something to eat, but a cool hand darted out as he pulled away from her.

"Paul."

It was just a whisper, but the death grip on his forearm said more than she could. A quick assessing glace confirmed she was still asleep. Her unconscious mind still recognized the imprint. She didn't know what kind of monster he was yet and she still wanted comfort. He could do that if it helped. Pulling shorts over his hips so he wasn't naked when she woke up, he climbed into the bed next to her. He wanted more than anything to cradle her to his chest and kiss over that pearl string of scars, but he couldn't. He didn't deserve comfort. He was only here to help calm her. Calm her until she woke up and realized how abhorrent he was.

He would just close his eyes for a minute. He was so, so tired.

Just for a minute.

XXXXXXXXXX

Every cell in her body begged her to stay asleep. She had never been more comfortable than here in the dirt and leaves in Paul's arms. But she couldn't sleep right now, they needed to talk. Every movement felt like a great feat. Her sated body was weighed down with cinder blocks, begging her to give in and rest. She shifted her weight up onto an elbow so she could look up at her sleeping lover's face.

That's when she realized they were no longer in the woods. They were in a bed. She had a kind of scratchy towel tucked around her. She could feel her damp hair around her shoulders. She hated going to bed with wet hair. It always dried weird. But she would gladly deal with that because she was waking up next to Paul. She was a little concerned with how they had gotten here because she couldn't remember anything after… that. At the memory her cheeks reddened so swiftly she was surprised they weren't glowing ruby in the dark room.

She could just make out Paul's shape laying on his back next to her. She was curdled into his side with a hand on his chest, propped up so she could see his face. As her eyes adjusted to the dark she could see how distressed he looked, even in sleep. He twitched and she hoped she hadn't woken him up. He looked like he needed the rest.

But Paul could feel her eyes on him. He fought to open thousand-pound eyelids and meet her gaze. Much to her relief, his eyes were back to their normal dark captivating shade. Her Paul was back. When he didn't say anything, she blurted the words she had been dying to tell him.

"I'm sorry."

When he didn't immediately respond, she began to panic. Bella's ability to worry so profoundly was an integral part of her personality thanks to the deep self-doubt and insecurity left behind in the wake of That Asshole. Now wasn't the time to think about Twatward or the time to nervously babble because Paul hadn't leaped to reassure her. She owed him the time and patience to sort out his feelings beforehand. Maybe he wasn't ready to forgive her. Maybe he didn't even want her back, this was just the wolf taking what it needed? Maybe now that Paul was back to his senses he was disgusted with the wolf's actions and was trying to figure out the best way to tell her to fuck off?

That last theory was starting to feel right when Paul pushed her up and away into a seated position. She tucked her knees under her and wrapped her arms across her torso, suddenly very aware of her near nudity. He sat up as well, crossing his ankles in front of him and resting his forearms across his raised knees. His clasped hands still fidgeted, giving away his restless mind.

Those fidgeting hands were the spark of hope in a dark forest of doubt. He was thinking. He wasn't dismissing her right away because he was still mulling it over.

Paul was in fact carefully planning his words before he spoke. He had woken up on the forest floor with his imprint in his arms and the heavy scent of sex surrounding them like a fog. The memories of the whole evening were like a dream he vaguely remembered. Paul was more afraid and disgusted of himself than mad at her for running away.

Licking his lips to pause just a moment longer, he finally spoke, "You have nothing to be sorry for. I forgive you, Princess. I'll always forgive you. I'm the one that needs to say s-sorry." Paul uncharacteristically choked and sputtered around his words.

Bella's brow furrowed in confusion. He had nothing to be sorry for. She opened her mouth to protest but he silenced her with a finger on her lips before continuing.

"I'll never forgive myself for my actions. I can't blame the wolf. I should have had control. I h-hurt you. I'm so sorry, Bella. You have every right to hate me after I.. After I rapー"

This time it was her fingers pressing against his lips to silence him. She didn't even want the words leaving his mouth. She understood how he interpreted their activities earlier in the night.

"No, Paul. That's not what happened at all. Do you not remember? I know it was more the wolf than you, but I hope you remember because it was...fucking awesome."

Paul blew an amused huff of air out of his nose despite his inner torment. For someone who was usually much better with words, Bella saying "fucking awesome" was perfect. Except it wasn't awesome. He quickly sobered to correct her.

"Bella, I hurt you." He reached out to the scar on her neck, his fingering hovering over the raised bumps where his teeth had marred her flesh. Touching it would make it real and he was afraid.

But Bella wasn't afraid. It was her turn to be strong and take what she needed. For both of them. She straightened her back, lifting her shoulders into the touch of his tentative fingers. Together they gasped at the sensation of delectable flames licking down their bodies like a wildfire of pleasure. Paul pulled his hand away with a jerk as if he had actually been burned.

"Holy shit," Paul breathed under his breath, flicking his gaze between his hand and the mark on her neck now covered by Bella's own hand.

"Well, that's new," Bella mused, trying to break the tension. Clearly Paul was torturing himself over their rough coupling, so far as to think he had forced her. She needed him to understand she had been a more than willing participant. And if whatever this was had been a result of that, it couldn't possibly be a bad thing.

"Paul, I came to you last night. I told you I was yours. I told the wolf." She desperately searched his eyes for understanding. She needed him to believe this. "I'm not going anywhere, Paul. Never again. I'm so sorry I ran last time. It wasn't about the sex, it was everything the commitment represented. The imprint scares me. I want you to be able to be mad at me. You should be angry with how selfish I was!"

He gently took her hands in his. He was a little worried that their every touch would be the same fire. As perfect and pleasurable as it had been, it wasn't exactly practical for a serious conversation. "I don't have to be angry with you. I've got enough to be angry about. You needed time and that's okay. It sucked though. Maybe we can find a better way to figure things out other than space? Please don't put me through that again." He didn't want to tell her that he had been a wolf for three days now. He couldn't have phased human even if he wanted to and his lack of control was embarrassing. He didn't want her pity.

"I don't need time or space. I'm here for the long haul. It's a little intimidating, the whole imprint. I'm afraid to lose my individuality like I did before." She didn't need to clarify, he knew she was talking about that leech.

"I won't let that happen. I want to encourage you and support you however you need. After this," he indicated the mark with a nod of his head, not wanting to touch it again, "you're tied to me more than ever, Bella. This is way more permanent than any bracelet, wedding ring, or promise."

Her eyes stung with tears at the reminder of his bracelet that he had hand made for her and she had literally thrown back in his face. God, she was such a selfish bitch.

"Do you still have it?" She whispered, looking down at her bare wrist in an attempt to hide her tears. But he could still smell the salt. When he didn't respond, she clarified. "The bracelet."

In a blur of movement, Paul had vaulted off of the bed and was back in a flash. He was kneeling beside the bed, offering in hand. His face was a mixture of heartbreak and hope but he still didn't say a word as she held her wrist out for him with a smile. She had given her body to the wolf, but here she was, giving her future to the man.

They still had a lot to discuss. They had futures to plan and more apologies to give, but now they had their whole lives to figure it out. Bella felt like she would never be able to atone for her selfish reaction last week. Paul still felt horrible for the way he had handled her body without the care and tenderness she deserved. He could start making up for that right now.

Tying the bracelet off, Paul kissed the knot that promised their future. He continued the trail of kisses up her arm, slowly climbing over her on the bed. He leaned her back onto the sheets, continuing the kisses over her collar bone and finally up to the spot they both wanted the most.

When his lips covered the string of scars, lightning and fireworks flashed behind their closed eyelids, sending electricity through both of their bodies and groans of pleasure erupting from their very souls. In that moment, all that existed was the ecstasy they could pull from each other's bodies. Paul meticulously covered every inch he could reach, inside and out, with his scent. He showed her just how tender he could be until daylight broke.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Maybe if she checked the fridge a fifth time, food would have magically appeared since the last time she checked thirty seconds ago. It had not.

Ateara General was just down the street but since Quil's mom left for the Makah rez, the pack had avoided the place on principle. They didn't want to support Old Quil and his homophobia even if he was on the council.

Leah paced her kitchen and dreamed of better days where her stomach didn't require a blood sacrifice every two hours just to stay sane. Their appetites had to be neverending in order to provide energy for the shift but still? Her brain hurt whenever she tried to apply logic and her basic knowledge of physics to what her body was now capable of doing. Magic was the only explanation.

Regardless of how impossible it should be, she was still going to be starving to death in her own kitchen if she didn't suck it up and go to Ateara General. Emily always had food ready when Sam got back from pack shit. That was unfair. Her parents were just as busy as she was with jobs and council duties and her mate couldn't cook to save his life.

She chuckled to herself as she stepped out of her front door into the light mist. She could just picture Jake in a frilly apron and holding a tin of muffins. Those fucking muffins.

Jake was running a perimeter and then they were both meeting with the elders regarding Paul. She had just enough time to get back from the store and eat an entire box of cereal before he would be back.

Even though the walk took less than five minutes, by the time she reached the store her hair was soaked. In an attempt to cover the display of hickies Jake had left ーwhy couldn't those heal like everything else?ー she had worn a baggy sweatshirt and jogging shorts instead of her usual dress. Her tits would be out for ogling if she had been in one of her cotton dresses, wet and clinging to her skin. She could hear what sounded like two boys on the other side of the store and they didn't need a wet t-shirt display.

They must have seen her come in because she could hear them talking about her in hushed tones from the candy isle. Thanks to her wolfy ears she got to hear Collin Littlesea and Brady Fuller whisper about how hot she was "even though she was practically a she-hulk". One of them whispered back, "seriously, what kind of girl has muscles like that?" Great.

The Rez was a small place. Everyone knew everyone and she knew these twerps were trouble makers. Leah had babysat them a few times when they were younger, but that was a long time ago. They must have been in 8th or 9th grade by now. Still just kids.

When those two "kids" rounded the corner to the cereal aisle, Leah dropped her off brand Froot Loops. They were trying to look anywhere but at her in such close proximity, giving her the opportunity to openly gape at the two hulking giants these boys had become. Instantly and without a doubt, she knew they would phase. They were both taller than her now and covered head to toe in unnatural muscle. They were, what.. Thirteen? If she had to guess, they were one stubbed toe away from exploding into fur.

This was not happening. They already had eight! What did they need ten shifters for? Collin and Brady were barely teenagers and their lives were about to upended and thrown into insanity. They were merely boys. What was coming that required children to be recruited into a supernatural war?

She briskly paid for her items and ran home. She needed to talk to Jake and the council. Probably the rest of the pack too. Someone needed to keep an eye on those two before they tore someone's head off by accident. Too much was happening at once.

A familiar sound drew louder with every step towards her back door. With it, a sense of calm overcame the panic. Jacob. Jacob's steady, strong heartbeat. He was early. He was waiting for her. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she enjoyed the tingle that ran through her bones at his proximity.

Not everything is shit, Leah reminded herself.

Revised 10/13/2020