Eight

Girl Talk

She had been avoiding the reality of the situation. It wasn't Bella's fault – really, it wasn't. It was a trait she had inherited from Renee, and couldn't seem to shake. Every time Bella was confronted with something particularly unpleasant, she would pretend it wasn't happening. The only real indication that anything was wrong at all was her obsessive cleaning. She had made Charlie's house positively spotless when she learned she was pregnant with Wyatt. Maybe that was why they were still co-existing – she and Paul. She hardly worked, so it gave her plenty of time to clean. She had started with Wyatt's room, though she had taught him well and there was hardly anything to actually clean. It was more like tidying up, and when you just found out a werewolf was your soulmate, tidying up just wouldn't do.

She moved onto the kitchen from there, and that proved to be a project. For someone so tall, Paul never bothered to check the tops of his cabinets for dust. Once Bella was satisfied, and three spiders had been carefully caught and released outside where they belonged, she moved onto the shelves. Why were her favorite bowls constantly finding their way to the top shelf!? She spent hours arranging, and then rearranging everything before she was satisfied. It was only when Bella attempted to move the refrigerator that Paul stepped in. He practically pinned her down and demanded that she go talk to Emily and Kim. So that was how she got here… sitting awkwardly across from the two women cradling a cup of tea.

"I'm so glad Paul finally told you about the imprint!" Kim finally burst with a smile. "You have no idea how hard it is to keep a secret like that! It's easy with the guys, but you're an imprint, so that makes you one of us. Oh! You have to be a bridesmaid in my wedding!"

"Easy, Kim." Emily chuckled and patted the back of the younger woman's hand. "I'm sure Bella is still digesting the information."

"That's one way to put it." Bella sighed, nearly tensing at the worried look the women exchanged. "I just… I don't know what to think about the whole situation. Part of me knows how crazy this all is, and wants to be angry, but then there's this small voice in the back of my head telling me how much… easier this makes everything."

"That's probably the imprint." Emily offered with a kind smile. "It doesn't manipulate your emotions, but it does make you more susceptible to giving into it."

"Sounds like manipulation to me." Bella mumbled into her mug, but it didn't seem like the women heard her. It was probably for the best. "It's just that… I love Wyatt, okay – I wouldn't trade him for the world, but sometimes it feels like everything in my life has been dictated. I went from being this eighteen year old girl with her whole future in front of her to somebody's mother. And that's fine!" She nearly yelped before they could judge her too harshly. "I'm willing to make that sacrifice for Wyatt, but there was always the hope that when he was older, I would do it over, you know? I would advance my degree and maybe get married. I had him young enough that I wasn't a total lost cause, and being an imprint… it just feels like it was one more thing taken away from me…"

She nearly sighed in relief. That had been weighing on her since Paul told her the truth, but she was too afraid to speak it out loud. Paul acted tough, but she could see the real him behind the mask. It was those moments of tenderness that showed Paul's true nature. Sure, to the rest of the world, he was a hard ass, but for the people he cared about, he would do anything… and shouldn't that be enough? Why should Bella be upset about being fated to Paul? He was the father of her child, and got along well enough. Maybe it was because on a lot of levels, she felt like she didn't really know him. Other than Wyatt, did they have anything in common? She wasn't sure they had ever even had a real conversation. What if the wolf gods screwed up? What if he imprinted on her just because she had gotten pregnant, and it was a means to an end? Obviously they had the 'passing on the wolf gene' thing down. She felt like she was on one of those cheesy reality shows she secretly loved – the one where she has to marry a guy upon meeting him and see if it works out, Only there was no divorce when it came to imprinting. This was it.

"Bella." Emily's voice was soft as she placed her hand over Bella's, much like she had done Kim's. Kim, following Emily's cue took her other hand. It was weird that such small gestures seemed to ease her worry just a bit. Maybe it was like Kim had said, and the imprints had a bond like the wolves did. Bella had always wanted sisters… "You're not being forced into anything. In fact, I've never seen Paul less aggressive. And you seem happy too." She smiled lightly, half her face rising higher thanks to the three long scars she bore. "The imprint just takes the guess work out of everything. You can still have a normal relationship, but save yourself the trouble of dating the wrong guys."

"It's great when you give into it!" Kim pipped up, squeezing her hand lightly. "Just… act like it's any other relationship. Don't worry about the outcome or destiny. Just look at it like Paul is a guy you like, and you're getting to know him."

"Yeah, maybe." Bella sighed deeply. "I think I just need to… digest." She smiled weakly, using Emily's terminology.

"Whoa." A deep voice cut in. All three women turned their heads to an uncomfortable looking Seth who was hovering in the doorway, obviously in search of food, but not sure if he wanted to bother them. "Am I interrupting some kind of sisterhood share circle thing?" He half joked as he gestured to their locked hands.

"Actually, you could be helpful." Bella offered as she carefully took her hands back. "I have a few questions."

"Am I in the circle?" He smiled widely as he took the last free seat. "Did you see River Tala's butt? It so totally looks fake now." He raised his voice to mimic a gossiping woman's.

Emily rolled her eyes as she stood to rummage around the fridge, no doubt fixing the young wolf a plate. "Actually I was hoping you could shed some light on imprinting."

"Oh no!" Seth shook his head. "I'm not getting roped into this!" He moved to stand, but Bella grabbed his arm.

"Please Seth?" She nearly pouted. He looked torn, but settled on staying when Emily placed a plate of chicken salad in front of him. "You're objective. You know it from a wolf's point of view and you haven't imprinted yet."

"Shouldn't you ask Leah? She's visiting this weekend and she's a chick, so she'd probably be better at this stuff." Leah had gone off to college several months prior. She came back on the weekends to run with the pack, but like when they were teenagers, she couldn't be bothered with Bella.

"I just want to know… what is it like? For the wolf I mean… I just. I want to know what's going on in Paul's head."

Seth chewed slowly, nearly humming in thought, or maybe it was the quality of the food. "I guess… It's comfortable? Like, Paul used to be so angry and on edge about everything, but ever since the imprint, he's relaxed. It's like… he was always meant to be here, and before you came along he was just frustrated and waiting for you."

That was… both terrifying and horribly romantic. It was also a lot to live up to. What if Paul got to know her and realized she wasn't worth the wait? That she had nothing more to offer him than everything he already knew at surface level? She wasn't adventurous, and she was beyond clumsy. Bella was more like an old porch dog than a prized purebred.

"Look, all I know is that he's happy now. He's happy with Wyatt and with you. He worries that you'll choose Jacob but – shit! Don't tell him I told you that!" Seth nearly pleaded, dropping his fork in the process. Grumbling, he ran a hand over his face. "Just talk to Paul, okay? He should be the one to tell you all of this. It'll mean more."

Bella chewed over Seth's words for days. Emily and Kim's too. It seemed like everyone but her had such a handle on this whole wolf thing, but maybe that was because they had had longer to digest it? Would she slowly become a wolf girl? She hadn't even met the other imprints yet. Apparently, they were all younger given the age of the pack members, and had formed their own little support group of such. At least Bella had known Emily before all of this happened, and she had Mikala, so she knew what it was like to be a mother.

Bella looked up from where she was making dinner to Paul and Wyatt who were playing some kind of card game that Paul was obviously losing on purpose. Maybe Kim was right, and she should just approach this slowly. Paul certainly wasn't pushing for anything, though he hardly needed to push the last time they had nearly… Her cheeks darkened slightly. As if they had called to him, Paul's eyes found her, inquisitive and ever dark. Her heart doubled in speed, and he lifted the corner of his lips in that cocky smirk that Bella would never admit out loud made her weak at the knees.

"Wyatt, go wash your hands for dinner." Bella called. Wyatt nearly cheered as he threw down the cards and fled to the bathroom. The boy already had the appetite of a wolf. Wiping her hands on the rag over her shoulder, Bella walked over to Paul as he stood to clean up the mess. "Let's go on a date." She blurted out, causing him to pause.

Those bottomless dark eyes raked over her face. Sometimes trying to read Paul was like trying to read a map in another language. When he didn't speak, she shifted from one foot to another, the self-doubt starting to creep in. "Okay." His voice was a simple rumble that vibrated through her. "I know this camping spot north from here." Camping? That wasn't what Bella had in mind when she thought of a date. She wasn't good with the outdoors, or survival or… anything that required the least bit of coordination. And camping meant… overnight. "Relax." He chuckled when he saw the panic on her face. "It's an old tribal tradition to bring someone your interested in out there. It gives you the time to be alone without distractions. It's supposed to be a test or something – I guess to see if we can stand each other." He smiled lightly, but it looked forced. "And you'll have your own tent.

"Okay…" Bella breathed unsure. "Camping… and me… What could go wrong?"

AN: So I was going to wait to address this in the FAQ at the end of the story, but it's something I want to touch on now. I've been getting quite a few reviews/messages about the length of my chapters/wanting longer chapters. While I'm flattered that you guys like my writing, it's really discouraging to read reviews like that. I'm sorry if you find my chapters too short, but you have to understand that I am an adult woman with a husband and a job. I write as a stress relief and sometimes the only time I can find to write is at three AM. It just sucks to be half asleep, pushing yourself to do something and then hearing that it isn't enough. I can write longer chapters, but that would mean a week or so between chapters.

Rant over! Lol.

I know I usually rotate Paul and Bella's POV, but I was really feeling the idea for this chapter. I want to thank everyone that took the time to review the latest chapter. As always, I appreciate it!