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Chapter 5

Paul's POV

I lasted a minute before the tears fell down my face. I had already accepted that Embry belonged to Emmett and who the hell was I to deny them? Sure, I could make the sub mine and not give a rat's ass about Emmett's feelings. But I wouldn't do that, not to either of them. If there is one thing I had learned from my mema, it was to respect your pack and they will respect you. Love your pack and you will have the best pack watching your back. But, mema never told me how fucking much it would hurt to let someone else have the closest thing to a mate we ever had.

Embry reminded me so much of mema. The way he was with young Seth the previous evening, his sweet gentle smile. But most of all that stubborn streak that I believed all submissives carried within them. I slid down the wall not caring that the water had gone cold. I loved my pack and my god, I was going to make my pack the best damn pack there could be. I heard a tap on the bathroom door and knew that it was Embry just by his glorious scent that even came through the door. His scent when he went on heat again would be unbearable if Emmett didn't mark him. Somehow, I thought the sub felt the same about my beta. He would be able to keep him in check without taking over.

"Paul, are you okay? Do you need anything?" his voice called through the door.

"I'm fine," I said standing and turning off the shower. Getting out, I quickly grabbed a towel and ran it over my already dry body before wrapping it around my waist. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to see Embry standing there leaning against the opposite wall, his butt resting on his hands. The moment he heard me he looked up and gave a soft smile.

"I can turn him down," he whispered.

I grabbed his arm pulling him to my room and shut the door after hearing Emmett singing some shit while doing the dishes. I slipped on some shorts before removing my towel. Embry was looking out the window and I went behind him and pulled his hair away from his neck. How easy it would be to mark him right here, right now. He smelled perfect, just how I imagined my mate would. I felt Embry tense but, he leaned over more and bared his neck in submission. I gave it a quick kiss and turned him around, tears evident in his eyes. "You have my blessing to date Emmett," I smiled sitting in the chair at my desk. Embry sat on the bed and sighed.

"Paul, how much do you know about submissives?" he asked.

"A lot actually, my mema was a submissive alpha, remember?" I chuckled.

"Did you know that every submissive has a gift? Your mema has a gift and you probably don't know. Jacob is the only one, as alpha to know from my old pack. It is not shouted out from the rooftops. The dominates don't like to feel weaker. But, anyway sorry, where was I? Oh yeah, we all have a gift, as Jacob calls it," he smiled.

"Okay, I really think I would've known if my mema had a gift," I frowned. Embry shook his head.

"She does Paul, but I don't know what it is," he said shyly

"Was, my mema died a long time ago," I signed swallowing hard.

"Sorry," he whispered. I nodded smiling at him. "I can smell things a hundred times better than your average wolf. I smelled your tears the minute you got in the shower. That is why I am here to tell you that I will be your mate if I need to be. Just until you meet your imprint, your true mate," he blushed.

He was offering a lot. More than anyone, including even Emmett ever offered. He knew that once I met my so called imprint, I would never look at another submissive, mate or not. He would not be touched by another wolf till his dying day. I ran my hand down my face before pulling him from the bed to my knee. "You belong to another, Embry and I give you my blessing. I want you to be happy and be with the right man and I believe that Emmett is your true mate," I said wiping his tears away while he wiped mine.

"Paul," he said until I put my fingers to his lips. "Thank you," he said throwing his arms around my neck.

"You have to promise me two things though, Embry," I said pulling him back and looking him directly in the eye. He nodded with a grin from ear to ear. "Make that idiot out there happy and for fuck sake, make him get some decent taste in music," I growled hearing Emmett singing some shit at the top of his lungs. Embry giggled.

"I promise the second I can, I will burn his cd collection. Have you seen what he has?" he chuckled. "But I promise, I will make him happy, Paul, I feel it here," he blushed tapping his chest. "that he is my true mate," I pushed him off my knee.

"Get out of here, we will do a run after lover boy has finished the dishes," I said turning around and turning on my computer. I had some research to do on imprinting.

I never wanted to be in the heads of Emmett and Embry ever again. God, they were driving me insane. They both sucked at keeping their thoughts to themselves "Would you two go on your fucking date and leave me in peace to finish my run?" I growled.

"Sure boss," Emmett shouted in my head making me growl more. Embry was blushing through his fur and nodded, his thoughts suddenly silent. "You sure you're okay running on your own?" to his question I bit him on his flank. "Okay, I knew that. Just trying to keep you happy, Paul," he chuckled. "See you when we get back. Don't wait up," Emmett said turning with Embry on his tail. Ten minutes later Emmett phased out.

"Thank you, Paul," Embry said before he too phased.

I picked up the pace letting my legs feel the burn. I was not patrolling as there was really no need to, I would know if a wolf came into the area. I let my thoughts wonder about the man who would be my forever, the one that I would die for. I was so going to be whipped just like Jacob and I was not sure that was what I wanted. My wolf whined. I didn't want to imprint. I wanted to love my mate the natural way, not some freaky shit that tells me I would love that person unconditionally. What if it was a child and, like Jacob and had to wait till they reached mating age? If my mate was from the high school, the chances of them not being of mating age were greatly higher. Unless it was a teacher but, the chances of that were slim to almost none. They would've shifted by now and I knew he was not in Jacob's pack. I stopped my musings when I heard a small whimper a few hundred feet away and slowed down to a trot. Without a doubt, it was a cub crying, possibly their first phase. I put my nose to the ground and followed at a safe distance hoping the cub would get back to the treaty line where I could call to the Black pack. That cub was not going to howl. He was young but, he was obviously strong, not howling in pain at his first phase.

"Back off, Lahote. He's ours," James and his pack came running from behind me just as I had the cub in my sights.

"Fuck off, James. He is Jacob's cub. You can't take his cubs without his permission," I growled racing to the cub who was standing there, frozen in fear at seeing seven large fucking wolves coming toward him all baring their teeth and growling.

"What he doesn't know, doesn't hurt him and what's to say you weren't going to ordain him into your pack?" he asked. "Where is your pack, anyway? Lover boy gone, running off with that pathetic thing you call a sub," he said trying to get past me to the cub only for me to keep blocking him with my large frame. "Want to fight, best alpha wins?" he growled.

"He is not ours to fight for, you idiot," I growled. "Tell your pack to back the fuck off now," I warned. I was fucked. I knew he knew it and if the cub had any brains, he knew it too. I watched as his pack backed off. I could easily take James. He was the sort of alpha who just attacked without thought. I however, was strategic. I was the better fighter. But, I didn't trust him to let his pack keep out of our fight. He had proven many times before that he was a dirty fighter.

"I win, the cub will be part of my pack. You win, you can do what you wish but believe me, I want that cub. He is strong," James said.

Next second, he lunged at me. Like I said, dirty fucking fighter. I easily dodged his claws and he landed on the ground. I held the chuckle in, he was worse than I thought. He again, lunged at me. This time, I managed to get hold of his leg before he landed and tugged it earning a mouthful of his fur. Spitting it out, I lunged at him while he was distracted by his wound. I got him on his back. We both got good bites. We had been going at it a while neither of us getting anywhere but, I could feel him tiring. I had a massive gash on my leg and scratches all over but, I was better off. I tore his flank with my claws and it was deep. Also, he had a broken front leg when I grabbed it with my strong jaws and bit down on it. I pulled back off him and took a breath as he just lay on his side. He'd lost and he knew it. "Kill the fucker," he ordered.

Two of his bigger wolves came charging towards me. I had no time to think before I was thrown in the air and slammed into a tree winding me. I also had broken several ribs. I could feel blood seeping from my lungs. I whined trying to keep myself conscious. The whole time, the young cub was silent other than the soft whining. I tried to stand up but, they were again on me. The last thing I saw was a large set of teeth going toward my snout. God, I hope Jacob would let Emmett and Embry into his pack. Emmett was no alpha.

"It's the best I can do, the rest is up to him," a woman's voice said. The scent was familiar but, I couldn't put a face to it. "Embry, apply this three times a day until the scars are gone and he is not to get out of bed until that leg of his is healed one hundred percent. If he won't listen to you, call me and I will come kick his butt, alpha or no alpha," she said.

"Thanks, Sue. I will staple him in and if that doesn't work, Jacob can use his double alpha on him. No one has ever gone against him," Embry said.

"Sweetie, have you ever known anyone go against me?" she giggled. I opened one eye and looked at the women in question. Never would I listen to some mere human. She turned around before I could shut my eye. "I know you heard me and believe me, you do not want to go against me. I am a momma and I consider all the pack the my children and since you are on my lands, my rules," she said kissing my forehead before walking out.

"That is one scary chick," Emmett laughed before sitting on the bed making me wince in pain. He jumped off straight away only making it worse. "Shit, sorry dude, my bad," he said frowning.

"Sue is lovely as long as you don't go against her. Jacob tried it once," Embry said kneeling at the side of the bed and stroking my forehead which was bandaged.

"You're shitting me, right? She is a mere human," Emmett laughed his booming laugh.

Embry stood up with his hands on his hips and glared at Emmett. "Don't you dare underestimate the power of a mama, Emmett Frederick McCarty or I will be the one kicking your ass," he growled.

"Sorry, my love," Emmett whimpered. I laughed but, it hurt fucking bad making me groan, their attention suddenly back on me.

"Try not to move, you're a real mess," Embry said again sitting on his knees, his warm kind eyes looking into mine. "Do you want anything a drink?" he asked.

"No, I just have one thing to say," I said holding up my arm. Embry and Emmett looked at me expectantly. I flicked my good wrist as I made the sound of a whip. Embry giggled while Emmett muttered something I couldn't hear but, I knew that Embry would have. He looked at me and winked. That was when I saw it. "I thought you were going to take it slow Ems," I sighed. Embry already had the mark of a mate.

"I will go get some warm water to wash you," Embry said getting up and leaving me and Emmett alone.

Emmett ran his hand through his hair. "Um yeah, well um, the thing is that um, we didn't get to go on our date. But, believe me Paul, if we had known, if you had given a howl, we would've come," he said kneeling beside the bed and taking my good hand in his bringing it up to his lips and kissing it.

"God, the cub? What happened to the cub, is he alright? Tell me," I ordered, fear coursing through me.

"Yeah, he's fine. Embry heard the howl of the cub and quickly rang Jacob, they were already on their way though. We didn't think there was a problem however, because Embry didn't recognize the call. We just thought it was a first time shifter. It wasn't until Jacob howled that Embry knew something was wrong and we came to see if we could help. Paul, what the hell were you thinking, man? You could've got yourself killed," he said as tears fell onto my hand which he still held in his hands.

"If I sounded the howl, we would both be dead. At least this way, the cub had a chance. Ems, you know I was doing what I thought was right," I sighed.

Emmett looked into my eyes and nodded before kissing my hand again and putting it down when Embry returned. Taking the bowl from him, he began washing any area that was not covered in bandages. Embry fussed with the sheets tutting every now and again then, taking the flannel from Emmett and taking over washing me. "Ems, go let Jacob in," Embry said not stopping what he was doing. Raising an eyebrow, Emmett went from the room. "You have visitors, you up to them?" he asked. I nodded just as Jacob walked in with a young boy and Emmett.

"You're looking a lot better than before," Jacob chuckled coming over and shaking my hand. "You're either a brave man or a stupid one. But, thanks man. You saved Chris' life," he said turning to the young man whose scent I recognized. I chuckled knowing I was not going to live it down, what I had done. Chris was a big cub and looking closely I saw he was the one Jacob was talking about at the beach. He gave me a smile but looked down. "Anyway, Chris has something to ask. We will wait outside," he said ushering the rest of my pack out. Once the door was shut, I waved the cub over.

"Hey Chris," I said holding out my hand. "Paul Lahote. Looks like you didn't get too badly hurt," I smiled.

"I spent a couple of days resting. I got a broken jaw," he said rubbing his jaw.

"Say what? How long have I been out?" I groaned.

"Four days, three hours, and twenty minutes," he smirked. I raised an eyebrow. "I have a thing for numbers, sorry," he said.

"Worse things to have," I chuckled. "But what can I do for you, Chris? Jacob said you wanted to talk to me," I said feeling the need to sleep.

"Oh yeah, sorry. Jacob told me not to keep you long. I want to thank you for saving me. I wouldn't have had a chance against them," he said.

"It's fine, happy to help."

"I want to join your pack," he blurted out. If I didn't have my wolf hearing I would've missed what he said. "Shit, um sorry. I was wondering if I could join your pack," he blushed.

I stared at him shocked at his request. No one in there right mind would leave Jacob's pack if they were given a choice. They were the strongest pack in the country. Possibly in the world. Maybe not right now but, one day in the not too far distant future.

"Are you sure, Chris? You have a great pack with Jacob," I said trying to sit up but, failing. Chris rushed to my side carefully helping me up and resting me against the headboard.

"I do have a great pack but, I want to be in your pack. I want you to be my alpha. I would consider it a great honour," he said smiling. "Jacob said if you said it was okay, he would let me join your pack."

"Welcome to the pack, Chris. What's your surname?" I chuckled.

"Jensen, my name is Christopher Jensen," he held out his hand of which I took and shook.

"Well, like I said, welcome to my pack. Personally, I think your mad but, I am pleased to have you in my pack. Although, we might have to wait until I am healed before we can to it formally," I said.