Temper, Temper: Chapter Twelve: Façades Fade
It was after Paul's confession that things went from good to bad in a fast minute, Alex couldn't stand the fact he had imprinted on her and the relationship she had with the Quileute's diminished. Not feeling comfortable enough, she stayed as a wolf, not changing back at all. She patrolled when it was her turn, and slept near or outside the Uley house rather than in it.
Everyone had tried to persuade Alex to come back in; Emily and Kim had the most difficult job seeing as they were human and the mental bond between them was non-existent. Yet, they tried.
As for Paul, she avoided him completely. Even Sam deliberately paired them together on patrol in the hopes Paul could win the unruly wolf around, and make her see sense. However, just like Alex, Paul was proud and he refused to bend either; ignoring her as well.
But after just over a week, Paul's barrier broke.
"Where's Alex?" Jacob asked the group of boys and Kim, who had decided to join them for the evening. It was late, Sam and Emily had gone to bed but that hadn't stopped the group from continuing the movie night without them.
Paul remained stony eyed, his jaw set as he watched the images on the small television flicker. Quil rubbed his eyes tiredly and collapsed on the floor with a sigh, Jared's foot pushed him over with little effort, making the exhausted boy start groaning with annoyance.
"I don't know and I don't care. What's her problem anyway? We aren't that bad? We've got to be better than the leeches!" Quil said, not noticing Paul's hand tighten dangerously on the remote. Quil was saying everything Paul's mind was thinking angrily. Alex's relationship with the Cullen's was suffering the same way her relationship with the Quileute's was.
Paul didn't know that though, he paid a lot of attention to Alex. Despite his pride not allowing him to recognise her presence, the power of the imprint made him ever aware of it. So, every time he saw her slope off, crossing the border, where else did he think she would go other than to her precious Cullen's? To see her little crush no doubt. The one Paul had stopped getting onto his land, the one that had caused Alex to argue with him.
'Yeah, that's where she would've gone' Paul's mind taunted him cruelly.
"What the hell is that noise?" Embry suddenly piped up, craning his neck to the direction of the patio.
All the wolves paid attention then, and sure enough they could hear it as well. A tempo, too quiet to fully understand, but it was getting closer now, lyrics became clear and the boys soon placed the noise as a popular dance song.
'What are we supposed to do, after all that we've been through, when everything that felt so right is wrong now that the love is gone…' Embry cringed at the loud music which started to pump rhythmically as the base came in, Sam and Emily would surely wake up from this.
On the porch everyone gathered together, trying to uncover what the noise was but they didn't have to wonder for long. A car was heading towards them, its headlights bobbing as it met the uneven surface around Sam's house.
Alex was driving, but half of her body was leant out of the window like a dog enjoying the wind on its face. Her hands held the wheel loosely; she brought the car to a direct stop when she saw the others. Without any grace, Alex's frame fell through the window fully but the young girl just ignored the impact and stumbled to her feet giggling.
Seeing his imprint in such a state made Paul angry and he attempted to cool his brain before joining the others who had rushed over to the drunken girl attempting to help her. Alex just brushed off their supportive hands and leant on the cool metal of the car instead.
She began to mumble to herself, not looking at the group of people spectating her monologue. "Okay" Alex's eyes closed readying herself before she wrenched them open and struck out her hands. Her head shook with disappointment then returned her hands to her side, "No, No that's not right….FLAME ON!" Alex clicked her fingers as she shouted but again nothing happened.
Everyone stared at her perplexed. Jared leant in to the group from his position on the outside, "I think she's trying to phase" he commented with a chuckle in his statement.
The voice pulled Alex from her thoughts.
"Hiiiii" said Alex, dragging the word out with an expression, recognising the group's presence and making everyone realise exactly how intoxicated she was.
Jacob took over as parent suddenly, angry that the first time she had broken her silence was in this way.
"Where the hell have you been?"
"Well…Sam" Alex laughed at the comparison for a bit before continuing, "I…I…went to pub, and then another, and another…no!...I went to karaoke bar and then another bar, then somewhere else…I ate some pickles and now I'm here" When her barely understandable speech came to an end, the expression on Alex's face went from casual to overwhelming happiness; standing there with a huge grin for no apparent reason.
"How did you get the car?" Quil asked before Embry could, their eyes analysing the car and concluding that they hadn't seen it before. Alex turned her head and leaned back through the open window to look in the back seat.
"Urgh…I think it has something to do with him"
The group walked forward, all of them looking at what, or rather who was in the backseat. It was a boy, roughly the same age as them, lying passed out on the seat. A bottle of alcohol gripped tightly in his fist but leaning at such an angle, the contents was slowly dribbling out onto his t-shirt as well as the interior fabric.
"You decided to drink drive and spend the night with a random boy?" Paul's voice was dangerously low and demanding, should Alex have been sober it would have frightened her. It certainly set the others backs up.
Alex looked at him for a minute or two, before her shoulders started to shake with a a mellow chuckle, "Haha…yeah" The radio suddenly changed songs, and Alex gasped loudly as she recognised the beat.
'Hey Mamma this that shit that make you groove Mamma get on the floor and move your booty Mamma'
"Alex get off there right now" Paul shouted at her while Alex, unceremoniously clambered to the roof of the car, jumping up and down, belting out the lyrics and swaying her hips. For once, Alex listened and hopped from the roof,
"…don't wanna squeeze triggers, just wanna squeeze tits" Alex did continuing singing though, and to exaggerate the lyrics, her delicate hands shot out and squeezed Paul's chest before laughing. Enough was enough and Paul decided that since Alex wasn't listening to the easy way, it would have to be the hard way.
Easily Paul scooped Alex up and threw her gently over his shoulders, before giving out instructions to the group.
"Jacob take the car and that thing home, or just park the car and leave him in it – I don't care. Quil, Embry go with him and he'll drop you home on the way. Kim, Jared I don't think there's anything else you can do"
They all nodded and went about their separate ways, leaving Paul to deal with Alex alone. Miraculously Emily and Sam had slept through it all. Sighing Paul attempted to walk back into the house so he could put her on the sofa, God willing she'd sleep it off and he could just keep an eye on her though.
No such luck though. As soon as Alex saw where he was carrying her, she kicked her legs out and protested loudly. Paul put her down on the ground and held her shoulders, questioning her like a misbehaving child.
"What is it? What's the matter now?"
Alex, shrunk under his gaze, before she answered him quietly, "I can't go in there"
Paul rubbed his face with the palm of his hand furiously, not only was he emotionally drained but the constant analysing of Alex's behaviour meant he was also exhausted.
"Why not?" He asked exasperated.
"…That's where you all stay"
After that short question and answer session, Alex stumbled backwards before phasing and tottering into the woods and settling herself into a little flat piece of grass covered ground. Paul phased as well, sitting just on her right side to keep her safe and make sure nothing happened to her.
'This imprinting thing is intense' Paul thought as he watched Alex's wolf form, lazily roll onto her side as sleep slowly began to smother her. To Paul's complete an utter shock, Alex responded mentally with,
"Yes it is"
Paul sat wide eyed and fully awake now; there was another couple of nights sleep gone. How on earth could he sleep after she had said that? What did it mean?