Thank you for all the reviews from the last chapter! I do agree with Maxsmomma the speedy release was a bit quick, but Bella didn't want to be there and Charlie knew that. And you'll see she isn't completely without medical care :) Well I hope you enjoy!

Paul POV

I couldn't believe it, I had truly thought that I was going to lose her for a while. When I had seen that discussing leech bite her delicate neck. I just knew I was going to die with her. But my little mate surprised me, she survived it. She survived leech venom, she survived the blistering cold, a car wreck, and currently she was surviving me not allowing her out of bed. Which she constantly reminded me that I would be the death of her, but I knew she was kidding when I saw the corner of her mouth quirk up at the corner.

It had been a week since we left the hospital, Sue Clearwater came over to check on her healing every afternoon. The doctor had been nervous about letting her go so soon, but both Charlie and Bella had been adamant about wanting her to recover at home. The only thing that was still bothering her was her shoulder; the strap around her neck causing her slight discomfort but between Charlie and me, we figured out how to add some extra cushion for her.

She was perfect and I still wasn't entirely sure why she had accepted me into her life so easily, I mean hell the first thing I said to her was a sarcastic dig at her ability to stay safe. Only confirmed by the very next day by her being kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend.

Now, here we were sitting in her room watching a movie, I couldn't tell you the name of the movie though. She of course had the bed, and Charlie had brought up the small love seat from the living room down stairs one day while I was patrolling.

He trusted me and refused to have me sitting in the wooden rocking chair all day. That was another thing that blew my mind, Charlie had accepted the bad boy of La Push.

The pack had all noticed my change this week too, Sam said I was now tolerable as Bella's puppy. To which Jake and Jared hurled over laughing, especially when Charlie bought Bella a small husky puppy after her questions about the 'dog' at the crash site, which she named Bao. The damn dog slept up in my Bella's arms, and growled at me when I got to close to her. Bella of course thought it was cute, but I and the rest of my pack knew it could probably sense me. He was growling at me trying to let ME know she was his.

The guys found this absolutely hilarious, a puppy trying to be the alpha over me. One day three I took Bao outside to let him relieve himself when he tried growling at me again. So I growled back, darn puppy piddled on the sidewalk where he was and walked back inside with his tail between his legs. No more growling. Problem solved. At least I was Alpha here, so there was a plus to that.

"Paul?" I was shaken out of my line of thought when my mate leaned over me and shook my shoulder calling my name.

"Yes? Are you okay? Pain coming back?" The questions tumbled out of my mouth as I glanced her over trying to find a trace of discomfort.

She just looked at me giggling pointing at the t.v. which was now blank, "the movie ended about 10 minutes ago, that is about the same amount of time I have been trying to get your attention."

Looking up I nodded reaching over and hitting the power button. "Sorry I was thinking. Do you want to go for a walk Bella?"

She smiled and nodded, before swinging her legs off the bed and stood up. "Thank sounds like a good idea."

He helped her up and into a warm jacket, there was no way he was letting her go outside. The cold winds had died down yesterday when the bulk of the storm passed, but it left behind a white blanket of snow covering Forks and La Push.

They headed out to the back of the house and stepped into the forest, I couldn't help but watch her looking around as if she was made to be in the woods. She looked completely at ease out here with me. Sam had told me I should let her in about our secret a few days ago, but I couldn't help but want her to have a little bit of a drama free life.

"Paul, you are dazing again on me." She smiled up at me before leaning up on her toes, her good arm on mine for support as she gently kissed my cheek. Honestly I could feel my wolf in me jumping for joy, and she only kissed my cheek.

Looking down trying to figure out how to tell her when I just started talking, "Bella there is something I need to tell you." She looked up at me, her large doe eyes with a questioning look, but she didn't speak. No she wouldn't push me she wasn't like that and I couldn't love her more if I tried. "Do you remember anything about the day Sam and I found you in the wrecked car? You asked if we had found a dog."

She just nodded her head and let me continue, "Well I was being truthful, and there was no dog there. It was a wolf." She took a breath, her eyes widening a bit as I continued, "You were in so much pain Bella just lying on the ground, my… the wolf was trying to give you some sort of comfort. He was trying to help you anyway he could."

She just stood there looking at me, "Paul, I thought you said you and Sam arrived after everything? Why would you lie about the dog being there just because it was a wolf?" I ran a hand through my short cropped hair, hoping that this didn't all blow up in my face. "I was trying to protect you. I was trying to let you heal without the extra stuff." She didn't even nod her head, but I knew she was silently telling me to continue. "I… I was the wolf Bella. Have you ever heard our legends?"

She stopped and sat down on a fallen log looking up at me. "Some. I heard about the protectors and the cold ones from Jake when I was younger." Mentally rolling my eyes, of course he would tell her. "Well they are true. Some of the men in our tribe can phase into wolves."

She bit down on her lower lip looking at me, not as if I was crazy, but as if she was trying to determine if she was. "And you?" she prodded me, I couldn't only nod at first. "Yes I can phase. When the Cullen's moved here a few years back the changes started. I promise I will never hurt you. I can't."

She was still gazing into my eyes and I wreched my hands together hoping she wouldn't go run screaming. After a moment her small hand covered mine, "Was it you? Outside my window?" I just stared at her like a huge oaf. "Um. What do you mean?"

She just tilted her head, "Outside my car window? When Ed…. When he was driving towards La Push. There was a huge brown wolf, and a russet one on the other side. They were too big for a normal wolf. And there were two further ahead on the road. As if they were blocking him in."

I just stood at her mouth open, how was she so damn calm? She saw everything. She was waiting for someone to correct her about the 'dog' hadn't she? "You knew they weren't normal wolves?" She just shrugged, "It isn't like he had a giant slab of meat in his car for normal wolves to chase him like that. It was like the brown wolf was telling me everything was going to be okay, but then…. Edward sped up the car right at the two in the road. He was going to hit them. So I pulled on the wheel." She looked down at her hands. "I didn't think the car would flip, but I was hoping it would swerve and miss them." She took a breath, "When I woke up and you said there was no dog….. I was worried he might have still hit them."

I was pretty sure my jaw had just fallen off, she was okay with it. She caused to accident on purpose to protect me…. Well me and Sam. I swallowed, "I wasn't the brown wolf outside your window that was Jared. Jacob was outside the lee…Edwards's side and Sam and I were the ones in the road…" I put my hand on her good shoulder, "Don't….ever…. do…that…again."

Wrapping my arms around her shaking a bit, "Sam and I were going to slow down the car. You wouldn't have been hurt, and neither would Sam or I. We can handle quite a bit." Pulling back looking at her, "You are okay with all of this?" She nodded her head bouncing, "Do you know what he….. was?"

She bit her lower lip and I knew, "Yes. He told me a few months back. How long have you known?" I shrugged, "A year and 3 months, ever since I phased for the first time. Bella they were dangerous. Why were you with him if you knew?" She looked like she was going to cry and I mentally started kicking my own ass.

"At first I thought I loved him", my heart lurched hearing that. "But then…. I had to be perfect. If he like my hair a certain way, that was it. He hated my t-shirts with characters on them, so they were gone. He was trying to get rid of my truck next, it is a dinosaur and he was going to buy me a new one. I like my truck thank you, but that didn't matter. He didn't. And I could never tell him no. It was like I would try…. But he would look at me and I would let him have his way." She leaned into me as I wrapped my arms around her before she continued, "But I would gladly have given up my truck rather than giving into his last request. He was taking me away to change me…. I…didn't want to go…but…Charlie came home…and he was going to…."

I couldn't contain the growl that came out, she flinched slightly but never moved from my arms, he was planning on biting her….. He had to have known Sam called about one of us imprinting. He was trying to take her from us….from me. I wished I hadn't killed him now, hit dead had been too quick. "You're safe now Bella, he isn't coming back." She nodded and looked up at me. "He is dead isn't he?" I nodded but gave her a smirk, "He was always dead, but he is dead-dead now."

She smiled and relaxed into me before letting a laugh, "Now I know why Bao keeps growling at you…. "I let out a loud laugh, "Ya….. Puppy was trying to claim dominance over you. But I already fixed that."

She looked up at me in mock horror, "What did you do to my puppy!" I got a grin, "he tried growling, sooooo I growled back. I don't think he'll be trying that again. He knows." She just laughed nodding her head as she snuggled in my arms, "Well as long as you two don't start peeing on my room OR ME to mark your territory I will be fine." I just rubbed my arms down her back again leaning forward to whisper in her ear, "I think I already covered you."

I couldn't help my grin when she blushed furiously trying to hide her face in my shirt. She had enough for the day, but I knew I would have to talk to her soon about imprinting.

Looking around the sun was still high in the sky, but it was still cold out. Rubbing her arms one more time, "Let's get you inside. I don't want your health decreasing again." She nodded, but stayed leaning on me as we walked into the house.

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