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Chapter 19

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From Halloween to Thanksgiving, then into Christmas, Bella and the wolves stayed busy. Leah came home too for the holidays, throwing a wrench into the well flowing engine of the packs' lives when they had to spend Christmas eve with the girl at Harry's place. She was family to Danielle, Ashleigh and Seth, even Emily- whom she looked less than pleased to see- and a friend to others even if she didn't want to see them. It nearly killed them all with worry, until they saw her walking in the front door holding the hand of a native man she introduced as her boyfriend.

Sam swallowed down the irrational jealously he felt over a first love lost, and played the part of a polite and well tamed man. Declan Ward was not someone who seemed intimidated easy, and, in fact, he could have been a shifter from his pack. Paul was the first to figure it out after Sam had made his suspicions known, and after dinner, while Leah talked to her parents, the pack met the real Declan- a white and grey covered wolf nearly as massive in height and bulk as Sam.

Declan told them he hailed from a small tribe on the East coast and they were, in fact, distant cousins of the Quileute's. They shared many of the same legends and he met Leah at the college they both attended together. He admitted that he'd made an ass of himself when he first met her, and then floored the wolves when he told them about a group of vampires who'd passed through in recent years that sparked the change in him. The pack conceded that at least he could take care of Leah, and Seth's fears were put at ease because he was assured that Declan wouldn't abandon her since she was his world.

With the holidays behind them, Bella fell back into an easy and well-kept routine: work, school, pack, family- in that order. That was until her new neighbors moved in next door. Bella sighed and looked at the clock. 7:00 am- Saturday morning and the young couple had already started fighting. Wasn't that enough proof that they needed to break up or separate or divorce? Something! Anything to stop the shouts and accusations from flowing through the walls and into Bella's apartment.

She debated calling her dad but thought better of it. That would mean she'd have to wake up completely first, which would mean getting out of bed to look for her phone that she'd forgotten to put near her bed the previous night. She only tried to drown out the words being thrown back and forth with her head under her pillow. Ten minutes later she sighed as the shouting died down with the slamming of a door. It was back to sleep for another hour before she'd have to wake up and run errands. She'd gotten low on food and when she had wolves coming in and out of her apartment it could be bad.

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Bella arched an eyebrow when she looked down at her phone as she stepped out of the grocery store. Thirteen text messages, two dozen or so missed calls and thirteen voice-mails- one from each of the boys and the imprints. Huh. The pack knew she had errands to run, what could be that important that they'd want to bug her today?

She called Paul back first.

"Baby girl! Where are you?! Are you alright?!"

"Hello to you too, Paul. I'm fine. I'm on my way home…"

Paul exhaled slow. "Thank the spirits! Sam… she's alright… yeah right now."

Bella blinked in confusion as she loaded the groceries from her cart to her car. "Paul, what's wrong? Why did you sound so scared? Where are you?!"

The phone was taken from Paul's hands by Sam. "Bella… hey it's Sam. Listen… we were on our way to the apartment this morning when we saw an entire row of cops and fire trucks. From what I could hear, something happened to your apartment building. I guess your neighbors got into it again."

"Sam… is everyone alright?" She asked, guilt beginning to build in her gut. If something had happened to either of them, she would hate herself. She could have done something about it instead of going back to sleep.

"I think they're ok… but…"

"But what?"

Sam sighed. "They caused a fire in their apartment… I think she threw a vase or something at him… the water started an electrical fire… instead of trying to stop it they both took off running."

"How bad…?" Bella swallowed hard.

"How far are you from home? Your dad's house I mean…"

Bella was in near tears of both anger and frustration. "How bad Sam?"

Sam sighed. "I'm sorry Bella, but you can't go back. We're all here at Charlie's place right now. He was just about to go to the hospital to look for you."

Bella moaned. "Alright. I'll be there in about fifteen minutes. Just… tell my dad to stop panicking. And let him know that I have a fire proof safe that I kept all my valuable stuff in… I'm going to need it."

True to her word, fifteen minutes later, Bella was engulfed in Paul's arms. She rolled her eyes and looked pleadingly at Sam, who shook his head and pulled him away to let Bella breathe some. Charlie smiled before taking the cold groceries from her trunk to place in his fridge. He didn't want them to spoil.

"So how bad was it dad?" She asked.

Charlie shook his head. "It wasn't good, that's for sure. Both your neighbors are alright, but the apartments aren't livable anymore. I phoned the fire chief… he's instructed his boys to gather your safe for you so you won't have to climb through the rubble. Other than that, I can't tell you anything… I'm sorry Bells."

Bella was floored when Brady showed her the pictures that he'd taken with his cell phone. Her entire floor was lit up with flames. She couldn't believe that it was all just... gone. Not that she had much, but it was still enough that she felt lost. She didn't notice the silent tears running down her face until she felt Paul brushing them away.

"It'll be alright." He promised.

She sighed. "I know… it's just stuff… but… it was mine. My first home… all to myself."

Charlie smiled and walked over to hug her. "I've got to go to the station. The apartment owners are there. I want to see if they want to press arson charges or not. How about we go out to the diner tonight?"

Bella nodded. "Sure dad. That sounds good."

Paul pulled her back to him, her back to his chest as they watched Charlie drive away. "You've got clothes at my place you know."

"I know. You had things at my place too. I'm sorry they got burned."

Paul shrugged. "They're just clothes Bella."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just move in with Paul. It'll save a lot of hassle. It's closer to your job too."

"Sounds like a good idea to me!" Paul grinned.

"You're not even going to ask me?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

Paul smirked. "I'm asking you now, Bella. Come live with me."

"Only for a while." She sighed.

He turned her to look at him and stared down at her with his hands resting on her waist. "Why not forever?"

"Do you want me forever?" She wondered. She refused to look at him as she asked. She loved him, but she wanted to make sure he wanted her with him. She still had some lingering doubts sometimes; Not many, but some. She was average to his godlike status. The looks she'd endured from other women when they were seen together was enough to have her rolling her eyes in disdain.

Paul smiled down at her and used a finger to tilt her chin to him. "I want you in my life until the day I die. The wolf wanted you first. But I want you here with me too. For the rest of our lives." He whispered.

At their backs, Brady and Collin gagged while Jacob only shook his head; she'd changed him. Of course, he could still be volatile and dangerous where her safety was concerned, but they'd all seen the change in his demeanor. He was more responsible now... tame even, if they wanted a word to describe him.

Bella grinned and looked up at him with a secretive grin. "How fast can we back at our place?" She wondered.

"I didn't drive baby. I came over here with Sam." He told her frowning.

Bella smirked and dangled her keys in front of his face, giving him a look that promised amazing things if he drove back. Paul threw the pack a lazy 'bye' over his shoulder and grabbed the keys from Bella's hands. Embry snorted as they passed him and didn't even bother answering. Quiet he may have been… stupid he was not. He'd seen the looks they'd given one another and he knew exactly what would happen- for the rest of the night.

Jacob canted his head to the side when they were gone and snorted in amusement. "She's gonna miss dinner, isn't she?"

Embry snorted too. "You're telling me you'd give up christening every inch of your place with Ashleigh if you had the chance?"

"Hey!" Seth growled.

Embry rolled his eyes. "Seth, you know I didn't mean anything bad by it. And she's Jake's imprint. He's not going to hurt her."

Seth sighed. "She's still my cousin. I don't wanna hear about it. Same for you and Danni." He whined.

Both Jacob and Embry smirked. "Deal."

Sam's laughter caught the pack's attention. They hadn't noticed Quil walking up to them before they'd started teasing Seth. With raised eyebrows, they waited for Sam to settle.

"I wouldn't go by Paul's anytime soon. Quil just saw Bella having fun in the car." Sam sighed.

"You're kidding me!" Jacob was floored. "Where the hell did my sweet and innocent friend go?"

"Was she ever all that sweet and innocent? She hung out with us…" Embry reminded him.

"True. Do I even wanna know what she did?" he wondered.

Quil shook his head. "Put it this way… don't let her near Ashleigh or Danielle with lollipops and don't let her teach them about driving a stick shift."

Sam sighed. "Come on guys. Let's go get the safe for Bella. We can drop it off to her tomorrow."

"Do we even want to go over there tomorrow?" Jared wondered.

They all shared a look and shivered at the same time. Bella's pranks were just not worth it.

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Paul moaned as he looked down his body to watch Bella's lips wrap around the head of his weeping cock, teasing him before she took him all the way into her mouth. Paul's head hit the pillow and he closed his eyes tight. The entire ride home she'd teased him, head in his lap with his jeans unbuttoned. Now that she was able, she wanted to finish what she started with him.

He grasped at the sheets as she took her time to send him close to the edge and back off again. She watched him through her eyelashes as he gasped and growled, one of his hands fisting into her hair in a desperate attempt to end the torture, yet keep her there at the same time. She took her time, taking him inch by inch down her throat before using her throat muscles to swallow around him. Her name spilled from his lips like a prayer as he finally crashed over the wall of seductive torture, crashing full throttle into oblivion.

She took everything he offered, making sure to swallow it all before kissing her way up his body, stopping to lavish attention to his nipples. By the time she got to his neck, pausing to nip and suck at one particular sensitive spot, Paul's spent dick showed signs of life again.

"Damn, Bella. You're gonna be the death of me." He moaned when she rolled their hips together.

"Yeah, but just think… what a way to go..." She giggled.

A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Death by orgasm huh…"

"Would it be better to have my mouth around you, or be deep inside me when you went, I wonder." Bella's giggle turned into a surprised squeal when Paul flipped them. His hand trailed down her body until his fingers could rub over her clit.

Paul moaned "Fuck your mouth drives me crazy babe. I want you to get off for me. Please baby girl. I wanna hear you scream my name while you cum with my cock buried deep inside that delicious pussy of yours." His voice was husky and Bella concluded that Paul's voice, used in that tone, sounded nothing but sensual and erotic and could convince her to commit capital treason.

"What's the matter baby girl? What do you want?" He asked running his nose along her jaw bone.

Bella gasped, her head moving so she could meet his searching lips in a kiss. "Paul… I want you!"

He grinned. "You have me."

"Don't tease me." She whined.

"Nuh uh… cum for me first. Cum on baby girl… scream for me." He growled. "Scream my name, little mate." He commanded, his voice husky as he whispered in her ear.

Bella's back arched off the bed. The deep-seated lust mixed with Paul's voice was enough to create a blanket of sexual tension that washed away the control in her body. With those few choice words, she was pushed closer to the edge of bliss, falling over it while crying out his name as her nails dug into his back.

He gathered her boneless mass of a body to him and cooed in her ear. "Hey baby… you ok?" His lips pressed a gentle kiss to her temple when she nodded.

"Yeah… feel amazing too!" She grinned.

"You were so sexy. I've never been more turned on while I watched you." He purred.

Bella kissed his neck. "You have no idea what your voice does to me. I love listening to you." She straddled his waist, her lips against his.

"I'll have to remember that." He said pulling her to him only to roll her on her back. His lips traveled down her jaw, teasing kisses from her skin as he made his way back to her lips to claim a sweet kiss from them.

"I want you." Bella whispered.

"Then you'll have me." He moaned as he entered her pussy in a single well aimed thrust. "Hard and fast or slow and easy?"

"Fuck if I care at the moment. Please… I need you." She moaned in response.

Paul grinned. "You're so submissive. My wolf loves it, I can't lie." He purred thrusting into her body. "The wolf and I both love it, baby girl." He muttered pulling out before just entering her body again.

The slow push and pull of Paul's dick was torture on Bella's already frazzled nerves. "Please!" Her nails raked down his back hard enough to raise welts in the skin.

"Please what, babe. Tell me what you want me to do." His voice was liquid bliss against her skin.

"Faster… please… harder! Something!" Bella whimpered. "I want you to make me cum again."

Paul's lips found the pulse point in her neck, right over his mark, as his hips increased in rhythm. The groans and mewls of near overwhelming pleasure were increased with the pace of their joined hips. As his thrusts increased in speed, so they did in depth as well, causing her body to arch against him.

The coil of seductive bliss tightened for both Bella and Paul the faster and harder the thrusting of their hips became. With a shuddering gasp, his name fell from her lips as she clenched around him in seductive pleasure. He followed her over the edge, his arms shaking in an effort to not squish the gorgeous creature beneath him.

Pulling her body close to his, Paul laid a chaste kiss to her temple. "You're amazing." He whispered.

"Nuh uh."

"Sleep, baby girl. You're gonna need it." He hushed.

Bella didn't even answer as her eyes closed to the world around her. She was content in Paul's arms, knowing he'd keep her safe. A quiet hum was all she gave him when he whispered he loved her before the sandman lulled them both into slumbers awaiting arms.