Chapter 7 - Time For Truth

A few weeks later, both girls had been healed fully.

Nyla was laying on her side with her knees bent as she watched Paul's chest rise and fall. He was laying upside down next to her with his head resting on her upper thighs. She had been engrossed in some stupid soap opera when Paul had gotten home from patrol, he had started at 3 AM and was done at 11 AM. As soon as he laid down with her legs acting as his pillow he was completely out. Later that night the pack was having a meeting and a bonfire at the beach and it was going to finally be time for Paul to spill everything.

Nyla's eyes couldn't stop as they raked down his naked chest. Naturally he would have to be shirtless again. Damn him. He knew what his shirtless body did to her. It was even worse when he would walk around in his damn short as they hung low...LOW on his hips, every once in a while she would have to scold herself for following the short bath from his cute outty belly button down...down...down to the waist band of his shorts.

His deep breathing and warm skin relaxed her more than she cared to admit. Her eyes once again scrapping across the bare skin of his well defined chest and abs, down his love handles that were nothing but pure tight muscle, his biceps that didn't seem to ever stop growing. Her tongue came out and wet her suddenly dry lips. He had one of her hands captured in his as his light snores filled the room.

The last few weeks he's kept her captive at his place they had done a massive amount of talking. She'd learned that he didn't have the heart to sell their home, but had rented it out. She knew somewhere deep inside her heart she secretly wished they would still raise their family there. It was the perfect place for their future endeavors.

Why did he have to be so stubborn three years ago. She had missed everything about him; his kisses, hugs, touches; the way he made love to her like she was the only person he wanted to be with forever.

She could remember that terrible day like it had happened yesterday. She couldn't even go back to their home. She didn't want the good memories to screw her up emotionally or she'd end up doing something stupid. She had Leah take her to her moms, while Calvin, Collin, Brady and Seth went to the house and packed up her things. Nyla laid across her bed and cried in her ruined wedding dress. She didn't even care that the dress was ruined. She could give a shit less about it, if she could just get Paul to storm into her mother's house and beg her to forgive his stupidity.

She honestly didn't care if they ever got married. It was a meaningless piece of paper. Love and honesty is what kept a relationship together not some stupid vows and a marriage certificate. She just wanted him in her life forever. She shouldn't have left him on the cliffs. She should've fought harder for him. Maybe she didn't do enough to keep him. She knew he was lying and yet she just continued to let him bullshit her. She knew he had his reasons, but she just wished she would've put up some kind of fight. And somehow she was dreading hearing what he had to say later.

Paul's onyx eyes looked around the bonfire. He'd been watching Nyla all night. During his nap earlier he could feel the different emotions that rolled around in her. He might've been in a deep sleep but he could still feel everything she felt. He'd been watching her carefully since they'd arrived at the beach. She didn't hardly eat anything and he knew it was just her nerves because of the truth he had to give everyone.

Sam walked over to Paul and nudged him slightly, until he turned his eyes to him. "You ready? You owe it to Nyla and the pack to come clean."

Paul sighed heavily as he nodded. "Yea. Now or never. I have to do this. I owe Nyla an explanation more than anyone. I can only hope after tonight we can fix us all the way and continue on with our life together. Even though I know it's not going to be easier said than done at this point."

Sam nodded. "Just prepared yourself for one hell of a life fight with her. You know she's not only not going to let you off the hook that easy but she's also going to be the most hurt and probably pissed off than anyone here."

"I'm not sure which of those facts I'm more scared of at this point." Paul mumbled low, but knew Sam heard him because he nodded in understanding.

Everyone noticed Paul was standing in front of them as they all quieted down. Nyla watched him intently and noticed his stiff posture and clenched fists meant he didn't really want to do what he was about to do, but he was ready to do it.

Paul sighed heavily. "Okay...I know you all know what happened three years ago as far as me and Nyla calling off the wedding, but no one knew why and I guess that's why we're here tonight. I neglected my brothers and my fiancé and blocked myself from everyone. No one hates what I did to my own imprint more than I do. God help me she even knew I was lying to her with the hateful words I spat at her and she walked away. She made me believe that my hurtful words had gotten to her. I'm thankful she did too."

Paul frowned at Nyla even though she threw a wink his way to keep his spirit up as he laid himself open to everyone. "The night before our wedding, I was jogging through the woods and caught a scent I didn't exactly recognize, but could tell by my nose burning it was a vampire. I didn't phase, but followed in an attempt to naturally get one last bloodsucker. The smell got stronger and as I rounded a huge tree, I was literally grabbed around the neck and slammed into the tree trunk."

Nyla could see Paul's body started to vibrate slightly as he tried vigorously to keep his temper in check.

Paul craned his head to the side to keep his wolf at bay. "I tried as hard as I could to phase. But something had a hold of my ability to phase and I couldn't do it. I was really aware I was staring at familiar eyes of someone from mine and Nyla's past and reality set in that not only was he from our past but his blood red eyes gave him away as being a vampire."

"Jason." Nyla's voice was soft, but the pack had heard what she said as they looked at her. Nyla stood and walked over to Paul as she looked up at him. "Jason Merker."

Paul looked down and nodded as he locked eyes with her. "He's got some kind of ability to concentrate and keep us from phasing and killing him. He threatened that if I didn't break things off with you, he was going to wait until we were married and you'd gotten pregnant with one of my offspring mutts and he'd slaughter you and the mutt, so I would know what true pain was."

Nyla frowned as she touched Paul's arm and could feel the hum under his skin was getting stronger. "How could you let him dictate our life?"

"What was I supposed to do Nyla? I couldn't phase I couldn't hurt him and I sure as hell couldn't kill him. I'd never felt so powerless in my life. Then you showed up a few weeks ago and naturally you come to see me right away and his stench is all over you, so it was a warning to me he'd already made contact with you. I don't know how to kill him Nyla. I want to kill him so bad! You have no idea. I want to rip him to shreds, burn him until he's nothing but ash and send the ash to hell for him having did this to us." Paul bit out through clenched teeth.

"Yea but you didn't even trust the pack enough to tell them, shit you didn't even trust me...Your fiancé, your imprint your, soul mate. Your future wife and mother of your children. Shit if you could've told someone...ANYONE we could've thought of some way to kill him...Sam was your alpha you should've told him. You should've trust the pack would've helped you, but you had to be stubborn and believe nothing could be done. So you said all those hateful words and we spent three years apart every second just as painful as the next and every month more painful than the last. Because you let your pride get the better of you. Absolutely ridiculous Paul. All of that pain and suffering between me and you and the damn pack when it all could've been prevented if you would've just opened your damn mouth."

Paul stepped towards Nyla as Sam grabbed his arm. "PAUL! Go for a run and calm down. You don't want to do something you're going to regret. We'll talk when you get back...We'll fix all of this. I promise."

Paul looked from Sam to Nyla, she looked pissed as hell, but the pain was radiating through her eyes. She'd been right. All he had to do was tell Sam and they could've devised a plan, but he didn't and he let Jason Merker dictate his life with his imprint. "Nyla I'm..." Before he could say anything else she walked away from him to stand by Calvin. Her rock like always. Paul let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding as he turned and jogged off to the trees.

Nyla jumped a little when she heard a pained howl echo out of the trees.