Chapter 30

part 1

Angela was roused from sleep by the smell of cooking bacon. Padding slowly into the kitchen she took in the sight of Paul hunched over the stove, his muscles moving as he mixed something up in an oversized bowl on the counter in front of him. Her eyes traveled slowly down his back taking in all that deliciously tanned skin, and came to a halt right above the waist line of the low slung shorts he was wearing. She'd ogled his body on more than one occasion but that was normally from the front. The two dimples right above the waistband of his pants caught her eye and she couldn't look away. The next time she was gripping his ass she would be sure to feel for those. Angela didn't realize when the mixing had stopped nor did she realize that Paul had went completely still, that was until his husky voice sliced through the air startling her out of the trance those two dimples hat put her in.

"How long you need me to stand here Angel?"

The blush was instantaneous when it shouldn't have been; he was hers, she could ogle all she wanted, "All day probably wouldn't be long enough."

"Sorry Angel not today, I've got plans for us, just me and you."

He still stood with his back to her, holding the bowl poised above the counter now, waiting.

"I guess, since you've made such a good case I can continue to get my fill of you later, whatcha cooking?" Angela smiled when Paul snorted then made his way over to the sizzling pan on the back of the stove.

"Got bacon going, which I'm pretty sure is what woke you up; I was trying to be quite."

"You were."

"Emily hasn't been so stingy lately with her breakfast recipes so I'm about to get these pancakes on. After we eat we'll head out."

Angela's brows smashed together when she looked out the window, "It's still dark out, what time is it?"

"Bout four thirty I'd say."

"You must have a big day planned."

Paul's nod was the only response he gave as he flipped the pancakes.

~U~

Angela was being a damn good sport, given that it was her vacation from school and he'd gotten her ass up not only at four thirty in the morning but here he had woken her up just to drag her around the forrest. Despite all of that Angela had a smile plastered on her face from the minute he told her they were going on a hike. Without missing a beat she'd darted back into his room and dug around through her bags until she had her camera slung around her neck and the bag with her lens strapped across her chest.

They hadn't been hiking too long, the sun barely peeking through the canopy the first time Paul stopped and offered her something to eat, some water and much to her delight a piggy back ride. What seemed like an hour later he stopped again, asking if she needed anything despite the fact that she'd been on his back the whole time.

"You getting any good shots?"

"I think so, I forgot how pretty it is under the canopy."

"We don't have much longer to go, then we'll stop and have lunch."

"Do you have a destination in mind?"

"It's just a little bit further, you wanna get back on?"

Smiling Angela shook her head, "Your back must be aching at this point, plus I don't mind walking, give me a chance to use my macro lens. It might take a bit longer though."

"Fine with me Angel."

"Just let me know if I'm taking too long."

~U~

Angela hadn't been joking it had taken them nearly an hour to walk the last mile to the spot where Paul wanted to be. Not that he minded, watching her in her element, the way she would bend and stoop to get the right angle. The excitement that he could see on her face when she was taking a picture of a bug or a fern. He liked her like this, here with him, in his element; where she belonged. He just hoped that she didn't go running for the hills when he showed her the wolf; he knew he wasn't ready for the fall out if she did.

By the time they came upon the spring Paul had found on his first time out he was nervous as hell. It took everything he had to hide the shaking of his hands; he couldn't help but wonder if Angela could hear the racing of his heart on the other side of the spring.

Clearing his throat Paul shifted on his feet, completely unnerved hating the feeling, "What do you think of it?"

"It's amazing!"

"Yeah."

Paul watched as Angela made her way around the small spring filled pond, unable to keep his eyes off of her. Her hand kept a hold of the camera slung around her neck, fingers twitching to bring it to her eye to capture everything she was seeing. Paul held his breath listening to the thrum of her heart, her excitement singing to him, making him even more nervous.

When she finally made her way around to him he stilled his hands pulling her in to his chest, taking in her scent remembering the way her body felt against his, "I need to tell you something," Paul blurted unable to stop himself.

He felt Angela still in his arms, her hand pressing more firmly against his chest, over his racing heart, "Is everything ok Paul."

Paul pulled her into his chest again not caring that her camera was digging into his side, "It's fine, just important, something that you need to know."

With that Paul pushed back from her, held his hand out when she tried to come forward, "Angel I need you to stand right there, need you to not move a damn muscle. Promise me you won't move."

The skip in her heartbeat almost had him pulling her in again, but Paul knew if he didn't do it then he was never going to, this waiting; dragging it out wasn't helping things only making it worse.

"Promise me," he whispered.

"You're scaring me Paul; is everything alright?"

"I hope it will be in a few minutes Angel, I really do."

Their eyes locked and Paul slowly started walking backwards, making sure to keep his eyes locked with hers, begging her not to move.

When the space between them was enough to do what he needed to do Paul gave her a curt nod and then started stripping. As he kicked off his boots and jerked the button apart on his jeans, he held her eyes. Watching her every move as he slid them down his legs, breathing in deep taking in the scent of her sudden but subtle arousal. His nostrils flared when she took a step forward, "gotta stay still Angel."

Angela nodded her hands gripping the camera for dear life.

"I need you to know that I'm not going to hurt you, I would never fucking hurt a hair on your head, I love you." Paul swallowed thickly before reaching behind his head and ripping the shirt off as fast as he could, "Please don't run."

~U~

Angela's emotions were all over the place; fear because Paul was being so cryptic, frustration because the pain on his face made her want to run into his arms and make the pain go away, and against all odds she was aroused. Paul stood a good twenty feet from her, naked as the day he was born, hard as a rock. She could see every vein in his arms as they stood out, watched as his jaw twitched. How could she ever run from this man?

"Paul?"

"Just a minute Angel, just give me a minute."

Angela nodded even though every part of her being wanted to scream and yell that a minute was too long; yet she stood stock still and watched as his body began to shake.

~U~

Paul sucked in a breath waiting for the sudden rush that always came right before he phased. His eyes stayed locked on Angela waiting, confused by the fact that it didn't consume him like it normally did. Rather it seemed to be slowly working its way through him from the ground up. Paul could hear the faint sounds of the pack in his head, their confusion at what was going on. He wanted to say something tell them what was going on but really he didn't know himself. Just as he was about to fight the shaking Angela whimpered her hand reaching out and then the rush came, washing over his body like it normally would. Paul went from standing on two feet to four in a split second, the whisper of his pack in his head was loud shouting and demands wanting to know where he was. Hell if he was going to answer though because Angela stood before him mouth agape hand still hanging in the air.

~U~

Angela couldn't get her brain to work, had absolutely no idea what the hell she just witnessed. One minute Paul was standing in front of her shaking as if he might be having a seizure and the next he was gone, a wolf early the size of horse stood in his place. Angela couldn't move even if she wanted to, her eyes slid over the massive beast taking in the colors of its fur, the length of its body, the twitching of its tail. The wolf didn't move aside from the tail, didn't make a sound. There was no teeth baring or snarling like in the movies just stillness. Eyes boring into her own waiting, pleading.

She didn't know how long she stood there taking in the sight before her, suddenly her vision was blocked by the viewfinder and then; click, click, click of the shutter echoed through the forest.

~U~

Paul waited amazed that she hadn't run off screaming like a mad woman, no his woman stood there snapping pictures of him. The voices slowly softened each and every one of them still talking but in regular tones, he could hear Quil the little prick attempting to crack a joke. As Angela continued snapping pictures of his wolf he slowly started to pad in a circle around her, his tail brushing against low hanging branches in the area.

As much as he wanted to tighten the circle he knew he couldn't make a move toward her. Angela had stopped taking pictures but the camera was still covering her face, damn he really wanted to see her face. Was she crying? Just as he was about to take a step forward she lowered the camera and her eyebrows pinched.

"Show me your teeth."

If he was human his damn eyebrows would have flown off his head.

Don't do it Paul. So of course Paul did it.

Angela's hands flew up to her face and there it went again click, click, click. Her fingers moved, the lens obviously zooming in on him. If she wanted to see up close he'd let her. Slowly Paul took a step toward her. The camera kept going her hand kept moving. So another step it was. Sam was in his head telling him to stop. His girl wasn't moving so he wasn't going to stop.

~U~

As the wolf moved closer Angela forced her hand to stop smacking the shutter release, and then slowly lowered the camera. The wolf, Paul, was almost within reach and she found herself wanting to run her fingers through his fur. Was it coarse or soft, the way it shifted with the breeze she felt like it might be soft but who knew, she was staring at a wolf that was larger than a damn bear.

The wolf didn't take any more steps but slowly began to reach elongating its neck, getting closer to her and then, slowly the lips pulled back and she could see teeth. She felt her eyes widen at the sight, gleaming and white his teeth were huge. The urge to touch over took her. Angela took a step forward her eyes on his teeth.

When his lips dropped and the teeth were covered once again Angela stopped realizing that her hand was still outstretched. Cocking her head to the side she looked at him, pinched her brow in confusion, "You'll show me but I can't touch?"

~U~

I don't understand why she wants to touch your teeth, I wonder if she realizes that you were digging at your junk with them just yesterday.

Paul heard Jared snicker at Quil's joke and wanted to smack him just as badly, the prick was supposed to be on his side.

This is about the dumbest thing I've ever seen.

Shut the fuck up Jared. Paul grit out wanting to snarl but he was worried if his teeth showed she'd shove her hand in his face again.

Just let her touch them I want to see what she does, maybe that will send her running.

I don't want her fucking running Embry.

She seems pretty interested I'd just do it.

Seth, Paul sighed, don't think I don't know that you are creeping in here.

Seth stopped at that and lowered himself to the ground, he wasn't far from where Paul and Angela stood.

Sorry.

~U~

Angela waited growing impatient watching as Paul's eyes shifted back and forth his lips still covering those teeth.

"Just show me again so I can get a picture."

His eyes shot back to hers and then slowly closed, his lips curled back and his teeth bared.

~U~

You're like a little puppy doing as your master says, Quil screeched like a teenage girl.

Shut the fuck up Ateara

Several snorts and howls followed until he felt a shot zip though his body, that shut them all up and brought him to the ground. His eyes snapped wide and right to Angela. She stood eye level with him, now that his belly was brushing the ground, her eyes wide as saucers and her hand hanging in mid-air.

"Did that hurt you?"

Fuck no it didn't hurt him, that shit felt amazing.

Holy fucking shit I'm going to make Kim touch my teeth when I get home.

The rest of the pack groaned as the fantasy Kim stroked Jared's wolf teeth.

Paul stood and shook it off, the fact that he was slightly shaking didn't go unnoticed and the pack were waiting for the next move wanting to know if her touch would affect him just the same.

"Did it hurt," Angela asked again while backing up.

Paul snorted and took a step forward not wanting her to back away from him.

~U~

Paul being a wolf kind of sucked, Angela thought as the wolf moved closer to her. Ok really it didn't it was the most amazing thing she'd ever experienced but the fact that he couldn't talk to her kind of sucked. Given the fact that he moved toward her and didn't say bite her hand off was a good sign. So it must not have hurt, just maybe came as a surprise. Then she felt a wave of something and her eyebrows pinched. "Have you let any of the others touch you like this?" The wave of anger began to pulse as she waited for the answer she knew she probably wouldn't get.

~U~

You would have thought the fuckers where hyenas the way they were cackling in his head.

Shit dude that was hilarious, Quil again, the fucker.

Angela's hands shot across her chest her eyes pinching together, "Well?"

I think maybe you should phase and talk to her Paul.

Shut the fuck up SETH, the entire pack shouted.

Not wanting to hear any of their shit Paul took Seth's advice and phased.

~U~

In a blink Paul was standing in front of her naked as the day he was born, covered in a sheen of sweat, looking slightly angry and about a thousand times hotter if at all possible.

"I just turned into an oversized dog and you're going to ask me if I've let any other girl touch me like that?" He didn't realize how annoyed he was with her question until his hands went to his hips like some sort of angry chick.

Angela's eyebrows raised, her foot tapped waiting.

"Fucks sake," Paul muttered.

In two long strides Paul had his hands wrapped around the back of her neck pulling her against his chest, "I fucking love you."

The anger Angela felt drained from her as soon as his skin made contact with her own, "Does that hurt when it happens, can you control it, why does it-" Paul's lips claimed hers cutting off the questions.

When his lips pulled away Paul rested his forehead against her's, "I'll get dressed and we'll talk."

~U~

Sitting on a rock near the stream Angela waited her patience growing thin as Paul paced in front of her. She'd sat long enough that the cold had seeped through her jeans and her butt was starting to go numb, no words. Paul would stop in front of her open his mouth as if he'd start talking but then shake his head and continue on with his pacing.

"Are you going to talk to me soon? It's getting dark."

"I'm trying to decide how far I want you into this, how much I want to tell you."

"Since you love me and I love you, I figure you should tell me all of it."

Paul stopped, narrowed his eyes then continued pacing.

"There are things that could put you in danger if you knew them."

"You'll keep me safe though."

"I can't protect you when you're damn near on the other side of the country though can I?"

Angela snapped straight, her back smarting at the new position, "What are you talking about, this doesn't just happen here, are there more of you all over?"

Paul stopped running his hands over his face, "No we are the only ones this happens to, the guys, it only happens here on the rez. But it happens because of something else that isn't just here, on the rez, in Forks or Washington for that matter."

"What is it Paul, you're making me crazy!"

"You knowing is making me crazy! It's just one step closer to you being unsafe especially since you're out there away from here."

"Ok lets start with something else then, how long has this been going on with you?"

Shoulders slumped Paul took a step froward and squatted in front of her, hands sliding down to her hips.

"Years ago, Sam was first, then Jared, I was next."

"Sam, Jared, then you"

"Sam, Jared, me, Embry, Jacob, Quil, then Seth. Two others where showing signs last year but they went away thank fuck, they were young, younger than Seth and he was too damn young if you ask any of us."

"So why?"

Locking eyes with her Paul looked pained, "Angel you can't talk to anyone about this shit aside from the pack, the girls."

Angela looked down picking at a thread on the knee of her jeans, "Bella knew about this all along?"

Paul growled his hands gripping her hips, "Bella is the reason this keeps happening."

"What'd she do? That's why you don't like her?"

"I never said that."

"You didn't really have to, I can tell. Plus she's told me before that you aren't a fan of hers."

"Bella didn't cause it Sam phased a long time before Bella came to Forks."

Paul growled and shot to his feet. With fists balled at his sides Jacob stepped out of the brush at Angela's left.

"She stayed, he stayed they caused all this shit, it's her fault!"

"Paul," Angela whispered gripping his hand, attempting pulling to him back toward her, "talk to me."

Giving in Paul turned and dropped down to her again, "Not a word to anyone outside of who I mentioned. Billy knows, Old Quil too. Charlie doesn't, none of the parents do, the rez, no one in Forks, its just us Angela."

"You're alone."

Paul snorted and shook his head yes as Jake growled no behind him.

"Who is he?"

Angela watched as Paul's eyes slid closed, her eyes focused on Jacob when Paul's head dropped. His chested flushed red, the veins in his arms and hands standing out as his fists clenched over and over again.

"Edward Cullen," the word came from his mouth like venom, the sound of it shocking Angela so much that she gasped.

"His family came here when Sam was a senior, that's when it started, the longer they stayed the more of us phased, turned into this."

"Why?" Angela whispered her fingers rubbing at Paul's wrists.

"The legends the ones you've heard at the bonfires aren't just stories, Angel they're our truth."

Angela tried to replay the stories in her minds, embarrassingly only bits and pieces came through. She'd only been at a few of the bonfires where Billy told the stories, that one in particular. Sadly every time he'd start telling them Paul would grab her attention with his stares or his hands and her mind would wander, tuning in every so often.

"Is that why you always distracted me?"

Paul looked had the decency to at least look a little guilty, "I never wanted you to be dragged into this shit."

"So we were just going to be together and you never planned on telling me?"

"I didn't think you'd be here that long, going off to Chicago, why would you come back?"

Angela stood anger washing over her again, "You think that just because I went to Chicago that I wasn't going to come back, that'd I'd just what up and decide that I still didn't want you?"

"That's what he hoped would happen."

" .Jared." Paul growled still squatting.

Angela jerked to a stop meeting Jared's eyes, then slowly scanned the faces staring back at her. They were all there standing arms crossed eyes shooting between her and Paul.

Not looking at Paul she took two steps around him, jerked to a halt when his hand landed on her upper thigh, "Tell me now or they will."

~U~

It didn't take long for Paul to begin talking, the rest of them joining in telling her what she needed to know. Somehow without her realizing it Jacob had left bringing Bella back with him. When the story of redhead was told by Bella, Angela cried realizing the moments when Bella was gone, when she came back, her attitude from then on.

A bonfire had been lit rocks and logs had been rolled forward and they all were sitting staring at her waiting, "Vampires." Angela couldn't stop whispering the word. The fact that something like all of this was really happening in real life blew her mind. The fact that everyone else, that she had been so oblivious to it was just flat scary.

Angela's eyes slid to Bella's her face was a shade lighter than normal she was clutching Jacob as if she'd never let him go. Angela looked down and watched as Jacob's finger moved in small circles on the inside of her wrist.

She still couldn't believe that her friend had been bitten by not one but two vampires, and that one of them was Edward Cullen. Angela shook her head thinking of all the times she had walked past them in the hallway, the vibe that came with them, but they weren't bad people; vampires.

"Shit" Angela shook her head at the thought.

Just then another thought came, "If the girls aren't shifters then what are they?"

Paul sucked in a breath to her right, the rest of them going eerily silent, still. Looking around Angela noticed their eyes, boring into him, the side of his face as he looked away from her into the darkness.

"What are they Paul?"

Nothing, they all sat some of them clenching their fists, Seth was the only one that wasn't looking at him aside from Bella, she was staring at the ground.

Meeting his eyes Angela sucked in a breath attempting to steady her voice, "What am I Seth?"

Seth's eyes shot to Paul who still wasn't looking at anyone, then slowly slid back to her.

"Don't." Paul barked.

"It's not going to change anything Paul."

"Seth," Paul growled his head snapping around, "shut the fuck up."

"Don't be mean to him, what am I Seth tell me please."

Angela felt bad for the panic written across Seth's face, but hell if Paul wasn't going to tell her and no one else; including her friend would, Seth was the only person she could count on.

Standing up Angela smacked Paul's hand away when he grabbed for her and ran to Seth, squatting in front of him Angela grabbed his face when he tried to look away, aware that tears were leaking out of her eyes she whispered, "Don't look at them, just tell me Seth please."

Seth didn't even have time to open his mouth before Angela was lifted into the air and moving, Seth screaming that Paul had better tell her as she got further and further away.

~U~

Angry and upset Angela didn't do or say anything as Paul ran with her. Closing her eyes didn't help, the question still rang in her head. Her mind working over time coming up with all kinds of scenarios none of which calmed her. When Paul finally came to a walk she felt the ocean before she heard or saw it. The air changed and slowly as they got closer the water in the air clung to her skin.

Paul stopped and gently set her down, her feet resting on jagged rock, "We're on a cliff so don't try to run away from me."

"You think I would?"

"With what I'm going to tell you, you just might."

"You obviously don't know me well enough Paul."

"I've seen you run before."

"I was scared."

"What I'm about to tell you is going to ruin your fucking life," Paul snarled fighting the urge to shake her.

Frustrated Angela sighed and attempted to run her hands through her hair in frustration, growing even more aggravated when her fingers snagged on all the knots.

"Just tell me already!"

"Imprint!" Paul screamed as he began pacing.

"According to them you are doomed to be with me for the rest of your life, we'll be together always, you not having choices about what you want or where you want to be without hurting me."

Paul snorted and stopped in front of her, "Sounds fucking great doesn't it."

"I don't understand."

Paul looked toward the sky taking in the stars trying to calm himself he sucked in a deep breath, "According to the ancestors an imprint is basically a soul mate, making the wolf stronger, better. I am supposed to be anything you want or need."

"All of the girls?"

"Yes," Paul grit out.

"Why doesn't Claire act like everyone else?"

"Because she's young she needs Quil to be a friend so he is."

"When she gets older will they be together?"

"Quil doesn't hope so."

Angela's eyes widened and her hand shot to her mouth, "Why?"

"How would you feel seeing your future wife grow up pretty much from a child?"

"Help me understand all of this Paul you aren't explaining youself."

"We don't age once we start shifting as you know from before," Paul said waving toward the woods. "We won't outgrow our imprints. Most of our imprints are younger than us, so they can age and catch up, then we both age together from then on. You die I die, and vise-versa."

"So what happens to Quil?"

"He's not aging already."

"Bella and Jake?"

"Bella," Paul spit, "is not Jake's imprint."

"Then what is she?"

Paul could hear the panic in Angela's voice, "We don't know."

"Jake thinks because he's the true Alpha that he gets to pick his soulmate, others think she's still out there."

"What do you think?"

"I don't give a shit about Bella."

"What about me?"

"I've tried my hardest to give you a chance to not get caught up in this Angela, I tried to fight it, I don't want you in this."

Angela took a step back tears already glistening in her eyes, "You don't want me?"

"You know I fucking want you," Paul said reaching for her, "I've always fucking wanted you since the second I laid eyes on you, I don't want you to want me. Be a friend yes, I will be your fucking friend all day long, but I never wanted you to want me."

"Is me wanting you so horrible," Angela's whisper nearly broke him.

"I don't get how you don't understand this."

"I don't understand it because you aren't explaining shit to me PAUL!"

"Do you want to know when I imprinted on you?"

"Yes," Angela screeched.

"When I was fucking Mindy at the party!" Paul's roar echoed off the rocks.

"I was balls deep in that bitch when I imprinted on you, the first time a wolf sees her that's it. The first time I saw you I was fucking someone else!" Paul screamed ripping at his hair.

"It fucked me up, and then you left with him and I wanted to kill every fucking thing in front of me, and then I saw you again, but fucking Sam took you away and reamed my ass. When they found out that I imprinted on you while fucking her I didn't hear the end of it. It made me realize that you don't need this shit, you don't need me or my fucking loser ass. You should have just needed a friend. Why the fuck did you have to keep wanting more! I could have been your fucking friend."

"You are my friend."

"I'm you're fucking prison!"

"No you're not!"

"Don't you understand, the second you touched me, let me touch you, kiss you, hold you. The second we fucked you doomed yourself. You're stuck here, if you try to leave me, this place or choose someone else it could kill me, or at least that is what those fuckers think."

"What do you think, is it true?"

"I don't know what to think because it's never happened! Sam dropped Leah like a bad habit and was fucking Emily before Leah even knew, Kim had it in for Jared since they were kids, Claire took to Quil as a friend the second they met, Leah fucking hated every one, tried to fight what she felt for Embry but couldn't because they had sex before she decided to get mad about it. After that she ran, it fucked Embry up, he didn't die but he was bad. Seth doesn't have an imprint thank god, this shit is a fucking mess."

"So having sex?"

"Sealed the bond Angela, there's no turning back now. You maybe could have changed your mind, I was dealing with it until I gave in to it, to you. I shouldn't have fucking given in to you, but I couldn't stand it any longer. You're this perfect thing wanting me, being your friend was something I'd never had before and I just let myself get caught up in it, in you."

"You didn't want to be with me?"

Paul strode up to Angela and gripped her arms, "I wanted to jump your ass the second I saw you, I wanted to be in you so deep we'd never come apart, but I knew what that would do to you."

"What exactly do you think it would do to me?"

"Trap you, here ,with me, forever."

"So if we hadn't slept together you would have always just been my friend?"

Paul nodded turning toward the ocean, "I think it would have been fine."

"So you regret sleeping with me."

Paul huffed out a breath dropping his head, "I regret nothing when it comes to you, I wish different things but regret nothing. I love you Angel but I'm not what is best for you, I'm smart enough to know that."

"I think you are, and it hurts that you don't think more of yourself."

Paul stood shaking his head as the words washed over him, "You'll get tired of this place Angel everyone does."

"Like your mom?"

"Are you ready to go back yet?"

"Hey," Angela said turning to grip his face, "I'm not her."

"You're living in Chicago."

Angela's look of concern grew into one of annoyance, "Paul I'm going to school in Chicago, I'm not staying there."

"You haven't been there long enough to know what you want."

"I know that I want you, I know that I've never wanted to live anywhere but here, near my family. I love this place, I love Forks."

"This place can't offer you shit."

Angela's fingernails pinched at the back of his neck, "This place offered me you."

Paul held her eyes then shook his head, "You ready to go now?"

Frustrated Angela sighed and shook her head, "Sure."