Bella's POV
I allowed Embry to pull me along to my truck, passing the keys to Jared, knowing it was unwise to drive. I hopped into the cab, followed by the boys, and we drove in silence to a house bigger then Jake's, but still small. It was a cheery yellow color and I felt at ease here, which was strange.
"Bella, about Emily, don't stare, it bugs Sam." Jared said.
"Why would I stare?" I questioned. They shrugged and led me inside.
"Hey Em! What's cooking?" One of them asked, but I was looking into her face. I could tell she was once drop dead gorgeous, but now the left side of her dace had three long scars down the side and I knew what they meant about staring. I gave her a small smile, standing close to Embry.
"Who's this, did you..." Emily trailed off, looking at Embry with a smile.
Jared laughed while Embry blushed. "Not Embry, Paul. And this is Bella Swan, Bella this is Sam's Emily." She looked shocked, but shook my hand, smiling at me warmly.
"Hi Bella, it's nice to meet you."
"You too." I smiled. I heard the door open and Sam and Paul walked into the kitchen. Sam went to Emily's side, kissing her cheek tenderly. The moment was so sweet that I had to look away, I looked at Paul. I gave him a small smile and he grinned back coming to stand beside me.
"Hi Bella." His voice was low and husky. Sexy.
"Paul." He smiled a little bit wider when I spoke, but then his face became sober. "I'm sorry for what I said about you being a leech-lover and all of that. Can you forgive me?" He looked pained as he said the words, holding one of my hands in both of his.
"Of course I forgive you Paul!" I said, squeezing his hand gently. His skin was scorching hot, but it felt like the perfect temperature for me. What's wrong with me? Why am I thinking these things!
"Thanks Bella!" He flashed me a smile that made my heart flutter and a blush appear on my cheeks. I looked down at my shoes.
"No problem Paul." I said, shrugging.
"So Bella, what did Jake mean about you being able to help? What was that about?" Sam asked, and I jumped. I had forgotten that the others were there.
"Oh well I umm...IknowwhatVictoriawants." (translation – I know what Victoria wants) I rushed through the words, but the wolves seemed to hear them perfectly.
"What? The red-headed female?" Sam asked. I nodded. "What does she want?" I could see that he was in 'Alpha' mode now, strategizing.
"She wants...me." I hung my head, not looking at anyone. Silence. Nobody said anything, and when I finally raised my head they were staring at me with wide eyes. Paul was the one to break the silence.
"She wants you?" He said the words slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why?"
"Well she thinks it's only fair to kill me because...well Edward killed her mate so she thinks that a mate for a mate is the right way to get him back. I guess she doesn't know Edward left." Paul was shaking violently, growls coming from his chest by the time I was done.
"Paul, you need to calm down man. Bella and Emily are in here!" Paul took deep breaths, but even I could see it was not helping. I moved towards him, ignoring everyone else as I took his face between my hands, pulling him down to my height.
"Paul," I breathed, "Calm down. Please?" my thumbs were drawing circles on his cheekbones as I spoke in a soothing voice. "Paul its okay, it's going to fine. Calm." He calmed under my touch pretty quickly, looking ashamed.
"Bella, Emily I'm so sorry! I am so stu–" I put a finger in his lips to keep him from talking.
"Please don't apologise." He nodded and I dropped my hands away from his face.
"Sorry!" He said. I rolled my eyes, and turned around. Everyone was looking at us in shock. In fact it looked like Jared was about to fall out of his chair.
"What?" I asked confused.
"Did Paul just apologize?" Embry asked nobody in particular. I looked at him quizzically. And he grinned. "Sorry Bella I forgot you're new." That comment brought about some chuckles, but Embry continued anyways. "You see its Paul. He never apologizes, or calms down for that matter. This was like seeing a hippo masturbate."
"Embry, what the hell? A hippo masturbating? That's gross." Emily hit him in the back of the head before turning back to the salad she had started. Jared was laughing, but Paul remained silent. I glanced over at him and smiled.
"Well in that case thanks for apologizing," I said.
Paul smirked and leaned in to whisper in my ear "No problem Bella, it was my pleasure." His warm breath made me shiver and when I looked up into his eyes I melted. Someone cleared their throat and I looked towards the sound to see a livid Jacob standing in the doorway.
Paul's POV
"Hi Bella." I said when I got inside the door. She looked up at me and smiled.
"Paul." Her voice was like melted chocolate as it rolled of her tongue. I smiled wider at the thought, but I quickly remembered the reason I needed to talk to her. "I'm sorry for what I said about you being a leech-lover and all of that. Can you forgive me?" I was pained knowing that I had probably caused her pain by saying what I said. She walked in front of me and took my hands in both of hers.
"Of course I forgive you Paul!" She said, squeezing my hands gently. Her ivory skin was unbelievably soft compared to my rougher russet skin, and the contrast looked strangely beautiful. Great, now she has me thinking like a fucking girl!
"Thanks Bella!" I smiled at her so she would not know the embarrassing direction my thoughts had gone and I saw her blush before she looked down at the floor. She was shielding her face with her hair and looked so small and innocent. Someone who had to be protected and I knew I would always be there to protect my girl.
"No problem Paul." She said shrugging her tiny shoulders, still hiding her blush.
"So Bella, what did Jake mean about you being able to help? What was that about?" Sam asked causing Bella to jump a little bit. She looked around us all with her wide doe eyes before she looked back at the floor.
"Oh well I umm...IknowwhatVictoriawants." (I know what Victoria wants) Bella rushed through the words, but of course we all heard her perfectly, well maybe not Emily, but she was busy making a salad, trying to stay out of the pack meeting.
"What? The red-headed female?" Sam asked. She nodded. And that's when I clued in. Bella could help us get rid of the fucking leech! "What does she want?" Sam asked, slightly excited at the thought of getting rid of 'Victoria'.
"She wants...me." Bella looked back at the ground, her body shaking ever so slightly, and even from here I could see that she was scared. Nobody knew what to say everyone turned to Bella, waiting for her to say something, but I spoke as she raised her head.
"She wants you?" The words came out in a cold dead voice, and I pinched the bridge of my nose to try and calm myself down. "Why?"
"Well she thinks it's only fair to kill me because...well Edward killed her mate so she thinks that a mate for a mate is the right way to get him back. I guess she doesn't know Edward left." Just the mention of that fucker, of Edward, made my shake. I could feel my control slipping. To top it off I was extremely pissed at the red head for wanting to harm MY Bella! How dare she?
"Paul, you need to calm down man. Bella and Emily are in here!" I took a couple of deep breaths, but it did shit all to calm me down. I saw Bella walk towards me and heard Sam try to tell her to stop, but she didn't seem to hear him. She put her little hands on my cheeks, pulling my face down to her height and looked into my eyes.
"Paul," She whispered, "Calm down. Please?" I felt her thumbs rubbing circles on my cheeks as she continued to say soothing words. I felt my shaking subside as I got more and more entranced by the spectacular woman in front of me. "Paul it's okay, it's going to fine. Calm." After Bella had calmed me down I felt ashamed. I could have hurt her! Or Emily, but my angel's safety was my priority! How could I be so fucking stupid?
"Bella, Emily I'm so sorry! I am so stu–" I felt Bella's small finger against my lips, and I quickly stopped talking because it is obviously what she wants, but I needed to apologize.
"Please don't apologise." I nodded and she dropped her fingers away from my lips. I missed the contact.
"Sorry!" I said before she could stop me. She rolled her eyes and turned to face the table where it seemed we had both forgotten we were not alone. Everyone was looking between Bella and I in shock. Jared burst out in laughter, clutching his sides as he let out a rumbling laugh, looking like he was about to fall to the floor. Dumbass.
"What?" Bella asked.
"Did Paul just apologize?" Embry asked nobody in particular. Bella looked confused and the dipshit grinned at her. "Sorry Bella I forgot you're new." Everyone but Bella and I chuckled at that. "You see its Paul. He never apologizes, or calms down for that matter. This was like seeing a hippo masturbate."
What. The. Fuck? A hippo masturbating? Who thinks of that shit? Embry apparently. Emily looked disgusted as she hit the back of Embry's head. "Embry, what the hell? A hippo masturbating? That's gross." Emily turned back to the salad, trying to keep up the act of normality, probably for Bella's sake. hit Jared was laughing like the idiot he was while I remained silent, glaring at Embry. I caught Bella's eye and she smiled at me.
"Well in that case thanks for apologizing," She said in a sweet tone.
I felt my trademark smirk creep across my face and I leaned into whisper in her ear. "No problem Bella, it was my pleasure." Her scent was intoxicating. She smelt like strawberries and orchids. She was mouth-watering. Her eyes snapped up to meet mine and she froze, I heard her breath hitch which made me smug that I could have this effect on her. I heard someone clear his throat and looked at the culprit. Fucking Shit.
Jacob stood in the doorway looking as if he could kill me in an instant, but the way he looked at Bella made me want to snarl. He looked at her as if she was a possession, not a beautiful independent girl with choices. Choices that she would make for herself, at least where I was concerned. I would not make her do anything. She would make all the choices.