I have no excuse why this took so long to get out, I am sorry for that. I had to cut this chapter in half in order for the site to let me publish it from my macbook, I have no clue why, but here it is. I want to thank everyone who is still with me, still reading and reviewing, I truly appreciate all the comments and time you've spent here. Just a few chapters left and then this story will be a wrap. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 31

-End of July-

It had been nearly a month since he'd seen her last but only two days since he'd heard her voice. Angela was still in Chicago, he of course was still stuck on the rez. The last month had been hellish, work was kicking his ass and the pack; well slowly, with much convincing from Angela they were easing up on him. She'd called him the second she had gotten off the plane and then again before she went to sleep that night. He could hear the sadness in her voice but as the days went by with each morning call, and each call before bed he could hear the pain less and less. It was a relief; it was fucking torture.

He didn't know what was up and to be completely honest he felt really fucking alone because there was not a damn person he could to talk to about it. His dad had made sure to share his opinion and so had her brothers when they'd found out they had "broken up" but even they were taking it easy on him these days. What the fuck was going on, where was the soul deep hurt, why was he going through his daily life as normal, why wasn't he crawling around on the forest floor begging for mercy. Son of a bitch he wanted it, as dumb as it may sound he wanted something to tell him that the decision he'd made that day was wrong, why wasn't the bond between them telling him to get his shit in gear and go get his girl?

Throwing the phone across the tiny clearing his eyes latched onto it the second it slipped from his fingers. Watching as it sailed through the air, Paul was already pulling himself up to retrieve it before it hit the forest floor.

"Playing fetch, how cute."

Paul's head dropped back and the canopy greeted his eyes, "Why the fuck are you here Leah?"

"Just out for a stroll while Embry patrols."

"Pretty far ways to stroll don't you think," Paul grunted out as he bent to pick up the phone.

"Not when I have a wolf to carry me most of the way."

"So you came out here to bug the shit out of me or what?"

"Nope, just wondering if you've heard from Ange lately."

"Talked to her day before yesterday," Paul grit out as Leah circled him her eyes latched onto the phone in his hand.

"Well, she normally calls every day, don't you think it's kind of odd that it's been two days since she's called anyone?"

The hair on Paul's arms stood on end like it did every time he thought about why she hadn't called, yes it was very fucking odd that he hadn't heard from her in two fucking days.

"Half of her summer grade was dependent on the project due at the beginning of the week."
Leah hummed as she began a slow circle around him, "Why don't you just call her and see what's up." "Why don't you?" Paul shot back with a snarl.
Leah's eyebrows rose as she came to a stop in front of him, "What are you waiting for?"

Paul cocked his head to the side as he took her in, Leah and Embry were as nearly as disgusting as Kim and Jared, happy as can fucking be, especially since Sam had stopped acting like a dick toward them both. The thing was no matter how disgusting the two were; their relationship felt more real, maybe it was be- cause Leah didn't take Embry's shit and visa versa. The two fought like cats and dogs, but made up like horny teenagers or maybe it was because Leah wasn't on Embry every second of the day like Kim was Jared, they still had lives of their own, but were obviously imprinted, bonded.

"A sign," Paul blurted before he could stop himself.

Pursing her lips, Leah dropped to the ground and stretched her legs out in front of her, "What kind of sign?"

"One that tells me that what the hell I'm doing is wrong," Paul waited a beat watching Leah's face, "or right," he finished with a whisper.

That second the phone in his hand began to ring.

~U~

Thirty minutes ago Angela's world had flipped upside down, she'd been sitting on the patio at her favorite coffee shop just before closing when the space opposite her was filled by a young boy. She'd stared at him slack jawed and dumbfounded her mind a complete and total blank.

His voice the thing to snap her out of her stupor, "Angela Webber."

Those two words and every gear that had slammed to a halt inside of her brain had suddenly been kicked into overdrive.

"Edward"

~U~

Growling at the victory smile on Leah's face Paul flicked the phone open, grunting at the pain that shot down the left side of his body as he did so.

"I need you."

Her voice was barely a whisper, shaking and obviously on the verge of panic, "Why are you so far away, I need you."

"I'm coming" Paul snarled as he watched the smile drop from Leah's face.

~U~

Sweet relief, those two words and her body had warmed; turned liquid Angela relished the feeling as her legs buckled and her back hit the wall and her body slid down to the floor. He was coming, she was safe.

~U~

Leah was standing before he'd uttered a word, jamming the phone into her hand Paul jerked off the cargo shorts he was wearing and phased. He hadn't realized that Leah was on his back until Embry had nearly knocked him into a tree. His eyes wide and locked onto his imprint. Everything slowed long enough for

Paul to realize that Leah was sobbing Angela's name and the entire pack had phased and were trying to figure out just what the fuck was going on.

Something is wrong with Angela Paul screamed through the mind link and then he was running again. Lis- tening as they yelled that they would get his shit ready and be waiting for him at the border.

He'd honestly fucking considered bypassing them until he realized that the four hour nonstop flight to Chicago would get him there a hell of a lot faster than his four legs would have.

~U~

Angela felt heat and warmth envelope her and she awoke with a sob, eyes full of panic stared down at her as he slowly lifted her off the floor. Her body sore from the position she'd passed out in ached in ways that she'd never known making her cry harder.

"I'm here, you're ok, you're safe, nothing is going to happen to you." He chanted over and over again as he ripped off her clothes. He laid her gently on the bed and she watched as he threw open the window and snarled again. She could hear the anger in his voice even though he kept repeating those words softly to her, see the hatred in his eyes as they darted around the room taking everything in. She wanted to speak, say something but she just couldn't; came to her and that was all that mattered.

~U~

He was holding her naked body in his arms and for once he hated that he was hard for her. Hated it be- cause her hair, her clothes and her room were soaked with the stench of that fucking leech. He wanted nothing more that to go out find the fucker, tear him to shreds. Her cradled in his arms shivering despite his warmth was the only thing that stopped him.

The phone in his pocket vibrated for the tenth time and finally he found himself calm enough to answer it, "That fucking leech has been here" he snapped into the phone before whoever it was that was calling him had time to speak.

"Son of a bitch," Jared bit out before his voice became muffled.

"Is he gone?" The ice that seeped through the phone caused the wolf inside Paul to rise. "He will be the second I lay fucking eyes on him."

"We're coming," Jake snarled back before the line went dead.

~U~

"Damn it Bella." Paul's snarl caused Angela to jolt upright in bed, the sheet that covered her fell to her waist before it was quickly jerked back up by a set of tan hands that did not belong to Paul. Head jerking to the side she saw that Seth's eyes were clenched shut and his face was as red as a tomato.

"Oh my god," Angela whispered as she clutched the sheet to her chest. Thankful that she was wearing something to cover her chest as meager as the white lace camisole was.

Seth jerked up from the chair as the door knob banged into the wall, and then her body was surrounded again, in the air moving quickly toward the shower.

Angela peeked over Paul's shoulder and her eyes widened when she saw Bella, Jake and Jared walking into her apartment. Just as quickly as her eyes scanned each of them they disappeared behind the door to her bathroom.

"What are you doing?"

"Gotta get this smell off of you," Paul grunted as her jerked the cami over her head and bent to jerk off her underwear.

"What?"

"You stink like him, fuck everything stinks like him." Paul snarled as he jerked the shower door open and nearly ripped the handle off in an attempt to turn the water on.

Before Angela knew it Paul had dropped his shorts, ripped off his shirt and was tugging her into the shower under the spray. "Paul," Angela screeched as she smacked at his chest, trying to get away from the freezing cold water.

"Has that leech been in here Seth?" Paul snarled.

Angela didn't hear anything but when Paul grit his teeth and snarled once more she stilled.

"Did you let him in while I was gone?"

Angela's eyes popped wide and she stilled both hands on his chest. Looking up she could see the anger in his eyes, "I would never."

"Then why the fuck does the entire place smell like him."

Angela's mouth hung open as she shook her head back and forth, "I don't smell anything," she finally whispered.

"You wouldn't," he grit out as he reached for the shampoo.

~U~

The third time Paul reached for the shampoo Angela smacked his hand away but grabbed onto his wrist, squeezing as hard as she could, "I don't need you-"

"The fuck you don't," Paul cut off before his lips crashed down on to hers.

Angela tried to fight the feeling that zipped through her entire body the second his lips touched her skin, it was useless though. The second his skin touched hers when he'd shown up everything melted away. The tiny wall of hurt and anger that she'd built, the fear that had nearly suffocated her the second she saw Ed- ward and the utter confusion when he told her that he still loved Bella and that he was happy to see her. When had he seen her?

Gripping Angela's face he lowered his forehead to hers, "You need me, say that you do."

Lip quivering Angela nodded her head as best as she could. "No, I want you to say it, tell me that you fucking need me, tell me that you are going to fucking come back to the rez with me, that you're mine and I'm yours and this is all just fucked up, that I'm a fuck up."

"I've told you before, you didn't believe me." Angela whimpered. Paul could smell the salty tears even though he couldn't see them.

"I'm sorry baby I thought, fuck I thought I was doing the right thing. When you left nothing felt different. I didn't hurt."

When Angela's face crumbled he felt a stab in his chest that stole his breathe, just as quickly the pain was gone and she punched his chest lightly. "Thanks Paul, if you'll excuse me."

Paul grabbed her hand as it began to slid down his chest, "NO," he snarled "you're not going anywhere that's not what I meant, I didn't explain that right."

Paul watched as Angela's eyes shifted over his face narrowing as she waited for him to speak.

"Every fucking day that you were gone I wanted to come get you, I wanted your ass planted on the rez where it belongs, Angela you gotta fucking believe that I wanted you, that I fucking hurt for you every damn second that you weren't around me but, there was no pain. Embry looked like shit the entire time Leah was gone, when he was hurt he'd only get better when she was around. Jared acts like a little bitch when Kim isn't on the rez. I didn't hurt and I didn't fucking know why, we're imprinted, fucking bonded why the fuck wasn't I wallowing around on the goddamned ground like a pussy?"

Paul watched as a spark lit in Angela's eyes, I'm happy there was no pain for you Paul. Angela let her fingers dig into his chest just a little bit before she hung her head and stepped out of the shower.