Hello again, dear readers. I'm sorry again for being so long between updates. I'm terrible, I know.
Reviews will certainly encourage me to update sooner.
On with the story…
Chapter Five
Paul woke early the next morning, dreams of chocolate eyes filled with anxiety fading as consciousness invaded. Bella Swan consumed his every thought, even in sleep, and yet he wouldn't change it for the world. He'd found his mate. She was living safely on the Res and he would do whatever possible to get closer to her, starting with befriending her. Emily had given him the perfect opportunity to do so by picking up SJ every afternoon and his heart swelled in affection toward his friend for this gift.
And yet, her anxiety and fear when she'd first seen him plagued him deeply. Something had happened to her for her reaction to have been so acute and the thought ignited a fury in both the wolf and man. Someone had hurt his mate, had caused her to become wary of people – men specifically – and skittish, as Emily had described her. After unsuccessful attempts to quell the rage swelling within, Paul changed tact and chose to fuel that rage into a physical form, pausing briefly to pull on a pair of basketball shorts and some sneakers before propelling himself into a sprint into the forest. He would work his frustrations through good old human exertion.
Bella loved to run. She enjoyed the solitude of it all; the way the world opened up before her as her muscles burned deliciously and she pushed herself further, letting everything else in her usually chaotic mind melt away as she focussed on each motion. It was an escape more so than a choice of exercise, but she valued both in her often-overscheduled life. Just as she did every morning, she woke with the sun to pull on some exercise tights and a crop top before heading West down La Push Road before she hit the Second Beach trail. Second Beach was more difficult to access than First Beach, with its jutting staircase, worn over time and a steep climb before the downhill descent, but she enjoyed the physical challenge and the view was reward enough for her efforts.
She jogged along the sand, admiring the sea stacks, painted in purples and oranges by the rising sun, and heading toward her usual resting spot. She'd sat upon a sprawling trunk of driftwood when she first visited Second Beach, once a towering hemlock before the sea claimed its life, meditating to the calming sounds of the waves crashing and winds whistling through the northern arch, warning of the weather turning to storm. She'd discovered a peacefulness there she rarely felt elsewhere in the world and so she'd come back every morning to that same spot and thanked the spirits for the reprieve it granted her, albeit brief.
As she climbed atop the worn wood she noticed a pair of shoes discarded a few yards away, resting against the same driftwood. She couldn't see anyone on the horizon after a brief scan and, deciding the shoes had been forgotten by a previous visitor, closed her eyes and tried to let her mind drift. The familiar sounds soothed her at first, until a new sound joined them. It was a regular slashing of water against a hard surface but it was out of sequence with the waves crashing to shore. Opening her eyes, they widened immediately as she realised the sound belonged to someone, not something - someone was swimming toward the shore, huge russet arms cutting through the strong current like they were unaffected.
Bella's heart sped up as she watched the figure grow larger as they neared the shore. The size told her it was a man, powerful strokes highlighting the impressive musculature of his arms and shoulders. She tried to look away, to return to her meditation, but the sheer surprise at seeing someone else out this early and swimming in such a strong current with a storm brewing was enough to distract from her intentions.
Too quickly for anyone to be able to swim, she thought, the man's form became more discernible as he approached and Bella was struck with recognition as she realised the man's skin was marked with ink – tattoos running along his arms and back, all of the skin she could see. Paul Lahote. Her breathing became sharp and she made her way to the edge of her driftwood after shaking herself out of her ogling. She didn't want to see Paul Lahote, not when she was still no closer to understanding the overwhelming feelings he'd incited in her just yesterday afternoon. He'd plagued her dreams, too, and she felt a soft blush warm her cheeks at the memory. No, she didn't want to see Paul Lahote.
Just as she started to jog away, back already turned from the hulking man, she heard a strong voice carried on the wind, "Miss Swan!". At first she ignored it, before she heard it called again, this time much closer. She froze, turning to see Paul Lahote standing a few metres away from her, water dripping from his shirtless chest. She attempted to make eye contact but her chest tightened with anxiety and she settled for watching a drop of water as it trailed along the line of an intricate cross-like pattern covering his right pectoral. His chest was as defined as the rest of him and Bella swallowed as she took in his hulking form, filled with mixed emotions.
She eventually braved a look up again, meeting his eyes and seeing something unfamiliar in their deep orbs. He had a soft expression on his face as if he didn't want to startle her. She whispered, "Mr Lahote. How can I help you?" She whispered, acknowledging him for the first time after what should have been an uncomfortably long silence.
"I was surprised to see you here – Second Beach isn't most people's choice of location for morning exercise." Paul looked sheepish, running a hand through the hair on the back of his head. When Bella didn't respond, he continued, "Do you come here often?". She tilted her head slightly, crossing her arms over themselves in an attempt the disguise their slight shaking as she regarded him.
"Not often," She lied, watching the recognition of her deception register in Paul's eyes immediately, though he didn't challenge her. "I do need to get going – I have a lot to do this morning." She turned away immediately before thinking better of it and turning just her head back to offer, "Enjoy your swim, Mr Lahote." She took off like a bullet but still managed to hear Paul's yelled, "See you later, Miss Swan! Enjoy your run!" as she approached the stairs heading back up the cliff face.
Paul arrived at Sam and Emily's house an hour later, anxious to distract himself from the incessant ache in his chest that had appeared with any modicum of distance since he'd first laid eyes on Bella Swan, worsening after he'd seen her this morning and had been forced to watch her jog away. She was so beautiful in the sunrise, colourful beams reflecting against her hair and across the delicate features of her profile. Her beauty had dumbfounded him, so much so that if it wasn't for her wariness of him and the way her arms shook in obvious anxiety, he might have reached out to tuck the loose auburn curl behind her ear that was whipping in the wind.
With Sam at work and Emily's car gone – likely to drop off the kids at school – Paul set straight to work on the framing for the new den and the half bath they'd agreed to add in when he and Sam had drawn up the plans. He revelled in the manual labour, choosing to focus on each of the muscles straining as he pushed himself harder to combat his wolf's pining for his imprint.
He heard Emily's car pull into the drive but didn't pause his work, even as he heard her enter the house and the sounds of tea being prepared. He was desperate to ask more about his Bella, having spent hours overnight building a list of questions in his head but struggled internally with the idea of invading her privacy. Emily's warning that she was a private person and skittish around men troubled him and so far she'd been clear she didn't want to develop any level of familiarity with him. Above all else, Paul wanted his mate to feel safe and comfortable and he worried he would put that in jeopardy if he couldn't keep himself grounded.
Emily made her way around the back of the house slowly, turning the corner with two cups of tea in hand. She wasn't surprised to see Paul already hard at work, shirt discarded as the musculature of his broad shoulders and back rippled, droplets of water evaporating almost as quickly as they landed on his skin in the morning drizzle.
"Care to take a break?" She called with a smile, earning a smile in return as Paul dropped his nail gun and made a beeline for her. He pulled a deck chair out and helped her sit before taking the offered mug of tea and silently joining her on the chair beside.
Emily noticed the way he rubbed his chest unconsciously and empathised with the pain he felt. She recalled vividly the pain of separation from her own mate before accepting the imprint and she found herself squeezing Paul's knee in attempted reassurance.
"The ache is there already, huh?" she asked kindly, watching as Paul's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He gulped his tea, seemingly unbothered by its hot temperature, before his eyes settled on something in the distance Emily couldn't see and his face scrunched in quiet contemplation.
Emily waited while Paul gathered his thoughts, blowing across the top of her mug to cool her own tea. Eventually, Paul turned back to Emily with a rare, unmasked look of pain and admitted,
"I'm scared, Em. She's everything I have been waiting for and now she's within reach but I'm terrified I'm going to ruin it all before I have a real chance." The admission was difficult for him as he avoided eye contact, voice barely above a whisper.
"Bella is made for you but you're also made for her. Get to know her, build a friendship. She might take a while to warm up to you but she will, Paul. You are everything she needs. I know better than anyone that you can't fight the imprint for long." Emily paused, letting the words sink in for Paul. She saw his shoulders slump slightly and knew he was accepting her words.
"Tell me about her?" Paul's voice was still quiet as he tried to shift the direction of the conversation away from the possibility of his mate fighting their connection. Accepting his intended redirection, Emily answered, "I told you that Bella is private – she doesn't talk a lot about her life before she moved here but it's not hard to guess she's had her trust betrayed before." A growl rumbled in Paul's chest as Emily voiced what he had been thinking earlier that morning, but Emily continued, "She isn't comfortable around men, she avoids physical contact. You need to be patient with her, gentle – let her set the boundaries and respect them." Paul nodded, this observation had occurred to him and certainly explained both the fear in Bella's reaction to him and his wolf's heightened protectiveness of her. "I won't hurt her. I couldn't." Paul was adamant and Emily was quick to reassure him, "I know you wouldn't. It won't take long for her to realise that, too."
Paul took another deep gulp of his previously forgotten tea, ignoring the unpleasantly cooler temperature in favour of occupying his mouth while he gathered his thoughts. "How do I help her realise that?" He asked tentatively, grateful that his friend was there to guide him despite how difficult this discussion was for him.
"You'll have a head start seeing her every afternoon when you pick up SJ – proximity without pressure is good because she gets used to your presence," Emily smirked at her brilliant idea before continuing, "She keeps herself busy but she's predictable. She runs every morning, and a few nights a week. She teaches a few classes at the community centre – Harry and Sue rave about her ballroom dance class. Sam and I want to try it but we figured we should wait until I can do more than waddle around." Emily smiled softly, rubbing a hand along her rounded torso absently. Paul took a minute to process all of this information – his mate had so easily become part of the community on the Res and had made it her home. This idea pleased his wolf greatly.
"I saw her on the beach this morning. Tried to talk to her. She doesn't even like me saying her name…" Paul trailed off sadly, allowing himself to wallow in his sadness in a rare demonstration of emotion. Emily patted his shoulder kindly, "She's set a boundary – respect it. Give it time." Paul nodded and thanked her before schooling his features into a neutral expression and raising to his feet with a slap on either thigh. "Thanks for the tea and the advice, Em. I'd better keep working or you'll never get this extension done before the baby." Emily raised a sceptical brow at this, considering the pace Paul worked at he'd be done in a matter of weeks not months, but simply nodded before heading back inside and leaving Paul to his thoughts.
Paul was a patient man. After all, he'd waited ten years for his imprint; he knew she was coming, despite the journals from old packs providing no such promises. Once the anger of youth had dissipated, he'd learned patience was the key to his success in life and in his role as protector, warrior. Still, waiting outside of SJ's school for his imprint to appear felt like the worst kind of torture. He needed to lay eyes on her, scent her, touch her like he needed his next breath. The short, stolen glances through the window of her classroom or her cottage he'd allow himself weren't enough to sustain him – he needed to be in her presence or his wolf might just tear through his skin in his desperation to get to her.
Other teachers had already entered the parking lot, dismissing their students to waiting parents. Bella's class was due out any second and Paul found himself holding his breath in anticipation. His ears twitched as he picked up the sound of her heartbeat; how he knew it was hers was a mystery he wasn't interested in solving – he just knew. He stared at the faded green paint peeling from the School doors as he heard her footsteps pause while she took a deep breath before they opened, revealing her to him.
Paul felt his eyes darken as he took her in, their eyes immediately connecting across the lot. Her brown orbs widened in recognition and her heart suddenly slammed in her chest, but she was caught in the magic of their connection just as much as he was, unable to look away. He drew a deep breath, drinking in her spicy floral scent like a desperate man as his lips turned up in a smile just for her. The weather was colder today and he appreciated her figure, which was accented by her tight-fitting jeans and the forest green sweater she wore. She looked edible.
Paul saw the movement before Bella did and was lithely moved in her direction as Bella jumped in fear at the feel of a masculine hand gripping her forearm. She whirled sideways, breaking the connection with Paul, as realised Daniel Kipp was standing behind her and had yet to let go of her arm.
"Miss Bella, I missed you yesterday." He attempted a flirtatious lilt as he took a step into her personal space. She took a step back immediately, pulling SJ behind her gently and attempting to extricate herself from his too-tight grip.
"Mr Kipp," she started as she tried to yank her arm free again, furious at the shake in her voice as she felt panic setting in given the unwelcome man's proximity. Why wouldn't he let her go? "Amelia is just over there. Please let go of my arm and go fetch your daughter." She saw a terrible glint in Daniel's eyes as he took another step toward her and his grip tightened before a shadow fell over his face and suddenly her arm was free.
An intoxicating scent enveloped her, bringing with it an intense feeling of safety and she felt strangely warmer as she recognised Paul Lahote as her rescuer. Her heart, which had been racing in fear only a moment prior, suddenly skipped a beat as she was once again overwhelmed by the sheer size of the man who was now gripping Daniel Kipp's arm tightly – his huge hand easily wrapping around Daniel's bicep as his skin turned white in Paul's grip.
"What the hell man?!" Daniel exclaimed with obvious bravado as he was forced to look up at Paul, who towered over him by at least a foot. His own attempt to remove his arm from Paul's grip was useless as Paul leaned in close. Daniel's sharp intake of breath was obvious as he saw the yellow tint in Paul's eyes and the unadulterated fury on his face, all traces of his earlier smile now gone as he took in the man who dared to touch his mate.
Every single instinct within him told Paul to eliminate the threat, protect his mate. This man had hurt her. He grit his teeth as Daniel tried to talk again before a low, menacing growl stole the words from his throat and his eyes grew impossibly wider in fear.
"Touch a woman again without her consent and it will be the last thing you ever do, Kipp." Paul scented the weaker man's fear and it fed his beast. He should be afraid. "Take your daughter and go home to your wife." Paul spat the final word, wanting to emphasise the depth of his disgust for the man who regularly stepped out on his marriage and, obviously, thought he could assault women who showed no interest in him freely and without consequence.
Paul let go of Daniel's arm and a smirk of satisfaction curled on his lip as he watched the man bolt for his daughter and straight for his car, the scent of his fear still strong in the air. He immediately turned to his mate, whose eyes were wide but whose heart seemed to be slowing to a more regular rhythm now Daniel was gone. "Are you OK, Miss Swan? Did he hurt you?" Paul knew his beast was still sitting right below the surface, his eyes still lupine yellow, but he was desperate to ensure his mate was safe. Bella nodded, unable to speak for a moment, before she cleared her throat and took another step back – this time, back from Paul, whose hand had started to move toward her arm slowly, asking for permission to check where Daniel had gripped her.
"I'm perfectly fine, Mr Lahote. Thank you." She avoided his eyes, terrified of letting her guard down after nearly leaning into his touch, choosing instead to turn around and guide SJ in front of her. "Have a great night, SJ. I will see you tomorrow!" She smiled at the boy, who leaned forward to hug her before he took his uncle's hand and stepped away. As soon as she'd handed the child over, she whirled around and made a beeline for the school doors, leaving Paul to stare longingly after her.