CHAPTER 3
TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS
"Hey, Paul! We gotta go!" Paul heard from behind him just as his hand touched his time card to clock out for the night. He turned his head to see Jared dancing impatiently behind him. "Sam just called a meeting. Sounds big." Paul nodded as he whipped the green apron off over his head and quickly hung it on the hook by the time clock.
As they hurried out the back door, Paul asked, "What's going on? Do you know?" Jared shook his head as he jumped into the passenger seat of Paul's car. Paul threw it in drive and peeled out of the parking lot with a screech, putting the pedal down and driving way too fast the mile and a half to Sam's house where he slammed the car into park then he and Jared jumped out and ran inside.
"They're all out back," Emily said as soon as they hit the kitchen, so they continued through the house and out the back door where Sam gave them a reprimanding look as they jogged up to the group. "Now that everyone is finally here," Paul was sure Sam started for their benefit, "I'll let Jake fill you in." Sam leaned over to Jacob who was standing beside him and said a few words to him before Jacob took over.
Paul took those few seconds to whisper to Jared, "What has the Swan bitch got us into now?" Jared just shrugged and elbowed him to shut up and listen so he straightened up and pretended to care as Jake shared what he learned at Bella's graduation party tonight. Apparently, the little psychic leech had some vision that an army of newborn bloodsuckers was coming here to kill their family. Paul was trying hard to find a problem with that as he had no love for the Cullens like Jake obviously did. Then Jacob went on to say that he had volunteered the pack to fight along side the Cullens to stop the newborns.
"Let me get this straight . . . are you saying we FINALLY get to kill some vampires?" Paul called out to Jake.
Sam answered, "Yes, Paul. The newborns are a threat to us all, not just the Cullens."
"Damn! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Paul exclaimed excitedly. Jared held up a hand so Paul could high-five him. Leah, who was standing on the other side of Paul, just rolled her eyes at him as he turned to her with his hand up.
"Yeah, right," she returned blandly then looked away.
"Oh man, don't leave me hanging here, babe," Paul said with a grin, his hand still in the air. Holding up her index finger, Leah stabbed the palm of his hand with it then looked back to Jake as Paul chuckled and lowered his arm.
Jacob was now explaining how the pack would need special training on how to battle the newborn vampires. That they were stronger than usual and more deadly . . . blah, blah, blah, thought Paul. A vampire is a vampire. You rip it apart and throw a match on it. Done.
"So, we are meeting in the clearing tonight at 3:00 a.m. for a special training session. Be here at 2:30 - we all go together in wolf form. Got it?" Sam ordered.
Everyone nodded in agreement and the group broke up. Leah called out her goodbye as she left with Seth then Paul turned to Jared to say, "I can't believe these fucking leeches think they need to teach us how to do our job. This is what we're born to do!"
"I can't believe they're willing to give us tips on how to kill their own kind. Don't you find that strange?" Jared asked.
"Hell, yeah, it's strange. But then everything they do is fucking weird."
Jared laughed and added, "I hear that!"
"Man, I'm heading home to get a nap before we go. Want a ride?"
"Nah. I'm going back to Kim's. We have another hour before her mom kicks me out for the night," he replied with a grin as he took off into the woods. With a shake of his head, Paul hoped to hell he never imprinted on anyone. He hated the thought of his life never being his own. He wanted freedom! The freedom to choose who he wanted to be with and when and for how long. From what Paul had seen of imprinting from Sam and Jared, it looked like a prison sentence to him.
Paul drove home to the little gray house in the woods and walked inside to find Tyler in the kitchen with his Grandma. "Hey," Paul said as a greeting as he walked to the fridge.
"I saved you a plate from dinner," Ruth said. "Hand it to me and I'll warm it up for you."
Paul handed her the plate covered in foil and then sat down at the table across from Tyler who was finishing a bowl of ice cream. Paul looked over at him and asked, "So, you hanging out with Collin now? How's that going?"
"I had to come home. He got sick," Tyler answered, not offering any details.
"Sick? What's wrong with him?"
"Real high fever, I guess. I don't know," Tyler answered with a shrug of his shoulders.
Paul closed his eyes as those words sunk in . . . high fever. Shit. Then Tyler added, "His mom said that Brady was sick, too."
"How old are these guys?" Paul asked.
"Older than me. Thirteen, I think."
Thirteen. That's way too young, isn't it? Paul decided he better tell Sam anyway just in case.
"Um, Grandma? Hold my dinner. I need to call Sam real quick." Ruth nodded as she watched Paul walk to the phone that hung on the wall by the back door. He quickly dialed Sam's number as he heard Ruth tell Tyler to go and check on Travis. Paul looked at his grandma and she smiled. She was a smart one, his grandma.
"Hello?" Sam answered.
"Hey, Sam, it's Paul. My brother just came home from Collin's house and said that he was sick with a really high fever. He also said that Collin's mom told him that Brady has it, too. You don't think that . . . "
"Shit. Yeah, I do."
"They're just little kids! Ty says they're only thirteen! Isn't that too young?"
"I don't know. Since Leah phased, nothing really surprises me anymore," he heard Sam sigh deeply. "I guess with these newborns coming . . . look, I better get over there and check it out. I'll call Jared and have him head over to Brady's. Thanks, Paul, for the heads-up."
"Sure." Paul hung up the phone and sunk into the nearest chair at the table. Ruth set his plate of food in front of him, but suddenly he wasn't as hungry as he had been when he walked in.
"Those boys . . . are they?" Ruth asked, dreading the answer.
Paul gave her a slight nod as he answered, "Sam and Jared are going to check it out." He didn't say anymore as he didn't want his grandma to know about what was coming. She worried enough as it is when he went out on patrol.
"Well, you need to eat. Come on, before it gets cold." Ruth picked up his fork and handed it to him, so he smiled and put a fork full of fish in his mouth. She patted his shoulder as she went to the fridge to pour him a glass of milk. After setting in front of him she announced, "I'm tired, honey. I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."
"Night, Grandma. Thanks for saving me dinner."
Ruth smiled as she leaned over and kissed him on the head. "You're welcome. Good night." He heard the bedroom door close as he put down his fork then dropped his head into his hands for a moment. First Leah, and now little kids. Why was this happening? What was coming that was so bad that the original pack couldn't handle it?
Tyler walked back into the kitchen and sat down across from Paul, but when Paul didn't hear him say anything, he looked up to ask, "What?"
"You know what's wrong with Collin, don't you?"
Paul sighed and closed his eyes. He did not want to have this conversation with Tyler.
"Is he . . . is he turning into . . . you know . . . what you are?" Tyler asked warily.
Paul sighed as he opened his eyes to look at his little brother. He was surprised to actually see some concern there. "I don't know yet, Ty. I called Sam and he is heading over there to find out what's going on. Probably just the flu or something. Didn't you say Brady was sick, too?" Tyler nodded, so Paul said, "Yeah, so that's probably what it is. Sam will find out and let me know."
Tyler again nodded then stood up. "Whatever. I'm going to bed." Tyler left the room and soon Paul heard him close the bedroom door.
Paul looked down at his plate and decided he needed to eat whether he felt like it or not, so he sat there in the rare silence and finished his dinner. Then he ran some water over his plate and into his empty glass and left the kitchen, turning out the light as he left. After plopping down onto the couch, he picked up the small alarm clock that was on the table and set it for two a.m. then laid down on his back and stared at the ceiling. Hearing about Collin and Brady made him remember his own time with the fever . . .
The fever had hit him right after his 16th birthday. For some strange reason, his dad had called him out of the blue two days later to wish him a belated Happy Birthday. Paul had no idea his dad even remembered he had a son, let alone remembered the day he was born. His dad was in jail . . . again, so the call was brief. Paul had been cordial on the phone, answering his dad's questions with a short yes or no then his dad ended the call with an apology, something Paul never thought he would hear.
"I'm sorry, son, that I haven't been a father to you. I tried, in the beginning, but . . . well, I guess it didn't work out so good. I just wasn't cut out to be the daddy-type, you know? I hope, someday, maybe we can . . . well, no use wishing for something that will never happen, huh?" Paul heard his dad cough before he mumbled, "Have a good birthday, son. I gotta go." Then the line went dead.
Paul had hung up the phone and then felt a rage run through his body like he had never felt before. He had no idea why that call made him so angry . . . he was used to not having his father around. Hell, he barely remembered him! Suddenly he just wanted to hit someone or something so badly that he slammed his fist through the wall! His grandma almost fainted, and the look on her face just killed him. He ran out the back door and into the woods where he phased for the first time into a giant dog.
Paul pushed that memory away and told himself he needed to get some sleep. And yet, that nagging worry wouldn't quite leave him alone. What was coming? Were these newborns that much more dangerous that they needed to increase their numbers? Paul decided that maybe he should take this threat a little more seriously. He hated the idea of working with the Cullen clan, but if that's what it took to keep his family safe, he would do it.
The alarm went off at two and Paul nearly jumped out of his skin! Grabbing the clock, he shut it off then sat up and wiped his hands over his face, trying to give his heart some time to calm down. After using the bathroom and splashing some cold water on his face, he made his way outside where he stripped and tied his sweatpants to his ankle, then phased and headed for Sam's where he asked as soon as he arrived, "So? Collin and Brady?" he asked.
Sam nodded, "Yes. Both of them."
"Geez, Sam! They're just little kids! What the hell is going on here?"
Sam shook his head as he answered, "I don't know, Paul. But it must be big. I stayed with Collin as long as I could and tried to help him through his first phasing. The kid is strong, I'll give him that."
"But they won't be ready to fight yet. What's the point?"
"I don't know. I really don't."
Just then Jared joined them. "How's Brady?" Sam asked.
"He popped out right there in the living room in front of his whole family! I couldn't believe it. When I got there, everyone was freaking out. I got him out of the house and tried to get him to calm down then finally got him to phase back. I told them I had to leave, but I would be back to check on him. I also told them they could call you."
Sam gave a nod to Jared then noticed that everyone was here. "Hey! Settle down!" he bellowed to get the pack's attention. "We'll phase and head out together. When we get there, I need you all to stay calm." Paul noticed that Sam glanced at him when he said that. Paul rolled his eyes at Jared, who snickered. "I know what I'm asking you to do won't be easy, but I think this might be helpful to us."
They all quickly phased and ran together in one pack toward the clearing. Leah had come up beside Paul. "So, Mr. Hot Head, looking forward to playing with the bloodsuckers?"
"You know me. I only like to play when I can bite."
"Ugh. I'm sure that's some kind of sexual reference."
"You know me too well, baby."
They continued on to the clearing and as they got close, they closed ranks. Sam was out front, of course, as their fearless leader, and everyone else stayed back a few paces. Bella's leech boyfriend, Edward, could read minds, so he acted as the interpreter between Sam and Carlisle. Paul was outraged when he heard Sam tell him we would just watch.
"We came here just to watch? What the fuck? How is that any fun?" Paul complained.
"Knock it off, Paul. Just shut up and try to learn something," Sam scolded.
So they all stood there and watched the little vampires frolic in the field, pretending to fight each other. Paul really didn't get what he was supposed to be learning. He heard the blond bloodsucker say that you don't want to let them get their arms around you because they can squeeze you to death, and you don't want to go for the obvious kill. Check. He got that. But his whole body was twitching just sitting there watching. Every fiber of his being wanted to be down there, ripping apart every one of them! As Paul looked around, he couldn't figure out how the rest of his pack could stay so calm.
"Just chill, Paul." Jared was right beside him and he could probably feel the energy coming off of him.
"Isn't this killing you? How can you just sit there?"
Leah chimed in, "Discipline, young grasshopper. You must have patience."
"A Kung-Fu reference. Good one, Leah," Jared commented.
"Shut up and pay attention!" That came from Sam.
They all sat there for what seemed like hours to Paul until finally, it was over. He had managed to calm himself down and had fallen into a state of excruciating boredom, just laying there on his stomach amid the leaves and dirt of the forest. Jumping up, he was now more than ready to head for home. Then Sam suggested to Carlisle that he allow the pack to learn each of their scents, so we made no mistakes in the future. Is he fucking serious? Paul thought. We have to smell each one of them?
"Let's go. Get in line," Sam ordered. This was a lot to ask of Paul's small amount of patience.
"Come on, Paul. Stay with me," Leah suggested, knowing how agitated Paul was.
Paul relented and stayed close to Leah as they walked down the line of vampires. Each scent stung his nose a little more until he thought he would explode. After the last one, Paul quickly trotted away, back to the tree line where he turned to watch Jacob break away and head over toward Bella. When she reached out and ran her hand down his neck and petted him like a dog, it made Paul want to vomit. When was Jake going to wake up and smell the coffee? He hated seeing Jake make such a fool of himself.
"Yeah, me too. It's disgusting." Paul looked over to see Leah beside him. "I can't stand the little bitch." Paul smiled to himself . . . that's the Leah he knew and loved. "Let's get the hell out of here. I need some fresh air. The stench is burning my nose."
"Gladly."
Four days. Paul was back on the couch, trying to sleep, but that phrase kept repeating itself in his mind. The little pixie bloodsucker told them she saw the newborns coming in four days. If they didn't stop them, they could come here . . . to the rez.. His grandma, his brothers . . . they could all be in danger. The head vamp, Carlisle, he had said there were at least 20 of them.
Paul had never been worried like this before. Since becoming a wolf, he had never had any problems taking down a leech and ripping it apart. Of course, they never had 20 show up at the same time before. He hated that Carlisle had put doubt in his head.
Paul finally drifted off to sleep only to be wakened a few hours later by his grandma. "Pauly, honey, wake up. You'll be late for work." He forced his eyes open to see his grandma smile at him before she walked away.
Rubbing his eyes, Paul sat up then made his way to the bathroom. As he stood in the shower trying to wake up, he thought again for the hundredth time how much easier his life would be if he didn't have a job. But he had to work . . . they needed the money. He was the man of the house and he didn't take that responsibility lightly.
Paul dried off and got dressed then trudged out to the kitchen to sink into a chair at the table. Ruth quickly poured him a cup of coffee and set it down in front of him. "Thanks, Grandma," he said, still dying for another few hours of sleep, but instead took a big gulp of the hot coffee, hoping the caffeine would help get him going.
"I made you some eggs," Ruth stated as she put a plate down on the table and immediately, Paul picked up his fork and began shoveling his breakfast into his mouth until Ruth scolded, "Slow down, Pauly!"
Instantly slowing down, Paul smiled as he realized she had been saying that to him for as long as he could remember. He had the bad habit of inhaling his food instead of really chewing it. As soon as he finished, he stood up to put his dishes in the sink and say, "I gotta go, Grandma. Thanks for breakfast." He dropped a kiss on her cheek on his way to the door and as he grabbed his keys and headed for the car, he remembered how Leah teased him about how much he loved his grandma. Well, he was OK with that. He did love her . . . more than anyone else in this world.
Paul arrived at work with two minutes to spare, clocked in and went to work. Working at the store turned out to be a good distraction for him right now. He stocked shelves, unloaded the produce truck, bagged groceries and carried them out, then cleaned the bathroom and finally mopped the floors. He was tired, but it was a good tired. When he clocked out, he realized he hadn't given one thought to what was coming . . .
Until now. As Paul lay down that night to sleep, all those worries came back again. The night seemed so long. As much as he needed and craved sleep, it was hard to put the worries out of his head.
The next couple of days went by much the same . . . he worked, spent time with his grandma and Travis, and worried about what to do with Tyler, who was becoming more and more withdrawn and moody. He mentioned it to Leah one night when they were hanging out after a pack meeting. It was only around nine, and neither of them felt like going home just yet.
"I mean, don't get me wrong . . . I'm happy not to hear all the shit that usually comes out of his mouth, but I know he's not happy here, and it worries my grandma."
"Have you tried talking to him?"Leah suggested simply.
Paul was a little ashamed to admit, "No. I just figured he'd bite my head off if I tried."
"You don't know that for sure though. Think about where he came from, Paul. If your mother is as bad as you make everyone think she is, then maybe he's dealing with a lot of stuff he doesn't know how to handle."
Paul just shrugged his shoulders as he mumbled, "Yeah, I guess."
Leah's hand touched his arm as she told him softly, "Maybe what he needs is a big brother to talk to and not just another adult ordering him around."
Sighing deeply, Paul turned to Leah and said, "You think you're so smart, don't you?"
That brought a smile to her face. "Uh, yeah. I know I am."
Paul chuckled as he admitted, "Yeah, I know you are, too. OK, I'll try to find some time to talk to him."
Leah shocked him by leaning over and putting a light kiss on his cheek before she said, "Good answer."
As she turned away, Paul was surprised at the warm feeling he felt rush through him just then. Leah wasn't one to show affection at all, and he wasn't used to receiving it from anyone other than his grandma. This friendship thing between them was cool, but he had to be careful that it didn't go any farther than that.
When Paul got home that night, he thought about what Leah had said, and decided if Tyler was still up, he would try to talk to him. Walking in the door, Paul could hear the TV, so he knew he'd find Tyler in the living room. "Hey, Ty," he said as he stepped into the room.
Tyler barely looked away from the screen to grunt, "Hey," as Paul crossed in front of him to plop down on the couch.
As Paul sat there, he realized he had no idea how to even start this conversation with Tyler. Finally he said, "So, Ty, um . . . you want to talk?"
Tyler turned toward Paul with squinted eyes and asked warily, "Why?"
"Because I can tell you're not happy here, and I want to know why."
"Yeah, right," Tyler huffed. "Like you care," he added as he turned back to the TV.
With a roll of his eyes, Paul sighed and thought how this was going to be a lot harder than he thought. "I might if you quit being such an ass and give me a chance," he offered.
Tyler threw the remote on the coffee table and stood up to spit at Paul, "Look, Travis might believe your bullshit because he's little, but I don't, so just fuck off and leave me alone!" And with that, he stomped off to his room and closed the door behind him.
Paul's head fell back against the couch cushions in frustration as he decided that was the last time he took Leah's advice about anything.
Finally, the night before the newborns were expected, Paul couldn't take the strain anymore. He was so worked up he felt he might explode if he stayed confined in the house any longer.
Taking a deep breath, Paul walked over to his grandma, who was standing at the counter putting dishes away, and put his arms around her and hugged her close for a minute. If this was the last he was to see of her for some reason, he wanted her to know how much she meant to him.
"Well, what was that for?" Ruth asked when he let go.
"I just want you to know how much I love and appreciate you, Grandma. You took me in and raised me as your own, and I don't know where I would be without you."
Tears quickly formed in her eyes as Ruth sighed softly, "Oh Pauly," and then touched her hand to his cheek. "I don't where I would be without you. I know something is brewing that you don't want to talk about, and that's OK. I don't want to know. Just promise you'll come home to me."
Now suddenly Paul felt his own tears threaten, something he was definitely not accustomed to. Nodding, he swallowed over the huge lump in his throat then said solemnly, "I promise." As Paul walked out the door and closed it behind him, he hoped to hell he could keep that promise.
Making his way into the woods, Paul stopped to strip off his shorts and tie them to his ankle. He felt the need to run, so he quickly phased into his strong wolf body and ran through the forest, relishing the feel of the wind whipping through his fur. He ran hard, trying to release the tension that had imprisoned his body for the last couple of days and found it strangely quiet inside his head. Apparently, all of the other pack members were spending time with their families while they could. As he ran, he suddenly remembered that time again when he phased into his wolf body for the first time, and how he was completely freaked out! But now, he loved how strong this body was and how it made him feel so in control. The adrenaline rush he got chasing a vampire and catching it and tearing it apart . . . it was like nothing else. Paul had always been so confident when it came to what he was made for, but now . . . the thought of what was to come was overwhelming. What if he lost one of his pack brothers? Or Leah? That last thought really killed him.
When Paul finally stopped running, he found himself at the top of a cliff, overlooking the ocean. Walking to the edge, he sat back on his haunches and looked out at the view. A huge moon was rising slowly over the water and he found himself soon mesmerized watching it's reflection move with the waves.
It wasn't long after that Paul felt Leah phase in. It sounded like she was just as tense and had needed to run too. He could tell by her thoughts she was thinking about her mother and Seth. Leah was glad Seth was staying hidden with Edward and Bella to keep them informed of what was going on in the fight. She was afraid she would be too distracted keeping track of him to do what she needed to do.
Paul suddenly tensed as he heard, "Since when do you come here? This is my spot."
"Geez, Leah, I didn't know. I must have missed the fucking sign." Paul didn't mean to sound so angry . . . his emotions were all over the place.
"Whatever, I'll go." Leah turned to leave and Paul thought, "Stay."
Leah turned back to look at him and then finally sat down beside him. She was confused. They had been getting along so well, and now . . .
"I'm sorry, Leah. Just thinking about tomorrow."
"I get that. That's why I'm here. I find looking out at the water kind of calms me somehow."
They spent a few minutes sitting side-by-side, looking out at the water, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally Paul broke into Leah's thoughts. "You're not just worried about your brother. You're scared, aren't you?"
"Aren't you?"
"It's nothing I haven't done before. I've been waiting a long time to dig my teeth into a leech."
"Cut the bullshit, Paul. I could feel the worry coming off of you before I even got close to here. You don't have to be so macho all the time, you know."
"OK, fine, I'm a little worried. Not that I can't handle the fighting. It's just the number of them that worries me. I just hope the Cullens can do their part when it comes to killing their own kind."
"Yeah, me too."
Suddenly, without warning Leah, Paul shifted back to his human body. He shook for a few seconds as the phasing wore off then he sat back down on the ground, pulling his knees up and hooking his arms casually around them. Leah looked over, wondering why he did that. Maybe he was done sharing his thoughts with her and he truly wanted to be alone. She stood and turned to go and again he simply said, "Stay."
Paul was sick and tired of thinking about tomorrow. He phased so he couldn't hear and feel Leah's worries. It was too much for him.
Leah wasn't as comfortable with nudity as he and the rest of the pack were, but as she stood there and stared at him, sitting there, silently gazing out at the water, she felt feelings for Paul that she had never felt before. He was a kind of kindred spirit . . . someone who understood pain because he had lived with it his whole life. Leah had only carried her pain for a few months.
Bravely, she allowed herself to phase right there instead of hiding like she usually did. When she was in control of her human body, she sunk down to sit beside Paul on the hard ground. She mimicked his position by pulling her knees up in front of her and then gazed at the glorious moon rising in front of her. Paul gave her a sideways glance and a smile played at his lips.
"What?" Leah asked as she noticed his glance.
"No hiding to phase? No covering yourself?" Paul looked back out at the water and added, "I like it, Clearwater. This is how you should always be: proud and strong."
Leah smiled to herself as she decided she liked that. Proud and strong.
They sat there quietly again for awhile until Paul broke the silence by commenting softly, "Nights are the hardest." Then with a glance at Leah, he added, "You know how I love my sleep, but it's been hard the last few nights. I found myself having bad dreams for the first time since I was like 10."
"Yeah, me too," Leah agreed. "Last night I dreamt that one of the newborns had Seth in a death grip and as hard as I tried, I couldn't get him to let go. Seth's eyes looking at me, begging me . . ."
"Hey," Paul said as he put his hand out to touch Leah's shoulder, "Don't do that. Let it go, OK? Seth won't even be there."
"I know, I keep telling myself that. I'm not afraid to fight, Paul. I want to go and I want to prove that I can be a member of this pack."
"We get that. You don't have to go all 'I can do anything you can do' on us. But just don't take any chances, OK? We all have to be smart tomorrow."
Leah gave him a slight nod then looked back to the water to calm herself. She wasn't as sure of herself as she wanted Paul to think she was. The fear that drove her out here was creeping back and she was trying hard not to let it consume her.
After awhile, Leah turned her head to look over at Paul, and found him staring intently at her. She felt herself suddenly being pulled into his gaze and she could see in his eyes some of the same fear she felt, which surprised her. Maybe her vulnerability came from what was before them, or maybe it had been too long since Leah had kissed anyone, but suddenly, she found herself leaning towards Paul to touch her lips gently to his.
Paul was taken aback for a second or two by Leah's move, but had to admit he had been thinking the same thing as he stared at her, wondering if she would slap him if he kissed her. And now, as he moved his lips over hers, he felt a fire building in the pit of his stomach.
Leah realized how badly she wanted to feel Paul's strong arms around her as she involuntarily moved closer to him and sighed as he put those arms around her and deepened the kiss by pushing at her lips with his tongue. As her tongue met his, she felt a shudder of arousal go through her that surprised her. Paul had always been a very sexual guy . . . she knew that about him, and she had surprisingly lusted after him a couple of times after they phased and she would catch a glimpse of his hard, rugged body. But now, as her arms suddenly snaked around his neck and she tangled her fingers into his hair to tug at it, she was shocked at her sudden abandonment of her morals. Here she was, completely naked with her best friend, throwing herself at him like some slut, yet she couldn't stop herself.
Oh, how Paul liked that little tug on his hair. He wanted to bury himself in her and feel nothing but Leah around him . . . but something stopped him and he pulled back. Unlike Shelia, he needed to look into Leah's eyes, to see . . . is this what she really wanted? Why did he care so much?
Leah stared hard into his eyes, showing him the desire swelling inside her, even though she knew it was dangerous, but she didn't care. Pulling him back to her, she kissed his lips, biting at his lower lip and pulling it into her mouth.
Paul groaned as he laid her back onto the ground and kissed his way down to her perfectly round breasts. Her nipples were already standing up as he sucked one of them into his mouth and she arched her back and cried out as he teased her by rolling his tongue around the tip then sucking lightly. Leah's hands were still tangled in his hair and she pulled at it as she moaned. This surprised and pleased Paul. He had no idea the passion that was inside his best friend.
Completely amazed at how good that felt, Leah decided she wanted to forget everything and just be in this moment. She had spent the last few days worrying about going into this battle. Her mother had just lost a husband . . . what if she lost one or both of her children now? It was all too much. She wanted to just let go for a little while and not think about anything.
Leah rolled to her side and touched Paul's face before ravaging his mouth with hers. He loved how soft her lips were and they tasted so sweet. The thought crossed his mind that they should stop right here . . . this wasn't a good idea. But he wasn't exactly thinking with his brain right now . . . especially since Leah was stroking his erection and pulling at it until he thought he would lose it right there. Again he was surprised at Leah's passion and was overwhelmed by her eagerness. He wanted to stop, he wanted to hold back, but she felt so damn good.
Before he could think anymore, Paul rolled Leah to her back and moved over her. "I need you, now, baby," he whispered into her ear. Then he remembered he didn't have any protection and blurted out, "Shit!"
"What? What's wrong?" Leah whispered anxiously.
"I don't have a condom on me."
"It's OK," she panted. "I'm pretty sure I'm never going to be able to get pregnant. I'm a wolf, Paul. How would that work with me phasing? And I don't have periods anymore. Please, don't stop now. I need you, too."
Paul hovered at her entrance, trying to make up his mind until she began gyrating beneath him, begging, "Please, Paul. Please." Finally, he couldn't take it and he eased into her as she gasped and dug her fingernails into his shoulder. She was so tight . . . it was killing him to go easy, but he didn't want to hurt her.
"Yes!" Leah cried out she felt so completely filled . . . Paul was big, and she knew he was trying to go slow so as not to hurt her, but that's not what she wanted right now. "Paul, please . . . " she begged as he pulled back and drove into her again, this time a little harder. All he could feel was her wrapped around him and she was so tight and hot and wet . . . he moved a little faster and she met him with every stroke, quickly settling into a rhythm faster and faster until he heard her scream out, "Yessss! Oh yess!" and he felt her contract around him and then he let go and felt his whole body shudder with his release.
Leah held on to him tightly as he lay there trying to catch his breath. Oh my God, that was amazing. Paul kissed her neck as he realized he had never felt anything like that with any other girl he ever had sex with. As Leah put a kiss on his shoulder, Paul finally rolled off and landed on his back next to her and closed his eyes. That's when the panic set in . . . What will be the price paid for this? What will she expect from me? What will I expect from her? We're just friends. . . I don't want to be any more than that.
Rolling to face Paul, Leah gently ran her hand through Paul's hair as she marveled at what had just happened between them. She didn't remember ever feeling this way with Sam. What was going on here?
Paul couldn't believe how much he enjoyed the feel of Leah's fingers running through his hair. He finally opened his eyes to look over at her as she smiled and said, "Wow. I hate to admit it, but you were right. I did need to get laid." That made him laugh . . . something he didn't do nearly enough, and Leah smiled at the sound.
"God, me too," he admitted.
They lay there quietly for a moment, neither of them really knowing what to say then Leah asked softly, "Where are you sleeping tonight?"
"Home I guess," Paul shrugged. "Why?"
"How about . . . here?" she suggested hesitantly.
Paul smiled as he reached up to brush Leah's hair from her face. He had always wondered what it would be like to hold someone all night while he slept. "Won't you get into trouble for not showing up at home?"
"No," Leah answered. "Unfortunately, Mom is aware of what's happening tomorrow. She'll just think I'm out patrolling or preparing, or whatever." She was quiet for a moment as she thought again of tomorrow then she whispered with one of the sexiest smiles he'd ever seen, "It's a nice warm night. I feel like camping."
"I like camping," Paul replied with a grin, moving so he could hold out his arm to invite her to move closer. Leah quickly scooted over, laying her head on Paul's shoulder as he curled that arm around her. It felt even better to hold her than he hoped it would. His eyes slid shut as he said quietly, "Thanks for staying."
Leah smiled against his shoulder. "Thanks for asking."
They were quiet again for a few minutes until Paul asked, "Leah? About tomorrow? Stay close to me, OK?"
She lifted her head to look into his eyes. "Are you worried about me, Paul? I can hold my own, you know. Just because I'm a girl . . ."
"This has nothing to do with you being a girl," Paul insisted. "You've never been in a fight before. You don't know what to expect. You saw them in training. They're very fast and . . . "
Leah stopped him by sitting up, putting her hand on Paul's chest and looking down at him with a smile. "OK, I get it. I'll stay close, I promise."
Paul smiled back as he hooked a piece of her hair behind her ear and replied,"That's all I ask." Then Paul pulled Leah back down to him and turned her away from him so they could spoon. Throwing his arm over her middle, he whispered, "Try and get some sleep. You'll need it." Then Paul closed his eyes, buried his face into her neck and as he inhaled her sweet scent, he found himself wanting to remember this moment forever.
Too soon, Paul awoke just as the sun was just beginning to come up. Somehow, as they slept, Leah had turned and was now laying facing Paul, who smiled at her and gently kissed her on the lips. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment then he said softly, "We better go."
Leah nodded somewhat reluctantly as Paul sat up and ran his hand through his hair then he stood and stretched and yawned. Leah finally sat up and gathered her long hair into a messy bun and secured it with the elastic band she always kept on her wrist. She had cut it some when she started phasing, but it still hit her shoulders and needed to be secured. As Leah finished, Paul held out his hand to help her up and she took it. When they were both standing, facing each other, Leah said to him, "Paul, last night was . . . what it was. We took what we needed from each other. I'm not expecting anything else, OK?"
Paul felt relief flood him . . . and yet, surprisingly felt some sadness at her statement, but he smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, me too." Even so, he felt a need to pull her close one last time and hug her. "Thanks, for being here. I . . . "
Leah stopped him with her hand on his mouth. "Don't say anything else. Today will be hard enough. Let's don't say anything stupid, OK?"
That brought a smile to his face as he stepped back and asked, "Ready to kick some vampire ass?"
"Let's do this," she grinned.