*Minor update: The title has been changed. It was previously listed under 'Learn to Love'*
Paul was finally able to toss and turn himself to sleep only to be woken up by a howl in the night. Damn it. Paul groaned, sluggishly trying to push himself off the bed... only to be floored by the alpha. The alpha wanted his wolves over at Sam's now and his third needed to hurry the fuck up. With a groan, Paul hightailed it outta there and ran over to Sam's.
Paul had arrived at the Uley household around the same time the other wolves had. Jake was already there calming down a shaking Sam, while Emily's shaky sobs could be heard from the kitchen.
Upon seeing his wolves, Jacob ordered Seth and Embry to check on the passed out woman in Sam's bedroom and make sure she did not get anywhere if she regains consciousness. Thus, she was tied to a chair in the Uley's guest bedroom. Where the fuck they got the rope was questionable but Paul did not give a damn, especially this late at night.
After Sam had finally calmed the fuck down, Jacob had Jared fetch Kim and bring her over. Kim and Emily now sat in the kitchen being watched over by Jared, Quil, and Brady. Embry was continuing his patrol shift along with Leah who had taken over for their alpha. The rest of the wolves filed into the little guest room where the girl had been placed. All of this happening in the span of five chaotic minutes.
Paul leaned against the wall of the little guest room of the Uley household. He was pissed, no, livid. He was exhausted. It was three. In the goddamn. Morning. And he still did not know why in the fuck they were here.
He glared at the limp form tied to a chair on the opposite side of the room. The current bane of his existence. This little female with tanned skin and honey brown hair. How could this tiny thing cause such a commotion at three in the damned morning was beyond him.
Sam was the last to enter the room. Upon seeing the girl he started shaking all over again. What the fuck? Sam had been working on stopping his phasing so he could grow old with Emily. He was one of the wolves with better control of their temper and one look at this chick caused him to lose it?
"Sam, calm down," Jacob bellowed, alpha orders weighing the words.
Sam had stopped shaking but growled glaring at the bound female, "she tried to kill Emily!"
What? Well, that explains the hostility and why the beta had decided to tie the girl to a chair. Death by poison, apparently. It also explained the odd scent that Paul had detected when he arrived earlier.
"How do you know she tried to kill Emily?" Collin piped up. Paul rolled his eyes at the pup; sometimes he could be so stupid.
"What else could she have been doing?" Sam snarled at the pup, causing Collin to let out a whine and curl into a wince. Paul sighed running his hand along his face; this was going to be a long night. Sam, Collin and Seth had erupted in a small argument, input coming from Brady and Quil from in the kitchen.
"Quiet!" Jacob bellowed, ordering them all into silence. Satisfied when the chatter died down, he continued, "now that we are settled down... we need to decide our next step."
"She tried to kill Emily! She should be dead by now," Sam spat.
Before any of the pack could speak, the girl groaned. They all stilled, watching the girl regain consciousness.
She looked up at them, her eyes doing a quick sweep across the room. They all startled back. She had golden eyes. Not as prominent as the Cullens but still honey colored. A soft growl escaped Paul's lips before he could control it. His primal wolf instincts screamed 'vampire', but Paul knew she had a heart beat. She was also not abnormally pale, nor did she smell sickeningly sweet. In fact, she smelt like copper and honey. And if she was a vampire she would have given Sam more of a fight. She definitely would not be still tied to a chair. So she must not be a vampire. Right? Ugh. Paul tried his best to do his duty as third and support the alpha and beta by keeping the pack in line and offer opinions but he was just so damned tired.
Paul shook his head. He had grown more rational over the years. Had it been two years ago he would have be snarling along with Sam, who was still out for her blood. Sam looked ready to lunge at the girl, Paul placed a firm hand on the fourth's shoulder and held him in place.
"Feels like my culminación all over again," she muttered, surprising Paul with the warm tones of her Spanish accent. Brady could be heard from the kitchen muttering what a culminación was.
Her eyes landed on Jacob and smiled, "I did not expect to wake up alive... or wake up at all."
Paul blinked. That was surprisingly... cheerful for someone in her position. He was still caught in the rhythmic flow of her accent.
She glanced down at her tied ankles, her lips twisted into a sultry smirk, "well, this is considerably less enjoyable than the last I found myself bound to a chair... though a touch more dignified."
Paul snorted. This was certainly not how he expected the night to go, but it was more interesting than he had anticipated. The pack had varied states of being, leaning more so toward gobsmacked. Paul noted their unattractive gaping expressions and silence. Seth's eyes were wide; a touch of darkening graced the beta's cheeks. Collin's jaw had dropped, gaping like a fish. Even seething Sam had grown dumbfoundedly still. He was sure those in the kitchen were not faring any better than they were. They all looked to their alpha, unsure what to make of the girl.
A few beats past, she must have figured they were not going to offer a reply and continued on, "you have kept me alive for interrogation, sí?"
"What, no snarling defiance or fruitless threats? No whimpering requests for mercy?" the alpha's typical sarcasm broke through his serious demeanor.
"I would think defiance would be ill-advised, considering the circumstance," she replied rather dryly. "I do not suppose you kept me alive for a round of banter, no?" Without even waiting for an answer she barreled on, her warm tones wrapping around Paul in an almost hypnotic fashion. It made the third uneasy. "Allow me to spare you the trouble. My name is Nekoda-Koda to my friends. I come to you courtesy of the Widows of Azevrin*."
Jacob furrowed his eyebrows, "what does your relationship status have to do with anything?"
The girl-Nekoda-blinked, cocking her head to the side, "¿perdón?"
The alpha coughed awkwardly, "erm... you're a widow?"
Understanding dawned on her face and she let out a breathy chuckle that wrapped around him in a warm embrace, "no, no, señor. The Widows are a … guild of elite assassins. Named after the black widow spider." She had an almost rueful smile, "of course, we have had our fair share in widowing persons."
There was a pregnant pause. Paul's sleep deprived brain had a hard time just getting past her melodic voice. Jacob cleared his throat, "what business do you have in La Push?"
"I was hired on contract for the heads of a Emily Young and Kim Connweller."
At the confession, Sam snarled. Paul tightened his grip on the fourth. In the kitchen, Jared let out a growl; which was shortly followed by a bang. Paul assumed it was the fall of Jared's chair. The beta hissed, demanding both imprinted wolves to calm down. They still needed more information.
Nekoda did not even bat an eyelash, seemingly unphased by the hostile-borderline animalistic- behavior. She continued with an easy tone, "the reason for the contract, I do not know. It is not of my business. But whoever your friend is has his nose in all the right places," she paused, a lopsided smile forming on her lips, "or... all the wrong ones." She shrugged, "it is a matter of opinion, sí?"
"Who hired you?" Sam spat, his face contoured in barely controlled rage. Pauls hand tightened down on the fourth's shoulder. Jacob sent Sam a pointed look before nodding for Nekoda to continue.
Nekoda's easy smile formed into a slight frown, "Lo siento, señor." Paul's brow furrowed, he did not speak Spanish. He nearly flunked the class in high school. Probably sensing the pack's confusion, she backtracked, "ahem. I apologize, I... do not know his name. As a mere tool for hire, I am not given the name of my employer." An echoing sigh of frustration waved through the pack. "However, I have seen him. He was a large man-much like yourselves-except very pale. With dark, cropped hair and deep red eyes."
The pack stiffened, sharing glances with one another. Vampire. Jacob took a deep breath letting out a shaky sigh. His brows furrowed his expression turning into what Paul has associated as his alpha's 'thinking face'.
Paul eyed the assassin suspiciously, "you are very open with this information. How do we know if we can trust you?"
Her honey colored eyes snapped toward Paul. Their eyes making contact. His world stopped. His sense of gravity shifted, tying him down to her. The world around them seemed to blur out of focus. Paul had imprinted. He had imprinted on the assassin. The assassin who, minutes earlier, had tried to murder his pack brother's imprint. Paul let out a curse, "shit."
The eyes of the pack members present in the little room snapped in Paul's direction. They had all felt the faint shift in the air that only the wolves felt. They all knew Paul had imprinted. Sam looked ready to kill Paul. How dare he imprint on the enemy. She had tried to murder Emily. Their alpha and beta had thankfully reacted quickly, silently ordering Sam into place. The pack held their breath, not daring to move.
"I was not paid for silence, not that I have ever offered it for sale, precisely," Nekoda's voice cut through the tense silence, recapturing the wolves' attention, as if nothing had happened. She shrugged, "lying would only hurt me more, no?"
Paul could not argue with that logic. But perhaps that was the imprint talking. Paul was not sure of anything anymore. He almost let out a distraught whine. Almost. The alpha spared the third a concerned glance but did not push it. Jacob nodded in her direction, "no, it wouldn't."
"What now?" Seth asked. Jacob sighed; the alpha was not sure what to do. The situation was... difficult.
"I have a proposal, if I may," she offered.
Paul could hear Quil snort from the kitchen muttering, "this should be good."
The alpha and beta shared a look, momentarily having a silent conversation.
"She tried to kill Emily," Sam seethed in low tones only the wolves could hear. Paul let out a low growl.
The beta sent the fourth a withering look, replying in low tones, "she is Paul's imprint, we can't kill her."
"But she doesn't know that," Jacob muttered, his eyebrows furrowing. Paul tensed clenching his fists, eyes narrowing at his alpha. Jacob sighed, "calm down, Paul. We aren't going to hurt her, but we don't yet know what she's fully capable of."
Jared's huff could be heard from the kitchen, "trust Paul to have the complicated imprint." Paul's glare snapped to the wall in Jared's direction. The alpha waved Paul down and looked toward his beta.
Seth shrugged, "I think we should hear her out."
Jacob sighed and turned his attention back to the assassin, who had been waiting patiently as the pack conversed in hushed tones, "go on."
"Well, you see, as an assassin who has undyingly failed to fill a contract, my life is pretty much forfeit. That is how it works. I should have died in my attempt, as of yet to be seen by your forbearance. If by unlikely chance, you do release me, I would be struck down the moment I set foot in Azevrin. If they were feeling particularly merciful. Otherwise, put to death after an extended torture session." She shuddered, "even if I had managed to complete the contract before returning, I would still be punished for the sake of principle. Thing is, I rather like living. And you are obviously the sort to give the Widows pause. Allow me to serve you instead."
Paul watched the alpha as he mulled over the information. Jacob studied Nekoda carefully, "and what amount of loyalty can we expect from you, as you obviously feel against your previous... employers."
"I happen to be a very loyal person," she claimed, causing a disbelieving snort from Quil and Jared from the kitchen. "Until I am expected to die for failing that is," she said dryly, "it is not a fault really, no?"
"And why would we want your service?" Collin piped up once again. This time Paul snarled at the pup.
"I am proficient in fighting, stealth and a bit of lock picking," she stated, a thoughtful look across her face, "I could also be able to caution you if the Widows planned a more... elaborate scheme to fill the contract. Perhaps I could do chores if you wished. A bed partner if you chose. If not, I could simply stand around and look pretty," she finished cheekily.
The alpha gave a half-snort before clearing his throat, "err... no. We won't be needing any of... that."
"I'm sure Paul would like to cash in the bed partner service," Quil snickered from the kitchen. Paul was going to pummel him.
Jacob approached Nekoda, one of her knives in his hand. Paul snarled about to take a step forward before being blocked by Seth. "Relax, Paul," Jacob muttered lowly, "I'm just going to release her."
Nekoda eyed Jacob warily, "ah, well, that is fair then," she sighed, "what will it be then? I only ask you not eat my remains or anything barbaric of the sort... I have nightmares about that sort of things." She had a resigned expression on her face, though she was calm. Almost seeming at peace with the thought of dying. It twisted at Paul's heart in a painful manner.
Jacob merely raised a brow and cut the binds at her ankles. She let slip surprised expression before quickly schooling her features to a neutral mask. Before Jacob could move to cut the binds of her hands, she had them free. Nekoda met the alpha's wide expression with a sheepish smile and handed him the knife she held in her hand. Paul let out an amused puff of air, his imprint had already been working on escape right under their noses. Clever little minx. Jacob gave Seth an exasperated look. The beta merely shrugged helplessly, he could have sworn the only things she had on her been on the belt.
Paul's imprint bowed before his alpha, "from this point on, I, Nekoda, hereby pledge my oath of loyalty to you. Until such time you choose to release me, or death takes over me. I am yours, without reservation, this I swear."
Paul glared at the alpha who let out a awkward cough, "uh... right. Go... follow Paul. You will stay with him for the night." Jacob stated pointing Paul out to Nekoda, who nodded in return. Jacob then turned to the pack and continued to explain merely for show, "Paul lives alone so its best he watches her," and she was his imprint, "will that be fine with you, Paul?"
More than fine, Paul thought but he simply nodded and let out a gruff, "yeah."
Jacob turned to Nekoda, "do what Paul says and follow him."
She nodded giving him a graceful bow and turned toward Paul. Paul had twitched at the blatant orders the alpha gave his imprint but made no comment. Instead, he gestured his head toward the door, "let's go."
The rest of the pack watched silently, as Paul left the Uley residence and disappeared into the dark of the forest. The foreign assassin shadowing his footsteps. And just like that, the pack had a assassin in their midsts. The alpha sighed, not looking forward to explaining this mess to the elders.
Translations:
culminación - culmination
sí - yes
Azevrin* - a fictional Atlantic port city I created; located in Spain
¿perdón? - pardon/excuse me
señor - sir
Lo siento - I am sorry
Thoughts, comments, concerns? I have yet to receive reviews, but I would like to thank Blloom1234, The-Raving-Cheshire-Cat, and Werewolflover1997 for faving. I also would like to thank winstonwolfe for following this story. Although not a review, it tells me the story is decent enough to be added to your lists :)
I hope you enjoyed the first glance at the wolves.