Nine

Into the Woods…

Paul had to give Bella credit – even if it was minimal. She only stumbled twice on their steep climb through the woods to the top of the grass-covered mountain that his ancestors had been using for generations. It was a tradition that had fallen out of practice generations before him, but the pack had slowly brought it back. Sam had brought Emily there, and it was where Jared had proposed to Kim. Paul just wanted some time with Bella where the pack couldn't hear him and no leeches would pop up… hopefully. He had ran up the night before to set up tents and clean the area of wild brush and trees. Seth had helped, mumbling an excuse of trying to get brownie points. Paul didn't get it, but he was happy for the extra set of hands.

"Wow…" Bella breathed as she took in the view. Nearly all of La Push was visible from here, the ocean just a strip on the horizon. Even Paul had to admit that it was beautiful. "I take back my skepticism. This is… breath-taking." Bella looked over her shoulder to smile at him, and Paul almost swore he imprinted all over again. "Then again, I haven't had to pee behind a tree yet, so we'll see." She laughed lightly, her cheeks reddened from the hike.

The air was crisper with the promise of snow just a few weeks away now. The trees were brilliant shades of reds and golds, not quite bare yet, but littering the ground with the leaves deemed too much a waste of energy. It was Paul's favorite time of year – if only because the heat of summer always left him nearly panting like an actual dog. Bella helped too. With the colder air nipping at her pale skin, her nose and cheeks reddened quicker, her full lips darkening in their rosy shade.

"You're staring…" She smiled shyly as she pulled the sleeves of her burgundy sweater over her frail fingers.

"You're beautiful." Paul blurted out before he could think better of it. He was rewarded for his brashness with a pretty blush.

"No, I'm plain. You're beautiful."

He was taken so off guard, he barked out a laugh, which just served to deepen her blush. "I think that's the first time anyone has ever called me that." Paul continued to chuckle as he knelt to get the fire started. "But you might need your eyes checked, babe. You're far from plain."

She didn't answer, choosing instead to continue her trek across the small clearing. "We should take Wyatt up here when he gets older. I bet he'd love it."

There was something warming in the promise of bringing his son to a sacred tribal space with his mate years from now. Maybe it was the silent promise that she planned to stick around, or maybe it was just the thought of being able to pass something like that onto the next generation. He would oblige, of course. He'd throw himself from the mountain if Bella willed it. It should have been a scary thought, one the old Paul would have mocked, but it was… moving. To trust in another human being so much that you would put your life in their hands.

"He'll bring a girl up here one day – or a guy. I don't judge." Paul shrugged as the dry brush caught the spark of his lighter. It might have been cheating, but it got the job done. "Though that would be a real kick in the pants for passing on the wolf gene."

Bella smiled lightly as she moved to his side, sitting on the fallen log Paul had moved into place the night before. "I would be too worried if Wyatt turned out to be a werewolf. Not to mention it would make grounding him nearly impossible."

"Nah, he'd never be able to take his old man." Paul shrugged it off as he leaned to rest his back against the log Bella sat on. "Though, I might not be phasing anymore by the time he shifts – if he shifts. But I'll be around to walk him through it."

Bella was silent for a long moment, watching the dancing flames climb higher with solemn chocolate eyes. "Paul… what happened with your parents?"

Paul's jaw clenched as he turned his gaze forward, resisting the urge to throw up that all too familiar wall. Bella was his imprint – he knew she would want to know about this someday. "My mom ran out on us when I was a baby. Last I heard, she met a guy and started a new family in Iowa." He nearly growled at the pain that knowledge brought. The news had been what forced him to phase the first time – nearly taking his father's head off in the process. Though, that would have been a perk. He didn't realize that his shoulders had been shaking in anger until Bella's pale hand landed on one. They stopped instantly, a calmness washing across his every muscle. He reached up to cover her hand with his own, the rough pad of his thumb moving across the back of her hand. "My dad was a no-good drunk that liked me best as a punching bag. He died a while ago – drank himself into an early grave. Didn't matter, he wasn't much of a dad anyway. Like I said, he only used me for target practice and a way to keep a roof over his head."

"Oh… I'm so sorry." Her voice was small. He didn't like it. He liked Bella best when she was laughing or angry… not small.

"I'm not. Fucker got what he deserved." Paul spat. His anger faded when she slipped from the log, looking up at him with doe-like eyes.

"I meant for you." She breathed, and Paul felt his heart clench. "You… you're such an amazing guy, Paul. I'm sorry your parents didn't get to see that."

He didn't speak, choosing instead to throw a large arm around her shoulder and pull her into his chest. Her scent seemed to change but remain the same as time went on. She was like honeysuckle and sage – crisp and fresh and so damn sweet. It nearly made his mouth water. "You're too good for me." He breathed, his voice sounding smaller than it had in years. The thought had been in the back of his mind, but to say it to her… to put it out there… Part of him was worried that she would see the truth in his words. After all, the guys all saw it. They didn't say anything – except for Jacob, but Paul didn't deserve her. He was callous and rough. He had slept with more girls than he could count, and couldn't name a single one if his life depended on it. He started drinking when he was thirteen, and had been arrested by fifteen. How in the world he ended up with Bella as his imprint, he'd never know.

"Shut up, Paul." There was angry Bella again. She pulled back to look at him, eyes narrowed and jaw set in defiance. It was cute – though he knew better than to tell her so. "We're right for each other, right? That's what the imprint means. I don't get it, but I'm willing to try and make this work, but I can't do that alone. A relationship, any kind of relationship, requires work from all parties. I don't wan-" He caught her cheeks with warm hands, pressing his lips against hers, half because she was so damn irresistible in that moment, and half because he wasn't sure how long that speech was going to last.

She melted like warm wax in his arms, her heart rate picking up despite the relaxation he could feel take over her body. She tasted like chocolate and rain – like freedom and hope. She tasted like possibility to a man that had never been given an opportunity. She shifted to straddle his lap, her tiny hands moving to his broad shoulders. Who initiated the move, Paul wasn't sure. They kissed unlike they had before – slow and careful. There was passion, but no heat. He was sure that given the opportunity, he would spend all eternity like this.

His hands moved like silk over her shoulders and sides, letting them dip with every soft curve her body had to offer. When he got to her hips, his hands tightened, his body instinctively bucking into hers to get contact where he needed it most. Her responding moan only furthered the rush of all the blood in his body south. With a growl, he hooked an arm around her waist, flipping them so that she was pinned between the brittle fall grass and his body. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anyone, and Paul was, if anything, lustful.

His lips followed a trail only they knew from her lips, to her cheek, and down her neck. "Paul…" She moaned his name, and his wolf howled in the back of his mind, but the man in him sensed the apprehension. Pulling back, he looked down at her with heavy eyes.

"We don't have to." He spoke in a whisper, almost afraid to break the spell they had cast.

She blushed prettily, eyes darting down towards his chest. "I haven't… since we…"

He froze, a million emotions warring within him. Part of him felt sorry for her, because in some way it was his fault. He hadn't used protection, and Bella had to forego any kind of relationship so she could raise Wyatt. The larger part of him, however, was thrilled. He was the only one – she was his, and no other man had touched what his wolf deemed their property – a barbaric, animalistic thought that was all wolf.

"Oh…" Was all that managed to pass his lips as her eyes flickered back to his. He made to move, but she caught him around the shoulders.

"I didn't say I didn't want to." She bit her lip and smiled shyly. "I just… be gentle?"

Shame washed over him. He had been so rough with her the first time – his wolf at the reigns. That might have only been a few years ago, but he had done a lot of growing in that time. "I'm sorry…" He breathed, peppering her pale face with soft kisses. "I'll be more careful in the future, baby. I promise." He caught her lips finally, nearly smiling as she arched into him. "Shit." He pulled back, nearly growling. "I don't have a condom." He scrunched up his nose. He didn't plan for this to happen – though he was glad it did.

"I'm on the pill, Paul." She giggled lightly. "You never know – and as much as I love Wyatt, I don't think he'll be getting what he wants for Christmas this year."

Paul's face split in a grin, glad at least one of them had been thinking. "Well then… where were we?" He nipped at her jaw, his lips continuing down that same invisible path. Hot hands ducked under the thick layers she wore to feel her skin as tiny bumps rose across the surface to greet him. Her breath caught deliciously as he pulled it away, helping her get it over her head before tossing it aside. Before her shyness could win over, he moved his lips to her collarbone, groaning at the way her hands raked over his shoulders and back. As he moved to kiss the tops of her breasts, he was sure she muttered a curse, but the sound of his own heartbeat drumming in his ears drowned out everything else.

"You taste amazing, Isabella." He nearly smirked as her breath caught at the use of her full name, his hand moving behind her to remove her bra. He could see the entirety of her blush as it moved down her neck and across her chest. It was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen.

She opened her mouth as if she was going to protest, so Paul silenced her taking a pert nipple between his teeth. Her hands moved to his hair, yanking roughly as her mewling grew louder. He nearly hissed at the contact of their bodies as he moved back to capture her lips. Slowly, one by one, each article of clothing was removed. He took his time, worshiping each inch of pale and blushed flesh as it was exposed. She didn't speak other than his name, and that was fine with him. The sounds of her breath hitching and her tiny moans were like music to his ears.

When he sunk into her, it was slow – almost painfully so for him. But he watched it all play out on her face. The discomfort – the uncertainty – and finally, the pleasure. Her nails raked down his back as they climbed that ledge together, her breath coming in small gasps now. When they finally reached their end together, the sight of Bella coming undone was something Paul would catalogue away in the very back of his mind. It was in that moment of pure ecstasy and vulnerability that Paul realized that he was head over heels in love with Bella Swan.

AN: I'm sorry this chapter took so long guys! RL has been super hectic! I hope you enjoyed it though. As always, super big hug and shout out to everyone that reviewed! They never fail to make me smile.

Someone asked about age so: Bella was eighteen and Paul was nineteen when she got pregnant. Now it's been about four years later so that would put Bella at twenty-two and Paul at twenty-three. The rest of the pack is in the same age range except Emily and Sam. Emily is twenty-six and Sam is twenty-eight. Sorry if the ages confused anyone!