Chapter 10: Awakening love

Three days later the trucks returned empty of coffee beans, yet the village now held the money they needed to expand and get the items they needed. The village was now in celebration as night settled upon them. A bonfire had been lit and the whole tribe gathered together to celebrate.

Paul however was not a man to be messed with, the beast inside was off its leash.

The villagers were quick to get out of his way as he stalked through the village.

Paul hissed as someone didn't move fast enough out of his way.

He had no idea where he was going until he heard a voice.

"Paul?" a sweet gentle voice called.

Paul felt his body hum as his electric blue eyes met hers. She was sitting in a circle with some other women, and god was she breathtaking. So breathtaking that Paul was frozen where he stood.

She approached him with confidence and health shining in her eyes. Gone were the black circles under the eyes and it even looked like she had put on a little more weight. She wore a tribal dress that matched her eyes and if that didn't make him want her even more in that moment, he didn't know what would.

"Paul, welcome back." She greeted as she smiled up at him. "How did it go? Did you find the phone?"

Paul shook his head.

"have to wait until they fix it."

"Oh, I see well. We have plenty of time. They put me in the sweat lodge. It helped a lot. Most of the fluid is gone and my fever broke. Are you hungry?" she asked innocently and there it was. This female of his was just so freaking innocent that he couldn't stand it. Didn't know when she was standing in the belly of the beast yet this beast would roll over for her any day.

"not for food." He purred.

Her face turned scarlet as she looked away from him.

"stop it. You flirt. Come on we need to talk."

A smile graced his face as he felt the beast within relax. Once again his eyes were watching her behind. Paul growled. She had no idea what that behind did to him.

They came to a stop under a tall tree as the fire cast a golden hue over her skin.

She turned to face him, craning her neck to look at him.

"so… um…" she began biting her lip and wringing her hands together. Nervousness emitted from her and he cocked his head in curiosity.

What did she have to be nervous about?

"First I just wanted to thank you again for..coming to my aid. I don't know what I would have done without you. And secondly. Um... I don't know about you but… I know there's a connection between us and…If you're willing to take it another step I am too. But if you don't I understand. It's just… despite what others think of you and what you think of yourself... I think you're an awesome man. You treat me like an as equal and you make me laugh. Your kind your caring and I know that you're a predator. That's who you are. There is no hiding the beast within and that's fine because I don't want you to hide him. He's a part of you and you're a part of him. I know you would never hurt me and I trust you. I know we haven't known each other long and I know to others it may seem kind of fast but I think we've been feeling this for quite some time and I guess what I am trying to ask is … "

It was then his little minx stood on her tippy toes and kissed him.

Paul felt the beasts within him purr, yet it felt like electricity flowing through his veins.

He was quick to put his hands on her hips pulling her closer.

When they pulled away Bella gasped.

"Paul your eyes! Wow. They've changed. Your pupil is catlike, and your eyes have a gold and blue hue. It's so pretty! At least to me anyway."

"hmm, couldn't care less at this moment," he told her as he bent down to kiss her again.

However, they were interrupted when a giggle sounded their way.

Paul arched an eyebrow as Chieftess Catia and Carlos approached them.

"Tio Paulo! Take her to dance!" Carlos gestured. The couple turned to see a group of couples dancing around the fire while others cheered them on.

"what's going on?" Bella asked.

Paul asked the chieftess in Portuguese and he translated.

"she says that it's the night of the new moon. Every new moon single villagers come to find a match and then they dance around the fire. Some even.." Paul paused. " get married under the new moon"

Bella's eyes widened.

"m-marriage?" Bella stuttered.

Paul shrugged his shoulders.

"they only do it every other month when the new moon comes out."

Bella was silent but she squeezed Paul's hand.

"is that something… you ..would want?" she mumbled.

Paul tilted her head so that they were eye to eye.

"is that something you would want? You know me, I am more beast than man. If you want the man you have to fight for him. We have survived the jungle, vampires, and sickness but …binding yourself to me is a completely different matter. It's not like we met over a date for coffee and I took you out and bought you flowers. I won't ever be normal, I won't be able to give you a normal life. This beast inside me will always be on the surface. I am a predator, I am violent, and I have killed people. I have been in and out of jail and I don't take kindly to people messing with what's mine. So, I am warning you not to jump the gun on this. Don't jump into this lightly because if you do, I won't let you go. I can't, couldn't let you go."

Bella swallowed hard as she looked at him, feeling somewhat rejected. However, he didn't let her roll with those emotions instead he questioned her.

"Hey, I'm not saying no but I need to know why. Why do you want this? Why the rush? Don't you want to go on dates and be a young adult? Because I know what this would be for me. But what would this mean to you? I need to know your thoughts on this."

Bella leaned into the palm of his hand, a sigh released itself as warmth filled her body.

"All my life my choices have been taken away from me. I didn't get a choice when my parents divorced, I didn't get a choice when I got with Edward and I mean that in relationship terms, and even now with the pack. Sometimes I feel smothered. But… I want the choice to choose. I want to choose who I love and who I spend my life with. I want something… real and … permanent. I want this… I want this with you."

Paul sniffed and the corners of his lips turned upward in a smile.

He then turned towards the chiftess saying something in Portuguese that made all the color from her face drain.

"come on Minha Linda. Let's go dance."

….

Chieftess Catia sat next to her father, food on her plate but there was no appetite.

All around them, couples danced, and then as soon as the sun rose, all the couples who chose to would get married over the rising sun.

It was always a beautiful ceremony and it always brought tears to her eyes. The couples stood under a tree and blankets that they would one day hold their children in would be hung over their shoulders as her father Dini said a prayer over them. They then would receive a rope that their intended had taken from the tallest tree in the village and then together the couple would tie the rope showing the significance of their marriage. If a couple ever divorced they would cut the rope.

However, catia couldn't see this ending well for a certain couple. She watched as the pale girl danced on her son's toes in a dark corner right on the edge of the forest.

She could see it. She could see the love they held for each other and yet catia held a fear In her heart. A fear in her heart towards her son.

How upsetting that was. For a mother to fear her son. It didn't help that he didn't want her in the first place. But how could he, all his life he was told she was dead. What room did she have in his life? Especially now? He was twenty-one years old and whatever darkness had happened in his life, it had consumed him.

That shook her. What darkness could have happened that turned him this way?

…

Leon lahote sat in the dark corner of the bar twisting the beer in his hands.

If he drank this now, that would be seven years of sobriety down the drain. And anytime he went out to the bar with friends, he only ordered a soda. And yet here he was contemplating on his past and ready to drink it all away.

The shuffling of a chair, made Leon look up and surprise hit him as his brother sat across from him.

"why are you here?" Leon asked bitterly.

"Because I'm your brother and I care for you. Now why are you here?"

Leon shrugged.

"Just thinking about life."

"and," Joseph questioned.

Leon sighed. "Today I'm seven years sober. I should be happy about that… but I'm not. All I can think about is what brought me here. I started drinking when Paul turned eight. I was living in Tacoma, a single dad and I missed my wife so much. I moved back home to La Push because I needed help. I couldn't raise an eight-year-old alone. And that's when the drinking started. I would go to work, come home and drink. I did this for years on and off. I beat him, Joe, I would put my hands on him in the worst way. And the days I couldn't watch him because of work I would send him to my dad. And now and then I would have sent him your way, I know you saw him. Joe, that went on for about eight years. It wasn't until he turned fifteen that I finally got my life together but by then it was too late. He hated me, by the time he was seventeen he had moved out and put the emancipation papers on my desk. I couldn't do anything but sign them because I knew he deserved better. I screwed him up, Joe. I made him suffer because of my shortcomings."

Joseph sighed as he looked at his brother.

"yeah, I knew. You're not the only guilty party here. I screwed up just as bad as you did. I thought.. eventually you'd get your head out of your behind and you did but… I was too late. But listen here bro, sitting here drowning yourself in sorrow about your mistakes is not going to make things better. The best thing you can do now is wait for Paul to come home and make amends with him when he returns."

Leon could only hope.

….

Bella gasped as she watched the sun slowly rise. A thick blanket was thrown over her and Paul's shoulders.

A brown robe was given to both of them to be held.

Around them were six other couples, all of them doing the same thing.

Making a lifelong commitment. A commitment that once scared Bella to death but now…things were different.

Paul was different.

He was her choice.

…..

"NO! SHE'S GETTING AWAY!" Edward snarled as he chased after the women.

Verona had slipped through their fingers, how? The only way they could describe her was her gift.

She could distract easily and that's exactly what she did.

Edward did his best to follow her when she jumped into the ocean, but was no use she was gone.

"EDWARD!" emmet shouted.

"WHAT!?" Edward hissed back.

"it's veronica. She slipped away too. We need to get back to Forks and join up with the pack. Things are going to get bad and… to make it worse, Alice can't see Bella. Her last vision was of Bella being bitten and tied to a tree by Victoria. She thinks- she thinks Bella may be dead."