AN: I'm sorry this is so late.

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Agony.

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Pain coursed through my veins more prominent than my own blood. With each beat of my heart it seemed to increase, I couldn't focus. I knew that Jacob was still chasing me and it wouldn't be long before he caught up. I could barely move my legs and we were barely outside of La Push. My mind was screaming, all I could think of was the pain in Bella's face as I told her that I wanted nothing to do with her. I knew that I was no better than the leech. Jacob hadn't failed to remind me of that the entire time we'd been running. My breath was coming out in pants as I struggled to breathe with each step I took away from Bella. I could hear most of the pack howling meaning that they had phased but I couldn't hear them in my head as my mind was hazy from the pain I was feeling.

As I reached the invisible line that separated Forks and La Push my heart seemed to burst into flames and my legs failed me as I collapsed to the ground on my belly, a scream of agony escaped through my muzzle. Within less than a second Jacob was on me his teeth sinking into my flank. I made no move to remove him as no pain could compare to that coursing through my heart at that moment. Worried voices screamed in my head and I was bombarded with images of Bella curled up in the sand the same look of agony etched onto her face, her mouth opened in a silent scream. I realised then that I was feeling her pain as well as my own. Running away wasn't just hurting me but because of the imprint bond it was hurting her too.

I whimpered as I watched her clutch at her chest attempting to put of the invisible fire in her heart. Jacob growled next to me and kicked my legs in an attempt to push me towards her. I knew that he too loved her and seeing her in pain was killing him too. She dated a vampire and it was because of their pathetic existence that I ended up like this in the first place, some sick part of my brain blamed her for this and so I wanted nothing to do with her. I knew that I was only feeling like this because of the imprint, otherwise I would have been able to run all the way to Canada with no trouble. But for some reason fate had landed me with the leech lover. I knew if I went back to Bella the pain would fade and both of us would be okay again, but I also knew that if I returned I would find it harder and harder to resist her and I wanted to ignore the imprint.

You can't stay away, there is no way to avoid this Paul. You are tied to her now she is a part of your soul now and you staying away is going to kill her she's only human and you can barely handle the pain. Return NOW.

The voice of the alpha resonated through my head and I knew from the furious tone of his voice I was going to be in deep shit when I went home. All the more reason not to go back I thought. At this the fire in my heart increased tenfold and I heard and saw Bella's shriek of agony accompanied by my own howl of pain.

It was this that made me realise that no matter what I had to return to La Push, I had to rid myself of this pain. I was returning to the town that was going to keep my prisoner for the rest of my life. Closed off from the rest of the world and my dream of travelling and attending university, my desperate need to escape my alcoholic father and place myself as far away from him as possible. This was no longer possible as I was tied to the pack and my duty to protect the people of my tribe. But now I was also tied to Bella and I hated her for it. A solution formed in my mind, I would return to Bella, but I would make no effort to get to know her. I would stay close to her but make no contact with her. I only needed her physical presence I would form no emotional attachment to her because she was broken and I didn't need that. I was going to prove fate wrong, your imprint isn't always perfect for you, mine certainly wasn't.

With that I pushed myself off the ground, my legs shaking under my weight and slowly back to La Push. I wouldn't revisit the pack I was going straight to my house. I didn't say home because there was nothing there that made it so, it held only the basic necessities that I would need, it had to warm feel to it, it was empty just like me.

With every step I took towards La Push the pain began to ebb and my senses gradually returned. I could hear Jacob running behind me no doubt making sure I didn't try to run again. Little did he know that was impossible. Never did I want to experience a pain like that again. I knew now that sneaking away wasn't going to be as easy as I had originally planned.

~TW~

Jacob and I had fought in the woods as soon as he realised that I was attempting to avoid Bella and the pack when we returned. I was still weak from my attack earlier and so it had been an easy victory for him.

I'm not going to let you ruin her. She deserves so much better than you and yet fate decided to give her the least deserving man it could find. If I could trade places with you Paul I would in a heartbeat.

Jacob's words ran through my mind. I could hear the jealousy in his tone but it was overshadowed by hatred. It wasn't hard to tell that Jacob despised my very being and I knew that if I was in his shoes I would too. The whole pack knew that he was head over heels madly in love with Bella and yet she was mine, destined to end up with me. For some reason that thought made me grin, but I quickly wiped it off my face as I remembered that I wanted nothing to do with her.

She deserves so much better… the least deserving man it could find.

I agreed to some extent, not that she deserved better I mean the chick ran with vampires, but I knew that I didn't deserve her nobody should be stuck with me, even I hated myself.

I trudged slowly through the forest attempting to use the trees as cover. I wished then that I could blend in and just disappear, escape reality for just a minute. But I knew wishes never came true for people like me. I stumbled as I caught my foot in a whole and I growled as I heard Jacob snicker behind me. I'd never been this distracted before and I knew I wouldn't hear the last of this later.

As I broke through the cover of the trees I wished I'd gone straight home because nothing could have prepared me for the sorrow that slammed through me as I took in the scene before me.

A hiss escaped my lips as my heart crippled. Bella was curled up where I had left her. Her arms were wrapped around Quil's neck her face tucked into his chest, her expression one of pure agony as tears rolled silently down her cheeks. Every so often her body would shudder as if she were giving up and it was fighting for its last breath. I knew at any other time Quil would have loved to be in this position but now that was not the case. He too was crying as he rocked her gently attempting to calm my beautiful broken girl. His arms were wrapped securely around her and I snarled as I noticed.

Quil's head shot up at the noise and his face twisted menacingly. I had never seen this kid angry before and I never wanted to again. He growled loudly at me and if it weren't for Bella I knew that I would have had a few broken limbs by now.

Bella lifted her head slowly, she gasped as she saw me. I lost the ability to breathe as I looked into her eyes. The shimmer I had seen earlier was all but extinguished, broken wouldn't cover the extent of the damage I had caused, shattered barely covered the look in her eyes. I whined as I realised this was my fault and I wanted nothing more in that moment to run to her and snatch her out of Quil's arms and tell her that nothing was going to hurt her ever again.

That wasn't going to happen though, a thunderous roar sounded behind us and I knew that Jacob had given up waiting and taken in the scene in front of us. Before I could blink I found myself on the floor, a foot holding my chest down. I made no move to struggle, I was too focused on watching the sobbing angel in Quil's arms. A sharp kick to my side forced my eyes to look upwards and I was met with Jacob's obsidian ones. At that moment I honestly thought that he was going to end my life. But Bella had other ideas. The next word from her lips saved my life.

"Jake" even her voice sounded tortured. I had never realised that the imprint bond ran this deep. I didn't know if I would be able to survive without hearing her voice and I longed for it to be my name that left her lips.

The pressure on my chest disappeared and I heard his footsteps start towards Bella. I watched silently as he gently extracted Bella from Quil and lifted her into his arms cradling her to his chest. She sighed as she pressed her lips to his collar bone before taking a shuddering breath and placing her face into the crook of his neck. My body flooded with jealously as I watched her lips caresses his skin. The contact reminded me of my mother and how she would kiss my forehead to remind me we were going to be okay. It didn't look like Bella was going to be fine though. I knew in the long run not pursuing a relationship was going to be better for the both of us, neither would have wanted the other had it not been for the imprint.

Rain broke through the clouds in the sky and began to fall in large droplets onto the sand. It didn't take long for it to turn torrential and yet I was unable to take my eyes off of how Bella was tucked as close as possible into Jacob's body.

"Jake" Bella whispered again and for the second time I longed for it to be my name that she spoke. "We have to get to Sam's, I need…" She paused seeming to think of what she needed. "I need to see Leah." I wondered why she wanted Leah, but I found myself in no position to question her.

With a kiss to her forehead that elicited a growl from me, Jacob began to jog down the small path that led to Sam's. I had forgotten that Quil was still present until I felt him push me forwards towards the same track.

"I hope Sam kills you. I wanted to give you a chance Paul, but it's easy to see why the rest of the pack hates you. How could you do that to her? After all she's been through? You don't deserve her. I hope that Sam bans you from ever seeing her"

I knew that was impossible and yet dread filled my entire being at the thought.

AN: So there we go.

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