A/N: If you don't like the characters or plot, then don't read. This is slightly AU as fair as Lana and their ancestry and stuff like that. But the main premise will not change.
DISCLAIMER: I only own my OC, nothing else.
WORD COUNT: 2, 660
Chapter 20
Quileute Secret
Lana stirred quietly, feeling a sense of warmth cloaked around her.
She burrowed deeper into the source of heat until there was a quiet rumble of laughter above her. Opening her eyes, she awoke to see Paul leaning over her, a sweet expression softening his handsome features as she curled into his arm, "hey, sunshine."
She smiled sleepily, wondering what Paul was doing in her bedroom, "hey," she whispered softly, "is this another dream?" She asked herself more than Paul, "I mean, it would be, why would Paul be in my bedroom?"
Paul bit his lip to stop the amused smirk cross his handsome features, failing miserably and he shook his head, "Lana, you're at Sam and Emily's place," his blossoming smirk fading into worry as he hesitated but continued, "uh, you fainted at the beach." Lana frowned, staring at Paul incredulously.
"What? No, I-" the instant recognition in her expression alerted Paul and he carefully moved away, unsure of her reaction.
"H-hey, little one, don't be afraid." Paul raised his hands, palm first, "I'm still me." Lana didn't even so much as blink, unable to articulate in her shock.
'Oh, God. It wasn't a dream. It was all real, Paul really did turn into a wolf!' She lamented silently, hazel eyes watching Paul carefully.
"It's still me, little one. Please don't forget that. I didn't want you to find out like that, it was violent and scary and you didn't deserve that. I was going to tell you, really, I was. But Sam is Alpha and I-I can't disobey our a-alpha. ." Paul's sentence trailed off, eyes prickling and she saw the glimmer of tears as he looked away, in an attempt to compose himself, "I'm so sorry, Lana."
"Paul, take a breather, she's only just woken up. It'll be a while before she's ready to accept the information." Emily suggested gently, Lana's eyes snapping to her, only now taking notice of her surroundings before turning her gaze back to Paul, who nodded, thanking Emily and without a word, stood up and walked out of the house.
Lana's eyes trailed over Paul, watching his every move carefully until she watched him leave the house and the screen door squeaked shut behind him. Lana slowly sat up on the couch, taking notice of Emily in the kitchen and Embry and Jared sitting around the table, their eyes on her. "Here, sweetheart." Emily strode forward, a cup of steaming tea in one hand and a plate of muffins in the other. She set them down on the coffee table and smiled at the teenage girl. "I didn't know how like your tea so Paul told me, I hope you like it." Lana's eyes roamed over Emily's face, eyes grazing over the scars.
Briefly, she wondered how those scars came about, the real reason why, but thought it best not to comment. Instead, she smiled slowly, head tilting slightly so onyx hair tumbled over her shoulder like a thick curtain, a lock slipping in front of her face, "you're really pretty." Having only seen the woman from afar when she attended the reservation bonfires. She saw the boys relax, their shoulders releasing tension as if they had been waiting for some terrible reaction to Lana seeing Emily's disfigurement.
Emily's lips turned upward in a blinding smile as she reached forward and gently tucked the stray lock of hair behind Lana's ear, "so are you, Lana." Emily stood, pointing toward the muffins, "do you understand what's going on? Why you're here?" At Emily's questions, Lana nodded hesitantly. "I know it's hard to believe. Trust me, I know."
Lana huffed, her hand rubbing her forehead, "I didn't dream it did I? What happened at the beach?" Her eyes flicked over Emily before looking over Embry and Jared.
"No, sweetheart. I'm sorry. It wasn't a dream." Emily apologised quietly and the girl sighed once more, face in her hands.
"And I thought vampires was where it ended." Lana chuckled softly, "well, I could get behind that. . I can get behind this." Embry and Jared grinned around their muffins, happy she accepted them. "I-I need to speak to Paul." Lana announced before slowly rising before resting her hand on Emily's arm, "thank you." She expressed her gratitude sincerely, to which Emily responded with wrapping the young girl in a warm hug.
"Anytime, sweetheart. I get you're in shock, but you're doing such an amazing job. I want you to know that Paul would never hurt you. He was protecting you." Emily murmured in her ear and Lana nodded, remembering how he pushed her behind his body before turning into a massive wolf.
Lana hugged Emily back before moving to the door, gently squeezing Jared and Embry's shoulders as she passed them before slowly slipping outside, scanning the front yard to look for Paul.
It didn't take much as he was a few metres away, his back to the house as he looked into the treeline surrounding the cottage, his hands shoved into his pockets and he sighed heavily. "Hey, stranger." Paul jumped at her voice, turning to see Lana walking toward him, still a little apprehensive but giving him a warm smile.
"Hey, little one." Paul almost whispered, turning so he faced her, "h-how are you feeling?" He asked, awkwardly averting his eyes from her, looking to his feet as he scuffed at the dirt path.
"I'm okay. It's a lot of information to absorb but considering I passed out when I found out vampires were real, I guess that's just my natural reaction at this point. Don't tell me fairies are real or you're gonna have to support my head when I go down." Lana's eyes twinkled in accomplishment when she got Paul to chuckle at her lame joke.
"I'll always be there to catch you when you fall." Paul murmured, moving closer to her, slipping his hand out of his pocket and taking her hand, his hot skin making her hum gently- his touch welcome as she gently threaded their fingers together, hearing his breath shake. "I'm so sorry, little one. I-I didn't even think . . . all I thought about was protecting you. . I never meant. ." Paul bit his lip, frustrated with himself as he was unable to even finish a sentence due to his anxiety with the situation. Seeing his nerves, Lana closed the distance between them and she rested her cheek on his chest.
The youngest Swan wound her free arm around his back, absorbing his warmth and Paul instantly wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, keeping her close, fingers tangling in the locks of hair at her back. "It was meant to be. It doesn't matter how you planned to tell me, this was the way I was supposed to find out." Lana spoke confidently, raising her head to meet his eyes, a little surprised to see he was already staring down at her, eyes shining with a vulnerability that she's only witnssed a handful of times. "And you're right," her sentence confused him, dark brows coming together as he frowned, "this doesn't change who you are. You're still my Paul."
His frown turned into an ear-splitting smile as he leaned down, resting his head against her shoulder as he tightened his hold around her back, her hair folding over his arm, a few locks slipping over his limb and hung back down her back. "I don't know what I did to deserve someone like you in my life." He squeezed her hand gently and Lana smiled, nuzzling her face between his neck and shoulder, he felt her soft huff of amusement against his neck and fought back the tremble that licked down his spine, her thumb rubbing circles against his skin.
"You never let me be second-best, even to myself." Lana answered easily, truth ringing in her tone and Paul's heart skipped a beat.
Paul raised his head from her shoulder, the hand around her back slid to cradle the back of her head, her hair gathering around his palm and spilling out. She watched him calmly, a warm smile playing at the corner of her lips as he bent once more, resting his forehead against hers.
"Paul. ." Lana whispered, sniffling gently and her eyes fluttered closed at the intimate contact, revelling in his touch, drowning in his warmth and allowing herself to get lost in the sensations Paul brought out in her.
For Paul, her scent intoxicated him, it was a heady combination that made him feel like the sun was shining on him, bathing him in its rays. The protective emotions she wrung from him with just her presence, awoke the wolf inside- the wolf crying to protect her, to keep her safe. To eliminate any threat that dared tried to mistreat her in any way and Paul answered it. He wouldn't let anyone or anything hurt her.
"That other wolf. . ." Lana hesitated, scared to know the answer and Paul tensed slightly, breaking from his scent-induced haze, "was it really Jacob?"
He wanted to tell her that 'no, it wasn't Jacob' in some attempt to keep her image of him intact.
But that path would only serve to offend Lana's intelligence. She was smart, incredibly so, as they all knew well. She wouldn't try to believe him and he didn't want to lie to her. The only time he did, was when he saw her again after his phase and induction into the pack and look how that turned out!
"Yes." The word was spoken quietly, barely passing through hesitant lips but it was like a gunshot to Lana's stomach. The memory of the spitting, roaring, massive russet wolf bounding toward her and Paul, kicking up sand with its paws violently, replaced the image of the sweet, long-haired boy in her mind.
"O-okay." What more could she say? How could that angry beast be the same boy that had been her best friend since they were children? Why was he trying to hurt her? "W-was it m-me?" Lana hated how her voice trembled, betraying her fear. Wild brown eyes glaring holes into her as sharp teeth glinted in the light of the overcast sun.
Paul tightened his hold on her, squeezng her hand tighter, "no, Lana. It wasn't your fault, don't you ever think that, alright?" Paul was terse, tone unyielding. He wasn't going to let this fall on Lana's shoulders. She didn't deserve that, she already carried the weight of the world on them for the sake of her family and friends. She didn't deserve this on top of it. If he could give Lana some kind of reprieve, he was going to.
Forgoing his earlier reservations, Paul raised his head and pressed a gentle, warm kiss to her forehead and took a deep, trembling breath- inhaling her scent and committed it to memory before whispering against her skin, "c'mon, little one. I'll take you home."
Lana trembled under his kiss and he could hear her heartbeat quicken when she felt the touch of his lips and she closed her eyes, "okay." Her voice was soft and he was lucky he had enhanced hearing or he would have missed it.
Paul nodded before escorting her down the path away from Emily's house, their hug broken but their hands remained entangled.
(..)
After dropping Lana back at her home and saying a quick hello to Charlie, Paul drove back to the reservation and back to Emily's house where Sam and Jacob were waiting.
Sam looked to the door when he heard it opening, spying Paul coming in, "where's Lana? Is she alright?"
"I took her home, she's alright but a little shook up. I guess knowing about the leeches' existence helped a lot." Paul answered his Alpha dutifully and Sam nodded, relief sagging his shoulders. Jacob, on the other hand, only tensed. He kept his head down, eyes remaining downcast, unwilling to meet anyone's eyes.
Paul rubbed his lower lip with his thumb, walking forward unassumingly before his hands shot out with lightning speed. He grabbed Jacob's shirt by the fistfuls, slamming him into the wall of Emily's kitchen, ignoring the protests of the pack around him. Jacob growled, hands coiling around Paul's wrists in a vain attempt to push the bigger man away but Paul barely flinched, snarling- his wolf asserting dominance over the newest member, "if you ever come near Lana with the intent to harm, I will put you down. Do you understand me?!" He roared, the air around him shimmering- the heat from his body extending outwards and a warning growl rumbled in his chest.
"Paul, calm down!" Embry stood, grabbing Paul by the shoulders but even he couldn't move the incensed third-in-command.
"Paul." Sam's alpha voice filled the room, reigning in his pack member and almost instantly Paul let go, jaw tense as Jacob sagged against the wall.
"I-Is she-" Jacob's voice was pathetic, timid and anxiety-riddled and Paul spoke over him powerfully.
"You traumatised her and she knows it was you." Jacob rested his face in his hands, silent as Paul turned away from the newest pack member, hands clenched into fists, "she's smart. Even if I lied, she would have figured it out anyway." Sam nodded, Lana's intelligence was not to be underestimated, nor was her tenacity or stubborness, "you could have seriously hurt her if I hadn't stepped in," Paul rounded on Jacob once more, dark eyes blazing a hole into Jacob's own, "I don't care why you did it- but you're going to stay away from Lana."
"You can't do that! Lana's my best friend!" Jacob argued, standing straighter against the wall, chin lifting in defiance.
Paul chuckled humorlessly, "your best friend? That's rich coming from the guy who prefers her sister." Jacob's mouth clamped shut as Paul fired back, "according to your 'best friend', you've barely spoken to her for months, diverting all your attention to the leech-lover." Jacob growled, but Paul only took a step closer, nose-to-nose, "says a lot, doesn't it? You haven't been with her, trying to keep her spirits up and keep her busy. You haven't been with her when she was almost hysterical from frustration and you weren't the one that held her as she cried until she passed out against you." He took a breath, a certain memory of a hiking trail and warm cuddles under a patch of sun breaking through the canopy of a silent forest- the image of Lana looking up toward the hidden sky, the shadows of the leaves creating patterns on her skin as a small smile played on her lips.
Paul kept the image of her in his mind, taking deep breaths to stop himself from phasing in Emily's kitchen.
"I'm leaving." Paul grabbed his keys, walking toward the entrance.
"Where are you going?" Sam asked, looking toward his third-in-command.
"Back to Lana's. She invited me over for dinner." And he left without another word.