Paul had stirred awake hoping the previous night had just been a dream. That there was no assassination attempt on his pack-brother's imprint. That he, himself, had not imprinted on said assassin. Of course, when he opened his eyes he was staring at the one and only person he hoped he would not see, sitting on his bed. And of course, any negative thought-or any coherent thought-vanished the moment his eyes landed on her. Fuck.

Last night, she nearly killed him, standing in her bra and panties. Oh that body was to die for. His wolf had screamed,yes. When Paul the man had been screaming, no. Do not get him wrong, he was no prude by any means. In fact, he was far from it. Had she been any other girl he would have jumped her himself. But she was his imprint. And she was an assassin. She had tried to murder Emily. She could not be trusted.

But she was his imprint. His wolf argued. She was made for him. So she can be trusted. And she had wanted to mate. The wolf thought his human was stupid for refusing her. Paul nearly let out an aggravated growl. His wolf was growling back at him somewhere in the depths of his mind.

Last night, Paul was quick to protect his imprint, this... assassin out of pure instinct. The imprint was thought to be as love at first sight, except more intense. Jacob had been correct, years before, when he had said that imprinting was not like love at first sight. Instead, it was like gravity shifting; tying you down to her. Paul did not love his imprint, or perhaps he did? He certainly did not trust her. She was an assassin. And he was the pack's third. He could not afford to have his judgement so easily swayed. No, he would watch her. He would protect her because that is what the imprint called for. But he would also protect the pack.

"I apologize... I do not know your usual morning ritual," her voice broke his thoughts. The warm tones of her spanish accent once again wrapping around him. Ugh, fuck me, he thought.

Paul shook his head trying to clear his thoughts, getting up off the floor. Jacob would want to see her again, at Emily's. They did not want to expose her to any more information about the pack for now, as a safety precaution. Without looking at her, in fear he would once again be reduced into a babbling pussy, he quickly went out the door only managing to mutter, "We're going to Emily's."

His imprint had the beta wrapped around her little finger. Jacob had a meeting with the elders about their current situation and Paul still had to finish up his patrol shift. For now, Jacob had switched Paul out of his night shifts so he could watch over his imprint- the assassin, during the night. And since they had been trying to keep her exposure to the pack a minimum, he had Seth watch over her. She had been with the beta for a mere half hour; but it seems that was all she needed to wrap Seth around her finger. Much to Leah's dismay.

To further Leah's distaste for his imprint, Nekoda seemed unphased by the she-wolf's harsh upcomings. Paul watched Leah's memory, seen through pack eyes. The she-wolf had been watching over his imprint with the beta just in case Nekoda tried anything. Unfortunately for Seth, the beta was still the she-wolf's kid brother so he will always be treated as a kid despite being the pack's beta.

Seth, being the naturally happy-go-lucky guy that he is, had hit it on with Paul's imprint easily. Nekoda had been shadowing the beta's footsteps, as she did with Paul and Jacob, when the silence had finally gotten the best of Seth. Nekoda surprisingly did not try to advance on the beta like she had previously tried on the alpha and Paul the night before. Instead, they kept up a light chatter about useless topics, like the weather and various types of cheese. They had been bantering like lifelong friends ever since.

Leah did not find the new found friendship between her kid brother and the assassin amusing at all. The she-wolf disobeyed orders and stalked dangerously toward the laughing pair, revealing herself to Nekoda. Leah had stepped closely toward Nekoda, towering over the assassin's shorter figure and glowered, "what are you playing at?"

Nekoda simply stared back at the she-wolf, "¿perdón?"

"You think we're just going to take you for your word?," Leah demanded. Realization dawned on his imprint's face. Leah had just handed Nekoda a chunk of information on a silver platter just like that. Jacob was going to be pissed.

Seth looked at his sister with wide eyes, tugging her to the side, his voice low, "what are you doing here, Leah? You shouldn't be here!"

Leah shoved his hand off her, "like hell." She spun back toward Nekoda, "what's keeping you from poisoning Emily now that you have been spared?"

Paul snorted, they were wolves. His imprint did not have a chance of trying again, now that they had their guard up. But of course, Paul's imprint did not know that so Leah did ask a valid question. Even so, it did not seem to get them anywhere closer to what thoughts could be breeding in his imprint's little head.

Without missing so much as a beat, Nekoda replied easily, "you are. You will be watching me ever so closely to make sure I attempt no such thing."

Paul could not tell whether Nekoda knew she was being watched at a distance or if she was bluffing, but it nearly threw Leah off. Leah narrowed her eyes, switching tactics, "why would I do that? Sneaking into our good graces in order to make another attempt is what I would do, were I you."

Nekoda let out a disappointed sigh, "And here I was becoming rather fond of the idea of you watching me closely." She smiled alluringly eyeing the she-wolf. Apparently, gender was not one of the bounds to escape advances from Paul's imprint. She was going to kill him one of these days he was sure of it.

Leah scoffed in disgust, but stubbornly refused to let it go and kept badgering the assassin even more, "it would be easy enough just to poison our food. Or slit our throats while we sleep."

At this, Nekoda raised an eyebrow, "you seem rather charmed by the idea, mi diosa."

Leah's jaw clenched, "it would be a fitting result from sparing, you."

Paul's wolf growled at that, that was his mate she was talking about. Paul the man regrettably thought Leah's point was valid, considering the circumstances. She was an assassin. A murderer. And they still did not know her.

Nekoda eyed the she-wolf, replying dryly, "ah. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you then. The next time I am spared I will be sure to immediately turn upon my benefactors. Will that do?"

The she-wolf made an exasperated scoff and stormed away, angry that she did not get anything from the assassin.

'At what cost, Leah?' Sam's furious thoughts shattered the memory replay; he entered the pack link moments before, ready to take his shift. 'Now she knows about you on top of whatever god else she knows!'

Waves of anger crashed back at Sam from Leah's link, 'we're wolves, Sam. She wouldn't stand a chance if she tried.'

Sam's thoughts softened, 'I'm just worried, LeeLee. I almost lost Emily last night, she doesn't need to learn about you too.' It was no secret within the wolves, that Sam still loved Leah. It was a silent agreement that it would never be mentioned to Emily. There was no need for added grief. Emily was his imprint, she was his world. He and Leah could never again be, something they had both learned to come to terms with. Leah and Emily had finally been able to repair a little of what was damaged between them the year before.

Wave's of shame rolled off from the fourth. Sam had not even detected Nekoda entering the house, much less their room. Had he woken a second later, Nekoda might have actually poisoned Emily.

Paul sent a nudge toward his fourth. None of the pack had been able to detect her either. Emily was still alive and well. Sam had done good. Even if he did nearly kill Paul's imprint. An imprint even he was still struggling to come to terms with.

Satisfied that Sam was no longer trying to drive himself into a blackhole, Paul set off to relieve the beta of his imprint; deciding that it was best Paul try to scrounge something up for dinner at his place instead of going over to Emily's as usual. Sam did not need to worry about any possible threats from Paul's imprint. Paul sighed, out of all the imprint scenarios he could have pictured; this might be the most fucked up-with the exception of the possibility of imprinting on a leech.

The fourth thanked Paul for the consideration, he was sorry that Paul had to go out of his way to not involve his imprint with the pack and not so sorry about it because Paul's imprint had tried to kill Emily. And so, it became an agreement between the three wolves currently in the pack mind that the situation was majorly fucked up.

Paul could feel his imprint's eyes watching him as he shoved two large frozen pizzas in the oven. Their makeshift meal for the night. He could have bought the pizza at the local pizza parlor/bar, but that would mean exposing Nekoda to the reservation even more than she has probably already seen.

There was no talk about a stranger on the reservation so Nekoda's presence still remained unknown. The pack hoped to keep it that way for as long as they could, at least until they find out more about her.

The pack had been tiptoeing around Nekoda all day. Wolves she had not met watched her from the distance, only getting close enough to catch her scent. Otherwise, they remain hidden; with the exception of Leah who disobeyed orders. As a precaution to keep possible exposure of the pack secret to a minimum, the only ones allowed to speak with her were Jacob, Seth, and himself. The beta may have been rather chatty with the assassin, but they kept it away from anything too informative.

Nekoda, Paul noticed, for all her cheery banters and attempted advances, was tiptoeing around the pack as well. She only spoke when spoken to and followed orders without question. Paul almost wished she was a wolf or even if he could have that leech's irritating mind reading ability. If only just to see what was going on in her mind. What did she know? What was she thinking? Was she planning anything? What was she planning? Why was she being so complacent? Did she feel the imprint pull? What did she think about it? What does she think of the pack?

Paul was sure Nekoda watched the pack as close as they have been watching her, if not closer. What did she see? He could feel her eyes trained on them, on all of them. It was unsettling for the pack third and he was not sure if that was because of the imprint or something heading their way. Paul let out a sigh, placing his hands on the kitchen counter he stared out the kitchen window. Would they ever catch a damn break?

Paul almost jumped when he felt two hands on him. Almost. Christ! Fuck she really was as silent as they were. Paul did not think it was possible, even if she was an assassin. The scent of copper and honey filled his nose as he felt her hands rest on his shoulders.

"You seem so tense, mi rey," she purred, her hands digging into his shoulder in a circular motion. Paul let out a sigh, feeling his shoulders relax. Paul was a bit surprised he was able to feel the comfort of the touch as a massage should feel; being a wolf they were built like walls. It takes a considerable amount of strength to affect them at all. Paul was now sure has sorely underestimated her abilities. He had a feeling they had not even scratched the surface of what she was capable of.

"A rough day, señor?" she murmured soothingly, her hands kneading at his tense muscles in a rhythmic motion. Paul was losing himself in the pleasure of her touch and the soothing, melodic tones as she hummed. Nekoda let out a breathy sigh, "ah, if only I had my mixtures of olives and rosewater."

Paul blinked, still half-lost in the feel of her touch, "for what?"

"To bathe you in, of course."

At that, Paul snapped out of his trance-like state. What bath? Who said anything about bathes? He spun around, nearly knocking Nekoda down. "What? What bath?"

"You are tense, bonito. Allow me to assist you," she said with a slight bow of her head.

"But what does that have to do with bathes and olives?" he responded incredulously.

"The bath is to work in the olives and rosewater into your skin, fuertote," she responded sending him an alluring smile, "the massage would be quite pleasurable, I assure you."

Paul's blood seemed to rush down into his nether regions. The thought of being naked with her soft hands all over him, sent waves of anticipated pleasure through his body. Suddenly, his cutoffs seemed a tad too tight. Paul groaned running his hand down his face, fuck me. He took a hold of his imprints shoulders and held her at arms length, "no... bath massages."

With that, he turned around to check on the pizza trying to calm his little friend down. Without even looking at her, Paul could practically feel her smirking at him. Fucking hell.

Translations:

¿perdón?" - pardon/excuse me?

mi diosa - my goddess

mi rey - my king

señor - sir

fuertote - strong one

This was also more or less a transition chapter. I hoped to get at least one more chapter in before my annual family vacation in July. I will try my best to put up another chapter before then.

I would like to thank 8-Falling-Petals, Furie1, downcameablackbird, and kcoleman7 for following. Dolphincatalyst601 for following and faving. Jewels47, RogueReaper, and twin68 for reviewing. And many thanks to all my readers. :)

Thoughts, comments, concerns? I would love to hear from you (: