Hello, darlings. Thank you so much for the support you've given to this fic. It makes me happy and encourages me to keep putting into words wherever crazy words roam in my head.

There's only one chapter left to this short story, and then I'll move on to Embry or Jake (I'm not sure which will come first.)

In the meantime, stay safe, enjoy, review, alert. :)

Btw, any particular couple and/or situation you'd like to read? Feel free to ask and I'll try to deliver :)

PACK SOULS

Black wolf part three.

Bella saw Jake with two other guys by the bonfire. She dragged Angela to meet them, introducing Jacob, while he introduced his two friends.

"How did you know about the bonfire?" Embry asked curiously.

"Sam told me about it." She answered as if it was the most natural thing to say.

Jacob's hands fisted at his sides, while Quil and Embry only shook their heads. "They're bad news, Bella. Stay away from him and his sidekicks."

Bella was taken aback by his words. Bad news? They were the most accommodating bunch she had met recently. Yeah, Jared had been an ass, but he had no ill intentions. Paul was a teaser, but they seemed like good guys. What did he mean by bad news?

Embry noticed her and Angela's confusion. "They have to be on something. Sam was away at community college, and then suddenly one day he was back, and the elders were hanging on his every word like he was a god sent. Then Jared joined the party, and then Paul. They've been running around the reservation thinking they own it. It's disturbing. Paul picks fights with other guys until Sam or Jared breaks them."

That sounded more like jealousy to Angela.

Quil shrugged, deciding it was best not to utter a word. His grandpa was one of the elders. As long as Sam and his gang didn't mess with him, he was ok with them doing whatever with their lives. He was less passionate about it than his friends.

…

…

Angela met a girl from her yoga classes and stepped aside to make small talk with her for a while.

In the meantime, Jacob kept badmouthing Sam and the other two guys. It was actually getting tiresome. They couldn't be that bad. If Billy respected them, it had to have a reason. She didn't consider the man an old crooney or deranged. He seemed to her like he had all his marbles and then some more.

"Scram, Black." Paul appeared behind her, backed up by Jared, who greeted Bella by name.

"You know them too?" Jacob looked insulted. She had mentioned Sam had told her, but he didn't know that the acquaintance extended to Jared and Paul as well.

"Yes." She answered, thinking what was wrong with that.

"Scram, Black." Paul repeated. He was taller and bigger than Jacob. His serious stance made him look threatening.

"This is a free space." Jacob spat.

"Yeah, and you can do whatever the hell you want, except badmouth us. Now, scram." Paul hissed.

Jacob's hands fisted at his sides once more. He looked like he was getting ready to fight. But Quil intervened. "Let's go, dude. Don't start something you can't finish." Saying that he dragged Jacob away.

Bella shook her head. Guys and their pissing contests.

Jared shook his head, equal parts amused and annoyed. It amused him that Paul basically scared the kid off and annoyed because it was stupid the rumors that were circulating among the people their ages. He had shrugged it off when Bella asked, but sometimes it stung. When you were seventeen, you wanted to attract girls (in his case), and it was frustrating that girls didn't want to get near them.

However, he needed to loosen the mood. Sam would hand their asses to them if they blurted anything to Bella before he was ready to tell her about everything. And getting Paul riled up was not a good idea when he could quickly lose it. There was a reason why the three of them had been so undercover for so long. Paul was the most volatile of them, despite his control. Better not to risk it, just in case.

"You know he's going to be chief one day, right?" His attempt worked, Paul snorted and relaxed.

"Until then, he can kiss my ass."

Bella rolled her eyes. How classy of him.

Angela decided that was a good moment to return. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, don't worry." Angela nodded, not prodding further. "Anyways. Ang, these are Jared and Paul." Jared shook her hand, but Paul looked bewitched. He stood there, not moving, staring at her face for longer than a normal person would have been comfortable with.

Jared noticed his brother had imprinted. But he looked like a fool. And like the good wingman he was, he smacked him in the back of the head. "Stop staring at her like that." He mumbled, getting a laugh from Bella. It was funny seeing Jared and Paul interact. They seemed so in tune with each other. Like they could predict their actions. She wondered how long they had known each other.

…

…

Sometime later, Bella and Angela reunited while Paul and Jared went to get some more drinks for the four of them. Angela had been having a very intense-looking conversation with Paul for a few minutes while she chatted with Jared. He was a very nice guy with a crazy sense of humor. It surprised her to notice how no one approached him or Paul in the time they were there. Jared's answer had confused her. "We're not very respected by people our age. But we have the elder's respect, which is enough."

"I think I like him." Angela whispered confidentially.

"Who?" Bella answered distractedly.

"Paul." Bella nodded.

"He is very nice. A little hot-headed, though."

…

…

Bella separated herself from Angela and the boys for a few minutes, wanting to put herself together alone. For that, she walked down the beach, closer to the shore. She took off her shoes and let the water wash over them slowly.

She had been having a good time. She couldn't remember the last time she had actually enjoyed a party. She smiled softly to herself. If her mother could see her now. She chuckled to herself. After they left, she thought she'd never enjoyed company again, but she was wrong. It was just a matter of who was keeping her company. Angela was quiet, but she was fun to hang out with, and the boys were a hoot.

However, she still wasn't used to so many people, which made her a bit antsy. So, a bit of fresh air felt like a good idea.

She hadn't been alone for long when Sam joined her. He apologized for being late; he had a last-minute errand to take care of. Bella dismissed it, telling him not to worry about it.

"Are you not having a good time?" He asked, trying to mask his worry.

Bella rushed to reassure him. "Oh no, no. On the contrary. I really am having a good time." Sam nodded, smiling softly. "I wanted to get some fresh air away from the party if it makes sense."

Sam nodded again. "It does. Do you mind having some company?"

She shook her head. "Not at all."

When she met Sam, she learned that he wasn't as outgoing as Jared and Paul seemed to be. He was quieter, although he was still rambunctious. She liked them. They made easy conversation while walking along the shore. Bella wondered if Sam didn't want to be at the bonfire instead of walking with her alone on the beach. She felt a little asocial.

"Do you want to go to the bonfire?" She motioned with her finger to the group of people laughing and talking. Sam shrugged; it was her choice. She might be going out more, but he still felt as if she needed more time. She eyed him speculatively. "What's with the shrug?" Why was she being so rude?

Sam didn't mind a little bit of backbone, though, because he smiled. "I'm not that into big crowds." Bella didn't mention that the few people who remained wouldn't be considered a big crowd. "If you don't mind the company, I prefer to keep walking."

Bella bit the inside of her cheek. She enjoyed his company. He was very smart, relaxed, and said what he thought. He didn't have the need to fill the small silences that formed now and then between them; he simply let them exist until something popped up in his mind to ask or to comment. She learned things about herself that she hadn't allowed herself to acknowledge.

She learned she really despised the cold, she preferred the warmth, she loved a sunny sky, and overcast skies made her feel trapped. She liked simple conversations, like whether or not she knew how to surf, or if she liked the sea, or which animal was her favorite. Much to Sam's amusement, she admitted that she has always loved wolves. Since she was little, every stuffed animal her mom gave her was a variation of different wolves.

Sam, in turn, told her about his own mother and his stuffed animals. He liked to collect any superhero stuff puppet. But he particularly treasured a stuffed elephant he didn't know where it came from. He still had it. He said he wanted his first child to have it eventually. He didn't say that the more he talked to her, the more he understood why she was his imprint. He genuinely liked her. She was smart, a bit shy, and her eyes were still shadowed from time to time, but they were happier than the day she went to his house with thank you cookies. He knew it was a slow process, and he was willing to help her see that there is a world out there and is worth smiling for.

He made plans in his head for the following weekend. He'd plan a barbeque at his place with the pack and her and Bella's friend. He would be pleased to see her again, and the guys were goofballs that would make her laugh and forget about the dark things of life.

He was about to word his plans when Jacob came running to them. They were getting closer to the bonfire without realizing it. They stopped completely to let Jacob reach them.

"Hey, Bella." He ignored Sam completely; he didn't mind; he was used to it. "Do you want me to take you home?"

Sam looked at Bella confused. Did they come together? But he noticed her frown and the slight tilt of her head, signaling her confusion.

"Why would I want that?" Her tone was light and sweet.

"Angela is making out with Paul, and it looks like it's not going to stop soon. And the only ones left are Jared, some girl, Paul, and Angela." Bella smiled inwardly at the information of Angela making out with Paul. That escalated quickly. But Angela seemed to genuinely like Paul, so she was happy, and she would expect the entire gossip by tomorrow.

Bella had come with Angela, and if she ended up going to Paul's, she would need a ride. But she didn't want to go just yet. She was enjoying her time with Sam. She hadn't thought of any sad thoughts. It was like he chased them away. She wasn't sad, broken, or angry when she spoke with him. She was entirely at ease as if she's known him forever.

"I can take you home later if you want." He whispered in her ear, enjoying how she got goosebumps on the skin of her neck and how her mouth opened slightly. This was an interesting reaction.

Bella felt butterflies for the first time since her first 'date' with Edward. But these butterflies were different. These weren't the scared, excited ones. These were the 'I'm completely comfortable with you, you're warm and funny, and handsome. And I want to like you and for you to like me.' It was such a normal thing to do that she didn't need to think about what the right answer was.

"Thank you, Sam. That'd be great." They looked in the eyes, and she gasped inaudibly. There was something in his eyes, something so profound, so earthily beautiful.

Jacob growled and turned away, for once deciding against starting an argument.

…

…

After Jacob left, Sam and Bella took a seat in one fallen log that was miraculously dry. She laughed while telling him stories of her failed attempts at being a ballerina. How her teacher made her stand in the back of the class, a bit away from her friends, so that whenever she fell, she wouldn't take the other girls with her again.

Sam laughed with her but laughed harder when she said that her balance hadn't improved with time. "If anything, it got worse." She admitted without remorse, without shame, without feeling inferior by admitting her weakness. It felt…fantastic. "This feels so freeing."

"Admitting you're clumsy?" He asked, confused.

She shook her head. "Not in itself." She took in a breath and prepared to admit something that made her feel a tiny bit guilty, but that she knew one hundred percent that it would free her. "With Edward, it was like I always needed to feel strong, to prove that I was graceful, in any sense of the word. I hated any clumsy moment because it reminded me of the differences between us. I didn't like that."

Sam understood the unspoken words. He was a vampire, physically superior than any human, more graceful and enchanting than any other creature, including wolves. Were wolves were strong, vampires were graceful. She was a clumsy human dating a graceful, strong vampire. She felt inferior by the most notorious differences between them. Admitting to him that she was clumsy felt freeing because she felt she could be herself with him. She could get out of that shell she'd put herself in when she was dating the leech.

"I understand." And he did—both the unspoken words and her spoken ones. "I was never clumsy like you said you've been. But I've had my fair share of accidents." He shrugged. Leah didn't like his callous hands. He wondered how'd she react to what he did as a hobby and as a profession of sorts. "I work with wood. I make small crafts to big pieces of furniture. Or any accessories that require wood. I have my clients on the reservation who constantly want new things or want me to update their pieces. So, I work with tools like saws, and electric equipment, which require concentration and accuracy. I've cut myself, stabbed myself countless times. There was a time I had to stop my business for three weeks because I opened the palm of my hand." He showed her the small scar on his left hand. She traced the rough edges like in a trance. She noticed his calloused hands, but she didn't mind them. Those could be worked on with special skincare and massages. She'd been studying in her free time certain massage techniques to loosen up injuries. It was her way of trying to see if physiotherapy would be a world she could get into.

…

…

…

Eventually, the night ended, and Bella saw that Paul and Angela were the only ones left at the bonfire. Once Sam and she made their presence be known, Angela stood up and walked towards Bella. It turns out she was waiting for her to finish to go home. She had brought Bella to the bonfire, and she was bringing her back. Paul understood that and understood what that also meant; she was not having sex with him the first day they met. Kissing was one thing; that was harmless teasing.

Sam told them about the barbeque next weekend, and both girls agreed.

"Can I stay at your place tonight, Bella? I'm drained, and I don't want to drive home." It was late, closer to one in the morning. She wondered why Charlie hadn't called her freaking out.

"Of course you can."

Once home, Charlie was snoring contentedly in his room. She shook him a little to let him know she and Angela were home and that everything was good. He mumbled a few barely coherent words.

"Ang?" Bella called once both girls were settled in their respective sleeping arrangements.

"Yes?"

"I think I like him." She confessed. It didn't open the hole in her chest as she'd feared. In fact, the hole in her chest was mysteriously missing. She couldn't say she missed it, though, because she felt like she could breathe again.

"Sam?"

"Yeah."

Angela smiled against her pillow.

"He never left your side. He must like you too."

It was Bella's turn to smile. "I know."