Chapter Eight

Fireside Tales

Paul's POV

I would imagine that it was quite a sight for those on the perimeter of me and my brothers, watching us consume the amount of food that we did, especially when that food was something of questionable origin, possibly made from the lips and peckers of pigs, like the hot dogs we'd all just gobbled down by the dozen, and judging by the look on my Lilah's face, it was clear that she thought I was just as much of a pig, but I couldn't help it...and damned if I wasn't still hungry. I stared at the very last hot dog, the one that Jacob had skewered on a wire hanger, roasting it over the open flame, my mouth watering, thinking how good it would be, despite the dozen I'd already scarfed down, along with a huge bag of chips and a two liter bottle of root beer.

"Hey, Jake," I said, capturing the attention of my pack mate, the one making an ass of himself, as usual, by fawning over a chick who spent her free time getting handsy with a damned bloodsucker. "Are you going to eat that last dog, or sit there and play with it all night?"

The little bastard looked over at me and smiled smugly, leaning back against Bella's knees, patting his stomach with his hand. "I guess I don't have a choice," he said sadly, though his eyes were practically dancing with humor. "I'm so full that I could puke, but I wouldn't want to be wasteful, you know?"

It was childish of me to get so riled up over a freakin' hot dog, but I couldn't help myself. My hands curled into fists at my sides and I growled low in my throat at him. He was showing off for his girl, or rather, for the chick that he wished was his girl, which was what any guy would do, but he was getting a little too mouthy for his own good and it had been awhile since I'd had a good scrap, a little over a week, and what better way to finish off a good meal?

"Jeez Paul, I was just messing with you," he said, tossing me the hanger...and the last hot dog. "I was going to give it to you...there's no need to get your panties in a twist."

I caught the hanger and told him thanks, already over my brief flare of temper, though I still wouldn't have minded sinking my teeth into him, the smartass. He felt more confident, sure of himself, whenever Bella was with him, but that was no reason for him to start entertaining delusions of grandeur, the little whiner.

Lilah, who'd been watching the entire exchange with a smile on her face, moved closer to me, nearly making me choke on the hot dog when I felt the soft fullness of her boobs pressed against my arm. "Don't forget that I brought some brownies for dessert," she whispered, leaning forward to rub the tip of her nose against my cheek. "There's no need for you to tear Jacob limb from limb for the last wienie."

I don't know what was making my mouth water more, the promise of homemade brownies...or her boobs...or her touching me the way she was...or her boobs...or her whispering things like "wienie" in my ear…or her boobs. I guess you could say that it was a combination of all of those things...all of it was making me nuts. I still wasn't sure exactly what had been said between her and Emily, but the change in her had been almost immediate, our casual flirting and intense glances turning to an easy intimacy and comfortable atmosphere that was more suited to people who'd been together for a while. Don't get me wrong...I sure as hell wasn't complaining...but a little smooching and slap and tickle would be a nice accessory to this new environment, don't you think?

"Don't say that too loud," I whispered back, surreptitiously rubbing my arm back and forth across her chest, smiling to myself when I felt her nipples come to life, making her whimper just the tiniest bit. "If these guys get wind of the fact that you brought brownies I'm screwed, I'd probably only get five or six, if I'm lucky. As for leaving Jacob's limbs intact...we'll have to wait and see on that one, won't we?"

She smothered a snort of laughter and rose from her seat beside me, causing the crotch of my shorts to become very tight, very quickly, while I watched her walk away, dressed in a tight tank top that bared enough of her midriff to make it indecent, not offensive to me, but to the fact that the younger pups were looking a little too appreciatively at her, and a pair of cutoff blue jeans whose hem ended mid-thigh, showing off the short, pretty legs that drove me crazy. It was enough of a torture, to watch her sashay her way across the beach, her rounded ass making me seasick swaying back and forth the way it was, but then she went and bent over to presumably take the brownies from the bag she'd brought with her, and I damn near lost all sense of self-control I possessed, which wasn't much, I guaran-freakin'-tee you.

Oh, damn...did she have any idea what it did to me, presenting her sweet plumpness, just about offering herself up on a platter to me, the way she was? How was I supposed to try and act like a gentleman when she went around doing things like that? What was even worse was the fact that Embry, the horny little bastard, and some of the younger ones had seen her display herself as well, and were all turned to grin at me leeringly.

I've got to say Paul, the brownies she was trying to keep secret smell pretty damned good, but even they pale in comparison when a man has a sight like that to lay his eyes on, wouldn't you agree?

It wouldn't be wise of me to rip Embry's head off, it was an action that would definitely be frowned upon, but for the life of me I couldn't think of one reason that would make it a bad idea in my mind. If there was one sin that a pack mate could commit that could be considered unforgivable, outside of defying the Alpha, it had to be making no secret of the fact that you were openly lusting after a brother's imprint. I knew damn well that Embry would never have tried something like that with Emily, knowing what Sam would do to him, and I had to wonder at him having the balls to try it out with me, balls that I'd gladly rip from his body, paint them festive colors and sprinkle them with glitter so that I could hang them off of his ears like Christmas decorations.

If you continue this line of thought Embry, you won't have the teeth left in your head to bite into any of those brownies...and that will be the least of your problems, you catch my drift? So if I was you, which thankfully I'm not, and I wanted to go on breathing and functioning in my full capacity I'd direct my eyes to a sight which hasn't already had a claim staked on it, savvy?

He wasn't happy with my threats, I hadn't expected him to be, but he did avert his eyes from my Lilah, as she made her way back to my side with a Tupperware full of chocolaty goodness, and he smacked his younger companions on the side of the head to encourage them to do the same. He was basically a good guy and a hell of a lot easier to stomach than Jacob was, but he needed to learn some respect, for chrissakes.

"I would have thought you'd be happy at the prospect of dessert," Lilah murmured, prying the lid from her container with a pop, holding it up in invitation to those around us. "But judging by that scowl on your face I'd say that maybe I overestimated my prowess in the field of baking."

Dammit...I might have known that she'd see my face and misinterpret my expression. My anger toward Embry swelled, enough so that he shot a worried look in my direction as he snagged, let me see, three brownies, and I chuckled to myself when he put two of them back.

"Sweetheart, you should know by now that you're the best cook around," I said, leaning forward to nip her on the earlobe, a little love bite. "And if I had my way, no one else would taste these brownies tonight...especially Embry and the pups."

She arched her back against me when she felt my teeth on her flesh, gasping in perhaps shock as well as excitement, a sound that I would swear I felt in my...well...you know. In that moment I forgot all about the fact that I was still a little pissed off, I forgot about the brownies enough that the pan was nearly emptied by everyone else right in front of me; I forgot that we were completely surrounded by a group of nosy bastards who could hear every thought in my mind, all I was aware of was me, of her, and of the tantalizing scent rising up from her that had not one damned thing to do with home baked chocolate goodies.

I reached with one hand and pulled her thick, dark hair away, exposing the nape of her neck and softly pressed my lips against the skin there, breathing in the combination of her shampoo and the perfume that teased me every time I was near her. She made another noise now, one that was a mix of her previous gasp and a small moan of, could it be, pleasure? I was pretty experienced with the noises that women made when they were turned-on, but this wasn't just any woman, this was my Lilah, and while I was pretty sure that she was enjoying the feel of my lips on her skin, I couldn't be sure, not without a little more experimentation, which I would have happily thrown myself into, had Sam not chosen that moment to freakin' interrupt us.

"Hey guys," he greeted us, a rueful smile on his face, and a knowing look in his eyes. There was little doubt that he'd been in this very situation himself, but that didn't mean that he was going to cut me a break, did it? "We're just about ready to start the legends."

Dammit Sam...Your timing really sucks nuts, you know? I've been on a freakin' roller coaster this past week, up and down and up and down to the lowest level of Hell, and now that I'm back up, in the clouds even, you've decided to interrupt us? I know that you're the Alpha, I respect that completely, but couldn't you give us a little time, even five minutes?

Lilah had already pulled away from me, rising to make her way to the group settling around the bonfire, and I longed to grab her hand, to pull her down next to me, then into my arms, but I knew a losing battle when I saw one. It would seem that, once again, for the umpteenth time, my romantic attempts were going to go unfulfilled, leaving me frustrated and in a very pissy mood.

You know that she has to hear the truth, don't you Paul? She has to know the dangers that surround everyone, and why we are the way we are. It can't be helped that you were hoping to have some alone time with your woman...how many times do you think I've been in your shoes? You respect my title, and my authority, but bear in mind the responsibility I've shouldered...and the times that I've been made to walk away from Emily...it might stifle your bitching...if nothing else will work.

He turned and walked away from us, leaving me stewing, that was until Lilah turned to look at me, smiling as she held out the Tupperware I'd assumed was empty. "I saved some brownies for you, honey," she said, lowering it to show me that instead of no goodies at all, I had five waiting for me. "I was afraid that I might have to wrestle some of them away from the guys, but in the end all it took was a stern look to get them to back off."

The majority of my residual anger had melted away when she met my eyes with her own, and the rest had fled while I laughed and helped myself to all of the brownies...at least I got to taste a little sweetness tonight, even if it wasn't exactly what I'd had in mind.

Lilah's POV

The beach was slowly becoming deserted, it was very late and the bonfire was slowly dying down, though I was still warmed by its flame, my face bathed in its glow. I'd been sitting that way long before the legend telling had reached its end, the story burrowing into my mind, playing out like a scene from a movie, and I was still dumbfounded, unable to move, seeing the image over and over as the Cold Ones attacked the village, of the beautiful and terrible woman, intent on revenge, and the sacrifice of the Third Wife.

There was no reason that I could think of to doubt what I'd heard, about the existence of a creature that'd been both vilified and romanticized. Werewolves, or rather, shape shifters were a reality, so why should it be so surprising that vampires were as well? It would have been much easier on my brain if I'd been able to declare the legends fairytales and to assume that all of the people who'd sat with me tonight were out of their ever-loving minds...loony freakin' tunes...but the truth of the matter was that life was never easy, and judging by my current position at the center of Crazy, but True, Town, it was only going to get harder before things leveled out.

Bella Swan had been seated on the side of me that Paul hadn't occupied, and I'd found myself wondering whether or not she was shocked by what we heard as I was, and judging by her calm demeanor, I'd say that she wasn't. If anything, it seemed as though she'd heard the story before, almost as though she knew it by heart, though she was still awed by it. It dawned on me then, the characteristics of the cold ones who'd made a treaty with the pack, their leader and his yellow eyes and I thought of Dr. Cullen, of his pallid, ice-cold skin, and his beautiful golden eyes. It could have just been a coincidence, but if it had been, it would have been one hell of a fluke; after all I'd heard tonight. It just didn't make sense though, the idea of Dr. Cullen as a cold-blooded murderer, not when I'd seen the kindness in his eyes, not when I'd felt the gentleness of his touch and his compassionate nature, but his appearance, paired with Bella's knowledge of what we'd heard tonight, cemented the truth for me.

"How many are there?" I asked, watching the flames dance their final rhythm, dying amongst the banked ashes. "Do I even want to know, Paul?"

He started at the sound of my voice, at the first words that I'd uttered since before the storytelling had begun. It had been cruel of me, I knew, sitting there as still as a stone, staring into the fire, but I'd been stricken dumb by what I'd learned, and it had taken awhile for the numbness to begin leaving my body. I thought at first that he'd gone to sleep beside me, but then I realized that he'd been watching me the whole time, obviously worried, and he seemed relieved that I'd finally come out of my stupor.

"I can't say for sure," he said, his lip curled, his voice filled with disgust as he thought of them, of his enemy. "Too damn many...enough to make my skin crawl."

"Dr. Cullen?" I asked, fervently hoping he'd deny it, feeling my heart sink when he nodded. "What about his family...do they know?"

He didn't answer verbally, he just turned to look at me, and my heart sank, my stomach turned over when I thought of a houseful of vampires, despite their dietary restrictions, living so close to those who had no idea who they really were...and Bella Swan...in love with a vampire...how was that possible?

I suppose that my judgment of her was a little hypocritical, considering the man seated beside me, the one that I was absolutely crazy about, the one who could turn into a wolf of all things, but how could she stand that pale, freezing flesh on her skin? I couldn't imagine what it would be like to snuggle up to someone who felt like a block of ice. I preferred warmth, like that which radiated from the heater who sat patiently, devotedly, at my side.

"I guess your life would have been a lot easier if you'd never met me, huh?" he said almost sadly, reaching out his hand to run the backs of his fingers down my arm. "If I'd never looked at you, imprinted on you, making it essential that I be in your world every day, you never would have known about any of this, about me, and you could have gone on blissfully unaware, happier then you are right now."

I looked at him incredulously, feeling my temper sparking to life. I reached out and pressed my hand to his, palm to palm, hoping that everything that I was feeling was showing in my eyes. "Maybe it would be easier for me if I just hid under my bed for the rest of my life," I answered, my voice quiet, yet vehement in tone. "But that wouldn't be too damned realistic, would it? It would kind of make me a wimp, and I would have never known you, which wouldn't have made my life any better, I can assure you. I kind of like having you there every day, to tell you the truth...I'd be very lonely without you...and you're kind of pissing me off right now, telling me that I'd be better off without you."

For a moment he just stared at me, then a slow smile started to curve his lips, that damned smile that made me feel like my tummy was filled with butterflies, the one that made my blood heat, making me hot from my head to my toes, concentrating itself between my thighs. "And that was a hell of a way for you to mention the whole imprinting thing," I continued, doing my best to sound angry, and failing miserably. "So much for romance, so much for my girlish fantasies, just an "Oh, by the way...I kind of imprinted on you babe...sorry I screwed up your life."

He didn't seem the least bit sorry, as a matter of fact, a twinkling started up in his eyes, and the smile on his face grew to the point where it had to be hurting him. "I didn't mean to just blurt it out the way I did," he whispered, removing his hand from mine, gently cupping my cheek, his thumb caressing my flesh. "I'm sorry for that, sweetheart. I'm kind of new to this whole romance thing, you know?"

I was pretty sure that he had plenty of experience charming the pants off of every woman he came across, and I meant that quite literally, but seduction and romance, while being two very important pieces to the puzzle of love, were often mutually exclusive, not needing the other to exist, though I wouldn't complain if he wanted to challenge himself and offer both of them to me at the same time.

"I guess that other guys have dealt with this part of the relationship before, telling their girl how they feel about them. Don't get me wrong...I've said the words before...but I was...well...you know...lying...when I did. This is the only time I've ever wanted to say them, because it's the way that I feel, and it kind of blows my mind to know that I'll never say them to anyone else."

It was kind of mind-blowing for me as well, I was a girl who'd heard the words in those situations where the guy was desperate to get into my pants, but I'd never had a situation like this, with a guy that I knew would mean them completely, that he not only loved me, but was consumed by me as well.

"Does it ever feel kind of unfair to you?" I asked, putting voice to the one concern that had plagued me ever since Emily had told me about imprinting. "I mean, it's not like you have a say-so in the matter, and maybe I'm not who you would have chosen, had you been able to choose your own woman."

He made a noise, something that was a mixture of a laugh and a snort and shook his head at me. "You are the exact woman that I would have chosen Lilah, but my damn mouth would have screwed everything up before I could have gotten you even halfway interested in me. The fact that I'm obsessed with you has made me more determined, more tenacious, than I would have been in the past, and it has helped me to behave myself, but no...I never feel trapped...and even if I was, and you were the one threatening to keep me as your prisoner, I'd happily chain myself to the freakin' wall...so never think for a minute that I feel like I've been forced into this, ok? It pissed me off a little, in the beginning, but I've more than gotten used to it, sweetheart."

He moved his hand from my face and turned on the huge piece of driftwood that had acted as a seat for us, placing one leg on each side, and scooted up close to me, so close that I could feel his breath on my face. "Looking into your eyes was like seeing the sun rising over the mountains for the first time, it felt like spring rain on my skin, it smelled like freshly cut grass, it-"

He broke off and looked away from me, obviously embarrassed, and I put my hand against his cheek, drawing his eyes back to my own. "Don't stop now," I whispered, leaning forward to kiss each of his cheeks. "For someone not used to romance you were doing pretty damned good, honey."

I heard each intake of breath from him as my lips grazed his flesh, and a delicious tingle shivered through me when he growled deep in his throat. "It was like I'd been away for a long time, missing everything and everyone, and when I looked into your eyes...I was home again." He placed a hand on each of my cheeks, looking deeply into my eyes. "I love you Lilah, I have since that moment in Mary's kitchen, and I always will."

He leaned forward, holding my gaze until the moment his lips touched mine, and then his eyes fluttered closed, prompting me to follow suit. It wasn't the first time that I'd been kissed by a man, but it was the first time that I'd been kissed by a man who knew what he was doing, and he was turning me inside out, just with that first gentle, searching touch of his lips. He didn't try to rush me; he didn't force my mouth open, didn't try to taste my stomach with his tongue. He explored me, tasted me, but all with a tenderness I'd never experienced, never expected, before. It wasn't that he kept his tongue away from me, but it was a soft study of my mouth, shyly asking permission before parting my lips and enjoying what he found, showing me that it was possible to completely lose myself in a moment, in something so simple, so intoxicating, as our first kiss...it was romance personified, it was magic...it was love.