authors note - So sorry this took so long. Life with 3 kiddos gets busy and writing ends up forgotten for a while. There isnt much action in this chapter, I wanted to keep things centered on Paul and Bella despite Edwards return.

I woke with a gasp, my hand flying to my chest to claw at the unmeasurable amount of pain radiating from there. Something was seriously wrong. I got up frantically, ignoring the way my thighs ached and grabbed my panties from the floor and a t-shirt from Paul's dresser. Forgoing pants and shoes, I flung open the front door, staggering back with a yell as soon as I did.

"About time. I've been banging on the door." Jacob laughed. I stared at him, I never heard him knock.

"Where is he?" I asked, stepping closer to Jake. I grabbed his arm. "What happened Jake?"

"He's in the woods, not too far from the house. He can't phase. Sam thought maybe you could calm him down." He told me. I studied his face, he didn't seem like anything was bothering him, he was just laughing. That in mind I tried to calm my racing heart.

I nodded, pushing past him. "What happened? Why can't he phase?" I asked, glancing back to make sure Jacob was following me.

"He's angry. Can't calm down."

I looked back again to glare at Jacob. "Obviously but what happened to make him so angry? Why..is he hurt?" I asked, rubbing at the pain in my chest.

"Not really. He went after Sam and they fought. He's fine though, I'm sure its healed by now."

"They fought? Jacob Black so help me if you don't tell me what's going on right now."

"The leech came back. Edward." He sighed. "Paul's gonna kick my ass for telling you."

I paused for just a moment before I pushed what he said to the back of my mind. Images from my dream of my wolf and Edward fighting filled my head and my heart raced. "Why did he fight Sam?"

"Sam ordered him to stay away from the leech. Paul was gonna…anyway it ticked Paul off and he just went after him. Sam ordered him to stop and he did but he cant make him phase." Jacob stepped up beside me, grabbing my hand as we stepped into the dense trees and pulling me in the right direction. I really wish I would have grabbed shoes now. I slowed watching carefully where I was stepping. Jake glanced at me, seeing my bare feet and sighed picking me up bridal style without a word. I gasp in surprise, grabbing at the edge of Paul's shirt to make sure I stayed covered.

"A little warning would be nice." I grumbled.

He shrugged. "You would have said no. I'm not gonna be blamed for you getting hurt, plus this is faster." He sped up just a bit, and a few minutes later he dropped me to the ground.

I stared a few feet ahead at my wolf who was pacing in a tight circle. His hackles were raised, his teeth bared as he let out a continuous low growl. His eyes snapped to me and I gasped at the wild look in his widened eyes. He stopped pacing but didn't move. If I didn't know better I'd say he was about to attack me the way he was looking at me. I stepped toward him, slowly closing the distances between.

"Hey. I haven't seen you in a few days." I whispered.

"Bella, be careful." I glanced over at Sam, just noticing the rest of the pack standing around. I could see the worry in his eyes, I smiled at him trying to reassure him. My wolf would never hurt me.

Finally reaching him I ran both hands up his muzzle, latching on to the fur on his neck. He didn't relax, not even a bit. Just stood perfectly still, teeth bared and growling. I laid my head against his, smiling at him.

"I miss you." I told him, realizing how true the words were when I said them. Since I accepted the man I haven't seen my wolf. I let go of him, taking a small step back. His eyes narrowed and his muzzle relaxed, lips closing over razor sharp teeth. His chest was still rumbling, hackles raised.

He took two steps toward me, his nose going to my neck. He trailed his nose down my body, sniffing at my skin. I ran my fingers through the fur on his head, waiting patiently for him to calm down enough to phase. His nose went back to my neck right to the tender spot under my ear. Paul's mouth has lathered that area with attention last night, sucking and biting the skin so much it was slightly tender to the touch. I closed my eyes, sighing.

I jumped in surprise, my eyes popping open when my hands were on hot skin instead of fur. I glanced up at Paul. He looked…scary. His eyes were slightly glowing, his chest rumbling as growls slipped past his lips. He might have phased but the wolf wasn't settled.

"Paul?"

His eyes didn't leave mine, barley paying attention to his alpha. "Leave."

I don't know what Sam did but Paul's head snapped to the right of us. He snarled at him. I cupped his chin, pulling him to look at me again.

"Talk to me." I whispered, brushing my fingers across his chin. His hands ghosted up my sides before he grabbed my hips and picked me up, I wrapped my arms and legs around him, hanging on as he picked me up and took off.

I knew they were fast as wolves but I was surprised at the speed he ran in human form. Trees were flying by me and I closed my eyes, hiding my face in his shoulder to ward off motion sickness. I jerked when my back met something solid as I was laid down in his bed and looked up in surprise. Paul buried his face in my neck breathing deeply. He still hadn't stopped growling. I ran my fingers through his hair desperately trying to think of what to do, how to calm him down. Why he was so angry was still hidden in the back of my mind, patiently waiting for me to open the box that was Edward.

I sighed, tugging at his hair to get him to look at me. When his eyes met mine I leaned up to kiss him. He responded immediately taking over the kiss that I had meant to be comforting quickly turning it heated, demanding. His teeth nipped at my bottom lip, his tongue running across them to soothe the bites. Powerless I surrender to him, the tension in my body melted and heat spread through me.

His lips trailed away from my lips to my neck, nipping at the tender skin under my ear. I moaned, the slight pain mixed with the pleasurable heat of his mouth setting my body on fire. His nips turned to a bite and I flinched against the slight pain.

"Dammitt!" He growled louder, ripping himself away from me, pacing beside the bed. I sat up, scooting to the edge of the bed, watching him. I wasn't sure what to do. He stopped in front of me, kneeling down to cup my cheek, his touch tender.

"I'm sorry. I'm gonna call for Jacob to take you home. Once I calm down –"

"No. I…I don't want to go home. I wanna know what's happening. Jake told me about Edward. I-"

He leaned his forehead against mine, his eyes still glowing. "Bella I almost marked you. I almost marked you without even asking you if you're okay with it because the wolf is out of control. He feels threatened and he…I'm just not completely in control. You need to go home."

"No." I glared at him. "I don't care if you mark me. Go ahead and do it but you aren't sending me away. I'm staying right here."

He growled at me. "Don't say that right now. You have no idea how close –"

I glared at him. "Mark me. If that's what you need to do I'm okay with it, but you can't send me away."

"You have no idea what you are telling me to do." He was panting, fast puffs of breaths hitting my face.

"I don't care. I'm not leaving." I whispered back. I could see the war in his eyes. The wolf fighting the man, the man fighting back. I ran my fingers through his hair, tugging slightly to make him look at me. "I wasn't lying when I said I accepted you, both of you. I'm not half in. I want this, I want you and if marking me helps whatever you are going through right now then do it."

He stared at me for a long time as his eyes dimmed and the growls finally stopped. I smiled, thrilled that I was able to help calm my wolf. I pulled him closer to me, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I'm not leaving." I whispered again. It took a few more minutes before he finally wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my neck.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I told Sam not to bring you out there. I saw the leech at your house and the wolf just…I don't know I thought maybe you'd go back to him and the wolf lost it…it's like he took over. He wanted to mark you before you could make that choice."

"You're an idiot." I told him. "Would marking me mean I couldn't choose?" I asked, realizing while Paul had talked about marking me in passing we've never talked about what it would mean for either of us.

"You could still choose. You could decide to reject the imprint and be with someone else, but the mark…the leech wouldn't want to be with you. You'd be marked by another supernatural being."

I pulled on his hair, so I could look at him. "I meant what I said you know. You can mark me."

He glared at me, growling again. "Please stop saying that."

I laughed at him. "Does it hurt?"

He climbed on the bed, grabbing my hand and jerking me to him to lay on his chest. "You'd have to ask Emily."

I nodded laying my head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around me, letting out a deep breath. The peace I felt being in his arms, the tingles dancing across my skin, that's why Edward being here didn't matter. This is exactly where I'm meant to be. "I can't say I'm not curious about why he is here, but I don't want him back." I whispered.

"No? There's not a part of you that wants what he can offer? Immortality? Big houses, fancy cars..."

I looked up at him, only seeing his chin. "What's the point of immortality if I can't be with the person I.." I paused, weighing my words. Person I love? Is that true? "I was made for?" I didn't know if I loved him. I knew I cared for him, deeply. How much of that was the imprint and how much was my own feelings?

He rolled over to face me. He studied me for a long moment before leaning forward to kiss me. "Okay. Girly freak out moment over."

I laughed. "Freak out all you want, just don't shut me out or send me away." I told him. "And try to understand where I'm coming from."

His eyes narrowed, staring into mine. "You want to see him." He guessed.

I nodded. He growled and I glared at him. "Don't growl at me." I didn't want to see Edward but I felt like I needed to talk to him. Everything about our relationship was driven by him. When we could be friends, when we could date, when we broke up. I was never talked to about anything. My opinion didn't matter, not even enough for him to ask. He told me we were mates and then left, no time for questions or comments. Just gone. I wanted to know why. Why did he lie to me?

"Don't do stupid stuff that can get you hurt and I won't growl at you." He countered. "I almost lost control just knowing he is here. Do you understand what you'd be asking not just me, but the wolf to be okay with? I'm not going to tell you what you're allowed to do, but I am asking that you don't see him."

"What if you were there? Even the whole pack?" I asked, trying to find a middle ground.

He raised a brow at me. "You'd be okay with us all there?"

I shrugged. "I want you there. Are you really worried about my safety or.." I paused, trying to think of the right words. I didn't want to accused him of being jealous.

"Mostly I'm worried about your safety." He said, avoiding my eyes.

I shook my head, giggling at him. He growled. I narrowed my eyes, pushing at his shoulder to get him to lay on his back. In a move that surprised us both, I straddled his hips and bared my neck. "You can always mark me. I'm sure that would help."

His hands gripped my hips tightly, I wouldn't be surprised if there was bruises there . The fire in his eyes probably should have scared me, but I felt my belly tighten and heat flooded me. He was looking at me like a meal he wanted to devour and I was sitting here offering myself up wholeheartedly. He never did mark me, but he did spend the rest of the morning claiming me in a different way.

Dad would barely look at me when I got home. He grumbled about Edward, asked what the pack was planning to do, we discussed random topics over dinner but not once would he look at me. I kept asking if everything was okay and he'd say he was fine. It wasn't until after he went to bed when I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror that I realized what was wrong.

I had thrown my hair up in a high messy bun not long after getting home, showing off my neck for the world to see. Paul may not have bitten me but the deep purple marks littering my neck was enough for anyone to guess what we had been up to. I splashed cool water on my red face trying to shake off the embarrassment. No wonder dad couldn't look at me.

I shook my head and got undressed while waiting for the shower to heat up. As I washed and lathered my body I ghosted my fingers over the light bruising on my hips and thighs, smiling at memory of his hands gripping my body.

All afternoon I could see the war in his eyes, he wanted to mark me. He wanted to let my wolf take over but he wouldn't let himself. I wanted to talk to Emily. I needed to know if she felt like I did this afternoon and if the mark changed anything for her or her relationship. There were moments today when I looked at him, pleasure coursing through my body that I wanted beg him to mark me. The words almost tumbling out of me before I would close my eyes, gulping them back down. I wasn't sure why I was feeling like this. I didn't feel this way last night. I wondered if maybe it had something to do with my wolf, knowing what he needed and my body automatically wanting to give it to him.

I shook my head, trying to clear it of these thoughts as I got out of the shower. As soon as I got to my room I went to my window, scanning the trees. A small yelp answered me. I smiled before getting dressed and climbing in bed. I stared at my window, unable to sleep. So many times Edward came through my window at night. I never told him to leave but I never really invited him either. What if he showed up? Paul would lose it, they'd definitely end up fighting. I sighed, worried about my wolf. I tossed and turned over and over again before giving up. I threw on a robe and stomped my way downstairs, smiling when I saw my wolf sitting by the back porch steps.

"Hi." I whispered, as I sat down. He laid his head in my lap. All the tension I was feeling left my body as I ran my fingers through his fur. "I really do miss you." He barked once, agreeing with me I figured. I leaned against the railing, letting my eyes slide shut. The soothing sounds of my wolfs purr put me right to sleep.

I nudged her cheek with my nose, realizing she wasn't waking up. I backed up a few steps to phase, not worrying about shorts as I picked her up and carried her inside. I dropped a kiss to her forehead, breathing in her scent as I laid her on her bed. Even dead asleep her hands grasped at my chest as I pulled away, not wanting me to leave. I couldn't stay in here. If the leech showed up, I wasn't sure how I'd react and Bella could end up hurt in the crossfire. I know enough about her to know she'd try to get in the middle to protect one or both of us.

On four paws again I stretched my body before patrolling around the house. Usually I nap in my spot where I can see her window, but I couldn't do that now. I had to make sure the leech didn't get anywhere near her. The imprint was there, all the proof the leech would need that she's mine but she's still unclaimed. Probably makes me sound like a pig to say it that way but for us, for them it's the truth. A mate without a mark doesn't mean much in our world. She's up for grabs in his and every supernatural beings mind, outside of my bothers.

She gave me permission more than once. I could have, probably should have, but I couldn't. If she had never had a relationship with the leech it would be no problem but now if I do it I'm taking her choice away. She'll never be able to be with him again. I believed her when she said she didn't want him back but what if? So many what ifs.

"Youre such an idiot."

I growled. "Shut up, Jake you don't understand."

"I wasn't lying when I said I accepted you, both of you. I'm not half in. I want this, I want you and if marking me helps whatever you are going through right now then do it."

He used my own memories against me, showing me what he had seen when I phased earlier. I growled at him again. He really is a pain.

"She wouldn't say it if she didn't mean it." He told me.

"Yeah she'd accept it because she knows it's what I need but does she need it? I want her to want it, Jacob. Now stay out of it. It's not your business anyway."

He was quiet after that but I could still hear him thinking I never asked her if it's what she wanted. He wasn't wrong. I assumed she was only offering it because I freaked her out or rather the wolf did. I speed up a bit, trying to outrun my thoughts.

"Hey!"

I skidded to a stop, growling at the tiny leech in front of me. I knew her size didn't mean much, it didn't make her weak but I knew I could take her.

"I just want to talk." She held her hand up. Her voice grated my nerves. It was almost bell like, leaving an unpleasant ringing in my head. I lifted my head, letting out a long howl. Jacob was already headed toward me. I glanced at Bellas house, the desire to go guard her from the leech clawing at me.

"We don't want to bother anyone, we just needed to make sure Bella is safe." I snarled at her. She took a step back. "Victoria, a vampire, came to see us. She threatened Bella, we just want to help."

Jacob was almost here, the rest of the pack not far behind him. Without letting myself think too much about what I was about to do, knowing Sam would kill me, I phased.

"The red head?" I asked the leech.

She nodded. "She came to see Edward. He almost had her, but she got away. We followed her, she wasn't heading in this direction but from what she said she'll be coming back. We just want to make sure Bella is safe."

"Bella is perfectly safe with us. We'll have no problem with the leech once we catch her. Now leave."

She jumped suddenly, grabbing onto a high branch and pulled herself to sit on it. The pack was behind me. Was she worried we would attack?

"You don't understand, she's gifted, she wont be easy to catch and she's making newborns to take out the pack."

The pack growled behind me. "Newborns?"

"New vampires. She wants Bella and she isn't going to stop until she gets her. Let us help keep her safe."

I wanted to say no, I wanted to tell all of them to leave. I couldn't thogifugh, not when it came to Bella's safety.

"Tell me everything you know. Now." I demanded, knowing if it meant keeping Bella safe I couldnt send them away.