Current I Paul Lahote x reader
summary: Paul imprints on the one unavailable person he shouldn’t. Intending to ignore it, he falls deeper, pulling you with him. tw: abusive relationship (not with Paul), insecurity, swearing, angst, Paul is lovely, don’t worry Word count: 4k
People within the pack who experienced imprinting described it as instant. A sudden change in atmosphere that had the world tilting and colliding with the one person who was now the center of their universe.
For Paul, it came in waves.
Like a current during tide, becoming stronger each time he saw you.
He was determined to ignore it. The first time he met you, he knew there was no other choice but to ignore the pull you suddenly had on him.
The bonfire was supposed to be fun; it was supposed to be a way to unwind a bit. Shake off the impossible responsibilities and the doom that seemed to follow the Cullens and therefore the pack.
That was until you walked onto the crowded beach.
You waltzed in hand in hand with Kim, your chatty cousin. Your smile was shining brighter than the sun, pulling him in like a planet that orbited it.
That should have been his first clue.
But when Jared’s voice boomed to life next to him, he forgot all about leaving. Your gaze shifted to him, meeting his eyes.
He was lost.
Freezing mid-laugh, he couldn’t seem to break the spell that had fallen upon the two of you. The world around you stopped spinning for what felt like hours. The people in it disappeared, turning into blurs.
He couldn’t stand it.
He never wanted an imprint, but now you were here, standing right in front of him. A beautiful soul bound to someone who never wanted to be in shackles involuntarily.
Jared’s laughter pulled the two of you out of the trance, letting the time finally continue as it tended to. He jabbed Paul in his ribs, earning a snarl before making his way to you and leaving Paul behind.
By the looks of the pack members, they knew. And they kept watching him expectantly. Sam was tense, inching toward Paul like he was a rabid animal that would burst out of its skin at any moment. A valid assumtion that was not far fetched given his history.
But he couldn't care less. His gaze was still on you as you greeted Jared in a tight embrace before sitting down with Kim, who didn’t let go of you since you came in. She followed Paul with a threat present in every ounce of her being.
Your eyes were alert, cruising around each and every person present. You weren’t scared, that much he knew. He could feel you with every breath. Your emotions, your sense of self, pulsing inside him the same way his heart was. Like it was always there.
There it was again. Your gaze landed on him, sinking its teeth into him and pulling him under the water to drown. His jaw clenched, but he wasn’t able to move. To flinch away.
You gulped at the intensity in his eyes. A small smile appeared on your lips; you were trying to break the ice. To extinguish a part of the unwelcoming flame glowing in his eyes.
He looked away.
And he could feel the hammering of your heart; it beat just as strongly as his did. Their melodies now forever tethered together in a perfect harmony. He felt sick.
The corners of your lips went taut, turning downward. You didn’t understand why he was so tense or why he looked as though he hated being on the same beach as you.
But then his gaze snapped back to you. Like he could hear your thoughts and the hurt echoing inside of them. He offered a small smile, nodding his head in greetings. You waved a hand, your heart skipping a beat. A gleam appeared in his eyes, shining brightly and bringing you back to reality.
You answered a question Jared asked, grinning like he brought up your favorite topic. Your hands were flying around, gesturing wildly as you spoke. He listened to your voice as if it were his favorite lullaby. You were interrupted by a set of hands landing on your shoulders. They tensed as if the weight of the world landed on them.
You looked up with a tight smile. Paul’s jaw clenched impossibly tight, teeth grinding together. The man massaged your shoulders as he greeted Jared and Kim, who were now paying their full attention to him. Only you kept slipping up, your eyes shifting to Paul every now and then.
You had a boyfriend.
A special someone who, by the looks of it, didn’t make you all that happy. Your shoulder slumped as the glimmers of a smile in your eyes died down. His lips met yours in a rough match you didn’t want to fight in.
As you two separated, your gaze found Paul’s again. For a split second, he could see the person who walked onto the beach. A caring soul that was buried under unpleasant circumstances.
You glanced at Kim, who was now animatedly telling your boyfriend some story. He sat next to you, pulling you closer, his arms snaking around your stomach in an affectionate side hug. Your head rested on his shoulder as you bit your lip. You were so quiet now compared to before. It drove Paul insane.
He wanted nothing more than to whisk you away. But that would mean admitting the imprint. Admitting he saw - felt - more than he wanted to.
And it scared him beyond belief.
What if it was just jealousy seeing you committed to someone who wasn’t him? The instinct to claim burned brighter than the North Star on a clear night. It guided him to act impulsively. Which he couldn’t afford. Instead, he gave you one last smile, committing your face - the one he first saw - into memory and fled without a warning.
Sam shouted for him to return, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t face you, and the happiness he would shatter to pieces if you found out the bond shackled you to him of all people. As far as he knew, you didn’t know anything about the world he was a part of. And Paul wanted it to stay that way.
Your smile haunted him once he phased. Taunting him. All he could do was run as fast and as far as his paws let him.
It was pouring rain, a weather so fitting for your home that one would think you were born with an umbrella. And normally, you had it on you in case droplets of water came down.
Today was not one of those days. Tommy was supposed to pick you up, but he was a no-show. As per usual, you put faith in your boyfriend of three years only for him to let you down.
So now you were left to your own devices. Your dead phone was tucked in your purse, utterly useless. The rain picked up, making you feel as though you were drowning.
There was a sudden spurt of lights heading your way. The truck stopped right beside you, the window rolling down. “Hop in.” Paul was behind the wheel, his gaze warm with a flicker of an emotion you couldn’t quite place. You returned his smile, not needing him to tell you twice.
“Thanks. You’re Paul, right? We haven’t officially met, but we saw each other the other day on the beach.” You spill out, just now coming to your senses. Jumping in a car with someone you didn’t know might not have been the smartest move on your part.
One meeting was enough for him to worm his way into your dreams and thoughts. It was embarrassing to admit how easily he found himself in your mind. Like this wasn’t the first time you actually spoke to one another.
“That’s me. So how come you’re on your own in the rain?”
“Oh, my ride ditched. I think.”
“You think?”
“Tom probably just forgot. And my phone died, so I can’t really remind him.” You waved your hand, trying to seem indifferent to the whole situation.
He stayed quiet for a bit, his gaze searching yours before it returned back to the road. “Right. Forgot about his girlfriend.”
There was an edge to his tone, a disapproval that he masked with a slight indifference in his features. But you saw the way his jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth.
You didn’t want to defend Tom; he didn’t deserve it. But then what did it make you if you couldn’t even utter a simple sentence? He was your partner, and everyone had bad days. “Yes, happens to everyone.” You said, watching him intently.
“Mhm.” He nodded, not convinced in the slightest.
Your features hardened, “He’s a good person. He probably just got busy. It really isn’t a big deal. You don’t know either of us; you can’t really judge.”
He shook his head, not sparing you a look. He knew you were right; he didn’t know you. But you were his imprint. You were now his responsibility even when he didn’t want you to be.
And now you were here, sitting in his truck because your boyfriend was a piece of shit and you defended him. He didn’t want to let that slide; he shouldn’t have. But it was clearly hurting you that someone was attacking Tom.
A wave of jealousy and protectiveness rolled through him. He sighed, “You’re right. I’m sorry, but from my limited perspective, he’s an ass.”
You frowned, ready to defend Tom again, but he didn’t give you a chance. “You could catch a cold. Or someone could have kidnapped you, or crash into you. The rain is heavy, and you were not exactly visible on the road.”
His eyes shifted to you for a moment, a sense of tenderness and worry in them. “Like that would happen.” You chuckled, waving his worry off.
He rolled his eyes at your recklessness. In his mind, you were a hazard to your own well-being. “It could have. The cold part will probably happen.”
“Well, thank you for being my hero.” You said, sarcasm dripping from every syllable.
A smirk formed on his lips, “Pleasure.”
You rolled your eyes, hugging your shivering form tighter. He didn’t even look at you and turned the heater up. After a beat of silence, he spoke up again, “Are you okay?”
The car pulled to a stop, and you just noticed he drove you right to your house. Part of you freaked out that he knew just where to go, but the more sensible part cooed that Kim probably told him where you were staying.
“Why do you ask?” You frowned, glancing at him. The rain was falling heavily, thudding onto the roof of the truck.
He shrugged, searching your eyes. It seemed as though he was looking right into your soul. “I don't know. You don’t seem okay.”
Chuckle left your lips involuntarily. “Well, I’m drenched, probably ruining your seat, so there’s that.”
“But that’s not all.” He was frowning again, and something in you wanted to reach out and smooth the line between his brows.
You glanced toward the house, biting your lip. “I-I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Don’t have to. But if you need someone, I’m here.” He couldn’t believe the sentence left his lips before he could stop it.
And by the looks of it, you couldn’t believe it either. Your eyes grew larger for a second, face heating up. Schooling your expression, you gave him a small smile, already reaching for the handle. “Thank you.” You whispered, leaving the car, robbing him of saying anything else.
He didn’t meet you for a while after that. Not truly. He came by in his wolf form, checking up on you. And you again seemed happy.
Or as happy as you could be.
Days seemed to drag from the moment he picked you up on the road. His thoughts revolved around you, making him insufferable to be around in his wolf form.
Every time you showed up with Kim, he was pulled deeper in the water, drowning with every glance you spared him. With every little smile that crossed your features.
He could hear your heart now, beating faster than usual, your cheeks heating up. Blinking, he realized he was staring. Again.
It was involuntary; he couldn’t help but glance at you once in a while just to make sure you were alright. As if anything could happen to you in the pack house.
Someone cleared their throat, and Paul wasn’t able to pinpoint who exactly it was when you had him under your spell. Your eyes were intoxicating, a magnetic force.
You looked at Kim, who was the source of the interruption. She gestured to your lit-up phone, the text on the screen freezing the smile on your face.
The reality of your situation dawned on you. The beat of your heart picked up again as panic took over your actions. You took your phone, excusing yourself before leaving abruptly.
Worried glances followed you outside, their whispering taunting you. Your lip wobbled as you looked down at your phone, reading the text over and over again.
Where the fuck are you again?
Squeezing the screen tight, you wanted it to disappear. Why be with someone so awful when there were plenty of fish in the sea? A sense of guilt pooled in the pit of your stomach, replacing the butterflies that not so long ago danced around.
You shouldn’t be feeling like this.
A pull toward someone who wasn’t Tom. A feeling of belonging with someone you barely knew, but who seemed to be there, no questions asked. Someone who occupied your every thought like he had made a permanent residence inside your mind.
There was a memory resurfacing of Paul’s warm hand wrapped around your torso, making sure you don’t fall while hiking.
You didn’t go together; it was surprising to bump into him on the trail. He kept grumbling about the woods being dangerous and how Kim should have told you, but you ignored him, waving him off.
It was a pleasant afternoon, much better than you originally intended it to be. He managed to make you laugh, making your day with a bunch of stories about his friends and how stupid they were. But behind the words, you could see the fondness in his eyes. He loved them even when he wouldn’t say it.
When you went back home, you had to remind yourself of Tom and how much you still cared for him. Three years of a relationship that you could still save, because you truly believed he was worth it.
You two had a future all mapped out together, and his mood swings were just a temporary hiccup.
A set of steps pulled you out of your thoughts as a body slumped next to you onto the swing, making it squeak. Paul’s hand found yours, putting the phone down. “You deserve better.”
“You don’t even know me.” You shook your head.
He shrugged, “I’m a pretty good judge of character. And even if I wasn’t, I could see it. You deserve better.”
You two stayed quiet for a while, sitting on the swing, looking ahead at the forest surrounding Emily’s house. It was peaceful, the birds chirped as the wind whistled, picking up.
“I want to believe it.” You whispered.
He gifted you one of his smiles, making your heart beat fast again. “I’ll make sure you will.”
You shoved his arm away, chuckling. “Don’t play with me.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
The bruise on your lips burned even when the blood had already dried up. Tears stained your face, running down in a free fall. There was no stopping them as you drove on the rain-stricken road.
The weather was on your side, matching the emotional trainwreck you had been feeling. You desperately needed your cousin, but her house was empty, with her phone turned off.
Panic overtook you when you found out, your body changing into autopilot as you hopped into the car again.
You weren’t sure you knew where exactly you were going, but you took a turn onto a secluded driveway. The trees parted, revealing a small house covered by moss with a porch wrapped around it.
You remembered when Kim told you to always come here if something happened. Her voice was adamant, demanding even, edged with a sense of urgency.
As the engine died, you wiped the tears away, smudging the mascara. You wanted nothing more than to curl in your cousin's embrace, letting the tears fall again until there was nothing left.
Memories rushed back, causing your thoughts to close up again, heavy with emotions. It happened so quickly you couldn’t really understand it.
Tom didn’t used to be like this. He was charming, handsome, and smart. Always laughing, bringing people in with his charisma and easy-going personality.
So when he asked you out, you were over the moon. The beginning of your relationship was something out of a fairytale. Roses decorated your dorm every week, and a good morning text was a daily occurrence. He introduced you to his family, took you on dates whenever you were free.
There wasn’t a particular day when it all stopped. It began slowly, creeping in that you didn’t notice it until it was too late.
You couldn’t believe it when the first back-handed comments happened. You attributed it to stress. In your mind, there was no way he could be cruel.
Back-handed comments about your weight, outfit, or even facial expression turned into snide comments - hurtful comments. Their frequency doubled, and every day, you anticipated another bite that was slowly chipping away at your sense of self.
But you hold hope that it was just a rough patch; everyone had those. He was your first boyfriend, your first love. Love that you couldn’t feel anymore, but maybe it could be rekindled. Even when deep down, you knew your heart began to belong to someone else.
That hope was extinguished after today's argument.
His words cut deeper than any petty comment he ever made. You had dedicated three years to this relationship, only for him to sleep with other women and laugh in your face.
“Maybe if you could satisfy my needs better, I wouldn’t have strayed.”
“Don’t you dare put this on me! You’re not a fucking cat to stray away. I can’t believe I ever put up with your bullshit.” You bit back, feeling the anger inside rising.
He snorted, rolling his eyes. “As if you could do better. I settled, so get it through that tick skull of yours.”
He truly believed what he was saying. It made you sick to your stomach that you stayed, let him squish you under his foot as if you were something less.
“How about you get this through your empty skull? We’re done, asshole.”
The slap echoed, bouncing between the walls. You didn’t wait for him to apologize. Or to say anything justifying the action. Adrenaline kicked in, and you ran out of his place, leaving him behind.
You shook your head, trying to fight off the tears that were burning behind your eyes. Before you lost it again, you made it out of the car and knocked on the door.
There was a shuffling inside before the door opened, revealing someone you didn’t anticipate. He looked as though he had just woken up, his hair sticking out in every possible direction.
His eyes sharpened the moment they landed on your face, taking in every possible detail. The air was tense around you two as his jaw clenched.
“I’m sorry. Is- is Kim here? I can’t get hold of her.” You said, your gaze lowering to the ground. The intensity of his eyes burned, scorching you, and you couldn’t handle it.
His thumb found your chin and ever so gently pulled your face up. The hatred that burned in his eyes softened, worry lacing his next words, “Let’s get you inside. I’ll try and get her for you, yea?”
You nodded, wincing as his thumb touched the tender part of your busted lip. “Sorry. I’ll get you an ice pack.”
Paul’s words couldn’t even begin to cover the way he was feeling. He was livid. Red tinted his vision, and if it weren’t for you needing someone gentle right now, he would act on the feeling.
You looked so fragile, so broken, that it took everything in him not to go after the thing that caused you harm. The instinct to protect was overwhelming, guiding his actions.
He was scared - terrified even - to touch you. He gently guided you to the kitchen, taking out the ice pack from the designated space in the freezer. With so many pack members, Emily thought it would be best to be fully stocked.
He handed it to you before rummaging through the medicine cabinet to get the disinfectant and a cotton to wipe away the residual blood. He made his way back to you, sitting on the chair, and looked down. Tears were left unshed in your eyes, glossing them over. He took the ice pack from you, setting it aside. “Let me.” He whispered as if not to scare you.
You didn’t protest, only nodding, as he ever so gently tapped the cotton onto the sensitive skin. Eyes alert, your gaze hadn’t left him, but your body relaxed as soon as he made contact with your skin. He could feel you calming down through the bond, and he tried to mask the way it made his heart beat faster.
“There you go,” He whispered, his breath tickling your cheek as he stood up to his full height again. He was so quiet, so different from what you got to know him as.
“Thank you.” You said with a small smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes.
He searched your expression, his eyes roaming over your face. “Did he do anything else?”
You looked away, shaking your head as you hugged your form. He might have hit you “just” one time, but the damage he caused by his words was much greater than any injury he could inflict.
“You-” He stopped, thinking over his next words. He didn’t want to frighten you further. His only wish was to cradle you to his chest and shield you from the rest of the world. You hummed, prompting him to continue, “If you need a place, or someone to help you move or somethin’, I- all of us are here for you.”
“I know, thank you.” Tears gathered in your eyes, but you blinked them away.
“No need to thank. You’re one of us.”
His hand found yours before he could stop himself. He flinched, moving away, but your fingers already clasped his, squeezing his hand.
A gleam appeared in your eyes. “Am I?”
“Well yea, you’re Kim’s cousin. And my friend.” The word imprint burned in his throat, clawing its way out, and he had to shave it back down. Away from his mind.
You chuckled, searching his eyes. It stunted you how genuine his gaze was, the raw emotion in it. “So we’re friends now?”
He shrugged. “I think so.”
You pulled him into an embrace. He huffed in a response, not expecting the impact of your hug. He smiled into it, his hands slowly closing around you. “I’m glad we are.” You whispered after a beat of silence, squeezing him tight. He was practically a stranger to you, but there was something pulling you closer to him.
You didn’t understand it, but your hearts beat in the same rhythm, your souls sang the same song. And that was enough for you.
“Me too.” He rasped, caressing your hair. In that moment, he wanted to hold you and never let you go. Something in the way you were clinging onto him told him you felt the same.