I've made a lot of decisions in my life—some that most people would gawk at for being almost twenty. I chose to be with my soulmate at just eighteen. Well, he kind of chose me first. I chose to move across the country to attend a fancy school, something very few have done in my community. Well, I guess the school kind of chose me, but I did everything to get there at least. I chose my friends, the best people I could find, and I chose to be a part of my found family that is this pack. But, thinking about it now, I might have just been at the right place at the right time. Becks saw me sitting alone in second grade and asked if I wanted to draw butterflies with her. Keye tripped over my extended foot in middle school and called me an asshole. And the pack…they didn't really have a choice whether to accept me or not and I guess neither did I. The choices I've made don't really feel like choices at all—is that bad?


"Jacob's running you ragged," Maya said softly, threading her hands through Paul's messy hair and rubbing her nails gently across his scalp. She had no idea when the last time he had a haircut was. Paul was looking at her through half lids and dark bags hung prominently beneath his warm brown eyes. She ran her index finger lightly across them and he closed them completely, breathing out a sigh of contentment.

"He's panicked right now. If it were you, and I thought some bloodsuckers were coming to town specifically for you, I'd be crazy too. Probably worse actually," he said in a muffled voice, his face half pressed into the pillow, eyes closed. Both of his arms were slotted underneath the pillow to cradle his head, making his biceps look massive in the low light.

"Probably worse," Maya echoed with a small smile as she leaned to kiss his shoulder, tracing absently across his face as his breath evened out again. She frowned. After months of being apart, they were now sidelined to this—Paul being too tired to do much of anything.

This had been the cycle of the past two weeks: Paul would be out running rounds for 12+ hours, come home and snag a couple of hours of sleep, wake up and do it again or squeeze in some work or shuffle Maya to and from Becks' or Keye's or her parent's house. They'd barely spoken, they'd barely touched, and their sex life had become non-existent. Paul was wound so tightly by the frantic mood of his brothers with the impending return of the Cullen's that he could focus on little else.

And Maya had tried. Boy, had she tried. She'd snuck into the shower only to have him chuckle gently, kiss the top of her head and step out having finished washing off quickly to get some sleep. She'd reached over the center console and stroked his thigh as they made their way to Becks, but he'd grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss. She'd made him dinner and made up the table, only to watch him scarf it down over the sink and promptly pass out on the couch. He had been stuck in a one-track mind for two weeks straight and she was getting tired of it.

Maya hoped this intense game of running rounds for an enemy that might not even be coming wouldn't last much longer. She was hoping beyond hope they would still be allowed to get off the reservation, just for a week together, to get some distance, like Paul had promised, but as the time ticked on with no indication of mention of it, that hope was slowly fading. She'd even asked Michael if Paul had mentioned scheduling plane tickets to somewhere, but Michael said Paul was holding off on any travel until further notice—not even to Seattle.

"Paul?" Maya said barely above a whisper. He grunted in response and she leaned across his broad shoulder to connect her lips to his. He responded half heartedly, opening his mouth and letting his tongue glide across her lower lip. Maya's heart rate picked up in sheer anticipation but then, he stopped. His breathing evened out and when Maya slowly pulled back she realized he was out. He'd fallen asleep on her, mid-kiss. She smoothed her finger over his eyebrows and watched as his face stayed closed in sleep before laying her head down to watch him sleep a little while.


Maya shut the passenger side door to her Jeep with a little more force than usual as Paul clicked the key fob and locked it before meeting her at the front of the car and setting his hand on her lower back.

She felt two. Being dropped off and picked up from a friend's house day after day when she didn't want to stay home. But it was the only thing Paul felt comfortable with—her at home, at parent's house, or Becks'. She wasn't even allowed to run errands alone. But Maya was trying. She understood the stress the pack was under, saw it on their faces and in how they clutched their imprints. The last time the Cullens had been here, it had ended nearly in a war with an ancient vampire coven. One that would have surely ended in a lot of casualties. She understood why they were on edge, but she was still frustrated and struggling to hide it as the days ticked on, constantly under watch.

Paul opened the door for her to Becks and Jacob's home and as usual there was a buzz of activity within. At least here there was always someone to talk to. Still, she immediately felt Paul tense up beside her and she glanced up at him. His jaw ticked and his grip slipped to her waist. He always did this—as soon as the possibility of leaving her loomed closer, he'd hold onto her a little tighter. If Maya was being honest, it was the most action she'd gotten in two weeks. Her hand went to cover his hand on her waist and she placed the other on his jaw, attempting to smooth the tightness there. He glanced down at her as they walked into the kitchen that opened into the spacious, high-windowed living room before leaning down and giving her a soft peck.

"Finally," Jacob said distantly as he reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Paul. Becks was already laid up on the large U-shaped couch, her feet propped up on the plush ottoman as Embry stood off to the side fiddling with the remote. Guess he's on guard duty today, Maya thought. Jacob always stationed at least one member of the pack at the house, but that didn't stop him from checking in with Becks every couple of hours via phone to see how she was feeling. Becks had admitted it was a little intense, but she had conceded to quell Jacob's anxiety.

"I think it's best to just go with it for now," Becks had said. And Maya had nodded—she'd go with it, too. For now.

"Who's out on rounds?" Paul said curiously, not quite letting go of Maya yet. She didn't protest and leaned into his side more, reveling in the pleasing squeeze he gave her waist in response. Jacob leaned down from behind the couch to kiss the side of Becks' face as she munched on some cereal.

"Quil, Jeremy, Seth, and Sam tapped in last night to help," Jacob grabbed the oversized Stanley jug and crossed to the kitchen to fill it up with water for Becks. Maya raised an eyebrow. It was out of character for Sam to run rounds now after Emily had had her fourth. Plus, he was for lack of a better term, retired at this point.

"Sam?" Paul asked, voicing Maya's confusion.

"You want ice, honey?" Jacob asked Becks before he looked toward Paul.

"Yes please!" she replied.

"He tapped in to help when Becks wasn't feeling well last night," Jacob confirmed as he walked back over and deposited the cup next to Becks. He leaned down again to kiss the top of her head, resting his hand gently on top of her bellow and stroking his thumb back and forth for a second. "I'll check-in in a bit," he said lowly. Becks turned her face up to briefly peck his lips and cup his jaw. Jacob gave her that warm, sunny smile and leaned forward to kiss her again.

"Okay, good luck out there," she said nonchalantly. Maya could tell she was over this sentinel watch as well.

"You ready?" Jacob said, standing straight and looking toward Paul.

"Sure thing," he replied noncommittally. Maya looked up at him, a wanton look of boredom on her face. Paul gave her an amused grin as his eyes roamed her face, "Stay put. If you want to go home before I come to get you tonight, ask Embry."

"Yeah, yeah," Maya said to his same old tired spiel. He chuckled and kissed her forehead. Maya grabbed onto his wrists and tilted her head up and he softly kissed her before abruptly letting her go and jogging toward the door after Jacob. Maya felt winded.

She watched as they discarded their shirts and jogged off toward the treeline before crossing the short distance to the couch before plopping down next to Becks with a great sigh. Becks finished her cereal and looked over at Maya.

"Oh, it can't be as bad as that," she joked alluding to Maya's sigh. Maya leaned her head back on the headrest of the couch and stared at the ceiling.

"How much longer do you think they're going to keep this up?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Becks said, wiping some crumbs off her round belly.

"These extensive rounds, the supervised visits, the house arrest," Maya crossed her arms.

"I don't know. He doesn't seem to be letting up like I thought he would," Becks said a little forlornly. "I barely see him right now."

"Tell me about it. I haven't gotten laid in two weeks and have a perpetually exhausted boyfriend. I'm starting to think we're not getting out of here for my birthday, as planned," she said.

"I wouldn't count on it," Embry said not too unkindly. Maya pulled her head up and grimaced at Embry who was flipping through the channels to find something for them to watch. It wasn't his fault, she knew that, but Maya was getting to the end of her rope pretty quick. Becks' phone chimed next to her and she leaned awkwardly to grab it.

"Already?" Maya said. "Sorry," she amended grumpily. Becks shot her a warm smile and waved her off.

"It's fine. I feel partially responsible for your lockdown, so I understand why you're not your usual bright and shiny self," she was typing a reply to Jacob and quickly closed her phone before turning her body with great effort to face Maya. "What's all this about no sex?"

Maya groaned, "He's so fucking tired and when he is awake he's almost avoiding me? Not exactly avoiding me, I guess, but you saw," Maya motioned toward the front door, "All sweet and lovey and then boom. Gone."

"Hmmm," Becks said, seriously considering it, "He's clearly stressed. Even when you're standing right next to him he's glancing at you every five seconds like you're going to disappear," she said. Maya looked at her confused.

"I feel invisible to him right now," she quipped.

Becks shrugged, "Just saying. He's hyper aware of you. With being as cooped up as you have been, he's probably thinking you're going to bolt." Maya sucked in a sharp breath and tried to keep her face even. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't been thinking about planning some kind of escape. Even just a small outing to Port Angeles for a couple of hours. "You're not planning on bolting are you?" Becks teased. Maya rolled her eyes and hopped off the couch to go grab a drink.

"How could I? Someone's always watching and I wouldn't be able to step a foot outside the rez without one of the wolves seeing what with these constant rounds," she popped open the fridge and dug around for a sparkling water, "Do you want anything?"

"Umm, some carrots and hummus maybe?"

"Didn't that give you insane heartburn last week?" Embry raised an eyebrow.

"Shut up," Becks quipped. "How are the intern applications going?" Becks quickly changed the subject to avoid some squabble with Embry and to hopefully lift Maya's spirits no doubt, but Maya just winced.

"I brought my laptop over to keep working on some, but I don't know…"

"You don't know? Maya Sunriviere doesn't know?" Becks let out a small, quiet laugh. Maya arranged some carrots around the tub of fancy organic hummus and started slicing some cucumbers.

"It's not that easy. An internship is going to consume my entire life here. I might not be able to come home for summer or any breaks. It's a shit ton of work and I…I'm trying to balance. Paul and I feel out of sync for most of the year and an internship would just drive the wedge deeper." Maya had been struggling with her internship applications. Technically they weren't due until the end of the year, but with her impending workload and some of the early reviewal boards asking for applications, not to mention the urging of her professors, Maya couldn't put it off.

She and Paul had barely found a rhythm and now with the expectation that she should take on an internship next summer leading into her junior year, it all felt like too much. In her field, an internship was expected to gain real life experience, network, and get in good with a company she'd ultimately sidle up to a job for eventually.

"Is Paul still planning on renting a spot in the city for you two at least?" Becks said as Maya came over with the plate of veggies and hummus and took a sip of her sparkling water.

"I think so, we haven't really gotten to talk about anything since this happened," Maya plopped down next to her and snagged a cucumber. "Can you talk to Jacob again? See if he'll just let up a little bit? I really need to get out of here—with Paul, preferably."

It was Becks' turn to frown as she dipped a carrot in hummus and sighed, "I can try, but it didn't go so hot the last time. He's usually pretty reasonable, but this Cullen stuff has really got him spooked. He's not telling me the whole story, that's for sure," at this, she glared at Embry who was seated in the cushy armchair by the fireplace.

"Hey, don't look at me," he said as he watched The Princess Bride opening credits roll. Outside, the thunder roiled overhead, dampening Maya's mood even further.

"Work on those applications," Becks admonished. "For the both of us, please." She said that last part with a gentle smile and Maya gave another resigned sigh before grabbing her bag and yanking her laptop free.


Maya had the distinct feeling of being lifted from the couch. It had been hours. At some point in the night she had drifted off after Becks had gone up to bed following their movie marathon. Embry had left to run the small perimeter outside of the house and the low light of the outdoor flickering garden lamps had been enough to lull her off to sleep.

Low voices carried in and out of her consciousness and she felt cradled against a searing chest. She leaned into it, already knowing who the chest belonged to and the warm broad arms that encircled her. Maya was so tired and so very warm that opening her eyes and walking on her own seemed like the furthest thing from her mind to do. The voices were at least trying to keep their volume low in the interest of the sleeping household, but Maya distinctly heard Paul's warm tone rumbling through his chest where her ear was pressed.

"—do this anymore," he had said, "There's been no sign of them for over two weeks. Have you tried just calling Bella? Or asking Charlie?" Maya's interest piqued at that. They were talking about the Cullens. Jacob's voice was harder to hear but she did hear him say:

"It's not that simple. Just take a couple days off." Paul's arms shifted underneath her slightly and she heard him sigh. So, he was just as tired of running rounds as she was at watching him go on them. He was trying to convince Jacob to loosen his hold on the pack just a little bit and relax, for everyone's sake. It brought Maya some relief, but still, it didn't seem like he was listening.

"I'll see you in a couple days then," Paul conceded.

But Maya could hear a disgruntled tone laced in with his hesitant compliance. He shifted her backpack onto one of his shoulders and carried her out to the car without further conversation and when he placed her gently in the passenger seat, leaning over her to buckle her in, Maya opened her eyes and smiled at him sleepily. "Hey there, Sleeping Beauty," he said warmly, sweeping a hand gently across her face and pushing some loose waves away from her cheeks. His thumb and forefinger landed beneath her chin and he held her there for a moment before leaning in tentatively for a soft, excruciatingly tantalizing kiss that sent Maya's heart thumping.

She grasped onto his wrist, hoping to hold him there for just a bit longer as she arched her body up and leaned into the kiss. She was so hungry—for his touch, his mouth, everything. And when he responded ever so slightly, pressing his mouth more forcefully down upon hers and letting his long fingers cup her jaw, she couldn't stop a small moan from escaping her throat. He was holding her face to his, giving her what she had been so desperate for for the past two weeks and they were quickly reaching a crescendo, their panting evident of their rising heart beats, pulsing in time together as the heat began to pool between her legs. But all too quickly, he pulled back as if tempering himself.

She looked at him in disappointment and confusion when he pulled back.

"Let's go home, yeah?" He shut the passenger door and jogged to the driver's side before quickly getting them on the dirt road and heading home. "How was your night?" he tried nonchalantly.

"Mmm, mmm," Maya protested weakly, "How was your night?" Paul shook his head.

"Fine, Jacob's getting a little out of hand with these rounds," he glanced over at her then, "I know it hasn't been the most fun. For either of us."

Maya reached across the console and grabbed one of his hands from the steering wheel, "Becks is gonna try to work on him, but she's not hopeful. Maybe once the baby is here he can take a step back from the pack and you can sub in for a bit."

"That's the plan," he said somewhat dismissively.

"I know that's not what you want," she leaned her head back on the headrest and watched the lamplights splash across his face as he navigated them down the wet main road. He shrugged and Maya turned her head to look out the windshield.

"At least we'll get the next couple of days together, uninterrupted," he promised.

"At least there's that," Maya said unconvincingly. This couldn't last forever—this terse and unending suspension of an impending visit—could it? Someone had to make the first move and something told Maya that it wouldn't be Jacob making that decision. If they could just figure out what it was the Cullen's wanted, maybe it wouldn't be as bad as Jacob was making it out to be. They weren't violent on all accounts, but their sudden re-animated interest in Jacob's life so soon after he had left them did seem a bit suspicious. Was it just Bella reaching out? Was there another motive? Maya was tired of the unanswered questions and she was tired of not having her life for the very limited amount of time that she was here during the summer with Paul.

So maybe it was time to get some answers.


Maya woke up in just her panties and the fitted white t-shirt she was wearing yesterday. She was honestly more disappointed that she wasn't entirely naked. But Paul had ushered her up to bed and promptly fallen asleep with her wrapped up onto his chest before she could even try to bring her peppering of kisses up to his lips.

She leaned up to see Paul still deep in sleep. She reached across him to tap his phone awake—9:34 a.m. It was the latest either of them had slept in in weeks and Maya groaned with happiness as she settled back onto Paul's bare chest, letting her eyes slip closed for another moment. Just the sheer thought of getting laid this morning had her aching already and she couldn't help the involuntary buck her hips gave as she felt Paul stir next to her. Maya's lips were pressed to his neck making her way across his chest and up his throat to his chin before finally landing softly on his lips.

He left out a soft groan of appreciation and tightened his grip on her hip. "Good morning," he said around her lips. Maya couldn't help from giggling, the feeling of excitement thrumming between her legs, the voice in her head yelling Finally! Finally!

"Good morning," Maya replied into Paul's mouth, refusing to break the kiss as her hand coasted down his chest and slipped beneath the waistband of his sleep pants.

"Uh, haha," he responded, twisting somewhat away from her but not enough that she couldn't take the length of him in her hand and sigh with satisfaction. "Are you hungry?" he said almost in a rushed tone.

"You could say that," Maya said mischievously as she started to pump his hardening length and pressed her lips back to his. He gave another short laugh and then pushed himself up into a sitting position, taking Maya with him and pulling her hand from his pants.

"I'll make us some breakfast," he braced her shoulders to still her and then kissed her nose. Maya watched incredulously as he slipped off the bed and was out the door and down the stairs.

"Paul!" Maya called out in disbelief. But she was only met with the clattering of pots and pans below.

What the hell was happening? That was definitely a brush off and she could see absolutely no reason for it. He wasn't still mad at her about the Noah thing was he? No, he'd said as much. So why was he shirking her advances? Maya sat in stunned silence for too long before getting up and padding her way downstairs, determined.

"Paul." She said again, this time more forcefully as she rounded into the kitchen. He was busy whisking eggs and mixing in flour for some pancakes.

"Hey babe, can you grab the blueberries from the fridge?" He said distractedly.

"Paul!" she said with more vigor. He glanced over his shoulder at her and gave her a confused look.

"What?"

"What do you mean 'What'?! What the hell was that upstairs?" she was annoyed to say the least and that was clear in her tone.

"I don't know what you mean." He brushed her off again and Maya bristled. Was this some kind of game?

"Bullshit! What the hell is going on?" She crossed the short distance in the kitchen to stand next to him.

"Maya, what? It's nothing, and you've totally pushed me off before, too. It's not a big deal," he dismissed. Maya's mouth hung open in shock. "Can you grab the blueberries please? Your pancakes will be ready in just a second."

"I don't want pancakes!" Maya felt very much like she was on the edge of some sort of tantrum but this was absurd. Her boyfriend wouldn't have sex with her and she had no idea why and wouldn't talk to her. "I want you." She tried.

"Okay," he said gently. "But can you get the blueberries first?" He gave her a soft look, a small smile quirked his lips to one side.

Maya let out a frustrated sound and stomped over to the fridge. Paul chuckled under his breath and when she slammed the blueberry package down on the counter he was quick to amend.

"Maya, okay. I'm sorry, babe. That was clearly an advance upstairs, but I've just got a lot on my mind right now okay? It's not personal," he tried to placate her with his somewhat amused tone but something didn't quite ring true. Maya narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

"It sure feels personal," she grumbled before she turned swiftly on her heel and headed to the downstairs bathroom. She slammed the door behind her and quickly locked it but she didn't have to. Paul didn't come after her.

She leaned against the door and groaned in frustration. Why did she feel driven to insane lengths just to seduce her boyfriend? And even when he gave her a legitimate reason as to why he wasn't feeling it at the moment, she couldn't accept it? Maya felt like an idiot. But still, there was something nagging at her as if Paul wasn't telling her the whole truth. He felt awkward, stand-offish, and very unlike himself. She wondered if the constant stress of these rounds was really getting to him.

She should be patient. Maya crossed the short cool stone to turn on the oversized tub and quickly undressed. She twisted her hair up into a heavy duty clip and once the steaming water filled the majority of the tub, she slipped into the water. Taking some deep, calming breaths, Maya tried to convince herself to relax. If they did have a couple of days together, she needed to make the most of it. Whatever was bothering Paul, she decided she wasn't even going to dig right now. He had said he had a lot on his mind, and she just needed to leave it at that. Maya squeezed her eyes tighter together in annoyance.

She could leave him be, but the thrumming between her legs was incessant. Paul hadn't touched her in weeks and she realized now she didn't take too well to being denied.

Patience.

Another deep breath in and out and…the tension in her shoulders still hung tight as she tried to think of relaxing thoughts. La Push beach. The warmth of Emily's living room filled with laughter. Sleeping next to Paul on a lazy afternoon as rain fell gently outside leaving a foggy mist. Maya felt her hand rest softly on her belly as she tried to focus on her breathing. She tried to pull more relaxing thoughts from her subconscious: The short and winding drive on the outskirts of the reservation. Paul's warm broad hand gripping her thigh as the sun set. His warm, radiant smile that sent shivers down her spine. The feeling of his soft breath dancing across her neck and shoulder as he teased her. His whispers in her ear from behind as he cupped her breast, her mound, tugging her by her waist to press tight against him. Maya's mouth fell open involuntarily in a soft sigh. The warm water lulled her into a dreamy state and before she knew it, her hand had nestled between her legs.

Arching her back as if on instinct, Maya let her fingers slip delicately between her folds, the warmth of the tub already offering her slick purchase. She swirled her fingers around her clit, stroking down to her opening and letting one, then two fingers slip inside of her. Maya bit her lip as she thought of Paul's strong arms wrapped around her as he thrust above her, watching her come apart for him. Maya whined, the feeling of her own digits not enough to satiate her after having Paul for so long. The last time she had touched herself, she had been tucked away in her dorm room, her wet center illuminated by the soft glow of her laptop as she listened to Paul tell her what to do: "Just like that, baby. Show me." He had said while pumping his hand around his thick cock on the other side of the screen.

Now, she was home and not 20 feet away from her sat Paul. Her hand ached with how quickly she was stroking herself. Her other hand tugged at one taut nipple and she bucked her hips causing a gentle sloshing of water around her. Another louder moan escaped her lips and she felt herself nearly there. With another too loud whine that echoed around her, Maya felt her center flood with heat, the tension in her shoulders ebbing. She panted quietly as she regained her thoughts, the ache temporarily dispelled. But it wasn't enough. Not by a long shot.

"Fuck," Maya said before submerging her head underneath the water.


After spending far too long getting pruney in the tub and brushing out her thick hair, Maya wrapped herself in a towel and padded out into the kitchen. Paul was sitting on the couch, his laptop perched in his lap as he answered emails. He didn't even look up when Maya came out. She crossed to the counter where a semi warm stack of pancakes was waiting for her and plopped two onto a plate. Leaning against the counter, she watched him carefully, only able to see his determined profile as he typed away quickly.

Maya ate slowly, watching the faint tic of his jaw as he concentrated on the screen before him. Once she finished her pancakes, she placed her plate in the sink and crossed slowly over to him. She should be patient, she knew. But he was holding something back and he had promised there would be no secrets between them. She stood in front of him and he didn't immediately look up.

When he did, Maya sucked some residual blueberry juice off of her thumb.

"Hey," he said, lifting an eyebrow.

"Hi," she said gently. Maya loosened the towel around her and let it drop to the floor. His eyes were glued to her naked form and she could already see the dark, lusty look come over him.

"Maya, what—" he stated, a look of confusion on his face. She reached into his lap and took the laptop, shutting it and tossing it gently aside onto the couch next to them. Then, Maya straddled him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips hungrily to his before he had another second to protest.

He responded almost instantly, those warm arms wrapping tightly around her and hugging her frame to him. Paul's hands dropped to her hips, his thumbs found the soft press where her thigh creased at her hips and he held tightly there. Her mouth opened for him and he slid his tongue across her, the familiar taste of him flooding her mouth and sending a gentle thrum of contentedness to her brain.

As he pulled her hips closer to his, Maya began to grind softly over his clothed crotch. Paul let loose a groan that sent a thrill through Maya. It doesn't take him long before his hands drifted to each globe of her ass to help her grind more firmly on him.

She lets one hand slide slowly down his chest and makes quick work unfastening his jeans and slipping her hand inside. She felt the satisfying weight of him in her palm and when she closed her hand tightly around him, he jerked upward involuntary.

"Maya," he said between gritted teeth as she started to pump him, running her thumb across his silky tip and spreading the warm bead of moisture there for her.

Maya pulled back to from their heady continued to kiss to watch his face transform. He was awestruck, enamored, but mostly he looked desperate for her. She grinned wickedly, pulling him free of his jeans and pressed his tip to her opening, letting her slick mix with his as he let out a guttural growl. Paul was gripping her ass hard, trying to tug her down onto him and she wouldn't last much longer teasing him. Maya leaned up quickly before sinking down slowly onto his shaft and they groaned together as he sheathed himself within her. Pitching forward, she pressed her forehead to his and gripped the back of his neck. Maya began to roll her hips on him only managing to lift up halfway before he was slamming her back down onto his lap.

Her pants were coming fast and heavy now as her thighs burned with the delicious effort of bouncing on him. "Please. Please. Please Paul," she begged—she didn't even know what for at that moment, but Paul clearly knew. His mouth formed a pleasing "O" shape as he watched her full tits brush against his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and jerked to a standing position, holding her up and to him.

"Fuck, My," he gasped before he pitched forward onto his knees and laying her onto the soft, plush living room rug. "You think I couldn't hear you in there? Touching yourself?" He pounded into her now at this angle, pulling her thigh up and spreading her open wider. Maya's eyes rolled back into her head, "You drive me fucking crazy, Maya." He grunted as he braced himself with one arm and pressed her thigh open with the other. He angled his hips just so and Maya arched off of the carpet with a loud whine. Paul dipped his head immediately to bite and suck at her exposed neck and shoulder, rutting faster into her.

Maya was a woman possessed. Her heart hammered in her chest and she raked her nails down his shoulder blades as she skyrocketed toward release. She was incoherently babbling his name, and their slick, sweat covered bodies rubbing warmly against one another.

Maya heard his grunts turn into painfully sweet moans as he pushed toward his release and his rhythm began to stutter in her. With another sweet gasp, watching his face dissolve into pure bliss, Maya crested her high and let her release snap. She shuddered, her thighs shaking as she came around him. Maya felt him twitch within her, stuffing her full.

As he came down too, he collapsed a little on top of her, but still braced himself up on his arm to keep most of his weight off of her. He panted softly against the side of her face, planting lazy kisses along her cheek and jaw. Maya held onto the back of his neck and turned her face to kiss him again, this time sated.

"Was that so bad?" she teased tracing her finger along the line of his stubble. He laughed, light filling his eyes as he shook his head slowly.

"You're gonna kill me, you know that?" Maya nodded seriously and then burst into giggles as Paul buried his face into her neck groaning sweetly.


The rest of the day, Maya and Paul spent tangled up in one another. She felt some of the tension release in him but he was still holding something back. At some point in the late afternoon, Maya had dozed off. And when she woke, the bed was empty and she heard soft sounds coming from the kitchen.

When she made her way down to the kitchen dressed only in Paul's oversized t-shirt, she saw him fully dressed and stacking things into a picnic basket.

"What's this?" Maya said curiously as she came around him to peer into the basket.

"We're going on a romantic getaway," Paul said. Maya immediately lit up, sucking in a breath. Maybe they were leaving after all, "Down to La Push beach." He continued stuffing the basket with food, wine, fancy cheese, and Maya's favorite dark chocolate pretzels. She tried not to deflate too much when he mentioned La Push beach.

"Okay," she said softly.

"Go get ready," he patted her hip and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. Despite the too close locale, he seemed pretty excited. Maya wasn't going to squash that.

Ten minutes later, Maya was dressed in a short white fitted sundress that fanned out gently around her thighs. She walked hand in hand with Paul down to the beach and watched with pink tinged cheeks as he spread out the blanket for them to sit on.

The sun was slowly setting and the waves rolled gently on the shore. The pebbled beach glittered in the summer light and Maya breathed a sigh of relief.

They dug into the picnic and Maya laughed as Paul joked with her about a recent client call he had. As Paul poured her the remainder of the wine, she decided to take a chance.

"So, I was thinking. If we can't go too far from the rez, maybe we could do a quick trip to Victoria? Michael said the tickets were reasonable and we both have our passports and the dock has a more relaxed checkpoint." Maya sipped her wine and watched as Paul looked out over the ocean.

"Maya," he began slowly, letting his gaze fall down to the blankout.

"Oh, come on Paul, I know you think these extra rounds are ridiculous. And once Becks has the baby, you really think he's going to let up enough for us to get out of here for awhile? They can manage for a few days without you," Maya pleaded. Paul looked at her sadly and shook his head.

"It's just, not a good time right now, babe," he dismissed.

"What does that mean?" Maya quipped. "Nothing has happened, Paul. Nothing! They might not even be coming and I'm convinced that they don't actually mean Becks or Jacob any harm. If they did, why wouldn't they just ambush them? Instead of sending a note announcing their arrival? That's a piss poor murder plot," she coaxed.

"You don't understand how these…people," he struggled, "Work, Maya. It doesn't matter if they tell us they're coming, it's still enough of a threat even with the heads up."

"So, we're just trapped here all summer in this cycle of you being too stressed out to fucking touch me and me banging my head against a wall." She was irked now. Paul grimaced. "It's fucking infuriating, Paul."

"Don't, Maya." He said firmly.

"Don't what?" her voice raised slightly and the disgruntled look careening toward irritation pushed her over the edge. She was mad now.

When he just silently stared at her, anger just under the surface bubbling at something unsaid, Maya couldn't take it anymore.

"Guess we're back to square one," she snipped.

"Jesus, My, come on," Paul groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Just work with me here."

"That's all I do, Paul! My life is you and this place when I'm not at school. And now I can't even have that. What am I supposed to say?" she shouted. Paul grimaced and shook his head looking out over the ocean, "I've been accommodating since I got here. I've been maintaining the house, Becks' house, organizing shit for everyone else to do once the baby gets here, trying to take care of you and have meals ready… And I've been very patient..with you."

"I wanted this to go differently," he was speaking through gritted teeth now trying to keep his cool as he rubbed his hand against his thigh. He wouldn't meet Maya's eyes.

"What do you mean?" Maya's eyes narrowed, her voice piqued in cloaked suspicion.

"Let's just go. I don't want to do this here," He said with disappointment, ending the conversation. He stood and held his hand out to her. But Maya wasn't having it.

She was frustrated as she fought tears that were threatening to break free, shoving the remnants of their picnic back in the basket.

"Maya, just leave it baby, I'll come get it later," Paul grasped her arm and she shook free of him to his frustration. "Maya!" he snapped. She jerked into a standing position and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't be a dick because I'm upset that I can't have one normal moment with you while I'm home. It's not fair, Paul and you know it. This bullshit Jacob is pulling is way off base and you won't even acknowledge it. You won't even talk to me about it. So, go run and tell your alpha that you don't need time off anyway since you're not really here anyway," Maya said angrily as she turned to head back up the path toward home, slinging the picnic basket over her shoulder and the bundled up blanket in her arms.

Paul didn't immediately follow, but rather he stayed on the beach, hands on top of his head as he felt himself boil with anger, fatigue, and everything he wanted to say but couldn't.


Maya's phone buzzed gently around 2 a.m. She was on alert however, her emotions on high. After her argument with Paul on the beach, she had gone upstairs and locked the bedroom door. She was feeling trapped and restless—a nasty combination. She didn't hear Paul come back into the house so she assumed he had taken her advice and returned to Jacob. Fine.

Still, she secretly hoped he would call and relieve the anxiety that had filled her for most of the night before she fell into a fitful sleep. Without even looking at the caller I.D., Maya groggily answered with: "Paul?"

"Maya," it was Becks, but it sounded like she was speaking in just above a whisper.

"Becks? You okay?" Maya sat up in bed and swung her legs out from under the covers, "Is the baby coming?"

"No, not yet," she said quickly. There was a long pause, so much so that Maya raised an eyebrow.

"Okay? What's wrong?" her anxiety was starting to increase as she waited with bated breath.

"I…I need your help with something," she said cryptically.

"What's going on? Are you in trouble?" Maya was up on her feet and already across the room to her dresser to pull on some pants. She could call Paul on the way.

"No, no nothing like that," she said quickly.

"Then what's with the spy voice?" Maya said with a tinge of annoyance, stopping her frantic dressing.

"I don't want Seth to overhear. He's patrolling the perimeter right now, but you can't be too careful." Maya understood that.

"Becks, are you sure you're okay? You're kind of freaking me out," Maya pulled on her pants anyway and tied her hair up in a ponytail.

"Maya, I need to know that you'll help me with this and not tell anyone. Not Keye, not Paul, and especially not Jacob," Becks warned. Maya rolled her eyes. As if she'd tell Jacob anything at this point.

"Fine, yes, I promise," she responded quickly, "So, what is it?"

"I need you to get me to Forks."

"Why? What's in Forks?"

"Bella Cullen."