"What!?" Emmett roared, dashing into the kitchen, having heard the whole conversation.

Artemis passed out as the rest of the family dashed into the kitchen as well, some with surprised looks, others with smirks on their faces. Paul gulped.

"What did you just say?" Rosalie growled, stalking forth.

"She's... My imprint," Paul repeated carefully.

Renesmee gave a small squeal, startling everyone as she ran towards him, engulfing him in an awkward hug. "Welcome to the family!" she cheered, pulling back.

"What!? No!" Emmett roared. "She can't be-! You can't-!" Rosalie patted his back comfortingly.

Paul sighed. "It wasn't my choice- these things just happen." He looked down at Artemis' unconscious frame, hand twirling a strand of red hair between his fingers.

"How did this happen? You've never met before- how did you know she was your imprint?" Rosalie spoke up.

"I just met her today- before she went to the reservation beach. It wasn't the best of introductions- I want to rip a limb off of her for what she said - but the moment her eyes met mine, she went from being everything I hated, to everything I couldn't live without." He gave a mirthless chuckle. "She didn't even know- just pointed out that I didn't I stink like the others."

Emmett sighed; there was nothing he could do. Bella had tried to fight Jacob's imprint on Renesmee and it yielded no results- so she let them be. And like Paul said, these things just happen. "How did she take it?" Emmett asked.

Paul swallowed, looking at Artemis' calm face. "She passed out..."

Rosalie laughed.

Artemis' awoke to birds chirping and a sweet scent in the air. An odd warmth engulfed her left hand and a dull ache sprouted from her right side. A groan escaped her, her back arching slightly and the warmth on her hand slipping away as she raised her arms in a stretch. Her yawn was replaced with a sudden groan of pain when she stretched her torso, the odd warmth returning, landing gently on her side. Her eyes cracked open slowly, hissing as her retinas adjusted to the light. Blinking sluggishly, she looked over to the source of the odd warmth: Paul.

"Paul- what are doing in my room?" she sluggishly asked.

He smirked. "You don't remember, do you?"

"Remember what-? Oh gods- we didn't have hot, nasty hate sex after what happened in the kitchen right!?" She quickly and painfully sat up, staring at him with wide-eyes and searching the room for torn clothes.

Paul gave a hearty laugh, shaking his head. "No! God no... If it was hate sex I'd've torn you in half," he mumbled, more to himself than to her.

"Wha!?" she breathed, a heat crawling on her cheeks.

"Nothing!" he quickly responded. "Uh, do you want me to... Tell you everything?"

She nodded slowly, eyes still wide and staring. He couldn't help but stare right back, his chocolate brown eyes getting lost in her inky blue ones. Her pinkish lips were swollen from biting them out of pain, her eyes wide but still slightly hooded in drowsiness.

"You went to the beach, remember? With your friends? I think one of them was named Jace." He frowned, imagining tearing the boy apart in his wolf form.

Artemis gasped. "Holy shit! Is he okay? I remember diving with him! Is he okay? Did he get pulled under, too!?"

"He's fine," Paul growled, earning a startled look from Artemis. "I'm sorry- look- you were dragged under, hurt yourself on the rocks beneath the waves. I heard them screaming for you, so I dove in; I rescued you. Gave you chest compressions- CPR- blood- the works, but you needed more so I used your car to get you back here. Carlisle stitched you up and I fed you more blood bags."

Artemis laid om her bed staring at the ceiling, shocked that that occured to her and amazed this man had saved her. "Why did you save me?" she mumbled.

He gave a mirthless chuckle. "You've asked me that already. I told you why."

Artemis' brow furrowed, looking at him. "But I don't remember," she pointed out. "Tell me."

He huffed, looking around her slightly messy room. The blood stained beach clothes she had wore, hanging from a hamper in the corner of the room. Rosalie and Renesmee having changed her after she passed out and was moved to her room. "Not again, come on, Artemis," he mumbled, not looking at her.

"What? Is it that bad a reason? Or is it that good reason? Which is it?"

He sighed, hand running down his face. "You have to promise not to pass out like last time-"

"I passed out!? Was it that good!?" Artemis looked to him with bewildered eyes.

"Apparently," he mumbled.

She chuckled breathlessly. "I promise."

He mentally prepared himself, clenching his eyes shut. "I saved you...because... Because... You're my imprint," he blurted.

He waited what felt like hours for a response but could only have been seconds.

"What!?" she screamed, dashing out of her bed so fast she hit her left side on her bedroom wall.

Paul frowned, looking at where she stood, leaning against the wall. "Is it that bad to be imprinted on me? Your mom and dad reacted the same way."

"They know!?" she squeaked, sliding down the way a bit.

"Yes," he growled. "Now get back in the bed, you're still recovering."

"I can't believe- You're my-? No way! That can't be- You can't- No!" In plain speak, she was freaking out.

"Look, I didn't exactly choose you either! You think I want to be imprinted with a leech!" he growled, a grunt escaping him when he was tackled to the ground.

"Don't call me that!" she snarled, slender hand wrapped around his throat, the other keeping his head down with a tight grip on his hair.

"Get off me!" he yelled, his body shaking slightly.

Artemis' thighs tightened around his biceps, that lay trapped, pressed against his sides. "Apologize!"

"Make me!" he growled, shaking uncontrollably. His arms bent and his hands gripped the back of her large night shirt to throw her off him.

Artemis cried out as she landed, hands clawing in into the wooden floor. She barely heard her dad bursting in before Paul phased right in her room and Artemis launched herself at him. Their stuggling bodies fell through her floor-to-ceiling windows to the forest below. Their bodies rolled down the forest floor, Paul's claws barely missing her arms and face. His pack's thoughts berating his mind, telling him to stop, but he didn't listen, no Alpha's command present to control him.

Artemis could hear her family yelling out to them, some of them searching for an opportunity to seperate them without harming her. But Artemis was furious- angry that her own imprint called her a leech- angry that she had an imprint in the first place! She didn't let up, hands grasping Paul's fur tightly, using all her strength to slam him against a tree.

He gave a low whimper, sagging a bit before his paws pushed against her shoulders, claws digging into her. She gave a shrill cry, throwing him aside and arms crossing to touch her bleeding shoulder blades. Paul snarled as he rolled back onto all fours, snout snapping to look at her with a growl- but it cut short as he caught sight of her.

Her family had ran into to the woods behind them, stopping just short of where she was. Artemis knelt on her bare knees, black shorts torn and white graphic tee in tatters. Her stitches had slipt, blood running down her side and back drenched with blood as well from where he'd ripped into her. She was screaming almost hysterically, cries of pain mixed with snarls of anger.

Paul looked down at his bloody paws in shock. He'd hurt his imprint, torn into her like a rag doll. His form slowly began to shrink and he backed away amongst the trees. He found a hidden cache of the pack's extra clothes and pulled on a pair of cut-offs when his reverting finished. Buttoning the shorts he ran back out to them, Emmett dashing to throw him back.

"Stay away from her!" her father growled, Rosalie coming to Artemis' side.

"Let me touch her," Paul panted helplessly, heart clenched so tight he thought he'd drop dead. "Please- Artemis! I'm sorry! Artemis!"

Paul's eyes opened, a blue glow stinging his retinas before he met Artemis' hardened eyes, and the blue glow receeded.

"Apologize," she growled, hand tightening in his hair.

"What was that?" he breathed, arms bending and hands resting on her back.

"A trick I picked up from Alice and Renesmee," she muttered. "I can never see what I'm showing someone, but by your facial expression, I'm guessing whatever happens doesn't work out for you." She smirked, eyes darkening. "Now, apologize!"

His brow furrowed. "For what?! For being your imprint?"

"No! For calling me a leech! You know how hard it is not to sink your teeth into a human?"

"Apparently not hard enough if you can make out with one," he muttered darkly.

Artemis' eyes widened in confusion, her grip loosening enough for Paul's hands to clench the back of her shirt and drag her back until she straddled his lap and he could sit up. "You were watching me?" she questioned, hands gripping the worn shirt he had on.

He huffed. "You're my imprint-"

"That doesn't give you the right to spy on me!" she cried.

"Yes it does!" he yelled back, hands gripping her slender upper arms. "I didn't know where you were going! You're my everything now, Artemis- if something were to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself for allowing it to happen!"

"But- Paul-"

"But nothing! Yes, I looked out for you! Yes, I saw you kiss that sorry excuse for a boy- But I also saw you jump with him. And I stupidly thought you would be okay- until it was too late." His hand drifted to her injured side. "Having you passed out in my arms- bleeding and not breathing- I felt like my heart was being torn out of me mid heartbeat-!"

"But Paul!" Artemis cried. "You don't know me! The first conversation we had was a fight- and you're already professing undying feelings for me!"

"It doesn't matter, Artemis," he reassured, hands tangling into her hair. "Nothing else matters, but you now- you need to understand that. The imprint only happens with a compatible person-"

"Which I can't be-!"

"Obviously you are, Artemis. Because of the imprint, you're the only thing that matters to me in this world now. Nothing can come before you and your safety."

Artemis sighed, eyes closing. This was too much! Here was this man, probably in his mid-twenties, basically telling her that he would do anything for her! How was she supposed to respond!? She'd never met him before- only heard stories from Renesmee how he was the most violent of the pack. Not to mention that she was basically already involved with someone else- she kissed Jace! Yet here she was: sitting in this man's lap, with his hands in her hair, and not being to help the warmth that pulsed within her. She couldn't deny the feeling of completeness that settled in her heart and mind. What was she going to tell Jace? What was she supposed to say to Paul?

"Why-" she breathed, hands still clutching his shirt. "Why do you smell so good?" she whined, eyes clenched shut, trying to understand her feelings.

Paul smiled, giving a breathless laugh. "I don't know. But the imprint should have to do with it. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be bound with a smelly wolf for the rest of your life."

Artemis chuckled. "I guess not... Paul... I can't wrap my head around this," she whimpered.

"I know- I know," he comforted, pressing her into his chest. "I'll help you figure this out. I'll always be by your side."

Artemis sighed, feeling Paul shiver slightly as her cold breath fanned over his neck, her hand sliding up to curl around his neck.

"Was that boy your first kiss?" he asked, suppressing a growl.

Artemis nodded, sighing just to feel him shiver again.

"Was he any good?" his voice took on a low tone, and more heat filled her.

"I can't exactly tell," she whispered. "I've only ever kissed him..." She pulled back, licking her dry lips as she met his dark eyes.

"Well, now, I'm the only one you'll ever kiss-" His lips pressed against her's passionately, her bottom lip slipping between his own.

Artemis sighed against him, arms sliding around his neck. Her chest pressed against his, his arms tightly around her waist but mindful of her hurt side. He tugged on her bottom lip, licking at it to coax her mouth open. Artemis let out a breathy moan when his tongue made contact with her's, the sensation so foreign to her. His scent was as intoxicating as his lips- she left like she was drowning all over again- like she was dying for blood and she craved nothing more than him.

His warm hand slid along her thigh, squeezing the supple flesh and climbing higher, beneath her shirt. She moaned at his intense warmth on her hip, his touch almost scalding but soothing to her cool flesh. She gripped his neck and hair tight, his hand smoothing over her ribs to rest just under her unbound breast. Artemis moaned quietly, pressing tighter to his torso and unintentionally grinding into his lap.

Paul groaned at the friction, hand slipping farther up and cupping her perky breast. His thumb rolled over her nipple and she whimpered.

"Paul," she breathed against his swollen lips, speaking between kisses. "Wait... Please..."

She didn't need to tell him twice. His hand smoothly slid out from under her shirt, coming to rest at the small of her back. Her hands loosened around him and his kisses slowed to a stop. His hooded eyes gazed at her flushed face, taking in the slight sparkle the morning sun gave her.

"How was that?" he breathed, toned chest rising and falling evenly against her heaving one.

She gave a breathless chuckle. "I think the gods did pretty alright matching us."

She gave him a beaming smile, laughing as he returned a smug grin. He stood with her in his arms and set her on the bed, sitting beside her, holding her hands.

"Hey," she mumbled, playing with his hand and measure it with her own. "How long was I out?"

He hummed. "I think about... Two days- today being the third."

Seconds passed.

"What!?"

*Have you guys seen that movie? The Gods Must Be Crazy? It's old but it's hilarious. ?

|| I know there interactions may not be believable or even really cheesy, but you have to understand that the imprint makes them that way. Deep down inside they may hate each other but they're each other's world now, and that's all that matters...for now... ||