Chapter 15

The tribal council sat behind a large official-looking desk/table thing and Jake idally wondered if it had a name. The piece of furniture was hand carved by Billy himself back when William Black Sr. sat at the head of this council. Intricate wolves were expertly detailed into the front wood paneling, staring down whoever was unfortunate enough to be facing the tribal elders in such an official capacity. Maintaining eye contact with the eerily familiar wolf in the center of the carving was the only thing keeping his ass in that chair.

Deep breaths. Slow inhale. Slow exhale.

Each inhale reminded him of his mate next to him, but Leah's equally bristling anger coming off of her in waves was only ramping up Jacob's own tension. Old Quil's offensive geriatric smell and outright hostility didn't help his composure either. The meeting had started with warning the council of Brady Fuller and Collin Littlesea's imminent phase but the next topic on the agenda had gotten as far as "Paul will make an amazing second," before Old Quil began his tirade.

Billy wisely remained silent, recognizing his son's imminent phase if Old Quil didn't shut his trap. Soon. Billy was only letting him talk to give the old man every opportunity to shove his foot further into his own mouth. The Chief was hoping they'd have enough cause to remove him from the council soon. As long as young Quil was willing to take his place as the representative of the Ateara family. In the meantime, they would have to put up with Quil Ateara III's rambling bigotry.

"What makes you think that miscreant could hold a position of leadership? The position belonged to the Cameron boy before this child became Alpha. Sam Uley wouldn't tolerate this kind of nonsense in his pack. This is just another choice further proving your lack of authority over your wolves. Just like every time those two debauched, lost souls are seen embracing in public. Between them and Paul, your leadership should be drawn into question. Clearly, your judgement is skewed based on the rest of your wolves' allowed behavior and your methods of discipline. Running two patrol shifts every day is clearly an unjust punishment for such a fine young man. And for what? How can you think this is fair?"

Jake couldn't help the derisive snort of laughter. Who did this old man think he was? Obviously not all of the other council members agreed, but he was their elder. As Chief, only Billy had the authority to reign in Old Quil and the Alpha pair hoped he had a reason for letting this rant continue.

Harry Clearwater did not appreciate the tone this man was taking with his daughter. Every word brought a deeper shade of red into his face and Leah mused to herself that Harry would have made one hell of a wolf if their generation had phased. The fourth council member, Adam Fuller, looked like he wasn't sure if he agreed with Old Quil or not. He was probably more concerned about hearing that his son was going to be joining the supernatural ranks. Jake was not concerned with Mr. Fuller's opinion either way. The man had the constitution of a wet noodle and a matching backbone. Leah hoped his son had more moral integrity and grit than his father.

The fifth and final council member was most likely the source of Old Quil's misinformation: Catherine Cameron. Her husband was a descendant of the Black family but Mrs. Cameron was the eldest living descendant of the Uley line. She was Sam's grandmother's sister's kid. Or something like that. More importantly, she was Jared Cameron's mother.

Sam should have stepped up and taken her seat on the council when he had a chance. As Alpha, the position was offered, but he had so much going on at the time that he declined. Leah groaned and mentally added this to the long list of faults to forgive Sam for, because Mrs. Cameron was making their lives more difficult than they already were. The Alphas had come to the council as a favor to them to keep them informed of pack updates. They were going to discuss the progression of their attempts to overcome Laurent's ability and Leah had wanted to tell them about Collin and Brady's imminent phasings.

Instead they were getting a lecture about their mistreatment of their pack's most important member, the disgrace of the continued relationship between two male wolves, and the out of control Paul Lahote. Billy had heard nearly the same stream of complaints from the old man every time they crossed paths and Billy was beginning to wonder if the elder practiced in the mirror.

"You two are responsible for each and every one of those boys. The lack of control over your pack members demonstrates your inability to lead. If you can't discipline them, we will be forced to step in and take action where you two are lacking!"

This time, his bark of laughter could not be contained. Jacob decided he had let this decrepit bag of bones speak long enough. Pushing his chair back roughly as he stood, he continued to laugh bitterly.

"I'd love to see you march out into those trees and shake your fist at a pack of wolves that are itching for an excuse to have your head."

Old Quil visibly flinched at the blatant threat. Before he could open his mouth again Jacob continued.

"Sam Uley supports Embry and Quil. Your grandson. We will defend — however we see fit — their right to love. And I shouldn't have to remind you that the spirits blessed their relationship with an imprint. But that is not what we came here to discuss with the council today. Jared's insubordination and disrespect was dealt with as his Alphas saw fit. Paul Lahote will be our Second. Jared will continue to be punished if the offending behavior is continued."

"But Jared was attacked! Where is Paul's punishment?" Old Quil interrupted. Mrs. Catherine crossed her arms and squared her shoulders as if the accusation was an ironclad win for their side.

"We are wolves and wolves will protect their mate. To the death if necessary. Jared is lucky to still be breathing," Leah spoke with careful words. She usually left council meetings to Jake, but she could see how hard he was trying to maintain his control.

"All because he's the only pack member with any sense of right and wrong," Mrs. Cameron muttered more to herself than anything else. The room heard it just the same.

"ENOUGH."

Billy Black had pushed up out of his wheelchair, supporting most of his weight on his arms on the heavy wooden table with shaky legs under him. Not for one second did it take away from the authority and power radiating from the Chief.

"I have let this go on long enough. We are not a Christian nation. Those particular values," he sneered the word, "we're brought by white men. Quiluetes never considered homosexuality a sin, as you call it, until settlers indoctrinated our people, just like many other native tribes. We were gathered to discuss a change in ranks, not the validity of the boys' imprint. Paul Lahote will be Second, should he choose to accept. Our Alphas have spoken."

The statement was punctuated with a hand slapping the table with the same finality of a gavel. Anyone who dared speak after the Chief would be a fool. Billy sat back in his chair with a groan and shaky arms. It took everything in Jacob not to run up and help his father or just make sure he was okay, but Jacob knew in the moment Billy wouldn't want to seem weak. He was a strong man, Jacob knew, but he would make sure to check in on him and thank him later today.

Paul waited in the trees outside of the meeting hall. He could hear the raised voices of the meeting from his position, but he tried to focus on anything else. Hearing his Alphas' unflappable defense of his character was deeply uncomfortable for Paul. He knew they were meeting with the council this morning so he had come to apologize to Leah and debrief what the hell happened last night. Bella had told her version of the events, but there were still large chunks of his evening missing from his memory.

He wasn't prepared to overhear their plans to make him their Second. Beta. A position of leadership. Sam had joked about Paul making a good beta, but he had never thought about it seriously. He was glad he had heard it from the trees instead of being caught off guard by the Alpha pair when they asked him. He needed the time to process and temper his reaction. Panicking in front of Mr. and Mrs. Alpha Wolf was not going to help his fragile state right now.

He backed further into the trees when he could hear people leaving the meeting hall. The slight squeak of Billy's chair was his cue to jog out of the trees to make it seem like he just got there. Thankfully, it seemed to have worked because Billy and Jake both greeted him with surprise.

"Paul!" Jake called out with a wave. "Good to see you're looking more yourself today."

He wasn't sure if that was a dig at him not being able to phase human for three days or genuine concern. Either made him uncomfortable so he just shrugged and offered a hand to greet Billy. When he went to shake Jake's hand next, his Alpha pulled him into a bone crushing hug instead. Paul just froze and coughed to cover his wolf's rumble of contentment. Being acknowledged and praised by an Alpha meant a lot to the wolf. Coupled with the lupine need for touch, his wolf was happier than a pig in mud.

Leah stepped out from behind Billy's chair where she was pushing him and reached out to hug him too. It seemed like a very un-Leah-like gesture, but he was much less hesitant to return the embrace. This time he couldn't contain the gravely hum of contentment and Leah laughed. Jake had unintentionally defaulted to "main" Alpha in most of the pack's mind, but she didn't miss the reverence they all held for her. She wasn't quite sure what it meant or why they acted like that, but she felt the pride of the spirit of Kaliso swell in her chest whenever the pack showed this slight preference to her position as Alpha. Even if they weren't aware they were doing it.

Paul surprised them both by placing a kiss at her temple as they pulled back from the hug. He wasn't thinking, he wasn't even sure why he did it. The mental image of kissing toyalty's ring flashed across his mind and Paul suppressed a chuckle.

"Hey, keep your lips off my girl, Lahote," Jake reprimanded, only half kidding.

"Your girl?" Billy and Paul asked at the same time. Leah couldn't hide her smile when she reached out to take her mate's hand. Jake wasn't satisfied with just her hand and pulled her to him, spinning her so her back was to his chest. His arms snaked around her middle and he ducked down to nuzzle where his face fit perfectly into the crook of her neck. She was the perfect height.

"Finally, the Alpha pair," Billy beamed with pride.

"Yeah he finally sacked up and —" Paul was cut off with Leah's fist in his gut.

"I'll leave you wolves to it," Billy called over his shoulder, already wheeling away as not to be collateral damage when a fight broke out. Any gathering of shifters had about a 50/50 chance of becoming a brawl and Billy knew it.

Paul laughed it off when he caught his breath again, "You guys know I'm happy for you. This should have happened months ago."

Not wanting to discuss anything mushy or emotional, Leah swiftly changed the subject, "Well that's not what we were discussing with the council. We would like for you to be our Second. Beta, if you will. There's nothing written about how these things were made official in previous packs."

Defaulting to sarcasm Paul cut in, "Do I get like a knighting ceremony or something? I definitely want a sword to be involved."

"Yeah, I'll use it to chop off your nuts if you don't take this seriously, Lahote," Jake stepped in. Paul's eyes shot to the ground and took a step back, subtly baring his neck with a tip of his head to the side.

Speaking to the ground, Paul spoke with clear, earnest words, "I accept."

Appreciating the sincerity, Jake made a suggestion. "Let's see if your wolf recognizes the authority. Quil took over Jared's patrol this morning, you should be able to give him a minor order even through the pack mind."

The three of them jogged into the trees far enough to be out of sight to phase. It felt so good to feel in control of his wolf again as Paul seamlessly transformed into his grey fur. He had felt strung out and out of control while he was stuck in this form before. Now he was free to enjoy the speed and his lithe movements around the trees. Taking in the smells and sounds of the forest, Paul hummed appreciatively.

Paul?!

He was snapped out of his daydreams by Leah's panicked voice in his mind.

What?

Where the fuck did you go? We couldn't hear you. Did you lose it again?

No? I was just looking for Quil so I could make him tap dance or something. Paul had no clue what she was talking about, but he was instantly jumping to conclusions about what could be wrong with his wolf. Quil's indignation cut through the panic.

Why the fuck does Paul think he's gonna make me do anything?

Leah wasn't second guessing their decision yet, but Paul sure wasn't making a great first impression at the moment. We've officially asked him to be our Second.

Yeah, bitch. What's got your panties in a twist? Paul asked.

The pack mind betrayed him when Quil couldn't help remembering why his ass was so sore, putting him in a pretty sour mood.

Paul's barking laughter easily eclipsed Quil's embarrassment. Embry must have really pounded you into the mattress if your wolf healing hasn't fixed that yet. Was it a one time deal or —

Paul's taunt's cut out of everyone's minds and Jake assumed he had phased human. Quickly following the grey wolf's trail, he caught up to a surprisingly lupine Paul, rolling around on the forest floor like he was laughing himself breathless.

—the Alpha in your relationship anymore. Paul's voice cut back in mid-sentence. What the fuck? Confusion was the general consensus between the phased wolves. Quil was still running the perimeter, but he could see through his Alpha's eyes that Paul hadn't phased out. His thoughts were just flickering in and out.

Leah stepped up to the grey wolf, tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth, and nudged him with her nose like she might do to a pup. Can you hear us?

Of course I ca—

The Alphas turned to each other, a concerned whine from Jake before Leah speculated. It's like last night. He went feral and we couldn't hear him anymore.

Jake jumped in. But he's completely in control now. He's just slipping in and out of our heads. It's like he's blocking us. But...unintentionally? And inconsistently.

What are you guys talking about? Paul demanded. I can hear you all just fine. What do you mean you can't hear me?

Maybe your wolf is defective. Quil sniped, still grumpy about Paul's jeers. What he had shared with Embry had been special and yeah, his ass was sore, but it was still early. He had just started patrol and Embry had made him come without even touching his dick less than an hour ago. So, yeah his ass was sore. Bite me. Quil thought when he realized they had probably just heard all of that too. Fucking mindreading.

Quil, shut up. Maybe I will bite you. Paul argued.

When Quil couldn't respond, Leah let out a sigh of relief that at least something was going right. At least we know the beta order works. It's easier to break than one of our commands though. If you abuse this power, I will not hesitate to knock your ass down to omega. I'm sure Seth's tired of being the default omega wolf in the pack.

Won't be for long now, Jake thought, Brady and Collin will be the newest pups soon and Seth won't be the baby of the pack anymore.

The Alphas and their new Second left Quil to finish his patrol shift. Paul couldn't explain why they couldn't hear him. His mind was all over the place worrying about Bella and now this. He phased back to get out of everyone's head. Especially his own. Paul was heading in the direction of his house, determined to get back to his girl, but Jake and Leah weren't done with him yet.

"Come on, Paul. We have to figure out why we couldn't hear you," Jake stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't like you were trying to cover your thoughts, you were just completely dark when you cut out."

"I don't think it has to do with becoming Second because it took some practice for Jake and I to be able to block our thoughts completely and you weren't even trying," Leah mused with a touch of awe in her tone.

"I don't know guys," Paul put his hands up defensively. "I'm not doing anything different. I really need to get back to Bella. I need to take care of her." The last words came out as a mumble, but they didn't slip past Jake who immediately jumped to conclusions.

"What the fuck did you do to her, Lahote?"

"She's fine."

"You're lying," Jake growled through his teeth. He didn't like ordering his wolves, especially when privacy was so rare these days as it was, but he would if he had to. This was about his Bells, his best friend.

"I...I marked her last night. It's already healed over, like how we heal. And I have no clue why I did it." Paul's voice shook uncharacteristically. He sounded scared. Of himself.

Leah immediately understood the significance of the gesture. It wasn't mentioned much in the written legends, pretty much only referenced in warning. It was said to increase the imprint bond and share some of the supernatural advantages of being a shifter. Like how Bella had already healed. The legends briefly explained it changed the imprintee, but there was nothing written about how it changed the wolf.

"Paul! You marked her!?"

"I know, Leah. I know. I didn't mean to. Can we please talk later? I need to get to her."

Leah and Jake shared a quick look before she gave their new Second the slightest nod to dismiss him. They could figure this out later. For now, he was in control and the Alpha pair weren't worried about him hurting Bella.

Her steady, calm heartbeat and deep even breaths indicated Bella was still asleep when Paul returned home. He must have really done a number on her last night. The smirk that accompanied that thought dropped off his face when he remembered the first part of the night. She said she hadn't been hurt, but one look at the angry looking bite mark on her neck said otherwise. She began to stir and Paul wondered if she felt his presence now the way he'd been able to feel hers since he imprinted.

Bella knew her mate was back when warmth and comfort wrapped around her like the world's softest blanket. Much to her pleasure, that feeling was closely followed by being wrapped in the world's best arms. Hot breath over her ear made her shiver in delight.

"Rise and shine, Princess. We're going to the diner. Get your cute little booty dressed. I actually have to go to work today and I want to take you to breakfast first."

"I can just make some breakfast here?"

"Nope, we're celebrating!" Paul planted a smacking kiss on her lips before digging through his things to find something for her to wear. The tatters of her clothing were probably scattered wherever his wolf had left them and if he was lucky, some of his pre-phase clothes would work for now.

"Celebrating?" Bella repeated, trying to work her fingers through her tangled mass of hair. This is why she didn't sleep on wet hair.

"Well, we're practically married after that," Paul indicated the mark with a nod of his head. "According to ancient tribal law, at least. So we're taking our honeymoon at the diner. Hey, if we're married now, why don't you live with me?"

Relieved that he wasn't beating himself up over the mark anymore, or at least not outwardly, Bella answered just as playfully. "How about I graduate high school first, husband of mine. Only like a month away." Deftly changing the subject as not to give him room to argue, Bella asked, "If we went on a real honeymoon, where would you want to go?"

Bella pulled on the clothes he threw at her while he seemed to mull over the question seriously. She followed him out the front door in an old pair of sweats and a hoodie that looked so small, Paul guessed they hadn't fit him since elementary school. Of course, it was still comically large on Bella, the sleeves having to be rolled twice for her tiny pale hands to be seen. But it smelled like Paul and she was so comfy she didn't care how much she looked like a bag lady.

On their way to the diner they continued to plan their hypothetical honeymoon that they would never be able to afford in a million years—somewhere tropical with an endless buffet and drink service on a private beach. Paul then told her all about his promotion and the meeting he overheard with the council. Bella was disgusted by the bigotry of the older council members and embarrassingly proud of Paul for being chosen as Second. He didn't take praise well and Bella's insistent compliments made him cringe. It only made Bella more determined to compliment him every day for the rest of their lives.

Finishing his second plate of hash browns, bacon, and eggs, Paul wrapped up his retelling of events with, "At least as Second, I can order Quil and Embry to stop thinking about their bedroom activities on patrol." He kind of trailed off towards the end with a smug smile around his mouthful of breakfast, thinking of how he was going to get revenge for the number of times he'd seen too much of his pack brothers. Paul never talked this much but with the distraction of food and the comfort of mate, words were just tumbling out of his mouth. He wasn't used to having someone to talk to and Bella didn't mind. She could listen to his wonderful voice all day. He seemed to be done with his story so Bella just sat and watched her boyfriend, happy to be back on solid ground with him. One hand idly swirled a spoon in her coffee while the other absentmindedly traced the already healed over scar where her shoulder meets her neck.

Paul looked up from his now empty plate and his eyes stuck like magnets to his mark. He wanted to talk about it, tell her about it, but he didn't know where to start.

"You're not mad?"

"Should I be? I don't understand what it is or why you did it, but after the way it felt with round two, it can't be a bad thing. It's like an orgasm button, Paul." He barked out a laugh, impressed with her casual bluntness. Paul didn't need a special button to make his girl feel good, he knew how to work the one she already had just right. But this was important and he snapped back to serious so fast it startled Bella.

"The mark is the wolf's claim on you. It's supposed to make the imprinting bond stronger. You can't have children with anyone else. You'll smell like me no matter how long it's been since we've.. uh.. been together. Legends say we'll feel each other's emotions more vividly. And of course the whole.." at a loss for words more serious than "orgasm button", Paul instead reached out and ever so gently traced the ring of raised scars. Bella was embarrassed for the noise that escaped her in the middle of the diner. She tried to cover her groan with a cough which only brought a proud smile on Paul's face, despite the demeanor he was trying to keep.

Shaking off the near orgasm she just had in public, Bella changed course. "Ok, so that's how it affects me, but does it change anything for you?"

Other than feeling deep shame, only one thing had changed for Paul since last night. He didn't have to think long on it. It had been bothering him since Jake and Leah asked about it earlier.

"The pack couldn't hear me. It's like I was blocking them. And not intentionally. It wasn't like when the wolf took over and I was running on instinct. I was still me, but completely silent to them. I don't know what it means."

Bella seemed to think for a minute, humming thoughtfully before speaking.

"It's kind of like how Edward couldn't read my mind." A mental thank god was tacked onto the end of that statement. She tapped her temple with one finger, "He called me a shield. What a lame superpower, right? Maybe you sucked it out of me," Bella laughed pointing to her neck. She was forever grateful for her mental block whenever she thought about the potentially embarrassing consequences of the pack mind. Or dating a mind violator.

"Holy shit," Paul hissed under his breath. She was kidding, but weirder things had happened before. The mark was all about passing some of his abilities to her. Healing, feeling more connected to his wolf and the pack. Leah had mentioned that Bella could now be Alpha ordered and held the same rank as her imprinter in the pack. Paul idly wondered if Bella could give beta orders now too, but that wasn't important right now.

Did it go both ways? Did she receive healing and wolfy vibes, giving him her shield in return? Ever the strategist, Paul ran through the tactical advantages and disadvantages of his new ability if he could properly control it. If he could close off his mind….he wouldn't have to relinquish control to the wolf in order to block out Laurent's influence if that's how it worked. This was a game changer.

If he had any clue where Laurent was, he'd go hunt him down right this second. The sneaky fucker hadn't been seen in a few weeks now and the pack couldn't track down where he hid out between his visits. His trail usually got lost in the snow in Canada.

"Earth to Paul," Bella laughed and waved a hand in front of his blank face. "Where'd you go?"

Clearing his throat and shaking his head clear, he snapped his attention back to his world.

"Nowhere. I'm going nowhere." And that was an oath.

Paul had to work today, unfortunately. He had already missed so much these past few days and there was only so much Sam or Jared could cover for him before Mr. Cameron wouldn't welcome him back. If his boss knew how close Paul actually came to killing the man's only son, he probably wouldn't let Paul within a mile of his business. But he needed the job and Sam had saved his ass. Again. So Quil and Embry were on Bella duty in Paul's stead.

Official Bella patrols weren't scheduled, but Paul wasn't about to let his newly marked imprint go anywhere without a supernatural escort. No offense to Charlie, but his Glock 22 wasn't exactly a match for a leech. She didn't have school today, it was Saturday, so Quil and Embry were to indulge her and do what she wantedㅡhis second ever beta order.

The group's first stop was the Swan house. Bella owed Charlie an explanation. Bella wasn't looking forward to explaining why she was in Paul's clothes. Charlie always knew when she was lying. It took less than a minute for Charlie to sniff out the guilt in the room.

"I didn't even hear from you guys! Jake was the one who finally called me to say you two wouldn't be home. I can see why Bella stayed with Paul if he got a concussion and had to stay awake, but you mister," he indicated Quil with a nod of his head and a look that scrunched his mustache to one side. "Should I be asking the boy trying to hide behind you where you were last night?"

Quil turned bright red, stepping to the side to reveal an equally blushing Embry.

"I..uh..," Quil stumbled for an explanation, but Charlie wasn't having it. He was responsible for this boy and that was a duty he took very seriously.

"Next time something like this happens, I'll get your Chief on the line and see what sort of punishment Billy finds suitable for young men down on the rez."

The boys knew they'd be hearing from an Alpha in a nanosecond if a call to Billy was made. Fearing Leah's ideas for discipline far more than anything Charlie could think of, Quil was properly put in his place. "Sorry, dad."

Bella froze in place on the stairs where she was trying to sneak away before Charlie commented on her clothes. Embry snapped his gaping mouth shut with an audible click of teeth. And Quil was beet red. Impressive for his already dark coloring.

Charlie looked a little shocked, but recovered quickly.

"Go on, get changed. You're filthy," Charlie waved Quil towards the guest room that even he thought of as Quil's room now. Embry tagged along close behind, not wanting to comment on Quil's slip. He knew more than anyone how much his mate missed his father. As soon as the couple were out of the living room Charlie muttered one last word that he meant more than he realized.

"..son."

Of course the wolves heard anyway. Embry wrapped his mate in his arms and shared the swell of affection and appreciation towards the man in the other room. Quil took deep breaths because he was not going to cry right now.

Charlie resolved to be more present and active in Quil's life. Maybe he was feeling a little homesick by being away from the rez and his mother. It was about time Joy Ateara came back for a visit, Charlie decided.

The kids didn't hang around the Swan's very long. Bella took the world's quickest shower to get forest grime off her skin while the boys stayed in Quil's room to avoid Charlie. Everyone was a little uncomfortable at Quil's accidental "dad" comment and nobody wanted to address it. Bella was glad that he felt comfortable with them, but she knew that Charlie was awkward with emotions and they were all probably happy with just pretending it never happened. She made her excuses and encouraged the boys out the door. Charlie would be home for the day, but she had errands to run. Family bonding could happen another day.

The library was the first place Bella wanted to go. She was surprised at the lack of resistance from her companions, but she didn't know about Paul's orders to go along with whatever she wanted.

She was looking for Quileute history books to see what she could find about engagement and marriage customs. Paul said they were essentially married after the mark, but she wanted to know more. She didn't love the idea of telling Billy that Paul had bitten her mid-coitus, so her usual source of tribal history was out.

Paul would be working for most of the day today so Bella had time to kill. She took her time browsing the tribal history selection, but Quil and Embry were already bored. They had been trailing along behind her on her fact finding mission, but easily got distracted with each other whenever she stayed in one spot for too long. Hidden in the back corner of the shelves where the tribal books were tucked away, they freely kissed and cuddled. Even out of sight, the library was the most public place they had gotten to actually act like a couple and it was like their own kind of foreplay. They'd hear someone coming and Bella was happily ignoring them.

"Would you guys mind if we made one more stop before heading back to Emily's? You guys have homework to catch up on," Bella spoke from behind her pile of books.

"We're doing homework on a Saturday?" Quil challenged. "Paul said to do whatever you wanted! What kind of teenager wants to do homework?"

"One that wants her friends to pass their classes," Bella quipped, dumping the pile of books in Embry's arms. Finals were coming up for all of them and while Bella wasn't concerned about passing them herself, she was worried about her boys.

"Fine," they groaned in unison. Quil quickly added, "We can run as many other errands or pit stops you want. And we can get lunch! The longer we spend in Forks, the less time we have to do work."

"Leave it to Quil to try to find loopholes," she rolled her eyes. Embry just shrugged with a small smile. He wasn't surprised by much about Quil these days. They were two halves of the same whole, afterall.

They were confused though when she pulled up to a girly salon looking place. When Bella started to smell nervous and hesitated to get out of the truck, Embry had to ask, "Planning on getting us makeovers, Bells?"

"My wolf would look great with some manicured claws," Quil chuckled with a wiggle of his bare feet on the dash. "I feel bad for any person that has to try to take a file to these puppies."

"Baby, you'd look great with some hot pink claws," Embry joked right back, pecking his wolf on the cheek.

"We'd never hear the end of the gay jokes, Emb," he rolled his eyes. "I'd get a much manlier color."

"Shut up, you dorks," Bella punctuated her insult with a smack to the first wolf she could reach. Embry had the decency to flinch as if it hurt. She continued, "I wanted to surprise Paul. I'm trying to gather the courage to get my...bits...waxed." Bella was bright red and mumbling by the end.

"Ohh," the wolves said, once again in unison.

"I'm sure Paul doesn't care," Embry offered. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"No, it's for me too. He said it feels different... bare." She was having a really hard time talking about this, especially with two guys that couldn't care less about anyone's lady bits.

"Well, if anyone was an expert on vagina, it would be Paul," Embry shrugged. It was Quil's turn to smack him and this time he flinched for real.

Bella just rolled her eyes again. Escaping the embarrassment of those two gave her the final push to leave the truck cab. She wasn't surprised at all when they climbed out to follow.

"No, you two are staying here. I do not need supervision for this," Bella pointed back at the truck. Without the usual stubbornness, both boys got right back in the cab without a word.

Before she was even halfway across the parking lot, the two of them were already lost in each other's mouths. Goodness, it looked like they were actually trying to eat each other. Bella just hoped they hadn't been arrested for indecent exposure by the time she came back out.

She was surprised they hadn't put up more of a fight on coming inside with her. These days there was always a wolf on her heels. They were probably so excited to have some more time to themselves to care to stalk her for this errand too.

An unsettling feeling settled into her bones while she sat in the waiting area. She chalked it up to nerves about the wax and tried to dismiss it. By the time she was called back and vulnerable on a very clinical looking table, the feeling only intensified. The pain probably didn't help. She tried to distract herself, thinking of all of the dumb things women did for men. High heeled shoes were on the list right below the concept of ripping hair from your body with hot wax.

Thankfully it didn't take long. On her way back to the waiting area Bella walked like a cowboy that had spent too long on his horse. She paid and left a tip for the torture expert. If it wasn't worth it, or Paul didn't absolutely love it, she was never doing this again.

The near constant rain had let up for once and there was even an occasional break in the clouds where blue sky poked through. Bella paused outside the door to appreciate the warmer weather that indicated it might actually be spring under all that rain. Some sun would be amazing. Closing her eyes and dreaming of warm weather and warmer arms, she wondered if Paul would go with her to visit her mom. A familiar feeling settled over her bones. Not happiness, but contentment? Need? She assumed it was Paul. He made her feel good. She felt good. Kind of numb, but good. Was Paul over here?

As if on autopilot, Bella wandered to the left instead of across the parking lot to the wolves that had managed to sneak their hands into each other's shorts. They were too busy to notice a dazed Bella wander off. The rolled up windows left them with a muted sense of smell and they didn't even notice her leave the building.

She couldn't explain it. She didn't even realize she was doing it. But something was drawing her this way. Was it just a feeling? The slightest smell drawing her in. Human senses didn't allow her to pinpoint the memory tugging at the back of her mind. Her feet carried her around the corner and down an alley between buildings. There were dumpsters for the salon and the restaurant next door. Forgetting everything else, she followed the feeling down the alley.

She needed it, whatever it was. Craved it. All rational thought was replaced with a sense of longing for whatever was drawing her in. Her nerve endings tingled and her mind felt like it was in a fog. A wonderful, blank fog that blocked out worries, fears, and any sense of free will.

She wasn't even startled when Laurent stepped out from a shadow.

Revised 10/14/2020