CHAPTER 4

HELTER SKELTER

Paul and Leah padded into Sam's backyard as wolves, and for once, Paul found he wasn't the last one here as Embry and Quil were still missing. Leah quickly looked for her brother and when she spotted him, she left Paul to trot over to him.

As Paul stood there watching Leah with Seth, he tried hard to bury the memory of what happened between them last night so none of his pack brothers would see it. He was still rather shocked that it had really happened, wondering if somehow he had dreamt it . . . but when he woke up on the hard ground this morning with Leah beside him . . .

"So you ready to kick some bloodsucker ass?"

Paul started as Jared broke into his thoughts. "More than ready . . . I would say it's about damn time!" he answered.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" Sam called out as soon as Embry and Quil jogged in, still as human boys. Sam hadn't phased yet and he was standing on top of an old stump with the pack gathered around him. "Today we go into battle, but we don't go alone. We go as one pack, one family. Look around you and know that you have a brother," he glanced at Leah, "or a sister, behind you to back you up. Don't do anything stupid. Don't try to be a hero. This is what we were made to do, and I know that all of you will do it well. We leave as one, and we come home as one." Then he put his head back and let out a war cry that shattered the silence of the early morning. It was just what they needed to get them ready to fight.

Paul felt the adrenaline start to kick in and his body amped up in anticipation of chasing down and killing a vampire. This is what they were made to do, and he was more than ready.

Sam called out to Seth, who immediately trotted over to him. "You need to go now to meet up with Jacob. Be safe, OK?"

Seth nodded his head and turned to go, stopping for a moment beside Leah. "Be careful out there, sis. Don't do anything stupid."

"Yeah, cause that's me . . . I'm so stupid," Leah thought before she could stop it. She knew her brother loved her and was worried about her going into battle for the first time, but she just didn't know how to reassure him when she was wasn't so sure herself.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"I know, I'm sorry. Paul has already ordered me to stay close to him today, so don't worry. I'll see you later, OK?"

"OK." And with that, Seth took off into the forest to meet up with Edward and Bella. Jacob was already with them, having carried Bella to a hiding spot up in the mountains so the newborns couldn't pick up her scent. Once Seth got there, Jake would leave and join the pack in the fight. Paul was shocked when he found out that Edward was going to sit out the fight with Bella. His family would be fighting for their lives, and he chooses to sit on his ass and do nothing? Paul just didn't get it. His pack would not go into battle without him . . . no fucking way.

Embry and Quil phased and instantly felt the electricity flowing through the pack. "Let's go!" Sam called out and then he quickly phased to take his place as the black, menacing leader of this wolf pack. The ground shook as the six giant wolves ran through the woods on the way to the clearing. Collin and Brady were still just pups, so Sam made them stay home, which pissed them off, but they would probably get their chance someday. Sam was very confident that the seven of them could take down their share of newborns.

"You're gonna stick by me today, right?" Paul asked Leah as they ran side by side.

"Yes, Paul. But how are you going to rip through all these newborns and baby sit me at the same time? I'm a wolf, too, you know. You've shown me how to fight. Now give me a chance to show you I can do it."

"I will. But I want you to stay close just in case you need back-up. Don't go all Xena, Warrior Princess on us, OK?"

"Listen to him, Leah," Sam broke in. "This is your first fight. Same goes for you, Quil. Don't get cocky. Remember their strength and their speed. And don't be too proud to ask for back-up. That's an order!"

The pack arrived at the clearing and stayed hidden in the treeline as they were the element of surprise that the newborns wouldn't be expecting. Sam gave a little bark to let the Cullens know that the pack was in place then waited until Carlisle gave a wave to let Sam know he heard him. Seth was almost to Edward and Bella then Jacob would be leaving to join them. The stage was set. Now all they had to do was wait.

Paul was pacing like a caged animal. He was so ready for this fight and he hated the waiting! Leah sat on her haunches watching him pace back and forth. She could feel his excitement and was trying to reassure herself that she could do this, wanting so badly to prove to all them that she was an equal member of this pack. Leah hated being treated differently because she was a girl. This was her chance and she really didn't want to blow it.

Letting out a sight of relief, Leah had seen Seth arrive safely at the meeting point with Bella and Edward, and now Jacob was on his way here. Suddenly, Sam tensed and five other heads came up to see what he had seen. From one side of the clearing, they saw six or seven of the newborn vampires blur into the clearing. The Cullens were ready and they rushed ahead to meet them head on.

Paul was ready to take off but Sam barked out, "No one move - not yet!"

Fighting the Alpha order was useless, as it was physically impossible to break, and yet Paul struggled all the same and snarled as Leah scolded, "Paul, chill. We'll get our chance."

Finally, from the other side of the clearing, at least ten more vampires came into sight. "Now! Go!" Sam ordered and the six huge wolves immediately jumped to action, galloping into the clearing each going a different direction to intercept the enemy.

Leah followed Paul as he leapt hungrily at one of the leeches and took him down. Leah's animal instinct took over as she bit into the vampire's arm and ripped it off, marveling at strength of the skin and the absence of blood. A rage like she had never known flowed through her as she tore at the vampire, throwing body pieces one by one over the grassy meadow.

"Leah! Leah! That's good, babe. Move on!" she heard Paul instruct. "Good job. Who knew you could be so vicious?" Leah stepped back and looked with horror at what she had done. "Don't go there now, Leah. There will be time for that later. Come on!"

Leah tried to keep her head about her as she plunged into the battle beside Paul. There were body parts flying everywhere and the Cullens were blurring in and out so fast, it was hard to keep track of them. Another newborn flew into their path, and together they tore it apart then moved on as Paul dubbed them the "New Dynamic Duo."

"Really, Paul? Jokes, now?" Leah huffed at him as they ran.

"Hey, come on, babe . . . this is the fun part of being a wolf! Enjoy it!"

Enjoy it . . . Leah found that a little difficult in all mayhem around her. The action was getting a little chaotic now and Leah fearfully found herself separated from Paul. As she spinned around nervously looking for him, she saw that Jacob had joined the fight and was tearing into a vampire with Quil. One of the Cullens had started a fire and was throwing the newborn bodies into it and oh, the smell . . . it was so sickening sweet . . . Leah could feel the bile rising in her then, Leah noticed one of the newborns fly by, trying to escape into the woods. Whipping her head around quickly, Leah could see no one going after the thing, so going on instinct, she charged into the woods after it.

The battle was starting to quiet down, and dejectedly Paul took a moment to look around. The adrenaline was still pumping and he was disappointed to find no one else left to fight. The Cullens had held their own and killed almost as many newborns as the wolves. Paul did a quick head count and could see six other wolves besides himself. Wait, who was missing? Shit . . . it was Leah!

Tuned into the wolf network, suddenly Paul heard Jacob, "Leah! Wait!" then he saw him fly by on his way into the woods.

Paul turned to follow and suddenly felt arms come around him from behind to lock him in a vice-like grip that lifted him off of the ground. Fighting hard to break the hold, Paul heard a rib break, then just as quickly as he was picked up, he surprisingly hit the ground on all fours. Whipping his head around, he saw the big Cullen, Emmett, snap the head off of the newborn leech that had grabbed him. Emmett looked over at Paul with a grin and a wink then quipped, "You're welcome, mutt," before he blurred out of sight.

Barking out his reluctant thanks, Paul realized he would never live that one down. As he turned to run into the woods where Jacob had disappeared, he suddenly felt a pain shoot through him that he knew wasn't from his broken rib. That howl had come from Jacob!

Sam heard it, too, and the two of them flew into the woods to find Jacob in a death grip of one of the newborns. They both leapt at the same time, pulling the vampire down and watching as Jacob slipped from the death grip to hit the ground with a thud. Paul and Sam made quick work of the vampire and when it was dead, Sam turned to ask Embry, who was now leaning over Jake, "How is he?"

"He's in a lot of pain. I'm sure there are broken bones," Embry answered. He and Quil had followed Paul and Sam.

Paul left them to trot over to Leah, who was standing a little ways away from everyone. "Leah? What happened? Are you hurt?"

Her wolf head shook back and forth slowly. "I saw it try to escape, and I knew we couldn't let that happen, so, I went after it and had just reached it and had it's leg in my mouth when Jacob showed up out of nowhere, pushing me out of the way. I had him, Paul! There was no reason for Jake to come in like some fucking super hero!" As she explained, Paul saw it all played out before him in Leah's mind.

"You knew not to go off on your own! I told you to stay with me. Why didn't you at least let me know where you were going?"

"I don't know. I just reacted, OK? I don't need this right now, Paul. Just back off!" Then Leah added a snarl to show she meant business so Paul turned back to see if he could help with Jacob.

The rest of the wolves had formed a circle around Jacob then Sam ordered, "Jared! Get Carlisle. Tell him we need a doctor!" Jared was still in the clearing helping with the cleanup and immediately stopped what he was doing to find Carlisle. In less than a minute, Carlisle was there, pushing through the circle to get to Jacob. He knelt down next to him and gently felt along his ribs and his legs. Sam phased back into his human form and quickly pulled on his shorts to kneel beside Carlisle and explain, "One of the newborns had him in a hold."

"Yes, I can tell," Carlisle commented as he continued his examination. "Most of the bones on the right side of his body are broken." Carlisle looked up at Sam and ordered, "Take him home and I will get there as soon as I can. We have a little problem that I need to take care of first. See if you can get him to phase back so I can set the bones to heal properly."

Sam nodded his understanding then thanked Carlisle who stood up and left. "OK, phase back so we can carry Jacob home." One by one, the pack phased back into human form and pulled on their pants . . . all except Leah who stood back watching in horror as they all lifted Jake onto their shoulders to carry him home.

As she trailed along behind them she heard Seth. "Leah? Is he OK? Is Jake OK?"

"I don't know. We're heading home now. He has a lot of broken bones." Leah was overcome with guilt that he was hurt because of her. Still, he shouldn't have come charging in like that. Her thoughts were all jumbled along with her emotions.

The pack finally arrived back at the small little red house where Jacob lived with his father, Billy, and Sam quickly filled him in on what happened. They laid Jake down on the grass and Embry knelt down to talk quietly to him until finally Jake phased back into his human body. They all grimaced at the cry of pain that came from Jake as he phased. "Let's get him inside, now," Billy ordered.

The pack picked him up and somehow got him inside and laid him onto his small bed as Leah stayed outside to phase in private and after dressing, she took to pacing back and forth in front of the door trying to will herself to go inside. "Are you OK, Leah?" She turned around to see Seth standing there. He had run home first to tell their mom the fight was over.

"I'm fine," was her short answer. Then she noticed all of the bruises and cuts all over her brother. "I thought you were staying out of the fight. Why do you look like this? What happened to you?"

Seth actually shot her a grin, as Leah narrowed her eyes. "It's a long story. I'll tell you later, OK?" Then he surprised her by pulling her in for a hug and Leah realized how relieved she was that he was safe.

"Yeah, OK. I can't wait to hear this one," Leah mumbled into his chest.

Seth let her go as Paul walked out of the house. Paul looked at Seth and told him Jake was in his room and they were waiting on Carlisle to come and treat him. Seth nodded and glanced back at Leah before he opened the door and walked into the house.

Paul stepped over to Leah and reached out for her, but quickly she sidestepped him. "Don't Paul."

"What? You went through hell back there. I'm here, just as a friend, OK?" Paul stated as he stepped closer and gently pulled Leah's chin up so he could see her eyes. As Leah looked up at Paul, he could see her raw emotion rising to the surface . . . she was going to lose it soon and he knew she would be embarrassed to do in front of everyone, so he took her hand saying, "Come on," as he led her around the house to the back along the tree line where they could have some privacy. Sitting down on the ground to lean up against a fallen tree, Paul pulled Leah down with him then proceeded to haul her up against him and order, "Now, let it go."

Leah let herself lean against him and felt him flinch just a little. She now saw that Paul had bruises all over him from the fight, and a few scratches, but she knew they would heal quickly and be gone soon. She finally relaxed and let the emotion that was so close to the surface bubble over. The tears began to flow before she could stop them, and soon they turned into sobs.

Relief, guilt, horror, all the adrenaline that had run through her . . . everything came pouring out as the sobs wracked her body. Paul held her close, even though his broken rib was throbbing. It would heal soon, though, so he wasn't worried about it, but Leah . . . he hoped this wouldn't scar her.

Paul let her cry it out as he tried hard to let his own emotions out. His own relief that none of his worries materialized . . . especially losing a pack member, was immense. They had fought proudly as one pack and come home as one, just as Sam had predicted. Finally, Leah sat up and wiped her eyes. "God, I hate that. I feel like a fucking baby."

Paul chuckled as he told her, "It's more common than you think, although none of us will admit to it. After all that adrenaline leaves your system, you feel kind of a let down."

"I don't see you blubbering all over the place."

"Would that make you feel better? You want me to squirt some tears?"

Leah gave him a small smile. "Maybe."

Paul smiled back then crumpled his face up and gave his best fake crying impression.

"Really? That's the best you can do?"

Paul's laughter floated around Leah and actually made her feel a little better as he squeezed her close with one, wincing as he said, "Yep. That's all you're getting from me."

Leah rolled her eyes at him then reached out to touch his chest. "You have a broken rib, don't you?"

"It's not that bad," Paul assured her. "It'll heal."

Leah traced the bruise on Paul's rib cage lightly with her finger then looked up into his face as she brushed her fingers over the scratches there then surprised him by leaning over and lightly kissing them.

"Leah?" Paul breathed as her lips moved over his jawline, not sure where she was going with this, or if he should let her continue. But it felt so good that he stayed quiet and didn't move. Pulling away to look into Paul's eyes, Leah found herself leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips.

"No!" Paul's mind cried out. She's vulnerable right now . . . he shouldn't take advantage of that. He reminded himself he didn't want to be more than friends. But all of that wasn't registering as her lips moved over his and he found his tongue had a will of it's own as it brushed lightly against Leah's bottom lip.

Leah immediately opened her mouth to him and before Paul knew it, they were full-on making out with an intensity that took his breath away. His hands found their way under her tank top to touch the skin on her back as she wrapped her arms around his neck and entwined her fingers into his hair.

Neither of them could stop, even when they needed to take in air. Paul finally left her mouth to let his lips travel to her earlobe, down her neck and then when he put a soft bite on her shoulder, he felt her shudder with desire. His hands moved up taking her tank top with them, pulling it over her head and dropping it to the ground.

Leah quickly moved to his lap to straddle him and Paul felt his erection twitch as she brushed up against it. Her breast was right in front of his face and she pushed closer, daring him to take the tip into his mouth. Her back arched and she moaned as Paul flicked it with his tongue then nipped and sucked on it as his hands ran up and down her bare back, loving how soft her skin felt on his rough hands.

"Leah!" they heard Seth call out. "Leah? You still out here?"

Leah's body immediately stiffened against Paul as she pulled away. "Shit," she muttered as she reached down and grabbed her tank top, throwing it on over her head as she moved off of Paul's lap, adding, "Sorry. My little brother has rotten timing." Then standing, Leah hollered, "I'm out here!"

As Leah stood, Paul quickly tried to adjust himself before he joined her. His member was throbbing with wanting her . . . apparently he couldn't turn it off as quickly as she could. But maybe it was good that they had been interrupted. Last night was one thing, but to do it again . . . he wasn't so sure that was wise. Paul made sure to stand behind Leah so Seth wouldn't see the huge bulge in his pants.

Seth jogged up to them and shot Paul a look. Apparently he was wiser than Leah suspected. "What? Is it Jake?" Leah asked anxiously.

"Carlisle is here to treat him," Seth explained. "He is going to reset the bones and he wanted us to be prepared for Jake to scream. He's giving him morphine, but he's not sure how much to give him."

Leah nodded and glanced at Paul who asked, "He's going to be alright though, isn't he?"

"Carlisle thinks so. He knows we heal quickly, but even so, he thinks it might take a couple of days." Then he looked at Leah and asked, "Are you alright? You look like you've been crying."

"I wish everyone would quit asking me that! Yes, I'm fine. Go back inside. We'll be there in a minute," Leah spouted, letting her frustration get the best of her.

"Fine, whatever," Seth muttered as he turned and jogged toward the house.

Leah turned to Paul and ran her hand over her face to push the hair from her eyes. "I know I should probably stay, but I don't think I can. Knowing it's my fault he's in all that pain . . . "

"Hey, stop that," Paul said as he pulled her close, resting his chin on top of her head. "Jake knew what he was doing and what he was getting into. It's a chance we all take. Come on, I'll stay with you," Paul offered and with his arm still around her shoulders, they walked slowly toward the house.

Just then, they heard a scream come from the house that cut right through both of them. Leah jumped and swore, "Fuck! Was that Jake?" Paul nodded and pulled Leah closer. "I have to get out of here, Paul. I can't do this," she cried as she suddenly turned and sprinted toward the woods.

"Shit," Paul muttered as he took off after her. Leah was flying and it was hard to keep up with her since becoming a wolf, she had always prided herself on being the fastest, but he quickly realized where they were going and followed the best he could. Leah reached the cliff top first and threw herself down on the ground. Paul finally made it there and plopped down beside her hating to see the tears streaming down her face. "I hate this, Paul. I hate that this happened."

"Leah, he'll be OK. Don't beat yourself up over it."

Her head whipped toward him in anger as Leah spit out, "Would he have charged in like that if it had been you? Or Jared? Or Sam? NO! He did this because it was me and I'm a lowly girl. I had that fucking leech! I could have taken care of it! But he had to come charging in and now . . . and now. . . " The tears took over again and her voice left her.

"I would like to think that he would have come to the rescue if it were me or Sam or Jared. That's what we do for each other, Leah. Hell, I had one of the Cullens save my ass today. You don't think that's hard to swallow?"

Seeing her look of curiosity, Paul told her what happened. "Of course it had to be the big oaf. He even winked at me, Leah! He winked at me! I'll never be able to live this one down," Paul finished in disgust.

Leah surprised herself by laughing. Paul looked over at her and then joined in as he reached out and touched her cheek. "Look, it's all behind us now. Done and over. Everyone made it home, and Jake will heal in no time. A couple of days from now, we'll all be back to our dull, boring lives."

Leah smiled at that. "Yeah, I guess." Then she turned her head toward the water and looked out at the waves. The sky was gray, and the wind was picking up . . . she was sure she could feel rain coming. "I suppose I should get home soon. I know Mom was really worried. She needs to see that Seth and I are OK."

"Yeah, I should do the same. Grandma was worried, too."

Yet, they sat there, neither of them wanting to be the first to move. "Paul? About what happened, or almost happened back there . . . I think it was all the emotion, I don't know . . . "

"It's OK, Leah. I know. Last night was . . . last night. It was great, and we both really needed it, but I'm not so sure it's such a good idea to let it happen again, you know?"

Leah bit at her lip as she turned back to the water. "Yeah, I know." She fell quiet and Paul wished they were in wolf form so he could hear what she was thinking as she wasn't letting it show. Was she upset with him? Did she really understand? Finally she turned to him and smiled. "Thanks for watching out for me today, and for after . . . letting me cry all over you. You've turned out to be so different than I thought you were. Thanks for being my friend."

Paul let a smile come to his face as he said, "You're welcome. I'll always be there for ya, buddy."

Leah stood up and gathered her hair out of her face then secured it with the elastic band. Paul joined her and they stood there just looking at each other. "Is it OK if I give you a hug or will you slug me?"

"Sure. But I might slug you anyway," Leah answered flippantly.

Paul reached out to draw Leah into his arms and she rested her head on his shoulder, soaking up his strength for a moment then she stepped back and leaned in to put a soft kiss on his bare chest. "See ya."

"Yep," Paul returned with a smile. "You know where I live."

Then Leah turned and jogged into the woods as Paul stood there watching. After a moment, he took in a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair as he turned to face the water and thought how close he had come to having her again. His eyes closed and he allowed himself to think back over what had happened between them last night. A vision ran through his head of how beautiful Leah had looked in the moonlight laying beneath him . . . her black hair spread out behind her head, her dark eyes shining with desire . . . Paul opened his eyes and quickly pushed that memory away. He knew he didn't love her, he was just lusting. She had been through enough with Sam, he didn't want to add to it.

As Paul turned and made his way into the forest, he wondered if he would ever really love someone. He hated the idea of giving up what little freedom he had. To be tied to one person for the rest of your life . . . then Leah's face floated into his mind as she looked this morning when he opened his eyes to find her lying next to him and he found himself smiling. Maybe he could get used to waking up to the same person everyday, if the right girl ever came along.

Paul shook his head and began jogging. He felt the need to get home and see his grandma. At least he had one person who would be happy to see him.