Everyone in the pack had extra keys to the Swan Beach House. This was where family stayed if they visited, after all. Sue insisted. So, she kept the place fixed up and when people that moved off the rez visited, they'd have someplace to go.

Paul could hear Sam enter, the sound of the truck still on in the driveway. It wasn't loud enough to wake Bella, though he suspected it would if she was breathing through her nose like a normal human being while they slept. Fuck.

The bedroom door opened quietly after a few minutes of Sam in the kitchen and Paul glared at his Alpha, a smirk on his face as he took in the scene. "Fucking leave it here, or I swear to fuck, Sam, I'll feed your kids to the leeches themselves."

Sam didn't take Paul's threat seriously. Paul didn't know how Sam fucking did it. Any comment like that would have set any of the wolves off, but Sam almost let it breeze over him - like it didn't bother him. Like he didn't believe it. Paul could never have such control. He got upset over ever damn thing - just as he was getting pissed off at his lack of control. Fuck. This was ridiculous. He was arguing with himself over stupid shit.

"You weren't supposed to sleep with her, Paul."

"I didn't," Paul growled.

"Growling," Bella murmured in her sleep and Paul stopped immediately, exhaling loudly as Sam grinned. He wished he could set the ceiling on fire. There was hope it would collapse and wipe that smug ass smirk off of Sam's face. Sam set a steaming mug on the nightstand and Paul grunted his thanks.

"How long she been sleeping for?"

"Since I texted you."

"Don't fuck this up, Paul," Sam said quietly. "If you do, this will be the only chance you get."

But Paul knew he'd fuck it up somehow. He knew that he would do something to make her stay away for good and this would be the only chance he'd ever feel anything warm about her, laying by him, maybe ever see her in a bedroom. It tore him the fuck apart, like his wolf was ripping apart some leech.

But just thinking about the leeches made his blood boil. They had her first and he was such a dick. How could she love something dead? How could she sleep with a dead guy?

Sam left after a few more remarks so that sleeping Bella couldn't hear, and even after he delivered a theraflu to the other girl that Paul didn't care to remember the name of. And Paul stared at the ceiling, listening as her mouth breathing turned into a more normal human sound.

He woke her up once the cup had cooled a little bit, and he knew it wouldn't burn her tongue – something he swore wasn't sappy, it was polite – and she had barely registered what was going on, but drank it anyway before she fell back asleep. And she didn't wake again.

When she sighed in her sleep, her arms tightening around him, he lifted his head, so that he could glance down at her. She was peaceful looking, as she laid sprawled over him. Fuck, fuck fuck… think of the hag, think of the hag.

Where Bella was pale, it contrasted against his bronze skin. He wondered if she was pale everywhere, or if – fuck, Paul, think of the hag. Stop thinking of Bella.

But he couldn't help it. He just stared at her as she would sometimes tighten her grip, sometimes sigh, and sometimes a small smile would show, like she was teasing him – like she knew he was watching her.

He hated her so much. He hated how he was feeling. He hated that she was the cause of it. Hated how he was helplessly wrapped around her finger and would do whatever she said, even if he complained and groaned the whole way. He'd be a happy fuck to do this anytime she wanted.

He didn't sleep at all. Even though he felt tired, he didn't sleep. He couldn't waste a moment of this. Because it would be gone. He'd fuck it up somehow.

Charlie came home at an ungodly hour, and he tapped lightly at Bella's door, as if to warn her he was entering, and Paul had a brief moment of panic. With all the girls he fucked, he never stayed late enough if someone came knocking. So he didn't know what to do. But when the door opened, Charlie peaked his head in and saw that Bella was curled up in the blankets, and Paul had laid atop them.

"Didn't know you spent the night."

The question was clear. "She asked me to help with the chills," Paul muttered. Charlie raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, I just did as she asked. Apparently she wanted a cuddle buddy." Just saying the words made him want to smack himself in the face. Cuddle buddy. Fuck that. "Nothing more, Chief. Swear."

"Keep it clean, kid." Paul just gave a pained grimace, which he hoped passed for a smile, and let out a puff of relief as the door shut. Fuck it all.

She woke up around nine in the morning, long after Paul's shift was supposed to start at the shop, something he had texted Jake to tell him he couldn't make it, and Jake had agreed to give him the morning off. But fuck him, he didn't want to leave. He didn't want it to end so soon.

"You're the greatest," she said quietly as she pulled away. Paul almost smirked when he noticed she was blushing, having realized how she was holding him. But he was a little relieved that she sounded better. She wasn't as nasally, and she didn't look nauseas at least – something he was fucking grateful for. If she had puked on him, imprint be damned, he'd be out.

He knew he wouldn't have been though. He knew he would have cleaned up the mess, stroked her hair, cleaned her up, and laid with her some more.

Screw her.

"You owe me," Paul said simply, rubbing the ache in his neck. Fuck, he knew he shouldn't have been watching her as she stretched out across him. The angle had positively tortured his neck.

"If you want sex, all you had to do was ask," Bella said, annoyed. "Hell, you act like you have to be secretive about everything. Angry sex is still sex."

"Like I'd ever sleep with something a leech has fucked," Paul spat at her. She flinched, looking disgusted.

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked, confused. She crossed her arms, suddenly laughing hysterically. "Oh my God, you think Edward and I slept together?" She let out peals of laughter. "You should ask Jake about Edward's morality complex. I've slept with a lot of guys in my time, but they've all ran a nice, warm 98.6 degrees or above."

His wolf halted and he wished he could swallow his words as she pulled out of the bed, and he could practically feel her anger. Fuck. He had fucked up. He had fucked up big. "So you didn't fuck the leech?" Even to his ears, his voice sounded small, like he had his tail tucked between his legs and he was backing into a corner, waiting for the beating to commence.

"Not that it's any of your business, but since I'm so disgusting, you should have said so. You can leave now," Bella said firmly. She moved to her suitcase Paul had placed there the night before and began grabbing clothing, moving towards the closet. "Thanks for the medicine."

Paul left with his fists clenched and his breath coming out in puffs of air. As he slammed the front door shut, he stared at her car. She had driven thousands of miles to get here, thousands of miles from the home she had escaped to, escaped from the pack and the vampires, and here she was still… And he had screwed up everything.

"Fuck!" he shouted. He let out an angry growl, nearly tearing out his hair, before he began walking. At first he didn't know where he was headed, until he spotted the small house tucked away in the woods.

Sam. Sam had to help him. Sam had to give him some sort of answers.

He knocked on the door when he reached there. It was no longer pack house, what with Emily and the little kids running around it needing their privacy – the family needed their privacy, which the pack let them have. There was little privacy these days. Even after six years, Paul still hadn't gotten used to it.

The door was answered by the devil, the little bratty girl Sam had, smiling up at him innocently. "Your dad home?"

"Daddy!" Tara cried. Paul glanced up as Sam appeared and Sam just gave him an expression of pity, as his shoulders fell. Disappointment. He knew that Paul had fucked up. He knew it was only a matter of time.

"I need help," Paul admitted, swallowing and clenching his fists. Sam raised an eyebrow, pulling the devil out of the way and letting Paul through.

"What'd you do now?"

"The fuck do you -" Paul cut himself off, taking a deep breath. His eyes were squeezed shut. "How are you so calm?"

"I'm still human, Paul. I act like it." Ouch. That was a low blow, even for Sam. Paul swallowed, opening his eyes. Tara was still there, but cowering behind her father's legs. "Apologize."

"You say those words, and you will fail your English class," Paul said by way of apology. Tara's eyes widened. "I'm angry, Sam... all the time... I have to get better. Nothing will ever happen if I don't."

"So you're accepting the imprint now? Three years ago you decided to reject it because she was the leech lover."

"They never..." Paul huffed. "I didn't want ... It sounds awful, Sam... I didn't want to be imprinted to someone that slept with the enemy, alright?"

Sam gave a snort. "You're a piece of work, Paul. Fine, sit down and I'll do what I can." Paul relaxed slightly. "But first you're going to tell me what you did."

Sam sent his brat away, and Paul sat heavily at the kitchen counter as Emily was making something having to do with eggs, and he only nodded in greeting to the woman he had grown to care for like a sister – a really annoying and always right sister. He explained what had happened and Emily smacked his arm with a spoon to voice her disapproval, and Sam was more vocal about it.

"You're an idiot."

"I know. I just… Shit, Sam. I want this to work. I've never wanted this to work and now I have no idea where to start-"

"Maybe you should try talk to her about this?"

"Bella's a freak, alright? She does weird shit. I think the leech proved that. And just mention of wolfy things or vampires or whatever gets her spooked. It's all fine when it's a joke, but if it's serious? She'll flip her shit on me."

"Maybe you deserve it." Paul groaned and clenched his fist in his hair. "Her opinion matters most. Whatever I tell you, you'll find an excuse for. But if Bella says that she accepts the imprint? What then? You'll work for it."

He hated when Sam did this shit.

Bella only stayed in her room long enough to take a shower – which cleared her sinuses considerably – and change into something presentable. And then she joined Charlie and Sue for breakfast. Stephanie still hadn't emerged, so she figured that the girl was probably sleeping – and with good reason. They had barely slept on the roadtrip – both because it was uncomfortable to sleep in the car and because they were sick.

The trip had been miserable.

Maybe Bella would just ship her car back to the apartment and fly home. It would be better that way.

She listened to stories about the house, about Sue and Charlie's first Christmas here – where the fireplace had caught fire and the boys from the pack had pulled the chimney from the house to keep it from spreading, making a massive hole in the wall that needed to repaired.

And when the stories became all too much, she was rescued by Emily and Angela.

"I heard what happened with Paul," Emily said by way of greeting. Bella grimaced.

"Paul?" Sue asked. "I thought you two were getting along!"

"You looked cozy this morning when I got in," Charlie continued.

"We got into a disagreement and I told him to get out," Bella shrugged. "Nothing new. He's an arrogant prick." She cleared her throat as Charlie gave her a look. "What? He is." But Bella glanced to Emily. "How could you possibly have heard? It was like twenty minutes ago."

Emily winced. "He… came to Sam, and told him he needed help with his anger, again."

"One of these days, that boy's going to seriously hurt someone," Charlie sighed. Bella knew it would be true. He'd pull a Sam on someone he got too close to. And she knew that the man wasn't as tough as he made it seem. He was pretty fragile, especially if something like a fight with Jared could still bother him. And if he hurt someone like Sam had Emily? Well… he'd probably never phase back to human.

"Sam's trying," Emily sighed. "But you know how Paul is. If he hasn't changed now, he doesn't really want to." Bella felt like he had changed a lot just last night, though, from the last time she was here. Before he wouldn't have even touched her. But last night, he had let her wrap her arms around him. And she vaguely remembered some medicine being given to her… that had to count for something, right?

"I mean, he's different around me," Bella muttered, stabbing her eggs with her fork. "I don't know," she stressed as the table looked to her in surprise. "Maybe it's because we hate each other, so we don't have to really say anything to be clear on that point. I just feel sorry for the poor girl he likes. He probably can't even say three words without exploding into anger."

Emily snorted. "Pretty much."

Angela gave Bella a smile. "They really make absolutely no progress." She shrugged as she accepted a few sausage links. "But Sam made us swear not to tell anyone. Guy code or something." With an eyeroll, Bella understood that Sam wanted to keep the imprint a secret from whoever the girl was. "Says that he'll need to man up and either tell her or move on."

"For her sake, I hope she moves on," Bella muttered. She shrugged as Charlie gave her another look. "Charlie, come on, you know how Paul gets. He basically curses and runs." Bella glanced to Sue for help. "I mean, did he not come into the diner yesterday all muddy and curse the world?"

"He more tried to piss you off. I wouldn't say he cursed the world-"

Bella gave Charlie a look. "See what I'm dealing with here?"

"Then why did you two get all close and personal tonight-"

"Nothing happened," Bella insisted. The yet was under her breath. "In case you didn't notice, I was dying yesterday and the guys are really warm. I signed Paul up for the job so we could get our time together knocked out first thing."

Charlie snorted. "Yeah, well, by the looks of him, he hadn't slept all night."

Bella wasn't sure how to take that. Of course he had to have. What was he going to do? Stare at the ceiling? He wasn't a patient guy, that was for sure.

"Well, good news is we don't have to see each other until the wedding."

"Oh, no, honey. He's a groom's man," Angela said with a smirk. "He'll be everywhere you go."

Bella groaned, and she felt like her sickness was coming back. Maybe it was better to be sick, and milk the illness out for all it was worth. Stay away from public places until it was too late. "I can't go out today, I suddenly feel nauseas."

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Well, at least you became dramatic. That was the one trait you were always missing."

"You'll regret it's development soon," Bella promised him. "Just like I'm regretting accepting this whole thing."

Angela grinned. "Yeah, but I never doubted you'd accept. I've just had to do most of the work on my own until someone finally got ahold of you. So, now it's time to pull some weight."

Bella sighed. "Fine, but first I get to finish Sue's killer eggs, and then I'm all yours."

"Deal."

This story is being worked on all week, so there are many more updates to come! If you want to see any of my writing progress or how I'm coming along, check out my tumblr and twitter. I'll update there reguarly.