A/N: Thanks to everyone who has this story on alert. Glad you're giving this story a shot!

Get ready for some overprotective Jacob :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but if I did, there would be a lot more werewolves and a lot fewer vampires.

Rachel

We walked back into the clearing, Paul leading the way. As soon as I was visible Jake bombarded me. "Where have you been?" he asked angrily. I did not appreciate his attitude. He was being obnoxious.

"I was just talking to Paul. What's it to you?" I countered, daring him to continue. Jake was glaring at Paul, and Paul looked like he was about to lash out at him. I could sort of see Paul's point. Jake had no business telling me what I was and was not allowed to do.

Paul's interjection surprised me. "I would never hurt her." I never thought he would, but for some reason Jake did. Now I was kind of nervous. Was Paul dangerous? Was there a reason I shouldn't be in the woods with him? He seemed harmless enough, but it was always the harmless looking ones who made their victims into lampshades. However I didn't think Jake would be friends with a serial killer, no matter how few options there were in La Push.

I was about to ask what was going on, but Jake threw his hands up in the air. "Are you kidding me?" he asked incredulously, his eyes wide.

Now I was really confused. It appeared that Paul had told Jake something in his statement about never hurting me. What could that possibly tell Jake other than he liked me? I knew Jake was overprotective, but I didn't think he would be this crazy about it. It was kind of pissing me off.

Paul raised his eyebrows and looked towards the trees, asking Jake to meet him in the woods. Jake stalked off towards the trees and shouted, "Phase!" before he disappeared from sight.

I didn't know what that meant, all I knew was I had no intention of letting them settle this by themselves. They looked like they were about to kill each other. Paul turned to leave but I caught his arm.

"What's going on?" I asked him urgently.

His answer was so fast I barely caught it all. "Jacob and I are just having a difference of opinion that we would prefer not to work out in front of the whole group. We'll be right back."

I knew it. They were going to brawl if I didn't step in. "Are you going to fight?" I asked, making my fears known.

He took longer to answer than he should have. "No, we're just going to talk."

"I don't believe you," I told him. In fact, I thought he was completely full of shit. I made a quick decision. "I'm going with you."

I was prepared for his response, though not quite for its vigor. "No you're not! Under no circumstances are you coming!" he yelled. I didn't understand why I couldn't be there if it kept them safe.

"Why?" I asked. Why were they so intent on fighting? Jake never used to fight, and now all of the sudden that's all he seemed to talk about. He had really changed. It was like I didn't know him at all anymore.

Finally Paul answered. "Because we might get in a fight, and I don't want you getting hurt, ok?" As least he was finally being honest. It didn't change the fact that I could prevent the fight completely if I was there.

I let him know that. "Well if I come with you then you won't get in a fight at all."

He appeared to be getting angry at me. It really disturbed me that he was so intent on fighting my brother. I knew that Jake was bigger, but Paul looked way more intense right now. I started worrying for Jake's safety. "Fine!" he finally said. "But I'm not slowing down for you. Keep up if you can."

As soon as he finished that sentence he was sprinting off into the woods as fast as he could. Obviously he didn't know that I was on the club track team at school. I don't want to brag, but I was pretty fast. Not fast enough to be on the actual track team but fast enough to humiliate just about everyone else in the school. I was keeping up, and he looked shocked.

"Jacob, Rachel followed me in!" he yelled. I guess that would keep Jake from attacking him by surprise hopefully.

Jake stepped from behind a tree a few seconds later and Paul stopped running a safe distance away. I ran past Paul and stopped between the two of them. They were staring murderously at each other, and I knew I had to be the one to break the silence.

"What the hell is going on here?" I demanded. I looked back and forth between the two, and Jake was the one to answer first, though it wasn't quite as mature as I'd hoped.

"Yeah, Paul why don't you tell her?" I almost forgot he was still just sixteen. He was still a bratty teenager. I sighed as I turned to Paul to await his explanation.

"Your brother seems to think I shouldn't be around you." Yeah, I'd already gathered that. Thank you, Captain Obvious.

"Why?"

"Because I have a temper," he started slowly. Then he quickly blurted, "Not that I would ever do anything to hurt you."

So he had a temper, but he wouldn't hurt me? Did that mean he would hurt someone else? Now I wasn't so sure that he wasn't a psychopath.

Jake wasn't convinced either. "You don't know that," he snarled.

I didn't like the way he was always butting in. "Would you let him talk please?" I snapped.

I turn back to Paul, hoping he would give me a straight answer. "Since I know Jake can't be mature about this I want you to tell me. Why does he think you can't control your temper around me?"

He looked like this was a question he really didn't want to answer, so I was glad I asked it.

"Because I never used to be able to control my temper around anyone. I used to explode when someone looked at me the wrong way."

Jacob snickered like he thought this was funny. Why was he torturing someone who was supposed to be his friend? Paul gave him a dirty look, so I knew that Jake really was out of line.

"Used to?" Jake asked finally. "You 'exploded' yesterday." I didn't like the way he emphasized exploding. It was like Paul was a bomb or something. It was making me nervous again. Paul took his eyes off me and stared at Jake.

"That was before." Before what? Before me? Because that would be really creepy. He couldn't be saying that I was the one responsible for his lack of angry outbursts tonight. I'd just met him for Christ sakes.

Thankfully, I didn't have to ask. Jake did for me. "And why should I believe you're any different now?" Good question. He needed to prove his temper was better before I decided he was a creeper.

Paul responded immediately, more irritated than I'd seen him. Yet, he seemed to be in control. "I'm pretty fucking pissed right now, but I'm still here. I'm not running through the woods, howling at the moon."

What the hell was going on? Jake and Paul exchanged another silent look, and I realized that I had absolutely no idea what was going on here. Why would Paul's temper be such a big deal today rather than any other day? And why did it all seem to revolve around me? This was making me uncomfortable.

Jake nodded at Paul and started walking away, but not before stopping to whisper something in Paul's ear. Paul shot him a dirty look as he walked away, and I decided I didn't want to know what was said.

Once Jake was out of sight, Paul looked at me again, and I felt compelled to give him my thoughts on the situation. Unfortunately all I could come up with was, "That was, umm . . . interesting." Not my best, but I wasn't an English major. He stared at me for a few seconds, and I got that comfortable feeling again.

"Ready to head back?" I asked him. He nodded and turned to leave, going faster than I was. I caught his hand in an attempt to slow him down, and he intertwined his fingers with mine. Though I wasn't a big fan of dating, or romance in general, I would never mind holding hands with someone. It was the simplest form of affection, and to me it meant the most. I liked holding hands with Paul.

Oh, I had to stop this now.

We returned to the bonfire, and he led me to a log where I sat down. When he didn't immediately join me, I motioned for him to sit as well, but he looked like he had other things on his mind. This was actually a good thing; he had other things on his mind. That meant that when I let him down easy he could move on to the other person he was already thinking about. I felt better about the whole situation.

"Sorry, but I've got to get home. Gotta work early tomorrow morning." I guess that's as good an excuse as any.

I released his hand and smiled at him. "Ok, I guess I'll see you around."

He looked like he was about to leave when he blurted, "Do you want to go to dinner tomorrow night?"

I had to make sure of his intentions. "Like a date?" I asked.

"Well, yeah I guess so." That reply didn't have me falling all over myself to say yes, but the look in his eyes made it harder to say no.

Oh, no. I didn't want to have to deal with this now. Usually guys weren't so over-excited to ask me out, so I had a little while to come up with a good excuse that would keep them away. Most of the time I just made up a boyfriend, but stupid me, I already told him I didn't have one.

I took a deep breath and decided to tell him the truth. "I'm really sorry Paul, but I don't date."

His smile faded. "Oh," he breathed. Then he really thought about what I said. "Wait . . . what?" Apparently he wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. Why was my life so difficult?

Paul

I stepped tentatively into the clearing, Rachel following behind me. I scanned the group immediately and made eye contact with Jacob. He looked pissed. He stormed over to us and got in Rachel's face, demanding to know where we had been.

He was being a real dick, and I wanted to rip his head off right there, but I controlled myself. She looked just as annoyed as I was. She told him, in no uncertain terms, that it was none of his business where she had been, and I tossed a smirk in his direction.

Jacob glared at me, and I could tell he was thinking about my temper. That pissed me off even more. I started shaking and knew that if I didn't get myself together soon, I was going to phase right there, and that would not be good for so many reasons. "I would never hurt her," I growled at him.

His eyes widened at first then narrowed until they were barely slits. He knew. He threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "Are you kidding me?" Rachel looked confused, and I silently prayed that this would not be the way that she found out. I looked at Jacob and raised my eyebrows, looking towards the woods. All dreams of self-preservation were thrown out the window in an effort to keep this from her.

He stalked off towards the trees and shouted, "Phase!"

I was about to follow when Rachel caught my arm. Electricity shot through me as she asked what was going on.

I knew I didn't have long before Jacob came back and caused a scene, so I answered quickly - and vaguely.

"Are you going to fight?" she asked, eyes wide.

I thought for a second. We probably were, but she couldn't know that. If she thought we fought, I would have to buy make-up to black my eye for two weeks. I don't wear make-up.

"No, we're just going to talk," I lied.

"I don't believe you." Of course not. "I'm going with you."

I denied her pretty vigorously, probably scaring her. I didn't care, there was no way she could be anywhere near us when we phased.

She demanded to know why, and finally I admitted part of the truth. We were going to fight. Once I told her that, she decided she was coming with us. She was adamant and I knew there was no way to change her mind.

I was angry. "Fine! But I'm not slowing down for you. Keep up if you can." I sprinted off at full speed and was about the phase when I heard footsteps behind me. Jesus, she was fast. I couldn't phase right in front of her. That would probably give her a heart attack, so I slowed my pace and yelled to let Jacob know he had to phase back.

A few seconds later he stepped from behind a tree. I stopped where I was, keeping a safe distance between the two of us. Rachel ran up a few seconds later and stood between us. Jacob and I stared murderously at each other and Rachel was the one to break the silence, demanding to know what was going on. Jacob, being the jackass he was, pushed it off on me. Real mature.

I glared at him. What the hell was I going to say? 'I just saw you for the first time in years and guess what? I'm in love with you! How is this possible you may ask? Well first of all, I'm a werewolf. And since I'm a werewolf, your brother thinks I might kill you with my horrible temper.'

I settled on a less alarming version, instead saying, "Your brother seems to think I shouldn't be around you."

Because she was nosy, she had to ask why.

"Because I have a temper," I started slowly. Then I quickly blurted, "Not that I would ever do anything to hurt you."

Jacob tried to butt in again, but Rachel shut him down quickly. I fought the urge to smirk at her angry words to her brother, knowing it wouldn't help my situation with either of them.

She turned back to me, asking me the million dollar question. "Why does he think you can't control your temper around me?"

Shit, did it have to be this question? Of all the possible questions, this had the worst answer. I sucked it up and answered her honestly. I told her I never used to be able to control my temper around anyone. I used to explode when someone looked at me the wrong way. Jacob snickered when I used the word explode. Rachel would think it was just a raging fit, but we both knew it was fur. I shot him a dirty look. He wasn't making this easy. Not that I expected him to.

Then Jacob caught my wording. "Used to? You 'exploded' yesterday."

I looked past Rachel and straight at Jacob making sure he would not miss my meaning. "That was before."

"And why should I believe you're any different now?" he inquired.

I didn't even have to think before I responded. "I'm pretty fucking pissed right now, but I'm still here. I'm not running through the woods, howling at the moon."

Jacob grunted as he acknowledged this fact. I hadn't phased even though he was doing everything he could to piss me off. And I was even more pissed because he did all of it right in front of his sister. Didn't he care about her at all? I started shaking again, but I controlled it. I didn't think I was doing it just because I didn't want to hurt Rachel, although that was always going to be the primary goal. I think I was doing it because I wanted to be a better man for her. Was it wrong for me to want that so soon? I didn't think so but I wasn't sure. All I knew was that if I needed to keep my temper in check to be with her, I would.

Jacob nodded at me, and I knew that he was surrendering. There was no way to fight imprinting. When it happened, it happened. He wasn't happy, obviously, but he was going to deal with it.

"You better not lay a finger on her," he said as he walked by so only I could hear. I almost phased again. He knew that I would never do anything she didn't want me to do. And if she did want me to do it, then he would have to realize it was his sister's decision. I suddenly felt bad for him. He was going to have to see his sister through my eyes. I didn't feel really bad, but a little bit. Mostly because I was certain Rachel was going to be mortified.

I shifted my gaze back to Rachel as she stared at me with wide eyes, obviously trying to comprehend the entire conversation. She was hopelessly confused, and I hoped I would be able to explain it to her soon.

She tried to come up with something to say, but came up short. All I could do was nod. We stood there for a few more seconds. "Ready to head back?" she asked me.

In all honesty, I needed to phase. I had to run and get all of this pent up aggression out, but I wasn't going to let her wander the woods by herself, trying to find her way out. I nodded again and started walking. My breath caught when she took my hand to allow me to lead her. I intertwined our fingers and looked at her. She was stunning even in this dim light, and I knew that Jacob was going to hate me forever because I was never going to be able to stop thinking about her.

When we reached the clearing, I led her back to a log where she took a seat. She motioned for me to sit next to her, but I couldn't think of anything but phasing right now. I shook my head.

"Sorry, but I've got to get home. Gotta work early tomorrow morning." Which wasn't technically a lie. I was supposed to start patrolling at 8, but there was no way I was sleeping tonight.

She nodded and let go of my hand. "Ok, I guess I'll see you around." Around? She was going to be seeing me everyday. Or at least I was going to be seeing her. Suddenly sitting outside a girl's window watching her sleep didn't seem so stalkerish. I smiled to myself as I thought of doing it tonight. I bet she was beautiful when she was sleeping, probably angelic.

I wanted to see her again. Talk to her again. Let her fall in love with me. So I blurted, "Do you want to go to dinner tomorrow night?"

She looked at me apprehensively before she asked, "Like a date?"

"Well, yeah I guess so," I replied. I wasn't the most eloquent, but I got the job done.

'Why yes Paul, I would love to go on a date with you. I love you. Let's make pretty babies.' I smiled and nodded. She loved me already. Then I realized she hadn't actually answered. When I started listening I only caught the very end, "…but I don't date." "Oh," I said. Then I actually processed her response. "Wait….what?" She wasn't going to make this easy was she?

A/N: Thanks again for reading!

Reviews are great no what they say. Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated.

Get pumped for next week and some insight into Rachel's favorite pastimes ;)