(This takes place before Jacob has phased so the pack includes Sam, Paul, Jared, Leah, and Embry)
Chapter 1
When Sam and Emily walked back into the kitchen they saw Julianna curled up in Paul's lap. She was telling him some story from the institution and even though there was a large chance she had imagined it Paul still listened intently hanging on to every word that she said. She had her fists full of Paul's shirt in her hands as if to remind herself that he wasn't going anywhere and he was real. The sight made Emily smile finally seeing Paul calm.
"Muffin?" Em asked placing the basket filled dozens of muffins on the table. Usually she wouldn't have asked since the pack just took them anyway but Julianna wasn't an always hungry wolf. Julianna's eyes widened at the sight of the basket and she nuzzled her face into Paul's chest trying to breath in his scent rather than the freshly baked treats. She didn't want to have another attack after only being drug free for a few hours but the voices came back invading her head like always. Julianna had named the three voices in her head a while ago tick, tock, and tuck. Tick and Tock were twins always repeating what the other one said but Tuck was different. He unlike the two girls was much quieter and only spoke of the obvious.
She baked the drugs into the muffin! Tock yelled causing Julianna's head to hurt.
The drugs are in the muffin. DON'T EAT! Tick echoed.
I just said that don't you listen.
Well I was just repeating it for clarification.
Their arguing caused Julianna to cover her ears with her hands trying to block out the voices. Of course it didn't work since the voices were inside her head.
Sam watched her in shock of what was happening. All Emily had done was ask if she wanted a muffin and this was the result. He was starting to regret letting Paul talk him into letting her stay here. Julianna mumbled to herself trembling in Paul's lap while her hands covered her ears.
"Em put the muffins away they're freaking her out." Paul said in a calmer tone than Emily expected. He would've yelled but he didn't want to scare her any more than she already was. Once she had moved them onto the counter away from Julianna the voices stopped yelling.
Ok they're gone we're safe.
Stop freaking out or else they are gonna send us back.
Shut up Tick! Paul won't let them send us back, remember he promised.
That shut them all up. Julianna looked up from Paul's chest meeting the 3 pairs of eyes that looked down at her with concern. "I'm sorry" she mumbled moving her hands to her lap. Paul took her hand in his and put it against his chest like she had done earlier. She could feel his heart beat and started to hers to his. Once her breathing was steady and she had calmed down she started to explain. "Back at the institute they used to bake some drugs in the food. You wouldn't even know until it was too late to throw it back up because it was already in your system. That's how they had to give me most of my medication because I wouldn't cooperate."
Emily had tears in her eyes realizing how broken this girl truly was. She was quick to wipe them away remembering how Paul told them she hated sympathy. She would say how she didn't feel like others should be upset about it when there was nothing that could be fixed. But mostly it was because when people gave her sympathy it just confirmed that she was different and broken.
"Well I would never argue to company in the kitchen if you felt more comfortable watching me cook. Or you could help if you want." Emily said cheerfully with a smile. Julianna matched her smile with her own and nodded. She never had minded cooking but she was worried that they wouldn't want her around an open flame or cutting knifes.
"So where is this room that you speak of because I'm pretty sure Sam and Emily don't want my bag blocking their hallway when the guys come by."
"Here I'll show you." Sam said walking up the stairs. As Julianna followed with Paul not far behind she heard Tuck's quiet voice as if he was far away.
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve. He always counted how many steps she went up causing her to usually use an elevator in tall buildings.
"The bathroom is to the left and then your bedroom is the next door to the left."
After thanking Sam three times she skipped down the hallway and opened the door revealing where she would be staying for the next few weeks. The walls were a light yellow resembling the color of a baby duck. Paul had saved some of her old belongings from her house before her parents got rid of everything, mostly blankets she had made, yarn, and knitting needles. Knitting had always calmed Julianna so she was ecstatic when she saw them sitting on the bed.
"I can't believe you got all this! Thank you thank you thank you. You're the best!" Julianna squealed hugging Paul tightly around the waist.
"You're welcome baby girl." Paul replied wrapping an arm around her. "Ok I gotta go to work but I'll be back tonight when you meet the rest of the guys. Emily would love company downstairs and if you want you can help her cook but just no knifes." He knew she wouldn't have moved from the room if he hadn't said anything, she always had been a little shy.
Paul trusted her in the kitchen and had faith that she could use a knife but he knew Sam didn't. Sam had met Julianna once before she became a shell and she had one of the worst attacks Paul had ever seen. It was the only time Paul had ever used the sedating medicine the institution gave him when he brought her out. Nobody knew what set off the voices but the attack was powerful and violent. It started with covering her ears and mumbling to herself but suddenly she started screaming and thrashing around. Jared and Sam had to hold her down while Paul stuck the needle into her arm pushing the drugs into her.
"Wait but what if something happens and I need you." Julianna looked up at Paul with pleading eyes silently begging him not to go.
"You'll be fine ok, I'll be back soon." Paul kissed her temple before leaving to meet Sam and the pack. It killed him to leave her when she was so uncomfortable but he couldn't resist the Alpha order any longer.
Once Paul phased his head was flooded with his pack member's thoughts. He stopped himself from thinking about Julianna but Sam didn't, showing the pack the muffin incident.
Paul when are we gonna finally meet her when she's not all crazy.
SHE'S NOT CRAZY! Paul growled at Embry when he reached the clearing.
Whatever you say man but you're more whipped than Sam and Jared combined and she's not even your imprint.
Paul snapped and pounced at Embry tackling him against the forest floor. Embry put up a good fight but he was no match against Paul's size and strength. It took another Alpha order to pry Paul's jaw off Embry's neck.
Enough Paul or you gotta find another place for Julianna to stay. Sam barked causing Paul to back away with his tail in between his legs.
While the pack was patrolling, or working as Paul told Julianna, Emily started on dinner. She always liked to cook so cooking for the guys was never a burden.
"Want any help?" Julianna asked quietly from the stairs. Tick and Tock were yelling at her to just stay in the room until Paul got back but Tuck had convinced them it was ok to go downstairs.
"Of course, wanna wash the rest of the veggies and I'll cut them?"
Julianna nodded hesitantly before picking up a tomato and holding it under the water. She was thankful that Emily offered to cut the food since Paul had told her not to use a knife.
"So how long have you and Paul been friends?" Emily had asked Paul before but he just ignored the question. She had been dying to ask Julianna hoping for a better answer.
"About 10 years I think. I met him when we were 8 so it's been a while." Julianna paused before thinking of a way to get the topic off of her and Paul. "When did you and Sam get together, I don't remember meeting you before I went …. away."
"We've been together for a little over a year." Emily said smiling to herself. She had felt terrible when Sam broke up with Leah for her but after a few weeks of him bugging her she finally agreed to go on a date with him. She had planned on yelling at him for breaking her cousin's heart but she had felt an instant connection towards him, as if she was pulled to be closer to him. As time went on she learned the legends and later learned they were true and that she was his imprint. It scared her at first how strong the imprint bond was and the shape shifting but it didn't scare her any more. It made her feel safe.
Julianna had finished washing the vegetables a while ago and was now watching Emily cook. She watched carefully as Emily added and mixed the ingredients. After everything was done and on the stove to cook Julianna thanked Emily for letting her watch. Em smiled in return and assured her that she could watch or help whenever she wanted.
Paul was starting to get nervous as he spent more time away from her. He couldn't help but have his thoughts drift to her and the guys kept giving him crap about it.
Dude she's fine you gotta stop worrying. Jared whined with Paul's constant thoughts on the girl.
What if it was Kim in Julianna's shoes huh? You'd be freaking out. Paul snapped. Jared shut up after that knowing he couldn't deal with half the shit Paul goes through for her.
After the patrol was over, which took extra-long since they caught the scent of three leeches who had been on their land, they all headed back to Emily's for food.
Paul, Jared, and Embry let out two short barks signaling to Emily they were outside. It was easier than knocking and having her yell every time they came over, which was quite often. Paul went inside first and directly over to Julianna who was sitting on the counter. Once she saw him she immediately smiled and walked over to stand closer to him. He wrapped his arm around her resting it on her waist pulling her closer to him.
"This is Embry and you remember- ." Paul was cut off when Julianna squealed and ran over to Jared pulling him into a tight hug.
"I haven't seen you in so long how is everything? How's Kim you guys are dating right?" Everybody went silent when she mentioned Kim. She had only met her a few times and each time she was completely drugged up.
"Yea and she's uh good." Jared stuttered confused.
"Yay I can't wait to see her again." Everybody looked at her in shock. "She visited me once when I was in the institute to ask me about you Jared since she knew that I was friends with you." She laughed as she finished her sentence. The visit was before she had taken her morning medicine so she remembered the conversation.
"She didn't tell me that." Jared mumbled with a smirk on his face. He was definitely going to tease her about asking about him.
"Why didn't she talk to me?" Paul asked from across the room.
"Because you intimidate everybody and she was scared of you." She laughed again when a smirk played across Paul's face. She knew he loved intimidating people.
As the night went on they all eat and laughed. Embry and Julianna got along well and Jared was teasing her again like they used to before everything happened. Once Julianna had fallen asleep curled up in Paul's lap Sam decided to call it a night and kicked the other two guys out. Paul debated on going back to his house and come back to Sam and Emily's in the morning but instead fell asleep in a chair across the room.
Julianna always had trouble staying asleep and the nightmares didn't help either. Tick Tock and Tuck enjoyed to keep her awake with horror stories. They found it funny when she woke up thrashing around in a pool of sweat. That night like most others Julianna woke up screaming while swatting and kicking the air and blankets around her. Except this time she wasn't alone in a mental hospital.
"Paul." It came out more like a whimper but she didn't care, she just wanted him to make the bad things go away.
"I'm here baby girl." Paul said as he sat down on her bed and pulled her into his lap. For once he was thankful for being a light sleeper "Everything's ok I won't let anything hurt you." He was thankful that he stayed with her not wanting to think of what would've happened if she woke up and he wasn't here. She nodded against his chest and fell back asleep wrapped up in his arms. It was exactly where both of them wanted, no needed, to be.
Hi everybody so I wanted to repeat that Paul has not imprinted on Julianna. Her head is so messed up and cluttered and confused and drugged up that the imprint was not strong enough when they looked at each other. Also please please please review they honestly mean the world to a writer :)