I relaxed when I recognized Kyle's sad face. I didn't want him to be sad. I tried, and miserably failed, to plaster a smile on my face. Kyle ran his fingers soothingly through my hair. I let myself feel cared for, even if it wasn't genuine.

The car stopped. I picked up that the men in the car were using soothing tones. Not that I had the energy to listen to what they were saying.

Kyle held my hand as we walked into the bright room. He walked with me and had me stop often. It was like we had to zigzag instead of walking normally.

It made me upset, like the men were prolonging our closeness. I needed escape. That escape could only be found in Phoenix.

Arms wrapped around me three times before I was lowered into a movable seat. I floated through the airport, only having to stand to board the plane.


Chapter 35: Damage Control

As Always Happy Reading


POV: Rachel


All the spinning on the dance floor was making my stomach flip, even though I wasn't actively participating in the dance. The act of simply watching had me concealing my pregnancy, to a new level of difficulty.

I wish Beck had stayed, or given me a heads up that she was leaving. I would have loved a reason to go put my feet up.

Forcing a smile on my face, I talked to another member of the tribe. What no one tells you about being the Chief's daughter, is that you will be required to appear positive and optimistic at all times - including now, when all I wanted was to find a bathroom and hug the toilet.

Paul's hand came to rest on my lower back. Relaxing into his touch, I tried and failed to send the nausea to him through the bond. He put this baby in me, he could go hurl in the woods.

If people didn't grow up knowing who the chief's kid in our relationship was, they might think it was Paul. He handled the conversation for me with the grace of a leader. It was so fucking sexy. Ugh. This is how we got into my current nauseous state.

With Paul here, I was able to zone out looking around at the crowd. This was a gorgeous wedding. When Paul and I get married, I think we will have less people. Maybe just the pack and our families. Then we don't have to keep up the facade.

I watched as Collin pulled another tray of food out from under one of the many food tables. If it was just a pack wedding, we could have all the food out already. Then the men wouldn't need to be circling the tables to actually have enough food in them.

Dad will want us to be married before the baby is born. It's not like Paul would deny the lineage of our baby. It didn't matter to me if the baby gained the love of my life's last name before I did. Maybe we would go to the court house, get married in secret then do a party after the baby is here.

I let my eyes wander as I lost myself in internal thought. This skill was picked up as I would be required to sit though very long, boring meetings. Sam looked to be a puppy returning to his mate.

It was so cute watching him run on instincts only. I only recognized it because he had the same focused eyes that Paul gets during make out sessions. My eyes didn't want to leave him as he made his way back to Bella.

I loved puppy love. It was both earth shattering and life affirming. Sometimes I missed it. Paul and I were the first of the pack to imprint. It was an uphill battle in the beginning.

Paul had a bit of a temper that didn't mix well with my stubbornness. I was mistrusting with the idea of being an imprint. Beck had gotten into a fight with Dad the night before I imprinted. Dad had a plan that Beck would imprint with an Alpha, almost like he could guarantee it happening.

I had been jealous of Beck being three minutes older then me for the majority of our childhood. Dad would take Beck out to show her the ropes of running the tribe. Even after Jake was born, Dad trained Beck as a back up.

Knowing now that our little brother was destined to turn into a giant wolf, it wasn't stupid of dad to train Beck as a back up Chief. Beck, however, struggled to stay home after I imprinted. The uncomfortableness of Dad trying to force her to imprint was magnified as she saw Paul and I together.

Beck moved out soon after. Not officially by any means. Her clothing and room are still at Dad's house, she is just never there. When she is, it's during council meetings, so she doesn't have to interact with Dad.

Maybe one day they could come back together and we can all be a family again. It was weird not having her around. We were twins for fuck sakes.

Paul handed me a cup of soda water. Maybe I was semi-successful at pushing the nausea to him. Taking a sip I rolled my eyes as Emily tried to intercept Sam.

The cup dropped from my hand and I was moving. This bitch is going to die, if she doesn't stop forcing herself on Sam. He was a fucking imprinted man. Pregnant or not, I was going to put an end to this.

My hands grabbed Emily, pulling hard. I didn't stop when their mouths broke apart. I pushed Emily into the tree-line. This didn't need to be a scene for others to see.

Emily stumbled into the woods, I didn't care that she was in heels that would a prostitute would lust after. If she thought she was old enough to kiss an imprinted man, the risk of a broken ankle was the least of her concerns.

"What the fuck Rachel?!" Emily yelled

"I could ask you the same thing!"

I pushed her into a clearing. The nausea that threatened during the party was rearing it's ugly head again. Taking deep breaths, I tried to keep it down.

"I didn't do anything wrong" Emily fixed her hair.

In that moment, I wished I had scissors. I would cut her hair until she looked like Cynthia, the doll from Rugrats. The only issue is, I worried she would look better with that haircut.

"You knew Sam is dating Bella" I accused. My hands became fists at my sides.

"Who?" Emily feigned ignorance.

"You Bitch"

I let my fist fly. Emily wasn't skilled enough to stop my swing. It connected squarely with the left side of her face.

"What the hell! She isn't one of us Rachel! She is a tourist. Who gives a fuck if he has a fling with her. I will end up with him!" Emily held the side of her face as she spoke. Taking a step back from me.

"You will never come near him again." I ordered. For a moment I could feel a tinge of power in my words. I wonder if this is what an Alpha order felt like. I closed the distance between us.

"He's mine" Emily spat at me.

"No! He's not! He is with Bella who is better then a CUNT like you will ever be!" I screamed.

"I don't take orders from you, knocked up trash" Emily screamed. Shock must have registered on my face. "Oh you though no one noticed? You and your high school boyfriends little secret? I know more then you think I do! It's called pillow talk, I can get anything from men after they work hard to pleasure me." Emily's smiled like the succubus she was.

I didn't think, I just threw my hands, connecting with her body multiple times. Warm hands pulled me away from her.

"She's not worth it baby" Paul spoke calmly in my ear.

I looked at him, sharing with a glance the pain I had felt. His growl vibrated against me.

"You are now, and will always be, trash. Now take yourself out" Paul told Emily.

Looking at her, I realized I had done a number on her appearance. Her hair was a mess and a bruise was forming on her right breast. That was the only bruise I could see forming right now, probably not the only one that would appear over the course of the night.

Paul ran with me through the forest. I let the tears fall from my eyes. Sam deserved to be happy, and the tribes whore was trying everything to prevent that. It made me mad enough to attack her. Just because I didn't transform into a wolf, didn't mean I wouldn't protect the pack.

Paul set me down on the back deck of pack house. He created a bit of distance between our bodies, kneeling so he could look at me face to face. I couldn't meet his eyes, tucking my chin into my chest.

"Rae Rae" Paul cooed at me.

I still couldn't look at him, even if he was using my pet name.

"Rae Rae my love" Paul cooed again.

I glanced up quickly. His face didn't seem mad. I dropped my eyes again. Maybe he wasn't mad, he could be disappointed in me. I get it, that was some crazy person energy. Pulling Emily off Sam just to punch her in the woods.

Maybe Dad was right, I should have married him before I thought about becoming pregnant. Paul could see this as craziness and choose to leave. I could raise this baby by myself, maybe Beck would help. My heart felt like it was being seared at the thought.

"Rae Rae, what's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" Paul held my hands as he spoke.

"If you want to find another imprint, I get it" I choked out.

"What?" Paul laughed

"Don't laugh at me Lahote" I met his eyes in a glare. My glare softened slightly when I saw his loving expression. "I wasn't in control! That was fucking crazy, who does that?" I could hear the panic in my own voice.

"My wife does that" Paul smiled.

"Tribal wife" I corrected him.

"Rachel Black, beautiful soldier for all things just in the world. Defender of the pack, and eternal keeper of my soul." Paul paused reaching into his back pocket. "I have been waiting to find the right moment. You are the love of my life. Nothing you do could ever change that. Imprint or not, you are my other half. I love you. I love the future we are destined to have together. Would you do me the honour of walking the rest of your life with me. As my wife?"

Paul opened a small box, showing me a sparkling engagement ring.

I stared at him. Words not surfacing as pure joy and love crashed over my heart. Happy tears poured from my eyes. I wanted Paul to be my husband more then I wanted anything else in the world.

"Are you going to say a thing, gorgeous? Or are you enjoying keeping me on my knees?" Paul smiled at me.

"I do enjoy you on your knees" my voice choked out.

"Oh, I know" Paul winked at me.

"Pauly?" I asked

"Yeah Rae-Rae?"

"I want to be your wife" I felt my smile explode on my face.

I lunged for Paul, knocking him off balance, kissing him hard. Paul held me on the deck. Right now it didn't matter we were on the deck of the pack house and I was laying on top of my boyfriend. Excuse me, fiancé. I kissed him over and over again, knowing nothing in my life had ever felt more right then this moment, and when we found out we where going to be parents.

Paul slipped the ring on my finger. It felt weightless, like it had always been there. Paul's arms held me tight when we both heard the front door of the pack house bang open.

I waited slightly impatiently for Paul to tell me what was going on. I knew he could hear anything happening in the house from where we were.

Looking at the ring, he had chosen perfectly for me. An estate diamond cluster ring, with a beautiful gold band. It appeared to be timeless in it's beauty. Just like the love Paul and I shared.

"Rae" Paul sounded stressed

"Are they fighting? I can go explain Sam's part." I pushed up from Paul's hold.

"No Rae. Bella left" Paul sounded as shocked as I felt.

"She can't leave! She was in love, they fit together perfectly. Bring me to Emily now! I didn't hit her hard enough for this." I started walking towards the woods.

"Rae-Rae, let's not break your ring the first day you have it on. Let's go help Sam" Paul redirected me towards the house.

"Where did she go?" I asked.

"Airport. She's going home to her mom"

Pulling out my phone I dialled the one person I knew would know what to do. They had been trained in this shit.

"Hello sis" Beck answered the phone.

"Bella left"

"How's Sam?" Beck demanded

"One sec" I told her. Putting her on speaker "Paul how is Sam?"

"Hi Beck. He's a mess. Collin and Jared had to carry him here. He doesn't seem to know what's going on." Paul reported.

"I am on my way. Get him upstairs. Maybe her scent is still in his bed" Beck ordered before hanging up.

I looked at Paul, interlocking our hands before we entered the chaos that was the pack house.


POV: Beck


"Fuck.. Fuck… Fuck" I muttered to myself.

Grabbing a duffel bag, I started to toss necessities into it. Toothbrush, change of clothing. I turned, looking for my phone cord. The issue is I never plugged in my phone, he always did.

"Why the strong language my love?" Edward stood in the doorway.

I had just finished with my facial from Rose when Rachel called. So much for erasing my tension lines. Tonight had been stressful. Don't get me wrong, the wedding was beautiful, but the lecture I got from Dad, less so.

I held my arms out to him. Edward was my safe place, even if my dad didn't understand. He enveloped me in comforting embrace.

"Bella left" I whispered.

"That's not good" Edward whispered back to me. "How is Sam?" Genuine concern in his voice.

"How do you think?" I buried my face in his chest. Wanting for just a moment to be just his, not have the birth responsibility I did.

"Well, if you left, I think I would go to South America and wait for you to die of old age, then I would find a way to follow you into the afterlife." The sincerity of his tone felt visceral.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen you will do no such thing" I half heartedly scolded him.

"Rebecca Amaris Black, without you my life holds no light. Would you like me to pack for you? I can put gloves on, the pack won't be annoyed by my scent." His icy lips brushed against my forehead.

I nodded, holding my bag out to him. With impossible speed that I had begun to expect, my bag was packed.

Flic walked into our shared room. Looking at Edward zoom-packing, she gave me a questioning glance.

"Bella left." I told her.

If anyone was to understand the situation it would be Flic. She too had grown up in the same world as me. Unlike me, though, she had no obligations to her former world. Also, as opposed to my disposition, I knew it killed her daily to not be able to help her past pack.

"Please let me help" I could hear the desperation in her voice.

"I got a text from Leah when we got back. The pack was ordered so none of the wolves can look you in the eyes" I tried to break it to her as kindly as I could. However, Flic wouldn't appreciate me not being direct.

"Who cares?" Flic grabbed a duffle bag "Where am I going?"

"Phoenix" I told her.

"Alice, I'm going to Phoenix, can you pack me a bag?" Flic called down the hall.

The bag in her hand disappeared. I knew Alice took it.

"Flic." Emmett called to her.

"I will be going to Phoenix, just gotta convince Mom and Dad" Flic told me, before disappearing down the hall.

She was going to have to tell Emmett and Rose that she was going to Phoenix. They were amazing parents, but, traveling across the country without them was something Flic had a bit of convincing to do.

"I think Emmett is worried about losing his little girl" Edward pulled me into his side.

"The order for no one to look her in the eyes is done. They won't be losing her" I reminded him.

"Beck, falling in love isn't exclusive to those who imprint. Trust me, I know" Edward kissed my hair.

"I am going to miss you so much" I didn't hold back the emotion from my voice.

"I will be a burning man, alight with anticipation until your return"

"Hey, no fire. I refuse to loose my boyfriend to anything but a friction fire" I winked at him.

"Beck, I can't take your innocence, not until you marry me." Edward vowed.

"After that?" I voiced with baited breath.

I watched the possibilities glow in Edwards eyes. If it was a marriage he wanted, I was willing to go to the court house tomorrow.

"BECK! Come On! Dad's going to drop you off on the way! We need to go now to catch my flight, even with Dad's reckless driving" Flic called from downstairs.

I reached up on my tiptoes, kissing Edward deeply. Truthfully, if Rachel didn't call, I would have enjoyed the rest of my night listening to music and trying to seduce my boyfriend. It had become a fun pastime of mine.

Now I would be pushed back into the world that I had all but abandoned. It was easier knowing Sam imprinted, no chance for an Alpha imprint on this trip. I could breath easier helping him through the separation pain, as Flic brought Bella back to us.

It sucked that no vampires were allowed on the pack lands. I wiped away a tear that had escaped as Emmett drove me to the boundary line. Paul was waiting for me. This wouldn't be the first time that I would see his wolf. When I needed to get around the territory without letting Dad know I was here, my future brother in law was a great option for transportation.

"Hey" I greeted.

I saw the desperation and pain in Paul's eyes. When the Alpha was in pain, it was hard on all the wolves.

Holding out my hand, I waited for him to give me the ring box. Paul had been carrying around the box for over a year now. How Rachel didn't notice surprised me. Not that I was dying to ask my future brother in law how he hid the ring box when my sister was undressing him.

Paul beamed at me, pulling the lining out of his pockets and showing me he wasn't carrying the ring box.

"Did you finally propose?" I questioned.

He nodded.

"And? Do I get you as my brother-in-law?" I asked.

"Well, I should let Rachel tell you first, you are her sister. Nah, I will tell you - Fuck yes, I am your brother in law!" Paul practically bounced with excitement.

I wrapped my arms around him, squeezing him tightly. Paul never shunned me, even when it appeared I turned my back on the pack. He had supported me more then my own father over the course of the past year. I had decided if Edward and I do have a traditional wedding, I would ask him to walk me down the aisle. I knew that he would be happy seeing me happy, even if I was marrying a vampire.

Letting Paul go, I waited by the road for my ride to appear. Wolf Paul was just as, if not more playful then human Paul. He pretended to play chicken with me, running at full speed before stopping in his predictable spot.

He laid on the ground, I tossed my leg over his back, holding tight as he stood. The car with Flic in it was already gone, luckily Emmett was driving, or else she would have never made it to Seattle in time for her flight.

I was working on tamping my excitement as we ran through the woods. Rachel was head over heals for the man, he was her night and day. When they were together, it made me realize that an imprint really could be a good thing. Not that I wanted one forced on me. Dad pretty much guaranteed that I would be imprinted to an Alpha before I left. That Alpha would have been Sam before he imprinted on Bella. The fact that he imprinted on Bella must have meant he was never supposed to be mine.

"We need to gather Bella's scent, did she leave clothing or blankets or anything?" I asked Paul.

The wolf under me nodded.

"Bring me to those, we need to make sure to try to not get our scent on it" I warned him.

The last thing Sam needed was to smell another wolf mixed with his distant imprint's scent right now. Paul bolted through the forest. I kept low onto his back, settling into the familiar run through the forest.

Honestly, I wasn't sure how Bella was holding up, being able to feel the distance between them grow. From all the stories, I had heard the one leaving has the worst of the imprint abandonment effects. Lots of imprints that leave turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with half their soul being missing. Only those with the strongest resolve survive the distance for longer then a year. If they can handle the first year, I don't know the effects it would have on them.

The only data points I could find in our archives was either the finding of dead runaway imprints within a year of their separation, or, the reports of the wolf feeling their imprint pass, with no body recovery. Past the year mark, the imprinted wolves stopped agonizing over it, at the command of the council. Each council note I read on the subject had been one out of love and concern for the wolf in question. The wolf would be in a catatonic like state until the imprint settled in a new location. After that, they became a ghost of themselves.

Each report I read was unsettling. Dad made me read it, knowing that I wasn't open to being an imprint. I think he did it in hopes that I would choose not to run, when I did imprint.

Instead, I chose to run before I had anyones happiness tied to my own. I knew I couldn't be selfish enough to actually leave if that happened. A life tied down, without my consent terrified me. Maybe that is why I am currently dating a 119 year old vampire with premarital sex issues.

Paul lowered himself for me to get out on Charlie's porch. I knew the room that would have been used for Bella. Opening the porch door, I found Leah standing in the middle looking lost.

"Grab garbage bags and tongs. Don't get your scent on anything we are taking this to Sam" I told her.

She gathered the materials I asked for in record time. She held open the bag as I tonged Bella's discarded things into the open trash bags. When we had filled three, I paused.

"Seal off this room. I don't know how long she will be gone, but, if we can keep her scent at least kinda fresh, it would be good" I told Leah.

Again, she didn't speak. This was a common occurrence, according to our records. Wolves would go into shocked silence when their Alpha's imprint left. It happened less often to imprints that had not gotten engaged, or had children together. I guess because Rachel and Paul had both gotten engaged, and are currently pregnant, it meant that they could be the most functioning.

I helped Leah load the bags into the back of her mother's car. Climbing into the drivers seat, I drove the bags to Sam's house. I wanted to turn around when I saw my father on the porch looking smug.

"Good to see my training didn't fall on deaf ears" Dad called as I grabbed the bags.

I didn't speak, needing to focus on not contaminating the bags. Hauling them up one by one, I dropped them just outside of Sam's room. Carefully, I opened the door. When I didn't see Sam from the doorway, I walked into the room. The lights were off, and Sam laid sprawled in a heap on his bed. I could see him breathing deeply, his cheeks raw where the tears had eroded lines.

Tying a rope around my waist I handed the other end to Paul. Picking up the first bag, I stood in the doorway of the room.

"Pull me out of here and slam the door on the count of three" I told him.

"Beck maybe I-" Paul started.

"No, if your scent gets on it, he will go after you. Sam is completely in a primal loss state. He needs you to pull me out, before I get hurt." I ordered Paul.

The order felt like shit on my tongue. I knew I had the power to order the pack around, just as Jacob does. At least until Jacob is sworn in as chief. Though I never liked taking away the rights of the wolves. Unlike my father, consent is important to me.

Paul nodded. What else could he do? I ordered him like a slave.

Shaking off my guilt, I focused on the task at hand. Walking closer to Sam, I took a deep breath.

"One." I opened the bag. "Two" I raised it up. "Three" I dumped the contents over Sam.

I could see for a moment the shine in his eyes reappear. The same shine that he had every time he saw Bella. Paul ripped me from the room slamming the door behind me. My only hope was that it would be enough scent for today. If we gave him a bag of fresh scent each night we might be able to make it three days. Before the worst of the separation effects kicked in.

Fuck. Flic, you better bring her home.


Authors Note: I hope you enjoyed the different points of view in this chapter. I would love to write from our main characters perspectives, but, that would be a very nonsensical chapter. Please let me know what you thought about the perspectives of Beck and Rachel. It was quite fun writing both the twins in the same chapter! As always if you have any questions or reactions please put it in the reviews, I love reading what you all write!