Chapter Fourteen

Confessions of a Wolf in Hiding

Disclaimer.

Paul's POV

I sighed as I looked down at her, as she slept snuggled to my shoulder. Friday was the bonfire. Which meant Friday would make or break everything between us.

I had contemplated on when I should tell her for a while now, and decided that the sooner the better. If I waited to long she would feel like everything between us was a lie. And it wasn't. But if I did it too quickly she wouldn't know whether or not to trust me.

And there was nothing I wanted more than for this to work. Nothing I needed more than this.

…

Rachel's POV

I sighed slipping on a La Push t-shirt, and some nice jean shorts. Today Paul had asked me to go to this bonfire thing, though it wasn't really a date, since dad would be there not to mention Jacob.

"Dad? You ready?" I asked, coming into his room.

"Course I am! I'm the whole show!" He chuckled wheeling out of the house with me. After I helped him into the car and packed the wheelchair, we were on our way.

As we arrived I parked next to a Paul's car and stepped out to help my dad out of the car and into his wheelchair. Locking the car, I wheeled him to the somewhat distant campfire ground.

"Rach!" Leah called running over to me.

"Hey! I didn't know you where going to be here!" I smiled.

"Yeah, well its kinda a requirement." She smirked.

Before I could ask her why, someone hugged me from behind. If I didn't feel the slight height difference I probably would have thought it was Paul.

"Seth!" I smiled hugging him, as Leah took over pushing my dads wheelchair and chatting with him.

"Hey shorty!" he smiled, ruffling my hair.

"Hey!" I laughed fixing my hair, and pretending to be offended.

"Sorry your just so short it was hard to resist!' he said shrugging his shoulders up high by his ears.

I glared at him playfully, pushing him lightly as I laughed.

"Rachel!" I heard a voice that was slightly familiar as someone picked me up twirling.

"Ahh! Embry!" I smiled, having barely recognized the guy for the little squirt I remembered him as.

"Yeah! Its me!" he smiled setting me down.

"Where's your faithful side kick?" I asked.

"Quil? He's right over there." He said pointing to a guy holding a toddler.

"Wait? Whose kid is that?" I asked, confused as we walked closer.

"Um, that's Emily's niece. He's babysitting." He said rubbing his forehead.

"Oh! Maybe I should leave him alone right now then. I dint want to get him in trouble." I said as we walked away.

"Rachel!" I heard a voice as I was tackled into a hug from behind.

"Hey Quil!" I smiled. He hadn't changed all too much. I turned and smiled at the little girl in his left arm.

"This is Claire!" he smiled.

"Hi!" she smiled showing a small dimple.

"Hi sweetie!" I smiled, loving how cute she was.

"Hi!" she repeated cutely. I smiled at her chubby cheeks, giggling as she got distracted by a birthmark on Quil's arm and swatted at it.

"Hey, do you guys know where Paul is?" I asked Embry and Quil as I looked around.

"Oooooh!" they said in unison, both waggling their eyebrows.

"Oh you be quiet!" I laughed, continuing my search.

"Yeah he is over there with his dad." Embry smiled, rolling his eyes.

I said my goodbyes to them and started to walk over to him. He seemed really out of it and totally into his thoughts. He looked up when I was about five steps away.

"Hey!" he smiled standing up. I smiled back, hugging him.

"Dad, this is Rachel. Rachel this is my dad." Paul said brining me over to him.

"Hi, its nice to meet you!" I said nervously, shaking his hand.

"Likewise! Your all he seems to talk about anymore!" he smiled kindly.

I blushed and Paul seemed to blush as well.

"Well kiddo, I'm going to go hang out with all the grown ups." Paul's dad said making a face, while smiling.

"Your dad seems super nice!" I smiled sitting on the log.

"He is. He has always worked so hard to fill both parental spots for me, even when him and mom where still together." He said, a loving look in his eyes.

I held his hand, smiling. I was glad he had someone like his dad in his life.

"What was your mom like?" I asked.

"Sometimes I wonder if she had me just to keep my dad from leaving her. After a while I actually started to realize she didn't really care for me. And when she gave up on my dad, I was just a disappointment to her. A failure, in more ways than one." He said, looking more angry than sad.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up." I said shaking my head.

"No, I'm glad you did. I want you to know me Rachel. That's- that's one of the reasons I asked you here." He said looking me in the eyes.

"What does the bonfire have to do with you?" I asked confused.

"I was going to do this after the bonfire, but I think it would be good for you to hear the legends with a new set of ears." He said rubbing his face, stressed.

"Paul?" I asked.

"Remember when I asked you what your favorite animal was and you said wolf, because you always loved the tribe legends?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"Well the legends are true." He said, looking at me cautiously.

"What do you mean?"

"The men shifting into wolves deal? Its true. They call us the protectors. Embry, Quil, Seth, Sam, Jared, me, Leah and..." He said trailing off.

"And who else?" I asked, having a clue of whom.

"Jacob." He said.

"What do you mean protectors?" I asked, unsure of how to take this.

"Well we protect the tribe from the cold ones." He said.

"Vampires?" I asked warily.

"Yeah. Please before you freak out or anything, please just listen to the legends." He said pleading. Though I wasn't quite sure if I believed him, I believed that he believed it.

"Okay." I nodded walking over to where everyone was gathered, hand in hand with him.

As the legends went on, things became clearer. The way everyone seemed to work for Sam. They were the protectors, and he was the leader. The alpha.

The way Paul said they 'patrolled' the La Push area. The way Jacob said he had things to hide, though I must admit he was being a hypocrite if he was the same as Paul.

Then they got to the Imprint story. That cleared a lot up. It was why Sam left Leah for Emily out of the blue. Why Leah couldn't hate her cousin for what she did.

As the stories continued the part of me that didn't believe seemed to disappear as I began to connect the strings to all the loop wholes my mind had come up with. Soon I was thinking, why hadn't I thought of it?

"So…" Paul said as the stories finished, and people started to leave.

"Paul… I believe you." I smiled.

"Really?" he asked hopeful.

"Yeah! Do you think you can show me?" I asked excited.

Instead of answering my question he scooped me up and twirled us around and around.

"You have no idea how worried I was!" he said as he set me down.

"Well don't be, because I believe you!"

He leaned down and kissed me pulling me up so that I didn't have to stand on my tiptoes. I could feel him smiling into the kiss, which in turn made me smiled too.

"So can you show me or not?" I asked, after he set me down.

"Well, I'll need you to stay back while I transform but yeah sure." He smiled.

"Stay here." He said running deeper into the forest.

I sighed, impatiently waiting. It might seem crazy that I accepted this fact so quickly, but it didn't seem like such a weird thing to me.

Suddenly this huge grey wolf stepped out of the forest, trotting toward me, stopping only a few feet away.

I smiled, reaching out my hand and petting his head, which was only a couple inches shorter than me. Paul leaned into me hand and closed his eyes.

"Your so cute!" I laughed.

He growled playfully.

"Fine! You're so handsome! Is that better?" I smirked.

He made a noise, almost like a purr but more wolf like than a cat, and leaned into me almost pushing me back.

"Paul!" I laughed, "Okay! Okay! I think its time to change back now."

He whined, trotting back to the forest.

"What'd you think?" he smiled, coming back as he pulled his shirt back on.

"I thought you were super adorable." I laughed.

"Okay, okay. Enough about that." He chuckled and walked us back towards civilization.

"Hey dad!" I smiled as we walked up to him.

"The wolf's out of the bag, huh?' he smiled, looking at us knowingly.

"Sure is!" I smiled.

"Now remember Rachel, this isn't something you can tell to anyone. Not even Rebecca." He said sternly.

"Wait then how come I can know? I mean she may be In Hawaii, but she is still Jacobs sister." I said confused.

"She isn't an im-"

"Rachel, why don't we go get some food?" Paul said interrupting him.

"Wait, what's going on?" I asked them.

My dad looked over at Paul sternly and nodded his head. Paul sighed, pulling me over to an empty log.

"What is it?" I asked perplexed.

"Rachel, your not just Jacobs sister." He started uneasily.

I looked at him questioningly.

"Look, Rachel I know I haven't known you that long-" he said struggling, cutting off uncertainly.

"Your-" he said looking down.

"I'm your imprint, aren't I?"

"Yes." He said looking up guardedly.

"Paul, you don't have to be so worried to tell me things. I'm not going to blow up in your face." I smiled reassuringly.

"Leah thinks that's why you're my imprint. You calm me down." He smirked, still a bit apprehensive.

"Well, we will deal with things like a normal couple. We don't have to think of anything but now Paul. And so far everything you have told me, you only hid to make it easier on me." I said smiling at him.

"God, Rachel your like the best. No joke." He said hugging me.

"Thanks." I smiled. "Now lets go party!" I laughed standing up and racing him to the barbeque area.

…

Hey guys! I hope you liked this chapter! In all the research I did they always describe Rachel as being really calm and open minded, so I didn't think having a big freak out would really suit her ;) though i must admit im not sure if im completley satisfied with this chapter..

Please review and tell me what you thought:) Next chapter is LOADS of drama! I can safely say you will not expect this…