"Come with me," Sam said. "Let's get some clothes for you."

Bella followed Sam, both running through the forest in their birthday suits. They came upon a small brown house.

"You hungry?" Sam asked.

"Always," Bella answered. She had been eating deer and elk as a wolf, but she was still hungry as a human.

"Wait here." Sam ran into the house. He came out minutes later wearing clothes. More clothes were in his hand. Bella took them from him.

Bella froze when a beautiful woman followed Sam out to the picnic table. She was carrying a plate of food. Turning her head, the woman revealed three scars on the side of her face. They were spaced exactly like Sam's razor-sharp claws.

Bella looked at Sam in horror. Those were claw marks from Sam's wolf. Sam had injured this woman!

Bella pictured the scene in her mind. This woman must have trusted Sam if she had been this close. Bella could only imagine the fear and pain of such an encounter. This woman would be scarred for life. He had shredded part of her face.

Yet Sam kept the woman here. Was she too afraid of him to leave? Did she think no one else would want her? Had he faked her death so that no one was even looking for her? Was he holding her captive?

Bella was vibrating, the air around her shimmering. She thought these were good men! She had trusted Sam like a father!

She ran in wolf form. She ran far from that small brown house of horrors. She wondered: did Paul and Jared hurt women too?

Sam called Paul on his home phone. "She phased and phased back when she saw Emily, just like Jared thought she would."

"On it, boss."

Paul ran into the woods behind his house and transformed into a wolf.

"It was an accident, Bella!"

Paul ran deeper into the forest.

"He phased too close when he didn't have control yet. He was just a young pup like you."

Paul was trying to follow Bella into the woods, but she had a head start. She outran every other wolf.

"That's what can happen if you don't get control, Bella. It's why you can't go home yet. You don't want to do that to Charlie."

Bella slowed down.

She asked, "How do you know it was an accident? Why is he keeping her hostage?"

Paul could see where she was now.

"She's his fiance. You know Sam. Do you think he would hurt her on purpose? Do you think he would hold a woman hostage?"

Paul saw her in the distance, sitting in one of Jared's mossy clearings. Paul stood in front of her as a wolf, then phased to a man.

"Talk to me," he said, like it was the simplest request in the world.

Paul was Bella's best friend in the pack, and he knew it. His temperament matched her own. He was more playful and fun than the other two. They were two peas in a pod. She trusted him with all of herself.

The two of them stared at each other for a few minutes. When she was ready, Bella got up and transformed into a human.

Paul looked at Bella's human form for the first time. She was insanely beautiful, far more than the missing person posters let on. Her skin was paler than everyone else's on the rez, but it looked good on her. And her body was so fucking hot: perky boobs, athletic looking and a great ass.

He couldn't think about that now.

Paul kept his eyes on her pretty face, not thinking about her body. "Nice to meet you, Bella."

He put his hand out for her to shake. She smiled and shook it. "Do you think Sam ate the food that his fiance made for me?"

"Only one way to find out. Let's race."

Paul backed up, then took a running leap over Bella's head in wolf form. He landed twenty feet away and took off running.

Bella bent forward into a wolf. Becoming a wolf was easy. It was the reverse that was difficult.

Bella chased Paul. "What's her name?"

"Who?"

"Sam's fiance! She's so beautiful."

"Emily."

Emily. A lovely name for a beautiful woman. Even with the scars, she was stunning. But she was Sam's fiance, so obviously straight… for now.

Bella started to put her energy into getting back to that house so that Sam didn't eat her food. It was food that Emily had prepared for her.

She passed Paul and skidded to a halt near the picnic table. She heard a gasp from the doorway. Emily stood there, staring at her.

Bella heard Emily's heart rate quicken. She could smell her perspiration and adrenaline. Emily was terrified. She was terrified of Bella.

Bella quickly phased to human. She pulled Emily into a hug.

"I won't hurt you," she whispered to her.

"I know," Emily said, wrapping her arms around Bella. "You just startled me, ok? Let me get your plate."

Bella stepped back and grinned. "You didn't let Sam take it?"

Emily winked. "I hid it for you." She turned to get it from the kitchen and Bella started to follow her. "Stay outside, Bella. I don't think Sam wants you in the house until you prove you have better control, ok?"

Bella stepped backwards and nodded.

Paul watched the whole exchange from the woods. Bella wasn't even looking for him. It was like she forgot they were racing as soon as she saw Emily.

Bella sat at the picnic table, waiting for Emily. She looked around the yard and saw Paul.

She waved, saying, "I think I won the race."

Paul nodded. "I knew you were faster than me. Where's Sam?"

"Don't know. But Emily didn't let him eat my food."

"She's a fine lady."

Paul sat across from her. He could see Bella's ample breasts above the table. He watched the door.

Emily smiled at him as she brought out the food and clothes. "I've got nothing for you, Paul, but Sam will be right out."

Emily put the clothes and food on the table. Bella put on the shirt. She patted the seat next to her, inviting Emily to sit next to her.

Emily hesitated, then sat.

"How did you and Sam meet?" Bella asked, starting to eat the sausage and mashed potatoes on the plate.

"Has Sam not mentioned me before?" Emily asked.

Bella shook her head.

Paul explained, "we wanted to see if she could meet you without phasing."

Emily's fingers traced the scars on her face.

Bella was looking at her with compassion. "You're so beautiful. The scars don't change that, Emily. I just didn't like to think that he was hurting you."

Emily looked into Bella's face and saw nothing but sincerity there. "I guess I'd feel the same in your position." She smiled, enjoying the lupine way that Bella ate her food. It reminded her of Sam. "What's it like being the only girl in the pack?"

"Oh, I don't know. Being in the pack is the crazy part. Being a girl has nothing to do with it. The guys are all great. I don't think they treat me any different, right Paul?"

Paul was trying not to stare at Bella as she ate. "Right."

Emily looked at Paul suspiciously now. Sam walked out and sat next to Paul, reaching his hand over to hold Emily's hand. "Bella, I'm glad to see you as a human. I would like you to stay with me and Emily in our spare room."

Paul added, "I also have a spare room you can borrow."

"When can I see Charlie?" Bella asked. "He must be worried sick."

"He had search parties out," Paul told her. "The missing person posters are plastered everywhere from here to Port Angeles."

Bella scoffed. "And you didn't tell me?"

"We were trying to help you calm your emotions," Sam explained. "It wouldn't have helped."

"Probably true," Bella agreed.

"When you see Charlie," Sam said, "you won't be able to go home. It won't be safe for him."

"Will it be safe for Emily?" Bella asked Sam worriedly. "Should I stay with Paul?"

"For the next day or two, sure. Maybe you should stay with Paul," Sam said. "Long term, our home is more stable. You don't want to interfere with Paul's bachelor lifestyle."

Paul glared at Sam. Bella giggled, turning to Paul. "I'm not surprised you're a ladies' man, Paul. I've always considered us kindred spirits. I'll stay with you for a day or two and I'll stay out of your way. I don't want to cramp your style." Bella turned back to Sam and Emily. "Then I'd love to stay here. Thank you."

Paul didn't bring any girls home while Bella was staying with him. He didn't want to.

"What do you want for dinner?" Paul asked Bella when she got back from patrol.

"I was thinking of going to Emily's. Sam's on patrol now. I'd like to spend more time with her alone."

"I'm in the mood for spaghetti and meatballs."

This was a tough choice for Bella, but she made it quickly. "I was just kidding. I'll stay here for spaghetti and meatballs."

Paul was a superb cook. He learned through years of cooking for himself. Bella helped him in the kitchen. Mostly, she gathered ingredients and cleaned up. He enjoyed the company and having someone to cook for.

After dinner, Paul put on a movie. "Have you seen this one, Bella? It's one of my favorites."

"Shrek 2?"

"Yep. Everyone saw the first one. The second is just as good."

"We'll see about that. Sequels are never as good."

The two settled onto the couch to watch. Paul had his arm around the back of the couch and Bella thought nothing of it. She had never been affectionate with family before joining the pack. After sleeping in wolf form with all the guys, they didn't really have physical boundaries. She was totally comfortable with that.

"That could be us," Paul said, gesturing to the TV.

"Which ones?" Bella asked. "I think I'm Puss in Boots and you're the donkey." She was trying not to laugh, thinking of Paul's voice coming out of the donkey.

"I was thinking of Shrek and Fiona."

"That's Sam and Emily," Bella said it like it was totally obvious.

"Wait, I should be Puss in Boots," Paul declared, "because I can fight."

"You said you'd teach me! Then it'll be me. I can do that thing with my eyes."

"You can not!" If she could, Paul definitely wanted to see it.

"No, I can't." She admitted while yawning.

When Bella fell asleep leaning on Paul, it felt just like sleeping on the forest floor with him. She felt safe. She felt like she belonged. She felt like she had found her family.

Paul felt like he had a beautiful woman asleep in his arms, which was technically true.

The next day Bella insisted that Paul teach her how to fight with their human bodies. "We're stronger than everyone else in human form," Paul explained, "but martial arts provide a good cover story for our ability, agility and grace."

He showed her the basics. Then they started sparring. After some time, she was ready for a break. She knew exactly what they could do next.

"Let's race as people."

"I know how this'll end," Paul said.

"How so?"

I did the same thing with Sam and Jared when I shifted back to human. I'm faster than Sam, not as fast as Jared, just like when we're wolves."

"Even with different race lengths?"

"Yep. I was thorough."

"Ok, but men can usually run faster than women, so we should still try."

Bella won easily.

"What if we add hurdles?" She asked. "That might change who's fastest."

"I wasn't that thorough," Paul admitted.

They found a list of all the Olympic games. They set out to compete against each other in as many as possible. It would take time, but it would keep them entertained.

Bella enjoyed the physical nature of her relationship with Paul: sparring, competing, falling asleep on the couch while watching a movie, just goofing around.

Paul also enjoyed that physical relationship. In his mind, it was all flirting and foreplay.

When Bella moved in with Sam and Emily, she had one goal in mind. She wanted to know Emily Young inside and out.

"So you didn't always live here?" Bella asked, engrossed in their conversation.

"I grew up in the Makah rez, the most northwest community in the continental US."

"But you like it better here?"

"Yeah, mostly because Sam is here, but the water is different here, too. Where I grew up in Neah Bay, the water was calmer. You could see Vancouver Island across the water on a clear day. Here, the ocean is so much bigger. You can't see anything on the horizon. The waves are monstrous. It makes me feel small but also free because the world feels so big. Sorry, I'm rambling. Yes, I like it better here."

"No, that was beautiful, Emily. I've only been to the beaches here and in California. I much prefer these too. The ocean in California is the same, but the beaches are crowded. It's all so impersonal, you know?"

"I can imagine," Emily said with a smile. "I've seen Baywatch."

Bella giggled. "So you know all about it," she teased. "What made you decide to return with Sam?"

"It's not the happiest story, but it's ours. You know he was with my cousin Leah for years, right?"

Bella recited the story that Sam had told her. "And then he imprinted, and she was left devastated. He feels really bad about it. He's told Paul and me not to get into a relationship with anyone because of it."

"Right and I feel bad about it, too. Leah didn't deserve that. She was so spunky and fun, but now, as far as I hear, she's just depressed."

"I would be too if I lost you," Bella said wistfully.

Emily gave her widest, lopsided smile. "She lost Sam, Bella, and she refuses to talk to either of us. I still want to be her friend, and she'll always be my cousin."

"Of course, so he imprinted, but how did he win you over? I need advice."

"What for?"

"To win you over!"

"Right," Emily giggled. "First, it's important to remember that the imprint feels what the wolf feels. However, that wasn't enough for us because of everything with Leah. I think it actually made it harder.. So he talked to me a bunch. He told me about the legends and told me about the wolves. He showed me his wolf, which is such an intimate gesture."

"He told me the legends too, Emily," Bella said, grinning. "Do you think he's trying to get with me, too? Because I don't swing that way."

"He's very much aware of that, Bella. You're not exactly discrete. Despite getting to know each other well, I still wanted him to return to Leah. When Leah found out he was up at Neah Bay trying to win me over, she cut me off. She hasn't spoken to me in ages." Emily sighed.

"Crazy," Bella whispered. She couldn't imagine someone not wanting to talk to Emily.

"Mmm, so I got mad at him because she's my best friend and she wouldn't even talk to me. Again, I told him to go back to her. He got mad."

"I would have too. I don't know this Leah, but you're so pretty and sweet and easy to talk to."

"Yeah, well, he got so mad that he lost control."

Bella gasped. "Is this the part where he hurt you? Oh god, Emily, you don't have to talk about that! I'm sorry I asked."

"No, Bella, you don't have to apologize. It's easy to talk to you about these things. Yes, this is when he cut my face and my arm." Emily rolled up her sleeves to show where the scars continued down her arm.

"Oh, I didn't know it went that far."

"Yeah, he had so much guilt about it all. He still does. You know, with imprints, you have to make sure they're happy. He thought the best way to make me happy would be to kill himself, but he couldn't do it without my permission."

"Your permission?" This part sounded kind of fucked up to Bella. There was no tactful way to say that, so she didn't bother trying.

"Mhmm. He asked me for my permission to kill himself."

"But you didn't give it?" Yep, this part was fucked up.

"No, of course not! That was when it all clicked into place. I realized how much I loved him. Us spending time together… he had my whole heart. The fact that Leah wasn't talking to me anymore made it easier, really. I had already lost her. I couldn't lose Sam too."

"And now you live happily ever after?"

"Not exactly. He still feels awful about what he did. He probably always will. We're in a constant loop of comforting each other about it."

"I don't have a chance with you, do I?"

"No, Bella, not at all. Have you never been in love?"

"I've had some pretty intense crushes," Bella said, making dough eyes at Emily.

Sam wasn't a huge fan of the way Bella flirted with Emily. But he had to admit, it was improving Emily's confidence.

Otherwise, Sam loved having her around. Bella helped with whatever he needed. When the washing machine belt kept slipping and needed to be replaced, Bella was the girl for the job. They opened the machine up together. Sam held the parts in place while Bella slipped the new belt on. It was the kind of work that was difficult for Sam to do alone because of his thick fingers. It was also the kind of work he didn't want to ask Emily to help with. He wanted to take care of Emily.

"Thanks Bella."

"Sam, I feel like I could have done that without you," Bella said confidently.

"Really? You think you could hold the pieces in place with one hand and slide the belt on with the other?"

"You held the pieces in place with one hand. It took one hand for me to get the belt on today."

"Fine! Next time you're on your own," Sam said, a little abrasively.

"Really? You'll let me repair your appliances by myself?"

"Definitely not. But next time I'll just supervise. Appliances don't have problems like this often. In these houses, we're more likely to have a problem with mice or insulation that has shifted."

"How do you deal with mice?" Bella asked.

"Eat 'em," Sam said, deadpan.

"You do not! The fur to meat ratio is terrible! It's not worth the effort."

"How do you know that, Bella?"

"A lady never tells."

Emily loved having Bella around too, and not just because she was easy to talk to and constantly complimenting her. Bella was the most eager sidekick she could ask for.

"I can get that for you, Emily," Bella said as Emily was pulling a meatloaf out of the oven. Bella whisked it off to the kitchen table.

"Thank you, Bella," Emily said as Sam wrapped his arms around her, greeting her with a kiss.

"What do you guys want to drink?" Bella asked. She darted around them to the cupboard with the cups and mugs.

"Coffee, please," Sam said.

"Tea, peppermint, if we still have some," Emily requested.

"Mmmm, I like how you taste when you drink peppermint." Sam said, kissing Emily again. "It's so festive."

Bella started bringing all the sides to the table.

"Ahem," she said, pretending to clear her throat.

Emily glanced at her, then Sam. He gave her a knowing smile, and the two sat down with Bella to eat.

"Bella made the mashed potatoes," Emily gushed.

"They're delicious," Sam told her.

"What did you make, Sam?" Bella teased.

"I just got off of patrol, Bella." Sam said, teasing her right back. "But I made half of your breakfast sandwiches this morning.

Bella looked hurt. "I thought Emily made those for me."

"I only had him put the toast in the oven, sweetie. I made the eggs and everything, as usual." To Sam she said, "Don't be mean to her. She'll move back in with Paul."

"No, I won't," Bella said, very sure of this decision.

"She definitely won't," Sam agreed. "Everyone is happy with this arrangement. Except maybe Paul. But she'll stay as long as you want her to, Emily."

"Don't act like I'm the only one who likes having her around," Emily said sternly. "Last time it took you two hours to replace that belt on the washing machine, and I don't think you did it right. I think that's why this one failed so soon."

Bella was grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"Emily, don't tell her that. It'll tip the balance of power in her favor." Sam winked at Bella. "And I don't like having her around to fix the washing machine. I like having her around because it's nice to have her around. She keeps you company. She keeps me company. She keeps us both on our toes. Paul doesn't deserve her."

Bella liked being wanted. It had never happened before. She knew she had been a burden to her mother her whole life. Her mother wanted the life of a single lady, not a single mother. Now they both had what they wanted. Renee was rid of Bella. Bella finally had a real family.

Sam was right about one major detail. Paul wanted Bella back in his own home. Even though he still spent time with her, he wanted her all to himself sometimes. He was pretty sure he was falling in love with Bella Swan. He hadn't had any girls over since he laid eyes on Bella's human form. That was a record for him. He only wanted Bella.

It took longer than usual for him to build up the courage to ask her out. He had never asked anyone out that he actually cared about before.

"Come over for dinner, Bella," he invited her. "I'll make you something good."

"Any time, Paul. What do you want me to bring?" She was always up for his cooking. She'd never say it aloud, but it was better than Emily's.

Paul put his hand on her cheek and pointed her face up to his, drowning in her dark brown eyes.

"Bring your sweet self," he said, looking back and forth between her eyes and mouth. He was starting to move his mouth closer to hers.

Bella looked at him with alarm. Her face was riddled with confusion. She pulled her head out of his grasp. "Sorry, I thought you knew." She was shaking her head. She was trying to think of where there had been a misunderstanding.

"Knew what?" He wondered if she had a boyfriend or something. He'd see that in the pack mind, though.

"Paul, I'm gay."

He stepped away from her, horror on his face. He ran. Paul didn't make it far before he phased. He was humiliated. He felt like he had ruined everything. How did he not notice? The signs were all there! He thought she was just being kind to the imprints….

Bella didn't see Paul for a few days after he hit on her. Sam said he just needed to run it off, and he'd be fine. Bella had those days off, no patrols. Sam didn't want her to interrupt Paul's healing.

Bella's absence from the pack mind felt strange. She missed Paul. They had hung out at least a little every day until he asked her out.

She missed Jared, too. They usually hung out on patrol at least a little bit each day, too. So she got together with Jared more as a human. Spending time with Jared and Kim was always fun. Jared never got mad at Bella for flirting with Kim. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it, which only encouraged her more.

After breakfast one morning, Bella brought up a topic heavy on her mind. "Sam, as much as I love hanging out with you guys and listening to you fuck every night, what about my dad? What about school?"

"It's kind of a mess but I've been talking to Billy about all that. If we can figure out where you got this Quileute gene, we can try to get you tribal membership, which means you can have a lot more access to tribal resources."

"What about Charlie?" Bella asked. "Does he think I've run away or something?"

"Charlie doesn't have a clue. He came to me with questions while you were still a wolf. I couldn't tell him anything. Billy is having a hard time convincing the council to tell him about the pack but he's trying. Bella, do you know if Charlie is even your real dad?"

"What? Of course he is! He was married to my mom. Are you calling my mom a whore?" Bella was getting angry, but she had her phasing under control… most of the time at least.

"No, I don't even know your mom," Sam said calmly. "I was just asking. Charlie looks dark, like he might be part Quileute. Has he ever mentioned having Quileute ancestry?"

"Never."

"Tell me about his parents. Are they both white? Or does one of them have darker skin? What color hair did they have? Do you know their eye color?"

"Oh, they were both blond with blue eyes. I remember the picture of them as a young family, with my dad with his dark hair and eyes. I always thought it was funny... Of course they had gray hair when I knew them as a kid so that's how I usually picture them."

"Is it possible that your grandmother had an affair?" Sam asked.

Bella thought about it, thought about what she knew about genetics and blond hair and blue eyes. How had she not considered this before? "That would make sense," she said, nodding. "How do we find out?"

"She passed away, right?"

Bella nodded.

"I think it's time for you to see Old Quil."

"What's an old quill?"

Sam laughed. "He's the tribal sage. He also married your dad's aunt, so he might have some guesses."

Bella got dressed in one of Emily's dresses. She usually just wore Sam's clothes. They were more her style for casual clothes. Still, she wanted to make a good impression on this old quill.

"His name is shortened from Quileute," Sam explained as they headed out. "His father was in the last pack."

Bella had already learned a lot about the previous packs and about Quileute history and legends. Sam had made sure she knew her stuff. "So he's Quil Ateara III?"

"Yes. And his grandson is Quil Ateara V."

"Wow. It's not that great of a name. They named five of them that?" Bella was shaking her head in clear disapproval.

Sam smirked. He didn't want to admit that he agreed. "Don't tell him that. We want his help. In fact, maybe talk as little as possible."

"Why's that, Sam?" Her tone turned contentious. "Are you saying I'm not likable?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "You can be abrasive and Old Quil is old. He's not used to, uh, such an outspoken woman."

"What if I remind him of his wife? She was a Swan. Maybe I got it from her."

Sam sighed. "Bella, you're not a real Swan. Swan was the guy that got cheated on, remember?"

"Oh, right. I'll shut up. Should I smile and look pretty too?"

"Would it kill you to try?" Sam asked, already a little exasperated.

"Emily thinks I'm pretty."

Sam rolled his eyes. "You need to get laid, kid. My fiance is not available."

"I'm a missing person! How can I get laid? Where the fuck can I find a date with missing persons posters everywhere?"

"Paul could help," Sam suggested.

"I'm not fucking Paul!"

"Shhh. That's not what I meant. This is the house." Sam knocked on an unpainted wooden door.

A very old man answered the door a full minute later. "She's safe?" He asked Sam, looking at Bella suspiciously.

"Yep."

"Should we meet outside?" Old Quil asked.

"Maybe, yeah," Sam agreed, knowing that these conversations might be emotional for Bella.

Sam and Bella followed the very slow old man into the back yard. There were some coil spring rocking chairs around a glass table.

Everyone took a seat. Bella started rocking in her chair. Sam glared at her until she stopped.

"We were hoping that you had some insights into Bella's heritage," Sam said.

Bella started rocking in her chair again, anticipating an uncomfortable conversation.

"I've had my suspicions for a long time. The last pack's children were close. Bella's grandmother was good friends with my wife Molly. The Swans came to many social gatherings here on the rez. The prime candidates are Billy's dad, your own grandfather, Sam, and your great-Uncle Doug."

"If Bella and I were to do a DNA test to determine if we are cousins, what would the results say?"

"They'd say that you're both part canine, Sam," Old Quil explained. "Don't do that. You'll need to test Charlie. Test him against Billy. Doug doesn't have any known descendants. If Billy is not Charlie's brother, can you get some DNA from your father?"

"I can," Sam said mischievously, "but probably not with consent. Is that ok?"

"Probably," Old Quil answered. "We won't tell the lab that it was taken by force."

What's the latest on the Charlie issue?" Sam asked. "It's not fair for him or Bella, this missing person situation."

"I don't have any power there. But she is not yet recognized as a tribe member. So there's nothing stopping her from just going over there. And there's nothing stopping you from going with her. Someone's got to make sure she's being safe."

Bella was nodding, staying quiet but still communicating.

Now they had to go to Forks.