Temper, Temper: Chapter Twenty Seven: Choices
It had been two weeks since Alex had mysteriously disappeared, everyone knew we she had gone though. Where else would she go other than Wales?
Paul was angrier than ever and instead of reverting back to his despondent self like he had when she originally left, he was done. Why should he be the one to put in all the effort? Alex couldn't split her life between Wales and La Push, she had to pick one and realise that it was one or the other.
'Would you stop talking about her?' He mentally yelled at Seth and Jacob who were talking about her disappearance yet again. 'She's gone, she's not coming back and I couldn't care less if I never saw her face again'
Pulling himself away from the others he stalked off and bounded away from them, barging a tree or two to vent the anger he couldn't release any other way.
Alex didn't know what her brain was doing, it was as though she was battling herself internally and there was no end to the fight. To say the trip home was far from a success was the biggest understatement anyone could ever describe.
Staying in Wales would be a bad decision now.
The shame and guilt she felt when she made the fatal decision of leaving La Push was even worse though. The different faces of the Quilt tribe were images she refused to even enter her head though, that would ensure Alex ran away from both the failed homes.
Whistling as she wiped away a stray tear, Alex weakly smiled as Chief's hurdling hoof prints filled her ears before the huge grey horse's frame came quickly into her sight.
Easily Alex hoped onto his back and looked at the tree formation in front of her, as cliché as it was she stroked Chief's strong neck and leaned forward to whisper into his ear.
"Iawn Prif. Chwith rydym yn aros yma yng Nghymru, ac I'r dde rydym yn mynd yn ol. Pa un?"
Without hesitation Chief launched forward, his choice making Alex take a deep sigh and pinch her nose as the horse's decision impacted her whole life.
In the forestry, the dense, green, fragrant forestry had no impact on the wolf that walked doggedly forward with no real destination. Alex filled his mind and his wolfy expression reflected the angry thoughts.
A scent suddenly pierced through the otherwise mundane foliage.
Another wolf trotted into view suddenly, shocked to see another wolf this far out of its territory it stopped, but no time was given for the two to exchange pleasantries. Furiously the original wolf launched at its opposition who put up no fight and easily allowed itself to be pinned to the floor.
'What are you doing here?' He growled out dangerously raising his lip over his threatening canines.
Alex winced at Paul's angry voice, she expected him to be this angry and didn't retaliate at all, and simply she allowed him to hold her to the floor with his large paw.
'You can't keep doing this' Paul snarled out as fury took over his mind.
'I'm really sorry Paul' She said quietly, 'I know I've put you through hell-'
'I don't want you here Alex' Paul stood up and backed off a few steps to allow her to get back to her feet, 'Not if you're going to keep running back and forth, from me t-What happened?" Frightened by Paul's more ferocious tone at the end of the sentence, Alex limped backwards slightly.
As she had gotten up, Paul noticed the slight hobble she gave as the effort took energy out of her. That wasn't right; Alex was always quick with her reactions.
'It didn't..I couldn't…I'm really sorry' She cocked out as emotion strangled her throat making the words she wanted to say refuse to leave her mouth. With a sigh Paul ducked his head and nudged his head behind him, and in silence they walked back to La Push with Alex a few paces behind her imprint.
Paul warned everyone off them as they travelled back to his house, he wanted to talk to Alex one on one and that wouldn't be possible with every wolf in La Push going ballistic over her arrival.
Once they were back in their human form and in the house, Alex held her hands together nervously as she anticipated the inquisition Paul was about to dive into.
"Alex…I can't keep doing this"
Alex said with a small sad smile, "I really am a terrible imprint but I'm gonna try"
Paul kicked his chair before turning around and having the shock of his life when he turned around to see Alex for the first time back as her usual self. The imprint connection ignited the feelings between them stronger than ever, but Paul knew that would happen, it was Alex's physical appearance that made him so shocked.
Bruises randomly rested over the skin her large t-shirt didn't cover, their yellow and purple colouring taunting him, 'You did this. You should have been protecting her' his monologue maliciously teased. Her face was the worst for him to look at, though it held the least amount of injury, but the little aggressive split on Alex's lip made Paul so upset.
Alex noticed his discomfort and slowly came forward and embraced him gently, her small arms enclosing his body in a hug. Paul responded with the gentleness as if Alex was a thin, fragile piece of glass, refusing to put any pressure on the bruises.
"What happened?" Paul snarled out dangerously when they released each other and overwhelming fury partnered the existing frustration he felt at himself.
Alex sighed and sat on the sofa lightly, she'd forgotten about the bruises – vampire venom really was a bitch at wrecking a wolf's advanced healing cells. 'Okay, time to give this whole truth thing a proper go' she thought before telling Paul exactly what happened when she went back to Wales.
"Seeing Felix again, it scared me and I knew I should have stayed and took comfort in the family I have around me. But I wanted familiarity and this whole…imprinting stuff is still new to me. I sprinted all the way back to Wales the minute I woke up, it was like auto-pilot for me" Alex risked looking up at her imprint to judge his reaction to the story she told him but he remained closed off and expressionless, nodding at her to continue.
"When I got back to Wales the pack was there waiting for me, but they didn't want to know anymore. I've always been good at hiding my thoughts from other pack members…you should know that. It gets harder when your frightened and confused, so they saw things I didn't want them to see. They saw us fighting, when Sam offered me the tattoo, when Felix came and other memories of us and it didn't sit well. They flipped, if you think our boys are bad when someone messes with their temper, you should see my boys. Zeus came and helped me but by then, my dad had come back and he wasn't happy either. The pack, specifically Josh relayed the memories to him and he saw Sam offer me the tattoo, but he saw my internal monologue when I decided I should have it. So I ran. That's about the only thing I'm good at. I stopped at the edge of our territory and caught my breath but Josh managed to catch me up…" Alex hesitated and bit her lip worriedly, not missing any change in her expression Paul pulled her up on it,
"And?" He urged dangerously.
"Please don't get mad" Alex said meekly as she looked at him with eyes that begin to pool with water, "He kissed me" she stated.
Paul tensed up immediately and gripped the counter next to him in a vice grip as he tried in vain to steady his breathing. Still on the sofa wondering what to do Alex hurriedly started to narrate again,
"I pushed him off and told him to go away so he just laughed at me, so I hit him. To say he didn't appreciate it was an understatement; he held my wrists and basically made me feel like a spec of dirt before leaving. I stayed where I was for a few minutes before whistling for Chief, basically I asked him which way I should go left or right and I came back, where you found me"
Paul's breathing was still deep and ragged but Alex noticed the reduction of grip on the counter and cautiously rose. Walking over to him she gingerly put her delicate hand on his back, moving it over his skin till it got to Paul's shoulder. In a sudden change, Paul whirled around and grabbed her into a tight embrace making sure her legs were secured around his waist.
"You can't leave again"
"I'm not going to, I promise" Alex chocked out, emotionally ruined she relaxed into Paul's grip before allowing silken tears to slide down her face.