One of the plainest truths of life is that people are creatures of habit. The small group from La Push was no exception. Like every Friday night, they were camped out at "The Drunk Seal," in their usual booth, farthest from the entrance and closest to the toilets. The smell didn't bother Paul, but he saw Kim scrunch up her nose as they settled in. He smirked at her discomfort but felt a twinge of guilt. Kim was his best friend, and while the guys were happy with snacks and beer, it just wasn't enough for her sometimes.

The guys were in good spirits, laughing at one of Jared's lame jokes. Paul gave Jared's shoulder a playful thump and grinned. Despite the easy mood, something felt off. Paul noticed Kim sitting quietly, her forehead furrowed. She sometimes struggled to fit in with the guys, not because they didn't like her—they all loved her—but because their worlds didn't quite align. Paul admired her for sticking around, but no amount of effort was going to make her care about cars or sports. Tonight, she had that distant look again, like she wasn't really there.

Jared noticed it too, and his voice cut through Paul's thoughts. "Babe?"

Kim blinked, pulling herself out of whatever daydream she was in. Paul saw the flush rise in her cheeks as she realized everyone was watching her.

"Hmmm, huh?" she said, trying to hide her distraction.

Paul leaned in, trying to lighten the mood. "Beer. Want one? Or are we interrupting your staring?"

"No, I'm good," she said, pointing at her half-full pint. Seth grabbed it and chugged it down.

"Not anymore," he laughed, and Kim managed a tiny smile.

"We should probably head home anyway," Jared said.

"No, it's still early," she jumped up and headed for the bar. "I'll get the next round."

Jared started to protest, concern flashing in his eyes, but she was already walking away.

"Do you think she's bored?" Jared asked quietly as he leaned in.

"Maybe," Paul mumbled. Jared's face fell, clearly worried.

Paul watched Kim head to the bar. If he knew her (and he really did), she was probably trying to avoid Jared wanting to go home because of her. Paul followed her, ignoring the curious looks from the guys.

"Paul, I'm perfectly capable of—" Kim started as he appeared behind her.

"Yes, you're a strong, independent woman, yadda, yadda, yadda. But I'm thirsty, and you're taking forever," he said, turning to the bartender and yelling, "Hey, buddy!" The bartender almost dropped a tray of glasses but quickly came over. People muttered their disapproval, but no one said anything to Paul. He smirked.

Halfway through his beer, Paul saw Kim's gaze drift across the bar. Her expression was a mix of curiosity and longing. He followed her gaze and spotted two women at a nearby table.

One of them stood out. She was fit, with long dark hair and a red top that made her look like she was on fire. The other was shorter, with dark hair and dressed in something shiny. They seemed comfortable with each other, laughing and chatting easily.

Kim watched them with a wistful look. Seeing it made him realize how she missed hanging out with other girls, even if he hadn't noticed it before. Sure, she had Emily, but it was different—Emily was a bit older and rarely went out. Now that she and Sam had a kid on the way, she'd probably spend even less time with Kim.

"What? Shut up," Kim suddenly blurted, noticing Paul and Jared watching her. Paul grinned and exchanged a look with Jared.

An idea popped into his head, and his big, fat mouth instantly blabbered it. "Fifty bucks if I take one of them home tonight. You choose which one," he nodded at the two girls.

"Oh, I knew we should have gone home," Jared sighed, pinching the root of his nose.

"Don't be a pervert, Paul," Kim said sharply.

Paul shrugged, egging her on, sure she wouldn't go through with it. "I'm serious. Let's make a bet. Or are you scared your girls don't stand a chance?"

Kim huffed. "Please. Don't flatter yourself. Your conversation skills are poor on your best day."

He gave her a sly smile. "Good thing I won't need to talk much, then."

"You're not that good-looking," she shot back.

"Wanna test that theory?"

"Babe, he's just teasing. Paul, drop it, okay?" Jared tried to intervene.

But Kim wasn't backing down. "The girl in the sequined top. She'll say no. It's you and your hand tonight," she said, extending her hand.

Paul shook it with a grin, surprised she was willing to bet. "I hope you have 50 bucks to spare."

He got up, downed his drink, and started toward the girls. His movements were deliberate. The thrill of the challenge was too tempting to resist. He walked up to the girls with confidence, Kim and the others watching closely.

"Please, please, please…" he heard Kim mutter from the booth, followed by "Unbelievable," from Jared. Paul smiled wider.

When he reached the girls' table, Paul cleared his throat. "Excuse me."

The girls turned to him, and the one in the sequined top blushed. He smirked at her. This was going to be easier than he thought.

"I was wondering—"

Then his gaze shifted, and he froze. The other girl—the taller one with long dark hair—her eyes caught the light just right, piercing through him. Her eyes weren't just blue—they were electric, stark against her pale skin and dark lashes. He felt like he was being sized up, and for the first time in a long while, he was the one on edge. Everything else about her—the vivid red top, her fit build—faded into the background. It was those eyes that held him, locked him in place.

The air seemed to leave the room. His heart skipped a beat, then slammed against his chest. It was like the world had narrowed down to just her.

Paul's legs weakened, and he stumbled back, barely catching himself on a table edge, nearly knocking it over. The confident smile he'd worn only seconds ago vanished. All he could do was stare at her, stunned, as something shifted deep inside him. It was like the ground had opened up, swallowing every thought and plan he'd ever had. Nothing mattered anymore—nothing except her.

The girl stood up, her eyes not leaving his, concern flickering across her face. But Paul barely registered it. He couldn't think, couldn't speak. He just knew, in that split second, that his life had changed forever. He'd just found his imprint. Nononononononono, his mind went, but his wolf howled with joy somewhere deep inside him, pushing its way up. His mind was screaming that this couldn't be happening, but his body had already decided. The wolf didn't care about his protests—it wanted her, needed her, and it was taking over. His hands shook, his breath quickened. If he didn't get out of there, he was going to lose control—he was going to phase right in the middle of the bar. Stop it, he hissed at the wolf, you're going to hurt her. His entire body clenched, and he lifted his arms in apology.

"Sorry," he mumbled at the girls.

"Are you—" his imprint tried.

"Sorry," he repeated. "I thought… I thought you were someone else. Sorry," he said again, ungluing himself from the table and heading straight for the exit. He heard Jared and Embry rushing toward him, but he couldn't wait. As he got outside, he beelined for the trees, taking big gasps of air, feeling like he'd held his breath underwater the previous few minutes. Shielded by the trees, he sank to the ground and just tried to focus on breathing. This shouldn't have happened. I didn't want this, he kept thinking, over and over.

"Bro? Hey," Jared said, sitting next to him. "How we doing?"

Embry knelt in front of Paul, taking his hands. Any other time, Paul would have mocked Embry and slapped his hands away, but now the touch felt like an anchor. He squeezed back, holding on for dear life.

"Easy does it," Embry murmured. "Long inhale, long exhale." Paul did as he was told.

Jared shook his head, still processing. "I'm sorry, I'm just—did you really just—"

"Another inhale. And a long exhale," Embry stepped in again. "Jared, maybe let's not ask him any questions while he's in the middle of a panic attack," he said calmly.

"Right, sorry," Jared said sheepishly. "Plenty of time for questions after."