WARNING: Thanks to certain potty-mouthed individuals of the Pack, contains pretty strong language.

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Previously:

Paul's pov:

Glaring at him, I snapped angrily. "If you'd just shut up, I'll tell you. I ain't sick ... I'm fucking pregnant, Sam !"

"Pregnant ? Nah ... That's impossible." He slowly shook his head in disbelief. "You're a guy ... you can't have- "

"Huh ! That's what I thought. Seems like we were both wrong on that score," I replied bitterly, studing him carefully before I dropped the bombshell on him.

"Then ... then who's the father ?"

I rolled my eyes and took another deep breath. "You, Sam ... You're the one who knocked me up, dumbass. Congratulations, you're gonna be a dad !"

XXXXX

Chapter XIII

Sam's pov:

As soon as my mate spat those words at me, "Congratulations, you're gonna be a dad !" both my brain and body short-circuited and instantly shut down.

Six little words. That's all they were. Yet they were six little words which carried a helluva clout and would have a huge impact on my life. Fuck ! On both our lives ...

At first, I thought it was one great big wind up. That Paul was taking the piss. But going by the grim expression on his lean, attractive face and the dull look in those dark, beautiful, expressive eyes, I came to realize that it was no joke. That he was deadly serious and genuinely believed what he'd told me. Yet it couldn't possibly be true ... There was no way I'd knocked him up. He was a guy after all. It was physically impossible for him to conceive ... To be able to carry a kid ... wasn't it ? Then again, when I think about it, shifters and vamps weren't meant to exist either. They were supposed to be creatures of myth. Bogeymen parents used to keep unruly kids in line. Fantastical beings and monsters born of the supernatural realm. Not a part of real life. Yet here we were, large as (un)life and twice as ugly, as Leah would often quip. So maybe, just maybe, there was a huge possibility that Paul's confession was true and if so ...

Suddenly, I was lost in thought. Trapped, as my imagination began to run riot. Deafened, by the white noise which rang incessantly in my ears and struck blind to everything, barring the unusually edgy, handsome Quileute shifter who stood before me, fidgetting uneasily as I remained silent. Yet that wasn't completely true either. I was looking at Paul, yet I didn't see him, if that makes any sense. Dimly aware of his presence, yet not acknowledging him.

It was only when a clearly upset Paul made a move to roughly shoulder past me out of the bathroom, I broke free from my trance and what he'd said finally began to sink in. God ! I was gonna to be a dad. Fatherhood wasn't something I'd considered. Hadn't been on top of my "things to do in life" list. Then again, being a wolf who off-ed vamps on a regular basis, being imprinted on and finding my soulmate hadn't appeared on that particular list either. But they'd happened just the same. Whether I wanted them to or not. Just like the role of dad had. Now, if I said that I wasn't scared of the thought of raising a kid, I'd be a fucking liar. 'Course I was freakin' scared. Hell ! Terrified was probably closer to the truth. And with good reason too as it turned out. After all, neither Paul or I had good role models as fathers. Mine had been an absolute no-show right from the off. Hadn't wanted to know and never stuck around for my mom or provided her any support physically, mentally, emotionally or financially. We never got a dime from him and struggled for years to survive on the piss-poor pittance we got from the state, 'til mom passed away from breast cancer which had been diagnosed way too late for her to get any help.

And then there was Frank Lahote, Paul's old man. He was a real peach. A vindictive, violent, drunken bastard of the first degree who did nothing but humiliate, bully and regularly beat up his poor, gentle wife and son for years. The man was pure scum. Rotten through 'n' through and it's surprizing Paul's turned out has well as he has, considering his dad's bad to the bone. So yeah, I'd good cause to view the idea of fatherhood with trepidation and could only hope 'n' pray that I'd never be like either of them. That I'd somehow be able to support Paul and love both him and our cub as they deserved to be loved.

The biggest and probably the most vital difference between our parents situations and Paul's and mine was that I genuinely cared for my mate. That I was in love with him. All I'd come to want was what was best for him. For him to be truly happy. And oddly, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted it. There was nothing I yearned for more than to be with him. To have Paul at my side. For keeps. I wanted him and to my astonishment, I realized if I wanted to be happy, truly happy, I also needed him. And suddenly, the idea of being a dad wasn't so frightening ... not if it meant I could be with Paul. If I'm honest, I was starting to find the idea of us being a family, appealing. Extremely appealing ... especially if it meant that Paul and I would be bound together even more intricately. So, instead of seeing the negatives or cons of the situation, I began to see Paul's pregnancy as a huge positive. Something which had the potential to make us both very happy ... if we gave each other a chance. Hell ! I definitely knew what I wanted and that was Paul and if it meant manning up and accepting my responsibilities, then it was a miniscule price to pay. One which I was only too happy to do. I could only hope he felt the same way.

A faint smile began to curve my lips and I slowly shook my head in awe. This was gonna be the biggest, most important decision I'd ever make, but I was gonna do this. I wanted to do this. Fuck me ! I was gonna be a father. A dad. I had a family. Something I never expected to have outside of the Pack, yet always longed for. And it was all down to Paul. My feisty, hotheaded, stubborn, proud, gorgeous mate.

Shit ! Paul !

How the hell could I have forgotten him ? What must he think of me ? Instead of responding to his confession, I'd zoned out like a fool and left him hanging. My gaze fell upon him and I immediately felt like a complete heel. My poor mate looked both stricken and angry. His dark eyes glistened with unshed tears and his lithe frame trembled, whether from the chill in the air or from his emotions I don't know. All I could see was how upset he was and I mentally bitch slapped myself for being such a bastard to him.

"Paul, I- "

"Oh, it speaks ..." Paul spat, wrapping his left arm protectively around his midriff as he stumbled towards the doorway. He turned his head away and refused to look at me.

"Paul, I'm sorry ... so very sorry," I began yet got no further.

"Sorry ? You're sorry ? I just bet you're fucking sorry. Sorry that I was dumb enough to imprint on you. Sorry that you got saddled with me ... Sorry that you fucking knocked me up. Sorry for this goddamn clusterfuck of a mess." Paul's breath hitched and his voice sounded broken and riddled with pain. Pain I immediately wanted to get shot of as his pain was also mine. Without thinking, I reached out and wrapped my fingers around his right wrist and pulled him towards me, startling him.

"Sam," Paul's eloquent, mollasses-hued eyes were wide with panic. "Let go. Please, just let me go- "

Normally, I'd do anything for him. Anything he wanted. Anything that was in my power to grant him. But not this. Not this time. I'd let him bolt from me far too often so that he could flee and hide behind those thick defensive walls of his. And that's where our problems began. With Paul's fear of confiding. His lack of trust. And me being way too soft with him. But from now on, things were going to change. Things had to. For the sake of our cub and for our own good.

"No ! I can't do that, Paul. I won't do that," I replied huskily, hating to see him so distressed as he struggled to wrench his wrist from my grasp. Instinctively, my grip firmed, yet remained gentle. My thumb absently and repeatedly grazed his pulse point as I marvelled at how fragile he'd become.

"P-Please, Sam, don't ... don't do this."

Paul continued to fight to break free, his eyes pleading desperately for me to release him. But I wasn't about to yield to him. I couldn't. I daren't. 'Cause I knew if I did, it'd be the last I'd see of him. He'd be off like a shot. Instead, I stood my ground and gave his wrist a sharp tug. Paul lost his footing and in a vain attempt to gain his balance reached out his free hand to steady himself. It landed on my left bicep and in doing so, closed the gap between us. And before he could do anything, before he could step away from me, I drew him close 'til we stood with barely a hair's breadth between us. Toe to toe. Shoulder to shoulder. Chest to chest. And it felt so good to be so close to him. It was just good to be able to hold him. Touch him. Feel lithe sinew flex and tense beneath smooth, heated skin. To smell that hypnotic scent of his up close. The captivating aroma of sun, sand and ocean spray that I always connected with Paul.

Paul held himself rigid in my arms and the look he gave me was a strange mix of panic and defiance. A lone tear slowly trickled down his cheek, causing my gaze to soften. I reached out and gently brushed it away with the ball of my thumb. He gave an imperceptible flinch that damn near broke my heart. The last thing I ever intended was for Paul to be frightened of me.

"What do I have to do, Paul, to prove to you that I want this, huh ? That I really want us to work," I pleaded softly, cautiously releasing his wrist so that my hand could rest on his neck, my fingers gently caressing his nape. "That I want you ... and our baby- "

"Why should I believe you ? When I ... When I told you, you said fuck all. Not a single fucking word, Sam. You just zoned out on me completely. So why the hell should I believe you give a damn about me ? You don't give a shi- ... mmmph !"

I couldn't take any more of his doubts nor lack of self-worth, so I shut him up the only way I knew how. I kissed him.

As far as a first proper first kiss went, it didn't go according to plan. Instead of a sweet, tender, loving kiss that conveyed how much I longed for him, it was rough, heated and full of raw passion. Well, on my part at least. At first, Paul tensed then struggled briefly with a ferocity which I'm ashamed to 'fess up to, only increased my arousal for him. Then, unexpectedly, the fight left him and to my astonishment and delight, he began to respond. With a soft, needy moan, he looped an arm around my neck and pressed his lithe body wantonly against mine. I felt his lips soften and part as he returned my kisses with a desperate hunger that matched my own. I immediately took advantage of the situation and slid my tongue into his mouth and began to duel with and massage his before mapping every inch of that moist, wet cavern. After a while, a breathless Paul weakly pushed me away and stared at me through dilated, lustful eyes. He ran the tip of his tongue over his kiss-swollen lips and his chest rose and fell quickly as he panted deeply.

Raising my hand, I lightly traced the back of my forefinger down his cheek before gently rubbing his lower lip. "And you say I don't give a shit ? Damn, Paul ! You're all I think about ... You're on my mind 24/7. I don't just want you anymore, I fucking love you ... I'm in love with you, dumb-ass ! I could make you happy if you just give me a chance, yeah ?" By now, my hands had drifted down his flanks before coming to rest on his hips and my eyes followed suit, taking in his lean form with appreciation. I couldn't get over how lithe and slender he'd become. Sure, he was still toned and ripped, only not half as bulky as the rest of the Pack and as I glanced down, I noticed that his waist appeared slightly thicker than usual and before I could stop myself, I'd laid a hand gently against the gentle curve of his abdomen.

"The reason why I didn't say anything earlier about the baby is that I was trying to get my head around it, y'know ? It wasn't that I didn't want anything to do with you or the little one. I do. You just caught me unawares, 's all. I mean, you've known about it for a couple of weeks and had time for everything to sink in. I'm still processing it all- " Paul stiffened and I knew instantly that he'd jumped to the wrong conclusion. That I was rejecting the pair of them. He quickly averted his gaze and I groaned inwardly. "Hey ! Hey ! Paul ! Don't even think it. I'm not walking away from the pair of you. I'm not rejecting you or our baby. And I'm definitely not pissed about what's happened. If it means I get to be with you, that I get to have a family of my own, then ... Hell ! This is the best thing that's happened to me. I'm far from pissed, if anything you've made me so happy. All I want is you and now, knowing you're carrying my kid, that's just a bonus, Paul. It's not just you I want any more, it's both of you ..."

"Sam, I'm sorr- " Paul sighed wearily and slumped drowsily against me. "Sorry for being a jerk ... I'm just all over the place right now, I can't help it ..."

"Shhh ... it's ok. I get it. You're tired and you've been through a helluva lot, you're entitled to be a little whacked right now." I gave him a lopsided grin to show I'd no hard feelings. And I meant it, my poor mate looked absolutely shattered and despite being battered and bruised, he was still beautiful to me. "C'mon, you look done in. I'm taking you back to bed, Paul. You need to get some rest ..." And before he did anything crazy like protest, I carefully picked him up and carried him back to bed, all too aware of him nestling against me. His warm breath ghosting over my skin and his sensual, oh-so kissable lips gently, yet sleepily, nuzzling my throat.

Hope began to flare within me. Maybe, just maybe, I stood a chance of winning over my hard-headed, spirited mate after all.