A/N: I said I would try to get another chapter out. I only had a few typed up, so I took advantage of being home with the covid plague to type away. You may get another one or two. I really love the reviews and so many more new readers. This makes me so happy. THANK YOU!

No copyright infringement is intended. All recognizable characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. I own the plot and mistakes.

ENJOY!

01/11/2024

Rear-view Town

Chapter 5

Paul and Bella were still learning about their imprint. As they started to wake up from the slumber, they lay quietly thinking about how quickly their lives had changed. "Do you think that was part of the imprint?"

"I don't know, and I have no idea who to talk to about it. It would be awkward as hell to talk to Billy." Paul was running his fingers through Bella's hair.

"It sure as hell felt amazing especially since it was my first time." Bella tilted her head to look up at Paul. "You made it amazing."

Paul kissed her. "Are you in any pain?"

"No, not really. It's down to a dull ache and where you bit me, doesn't even hurt. That had to be part of the imprint, too. It was like you marked me."

Paul chuckled. "I did mark you."

The next day Paul and Bella had barely gotten enough sleep after having sex two more times. Bella was definitely sore and would be feeling it for the next couple of days. She really wasn't worried about it. The only thing she worried about for the day ahead was telling Jake. He knew all about imprinting, so he had to understand what she was going through.

The couple had decided to go to the diner down from the hotel for some breakfast. They were absolutely starving from all their activities from their night before. Paul ordered enough food for three people. Bella's measly veggie omelet was a snack compared to what he was eating.

"Do you think I need to prepare myself for a bad reaction from Jake today?" Paul kept forking food into his mouth as he waited for Bella's answer.

She sighed. "He may surprise all of us. There was never a moment that he didn't share his dislike of me being with Edward. I know he'll probably want to throw a party because we're broken up. He's been after me for months to dump him. I just hope he doesn't have to wait too long to imprint. He deserves to be happy, too. I think if that happens, he wouldn't care at all."

Bella watched as Paul shoved a strip of bacon into his mouth. She was mesmerized by the movement of his jaw as he chewed. "You're so damn sexy."

Paul nearly choked on his food as he laughed with a huge smile. "You're not so bad yourself."

After their breakfast, Paul needed to go buy some shoes. He needed sneakers and boots to be more precise. He planned to find a job as soon as he got settled into a house. "Hey, will you call Emily for me? I'd like to go see a house today, if possible and I want you with me."

"Do you need me with you?" Bella was curious as to why he wanted her with him. Not that she cared if she went or not, but it would be where he lives and not her.

Paul gave her a stupid look. "Your opinion matters because you're going to be living there, too."

"I am?" Bella asked incredulously.

"Even if you don't move in right away, you'll end up moving in eventually." Paul gulped down the rest of his orange juice. "So, your opinion is very much needed."

Paul tossed three 20's down on the table before they made their way out to his truck. "I'll call Emily, now." Bella pulled her phone from her back pocket. It was just passed nine in the morning so Emily was definitely in the office.

Paul listened as Bella spoke and relayed questions to him about what he was looking for. Bella was silently surprised when he said there wasn't a specific price range. She knew there were some very nice houses on the reservation, but never imagined living in one.

The house that the Cullens live in is very eccentric, beautiful and large. If Bella and Edward ever got married then they would have lived in the same house with three other couples. As she thought about it, Bella was relieved that things were happening the way they were.

"Can you shop for shoes later? She has a few houses to look at now. She doesn't have any appointments until late this afternoon." After Bella finished her call with Emily, she noticed she had a few missed text messages from Alice, Charlie and Edward.

Alice wanted to let her know that she would be out of town for a while, but promised to call her soon. She also mentioned that Bella would always be a sister to her no matter what happened with her and Edward. That made Bella feel better because she really does love the other Cullens.

Charlie wanted to know if she was coming home soon and said he loved her. She joked to herself that he was probably starving himself because she isn't there.

Edwards message was relentless. It kept going and going. He loved her one second, more than his whole life and the next second he was calling her every name in the book. Then he would apologize. He asked to talk to her, but he knew she wouldn't agree to see him. His entire message was bipolar. Bella just wanted to delete it, but decided against it just in case she needed it for proof.

Edward knows all about imprinting. He has lived long enough to know that it was definitely legitimate. He hated it to say the least. Bella had claimed that she was imprinted on. He had seen the guy with his own eyes and hoped they hadn't consummated the imprinting. Edward knew that as soon as that happened, if it ever did, then his life as he knew it, was over. When he had seen her earlier that day, he knew she lied when she said she accepted the imprint. Her blood still smelled the same to him and knew the second she let that wolf fuck her, she was ruined. The thoughts that ran through his head made him sick to his stomach and murderous.

No matter what anyone said, he still wanted her. Marriage be damned; he should've fucked her the first time she tried. Carlisle would have been disappointed in him if he knew about all the crazy thoughts he had been having. It was like he was completely obsessed with Bella one second, and the next he hated every fiber of her being. The bigger part of him believed that he had waited his entire life for her and now she wanted to be with someone else.

The moment Rosalie found out that the wedding was no longer happening, she insisted that her and Emmett needed to get away from that house. On one side, she wanted to celebrate and the other softer side of her heart, felt for her brother. She knew what it was like to have your heart ripped out, and that was how Edward was feeling. As soon as they could, her and Emmett were leaving to get away from a sulking Edward.

She had always been against Bella and Edward from the very moment she found out about their relationship. So, when he up and left her, dragging the entire family with him, Rosalie thought they were all in the clear to finally move on from that small, dreary town.

The moment Bella disappeared in Alice's visions, Edward automatically assumed the worst as he always does. So, if Bella chose to stay human, then Rosalie was her new best friend. She wished that she had never been changed. Being a vampire was something she coped with everyday. She didn't believe in suicide, and that was what Bella had chosen when she asked to be changed. Rosalie was beyond thankful that she changed her mind. It was a wide awake dream for Rosalie that she was still human.

Paul and Bella stood in a large 3,000 square foot home with a three car garage. There were four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. The kitchen was any cooks dream. The backyard was fenced in and Bella couldn't help the jokes she was spewing about getting a dog. Emily found it hilarious and Paul just rolled his eyes saying, "Hardy Har Har."

It was a little after noon when they finished looking at the last house on Emily's list. She welcomed Paul to the family and hoped to see them soon. Bella texted Cora to let her know that they were on their way. To say Bella was a little nervous would be an understatement when it came to seeing Jake. She hadn't seen him in nearly a month. He was still reeling over her engagement to Edward. His anger was tenfold mostly because Edward is a vampire, and unbeknownst to Bella, he taunted Jacob every chance he got.

"You're too quiet," Paul said as he glanced over to Bella. "You're usually rambling about something."

Bella looked down to the darkened screen of her phone. "I'm just a little worried about seeing Jake. I haven't seen him in a while."

"What worries you?" Paul hated to see Bella worried about anything. He just wanted to take her frazzled mind away.

They were less than five minutes from Billy's house where she knew Jake was waiting. She wasn't sure if Billy explained everything even though she already said she would. "Is it wrong of me to hope that he'll accept us imprinting with open arms and that you're the rightful Alpha and not him?"

"It's normal to hope for a good outcome for anything. I'm a little worried myself because I really don't want a confrontation with a brother that I've never met. I can't let it bother me, though." He took her hand for the last minute of the drive. "Everything will be okay."

"Jake's pretty predictable and that's what worries me. I already know that the rest of the pack has accepted you, but Jake..." Bella trailed off with flashes of Jake igniting with anger.

Paul pulled into the driveway next to a maroon-colored Volkswagen Rabbit and turned his truck off. "We're taking this one day at a time. If he doesn't like me today, then oh well, he doesn't like me. It'll just have to be added to the list of shit we'll have to deal with." Paul pulled her towards him. "You need to kiss me so we can go inside and check one more thing off our list."

Bella smiled as she leaned in to press her lips to his. It was chaste, but any amount of kissing she could get from him, she would take it. His soft, warm lips were enough to send heat through her entire body because for more than a year, the only thing she kissed, and not passionately she adds, reminded her that she was kissing a rock.

When Jake had made it home with his twin sisters, the atmosphere around the house felt different. It was like something had shifted. It wasn't anything bad and he was thankful for that because the last few months had been agony for him.

The twins retreated to their room before greeting their parents. They couldn't wait until they could start doing stuff on their own and not have their older brother babysit them. Cora was finishing up the breakfast dishes while Billy sat at the table cleaning one of his guns. "How was the trip?" Cora asked when Jake stepped up to kiss her on the cheek.

"It was okay," he replied as he sat down at the table and snagged one of the massive muffins that his mother had made.

"Did they fight at all?" The twins were best friends most days but tended to butt heads now and then.

Jake chuckled. "Once on the way. I told them that I would turn around and come home if they argued anymore."

"Good." The room grew quiet for far too long. "Can you go get the twins because there's something we need to talk to you three about."

Jake quirked his brows. "Is it bad news?" He stood from the table and headed for the stairs.

Just as he took his first step up. "No; we don't think this is bad," Cora replied.

When Jake and the twins returned, Cora and Billy were sat at the table when they took their seats. Cora started their conversation. "Do you remember, several years ago, when we told you about your older brother Paul?"

"Yeah, his mom took him, and they disappeared," Rachel stated. "Which was a real F'd up thing to do."

"Well, shortly after you left yesterday, we got a visitor," Billy explained. "And it was Paul."

"Seriously!?" The twins yelled in unison. They were smiling from ear to ear.

Cora smiled in return. "Yes, seriously."

"Well, hot damn!" Jake said, jumping up from the table and smacking his hands together. He appeared quite happy about the news. "We're not outnumbered anymore, Pop. It's about friggin' time."

Billy chuckled. "Sit down. There's more. We just want to make sure you have a heads up before he gets here."

"Is he like married and has five kids?" Jake asked jokingly.

"Not quite," Cora said. "He'll be 19 soon, honey."

"He phases; started shifting when he was 16 and there weren't any other wolves around where he lived to help him through his transition." Billy just wanted to tell them the basics and let Paul explain the rest.

Jake's brows practically rose to his hairline. "That had to suck."

"We'll let him tell you the story." Billy looked to his wife getting the silent urge to keep going. They wanted to make sure their kids were privy to all that happened the day before. "There's been a development with the Cullens. Bella called off the wedding to Edward. They're no longer together."

Jake threw his fist in the air. "Ahoo!" He howled and jumped from the table, yet again. "Son of a bitch! That's fantastic news!"

"It definitely is," Cora said and prepared to tell him the rest. "But something else happened, and you better sit down."

"So," Cora started. "A few days ago, Bella decided she needed some time to herself and decided to go to Port Angeles for a few days to get away from all the planning going on." She took a deep breath and eased into the basics of Paul and Bella imprinting on each other. She knew Bella's story would be much better, but she didn't want her kids being caught off guard with that kind of news.

"You have got to be fuckin' kidding me," Jake said bitterly.

"Watch your mouth, young man. You may be three times my size, but I'll find any way I can to take you over my knee." Cora hadn't had to spank her kids since they were younger, and hated to do it when she had to, but kids these days felt like they could get away with anything with their parents. There's a difference between beating your child and spanking them.

"I'm sorry," Jake pouted. "I just can't believe it. I can't win for losing with her."

"Jake," Billy said, narrowing his eyes at his son. "You know good and well how imprinting works. It's not like she set out for this to happen. Neither did Paul, but they've accepted it and they're together now. It's only been a couple of days, and we've never seen Bella so happy. They'll be over here in a little while and that's why we're breaking the news to you now. We didn't want you to feel like you're getting blindsided by all this."

Jake sat quietly for a few minutes and thought about everything. Was he upset? Not as much as he expected. Was he happy for Bella? Hell yes, he was. She wasn't with the blood sucker anymore. That's the best news he had ever heard. Was he upset that his chances with her were completely over? He's on the fence about the news, but he knew it was something he couldn't control, so he wasn't going to dwell too much over it. She is his best friend, and he really hasn't been there for her lately. He felt like shit about it, and knew he needed to make it up to her.

The big question he asked himself was if he were happy that his older brother had finally made it home. Of course, he was. Ever since he was told about Paul, he was always imagining Paul there with them. Jake knew that his chances of becoming Alpha were now slim to none, and for some reason, he felt okay about it. Everyone was probably expecting him to throw a fit like a toddler. Unbeknownst to them, he had matured a lot since he started phasing. He truly was happy.

"Is he staying? With us, I mean?" Rebecca asked as she glanced between her parents.

Rachel and Jake wondered, as well. Cora shook her head. "No. He's staying at a hotel in Port Angeles. Emily took him to see a few houses this morning. He says he's just going to buy instead of rent."

Jake nodded in approval. "That's cool. Maybe he wouldn't mind having me as a roommate."

Billy and Cora chuckled. "We're assuming you're okay with all this. You really don't seem upset." Billy kept looking at his son expecting him to explode with anger.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm disappointed that it wasn't me that imprinted on her. Everyone knows how I feel about her, but I'm happy for her." Jake sighed. "I've always felt close to her, and now I'm wondering if it's because she was meant to be part of our family." He nodded then thought of Bella's dad. "How did Charlie take the news?"

"Charlie's happy," Billy replied. "He's over the moon that she won't be marrying Edward."

As if Jake had any care for Edward, he wondered how he reacted. He would have to wait until he talked to Bella to ask her.

The twins were very happy with the news and couldn't wait to meet their oldest brother, but they were bored with the conversation when it switched topics. They excused themselves from the table, with their phones, and headed back up to their room until they were called down, again.

Jake decided to shower and grab something to eat. He didn't need to patrol until later in the evening, so he chose to chill out in his room until it got closer to the time for Bella and Paul to show up. He had time to think when he was in his room. He decided that he was definitely content with Paul and Bella being together if he truly makes her happy. He would rip Paul to shreds if he ever treated her badly. There wasn't much that went unnoticed within the pack, so he'd know if things weren't right.

When Paul and Bella pulled apart from their kiss, the door to the house opened and out walked Jacob. As soon as Bella jumped out of Paul's truck, she took in Jake's appearance before she launched herself at him. He caught her with ease and swung her around in pure happiness. "I've missed you, B."

He placed her feet back on the ground. "I've missed you, too."

Paul stood back as the two friends shared a moment. There was no jealousy as he watched his imprint being hugged by another male. That male being his brother didn't bother him one bit, and that felt good. He knew that Bella and Jake had a bond that he wouldn't interfere with. He was okay with all of it and that made him happy. He hoped he was another step closer to having a family.

"We need to talk," Jake tells Bella and she nods in agreement. "But first, let's get introductions out of the way."

Bella was a tad nervous as they stepped over to where Paul was standing. "Jake, this is Paul."

"My brother," Jake says then extended his hand.

Paul had a sly grin as he returned the gesture, and what happened next brought tears to Bella's eyes.

Jake pulled Paul into a bone crushing hug. "I'm glad you found your way home," he tells him. "You're the missing piece."

Paul, not knowing what to say, fought back tears as his younger brother hugged him. "It's good to be here."

Bella's hands were covering her mouth as tears flowed over her cheeks. Everything really was going to be okay.

The door opened revealing a teary-eyed Billy and a happy, sobbing Cora. Then out of nowhere, six huge wolves came pounding across the field. They all looked like they had smiles on their faces. One by one, as they disappeared behind the house, they came walking around in their human form wearing only shorts. The wolf pack gathered to greet the newest member of their family.

Cora ended up cooking for an army. Bella helped as much as she could when Paul let her get up from his lap. In the meantime, he was outside with the other men. Bella could see them all laughing and having a good time. She could see a new sparkle in his eyes as he goofed off with his brothers.

"How'd house hunting go this morning?" Cora asked Bella as she prepared the corn on the cob for the grill.

"He's wanting something with a lot of rooms. We looked at a real big one over on Tillery Road. It has four bedrooms, five or six if you count the unfinished basement." Bella chuckled. "I have no clue how he's going to pay for it, and if I move in, there's no way my salary from Newtons is going to make a dent in any kind of bills that comes with that house."

Cora stepped closer to Bella. "Honey, I honestly don't think Paul would buy something he couldn't afford." She pulled some foil from a roll. "Have you two even talked about any kind of expenses?"

Bella sighed. "No. This is the first time I've thought about it. It worries me because he doesn't even have a job. He hasn't even mentioned getting a job."

One of the men came in and took the huge cooler of corn out to be put on one of the two grills that was fired up. "Sweetie, it's not like either of you have had time to even talk about stuff like that. It'll all work out." Cora wrapped an arm around Bella and gave her a little squeeze. "Billy said you had a little run in with Edward yesterday."

Bella nodded as she stirred the potato salad. "He came out of nowhere at my house. Luckily, Paul was there and the wolves were patrolling my area at the time. I seriously think he's finally lost his mind after all the years he's been what he is." She chuckled. "I may have to see if Emmett can knock some sense into him." She huffed. "He accused me of lying about the imprint."

"Oh, sweetie, you can't lie about an imprint." Paul came walking in the back door and straight to Bella. He kissed her neck then wrapped his arms around her from behind. "You need help?"

Cora pointed to a huge platter of meat. "Can you take that out to Sam, please?"

"Sure thing." He kissed Bella on the lips then hoisted the giant platter of meat to take outside. It looked effortless for his muscular form to lift that much meat. Bella wondered if it was an entire cow.

"As I was saying." Cora pulled coleslaw from the fridge and sat it on the counter. "You can't lie about imprinting. Edwards just trying to place blame on something that can't be controlled. He's been around long enough that he should know better."

Bella nodded. "He should." Then she was quiet for a minute as she thought about imprinting. "Hey, um, can I ask you about imprinting? I mean, I only know the basics, pretty much, and I'm sure that's all Paul knows, too."

Cora smiled. "What do you want to know?"

Bella could feel the embarrassment spread across her face. "This is so..."

Before she could get started, Cora cut her off. "It's just you and me, sweetie, and I'm honored that you'd want to talk to me about personal stuff. This will stay between you and me."

"Thank you." Bella gave her a small smile. I really only have you and Em to talk to."

Cora placed her hands on Bella's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "I won't judge you, ever. You're like a daughter to me. I could only hope the twins will be confident enough to come talk to me about anything."

"You're amazing." Bella tells her then wraps her arms around her. As they pulled apart, Bella glanced outside to see Paul laughing at Jacob and Jared wrestling around. "I never did have an intimate relationship with Edward, and I won't lie. It didn't go without me trying, and I was a virgin up until yesterday."

Cora raised her brows. "Congrats, I guess."

Bella smiled. "A couple of things happened and we're not sure if it was the imprint or we're just that good together." She chuckled. "I hope it's both." Then she turned to face Cora and whispered. "Is it normal for them to bite you and draw blood?" She pulled her shirt collar down to show her mark.

Cora smiled and pulled the neck of her shirt to the side and revealed a scar that she had. It was faded, but Bella could still see that it was a bite mark. "Did you feel like your whole bodies merged like gravity pulling two souls together?"

"Yes," Bella replied in surprise then looked out the window just as Paul turned to see her wave and blow a kiss.

"That's the bond," Cora tells her. "And don't be surprised if he bites you again. Believe it or not, my husband is still quite the animal in the sack."

"CORA!" Bella admonished. "I'm practically your daughter.".

"Oh, who cares." Cora waves her hand dismissively.

After talking to Cora more about imprinting, they headed outside. Emily had closed the office and came to join them. Jared was the only other pack member that had imprinted besides Same, but Kim had a part time job. She was scheduled to work and couldn't join him.

When the food was all cleared out and dishes were done, Jacob was ready for his talk with Bella. When he approached her, she was sitting on Paul's lap. "Ready for our chat, chicka?"

"Sure." She wrapped her arms around Paul's neck and kissed him. "We'll be out front."

Paul pulled her close and kissed his bite mark that was hidden under her shirt. "When you're done, we'll go."

They kissed as Bella stood. As she turned to walk away, everyone was watching. "Oh, get a life."

"Bells, it's nice to have you here with us," Quil said, and everyone agreed.

Jake and Bella made their way out front of the house. Neither one of them knew where to start the conversation as they walked slow. They made it just passed Paul's truck when Bella finally spoke. "I'm glad your dad explained everything to you before we got here. You're taking all this pretty good."

"I was upset. I won't deny that," he admitted. "Just about the imprint, really. There was about two minutes I felt like I finally had my chance." They took a seat on a fallen tree that Jake had chopped and sawed to make a bench for his mom. Cora loved to come out with a book and take advantage of the weather when it wasn't raining. "You're the first girl I've ever loved, and I'll always love you."

"I'll always love you, too, Jake," Bella said reassuringly. "We've been best friends since we were toddlers, and I can't even imagine you never being in my life. You've been my protector and even a voice of reason concerning the Cullens. I was stubborn and didn't listen, and when Edward left me for all those months, you were there for me." She shook her head. "And when he came back, you begged me, day in and day out not to take him back. I've hurt you because of my choices, and I'm sorry shouldn't be good enough, but that's all I have to give, right now."

"You are good enough, B." Jake gave Bella a longing look. "And I know that an imprint can't be forced. I've just always wanted you happy, and seeing the way Paul is with you, tells me he'll treat you like a queen. That's the only way you deserve to be treated."

Bella rested her head against Jake's shoulder. "You deserve to be happy, too."

"Another thing I know is," Jake said, dodging Bella's comment about him being happy. "Paul is the rightful heir to be Alpha is he chooses it, and I know I won't have any choice but to accept it. At least then, it'll be back in the family where it belongs."

"I can't tell you whether he'll make that choice or not, but I do know he isn't ready. All of this is new to him; he's still learning about phasing and all that stuff that comes with being a wolf." Bella sighed and took Jacob's hand. "Please don't push me away anymore."

Jake kissed the top of her head. "I'll try my best. You know how I am." He raised their hands and kissed the back of hers. "I just wish that it wasn't just the imprinting that made you change your mind about Cullen."

Bella released a half laugh, half sigh. "It wasn't just the imprint. It helped, but I was already having second thoughts the closer the wedding got here."

Jake saw Paul walk around his truck and stop at the back. He had the strongest feeling that Paul was definitely everything that Bella needs. "I'm sorry you went through that alone, and I'm sorry I haven't called you back in weeks; I'm an ass."

"I forgive you," Bella said as she stood up. "Hopefully, your brother will have a house by this time next week."

Jake chuckled. "I know the pack are my brothers, but hearing you call Paul my brother will take a bit to get used to."

"I've only known him for a few days, and we still need to learn a lot more about each other. I do know that he's a great guy." She took Jake's hand and pulled him up from the bench then wrapped her arms around his middle. "I love you and thank you for not throwing a temper tantrum."

"I do not throw temper tantrums; I get pissed and throw..."

"Temper tantrums," Bella says, cutting him off.

"Yeah, yeah," Jake says as he pulls away from their hug after placing a kiss on top of Bella's head. "I love you, too; I'll see you next weekend at the bonfire."

They started walking towards Paul. As soon as they reached him, Jake extended his hand. "If I don't see you sometime during the week, I'll definitely see you next weekend."

"Definitely," Paul said as he shook Jake's hand. "I'm sure we'll be by sometime during the week. I'm hoping we have a house soon."

"That's cool." Jake ruffled Bella's hair causing her to slap his hand away. "Be careful on your way back to the hotel."

Paul and Bella said goodnight to everyone and climbed into Paul's truck. They were taking leftovers to Charlie because he couldn't make the feast due to work. "Are you staying with me tonight?"

"Did you have something to do on your own?" She didn't want to seem like a third wheel so soon into their relationship.

Paul smiled over at Bella as they headed towards her house. "Angel, there's nothing I wanna do without you except take a shit."

"Ditto," Bella replied. "Then yes, I'll be staying with you until you tell me to go away."

"That'll never happen. You might as well move in with me as soon as we find the right house." Paul kept his eyes on the road as he waited for Bella to say something.

Bella wondered if he'd suggest that they get married next since they were going to get married anyway.

Her life had definitely shifted into the fast lane.

THANK YOU!

RTB