“Are you sure this is--” Jacob started to ask as he pulled up to the homey cottage. She had convinced him to let her see Josh, to tell him where she had been. Sage need to rid herself of the guilt of the lie Sam and Paul had made her tell.
“Joel,” Sage jumped out of the car before Jacob had even put it in park. “Oh, my god,” She said in disbelief as she ran towards the boy on the porch, “What are you doing here?!”
“I didn’t know where else to go. I figured you’d be here.” Joel answered, grinning as he took her in. He picked up her braid as if mesmerised by how long her hair had gotten before dropping it, “I was clearly wrong, but Josh let me know you called so I figured I’d stick around and eventually you’d show up.”
“I missed you so much,” Sage murmured softly before hugging him tightly. She let him go to introduce him to Jacob before her new friend got the wrong impression, “Jacob, this is Joel. He’s a friend from home.”
“Your old pack,” Jacob countered.
“Yeah,”She nodded, confirming that Joel was a wolf too. Looking back at her old packmate she asked gently, “How bad was it?”
“Alec lost it when you left.” Joel admitted, “I get why you did it, but I wish you had told me. I would have come with you.”
“I didn't want them finding out.” She frowned, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s all good.” Joel waved her off, before mentioning, “Laila and Charlie want out too.”
“What's so bad about this pack?” Jacob intervened with the two friends at the mention of two more wolves wanting to leave the pack Sage had left on her own at seventeen. “You never mentioned.”
“They have this allegiance to these royal vampires or something.” Joel explained, “We’ve never met them, but there's rumours that they only want wolves strong enough to continue their legacy.”
“Wolves with enhanced abilities.” Sage added, “Like my hearing and speed, I can use both to evade, well, everybody.”
“So I’ve noticed.”Jacob chuckled, as if it were still fresh in his mind how she evaded Sam's pack with a broken leg for nearly an hour before being cornered by Quil, “You’re all like that?”
“Yeah, we do a series of tests when we’re young. If you don’t pass, you get sent away. Never to be heard of again.”
“I have a brother.” Sage spoke solemnly, “I haven't seen him since I was ten. He was only four years older than me,”
Jacob looked at her with sympathy, like she was a never ending list of lost things, “And who are these royal vampires?”
“The Volts or something.” Joel shrugged.
“I think I know who you are talking about,” Jacobs face hardened “We’ve got to talk to Sam, Sage.”
“No way, he’d never believe it.”
“Who's Sam?” Joel asked, cutting off Jacobs next statement.
“His alpha.” She said with the roll of her eyes “He kicked me out, literally.”
“Sounds great.” He snickered
“Sage?” A deep voice came from the direction of the cottage. She knew it well.
Sage couldn’t help the smile on her face as she turned to see the one person who let her be in tune with her humanity. She took off running towards him and quickly latched on to the older man in a hug, “I’ve missed you so much, Josh.”
“You don’t look a day over seventeen,” He spoke with a big grin on his face as he took a step back to really take her in. Josh was the only human she was allowed to see. Once a week she would visit him at his cottage by the lake so he could teach her fishing or how to start a bonfire. Her parents told her the only reason they allowed it was so that she could learn to take care of herself as a human, being the runt meant she would never really be involved in the pack long term. She had always been afraid she would be sent away, but the day never came. “Hey, Joel. Jacob.”
Sage looked up at Josh in confusion, “You know him?”
“Mr. Uley.” Jacob started sarcastically, “Haven’t had time to stop by Sams?”
“I’ve been a bit busy, looking for Sage.” Josh stated, pinching her cheek with a toothy smile, She couldn't help but smile back, she had missed him so much.
Jacob scoffed at the older mans statement, “Right,”
“Okay, what's going on?” She demanded, her hands placed on her hips as she furiously looked between Jacob and Josh. Sage trusted Jacob, but the way he was speaking to Josh made it seem like there was bad blood between them. Joel slung his arm over her shoulders and looked at her with a grin.
“Don’t you just love drama?”
----
“If he yells at me I’m leaving,” Sage stated as the car pulled up to the old cottage she had called home for the past four months. Her wolf was already whining about the fact that they would see Paul again. Two weeks apart had been near torture. Despite the feeling of betrayal she had originally felt, she knew he didn’t have a choice in any of what had happened. He had tried to stop her from hitting Jacob, but she didn't listen. Though she did want an explanation as to why he had gone to see Rachel, yet told her he was going to work.
“He won’t,” Jacob reassured, bringing her out of her thoughts before getting out. She hadn’t even realised he had put the car in park.
Looking back at Joel to make sure he was still onboard, she was met with a wide grin, “Where's this mate of yours?”
“Shut up,” She groaned. Sage knew Joel would just push Paul's already limited patience. She did too, and the two of them together were a cause for chaos. “Lets get this over with,”
The young she wolf stepped out of the car and could instantly feel the stir of her inner wolf at the familiar scent of cologne. He was here. This was happening.
Oh my god, I am going to phase. No.No.No.
“Sage?” Jared questioned from his spot on the porch steps, a young woman sat in his lap. Sage couldn't put a name to her face but from the look on both of their faces as they glanced at each other, she knew it was his mate.
Sage took a deep breath before opening her mouth to speak, “Where’s--”
Strong arms wrapped around her waist, turning her quickly, causing her to stumble into a rock solid chest with a gasp. If his scent didn't make her feel dizzy, she would have panicked, but the safety of the arms around her small frame relaxed her frigid body, melting into him as he held her head to his chest. Though the anger in his voice scent a shiver down her spine as he gritted out, “Don’t ever do that again,”
“I’m sorry,” Sage murmured, pulling back slightly to look up at him, “I broke my promise,”
“I don't care,” Paul muttered, before kissing her forehead gently. He let his lips linger as he took a deep breath. She felt as her mate physically relaxed and softened in front of her, allowing her own worries to subside. Sage had remembered what he said about being a ticking time bomb of anger, and had secretly worried that she had set him off by leaving. With a small stroke down her spine, Paul quietly asked, “Are you okay?”
“No,” She shook her head.
The older wolf unwrapped his arms from around her, placing his large hands on her shoulders as he looked her over, looking for signs of any injuries she may have gained in her time away, “What's wrong?”
Sage grabbed his hands from her shoulders and intertwined their fingers, “Did you know Sam is my brother?”
“I found out while you were gone.” Paul admitted tentatively. He was clearly wary of her reaction, and Sage couldn't help but frown at the new information. Sam knew and he still kicked her out like a bad puppy. “He was trying to get in contact with Josh, he figured that's where you were going.”
She shook her head with tears filling in her eyes and he hugged her tightly. Sam quickly proved her fears to be correct, he wasn’t much better than the pack she had left behind. The only thing worth sticking around for was Paul, who had his own faults, but those came from Sam. He was just obedient, Sage would never hold that against him.
“Who’s this?” Sage heard Sam's voice ask from behind Paul. It was as unwelcoming as it could be, and Sage wondered if he would have had the same reaction had he not known Paul had imprinted on her.
“Joel,” Her friend said confidently, looking Sam up and down in the process, “You must be the alpha,”
The eldest wolf nodded. He crossed his arms and puffed out his chest before gruffly speaking his own name, “Sam,”
“Ahuh,” Joel acknowledged before crossing his arms to mirror the older wolf. Joel was a fighter, he would never back down from a challenge thrown at him. That's why their old alpha liked him so much, he was strong and loyal. Though, it seems that he wasn’t exactly loyal to who Sage assumed he was. Joel walked to where Sage and Paul stood, nearly mirroring her mates stance. Both hulking wolves flanked her sides, partially shielding her from Sam.
“We need to talk,” Jacob spoke up, rolling his eyes at the way Sam and Joel were having a standoff “All of us,”
Sam took his eyes off of Joel to look at Jacob, “About?”
“The Volturi.” Jacob announced, leading the Uley pack to all turn rigid. Paul's hand had tightened around her so hard she thought he'd break a bone.
“You all know them?” Joel asked for both of them. Paul looked down at her, and the only thing she could see swirling around his mocha brown eyes was pure rage.
“How’d you find me?” She asked hesitantly, she couldn’t hear the others but if he had found her, they must not be too far. It had been five days since she had run from the Uleys cottage, and Sage had no plans on returning. She was trying to find her way back to Josh’s house from memory, though it was taking longer than expected.
“That doesn’t matter right now.” The man grumbled as he crossed his arms. Whether he meant to intimidate her or not, it was certainly working. “You need to come home.”
Sage scoffed, “Yeah, no thanks.”
There was no way she was going back there without a fight, which is exactly what she was prepared to do. Sage had enough self respect to not stick around where she wasn’t wanted and clearly, Sam did not want her in his pack if he was willing to shove her out like a misbehaving dog. The words he had used to describe her echoing in her mind.
“Do you have any idea what you're putting Paul through right now?” Jacob argued, and her heart sank. Of course she did, she felt all of it. It's not like he cared what she was going through, if he did, she left enough of a trail for him to find her. If he was the one that had run away, she would’ve found him already. It's been five days, and nothing. No sign of her mate.
“He started it! He doesn’t want me…No one wanted me there, so I left. I made it easier for everyone else.” She exclaimed, the more she thought about the more upset she became. Maybe she was a runt after all and that's why Paul didn’t want her. Sage was spiralling and she knew it.
Jacob shook his head in disbelief, “He’s in love with you, Sage.”
“I saw him with your sister.” The younger wolf pointed out. The image of them looking real cosy with each other crossed her mind. She tried to control the small ripple of betrayal she felt, like it never left her.
“That's what set you off.” A look of realisation hit Jacobs eyes, before taking a step closer to the she wolf, his hand held forward with his palm up. A sign that he wasn’t going to hurt her. “Sage, he doesn’t love Rachel, he never has. Paul broke her heart, a lot, but she did it to herself by not leaving when he told her to go. “
Sage furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. His explanation lined up with Pauls, but it still didn’t make sense why he went to see his ex, “So why did he go see her then? He told me he had work.”
“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him that but you are the only thing that he truly cares about. It's time to come back now.” Jacob coaxed, and Sage could feel his desperation, so much so that she wondered if Paul or Sam sent him to find her. He was the one that got her in trouble, maybe they thought he could bring her back by making amends. Though in her mind, they already have. He apologised when he came out to talk to her that night.
“I can’t.”Sage shook her head. She had been a part of a corrupt pack her entire life. One that was quick to banish those who dared to defy the Alpha, or worse. She didn’t want to be subject to that hierarchy again. “I won’t be a part of Sam's pack, not even for Paul.”
“Why not?” Jacob asked. Sage admired his genuine question. The older wolf seemed to be the only one who cared, who even bothered to ask why. Paul and Sam just assumed she wanted to be in their pack because of the imprint, she never asked and now that Sam had shown his true thoughts of the w
Sage shifted uncomfortably, “He said I was dangerous, and I’m not.” She watched as Jacob opened his mouth to speak, and interrupted him quickly, not wanting him to agree with Sam, “That's not me!”
“Sage,” He spoke softly as the tears formed in her eyes. She wasn’t dangerous, not on purpose at least. She knew she needed to control her wolf better, but that was the only thing keeping her sane when everyone turned against her former pack. That's all she has.
Jacob wrapped his arms around the younger girl in a hug and she quickly tried to push him away, not used to the gentle kindness,“No!” She gave up quickly as he held on to her, “I spent my entire life feeling like I didn't belong in my pack, my family. I won’t do it again. I don’t agree with Sam, I won’t follow him.”
“I have a solution.” Jacob told her softly, asking, “Do you trust me?”
It had been three weeks since the mouse fiasco, Sage and Paul have made it a habit to sleep in her little bed together, as precautions for any loud noise that may set her off after 4th of July fireworks had set her off completely. Paul had found her hiding under her blankets to try and evade the noise. At this point, Sage didn’t think her hearing would get less sensitive. Leah's brother Seth, also had better hearing than the rest of the pack and agreed the fireworks were less than pleasant to listen to.
Over the three weeks, Sam had begun teaching her how to control her phasing and while she picked it up quickly, she felt less in control of her wolf. It was almost like she was teasing her everytime she phased and then returned to her human state, which the wolf did not like.
After a lesson with Sam, she had wandered off into the woods in her wolf form, running freely through the thick greenery. She could smell Paul's scent nearby and followed it until it led her to him.
Sage watched from the treeline,as Paul's truck pulled up next to the familiar car she knew to be Rachels. She assumed they were at her house, considering she had never seen the little red cottage before. Confusion struck her as she watched the two of them exit their respective cars. Rachel was quick to get to Paul, wrapping him up in a hug that he was hesitant to return.
Good, she thought.
She didn’t mean to eavesdrop, or seemingly spy on them. But she was a curious person, and Paul had told her he had work today. Rachels car seemed fine to her.
Sage was too far to hear the nature of their conversation, though Rachels dramatics were not hard to decipher. She was upset, clearly.
That didn’t bug her, no, what bugged Sage was the way Paul was comforting his old flame. It made it look like things hadn’t really fizzled out between them like she thought they had when she walked in on them arguing.
He said he had dealt with Rachel, and maybe, Sage was the fool for thinking that meant things were over.
The familiar feeling of anger sat in the pit of her stomach as she tore her eyes away. They were too close, too touchy, Sage thought.
She watched as he wiped the tears from the raven haired girl's face, and that was the final straw. Everything about the way he acted with Rachel was familiar, it stung to know that he was out comforting her in a manner she thought was reserved for herself. His mate.
Her wolf was getting harder to control the more she felt betrayed, which seemed to be by everyone she found herself giviing her full trust too. Sage knew she couldn’t hit Rachel, the obvious strength difference was an unfair match, but also, she didn’t want to disappoint Paul again. Even if he was disappointing her.
She watched as Jacob left the house ignoring Paul and Rachel as he headed for the treeline. Jacob was Rachel's brother, she connected the two of them. The wind made his familiar scent more noticeable than usual. More so because she was trying to block out the blend of Paul and Rachel, she didn’t like his bourbon and coffee-esque scent being melded with her rose scent. It didn’t blend well.
Sage winced as her wolf started losing it, she tried to ground herself so that she didn’t phase accidentally from adrelaine.
Threat, Threat, Threat, repeated by her wolf over and over again.
Then she realised who the threat was, and Sage knew just how to take out her uncontrollable anger.
-----
PAUL POV
“It’s mine!” Sage tackled him, knocking both of them to the ground.
Paul pulled her off of Jacob, his arm secured around her waist as she struggled against his hold to reach the wolf scowling at her from the ground. He had just gotten back from a light patrol shift to find her and Jacob arguing, with zero clue of what the issue could be. This was the last thing he wanted to do today. He fully intended on walking into Emily's kitchen, stealing two muffins and whisking Sage away to her bedroom to nap while she fiddled with everything and anything in her room that she had found.
The little kleptomaniac.
Instead he was breaking up a brawl that his imprint had seemingly started.
“Sage, stop it,” He said, readjusting his arms and trying to get the angry girl under control, “Stop.”
Paul heard Sam before he saw him and knew this was about to go down hill, and fast.
“Jacob. Knock it off.” He said threateningly before turning to the girl, “Sage, we don’t fight our pack mates.”
“He took my--” She tried to explain as Jacob stood up from the ground, wiping off the dirt.
“We don’t fight our packmates.” Sam said more forcefully, not letting her explain herself. Paul could see the frustration in her eyes grow tenfold.
“Or what?” She tried to take a step towards Sam but Paul stopped her.
“Let her go, Paul.” He said using his alpha tone. Paul had no choice but to let her go and watch from the sidelines. He didn’t need to be a genius to know that this wasn’t going to be good.
Sam took a step towards the young girl currently shaking in anger, “If you start another fight, you will be punished.”
“Can I have my things back, Jacob?” She asked sharply, ignoring Sam.
“No, I don't--” Sage pulled her fist back before she punched Jacob, hard. Paul heard her fist crack as it connected with Jacobs cheek and while the impact shocked the other wolf, he knew his imprint couldn’t do that much damage to the true born alpha.
“Sage!” Sam yelled in disbelief. Paul reached for her waist but before he could grab her, Sam pulled her upper arm, roughly dragging her to the back side of the house. Paul followed close behind, wanting to make sure she listened to Sam or at least, didn’t take off running again. “You are going to sit here until you are ready to be a part of this pack and follow the rules.This behaviour is disobedient, unpredictable and dangerous.”
“Your rules are stupid.” She challenged him again.
“Sit. Down.” He said forcefully.
“No.” She growled at him.
“Sage,” Sam tried again.
“No!” She yelled at him.
“You’re staying out here until I think you’re ready.” Sam shook his head before looking at Paul, nodding his head towards the back door of the cottage. He knew better than to challenge him.
“Fuck you,” He had heard her whisper as the two men walked inside. Sage sat down on the grass, her back against a large tree.
“What was that?” Sam asked, turning to look over his shoulder at the smaller wolf. Paul groaned internally. He wasn’t happy that Sam was now provoking her, does he not get that she doesn’t have a pack mentality?
“I said fuck you!” She shouted angrily at Sam.
My brave girl, Pauls wolf thought smugly.
-----
“Sam, you have to remember, she just spent five years on her own. Jacob crossed a boundary, she reacted and you punished her and not him. Of course she’s going to be upset.” Leah reprimanded after Jacob and Paul explained what had happened. While Jacob said he didn’t know why she was so angry with him, Paul had his doubts. Sage doesn’t just get angry for no reason. Something had to have happened.
“She needs to learn.” Sam reminded all of them.
Paul scoffed, “We’ll be lucky if she doesnt start resource guarding.”
She had a knack for hiding things in her room, while some were little things like rocks or pinecones. He had found her keeping more than one water glass in her room, to which she would always say, just in case.
He knew what that meant.
Just in case they locked her door again.
She trusted him, Paul knew that. But he also knew, she was still wary about most of the pack, the only other member she trusted was Leah.
“Paul,” Sam said his name as a warning. As if he knew he was on the verge of getting angry himself.
“Let me talk to her,” He stated, he could reason with her.
“No.” Sam shook his head.
Paul scoffed in annoyance, “She already had reservations about being in our pack, this isn’t going to help.”
“He’s right.” Jacob said from his seat at the table, “She’s been on her own, she’s learned this life on her own. We all had someone looking out for us when we phased. We all had a pack. We can't expect her to just submit without giving her a reason to trust that she’ll be safe with us. ‘Cause let's be honest, she's not here because she wants to be. She's here because of Paul.”
Jacob looked towards Paul specifically, adding, “I’ll talk to her.”
Paul watched from the window as she tried to sweep out his legs with her own, though she failed. He couldn’t hear what Jacob had said to her but when he sat down, she didn’t attack him like he half expected her to. If he was being honest, Paul was proud of her, she had yet to phase from her anger, which meant she was learning to control her wolf.
Jacob stayed outside for nearly half an hour before he made his way back into the kitchen. An unreadable expression on his face as he sat back down at the table.
“So?” Leah prodded.
Jacob looked to Paul, “You’re not going to like it.”
“Like what?” Paul demanded.
Jacob only shook his head, stating,“We should wait for Sam.”
“Jacob.” The older wolf growled out.
Jacob explained that while he was off with the Cullen family, he would come back to Washington every now and then to check on Charlie Swan as a favour to Bella. He had come across a den, full of belongings and took a bag from it, hoping it would have some clothes in it so he could shift back. It didn’t.
He hadn’t thought about it since. Sage told him that it was her bag, and now she wants it back. It made sense that it was her den, now that Jacob has thought about, but he doesn’t have the bag anymore.
“I tried to tell her I don’t have it, but she’s beyond caring about what I have to say,” Jacob informed them.
“So you’re telling me she had every fucking reason to hit you,” Paul chuckled in disbelief.
“How was I supposed to know?!” Jacob argued back.
“You know now!” Paul shouted, taking a step towards Jacob.
“Paul, calm down, now.” Sam said, stepping between the two men.
“Let me fucking see her.” He said angrily. That's all he wanted. He wanted to go and make sure Sage was okay because the terrible stabbing pain in his chest, he knew that being out there by herself was taking some kind of toll on her.
“If I let you see her, you don’t go out there and tell her she was right. She needs to learn she can’t just hit people because they’ve done her wrong.” Sam spoke with authority.
“He deserved it.” He muttered. Paul still wasn’t sure what the fight was about, but he knew Sage, it probably was about more than a bag. She doesn’t just hit people for no reason. Sure, she lunged at Rachel, but that was only after the older woman had insulted Leah, someone Sage considers to be her close friend.
“Paul,” Sam shook his head.
“Fine.” Paul conceded.
“Go.” Sam nodded towards the door.
Paul didn’t need to be told twice before he was nearly sprinting out the door. Sage was still in the same spot that Sam and him had left her. Her back leaning up against the tree as she picked at the weeds. The sun had started to set and with the clouds, it seemed darker than it was but as he closed in on her, the unmistakable frown lines on her face shattered him.
“Hey, little wolf.” He said softly, worried about startling her, “Remember what I said about lunging at people?”
“You didn’t banish me for it.” Sage bit back. He was shocked by her tone, never having heard her speak with anything other than a shy kindness in her voice.
“You’re not banished.” He reminded her, though the fact that she felt that way made him nauseous.
“Feels like it.” She mumbled, before raising her voice again in anger, “He won’t even let me inside!” Sage turned to face Paul completely, sitting up straighter, “Jacob stole from me, and I got shoved outside like a dog that chewed up a couch cushion. It's not fair!”
“I know.” He acknowledged. He agreed, it wasn’t fair. But there was fuck all he could do about itt after she swung at Jacob. Pack rules are pack rules.
“He won’t even give it back.” She cried, the tears finally free flowing that he had prepared himself for, as she slumped back to the ground.
“Give what back?” He asked, sitting beside her and trying to pull her into his arms. She was reluctant, so he eased up. Settling for just holding her hand. Paul didnt know what to do, he wasn’t good at this emotional stuff. He didn’t get emotional, he just got angry.
“My backpack.” She explained, “It had the watch my grandma gave to me on my sixteenth birthday in it. It was the only thing I still had of hers.”
“I don’t think…he’s got the bag anymore, Sage.” He spoke carefully, unsure if her next move would have her trying to deck him as she had done to Jacob.
She lets out a sob. Oh no. Her anger had completely turned into sadness all because Jacob couldn’t stay out of other people's business, per usual. Paul hugged her close, and whispered softly, “I’m so sorry.”
“I want to be alone.” Sage cried, pushing him away.
“Sage,” His chest tightened, and Paul could feel her pulling from him. From their bond.
“Please.” She begged as she tucked her head into her knees., “Go away,”
He wasn’t going to push her. That would only make her resent him more, he knew that. So, he went back inside to make her the one thing he knew would comfort her. Hot chocolate.
Emily had stocked up on marshmallows too, hoping that would be an added bonus.
He turned the kettle on before turning to Jacob and Leah who were looking at him expectantly.
“You better find the fucking bag or else I’m going to let her at you.” He said through a growl, pointing an angry finger at Jacob.
“Paul!” Sam yelled sternly.
Turning to his alpha, Paul yelled angrily, “It had her grandmother's watch in it, and he lost it. She's got nothing else, Sam!”
“I think I might know where it is.” Jacob muttered.
“You better figure it out, and fast.” Paul said with a threatening tone before he turned to Sam, “Can she come inside?”
“Has she shown any remorse at all?” Sam asked.
“If thats what you’re waiting for, she going to be gone by the fucking morning. If she leaves, I’m going with her.” Paul said with a seriousness he didn’t display all too often.
“She's not going to run, Paul.” Sam reassured him.
He couldn't help but scoff, did they not pay attention to her habits like he did?! Shaking his head, Paul argued, “She thinks you’ve thrown her out like a misbehaving dog!”
“She--”
“Doesn't know any better,” Emily said from the door with groceries in hand, cutting off her husband, “Bring her in.”
“Emily, she hit--” Sam tried to explain the events of the night
“I don’t care.” She cut off Sam again, noting, “You boys have no clue what that girl has gone through to get to where she is now. How much anger or hurt you have to have to not be able to phase back on your own, you all know what that feels like. We don’t know what caused her to feel that way, but for someone who is afraid of thunderstorms and being locked away, I'm going to assume it wasn’t good.”
That was all Paul needed to head out back to grab her, though she wasn’t where he had left her, causing his heart to race, calling out, “Sage?”
“Sage!” He yelled out her name again, jogging around to the other side of the house.She was just fucking here, he thought. He could still smell her but with their bond, he could usually feel when she was around. Not anymore.
“Is everything alright?” Sam asked as he caught up to Paul. A concerned look on his face. Paul had to stop himself from lunging at his alpha, as much as his wanted him to. A fight with Sam would just waste time that they could be using to find Sage.
Sage had been avoiding Paul since their early morning argument. Sticking to Leah's side until she had to leave for patrol. The nagging feeling still bothered her as Paul made himself scarce, to which she felt guilty. This was his home after all.
He had been in his garage all morning, the only time she saw him was when he had come in to make himself something to eat before heading upstairs. He had left a plate for her on the stove as well, but she found herself unable to move from her spot on the couch. The TV was playing, but she couldn’t focus on the program at all.
Maybe if she ate, the nagging feeling would go away, she thought to herself.
Quietly creeping into the kitchen, she put the plate of food into the microwave, pressing random buttons until it started. Walking to the fridge to get herself something to drink, she halted in her tracks as something caught her eye.
A mouse scurried past her feet, and fear ran through her at the sight of the little rodent as it moved across the kitchen floor. Her eyes widened as she backed up until she hit the counter, it was as if she had seen a ghost.
How ironic is that.
A wolf being scared of a mouse.
Sage looked up at Paul as he came bounding into the kitchen, concern written all over his face. “What's wrong?” He asked, holding his towel tightly around his waist. He was sopping wet, and she could still hear the shower running. If she wasn’t so petrified, she would have laughed at his behaviour.
With furrowed eyebrows, she said, “There's a mouse.”
“A mouse? You’re scared of a mouse?” He looked at her with such disbelief she felt silly.
“It’s not funny!” She said, frowning at the fact that he was more concerned about her phobia than helping her.
Paul shook his head as he reprimanded her, “I thought something was seriously wrong, Sage!”
“I didn’t ask you to come down here.” Sage pointed out. She wasn’t even going to call for him, her plan was to quietly leave the mouse in the kitchen and lock herself upstairs until the mouse kindly decided to leave.
“I felt your fear, I thought--” He took a deep breath, “It’s just a mouse”
She grimaced, “It’s not just a mouse to me.”
“Well, what do you want me to do about it?” He asked, retightening his towel. As if she had never seen him naked before and he wanted to be a modest man now.
“Get it, obviously.” She said as if it were obvious.
“I’m naked.” He pointed out in the same tone.
“So?” Sage looked him up and down, the towel was low on his hips but stable. He could easily catch a mouse without losing his dignity.
“Where is it?” Paul sighed.
“It ran over there.” She pointed to the corner by the fridge. He walked over to the fridge, and went to move it, before he did, Paul looked back over to her as she hopped up on the counter, scared that it would run in her direction again.
“You really are scared of mice,” He said walking back over to her. “Come here,”
He held her to his chest, the feeling of her heart racing in fear, the only sound between them, “I can feel everything.”
“You talked to Sam?” She asked quietly.
“No,” His voice gruff, “ I don’t want to lose you before I’ve really had you, so, I’m trying,”
“You’re not going to lose me.” Sage looked up at him and scanned his face, all she saw was concern. She never wanted him to think that she would leave if he didn’t try, because she wouldn’t. She would never do that to him.
“You should know that I can’t really control my wolf. That's why I tune him out. It's not because I don’t want the connection but, I would never be able to forgive myself if I hurt you physically, or mentally.” He explained, his eyes full of shame.
Sage smiled up at him with sureness, “You won't.”
“I hope not.” He muttered.
“I can take you.” She gleamed, snaking her hand around his neck and pulling him down to her height, “I know your weakness.”
“Is that so?” Paul's eyes held the same mischief she knew to be on her own.
Nodding slowly before she pressed her lips to his, her other hand moved around his waist, resting on his lower back. The pads of her fingertips pressed into his hot skin as he sucked her bottom lip between his teeth, biting it gently.
One of Paul's hands gripped the counter, the other drifted to her breast as he began kneading it through her shirt. She removed her hand from his neck and grabbed the hand, and with a small sound of satisfaction, she slid it up her shirt for him. The lack of bra she wore allowed him access to her soft skin.
“You sure?” He groaned against her lips, hesitating from caressing the skin he had so desperately wanted to touch for weeks now.
With her chest heaving as she fought to regain a little bit of composure, she mumbled, “When I’m around you, she won’t shut up about how you’re mine. She wanted this weeks ago.”
“She?” He curiously asked.
“My wolf.” Sage explained, “She purrs like a damn cat when you're around.”
He chuckled, stroking her cheek in adoration, “But do you want this?”
“I am my wolf, Paul. Just like you are yours, no matter how much you tune him out. ” She explained. She wouldn’t be who she was without her wolf, she was well aware of that.
Paul pressed his forehead against hers, looking right into her eyes, “I wish I wasn’t.”
Before she could ask why, he pulled her hips flush against his, slightly grinding into her clothed core. She could feel him through the thin towel and from their time together in the pond, she was a bit wary of what she was getting herself into. Though a little moan did escape her throat at the feeling.
She put her hands on his chest as she regained her composure, stopping him. “Not until you’ve found the mouse.”
“Yes, m’am.” He grinned, “Let me just put some pants on first.” He backed away, adjusting the towel that laid low on his hips, “And by the way, my wolf doesn’t shut up about you either. You’re all he thinks about.”
--------
She stared out the window above the sink as he dealt with the mouse issue at hand. She could hear as he moved the fridge away from the wall and captured the little rodent. She couldn’t bring herself to watch though, unsure of just how exactly he planned on catching the mouse.
“Mouse is all gone.” He said as he walked back into the kitchen.
“Dead?” She asked solemnly. She hoped for the better, and that he just rehomed him back to nature. She turned to him from her spot on the counter as he washed his hands beside her.
He shook his head, “No, I’ve put him outside,”
“Good.” She smiled up at him in thanks before looking back out the window, “If I tell you something, can you promise not to get upset?”
He took a deep breath before sighing, “I can try.”
“I don’t like sex.” She said quietly, looking back to him before averting her eyes sheepishly.
His eyes widened at her statement before he let out a snicker.
She whined and moved to get off the counter to hide in embarrassment, but he stopped her from doing so, slotting himself between her legs “I’m sorry,” He said with a sweet smile, “Why don’t you like sex, little wolf?”
She shrugged her shoulders, “There's nothing in it for me.”
“How many guys have you slept with?” He asked curiously, leaning forward as he placed his hands on either side of her.
Sage bit her lip, responding, “One. My old boyfriend.”
“Right, and all I’m hearing is that he never made you cum.” He stated with a smirk.
She blushed at his blatant remark, but she shook her head nonetheless. He was right, but that wasn’t the only problem she had. Nothing about sex felt right, and she had heard his argument with Rachel. Casual sex was clearly a thing for him.
“Nothing about sex felt good to me. I’m the problem, Paul.” She pressed, hoping he would understand.
“Okay,” He acknowledged. He moved his hands from the counter to the tops of her thighs, “Can I try something?”
She nodded, looking up at him in curiosity.
“Tell me if you want me to stop.” His hand wound its way down her side and slipped under the thin lace of her underwear, spreading her and rubbing against her folds. Sage couldn’t help the loud gasp of pleasure that escaped her lips as he touched her there, both firm enough to pull at her nerve endings, but soft enough that beckoned more moans from her.
“How’s that feeling?” He mumbled, his free hand running up and down her spine as she moaned quietly.
“Good,” She breathed out slowly.
He hummed to himself, pressing his lips to her clavicle, “I don’t think you're the problem, darling,” He grinned and kneeled down in front of her. Sage peered down at him in curiosity to watch him as he gently pulled her lace underwear down her thighs, kissing gently as he went.
“What are you doing?” Sage asked.
He smirked up at her, “Oh, baby, you definitely weren’t the problem. What was your boyfriend's name?”
“Jack.” She told him.
“Jack was a lousy fuck.” Paul said as he kissed up her inner thigh, hooking her ankle over his shoulder, “Did you break up with him?”
She shook her head, relaxing into his touch, “I left him behind.”
Paul chuckled, “That's one way to put yourself out of your own misery.”
“Oh fuck!” She threw her head back and let out a loud moan as Paul dipped his head between her thighs. His hot mouth around her felt like nothing she’d ever known. He sucked and pulled gently at her with his tongue while his thumb worked at the tip of her fold.
“Paul,” She moaned out, gripping the counter for support. He peered up at her with lust filled eyes as his tongue flicked her nub expertly. She could practically feel the grin he wore. As she got more vocal, he sucked her clit gently as his fingers continued their steady pace, she clenched around them. Gasping in ecstasy, she reached out and grabbed his forearm that he had resting across her hips. The vibration from the small chuckle he let out, sending her over the edge as she threw her head back with a moan.
She barely registered him leaving his position as he slid her panties back up her legs for her, everything was so hazy in her orgasmic state.
“Want to watch a movie?” He asked, brushing the stray hairs from her face.
“Don’t you want something in return?” She asked breathlessly. She hooked her legs around his waist, keeping him close to her.
He shook his head with a chuckle, “I got what I wanted.” He sucked his fingers clean before tilting her chin to look up at him, “It doesn’t matter to me if you like sex or not, that’s not why I like you. But the balls in your court, okay? Just say the words.”
“I’ll I’ve got say is ‘fuck me’ and you’ll do it?” She joked, leaning back on her hands.
He nodded his head, chuckling, “Pretty much, little wolf.”
It’s been three days since Sage has spoken to Paul. She had avoided him at all costs, from locking herself in her room, to wandering the reservation when he was over for lunch or dinner. She meant it when she said she didn’t need him. She had survived five years without a mate, she can still survive on her own. Though that didn’t dull the ache in her chest, or help her sleep at night.
She was on edge, from snapping at someone innocent to crying so much she could fill a small pool with her tears. She didn’t know what to do without tucking her tail between her legs and crawling back into the arms of someone who didn’t actually want to be a solid part of her life.
Her wolf was angry, betrayed even. Even the scent of Paul made her want to bring out the claws. They both clearly weren’t good with rejection.
From the intense smell of his scent, she knew he was at the Uley home. The pain in her chest had yet to subside, signalling he was upset, hurt even. As if she was causing him pain by ignoring him, maybe she was. But what he did was way worse in her mind. At least she stuck around, if she had given in to her wolf, she’d be onto her next venture. Maybe Canada would be a better place to make a life for herself.
Sage stopped just shy of the front door, the only stopping her from going to the beach was the wolf outside. She had her bag slung over her shoulder, a book she had borrowed from EMily and a towel was all she was bringing, but for whatever reason, she couldn’t turn the handle.
What if he thinks she is running again?
“Shes my imprint for fucks sake!” She heard Paul shout from the other side of the door, “What do I do?”
“Imprint?” She questioned, making herself known before looking past Sam at Paul who was glaring at the ground.
Mate, her wolf whispered.
“Tell me,” She begged Sam with pleading eyes. She was so sick of everyone lying to her.
Sam looked back at Paul, who’s eyes were still narrowed at the ground before looking back at Sage, “I shouldn't be the one to explain. Its up to Paul''
“If he wanted to, he would’ve by now.” Sage snapped aggressively. She was so tired of the secrets they all kept from her.
The familiar feeling of pure strength coursed through her veins as she tried to keep her emotions in check, but one look at Paul and she lost her composure. Dropping her bag on the ground and taking off for the cover of trees, barely making it through the tree line before she was on all fours racing through the woods before exhaustion took over.
She was so tired of being kept in the dark.
Even her wolf was angry, though Sage knew that had more to do with Paul’s betrayal than anything.
She searched for cover for the night, not wanting to be left exposed to whatever lurked in the La Push forests. She knew she wouldn't be able to calm herself down enough to phase back.
But when she did, she was not going back to Sam and Emilys.
No way in hell.
She had thought about asking Sam if she could joining their pack, but now, she was questioning what kind of alpha he was.
PAULS POV
It's been three days since Sage took off. Paul had nearly ripped Sam's cottage to pieces, though Sam had held him back. Sam agreed to keep him updated on her after Jared had confirmed she had stayed within the treaty.
Though, Leah and Seth were the only ones she would allow close to her. As much as she pushed his buttons on a daily basis, he appreciated Leah staying out there without her. At least she wasn’t completely alone.
The relief of knowing she was still within the treaty was the only thing keeping him from going out there and bringing her back himself.
“Hey, man, just so you know, you’ve got a pup under your back porch.”
Paul looked up in front of the hood of his truck, to see his neighbour. The little old man had hobbled all the way over to him. The man was prone to hallucinating things that weren’t there, from birds to cars following him home. He wouldn’t be surprised if he had made this up too considering the pack knew better to get caught.
“A what?” He asked, wiping his hands clean with a rag.
“A wolf, looks young.” His neighbour told him, and Paul wanted to roll his eyes, as if he doesn’t know what a wolf is, “Never seen a white one out here. Want me to call it in?”
White.
She was well aware she shouldnt come out of the trees.
Unless something was wrong.
His wolf wanted to claw his way out to get her. He’s been a ticking time bomb since she took off. He should of just opened his fucking mouth and told her what she meant to him. His imprint. Paul couldn’t even find the words to describe how much he needed her, just the sight of her brightens his mood.
“No, I’ll do it.” Paul muttered, “Thanks.”
Closing the hood of his truck, Paul made his way around back. The big, white fluff of fur stuck out like a sore thumb underneath his porch.
“Sage,” He sighed, looking down at her underneath his porch, “It’s dangerous being out in the open like this. Somebody saw you.”
She blinked her eyes open at his voice, but made no effort to get up. She only whined, rolling onto her side.
Paul pinched the bridge of his nose, he didn’t have the patience for this today. Not if she was going to take off again, “We can’t talk while you're in wolf form,” He crouched down next to her, petting her fur gently, “Are you hurt?”
A small series of sad howls left her mouth and the ache in Paul's chest deepened. He knew what that meant. Physically she was fine, but she was crushed.. “Hey, okay, okay, come with me. Let me just call Sam,” she growled at that and the hair on her neck stood up, signalling just how angry that made her.
Great, another obstacle, he thought and his wolf berated him, growling out that this was his fault to begin with. As if he didn’t know that.
He sighed, “Leah?”
She licked his arm, and shuffled towards him as he sat in the dirt, dialling a number before putting the phone to his ear, “Hey, can you come over to mine?”
“Yes, now.” He muttered into his cell phone.
“I wouldn’t be calling if it wasn’t important,”
“No, it needs to be you.”
Annoyance was laced in his voice, he couldn’t stop it even if he had tried. The countdown had finally begun and it was only a matter of time before he exploded.
Looking down at Sage, he patted her head before standing up, “She’s on her way, now come on. Inside.”
She followed him through the back door, leaving muddy footprints everywhere she stepped.“Don’t go on the furniture. Do you want some water?” She brushed up against him and completely ignored him, settling herself on his couch.
“Really?” He crossed his arms. He couldn't even bring himself to reprimand her. Even her wolf looked sad, he couldn’t imagine what she was going to look like when they got her back to human Sage.
“What is it this time, Paul?” Leah barked, as she walked through the front door. As soon as she spotted Sage, her face lit up, “I see now.”
Leah sat beside the white wolf and ran her hand through Sage's dirty, white fur. “Go grab her some clothes, Paul.”
He eyed both of them, the thought of them leaving in the time it took for him to grab clothes crossing his mind. He watched as Sage laid her head in Leah's lap, another small round of whimpers leaving her.
His heart was breaking with every second he watched her.
He took the chance and rushed to his room, grabbing her favourite hoodie of his, and a pair of old sweatpants. He figured he wouldn’t be allowed near her, and wanted to make sure she was warm enough without him.
When he returned, she was sitting there with a throw blanket wrapped around herself. Her hair was a mess and she was dirty, but she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.
“Sage and I are going to stay here tonight.” Leah spoke first, watching Sage as she stared at the ground with a blank stare.
This was not Sage. Not the one they knew at least.
It was almost like she had reverted back to who she was when they had found her.
“Is that so?” Paul asked, a questioning eyebrow directed at Leah. he figured this was the last place Sage would want to be.
“Please?” Sage asked quietly, if he didn't have supernatural hearing, he was sure he would have missed it.
Thank God, he thought. One word might not seem like a lot, but for a girl who had the ability to crawl into a shell and never come out, this was good.
Paul knelt in front of her, putting them at the same height, “You, little wolf, can stay as long as you’d like.” Looking over his shoulder, he grumbled. “Don’t get too comfortable, Leah.”
He unfolded the hoodie in his hands before handing it to her. “Red, just like your favourite colour,” He winked at her with a crooked smile.
The timer has stopped.
All it took was for her to look him in the eyes, and all his anger faded. She was still here. That's all that mattered. He can fix what he broke later.
Leah fake gagged before saying, “Out, so she can change.”
“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” He said smugly, standing up and shoving his hands in his pockets.
Leah's eyes widened and shouted, “Out, Paul!”
A small smile appeared on Sage's lips as she watched the two older wolves interact. Paul smiled down at her, biting his tongue from what he wanted to say to her, instead, mumbling, “I'll see you later.”
SAGE POV
Leah had fallen asleep on her side of the couch with ease, but Sage was struggling. She still couldn’t get her mind to shut off, between her wanting to leave La Push and her wolf wanting her to stay close to make sure Paul was okay despite his betrayal, she couldn’t find enough peace to close her eyes, even just for an hour.
She knew what could help.
Walking the short distance to the familiar room, she knocked on the door gently. He had opened the door within seconds. Paul's eyes were tired, the worst she had ever seen, and he had a frown etched onto his face. Regret filled her quickly and she backed up two steps before stopping herself.
“I can’t sleep.” She told him timidly.
“Come on,” He said huskily as he opened the door further, allowing her into his room. She followed him in, keeping her hands tucked into the sleeves of the hoodie she wore. She felt out of place, like she couldn’t bring herself to trust him right now.
“Your territory, mine.” He said, pointing to each side of the bed. She thought they were done with the whole territory nonsense.
She watched him get back into bed, laying on his back, looking up at her. “Are you just going to stand there all night?”
She frowned, walking to his side and climbing over him onto the bed, her leg and arm draped over his body as she sought out the comforting heat he emitted.
Cuddling right into his chest as the tears started to flow, she quietly sniffled back a sob as she clung to him.
He wound his arms around her tightly, “You’re okay,” he soothed, “Everythings going to be alright, little wolf.”
“Did you know?” She asked with tears in her eyes.
“I’ve known since I found you..” Paul admitted.
“the whole time?”
“Yeah” Paul ran a stressed hand through his hand, not knowing how to deal with this situation, “It’s complicated, Sage..And i’m sorry, we should've talked about it sooner.”
“You said you don't listen to your wolf.” She sobbed quietly.
“Thats not what I meant.” He stressed, “Sage, I imprinted you and you have not left my mind since. All i think about is you.”
“What’s an imprint?” She asked, remembering Sam had called her one.
“It’s like a soulmate. When we imprint on someone, our entire world shifts.” “It’s like the world is no longer in black and white, all because we’ve found the one person who never fails to brighten our vision.” He explained, though she assumed it was a vague version of what an imprint really was.
“A mate.”
“Yeah, a mate.” Paul confirmed. So he did know.
Sighing, she admitted,“That's why I was avoiding you.”
“Hm?” He looked down at her confused.
“I didnt want to stick around if you didnt want me as your mate.”
“I didn’t know you knew, Sage.” Paul said honestly, cupping her cheek gently.She could feel his sorrow as he apologized, “Fuck, I’m sorry.”
“You really think I’d still be here if I didn’t know?” She asked, before seriously saying, “Survival 101: Only trust your instincts.”
------
Sage barely slept. She still had a nagging feeling within that she thought would have been fixed by Paul, but if anything, it worsened. She couldn’t tell if it was her own emotion, or Pauls she was feeling through their connection. That thought alone kept her awake.
Once the morning light shone through the blinds, she began to get restless. Tracing shapes on his naked chest, before pressing the pad of her index finger into his sharp cheekbone. Then tracing his jaw, and eventually becoming enamoured by his lips.
He blinked his eyes open, “Sage?”
She pressed her lips to his gentle, yet firm. He hummed in response as he let go of her waist. One hand moved to the back of her neck as Paul moved to hover over her, their lips moving in sync. She pressed her hands against his chest and pushed him back onto his back as she slid her leg over his hips so that she was on top of him. Paul's hands instantly went to her waist as he let out a low groan. His fingers teased the hem of her panties as Sage sucked his bottom lip as she moved one of her hands to his hair. His growing arousal was obvious beneath her, causing her to grin as she pulled her lips away from his, the only sound in his room was their ragged breathing. As she pulled away, he chased her lips the way she had the first time he kissed her.
“Good morning to you too.” He hummed, smoothing her hair down and out of her face.
“This can continue, if you promise to stop tuning out your wolf,” She had thought about it all night. He tuned his wolf out, disregarding his own safety, and hers. She didn't like that feeling.
“That's a big ask, Sage.” Paul said warily.
She frowned and sat back on her heels looking down at him, “It’s important.”
“I’ve gone eleven years just fine without him nagging me, it can’t be that important.”
She scoffed, climbing off of his lap. She grabbed the sweatpants she had kicked off in the middle of the night after overheating and slid them back on. She knew she shouldn’t have come back to him.
How pathetic is it to come crawling back to a guy who didn’t care as much as she did. He never even came to check on her, though Leah said he asked about her everyday, not once did he show up for her.
“Sage,” He started, but she cut him off.
“It’s important to me, Paul.” She huffed.
“Well you didn’t say that.” He said annoyed, sitting up from his previous position. Now she has annoyed him.
Great.
She wanted to laugh at the fact that he was annoyed at her for wanting him to care about her more. She didn’t choose to mate with him, and he was the one that had told her to stay. She was only doing what she thought was best for him. Had he told her to go when she had packed her bags, she would have run past that treaty without looking back.
“I shouldn’t have to, it should be important to you too.” She told him as she turned away from him.
“No, don’t go,” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into him, before wrapping his arms around her waist to keep her in front of him. “Why is it important?”
She shook her head, “You would know if you didn’t tune it out.”
His body tensed in frustration, “Well I do, for a very good fucking reason, Sage. So, I need you to tell me.”
“When you’re on patrol or at work, I know you're safe because of the connection our wolves have.” She explained, she couldn’t hide the sadness in her voice, but she conceded anyways, “If you want to tune that out, fine. Tune it out.”
“I’m very aware of the connection we have, Sage. That's the sole reason I gave you the space that you needed, I knew you were fine.” Paul explained. She almost wished he would stop talking. She wanted him to stop pretending like he knew how she felt, because he didn’t. He still had his peace of mind, living like a normal human would while she had this companion always talking over her shoulder. Reminding her that she's not normal, that there are threats everywhere, even if she couldn’t see them.
“I wasn’t fine!” She said roughly, she was losing her patience and quickly, “You would’ve known that if you--” She stopped herself, and took a deep breath, the last thing she wanted was to accidentally phase out of frustration, “I feel every emotion that you feel, Paul.”
Paul watched her carefully, his arms loosened around her waist enough for her to take a step back without any fight from him as he carefully spoke, “Let me talk to Sam first.”
Sage clenched her fists. She didn’t care if she was a part of their pack, she would never surrender her autonomy to Sam. Not like Paul clearly had. She crossed her arms over her chest, and with a frown she said, “As tough and mean as you may think you are, you wouldn’t survive a day out there on your own. You’re just a fucking sheep.”
Emily had taken her to Port Angeles with Kim, Jared's girlfriend. She liked Jared, so she trusted Kim right away, although her trust probably came from the fact that Paul trusted Jared the most out of the pack. He had explained that he was his best friend, having phased around the same time, at the same age. Sage envied it. She had never had a best friend, only friends she spent time with to not feel so alone. Her lack of trust in people didn’t start the day she phased, it was well ingrained in her from her early years.
She didn’t realise how exhausting shopping could be, and as soon as Emily parked the car, she thanked her and headed inside. Sage wanted nothing more than to have a long hot shower, and use some of the new products Emily had picked out.
On her way to her room, she passed Paul, asleep on the too small of a couch in the Uley’s living room.
He clearly had a knack for sleeping on furniture he didn't fit on.
Gently, she shook him awake. As he blinked open his eyes, she smiled down at him, “Hi.”
“How’d the shopping trip go?” He asked tiredly while he sat up. He stretched his arms with a low groan before wrapping her in a hug. She breathed in his scent and felt nothing but contentment. There was no place she would rather be. If she had had her way, she would have been napping with him, instead of shopping.
Sage shrugged, before she offered, “Want to nap in my room?”
“You sure?” Paul asked.
“Yeah, it's more comfortable.” She nodded in confirmation before heaving him up into a standing position. Though she also had selfish reasons for wanting him to nap in her room. She just wanted him close. Something was off and she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
But she figured it had something to do with Emily's offer to buy her new clothes, she had even purchased her a phone. It was nice, but Emily and Sam had no reason to be giving her such expensive things without a cause. They owed her nothing.
Closing the door behind them, Sage watched as Paul stripped himself of his clothes. Not that they were necessarily dirty, she still appreciated the fact that he remembered she didn’t want grime in her bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, she knew he would fall right back asleep. The look of exhaustion he wore as his eyes followed her throughout the room as she grabbed a towel was telling he was spent.
“I’m just going to shower.” She said quietly, giving him a small smile as he nodded lazily.
Sage was pretty sure she used up all the hot water during her shower. The feeling of it against her skin was enough to keep her under the stream of water until it ran cold, even after washing her hair and body. She also shaved for the first time since returning to her human form, and she had never felt cleaner.
Walking back out into her room with just her towel, she smiled to herself as she watched Paul's sleeping frame.
She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, just like her grandma would do when she was little before going to her dresser and changing into some of the new clothes Emily had picked out. She hadn’t been much help shopping.
She dropped her towel to the ground and pulled on her panties, before holding up the jeans she had just gotten. She could already tell they were going to be uncomfortable but didn’t want to seem ungrateful to Emily.
Pulling the jeans over her hips, Sage grumbled to herself about the rough material. She was so used to wearing baggy shirts and shorts that everything Emily had picked out felt foreign against her skin.
“Those are new,” Paul mumbled from behind Sage. She looked over her shoulder and saw him smirking back at her with hands crossed behind his head. Clearly enjoying the show she was giving him. She shook her head with a small laugh.
“Do you have a patrol tonight?” She asked, turning back to her dresser and looking through the pile of clothes for a tshirt.
“No.”
She turned to him with the shirt in her hands, his eyes slowly raked over her naked chest and his eyes darkened as she asked, “Want to do something fun?”
“What did you have in mind?” He asked, looking back up to her eyes.
------------------
After putting away the clothes she had gotten and given into Paul's grabby hands, they had made it into the wood in the late afternoon.
She had brought him to the watering hole she had found the last time she had gotten stuck, just in case she did again, but Sage didn’t tell Paul that.
Paul had helped her phase after twenty minutes of frustration. Sage had been frustrated that she couldn’t just snap her fingers and phase, and Paul, Paul had the patience of a toddler she found out.
The stress of trying to get her to phase had clearly been affecting her ability, so he had pulled her to the ground with him and pressed his lips to any piece of skin he could, calming her down, but leaving her with enough adrenaline to phase.
The look of pride on his face as he looked down at her white wolf made her giddy.
She watched in wonder as he phased with ease. She hoped she could eventually master it the way seemingly all of the pack had.
“That wasn’t so bad,” His wolf huffed in her direction,
“Paul?” She tilted her head at the sound of his voice in her mind. That was him, right? She thought.
“This is normal. For the pack, at least. We can hear each other's thoughts.” He explained, finding amusement in her confusion. It wasn’t exactly shocking that her old pack weren't the exception to a mindlink, but to hear Paul's voice in her head after years of just her own, that was odd.
“I don’t know if I want people to hear my thoughts.” She told him. She didn’t even want him to see her thoughts. They were just for her, and her wolf. Sage didn’t want him to see a side of her that she’s not fond of. A glimpse of who she was before, and who she will never be again.
He chuckled at her response, “You’ll learn to block people out.”
“A deer!” She said excitedly, moving towards it. Only to be stopped by Paul's large frame bumping into her. She looked up at him frustratedly as she shook herself off.
He blocked her sight of the deer, sternly telling her, “It’s on the other side of the treaty.”
She swiped water at him with her paw in annoyance, “You’re not on patrol right now, Paul.”
“Want to try shifting back?” He huffed, looking down at her. Even in their wolf forms, he towered over her.
“This was supposed to be for you.” Sage whined, “To enjoy being a wolf.”
“I am enjoying it.”Paul brooded, nudging her with his head, “But there's something else I would enjoy more.”
She fought the urge to roll her eyes, “How do I do it?”
“Same way. Just this time, think of your human self.”
“We don’t have any clothes.” Sage reminded him, and herself.
“We don’t need them.” He told her and she could practically see the smirk in his eyes,“Now, focus,”
She closed her eyes and thought of herself as a human, she felt like she was fighting with her own mind. After one frustrated howl, she found herself back with opposable thumbs.
“It’s cold out.” She complained as she wrapped her arms around her naked body to preserve heat. Sage was very aware of how naked Paul was, and though he had seen her naked a few times, she had only seen him from the back. The urge to look below his waist was nagging at her to the point she settled on looking past him.
“Come here,” Paul said, grabbing her hand as he started to walk backwards into the pond.
She dug her heels into the ground, “It’s October, the water is going to be freezing.”
“You trust me?” He asked.
She nodded without hesitation, and let him walk her into the water. Sage grimaced at the icy water, and he pulled her into him, one of his arms secured around her waist. The other hand was splayed between her shoulder blades. Instantly, she was no longer cold. She laced her hands around his neck, their chests flush with each other as he moved them deeper in the water.
“I wish I had your genetics.” She said, playing with the growing ends of his hair on the nape of his neck, “Must be nice being warm all the time.”
“How’d you stay warm in the winters?” Paul asked curiously. She had never really talked about how she did in the winters, and given that she was always cold it made sense that he was confused. Though she didn't have an actual response. She was just warmer as a wolf.
“I was furry.” She teased.
“Funny.” He dipped his head to her neck, and blew a raspberry causing a series of giggles to leave her lips.
“You’ve got a little bit of a situation.” She joked. Sage could feel his arousal, and she would be lying if she said being this close to him didn’t turn her on too. The feeling of his hands on her body, the only thing keeping her warm, was dizzying.
“Hey, it’s your fault.” He accused, a smirk on his face. His hands tightened on her waist as he shifted them slightly, so that she was more or less tucked into him. More of her body blanketed by his warmth.
“My fault?” She asked, looking at him in faux shock.
“Yeah, it's not everyday I get to swim around with a beautiful, naked girl in my arms.” He flirted with her, “Even as a wolf, you’re stunning.”
She grinned, leaning her head on his shoulder, “As nice as that was, being a white wolf is horrible.”
“What do you mean?” Paul asked, moving his hand up and down her spine.
“Hunters loved me.” She shrugged, “I guess it’s rare to see a white wolf in Washington.”
“Is that how you ended up in La Push?” He asked.
She sighed, “Yeah. Amongst other things.” She looked at him with sad eyes, “Just because there's no vampires doesn’t mean there's no threats nearby.”
“You’re safe here, Sage. No one can hunt here, not vampires, not humans, I promise you.” He held her closer than she thought possible. She felt safe with him, but even she knew that was a promise made to be broken.
“When have humans ever played by the rules?” She asked rhetorically. They both knew damn well that some people do what they want, regardless of what laws are in place.
His hand brushed her breast as he lifted it to brush her hair behind her ear, and she sucked in a breath at the feeling. It was like a million little sparks had touched her skin.
“Paul,” she started, and as soon as he looked her in the eyes, she knew she was done for.
Sage pressed her lips to his eagerly and the hand he had on her waist tightened as he matched her energy. He slid his other hand down her back before pulling her legs around his waist. Her core pressed against his hot skin caused her to moan, the feeling unlike anything she had felt before.
Abruptly, he pulled away from her. “We should head back,”
“But--” She started to argue, only to be cut off by Paul.
“I’ve got an ounce of restraint left in me right now, and this is not how I want things to go.” He explained tightly.
“Oh,” she said quietly, unlocking her legs from his waist. Her mind began to race over his words and it must have shown on her face as he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.
“Sage, we have more than enough time to…” he trailed off, licking his lips, before carefully saying, “Experience each other. I’d just prefer it to be in a bed, rather than a pond where the rest of the pack can run by at any moment.”
“My bed is kind of small,” She said lightheartedly.
A smirk formed on his face as he ran one of his hands down her back, resting it on her ass, “Guess you’ll have to sleepover soon.”
Paul kept her close as they walked out of the water, not wanting her to freeze the minute she stepped out. She wrapped her arms around herself as the nippy air bit at her skin. Giving herself enough room to phase without accidently hitting Paul. She turned to him and couldn't stop her eyes from drifting over his body.
He was truly built like a Greek god.
Paul chuckled as he noticed her, “You checking me out, little wolf?”
“Just returning the gesture.” She winked at him, referring to early in the day when he had blatantly raked over her naked chest.
She easily shifted back into her wolf and he did the same, nudging her with his snout,“You’ve embraced being a minx, haven't you?”
“I like seeing you flustered, it's cute.” She teased him.
“Ditto.” He licked the side of her face, before telling her, “Sam wants us.”
“How do you know?”
“I can hear him, like you can hear me.” Paul explained.
“Right.” She thought, following him as he led her to Sam.
Other pack members were there in the wolf form, though she couldn't tell who they were. She still could only hear Paul's thoughts.
Sage shimmied her way underneath Paul's massive wolf, lying with her head on her paws. She had no clue what was happening without being able to hear the others' voices.
She rolled on her side bored by whatever it is Sam had called Paul to, she could see why he didn’t enjoy this life. All he did as a wolf was protect the reservation from threats. He never got to have any fun like she did. She couldn’t imagine doing that for over ten years and then look forward to phasing.
Paul licked the top of her head, “I can hear your thoughts, little wolf.” He reminded her.
“Is he done yet?” Sage whined.
His wolf let out a sound that resembled a chuckle, “We are done.”
She playfully tackled him, knocking him over onto his back. She trotted around him, as he shook the dirt from his fur, a playful growl coming from the bigger wolf.
“Kid, be careful.” The unfamiliar man that tried to hurt Paul warned.
“Jacob.” Sam said sternly, coming out of the trees back in his human form. He stood with his arms crossed watching the two wolves go back and forth.
Paul tackled her back as she was distracted. Nipping at her leg gently, she knew he was playing. That's what she had wanted all day, for him to have fun.
They rolled around, playfully fighting each other until he had her pinned on her back, “Give up?”
“Never.” She said, trying to kick him off with her hind legs. She imagined him in his human form, pinning her down as he had her now. Accidentally, she phased back, her wolf disappearing underneath his massive form, leaving her naked and exposed.
“Get her some clothes!” Sam barked as soon as he saw her human form and Jacob jogged to the cottage.
Paul used his body to shield her from Sam, “At least I’m not stuck.” She joked as she sat up.
“We’ll work on that some more,” Sam said with the shake of his head and a small smile.
Sage worked her fingers through Paul's fur, a low purring sound emitting from his wolf as she did. “You’re very soft.”
He tilted his head back with a little bit too much force, knocking her onto her back and laid his big, furry head on her chest, keeping her covered, “And heavy,” she said with a giggle. He licked her face once, only to be stopped by Sam, “Enough, Paul.”
She held back a laugh as he whined, and ran her finger tips along the length of his snout.
“Here,” Jacobs gruff voice sounded from above them, as he dropped a pile of clothes to the ground. Paul let out a low warning growl, to which Jacob rolled his eyes and left to speak with Sam.
She didn’t understand Jacobs' attitude, she knew it wasn’t just directed at her. She had watched the way he had interacted with his packmates, and it seemed to be a recurring theme.
She quickly got dressed in the baggy clothes she had been given, and waited for Paul to phase back.
“You know, your thoughts are almost as dirty as Jareds.” Paul laughed, walking out of the treeline as he buttoned his shorts.
“It’s not me. I mean it is, but it's not.” She tried to explain. He looked at her confused so she continued, “When I phase, I let her take over. My wolf. I think that's why it's so hard for me to go back and forth. I don’t have control.”
Paul nodded once, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they began to walk back to the cottage, “Makes sense. I’ve never thought about it that way.”
Curiously, Sage asked, “How do you stay in control?”
“Never had a reason to let my wolf take over completely.” He answered. That seemed so foreign. What was the point of everything then? She always let her wolf takeover, their instincts were different. Sage was more empathetic, her wolf, was only focused on their own survival. She wouldn't have survived the last five years without completely giving in.
“He doesn’t like, talk to you?” She asked, before cringing. It sounded a lot weirder when she said it outloud.
“He does.” Paul chuckled, “But I usually tune it out.”
Sage's eyes widened slightly at his confession, “So you don’t know..”
“Know what?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Sage,” He started, but she cut him off. Not wanting to hear what he had to say at all.
“Really, it’s fine. I shouldn’t have assumed.” She said as she walked back to the cottage. She fell into the idea of having a mate fullforce. She finally had someone she could fully trust, or so she thought. The idea that he wouldn’t have been or aware, or even felt what she had felt, never crossed her mind.
“Sage!” Paul shouted after her.
She stopped a few steps from the porch and turned to him, “You should go home,”
“Don’t do this again.” He shook his head, angry lines framing his eyes. She could feel the tension in his body as he walked to her, like one wrong move and he would snap. Sage almost wanted to make him snap, to make him see that giving into his wolf wasn’t always a bad thing. Then maybe he would understand why she's upset.
“Do what?”
“Shut me out.” He said, though it sounded more like a plea.
“I’m not shutting you out, I’m letting you go. I don’t need you.”
Paul stepped in her way, blocking her from running inside and locking herself in her room. Sage let out a disgruntled noise. Her chest had tightened and the lump in her throat signalled she had about five more minutes before the dam breaks, leaving her in a puddle of tears. He gripped her wrist, as if he could tell she would run in any direction if needed, “Sounds a whole lot like shutting me out.”
“We’re different, Paul. I run off my instincts, you follow commands.” She shot back before forcefully saying, “So go.”
“Sage, do you mind helping Emily with setting the table?” Sam said from the top of the porch.
“Yeah,” Sage said before she stalked off inside. She didn’t look back at Paul as she left, as much as she wanted to. She had never had her heart broken before, but she was sure this is what it felt like.
“Everything alright, sweetie?” Emily looked at her with concern as soon as she entered the small kitchen.
Walking up the steps of Paul's front porch, she tried to be as quiet as possible. She didn’t want to interrupt his company. The overbearing smell of Rachels rose perfume lingered on the porch, just as it had at Emilys.
As she opened the door, Sage felt like she was breaking into his house, as if his truck wasn’t sitting in the driveway.
Paul had told her that if she ever needed anything to just come and take it. Right now, she really needs a sweater. The sun was starting to set and Sage was meeting up with Leah to go stargazing at the beach. It was one of her favourite activities to do over the last five years.
Though no matter how often she wished upon a shooting star, her wishes never came true.
“You were the one who wanted more, I didn’t.” She stopped at the harshness in his voice, it was so different from how he spoke to her. She almost didn’t recognize it.
“So that’s it? You’re just over me because some little girl wandered her way here? She’s just going to leave, Paul.”Sage overheard Rachel say, she knew they were talking about her and if she didn’t have somewhere to be she would have stayed and listened. Or at least until Paul realised she was in his home.“Don’t ruin us because you feel like you have to be with her.”
“It was just sex, Rachel!” His voice boomed, “You fucking know--Sage?”
She halted at the first step at the sound of her name.
“Sorry,” Sage squeaked, sneaking past them upstairs to grab a hoodie.. His hoodie.. She quickly threw it on before rushing back downstairs.
Rachels glare didn’t go unnoticed as she sidestepped her way back to the backdoor.
“Where--” Paul started, looking at her with concern.
“Leahs waiting for me,” She said quickly, cutting him off. He took a step towards her and she took one back. She didn’t come here to disrupt him. All she wanted was a hoodie.
“What's that supposed to mean?”Sage asked, matching the older girl's energy as she placed her hands on her hips.
Rachel tilted her head and smiled a sickeningly sweet smile, that she could only compare to the mean girls she went to highschool with, “One sad sob story being friends with the other. It's cute.”
A flash of red crossed Sages vision before she lunged at the raven hair girl. Paul's warm arm wrapped around her waist, stopping her. He whispered for her to stop as a small growl bubbled from her throat. Though, her anger got the best of her, “You’d be lucky to have Leah as a friend! She’s brave and loyal, she never asks questions, but she's always willing to help.” The feisty wolf pushed Paul's arm off of her before yelling at Rachel one last time, “And you’re just a bitch!”
Leah walked in through the back door and Sage gave Rachel one last glare before she grabbed the other shewolfs arm, muttering, “Lets go.”
“She deserved that.” Leah commented with a slight smirk. As much as Sage agreed, only one thing plagued her mind.
“Pauls going to be mad at me.” She groaned as they headed for the beach.
---
She walked in through the back door of Paul's house after deliberately waiting for the sun to go down, feeling like a pup with her tail tucked between her legs in surrender. She stopped as she realised he was asleep on the couch. She wondered if he had been waiting for her to come over. Still dressed in his dirty work clothes, she grimaced as she grabbed the throw from the armchair in the corner of the room and gently placed it on him. Sage knew he didn’t get cold, but she wanted him to at least be comfortable.
She laid on the floor beside the couch, and curled into herself. Hoping that when he woke up, he wouldn’t be too mad at her.
Unsure of when she fell asleep exactly, Sage was startled awake at the feeling of being carried, though the warmth surrounding told her exactly who it was in her tired haze, “Paul?”
“Yeah, little wolf?” He asked, as he placed her on her favourite side of the bed. Paul stroked the hair out of her face before tucking her in.
She watched him with nervous eyes before asking, “Are you mad at me?”
“No,” He answered, as he walked to the other side of the bed. Turning on the light on his bedside table, “But you shouldn’t lunge at people like that.”
“She--”
“I’ve dealt with her.” He cut her off, before peeling off his shirt and unbuttoning his jeans, “Now, I’m dealing with you.”
“Dealing with me?” She sat up as tears pricked her eyes, “Please..I’m sorry..I wont do it again.”
“Hey, woah, it’s okay. We’re okay.” He said soothingly as he kicked off his jeans and sat on the bed, pulling her into his chest, “I know you were just upset, okay? Trust me, I’ve done worse when I’ve been upset.”
“So you’re not gonna…” She trailed off, afraid to ask him what she was thinking.
He looked down at her, wiping the lone tear that had fallen from her eye, “Going to what?”
“Leave me..” She said shyly. She was so weak around him. Even her wolf was worried she had taken it too far with Rachel. Losing your mate before you’ve really even had him, pathetic in the eyes of her furry companion. In the eyes of her old pack.
Finding your mate was the key to strengthening your bloodline to them, the stronger bloodlines always found their mates.
Now that she's found Paul, she knows that the bloodline schtick she was giving wasn’t as true as they made it seem.
Why would she mate on someone who wasn’t a part of her pack? She had been told who her mate was by her alpha, but one looked into Paul's eyes and she was sure, this was her soulmate.
“No chance am I going to leave you.” He hummed thoughtfully, pressing a kiss to her forehead, “It was hot, if I’m being honest.”
She sniffled, “You’re like, my favourite person in the whole wide world.. I don’t think I’d survive without you anymore.”
He tried to hold back his smile, but it lit up his face, “Hey,” Paul used his finger to push her chin up so they were looking at each other, “The feelings are mutual.”
She blushed, placing her hand on his chest, just over his heart, “How was work?”
He shrugged, “The usual. Only difference today was I had something new to think about.”
“Oh yeah?” She grinned, remembering what he had said in the morning.
Paul nodded, “There's this girl, with green eyes and freckles, who has me wrapped around finger.” He leaned back against the headboard of his bed, watching her with careful eyes, “And I could not stop thinking about kissing her all day long.”
“Lucky girl.” She mumbled, the corners of her mouth pulling into a flustered smile.
He chuckled at her response, “How was your day?”
She watched as he licked his lips and only one thing crossed her mind.
Fuck it.
She sat up on her knees, and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. It was needy and rushed but he reacted with the same passion. He gripped the back of her neck before moving them into a different position. He laid her on her back, and slotted himself between her legs while Sage wrapped one of her legs around the back of his calf, locking him into place.
Her hands went to his hair, weaving her fingers into the strands. Paul removed his lips from hers, before kissing along her jaw towards her neck. Sage let out a sigh of satisfaction as he moved towards her collarbone, sucking gently.
Paul's phone began to ring and he let out a small huff of annoyance before removing his lips from the crook of her neck and placing one gentle kiss to her lips. He pulled away from her and reached to his night stand, looking at the caller ID before answering and pressing the phone to his ear.
“Yeah?” He smirked down at her, as she drew shapes on his chest with her index finger. A small pout on her now red lips as she listened to him speak to Sam on the phone.
“She’s with me.”
“Alright, I’ll drop her off in the morning.”
“You’re going shopping with Emily tomorrow.” Paul told her as he set his phone back on the nightstand. He settled down beside her and Sage was quick to curl into his body, seeking out his warmth. She felt cold when he wasn’t around, not the type of cold you feel as a breeze hits but, empty cold. The need to touch him, to make sure he was within arms reach, caused an ache that she couldn’t quite put into words. She wondered if he felt the same way. The events of the morning, his arm around her chair with his fingers grazing her shoulder, him kissing her goodbye before he left for work, all seemed like normal things.
But they were not normal people.
“Why?” She questioned him as he settled his hand on her lower back. Paul pressed against her back, gently massaging her lower spine as she tensed up at the thought of going somewhere with Emily.
“To get you some clothes that fit.” Paul's voice was gentle, the same way it had been when he coaxed her to phase that very first day and Sage felt bad for reacting the way she was.
She didn’t have anything against Emily, she was a very nice lady who had let her stay in her home with no questions asked. But this felt like she was putting down roots. Her own bed, her own clothes, what's next, are they going to start tallying her height on the doorframe?
She did eventually want to leave. La Push was not her home, North Bend was. She missed it. Her friends, Josh, the mountains, heck, even her old job.
She just wasn’t ready to face the people she had left behind.
“But I like wearing your clothes.” She said forcefully, she didn’t need or want anything else.
Paul smirked, playing with the hem of his shirt that she wore, “And I like you in them, but you should have your own things.”
Sage wanted to remind him that she did have her own things. She had a house, with her own bedroom. The walls littered with posters and pictures. Her bed was probably still unmade and clothes thrown everywhere. Her little stuffed beaver her Josh sent her for her sixteenth birthday, neatly placed on her dresser. Those things still belonged to her, even if she hasn’t physically been home in five years.
“I hate shopping.” She groaned, “Being human is worse than being stuck as a wolf.”
“You enjoyed it?” Paul asked curiously.
“Most days.” She nodded, adding, “Some were harder than others but.. It was simple. I learned pretty quickly that I wasn’t going to be able to get myself back on two legs, so I guess, I embraced it.” Using her index finger, Sage traced the sharp edge of his jaw lightly as she mumbled , “Though there are perks to being human.”
“I think you are the only person who enjoys it.” Paul commented, a look of disbelief in his eyes.
Sage furrowed her brows, “You don’t?”
He shrugged, “There are some pros. But I wasn't good at controlling myself when I was younger, I still struggle.”
His answer caused Sage to sit up slightly, looking him directly in the eye as she asked, “You got stuck too?”
“No, I got angry and anger triggered my shifts.” He answered solemnly. A topic he didn’t like to talk about, clearly.
With a hand placed on his bare shoulder, she looked over at him before saying, “You don’t seem like a hothead to me.”
She had rarely seen him mad, and though she hadn't known Paul long, if he really was a hothead, he would have shown it by now. He was more in control of himself than she was and Sage was a particularly calm person, at least that's what she liked to think. The incident with Rachel was just..a need to protect. That's what she’s good at, protecting herself and the ones she cares about.
“I’ve got a pretty good reason to stay calm now.” He muttered. Paul used his free hand to fix the neckline of her shirt, sending a wave of sparks throughout Sage’s body. He had never touched her there, but as soon as he pulled his hand away. She just wanted him to touch her again.
“I’ll teach you to enjoy yourself as a wolf.”
“I don’t know, Sage.” He was the most unsure she had ever seen him.
“Please?” She asked, her doll-like eyes pleading with him. There was more to this life than just patrolling for threats and she wanted to show him just how good it could be.
“Fine.” He grumbled, “Stupid puppy dog eyes. How am I supposed to say no to that?”
“I’ll make it worth it.” she said, dragging his hand down his chest to his abs. She giggled as he stiffened. “I promise.”
“This is on you!” Paul said, shoving Jacob hard. He just had to go and antagonise Sage. There's human Sage, and then there's wolf Sage. As a wolf, she was unpredictable. They couldn’t communicate with her and there was no telling what she was thinking. As a human, you could at least compromise with her.
This better not make her shut down again, he thought to himself as he tied his shorts to his ankle before phasing. His only goal was to find her.
They were in a good spot right now, all things considered. She trusted him. Openly sharing tidbits about herself without coaxing it out of her.. She was flighty as hell still but getting better each day. Most importantly she felt safe with him.
Sam had pulled Paul aside to tell him he was being too touchy with her. He was being too touchy!? He wanted to laugh right in his alphas face. The little minx couldn’t keep her hands to herself, any chance she got and she was running the pads of her fingers over his skin. Her newest fixation being his collarbones, one slow swipe of her finger and he was hard as a rock. He couldn’t fucking help it that his ancestors gave him a fox dressed as an angel for an imprint. All he wanted to do was bend her over and listen to a harmony of moans leave her lips.
Fuck, her lips. All pouty, all the goddamn time.
But he can’t, instead he’s back searching the woods for Sage before she gets too far, or worse, hurt. Catching her the first time was a challenge, she had a broken leg and they still couldn't keep up with her. Paul was praying she wasn’t too pissed off at him to make them chase her.
His wolf was not happy, one smart remark from one of his brothers and Paul wouldn’t be able to control him.
Think like her, his wolf growled.
Water.
She’d find water first.
Sage had told him she never strayed too far from water, she would go days without eating but she at least had water to keep her hydrated. He only knew of one watering hole in their territory and figured that was his best bet.
Racing off in that direction while barking off orders to his pack mates to check some of the other areas she frequented all while his frantic eyes searched for the white fur of his imprint.
“I’ll grab her some clothes,” Leah remarked, seeing his sight. Paul muttered a thanks before phasing back and pulling on his shorts.
Walking over to the white wolf, he tried to keep his cool as he told her, “You can’t just take off like that.”
She whined, rolling onto her back, nearly falling into the water. Paul didn’t even know what had set her off, Emily had said she had gone out with Leah on a hike but Leah had seemed shocked to find out she had phased too.
The older wolf knelt beside her, smoothing his hand across her belly as if he were petting a dog, “We can't communicate with you as a wolf.”
She rubbed her snout against him, letting out a small howl. He had no idea what she was thinking. Sage relaxed into his touch, a sound of content leaving her before she unexpectedly shifted back. On her hands and knees, she flicked her head up to look at him, confusion written all over her face. She scrambled to her feet, backing away from Paul.
“Hi,” She said sheepishly, covering herself as best she could.
Oh, fuck me, Paul thought, not letting his eyes travel past her breasts before averting his eyes.
“Fuck, um, Leah should be here with some clothes soon.” Paul averted his eyes, looking up at the trees.
“Sorry,” She squeaked, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
He turned his back to her, not trusting himself to take another peek at her. He could already feel the blood rushing to his lower extremities at what he did see.
“No! I’m not..I’m not uncomfortable, you look great..I mean..I’m used to seeing..everything.” The older man stumbled over his words.
“You’re used to seeing girls naked?” She prodded. Paul wanted to laugh at her question. Of course he was.
But he couldn’t say that, not to her, thinking about what to say, Paul mumbled, “Yeah, the ones I like at least..”
“And you don’t like me?” He could hear the frown in her tone.
He whipped around, clearly focused on keeping his eyes above her neck, “I never said that.”
Her hands on her hips, this part of her personality he only sees glimpses of, but he knew it was there.
Little Miss Attitude.
“But you don’t want to see me naked.I’ll just..” She looked around her for something to cover herself with. Not that she would find anything in the middle of the woods.
Play this right, his wolf practically begged.
“I never said that, either.” Paul said carefully, gauging her reaction.
“So you do want to see me naked,” She said teasingly, a playful smirk on her lips.
“Are you fucking with me?” He asked, taking a step towards her. His eyes narrowed but the slight boyish smirk on his lips, he was enjoying it just as much as she was. Paul couldn't help but wonder what she was like with her old pack, its hard to tell whether or not it was a strict dynamic or relaxed like Sam typically is.
“I asked Leah what a minx is.” She shrugged, “You started it.”
Paul barked out a laugh. Fuck it. He let his eyes drag down her body, no imperfections at all. She’s fucking beautiful.
She’s ours, his wolf purred.
Taking another step towards her, he teased, “I just call ‘em, how I see ‘em, babe.”
“Minx, and now babe?” A look of shock crossed her features, “Like the pig from that movie?”
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“No, I--”
“I’m kidding. I’m not a little kid, Paul.” She teased, tilting her head up to look at him, “Just because you guys treat me like a fragile little girl, doesn’t mean I am. I had a life before I met you.”
She reached up and with the pad of her index finger, smoothed out the lines caused by his furrowed brows. The stress Paul felt about finding her dissipated with one touch.
Here we go again.
Oh, the places he wished she would actually touch.
Before he could respond Leah arrives with clothes in mouth. Dropping them to the forest floor, Sage was quick to pick them up. Patting Leah's head in thanks. The red hoodie she had borrowed from him and an old pair of shorts that belonged to Paul swallowed her body. All her curves that were on display for him, now gone.
Paul cleared his throat as Leah left to go back on patrol, gaining Sages attention again, “There's going to be a thunderstorm tonight.”
She hugged her arms around her, the teasing nature wiped from her aura, “Another one?”
He nodded, concerned about just how scared she was of storms, “I have patrol tonight, are you going to be alright?”
“Yeah,” She said unconvincingly.
-----
Sage was not fine at all.
The storm was worse than the night before, the wind was eerie and everytime she shut her eyes a boom of thunder would reverberate in her room. Sleepless nights weren’t uncommon for her, but she was terrified.
Her mom used to tell her to distract herself, find something happy to think about, something that would keep her calm and unafraid.
The only thing she could think about was Paul.
And how he was currently stuck out in the storm. That horrified her.
Sage jumped as her bedroom door opened and she sat up in her bed, wide eyed staring at the person.
Paul.
She let out a sigh of relief. He was soaking wet, she could see the little droplets rolling down his bare chest.
“You’re still up.” He said, slightly confused.
She nodded, jumping as another crack of thunder hit.
“Okay, I’ll just be on the couch, call me if you need me--”
“I need you.” She begged
“Fuck,” He whispered under his breath. He shut the door gently and moved to get into what she deemed was his side nights ago.
“Wait,” She stopped him, sitting up on her knees, his shirt she wore falling down to her thighs, “Your shorts are dirty and you’re all wet.”
He chuckled quietly, “You want me to change?”
She nodded, “If you want to sleep in my bed, you need to be clean.”
Paul smirked, “Alright, little wolf.”
“I’m not little.” She griped as she settled back into bed.
“You are compared to me, and the rest of the pack.” He turned to the dresser and took off his shorts, bare ass on display. He wasn't lying when he said he was comfortable with nakedness, “Didn’t realise wolves could be as small as you.”
“I could take you.” She said as her eyes travelled the length of his body, watching as he put on new boxers.
He chuckled, using a towel she had used after her shower to dry off his chest and hair best he could, “Better?”
“Much.”
She waited for him to get in before pulling the comforter over both of them. She didn't hesitate to get close to him, soaking up his heat and safety from the raging storm. Though, she still found the bed to be uncomfortable as she shifted continuously for a comfy position
“Sage.” Paul muttered, his hand moving to her waist, stopping her from moving.
“Yeah?”
“Stop moving.”
“One sec,” She thread her leg between his, one hand resting on his chest the other underneath her cheek as she looked at him, face to face “Is this okay?”
“Little wolf,” His hand now on her thigh, very much aware she had no pants on, “You’re cold?”
Sage nodded, “How are you always so warm?”
“Genetics.” The older wolf's hand travelled up her leg under her shirt and up her spine, repeating the gesture to warm her.
A loud sound of thunder scared her causing her to jolt forward, even closer, “Sorry.”
“S’okay, you’re safe with me.” His breath was fanning her face, and he tucked her long hair behind her ear. Another loud boom and she squeezed his bicep, clenching her eyes shut as a small whimper left her lips, “Too loud?” He asked gently and she nodded honestly.
“I just.. Need a distraction” Sage whispered in the darkness of the room.
“A distraction?” Paul questioned.
“Mhm.” She nodded, “Like something else to think about.”
“Okay.” His hand halted on her back. His lips were on hers for a short moment and as he pulled away she chased him, a gleam in his eyes as she whined, more so her wolf did.
Sage had called Josh under the supervision of Sam and Paul. The two men have conjured up a lie about her whereabouts for the past five years and how she was currently with her grandma's old friend Sue Clearwater.
Sage had argued that she didn’t even like Sue after she had locked her in the room when she had first arrived. The men were quick to remind her that it was just a lie and she didn’t actually have to live with Sue. It seemed like lying came easy to them, making her wary about what lies she's been told.
Josh had swiftly bought the lie after a few questions, one of which he wondered why she hadn’t called sooner. He had said she was more than welcome to live with him back in North Bend, the old room he had for her at his house from the countless times he had babysat her as a kid was still set up.
Sam had shook his head no when she hesitated on answering her uncle, and with a frown, she declined his offer.
With the promise to visit her soon, and to call more often, they hung up and the tears were quick to fill Sage's eyes. She stormed off to her room, slamming the door shut as Paul called after her and allowed herself to cry until exhaustion took over just as the forecasted storm had begun.
The storm hadn’t let up as she was woken up by a loud crack of thunder. Sage would never admit it out loud out of sheer embarrassment, but she was utterly terrified of thunder. She had been since she was a kid, turning into a wolf only made her hearing more sensitive to the sound. It was loud and unnerving, never knowing when it was going to boom through the house.
She sat up and checked her surroundings, spotting Paul in the recliner he had made himself at home in most nights and sighed in relief.
Scrambling out of the bed as another loud crack of thunder went off, she shook Paul awake. She had two reasons, one, he always made her feel safe, and two, he looked like a giant sitting in a garden gnomes chair. It was odd, and she didn’t want him to be uncomfortable.
“What's wrong?” He asked, immediate concern taking over his features. She grabbed his hand wordlessly, heaving him up out of the small lazyboy. “Sage?”
“We can share.” She looked up at him to clarify, “The bed.”
Paul shook his head no, “It’s yours.”
Sage rolled her eyes, before getting into the bed, she liked the side next to the wall. Just in case. It's not like it's the first time they’ve shared a bed, he crossed the territory first and she was okay with it.
More importantly, her wolf was okay with it.
“I'm telling you, we can share.” She said adamantly, leaving no room for an argument from him as she waited for him.
“Okay,” He said hesitantly, before kicking off his shoes and getting into the small bed. It just barely fit the two of them, and was much smaller than the one he owned. She turned to face him as he settled on his side, concern still evident on his sharp features.
The lie Paul had made up with Sam made it seem like she was never going to be allowed to leave La Push, at least not with saying goodbye to Paul like she had promised him. Sage couldn’t help the sad look that formed on her face as tears brimmed her waterlines. La Push was not as safe as they had made it seem, she knew that.
The scent at the grocery store he had taken her to had proved it and she knew why leaving him here would hurt less than if she were to stay.
“You’re okay.” He hushed her. Paul pulled her close, any sense of boundary he had created when he had climbed into her bed now broken. Her body instantly curled into his own, his warmth like a safety blanket.
“Paul?”
“Mhm?” He hummed.
Whispering as low as she could, Sage admitted, “I don’t like thunderstorms.”
“You’re safe with me.” Paul responded quietly, pressing his lips to her hairline comfortingly.
Sage believed him.
--------------------
Sage was awoken to the smell of cinnamon, a familiar smell that she remembered from her grandma's house. Every Sunday she would wake up to fresh baked cinnamon rolls before being ushered off to what ever pack me was being held that day. Her grandparents were an integral part of the pack and made sure to drag her along to all the boring events, hoping it would make her more devoted. Sage couldn't have cared less.
Though the smell of cinnamon made her giddy for the first time since arriving in La Push, and she was keen to see what Emily had made.
“No,” Paul said, one of his hands gripping her waist tightly as she moved to get out of bed.
Turning in his arms to face him, she giggled, “I’m hungry.”
“Five more minutes,” He grumbled tiredly.
She shook her head with a sigh, “But it smells so good.”
His arms tightened around her, hugging her to his chest before freeing her completely, “Go eat, little wolf.”
Paul's five minutes turned to twenty before he wandered into the kitchen, still looking exhausted. She tried not to frown, wondering if he stayed up during the storm to make sure she was alright.
“Hi,” Sage said brightly at the kitchen table eating breakfast as Paul joined them.
“Morning,” He smiled down at her, before pulling out the seat next to her and sitting down, “Storms over?”
“For now.” Sam chimed in, his face stern as he looked at Paul. The look made her slightly uneasy.
Though Paul was unfazed as he turned towards Sage, “Hey, so, I’ve got to go to work today, but Emilys got my number if you need me, alright?”
Sage furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, “Patrol?”
“No, a regular person's job that actually pays money.” He teased her. She looked over his appearance, his hair wet, a solid black fitted tee and jeans. It didn't look like he was going to work.
“Paul,” Emily chastised with the shake of her head as she sat at the table next to Sam.
“I had a job.” She remembered out loud. Going to work was the only human interaction she was allowed to have, her old alpha was strict. Though Sage enjoyed the normalcy of her coworkers lives, she almost envied them. Though she enjoys the company of her wolf too.
Paul smirked before taking a bite of his toast, “Oh, yeah?”
She nodded, “At a vets office.”
“At sixteen?”
“Yeah, they had a little daycare so I just got to play with the dogs for a few hours afterschool.” She explained, stabbing her fork into her eggs before adding somberly,“I wanted to be a vet.”
“You still can.” He rubbed her back soothingly, as if he could sense her changing mood.
“Paul, can I speak to you outside before you head out?” Sam asked, though it didn’t exactly sound like a request.
“I’ll see you later, Sage.” He smiled down at her, his hand grazing her cheek gently before heading off after Sam.
Sage smiled down at her plate as Emily let out a knowing chuckle.
-------------------
It wasn’t long after Paul left that other pack members began to show up, and it was only then that she realised why Emily had cooked so much food. Though she noticed Leah's arrival, she didn’t pass the threshold. She made her way to the back of the cottage without ever stepping foot inside.
Grabbing a cinnamon muffin, Sage made her way out to see her.
“Hey,” Sage said gently, gaining Leah's attention, “I got this for you.”
Leah grabbed the muffin from her, with a hint of a smile on her face, “Thanks.”
“Do you want to hang out?” The shyness in Sage's voice was evident and she was thankful Leah agreed, because as much as she liked hanging out with Paul, She missed some of her old friends.
They had gone on a hike to get away from everyone and conversation came easy between the two she wolfs, Leah even opened up about the drama between her and Sam. Which explained why she was so distant all the time.
Leah had left her midwalk to go on her rounds, and as she made her way back down the path they had travelled, Sage could hear voices growing louder and angrier. One voice peaked her interest as she grew closer.
“Touch me again and you’ll regret it,” Sage heard Paul bark out.
The idea of someone hitting Paul sent a ripple of rage through her, and before Sage could stop it, she had phased. The only thing on her wolf's mind was protecting Paul. Racing in the direction of her mate's voice, red clouding her vision. Sage broke through the tree line, frantic eyes searching for the familiar man. A growl ripped through her throat at the sight of him having a standoff with an unknown face though something about him was familiar.
Both men looked in her direction as she approached slowly. Paul's eyes widened in recognition as she glowered at him.
“Sage,” Paul kneeled before her with his palms upturned, “You’re okay. What happened?”
She let him pet her, leaning into his touch before she circled around him to stand in front, hunching and growling at the other boy. She didn’t recognize him and instantly thought of him as a threat, not only to herself, but to Paul and Leah.
“That’s cute, kid.” The unfamiliar man chuckled, “I’m not scared of you.”
The young wolf took a step closer, baring her teeth. He should be scared of her, especially if he wanted to hurt Paul.
“Hey, “ She heard Paul's voice, and the feeling of his fingers in her fur, looking at him, she softened her gaze, “Packmates, remember?”
She let out a huff, not her pack. She doesn’t have a pack! She wanted to shout at him.
Sage let out one more warning growl in the direction of the man she didn’t recognize before she took off into the woods, ignoring the shouts of her name.
The night had come a lot of faster than Sage had anticipated. Dinner with the pack was eventful to say the least. She wasn’t used to that level of noise yet and a headache was quick to form. She had excused herself, more so snuck out of the dining room, to have a hot shower to relax her constantly tense frame.
No one had come to coax her back out of the room and she was grateful for the quiet.
She heard the heavy footsteps before the knock on the door, and if she hadn’t already memorised his scent she would’ve ignored it and pretended to be asleep.
Opening the door, she was met with a smiling Paul. His eyes drifted from her face to the shirt she had changed into after her shower. His shirt, she could tell from the lingering scent of his cologne.
“I snagged one for you.” He huskily said, his eyes had darkened as they met hers again.
She looked away reluctantly to the plate in his hands, a singular cupcake sat on the plate and she couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks.”
She gently took the plate from him and opened the door wider, inviting him in as she made her way back to the bed where she had been watching reruns of her favourite show. “Paul?”
“Hm?” He hummed, sitting in the chair next to the bed again. Paul smiled down at the bedside table at where she had organised the things she had found at the beach. Including the little pinecones he had stopped and collected from a tree on his way back to Sam’s after his conversation with the woman whose name she still didn't know.
Sage hesitated, before saying gently, “You should go home tonight.”
“What?” Paul's brows furrowed as he looked at her with confusion.
“You’re only staying here because of me, right? You don’t have to. I’ll be fine.”
She quickly said, “Your…family probably misses you.”
He shook his head, telling her, “I live alone.”
“Still.” Sage looked at him pointedly. She didn’t want to take him away from his life because of her own issues. Even if he was the only person here who made her feel safe.
She watched as he locked his jaw, looking at her with hard eyes before he asked, “You want me to leave?”
“I don’t want you to feel obligated to stay, I mean, you’ve done more than enough for me already.” She said honestly. Sage liked being on her own for the most part.
Paul looked at her with a knowing look, “Sage, I just want you to feel comfortable.”
“I am comfortable.” She wasn’t lying, per se, but she wasn’t exactly telling the truth either. Sage was as comfortable as anyone would be when their lives had been flipped upside down for a second time.
“You only talk to me.” He pointed out and she wanted to yell at him, that wasn’t true. She had spoken to Leah, as well. He just wasn’t there.
“I’ll do better.” She mumbled.
“That's not what I’m saying..I’ll leave, if that's what you really want.” His eyes were searching her face, like he was looking for a sign to stay. But, just from the sight of him in that chair, the chair that was two sizes too small to even be remotely comfortable for him, she knew she was making the right decision for him.
She nodded her head.
----
Regret.
That's what Sage felt as she laid awake in her too soft of a bed. The blanket wasn’t nearly warm enough for the cool fall air, nor was the tshirt and sweatpants she wore as pyjamas.
Sam and Emily had gone to bed long ago, and she could tell from the loud snores that Sam was completely out.
She regretted telling Paul to leave. He was her heat source the night before, she had felt it when she had drifted off during their movie, and even more so when she slept on the floor beside him on the couch.
As quietly as she could, she got up and slid her shoes at the foot of the bed on her feet.
Maybe a walk will help, she hoped.
It was a quiet walk. No cars were on the roads and especially no people were milling about.
She pulled the sweater she had found hanging up tighter to her body as a particularly cold gust of wind hit her like tiny frozen darts. When she noticed headlights approaching, instinctively, she wanted to hide.
But as the car drove past her, she let out her breath and kept walking.
The sound of the tires screeching against the asphalt as the car did a u-turn in the middle of the road made her speed up. She was searching in front of her for places to go, the woods being the safest choice but she didn’t want to risk phasing. Sams was too far to go on foot versus the car.
Maybe you could steal a car, the wolf suggested. Sage rolled her eyes at thought.
“Hey!” A man's voice shouted from the driver's side.
That voice is familiar.
She looked to the car that was now slowing to a roll beside her to see the man she had been laying in bed thinking of.
“Get in.” Paul said roughly, she ignored him and kept walking, causing his anger to rise, “Get in or I’ll put you in myself.”
The wolf whined at her. It's what she wanted.
But she also didn’t want to go back to Sams. Back to that cold room where she would just be staring at the ceiling until the sun rose.
Choosing not to fight him, figuring he would actually put her in the truck if she refused, Sage got in sluggishly. She immediately noticed Paul was shirtless in a pair of gym shorts, “How did you--”
“Sam called me.” He cut her off.
His voice was deeper than usual.
Huskier, even.
“I wasn’t running away.” She tried to explain, but he was quick to cut her off again. His anger was clearly getting the best of him and even she knew not to push it while trapped in a car with an upset wolf.
“I didn’t say you were.” He looked at her and she could see the stress in his eyes. Like he was really trying to keep his composure. She didn’t want him to be angry with her.
“I wouldn’t leave you.. Not without saying goodbye. Okay?” Sage said honestly. She knew what would happen if they were to be separated for a long period of time, she had seen it with her own mother when her father had died. She shutdown completely due to her grief, leaving Sage on her own to navigate her way through their pack dynamics.
“Good to know,” He scoffed lightly , the crease between his eyebrows deepened as he shook his head.
Clearly that was the wrong thing to say.
Sage had been too busy looking at Paul and trying to gauge his emotions to realise they had pulled into an unknown driveway. A new sense of panic set in, was Sam sending her somewhere else because she kept leaving?
“Where are we?” She asked Paul with wide eyes.
“My house.” He answered as he pulled his key from the ignition. “You can sleep in my bed, I’ll take the couch. I’ll drop you back off at Sam's tomorrow.”
Thank God, she breathed a sigh of relief before realising what he had said.
“No.” She shook her head, she would not be sleeping in his bed. That was his!
“Sage, I’m not arguing with you about this.” He said through a yawn.
She grabbed his hand, forcing him to look at her, then down at their hands intertwined, “I don’t want to sleep in your bed.”
He takes a deep breath, “Why not?”
“It’s yours. I’ll sleep on the ground.” She stated, and rushed out of the car, pulling her hand from his in the process.
Paul let out a sound of annoyance, “You’re not sleeping on the ground.”
“I always sleep on the ground.” Sage rebutted, rolling her eyes in the process.
Paul cracked his knuckles, and stayed quiet. No longer arguing with her as he muttered “Let's go.”
He placed his warm hand on the small of her back ushering her up a small flight of stairs and into his home. He had clearly been asleep before Sam had called to inform him of her leaving. That much she was certain as she walked into his room. His bed was unmade, the comforter slung to one side and the lamp closest to the door was the only light in the room.
“What do you need to be tucked in?” He asked, looking over his shoulder at her. He had walked past her, plugging his phone back into its charger.
She shook her head, the guilt dwelling in her mind, “I’m sorry for waking you.”
“It’s fine. Now are you going to stand there all night?” She just blinked at him, feeling uncomfortable, “Look, Sage. I’m tired, you look tired, just get in the bed.”
“It’s yours.” She mumbled. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
“I’m aware.” He sat on the edge, “You can have that side, I’ll have this one. Your own little territory.”
She nodded in compromise, waving off the slight jab he had made. And quickly made her way to the side he deemed hers. She tried to make herself as comfortable as possible as he turned off the light, muttering a rough goodnight to her.
The heat emitting off of his skin was exactly what she had been looking for, allowing her to drift off to a dreamless sleep.
Though it wasn’t enough to fix the uncomfortableness of the bed as she tossed and turned on the cloud like mattress. She missed the hard ground.
Sage grumbled to herself as she awoke for the second time due to the bed, though this time there was the weight of an arm around her waist.
Paul had crossed the territory.
She could feel his breath on the back of her neck, fanning it with hot air. His arm was comforting, like a warm, weighted blanket. But it wasn’t enough to put her back to sleep, no, she wanted to lay on the ground.
She fully intended to until Paul tightened his arm around her waist and he mumbled tiredly, “Don’t go.”
She settled back into his arm, her back flush against his chest as she looked over her shoulder, “You’re really hot, you know.”
A sleepy smirk formed on his face. His eyes were still closed and she couldn’t help but marvel at his beauty. Sage groaned, “Not like that.”
Sage rolled over and faced him. She traced with her index fingers the sharp points of his face. Still getting used to skin to skin contact again, before sighing, “You’re quite pretty,”
“Pretty?” He blinked his eyes open. She smiled guilty, she really didn’t mean to wake him again.
“Mhm.”
“What time is it?” He asked lowly.
She shrugged. She assumed it was early morning from the birds beginning to chirp outside his window.
Paul let her go to grab his phone off of his nightstand, the numbers reading 4:23am in a bright white font. He dropped his phone down again before readjusting his arm around her.
“Back to sleep, Sage.” He said quietly as he reclosed his eyes.
She scoffed lightly, “Easier said than done. You’re in my territory.”
He groaned, and if his eyes had been open she had no doubt he would have rolled them, “C’mere.”
Paul used his arm to pull her closer, her head directly on his chest. The sound of his heartbeat was serene.
He moved his hand to her hair. Raking it gently with his fingers as she fluttered her eyes shut, sighing in contentment, “This bed is too soft.”
“Hm?” Paul hummed.
Sage explained softly, hoping he would understand, “I slept on the ground for five years, your bed is like a marshmallow compared to it.”
“If this doesn’t work we’ll sleep on the ground, how ‘bout that?” He offered, shifting slightly so that their legs became a tangled mess beneath the sheets.
So much for having their own territories.
Though she wasn’t complaining. It was a much more comfortable position than she had been in previously.
She nodded her head in response to his offer, yawning as he combed through her hair with one hand the other rubbing circles on her back.
Her eyelids felt heavier and in his arms, it was the safest she's felt in years. This is what she had always thought it would be like to have a mate. Not what had been forced on her back in her old pack. Sage shuddered at the thought.
Leaving him would be heart wrenching, but she knew eventually she would have to if word got back to her old pack that she was seemingly a traitor.
------
Paul had dropped her off on the doorstep of Sam and Emilys home, almost as if he was making sure she actually made it through the door. Though he didn’t hover, leaving to go on patrol as soon as she stepped through the threshold.
Now she regretted coming back as she eavesdropped on Emily's conversation with the unknown woman from the beach.
“It’s not right, Em and you know it.” Sage could hear the unknown woman's voice through the open window, “This girl just shows up and suddenly he's capable of all the things I asked of him. He made me so many promises, promises that he was going to do better, that he was going to change, and he didn’t.”
“You know that neither Sage or Paul had any say in this.” Emily retorted.
It didn't take a genius to understand that this woman, who she didn’t even know the name of, was talking about her. Why, was something she couldn’t understand. Paul said he lived by himself, and there was no evidence of this woman in his house that she had noticed.
And now she was here, venting to Emily about her arrival.
“But he just gave into it, how many times did he say that if it happened he would fight it? That it wouldn’t matter to him?” The mystery woman ranted.
What was Paul supposed to be fighting? Sage questioned herself. There were no threats here.
“I don’t think this is how he imagined it to go, Rachel.” Emily’s soft voice tried to soothe the tension escalating on the other side of the door. “It’s a complicated situation that we are all adapting to. He’s just trying to make sure she’s okay right now.”
Rachel was her name.
Nobody had ever mentioned Rachel before.
“What about me? It's all Sage this, Sage that, as if we haven’t known each other since highschool. He’s known this girl for a week!” Rachel exclaimed loudly.
Sage frowned.
All this drama because she crossed the treaty line she didn’t know existed.
If Rachel wanted Paul, she could have him. She didn’t want to be here anyways. The smell she had caught a whiff of in the grocery store with Paul still stuck in the back of her mind. It belonged to a hunter who had been terrorising her pack since she was a child. She never thought she would catch the scent again after leaving the territory claimed by the Marshall pack. Though, she also didnt think that there were any packs along the coast of Washington, yet here she was.
The wolf in her growled at her thoughts, it didn’t like the idea of leaving Paul.
“Ignore her.” Leah spoke from behind the younger girl, Sage turned to face her, startled by her sudden appearance, “Rachel couldn’t take a hint if it hit her in the face.”
Sage smirked at the older woman's words.
“Sam wants me to take you along the perimeter, show you the treaty line and all that.” Leah continued, “We can walk it if you’d like.”
Sage nodded. Jokingly, she said, “I’ve missed being on two legs.”
She was just starting to get used to being on two legs again, and she liked that people could understand her now. Even if she didn’t talk much.Something she was determined to work on after Paul commented on it the night before.
PAULS POV
As soon as he had stepped through the backdoor, Sage was in front of him. A sheepish smile adorned her face as she quietly asked for his help to make the hot chocolate he had promised her.
Though his legs ached for him to sit down, and the onset of a headache after listening to Quil babble for the last 10 hours urged him to shut his eyes in search of peace and quiet, he agreed.
They had resorted to asking questions about each other while they waited for hot chocolate to cool down. More so than Sage firing them off, than him.
If it had been anyone else delaying his post patrol nap he would have told them to fuck off, but she was talking to him. That's all he's been wanting since they had found her, he’d be damned if he let his own arrogance ruin it.
Especially after she had bolted the night before after telling him to leave her alone for the night.
It ended up working out for him though, spending the night with Sage in his arms where he was absolutely sure she was safe and sound, even if it meant being woken up before the birds because of her tossing and turning. He wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Fuck, he thought, It’s been a week and I’m already in deep.
Paul had never wanted to imprint. The idea of his life revolving around one person, being at their beck and call, all because his ancestors told him to be, was never appealing.
But when it happened, everything just made sense.
Like the earth had shifted and everything was brighter. He was no longer living in black and white.
Only problem was, he didn’t have the patience. Paul was too much of a physical person, touching was his love language. Though he kept that to himself. He was jealous of his brothers for reasons he couldn’t say out loud.
He had been so relieved to find out she was twenty two. Only four years younger than him, yet, she had been a wolf for the same amount of time. They would have phased for the first time in the same year, how odd is fate?
Paul was shocked to learn how young she was when she had first shifted, the fact that she had her own pack was also bewildering. From the sound of it, she had grown up knowing she was going to eventually join the rest of her pack. Unlike Paul, who had been completely blindsided.
“Uh, green.” Paul said, after realising he hadn’t answered her most recent question.
“Like the trees?” She asked.
“No, more of a moss green, with just a little bit of gold in it.” His eyes scanned hers as he figured out how to put into words just how beautiful the colour of her eyes were. They were brighter than the day she was found, less wary. More trusting. It made his wolf beam to see her trust them. “What about you?”
.
“Silver,” She said without missing a beat.
“That's not a colour,” He teased, though he wanted to know why silver was her favourite colour. She had spent so much time seeing the world in black and white, stuck as a wolf, surely there was another colour she enjoyed more than silver.
She rolled her eyes playfully and Paul grinned as his wolf howled within from witnessing her blossoming personality.
Sage's eyes flicked around the room as she hummed in thought, “Fine, um, red.”
“Red?” He asked, looking for an explanation.
“Yep, all my favourite things are red. My first bike was even red, my mom had to hide it from me because I used it so much it was falling apart.”
Paul's eyes flicked down to the hoodie she wore.
His hoodie.
It was more than ten years old and he outgrew it when he began the shift. The faded school logo was barely legible now. Nothing about it was special.
But it was red.
The two wolves were interrupted by the heavy feet of Jared entering the kitchen, Paul couldn’t help but scowl. He didn’t want Jared to push Sage back into her shell and as he was about to tell him to get lost before that could happen, he was stopped by the mousy voice from the girl across from him.
“Hi,” Sage mused, a bright smile on her face that could brighten anyone's day.
Jared chuckled at her enthusiasm, or maybe the fact that Paul's eyes nearly bugged out of his head at the greeting.
“Hi, Sage.” Jared responded, before asking, “What are you guys up to?”
“I’m going to the beach.” She piped, before looking at Paul and continuing, “Paul helped me make hot chocolate, do you want some?”
Jared grinned, looking from Sage to Paul. The familiar feeling of simmering rage began to take over him, or maybe it was jealousy as he bit back a growl.
They made the hot chocolate together, for them, now she wants to share?!
“Can I--”
Paul interrupted him before Jared could finish his question, standing up abruptly. Grimacing as he startled the young girl. “No, come on, Sage. The suns going to start setting soon.”
“Bye.” She said just as enthusiastically as she had greeted Jared and Paul ushered her out quickly. The thermos of hot chocolate clutched tightly in his hand.
SAGES POV
“You’re a little minx.” Paul said from beside her as they made their way down the familiar path to the beach. Sage furrowed her eyebrows, looking up at him with a squint as the setting sun shone in her eyes.
“I don’t know what that means.”
He lets out a laugh that sounds more like a scoff, “I make one comment that you only talk to me, and now you’re replacing me.”
“I could never replace you.” She said earnestly. And it was true. She could, and never wanted to replace Paul. He was her first friend, the first person who tried to help her get her life back.
Sage walked ahead of him, straight towards the largest rock she could find.“This is a good spot.” She said before sitting in the sand. Sage looks up at Paul when she realised he hadn’t sat with her. “What?”
“Nothing.” A hint of a smile on his chiselled features, “Do you want to sit down there or on top?”
“It's safer down here,” She remarked, sinking her fingers into the cold sand.
He nodded and sat down beside her before asking, “How is it safer?”
“I can hear everything from here, but nothing can see us. Or at least me, you’re kind of big to hide.” She explained, only to be met with a frown. Her eyes widened in worry, maybe she was wrong and this wasn’t the safest spot on the beach.
“Sage..You’re completely safe right now. Hidden or not.” Paul spoke gently,
“But--” She begins to argue but remembering, there's no one hunting them,“Right, nevermind.”
“It’s just going to take some getting used to.” He reassured her.
Quietly, she asked, “Can we switch?”
He nodded and the two stood to their feet before figuring out how to fit the both of them on the rock. The settled with her legs draped over Pauls, she was grateful for this position given how cold it was getting next to the water.
After sitting in silence, indulging in the hot chocolate he had handed her in the thermos cup, she asked, “Do you always phase back?”
Paul nodded, “Depends on if there's threats or not. The longest I’ve stayed as a wolf was three weeks.”
“That's it?” She asked in shock.
He chuckled, “Yeah. It's a good thing we’ve crossed paths, if i need to stay in wolf form any longer than that, I’ve got you to show me the ropes.”
Paul nudged her gently and she smiled up at him.
Her wolf whined at the prospect of him being in the same situation they were in.
“It’s not that hard.” She said nonchalantly before taking a sip of her hot chocolate, “Just avoid the hunters.”
“Noted.” He laughed before looking out at the water. The sun just upon the horizon, making a rare, glowing sunset. It was so peaceful. It almost made everything she was going through worth it.
“Paul?” She asked.
“Hm?” He hummed, looking down at her.
She fiddled with the thermos as she asked, “Do you have a phone I could borrow, there's someone I’d like to try calling…”
“You said there wasn’t anyone.” He commented, a hint of skepticism in his voice
Sage grimaced as his tone shifted, “I didn’t lie.”
“I never said you did.” He pointed out.
“I don’t know if he’ll even remember me, it's been so long..But he’s the only person who may actually believe me.” She explained, and it was true. The last time she saw him was at her fathers funeral.
The older man's tone was serious and slightly intimidating as he said, “Sage, you can’t tell anyone.”
She furrowed her brows, looking up at Paul, “But I trust him.”
“Well I need you to trust me,” He shifted his body causing her legs to fall off his, “It’s not safe for you, or the pack. No one can know.”
“I trust you.” She spoke honestly, before she asked, “How am I supposed to explain where I’ve been for the past five years?”
Paul sighed, running his fingers through his hair, “I’ll figure that out for you, then you can call…”
“Josh.” She said quietly. She missed him a lot. He was the only outsider she was allowed to be around, the only real human. Both of her parents trusted him as well. Sage regretted not telling him she was leaving the pack.
“Josh.” He repeated with a scoff.
She raised her eyebrow at his tone, “I think you two would get along, honestly.”
A nearby howl interrupted whatever Paul had opened his mouth to say, but she could tell by the look in his eyes, he disagreed with her statement. He didn’t even know Josh and he had already formed his opinion. The thought of him not liking her uncle made her frown. He was family, the only one she had left.
“I should get you back.” He muttered, standing up and reaching out for her hand to help her.
“Patrol?” She asked, “Leah explained it earlier.”
“Yeah, Sam’s just getting off so you won’t be alone at the house.”
“Im tougher than I look, you know”
“I know.” He said with a slight smirk, “It’s more so for my own sanity.”
He helped her down off the rock, his hand lingering on her waist as she returned the lid of the thermos.“Well, I had fun. Thanks for bringing me.”
“Sage?”
“Yeah?” She looked up at him expectantly.
“If your bed is too soft tonight, try the couch. It’s a little firmer.” He said, and she smiled for the tip he had given her. Though that meant he wasn’t planning on spending the night again.
“Where are you going to sleep?” Left her lips before she could stop it. She had slept so well in his bed, and the regret of sending him away still lingered.
“I’ll be out all night.”
“Oh.”
“Is that okay?” He asked gently, bringing his warm hand up to her cheek to make her look him in the eye.
“Yeah.. It’s just..” She trailed off, “ Nevermind.”
“What is it?” Paul asked, concern evident on his face.
“Emilys house is really cold at night.” She mumbled sheepishly.
Paul smirked, it was slightly arrogant but loved it anyway as he told her, “I’ll see what I can do about that.”
“Guys this is Sage, Sage, this is the pack.” Sam introduced her from next to Paul. Their large figures keep her out of sight. As soon as they had pulled up to the house, Sage could hear the many voices inside. Paul had griped about the ice cream melting, coaxing her out of his car while handing her the bag with the things that he had picked out for her. Including his favourite cookies.
Sage didn’t move from her spot behind the hulking men, though she peaked around Paul to see a group of oversized men and Leah staring back at her. She looked down at her feet with a frown, it reminded her so much of home. Or what used to be home.
“Um, maybe just give her space until she gets used to all of us.” A soft female voice sounded. She didn’t recognize it, it didn’t belong to Leah or Emily.
“She’s like a scared little puppy,” One of the boys crooned and an unexpected growl escaped from Sage’s throat.
I’m not a puppy, her wolf moaned in annoyance.
Paul turned to face her, a cocky smirk on his face, “That's just Quil. Trust me, you could take him in a fight.”
Boisterous laughs rang out around the small living room as well as many agreements with Paul's statement. A sheepish smile graced Sages lips as Paul moved forward into the room, leaving her exposed to everyone.
She looked wide eyed at all of them, joking around like a giant family. Her heart began to race and she was the most overwhelmed she had been in years.
They reminded her of her own family.
The family she was never going to get back.
She noticed Leah slipping out the back door and quickly followed in her footsteps, hoping no one would notice, or care.
“Why are you following me?” Leah asked without turning around, she continued walking towards the trees.
Sage didn’t answer her. She didn’t exactly know what to say.
The older girl stopped abruptly, looking over her shoulder. She could see the hardlines on her face, though they didn’t look like they were caused by anger. More so sadness. Leah sighed, “You can’t come with me.”
Sage frowned, “Being unwanted isn’t exactly a new thing for me.”
Leah's face instantly softened at her words, a look of understanding washing over her face, “I have to go to work, Sage. If I was allowed to, I would bring you but..”
“It’s fine. Where’s the beach?” She waved off the short haired girl before her. Paul had promised to show her later, but her patience was wearing thin and being stuck inside that small cabin with all the huge men wasn’t exactly inviting.
Leah pointed towards a rocky path just behind the house, “That will lead you to Third Beach, not many people go there but I’m assuming that's what you’re looking for.”
Sage nodded gratefully, giving Leah a small smile before leaving her to head to work. Whatever work it was that she did, considering she was walking towards the treeline barefoot.
Finding her way to the beach wasn’t hard, the closer she got the more she could smell the fresh ocean water and hear the calming waves. Sage had taken off her shoes and socks that Emily had given her to feel the cool sand between her toes, a sensation she had never guessed she would have missed. But she did.
“Sage?”
She perked her head up at her name, completely forgetting about the shells and rocks she had been sorting through.
She breathed out a sigh of content as her eyes found Pauls, “Hi.”
“You hungry? Em is almost done with lunch.” He mentioned, sitting on the opposite side of the driftwood she had claimed as a seat. The many seashells and rocks, along with the flowers she had picked earlier placed neatly in separate piles.
“Is it that sandwich again?” She asked, crinkling her nose in disgust.
Paul laughed before shaking his head, “No. It's pasta. She's got some muffins too if you don’t like pasta.”
She nodded, looking back down at her findings, “Maybe later. Where’d Leah go?”
“Patrol.” Paul answered honestly, “We all do it to make sure no threats get onto our land.”
“Vampires.” Sage noted. She had come across quite a few, their stench was worse than the sandwich Emily had given her.
Paul cleared his throat, and she figured the topic made him uncomfortable, “Yeah, we uh, killed the one that attacked you. You don’t have to worry about him.”
“I wasn’t worried.” She said bluntly before curiously asking, “Do you live with Emily and Sam?”
Paul shook his head, “No.”
“Oh.” Sage frowned. He was there every morning and night, only disappearing for a few hours during the day. “Is Emily your sister?”
He chuckled at her question, “No.”
“So, why are you there all the time?” Sage asked quietly. It was like he never left, everywhere she turned, he was there. There was no way that couch he had been sleeping on was comfortable for him, he was practically falling off of it the other night.
“We’re a pack. We always spend time together.” He answered, avoiding her gaze. She had heard his heartbeat pickup at her question and felt as though he was lying.
If he was going to lie about something as simple as why he spent so much time at Sam and Emily’s, what else would he lie about?
“Wasn’t like that back home.” Sage remarked, before turning her attention to the rising tide.
“What?” Paul asked.
The young wolf sighed, she was hoping that the conversation wouldn’t have happened this soon. It's not like she was planning on ever going back, even if Sam decided she couldn’t stay any longer. Turning her attention back to Paul, she explained, “My pack, we weren’t like this at all, but we had a lot more wolves than yours does.”
A look of shock crossed his face, “You have a pack?”
“Yeah?” She furrowed her brows, not understanding why that was so hard to believe, “Every wolf has a pack.”
Paul's features switched from shock to annoyance, “That would have been nice to know earlier, Sage.”
She shrugged, “They’re not my pack anymore.”
“How old were you when you shifted?” He asked curiously, completely ignoring what she had said. It was as if he has now felt the need to question her and everything she had said to him. Sage frowned at the thought, she would never lie to her mate.
“Twelve.” Sage answered honestly, “I was a late bloomer.”
“How old are you now?” He shot off another question.
“It's 2023?” She asked for confirmation.
“Yeah,” Paul nodded.
“Twenty Two.” She thought about it for a moment before admitting, “I was seventeen when I left.”
Paul's eyes narrowed at her and it made her squirm. It was a look of distrust, and her thoughts were confirmed as he asked, “You left your pack?”
“Yeah,” She spoke grimly, not wanting to get into the nitty gritty details. It was the best decision she had ever made for herself. The only decision she made for herself prior to leaving.
“Sage, if they come looking for you--” Paul started.
“They won't.” She cut him off abruptly, “I have no reason to go back there.”
“Okay,” He nodded.
Sage let out a small sigh before turning the focus on him and asking, “How old are you?”
“Twenty Six.” Paul replied, a small smirk forming on his face as she looked him up and down.
“Hm.” She hummed. Paul did not look twenty six to her, though she didn't exactly look twenty two herself. Sage was always told that wolves who don't phase as often age the same as humans would, but those who did, or stayed as their wolf like she had, age slower.
He chuckled, raising an eyebrow before asking, “Is that a problem?”
“No, I just thought you were older.” Sage shook her head.
“Well, I’m not.” He snipped, “Phased when I was sixteen, from then on I’ve looked older than I am.”
“Sixteen is really late.” Sage commented. Twelve was considered uncommon in her pack, most of her friends had phased by the time they were ten. Though she never really was one to follow the flow of her pack, much to her parents dismay,
“Most of us were sixteen.” Paul remarked.
“Weird.” Sage commented, “Ten is the usual.”
“Ten years old?” He asked, shock written all over his face.
Sage rolled her eyes, “That's what I said, isn’t it?”
“Let's get back, I'm starving.” Paul pushed himself up from the log, “And you need to eat something.”
“I’m fine.” She waved him off. She didn't want to get involved in their pack activities, meals together included. She preferred life on her own compared to the pack dynamic she had chosen to leave.
“Do you always argue like this?” Paul huffed. He looked down at her in annoyance and she only grinned back.
“Yes.” She said, before jokingly adding, “Why do you think they kicked me out?”
“You said you left.” He remarked. She grimaced, she did say that. But it was technically a mutual decision. Sage had been given an ultimatum, which she chose not to take, thus resulting in her heading off on her own. It was as simple as that.
Sage stood up, grabbing her shells and rocks before quickly pocketing them. She avoided Paul's gaze as she said , “Same thing. I didn't want to be there and the alpha didn't want me there.”
She was glad the older wolf did not press the subject anymore, instead, he reverted back to the topic of his growling stomach, and the lack of food she had consumed. He cockily said, “Alright, well, I don't care how much you stomp your feet, you’re coming back with me, princess.”
“I said stop calling me that” She shoved him, he grabbed her arms and pulled her close. The scent of his cologne was dizzying to the younger wolf. Her inner wolf was practically drooling at the smell. As if she wasn’t already drawn to him enough as it was to conclude that Paul was in fact her mate, this solidified it for her. The R rated thoughts she was concocted forced her to bite her lip before she said something out of line.
“Whatever you say, little wolf.”
“I can take you.” She growled out. Just because they were destined for eachother, doesn't mean she was going to bow down to him. She may not be stronger than him, but they both knew she was faster, even if he didn't want to admit it. They had a hard time catching her with a broken leg, it took all of his pack to do it.
“Paul!” A woman's voice called his name before he could respond. She stood with her hands on her hips as they both turned to her and she asked, “Can we talk?!”
Sage pushed down the rumble of her wolf's disapproval. It was clear that this woman was not a wolf, which only meant one thing. Human girlfriend. Her pack was not allowed to have relationships with humans, friends or lovers. It was a risk to the pack, whether that be by being found by hunters or killing their bloodlines. Sage yanked her arm out from Paul's grip and snarkily said, “Your girlfriend wants you.”
“She's not my girlfriend.” Paul smirked wolfishly, leaning down to her height to whisper in her ear, “You’re cute when you're jealous.”
“I’m not,” Sage shot back, though she was lying through her teeth.
“No?” Paul waved Rachel over, and a small growl bubbled in Sage's throat. He looked back down at her, a small smirk, “I’ll meet you back at the house.”
Waking up alone in the quiet room wasn’t exactly what the young girl had expected. Sage thought that they would have a guard dog on her at all times after she had tried to escape. She sat up, noticing the chair Paul had been sitting in was still in place beside her bed, but he was no longer there. A full glass of water, however, was next to it on the side table.
The wolf cooed at the gesture.
Sage made her way into the living room to find Paul's sleeping figure on the rustic couch. He looked so peaceful. No angry lines, or locked jaw. He looked much younger asleep, though she had a tough time deciphering his age.
Clenching her fingers at her side, her inner turmoil worsened. As much as she wanted to leave, to be on her own again where it was safer, she can’t leave him. Not with the way her wolf was whining so loudly. If it trusts him, then she should too. They’ve never been on the same page on the topic of trust, now's a good time to start considering her wolf hasn't let her down yet.
Listening to the soft sounds of his breathing, Sage sits on the floor next to the couch. She had decided that sleep wasn’t needed, she had practically slept all day anyways. But there was no way she was going back into that room where she could easily be locked away at Sam or Sues account. She didn’t trust them. She couldn’t.
It's better than the bed, she decided as she laid down. She pulled her knees to her chest, curling up into a ball.
Another thing she had to learn quite quickly, don’t let your weak spots be exposed when relaxing. One claw to the stomach and she’d be a goner. That, she knew from experience.
She purposefully listened to the sound of Paul's heartbeat, the steady rhythm providing more comfort than she could understand. She enjoyed knowing he could relax and sleep peacefully, even if it meant being on a couch that was two sizes too small for him.
Though, the wolf made it clear why it wanted to stay, humming one word she never thought she would hear again.
Mate.
Blinking her eyes open, the morning sun stunned her eyes.
Sun? Here? In La Push?
She stretched her limbs only to be tangled up in a blanket. She noticed she was now on the couch and Paul was nowhere to be found.
Great. He left me alone, she thought.
Sage could hear Paul and Emily bickering on the other side of the wall, though she was confused at the context of their conversation. She tiptoed around, if she’s quiet enough she can sneak out the door without either of them hearing. Or so she hoped.
“Don’t be an insensitive klutz, is all I’m saying. That's the last thing she needs right now.” Emily mused, it didn’t sound like an insult. Whatever an insensitive klutz is. It sounded like a mother reprimanding her son.
Emilys so young though, there's no way she’s his mother.
Sister, maybe?
She could hear as Paul scoffed in annoyance, “I’m not.”
Emily was quick to put him in his place again, “Paul, you know you’re intimidating, you revel in it most days.”
“Not with her,” He stressed out.
Who is he talking about?
Sage tripped over her feet and put her hand on the wall to stop herself from falling. A small thud sounded on the impact she had made.
Fuck.
I can still make it, she thought.
She moved quickly in the direction of the open door. Do they always leave it open?
A large figure rounded the corner, causing her to stop in her tracks. Looking up at Paul, his hair dishevelled and tired eyes. She let her eyes continue to travel down, still no shirt and sweatpants that hung low on his well defined hips. Very low.
Was she purring or was that the wolf?
Looking at her amused, Paul purposefully blocked her exit before he asked, “Hungry?”
Sage shook her head no.
He sighed, running his fingers through his black, cropped hair, “You barely ate yesterday, come eat something.”
Growling, she dug her heels into the ground like a little kid. All she wanted was to go outside and breathe some fresh air, away from these people who refused to let her leave. She could tell from the open windows that the sun was shining, a rarity in Washington. She didn’t want to be stuck indoors.
Taking a deep breath to clearly hide his annoyance, he muttered, “Sage,”
“Air,” She croaked out. Not knowing what else to say, she had never been much of a talker. Talking always got her in trouble. His intense stare made her nervous.
“Air?” He looked confused. What was so confusing about needing air? Everyone needs it.
“Fresh air, Paul.” Emily chimed in.
“No.” He said, crossing his arms over his chest, “Not after what you pulled yesterday.”
Sage frowned at his response. He’s gonna lock her back in that tiny, suffocating room.
Panic mode, activated.
Sage whipped her head around the room, looking for an alternative exit. Her breaths began to become shallow as she realised he truly was blocking her only real exit.
Try hurling yourself through the window, the wolf taunted.
“Calm down,” Paul said, placing a warm hand on her shoulder which she immediately jerked back from.
Now he’s frowning, “Fine. But just know, I am faster and stronger than you if you try to run.”
Wasn’t planning on it, buddy.
She sighed in relief as soon as the sun hit her skin, a smile gracing her face at the warm feeling. She hadn’t felt the sun on her bare skin in years. In wolf form, she liked the sun in small doses, overheating was easy and when you can’t find a consistent water source, it was deadly.
Sage was aware of the older man watching her every move, with each step his eyes followed.
She crouched to the ground to touch a small flower that had grown in the grass, or maybe it was a weed. Plucking it with her fingers, she used the pad of her index finger to feel its texture. Everything felt so foreign.
She wished she had pockets to stuff the tiny wildflower in.
Pauls got pockets, maybe he’ll -- Her thought was cut off as Emily began speaking to him in hushed tones. She turned to look at them and realised he was no longer watching her.
She watched them interact curiously as Emily handed him a piece of paper before scruffing his hair and heading back inside. Definitely his sister.
“Emily suggested I take you grocery shopping.” He said to her, his eyes flicking down to the small flower in her hand before looking at the paper in his, muttering, “If you’re up for it.’
She walked towards him as she made a sound on content. Though she really just wanted to scope the town. Which roads lead where so when she did decide to leave, it wouldn’t be that hard.
Paul's eyes travelled down her body, making her squirm before he brought his eyes back up to hers, “You’ll need some pants.”
----
“What about these?” Paul asked, shaking a box of sugary cereal. They had been doing this for nearly ten minutes. He would point out a food item, ask if she wanted it and when she said no, he would bite back a groan while putting it back.
Sage shakes her head,
“Okay” He stopped abruptly, leaning against the card that was still empty even though they had been down nearly every aisle, “What did you eat before you phased?”
“I don’t know.” She mumbled, looking away from his hard gaze.
“Come on, kid, give me something to work with.” Paul muttered.
Sage scowled at him, “I’m not a kid. I ate whatever I was given, I didn't have a choice.”
His eyes scanned her face as if he was thinking before looking down at the list in his hands, “I don’t know if you’ll like any of this, Sage.”
“I can find my own food.” Sage brooded, “I always have.”
“Always?” He asked shocked.
“Well, yeah.” She started “We’re wol--”
Paul's eyes widened as he realized what she was about to say. He quickly reached over and covered her mouth with the palm of his hand to cut her off. Sage glared at him before roughly pushing him away from her.
“What is your problem?!” She asked, annoyed by his actions.
“What is my problem? We’re in public, Sage. Keep your mouth shut.” He snapped back at her.
The younger girl huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, “You’re a fucking jerk.”
“Yeah, I’m a jerk,” Paul jeered, shaking his head with a laugh of disbelief, “Nothing new there, princess.”
“Fuck you,” Sage sneered before turning on her heel and walking out of the aisle. She could hear the string of curse words that left his mouth as she rounded out of the aisle, beeling it for the exit of the small grocery store. She ignored her wolf's voice in her head, pleading with her to turn around and go back to him but she had promised herself five years ago to never be somebody's doormat. She was stronger than that.
Stepping outside into the fresh air, she only made it a few steps before a warm hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her. Sage turned to see Paul. She couldn't read his expression, angry lines framed his already dark features but she could tell it wasn't just anger, there was something more.
“I think I liked you better yesterday.” He started.
Sage scoffed, “The feeling is mutual.”
The older wolf's jaw shifted at her response and she smirked, she liked that he was on edge around her. He was so much bigger and intimidating than she was but she was the one in control of her emotions making her less predictable.
“I'm sorry, Sage.” He apologized, though she could tell that it left a bitter taste in his mouth to be the one conceding, “Can we please finish grocery shopping before Emily wrings my neck?”
“Only if you stop calling me stupid names. I’m not a kid, and I’m not a princess.” She spoke harshly. She was a runt, she knew that. She had been told it for years by her own father. Sage wasn’t going to let her own mate treat her like one, not after how hard she fought to survive out on her own.
He nodded in response, “Won’t happen again.”
The two wolves walked silently next to each other as they re-entered the grocery store. Paul asked for a second time what she liked to eat, and to stop him from questioning her again, she picked the first thing she saw off the shelf and tossed it into the shopping cart. A bag of marshmallows.
Satisfied that Sage had picked out something that wasn’t on the list Emily had given him, he dragged her back down the aisles to fulfil the list. Grabbing heaps of vegetables and fruits, before stopping in the meat section. Though she didn’t understand why. They were a house full of wolves who could easily go out and catch a deer and she told him exactly that, “Why are we buying meat? We can just catch it.”
“That's true, but we don’t know how to skin it or whatever butchers do.” He said placing the different meats from Emily's list in the cart.
“So?” She squinted her eyes, looking at the weird meat.
“Humans can’t digest raw meat.” He told her softly. The softest he’s spoken to her since finding her in the woods. She liked this side of him.
Right. Forgot about that.
Paul crossed off that last of the items before ushering her in the direction of the cashiers. As they waited, the sounds and smells around her began to become overwhelming. One smell in particular nearly made her snap the handle on the cart from how tightly she was holding it.
She knew that smell.
“We should leave.” Sage spoke quickly and quietly to Paul.
“Hm?” He mumbled, looking down at her, His face turned from confusion to concern quickly at the now antsy girl beside him.
“I need to go.” She rushed out.
He grabbed her hand as she let go of the cart, telling Sage in a hushed tone, “You're okay.”
She calmed at the touch but shook her head, turning her body into his so that all she can sense is his cologne and scent. Breathing deeply as he rubs soothing circles on her back. She was so comfortable in his arms it made her nervous, though she had bigger issues to avoid at the moment.
To the average person in the grocery store, they looked like your typical young couple. Unaware of the fact that the trembles running through her weren’t from the frigid air, but the cusp of a panic induced shift. Sage wasn’t sure what scared her more, the familiar scent that she loathed to catch a hint of again or the fact that she might get stuck on four legs again if the cashier didn’t hurry up.
Sage admired Paul for keeping his composure as he paid for the groceries before whisking her away and out of the store underneath his arm, tucked into his side. She can’t help but feel guilty for making such a mundane thing so difficult for him.
They crossed the parking lot together and as he opened the trunk of his SUV, he glanced at her, their eyes meeting for a split second before she turned away. Shame and embarrassment written all over her.
Paul placed his hands on her shoulders and she instantly relaxed into him, as he whispered, “Breathe.”
Sage grimaced. It’s not like she's not trying. She focused on the warmth emitting from his palms and onto her shoulders. Warm and cosy like a blanket. She acts before she thinks, wrapping her arms around Paul's torso. A sigh escapes her lips as her entire body is enveloped in his warmth. Breathing feels easier as all the panic subsides.
“You’re okay,” He reminds her, bringing a hand up to her hair and holding her against him.
“Can we go?” Sage pleaded quietly.
The drive back to Sams was quiet. Sage was acutely aware of his hand on her hand that she had resting on her thigh as he drove back to Emilys. Sage fought the urge to slot hers completely into his much larger hand. She can’t help but wonder how he knows exactly how to comfort her. She barely knows what comforts her. Sunsets were her only true comfort for the last five years. It meant the hunters were leaving, very rarely did she come across any during the night. She could sleep through the night without the lingering anxiety of human threats.
“Hot chocolate.” Sage said out loud, almost as if she had a revelation. And maybe she did. Her grandma would always make her hot chocolate, for any occasion, happy or sad. It was a comfort.
“Hm?” Paul hummed, glancing at her before looking back to the road.
She smiled softly to herself, looking out the passenger window as they passed a bunch of little shops,“I liked hot chocolate before.”
He squeezes her hand gently, “Sue’s got a great recipe. We can make some tonight.”
A blush formed over her cheeks at the gesture, before she gingerly said, “I want to go to the beach.”
A smile formed on his face, softening all his hard features, “Yeah, whatever you want, Sage.”
Stretching her limbs carefully, the young wolf tested her legs walking from the bed to the dresser. She was wobbly, but it would do. No pain shot up her leg like she had half expected it to, a good sign that her injury was gone. She felt like Princess Ariel, finding her land legs.
Opening the door of the bedroom gently, trying not to make any noise, the many smells of the small home hit her all at once. Though the one in particular that she was looking for only lingered, as if he was here and then disappeared.
The panic then set in, her wolf telling her to get the hell out now had her walking down the hallway into the next room. There sat three people at a round kitchen table, all staring at her.
Fuck.
Her eyes widened as the unknown man began to stand, raising his hand, palm up, “You’re okay. My name’s Sam--”
She looked around her, blocking out the man until her eyes landed on its target. Her exit.
The shewolf bolted out the open door, running as fast as her wobbly legs would take her.
This was so much easier with four legs.
Let me take over, the wolf whined.
No!
Stay human, stay human, stay human, she repeated over and over until she reached the end of the long driveway to the road.
Now what?
Left or right.
It doesn't really matter, she had nowhere to actually go but she couldn't go back.
“You’re okay. We’re just trying to help you.” She heard the large, older man from the kitchen say from behind her. She jumped slightly at his booming voice, he must be the leader, she thought as she turned to look at him. She backed up the closer he got, now standing in the middle of the paved road. “Come back inside and we’ll give you something to eat.”
Trap, repeated over and over in my mind. I don't see the man from earlier, or the girl. Only that man who saw me as a threat behind the leader. Sticking around was not an option she was considering, who knows what they do to their threats. “You must be starving.” The leader suggested with a slight smile.
A growl from behind her had Sage looking over her shoulder, a light brown wolf stood tall only a few feet away. As if the wolf knew she was going to try to bolt again, he nudged her forward. She turned more and glared at it. A small growl leaving her own lips.
--
The young wolf caved much to her companions' warnings. She would just try again when they were all asleep, it’ll be much easier under the cover of dark anyways. She stood underneath a warm shower, the wife of the leader gave her everything she needed with a warm, friendly smile. Even fresh clothes. She had missed showering, the warmth of the water hitting her skin as melted away all the dirt and grime. Five years worth of dirt. Emily had even shown her how to use the TV, not that it had changed much.
She liked Emily. She wasn’t treating her like a threat, if anything, she reminded her of her grandma.
Stepping out of the shower, she quickly dried herself off and brushed out her knotty hair before throwing back on the shirt she was given by the kind man in the woods. The one who had been able to help her with what she had been wishing for all those years. To be human again.
She sighed thinking about him, the flashes of memory hitting her hard as the wolf thought about him too. His damp hair, and beautiful mocha brown eyes. The way he looked at her with such concern and held her delicately.
Stop it. She argued with herself as she exited the bathroom, a waft of food hit her senses and she easily sought out the source. A sandwich sat on a plate on the wooden dresser.
She nearly gagged at the smell.
Gross.
Climbing into the dishevelled bed she had previously woken up in, she covered herself with the warm blanket and turned on the tv the way Emily had shown her. Clicking random buttons until a channel with a familiar movie started playing.
Paul. The wolf whispered, reminding her of the man as she laid in his scented t shirt.
That was the man's name. She was cold without him. She had been so used to her furry self that the t-shirt he had placed her in wasn’t warm enough, little goosebumps littered her skin as she pulled her knees to her chest. She felt so exposed now that her wolf was at bay. Though it wasn’t far from her mind, the tiny whimpers it was whining in her mind was a gentle reminder of her only companion of the last five years.
Their chattering was soft, but not quiet enough for the young shifter as she listened to the different voices beyond the door of the room they kept her in.
“She looks quite familiar.”
“Find out a name, will you?”
“She’s awake, and healed, but she won’t eat.”
“It’d be best coming from you. You’re the only one she’ll feel comfortable around right now.”
A soft knock landed on the door and a hulking man entered. He wore no shirt, only a pair of cutoff jean shorts. As her eyes travelled up his body, taking him in, she recognized his eyes.
Her wolf perked up at the sight of him, though she was still wary.
“Hey,” Paul said, his jaw hard set, “Sorry, I wasn’t here when you woke up.”
She stared at him and blinked, he looked a lot angrier than he had in the woods. Gone was the gentle tone he had used to coax her into shifting back, something she had been trying to do herself since the day she had phased.
He lets out a sigh, and looks from her to the dresser next to him. The plate of food the older man, Sam, had given her was left untouched. He grabs the plate from the dresser and brings it to her, sitting on the edge of the bed, “You need to eat.”
Looking at the plate he's placed in her lap and she crinkles her nose, it smells weird. The sandwich looked less than appetising. She pushed the plate away, biting her lip nervously as she turned her head towards the window. It was getting dark now.
“What, you don’t like ham?” Paul asked gruffly.
She shakes her head no.
He grabbed the plate and set it on the table beside the bed before standing up, “Alright, I think I know something you might like. I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Water.” She mumbled quietly. She didn’t want, nor need food, she wasn’t starving like Sam had assumed. She was, however, parched.
“What?” He asked a little too loudly. She doesn’t repeat herself, slightly startled by his reaction, “You need water?”
She nods fervently.
Paul’s intense gaze made her want to cower, why was he looking at her like that?
“I’ll be right back,” he muttered, making a quick exit from the room. She strained to listen to whatever, or whoever was outside of the room. But all she could hear was his footsteps. Maybe everyone else had left, she thought. It’ll be easier to escape if it were true.
It wasn't long before he walked back in with a glass of water and a large muffin. Smells like blueberry. Shutting the door with foot, he asked, “How’s this? You like muffins?”
She takes the water first and chugs it, trying to soothe the roughness of her dry throat. She hadn’t had any water in a few days after she had been forced away from her particularly favourite water source.
“Woah, hey, slow down. You might make yourself sick.” Paul spoke with alarm, he took the glass from her hands. The glare she gave was purely instinctive, a small growl bubbling out of her throat. Sighing, Paul handed her the muffin, “Just try it. Then I’ll give the water back.”
She does what he says. Picking a chunk of the muffin top and putting it in her mouth. It’s soft and sweet. Nothing like what she had become accustomed to. Satisfied with her eating the muffin, Paul grabs her untouched plate and sits in the comfy chair in the corner of the room, taking a bite out of the sandwich. “I’m Paul, by the way.” He mentioned, though she already knew that, “You got a name?”
She nodded and eyed the door as loud laughing sounded from the other side of the door. So much for being alone.
“It’s just the pack. You’ll meet them tomorrow, if you’re up to it.” Paul spoke cautiously, “Can Sue come in? She would like to talk to you now that you’re..calmer.”
Her inner wolf growled at the thought, distrusting the woman who had locked her in the room against her wishes. Her eyes widened, and she began to shake her head and he quickly backtracked, asking her, “What if I stay?”
Her eyes flicker over his features, the concern from earlier evident in his eyes. He protected her before, she was confident he would again. She nodded slowly, not taking her eyes off of him even when Sue slipped in uninvited.
She couldn’t be bothered with what Sue had to say, something along the lines of her injuries, to the fact that everyone just wants to help.
Nobody ever wants to help without an ulterior motive. She knew that before she even phased into a wolf!
“You’ve healed quite well, but I think it’s going to be a bit difficult for you to get used to being on two legs for the next few days. Leah, my daughter, thinks you’ve been in wolf form for a little while. Is that true?” Sue’s maternal voice asked. Sage spared a glance at her at the mention of Leah, the girl with the clothes. This is her mom, she pieced together.
She nods in her direction.
Sue smiled warmly at her, before asking, “Is there anyone we can call for you?”
She blinked in response, looking down at her hands in her lap. No, there is no one to call. Everyone who would’ve even thought to look for her is either dead or a danger. She knew that much.
“A name?” Sue asked Paul specifically. He hadn’t taken his eyes off of her the entire time Sue had been in the room. Watching her carefully with an intense look on his face. Maybe he thinks I’ll hurt his friend's mom, the thought alone makes her grimace.
“I’m working on it,” Paul grumbled in response.
Guilt began to dwell in her mind, all Paul was trying to do was help her, but she was being anything but help to him.
Her inner wolf screamed to keep her name a secret, to not let these strangers in. We’ll be gone soon, she barked. But something about the way Paul sat in the cushiony chair, slumped and defeated, had her mumbling her name, “Sage.”
Both Sue and Pauls head’s snapped in her direction at the soft sound of her voice.
“Sage.” Paul breathed out, sitting up in his chair with a look of mesmerization.
“Well, Sage, if there's anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.” Sue spoke in her typical motherly tone, though the two wolves were inherently focused on each other that she took that as her cue to leave.
Relaxing her body against the headboard, Sage drew her arms into the sleeves of her shirt, wrapping her arms around her mid, the cool air of the unknown home beginning to be intolerable. She spends the next few moments taking in every detail of his face, while he still adorned the hard exterior, jaw locked in place causing his cheekbones to look more angular than they would when he was relaxed, Sage could see the softness in Paul’s eyes as he watched her.
“Cold?” Paul asked her gently, a slight tinge of confusion in his tone.
Nodding her head, he startles her when he abruptly stands walking to the chest of drawers at the foot of the bed as she watches with curious eyes. “I think I’ve got..” He begins to dig through the chest of drawers, “Here.”
Paul hands her the hoodie, and she quickly slips an arm out of her shirt to grab it from him. It smells like him. She nearly purs at the scent as she throws it on. As she does, he moves the chair next to the bed and just from him sitting next to her she already feels warmer. The heat from his body radiating off of him like a furnace. Sage has the urge to reach out and touch him, to really feel the heat as she had earlier. The thought alone confuses her, she shouldn’t be getting comfortable, she should be on guard. But she trusts him, her wolf trusts him.
They watch the movie in silence, stealing glances at each other every now and then. Sage is quick to grow bored of the movie, she’s seen it before. Years ago when it first came out. It wasn’t good then, and it’s even worse now.
Talk to him, the wolf prodded.
No.
Yes!
“Paul?” she asked quietly, cringing at the sound of her own unfamiliar voice as she picked at her nail beds.
“Yeah?” He turned his attention fully on her now.
“Where am I?” Sage asked nervously. She wasn’t sure how far that vampire had chased her, her only goal had been to get away.
“La Push, Washington.” He answered quickly and almost proudly. Not far from home, she thought to herself.
She nodded.
Paul watched her fidget in her spot,“Where are you from?”
She doesn't answer right away, before hesitantly saying, “Washington…North Bend.”
“We’ll get you back home soon.” Paul assured, though it sounded forced and through gritted teeth.
Home.
What does that even mean anymore? She doesn't respond to him, too in her own head to care.
“How old are you?” He changed the subject as tension began to build in the small room.
Sage wanted to scream at the question.
Sixteen.
No. Nineteen.
What year is it? Sixteen, the year grandma passed. It was summer. Five winters have passed.
Twenty one, maybe?
What month is it?
She doesn't answer, keeping her eyes on her hands, fidgeting as she wracked her brain for an answer. She looks as she did when she first phased, barely ageing a day like she was stuck in some kind of black hole of time.
He sighed and leans back in his chair; she knows he's watching her and not the movie still.
Do better! The wolf inside of her growled, keep his attention. You want it. Need it.
Panic is all she felt.
She couldn’t answer his question, not yet anyways. So, she extended an olive branch. Sort of. Taking the glass of water, Sage held it out to him.
How to make allies 101: share your resources.She had to learn that pretty quickly on her own.
Paul gingerly took it from her hands, watching her carefully. She gives him a small, genuine smile which he quickly returns and she goes back to watching her movie, hoping he’d do the same.
He keptthe glass in his palm, only setting it down once she’s sunken into the bed, fast asleep.Exhaling the breath that he feels as though he had been holding since entering the room.
Five years later she had migrated from Central Washington to the coast due to the threats of hunters and other inhuman enemies.
Paul Lahote just wanted an easy day.
He wasn't expecting to ward off the threat of vampire chasing an unfamiliar wolf right into his arms.
Unfamiliar smells had the pack patrolling the border of Forks and La Push. The unmistakable smell of a leech, melded together with a scent they couldn’t pin. Paul halts along the river bank. A sound that was concerning yet curious had him twitching his ears.The unmistakable sound of a wolf crying out, though he knows it's no one from his own pack as they all begin to question the sound.
Eyes peeled for any sign of the wolf or the leech, ready to attack if either crossed the border. Though he would be more lenient with the wolf, another shifter on their turf was unheard of and answers would be demanded.
The white wolf sprinting past him and he’s quick to follow. He’s quick, a lot faster than Paul though from size alone, it would be an easy fight.
Lost in his thoughts, he loses sight of the wolf in the thick bush of the forest, “Don’t let him leave until we can figure out who the hell he is.”
“He’s a she, dipshit.” Leah remarks and Paul fights the urge to roll his eyes. Great, another shewolf, he thought to himself
“Find her.” He barks out orders. “Colin, Brady, lookout for the leech.”
One minute she was there, the next she was gone. The white wolf disappeared under their noses. Though her scent still lingered. It was unfamiliar, though there was a strong sense of deja vu. Like an old memory, or maybe a dream that he can’t recall.
“Found her!” Quil quipped, sending his sight through the pack mind as he chased the smallest wolf Paul has ever seen. They were far off, as Paul called for Leah and Embry to phase as he did himself. It’ll be easier for them to communicate with her. To figure who the hell she was and why she was on their land.
A small barking sound emits from Quil, as Paul and the rest approach the two wolves currently in a stand off. She growls limping forward. From her stance, Paul can tell her back leg is injured, possibly even broken. Brave girl.
He had no doubt she could take Quil on a good day, hell she evaded most of them trying to catch her with a broken leg.
Paul's eyes lingered far too long, a sense of responsibility over the young looking wolf washed over him as he looked for more visible injuries.
Then Paul's world flew apart.
Her eyes. So damn beautiful. She looked as startled as he felt behind his stoic mask. Fuck me, Paul thought to himself, This was supposed to be a quick patrol.
The young wolf whines, laying down.
Help her, damn it! His wolf screamed at him.
Light and brightness and a hammering heartbeat. Two hammering hearts. A desperate attempt to catch up. Common beat. Greedy, whimpering desire for synchronisation.
“Sam should deal with her.” Quil quipped to no one in particular. While he is right, Sam should be dealing with their intruder, Paul didn’t want to alert their alpha just yet. Not when he hasn’t had time to wrap his head around what had just happened.
“Back off!” Paul's voice boomed, he may not be an alpha but he can be just as threatening, “Leah stay, the rest go help Colin and Brady.”
Leah steps forward next to Paul, quietly stating, “We should let Sam know. There could be more.”
Paul glares at her and shakes his head, “He’ll know soon enough.”
Leah watched him warily before she scoffed in amusement, “Did you..?”
“Just help me, help her.” He spit out through gritted teeth. Something was wrong. Paul sensed it. These were not his normal thought patterns. It didn't suit him. He was a bastard and a hothead and he didn't need anyone but his pack. Now here he was wanting to protect this girl that he didn’t even know.“How ‘bout you shift back and we can talk, how does that sound?”
“I don’t think she can shift, Paul.” Leah remarked, crossing her arms over her chest. The wolf tentatively licks his arm, as if to signal Leah was correct. Paul sighed, a small string of profanity leaving his lips.
Remembering his own struggles with phasing at first, he gives the same advice that he was giving, “Just..think of something you enjoy, something that makes you happy..Calm..”
He huffs as minutes roll by and no change has happened, running his fingers through her soft fur. Sounds of content leaving her mouth, almost as if she were purring. “You’re okay.” he mumbled. “Keep trying..” He continues to run his hand through her fur. “Look at me,” He said softly, and she opened her eyes to meet him.Her breathing caught in her throat at his soft, brown orbs boring into her own, “There you go. Now breathe. Everything will be alright, you’re going to be okay.” It doesn’t take long before the signs of the shift arise, not taking his eyes off of her, Paul rushes out to Leah, “Go grab her some clothes.”
Leah hesitates but does what he says as the wolf before them begins to shift.Grabbing her before she fell onto her hands, Paul held her tightly to him. His warm arms enveloping her cold, naked body. She shivered in fright, looking down at her human hands that she hadn’t seen in almost five years. Clenching her fingers into a fist before relaxing them. She tried to push herself up and a way to no avail, Paul looked down at her alarmed
“Hey, no.. You’re injured, we need to get you help.” He muttered, holding onto her tighter, scared that she would try and bolt.
He was shocked to see such a young girl come out of the transformation, though her wolf should have been the first clue that she was young, given how small she was.
Nonetheless, his wolf was begging to be released, to protect her, to kill the bastard that hurt her.
Mine. Repeated over and over in his mind and he had to force down the growl trying to escape so that he didn’t startle the shell shocked girl in his arms.
Trying to smooth out her long, ratted brown her to catch a glimpse of the girl that made his chest ache. Her porcelain skin was a little dirty, but unblemished nonetheless. He wanted, no needs, to look into her eyes, only then would his worry stop, at least he hoped.
“Here.” Leah said, running to them with bundled clothes in her arms. “I grabbed a tshirt, shorts and sweats. Has she healed yet?”
Leah nodded to the girl in Paul's arms, taking her in. She stretched her hand out with the shirt in palm, causing the younger girl to flinch, pushing herself further against Paul's bare chest and his arms subsequently tightening around her as he sensed her fear.
“Leah,” he growled out. Paul could tell from the ache in his own leg that the girl was still in the process of healing her bones. He just hoped they healed correctly and she didn’t have to endure the pain of a rebreak.
“Whatever,” Leah rolled her eyes, dropping the clothes to the forest floor. Paul grabbed the t-shirt, one of his own that Leah must have grabbed from his house. It was the closest afterall.
“I'm just going to put this over your head,” He murmured quietly. He still couldn’t see her eyes, as she had them screwed shut. Whether from fear or pain he couldn't tell.
Paul quickly dressed her in the shirt, coaxing her into putting her arms through the sleeves. He didn’t want to push his luck with the pants, not with her lingering injury.
“Sam knows.” Leah alerted Paul, she must have phased to run to his house.
He held back a groan, asking, “Knows that we’ve found her?”
“That and your little situation.”
“Fuck.” Paul cursed, glancing down at the girl in his arm. He double takes, shocked to see her big doe eyes looking up at him in curiosity. She looks like a little baby deer with her doll-like green eyes and button nose. He can count all the freckles speckled across her nose, scattered like a constellation. Paul figures she can’t be any older than sixteen, and that makes him slightly nauseous. She’s a child compared to him.
