Okay! Here is the fourth chapter and I'll be doing something a little different. I can't get into a guy's head and write what I believe Paul would be thinking but I will be trying to get as close as I can using third person writing style. Hope you guys like it. I think I'll go between Simone's point of view and third person, maybe even get into the head of some other characters. Anyhoo~ on with the fun ^^
Disclaimer: SM owns everything but my own stuff, lucky lady.
The day had been looking up for Paul, work had been easy and he'd even gotten signed up for more hours so that meant more money. The surprise visit from the leeches hadn't even really brought him down. There just seemed to be something in the air that lifted his spirits, maybe it was the good lay he had last night. She'd been a little violent bitch, into biting and scratching but it had been pretty damn good if he did say so himself. He'd even managed to get in a quick border run before heading over to Sam and Emily's for some much needed grub. Not bothering to knock he just pushed the front door open and sauntered in.
"Man, I wish those fucking leeches would just stay off of our lands and wait for Jake out there." He grumbled as he stepped into the kitchen, he nodded to Emily and the rest of the pack mashed in around Em's tiny ass table.
"Paul," Sam's stern tone made Paul pause. His tone could be the reason for two things: one, Sam was cool with the leeches and didn't like them being talked about negatively or two, there was a stranger in his house. Paul vaguely remembered something being mentioned about Sam's half-sister coming to stay with him but he didn't see anyone else at the table. A sudden squeak made Paul's eyes shoot to the pale face sprawled out on Em's kitchen floor staring up at him with wide eyes. Staring into those big hazel eyes, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning, speared to the spot as he stared at her.
He felt weightless, all the ties holding him to the earth snipping away with each and every beat of his heart, replaced by a cable of steel connected solely to the wide-eyed angel staring up at him. He didn't even know her name but she was the woman for him. A thick curtain of chestnut curls, impossibly big hazel eyes, small curvy little body. She was perfect. But even as that thought filled his mind, realization at what had happened to him swept over those thoughts and he spoke without even thinking. "No! Aw, fuck no!" Jerking his eyes away from the angel blinking up at him dazed from the floor, Paul shot out of that house like a bat out of hell, even though it nearly gave him physical pain to do so.
His body trembled more and more with every step he took in the opposite direction of Sam's house and his imprint. Fuck! He hadn't wanted an imprint! He liked his free style of life and didn't need a woman to tie him down, least of all a single woman. Paul had been totally and utterly fucking happy with his never ending stream of women to fuck with as he wished! Now some pale faced bitch was going to screw that all up. In the heat of his anger the thought spilled into his mind but he stumbled from the sudden painful pang it caused in his heart. Yet another thing he didn't need, a conscience!
Paul only stopped walking when the pull became to strong, maybe a couple miles deep into the forest. Scrubbing his hands over his face he stayed where he stood even as he heard Sam coming up behind him along with Jared and Quil. He didn't move, resisting the urge to run back and pull the wide eyed angel into his arms. He hadn't really gotten a good look at her, just those big eyes staring up at him.
With a violent shake of his head Paul turned to face Sam and spotted Jared standing a few feet back. At least he was smart enough not to get too close, Paul could feel the wolf trying to claw it's way out to get back to their imprint. It wanted to sniff her, learn her scent, and lavish her with its own kind of affection. Paul had his own idea of affection running through his mind as those big hazel gazing up at him from an entirely different angle. With a low growl he scrubbed a hand over his face and glared at Sam.
"Who is she? I thought your sister was coming to stay, not some pale-face." He muttered, angry at himself for using those words to describe her. But he couldn't reveal how much seeing her had affected him.
"She is my sister, I'm not sure about her heritage, haven't exactly had the chance to ask her and frankly I'm a little afraid to at the moment. She might have a meltdown and cry." Sam muttered, maybe sharing a little too much but Paul wanted to know more now. He wracked his brain to remember what the alpha had told him about his younger half-sister and why she was staying with Sam and Emily.
"What's wrong with her?" Paul couldn't stop himself from asking, he had to know now.
Sam only shook his head, "there wasn't much information in the letter from the cop but all I know is that her mother was killed in a violent attack and Simone was the one that found her. That alone should be bad enough but I get the feeling that there's something else." Sam paused long enough to glance around the forest, his stance tense. Paul was certainly interested now. "Seth and I found her running out of the forest, she was in hysterics talking about something in the forest. I couldn't check it out properly till I went out for a run later and I scented leech, and not any from around here."
"You think a leech killed her mother and followed her here to finish the job?" Paul demanded, rage building in him at the thought of his imprint in danger.
"I'm only guessing but I'm not leaving out any options." Sam stared Paul in the eye, his face hard. "I don't need Simone hurting any more then she already has but I sense things might get worse. Are you going to be an ass and make her life more miserable or are you going to honor the bond between you two?"
With a low growl that vibrated through his chest Paul ran a hand over his face, gazing up at the sky as if searching for his answer there in the heavens. Sam kept quiet, staring down his pack brother. Poor Simone had gone through enough and he would order Paul to stay away until he could be less of an ass if he had to. Finally after several minuets Paul looked back at Sam and nodded once. "I'll honor the bond between us, whatever she needs I'll be it." He said and there was a feeling of finality in the air, causing a shiver to roll through his body.
With a simple nod Sam gave Paul a quick pat on the shoulder and headed back toward his house, he was hungry and wanted his mate's cooking in his belly. Jared stood beside the house fiddling with the tiny buttons on his phone as he leaned against the porch railing. He didn't even bother to look up as Sam drew nearer, a bright grin directed at his phone. "The girls went out on a shopping trip, won't be back until later. Em told me that there's food in the oven for you and not to worry about them." At Sam's low growl the other wolf looked up with a teasing grin, "of course, you're not going to listen and no doubt do something stupid. Am I right?" He asked, snapping his phone shut. Sam knew the only reason Jared wasn't panicking himself was his mate Kim texted him or sent him a up-date on what she was doing every few seconds.
A very unhappy frown marred Sam's face as Paul wearily stepped out of the tree-line, his eyes shifting from his pack mates and the house. The strength in the tug demanding he be beside his imprint changed, intensified and turned him in an opposite direction then the house. Where had his little imprint gone?
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The cheery music, something new and popular from the radio, filled the air at the department store. Several bags from different stores sat in a large pile around a tired group of young women ranging in ages but they all wore smiles that shone brightly on their dark faces. Well, most of them were smiling, Leah was rather grumpy and wanted to get home. Mostly the bags were full of clothes and some household items, like a lamp or two. They all stood at the end of an art supplies aisle waiting for their paler friend, and indeed they were now friends...well, Emily and Kim at least. Simone bit her lip as she eagerly tossed several sketch pads of varied size as well as several colored pencil sets, oil pastels, and even some paints into a shopping kart.
"Can we go home yet?" Leah snarled, earning her a stern look from Emily but she only scowled back. "How much art crap do you need?"
Simone looked Leah boldly in the eye, dropping a couple paint brushes in with the rest of the 'art crap'. "Lots, it's the only thing I can do here until my stuff gets here." She stated but she was already walking down the aisle, her happy mood only slightly damped by Leah's complaining. She had been against the trip from the very beginning but Emily had forced her into it. But, Simone wouldn't let that inhabit her need to surround herself with things that reminded her of her mother, even if they were only material things.
"I'm done anyway." Simone muttered as she bent to pick up her own shopping bags. Kim frowned at Leah and hurried to keep pace with the paler girl.
"What will you draw with all that?" She asked, eyes wide as she looked at everything in the kart.
Simone shrugged, lips pursed. "Sometimes dreams, maybe memories, or daydreams. Sometimes I don't even know what I'm drawing, my fingers just start moving."
"Oh, have you drawn anything since coming to the rez? Can I see them?"
"Sorry, I haven't drawn anything yet." The lie slid smoothly off of her lips, Simone did not want to show anyone what she drew while in the clearing, it was too terrifying and horrible.
"Okay then, is there anything else you can do?" Kim asked, Simone knew her question was innocently asked but she felt reluctant to answer any questions about herself. Biting her lower lip, Simone nodded slowly. "Well?" Kim pressed.
Simone smiled and pushed her kart into the line, the other girls standing off to the side by the exit but Kim stayed right with her. Movements precise and quick, she placed her items on the conveyor belt. "I can dance and play the piano." She admitted quickly.
"Really? That's so cool, who taught you?" Kim asked.
"My mom," Simone whispered, holding back a sudden prick of tears as she took out her bank card and quickly paid for her items. She suddenly had the urge to run or at least be left alone. This was the most she had spent with a group of people since her mother's death and it was taxing on her.
Kim was blessedly silent as Simone took the bags from the nice cashier and quickly walked to join the others. They all would be driving back to the reservation in Sam's old truck and Kim little bug, Simone was just hoping for some quiet on the ride back.
"I'm so sorry, Simone." Kim whispered, Simone halted mid step and turned to look at the other woman. A sheen of tears glistened in her dark eyes, Simone just nodded, a small smile of thanks flitting across her lips. She climbed in Sam's truck and leaned her head against the passenger window, trying to clear her mind for the ride back to the reservation.
Thankfully Leah climbed into Kim's car and they were off. Unable to help herself, Simone reached into her newest bag and withdrew a small sketch book and a pencil. Letting her mind wander she let her pencil flowed over the pages, the scratch of the lead on paper a soothing sound to her. Being out with the girls had been fun and she hadn't done something like that in a long time but it wasn't just the same without her mother. Simone knew nothing would ever be the same without her mother but it was really hitting home with the little things. She wasn't there to give advice about her situation earlier in Sam's kitchen, well if her mother was still alive then there wouldn't even have been a situation in someone else's kitchen.
With a sigh she let her gaze go out of focus, her hand still guiding the pencil across the paper. She was suddenly jerked out of her empty haze when Emily spoke in the growing silence. "Simone, what are you drawing?" There was a concern in her tone that made Simone's eyes snap down to the sketch pad clutched in her hand. Eyes, vivid despite being drawn simply with a pencil, practically glowed at her from the paper but under the eyes was a surprisingly detailed sketch of a jaguar mid-attack. The arch of the great feline's body was graceful and deadly all at the same time, and Simone could just feel her feral gaze staring at her.
The words tumbled out of her mouth before Simone even realized she was repeating what her great-grandma had once told her as a little girl. "That's Yaguara, the great huntress. She's a guardian of my people, the Ohanko on my mother's side. She hunts in the forests that once surrounded the mountains in the south where they lived. She also protected our dreams and taught our warriors how to fight the monsters that hunted in the night." Simone slowly looked up from her sketch book and haze Emily a sheepish smile. "Well, that's what my grandma used to tell me but that's all just legends and stuff."
A bright light shone in Emily's eyes as she navigated the twisty road that led through the reservation to her and Sam's house. "Interesting, so you aren't just part Native American from Sam's father, your mother was too?" Simone could tell Emily regretted mentioning her mother right away but she just nodded and lightly ran a hesitant finger over the arching back of the leaping feral feline. "Where did your people reside in those days?" Emily pressed on.
"In mountain ranges along the very border of Texas. I've done some research with my great-grandma, and we believe the very first Ohanko are Aztec in origin, thus the jaguar as their guardian. But, they could have just been in the very edge of America because jaguars once roamed up and down the lower parts of America before they were all hunted and killed." Simone spoke in a matter of fact way, recounting all of the work she had done with her great-grandma. "No doubt your own tribe has their own guardians and spirit guides. I've always found the legends and stories passed down verbally interesting. I even once sat down with my great-grandma and wrote everything she could remember on my laptop. I could show you sometime."
"That would be wonderful!" Emily flashed Simone a bright smile as they pulled to a stop in front of the house, with Leah and Kim right behind them.
Simone had to admit, she was starting to like living on the reservation with her half-brother.
Well, there's the fourth chapter!
All of that stuff about Simone's Native American heritage is only half made up. The name of the people means mountain people, and there really were jaguars in the lower parts of America. Anyhoo~ Review what you think ^.^