AN: I realize I am like 10 years behind on the twilight bandwagon but I'm writing this for myself more than anything. Idle hands and all that. Reviews and feedback are welcome and appreciated if anyone actually reads this. I do not own any of these characters, that's all Stephanie Meyer. I'm hoping to go a completely different direction with them than she did because damn, those books are a cringe-fest. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Bella Swan contemplated the closest place she could buy some ginger ale as she threw up for what felt like the 100th time this week in the little bathroom in the Black's home. Bella might have thought she was pregnant if it wasn't for the fact that she was still a virgin at 18. Nothing is wrong with choosing abstinence or simply not having been presented the opportunity yet but at this point it felt like a giant scarlet "V" pinned to her chest like that dumb book she had to read in freshman English.

Satisfied she had nothing left in her stomach to sacrifice she straightened up and pulled her mahogany waves back off her forehead sticky with sweat. She looked at herself in the mirror while she brushed her teeth and contemplated what she did to deserve this, whatever it was. She had the shakes and waves of nausea that hit with no warning. Edward had been gone for months and she didn't even miss him. Sure, she fell apart when he left her in the woods but that depression swiftly grew into anger the more she thought about the way that asshole had treated her.

She wasn't a child to be coddled and protected like a baby bird. She was a goddamn grown woman! Her virtue didn't need to be protected by outdated values and ideals of what a lady should act like. She realized she needed to stop anger-brushing her teeth before she removed the whole first layer of enamel. Dropping her abused toothbrush back in the cup with a *clink* and a silent apology, she followed the sounds of ESPN towards her best friend in the living room.

Bella thanked the spirits for normal human hearing. She was thrilled that Jake couldn't hear her stomach's mutiny from probably a mile away like certain vampires she once knew. There is no privacy with the supernatural. Every unladylike bodily function would be on surround sound, assaulting the Cullen's very prim and proper sensibilities. She chuckled to herself at the conundrum Edward must have been in. He so desperately wanted her to be a "lady" but that image would be hard for anyone to maintain with supernatural ears around. All she could do was laugh to keep herself for getting angry at the thought of him and his ridiculous notions. Between that and the mind reading, she was surprised he even still believed in the mythical unicorn that was his idea of the perfect woman. Bella was thrilled Edward could never read her mind because she would never live up to his standards if he knew how much her tomboy childhood was alive and thriving underneath the attempted makeovers by Alice.

Jake appreciated that she wasn't girly and he certainly didn't shame her for simply being human. He gave her a pitying look from the couch as she walked back out from the hallway looking like complete shit. He would never tell her that, of course. Even with the slight sheen of sweat on her brow and the deep bags under her eyes, he thought she was beautiful.

"Bells, is there anything I can do to make you feel better? Anything you think you'll be able to keep down? Maybe some crackers or ginger ale?"

"You read my mind, Jake. Do you think Ateara General has some ginger ale?"

"Yeah, let me run down there for you. I can be right back. I don't want you over exerting yourself" Jake replied, jumping at the chance to help his best friend however he could. He was really starting to worry about her but she kept insisting it was nothing.

Right on cue, "it's nothing, Jake. Actually I think the walk will be good for me. Ya know, get some fresh air." Before he could protest she was out the front door and down the wheelchair ramp of the old red house. Jake was hot on her heels when Billy stopped him with a holler from the kitchen. "Let her go, son. Give her some space."

"I just want to help, Dad. I worry about her so much and she has no clue what's making her sick like this. And what if it starts raining?"

"It probably will, we live on the Olympic Peninsula." Billy's attempt at humor didn't alleviate any of his son's concern for the girl trudging down their driveway. "Jacob, she's going through quite a trauma. Give her some time."

Billy, of course, knew what was wrong with Bella but he couldn't quite share that with his son. If he'd even believe him, that is. Vampire thrall was a powerful influence and having spent so long in such close proximity to an entire coven of vampires, Billy wasn't surprised to watch Bella suffer through the symptoms of withdrawal. Fatigue, nausea, sweating, and chills were some of the symptoms he'd personally witnessed but who knew what hell she was enduring on her own. She was a tough gal and wasn't one to complain about much. Billy didn't even know about the hallucinations but Bella hadn't told a soul about those for fear of being placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold.

It had been weeks since the last time Bella saw a hallucination of Edward. She stopped seeking out these visions when the depression passed into rage. If she saw him these days she'd be much more likely to chuck a rock at his stupid, glittery head than plead for him to come back to her. She kicked a pebble down the road all the way to the little store while she contemplated what she would actually do if he showed up again. A rock thrown with her weak human arms would not do much against his granite, immortal body.

No, what she needed was a protector from the Quileute legends. Edward had told her about the treaty with Ephraim Black and as a way to convince her not to spend time on the reservation, he told her some men on the reservation even now were shifters. It wasn't hard for her to believe, gosh, she dated a vampire for christsake. According to him, those natives were volatile, dangerous, and not to be trusted. All the while she nearly gets killed thanks to a paper cut! Once again, how are the Quileutes more dangerous, Edward? She didn't know anything about the modern pack, only that they existed. Edward had only told her about the wolves that existed 70 years ago and his knowledge of them was quite limited. His main focus at the time was not getting decapitated and burned to ashes.

Jake thought they were just stories and she wasn't about to burst his little bubble about the real life horrors that ran through these forests. His very own ancestors were those wolves! Being a direct descendant, she wondered if Jake could be a protector someday. She didn't want that for him knowing how powerful the 'Cold Ones' were that they were destined to fight. But they were made to be able to fight them. She banished the thought of whatever was strong enough to destroy a vampire with a shudder. She wasn't looking to get involved with the supernatural again any time soon, vampires or shifters all the same.

With a chuckle to herself at the mental image of super-wolves wearing spandex and capes, she walked up the steps into Ateara General. She headed straight for the back towards the refrigerated section to track down her ginger ale and passed two hulking, tanned men she vaguely recognized. Both were beyond muscled from head to toe and sporting tribal ink on their right biceps. The russet tone of their skin was familiar and the strong build reminded her of Jake but he was still just a boy compared to these men. One of them was just a hair shorter and leaner but was paying Bella no attention, instead loading up a cart with what looked like an obscene amount of barbeque essentials.

The other man was a whole different story. He represented everything her police chief father warned her about in a man. Tall, dark and dangerous. He had a crew cut that looked like it was about due for a trim. He wore a wife beater that hugged his torso, emphasizing all eight perfect abdominal muscles that Bella wanted to use as a washboard. Long muscled arms and the most masculine hands that she could already imagine touching her everywhere and anywhere. There's just something about a hard working man's calloused, large hands that always sent her imagination running wild.

His cutoffs slung low on his hips, displaying that heavenly "V" that she followed down his waist, eyes dancing down the happiest of trails to where she saw zero evidence of neither boxers or briefs. He had to be going commando under those jeans and that knowledge sent shivers down her spine. He shoved a hand in his pocket which only pushed the cutoffs lower on his hips. She must be imagining it but she could have sworn he was trying to mask an erection. Realizing she was staring, she dropped her eyes to the floor as a blush drew up her cheeks. She picked up her pace towards the ginger ale, her nausea completely forgotten. Bella had never shamelessly eye-fucked a man like that before but he never would have noticed because his eyes were preoccupied doing the exact same thing to her.

The scent of strawberries and vanilla hit him even before the jingle of the bell above the door reached his ears. Paul could feel the exquisite scent wrap around him like a tangible embrace. It permeated his mind and dug roots, never to be forgotten. His dick twitched in his cutoffs before he even could turn to witness what kind of goddess could possibly match that aroma. Paul didn't catch her eye as a petite brunette walked past them to the back of the store. His eyes instead were following her perfect ass swinging side to side with every step of her toned legs noting how pale her flawless skin was under those little ripped denim shorts. His cock was now at full attention, thankfully hidden behind their shopping cart. He dragged his gaze back up her form to appreciate her thick mane that he could just imagine wrapping his hand around with an iron grip while he bent her over and - SMACK.

He was snapped out of this reverie by Jared chuffing the back of his head. Hard.

"Hey man! What the hell was that for?!" Paul demanded, rubbing the back of his head and damning shifter strength.

"Stop ogling our future Alpha's girl, man. That's just asking for trouble," Jared warned his pack brother and oldest friend.

"You don't know if that little shit is going to be our Alpha but you do know that she isn't his. Not in a biblical sense at least. We'd be able to smell him on her."

"Man, that's gross," Jared reprimanded him. "Stop smelling poor unsuspecting women. Were you too distracted by Bella's ass to see that she's sort of a disaster right now?"

Paul didn't respond right away, distractedly glancing towards the register where she was checking out, hoping to catch another view of said ass. Jared smacked him on the back of the head again, bringing the wolf's attention back from the booty that Paul determined would fit perfectly in his hands. "Dammit, Paul! First off, leave that girl alone. Sam has had me on Jacob's tail waiting for him to phase and she's still a mess from that bloodsucker that ditched her the night we found her in the woods. Second, you know Jacob has the bloodline to be Alpha. You're gonna have to answer to him someday, no matter how much that pisses you off. Leave his girl alone."

Before Paul could protest Jared added, "Even if they don't have a physical relationship! They are best friends and I know Billy is trying to play matchmaker. The bonfire tomorrow night is for his 16th birthday so she will probably be there. If you can't control yourself maybe you shouldn't go. Ask for a patrol shift instead or something."

Jared was just trying to help but Paul still pouted at the idea of that little baby alpha getting anywhere near an ass that fine. Having finished off the list Emily gave them, they pushed their cart toward the register and incidentally toward that bangin' bod. Paul was living up to his man-whore reputation by watching her tits as she passed and was lucky enough to get one last look at her perfect tushy making it's way back out the store again with a chime of the door.

Putting the groceries in the back of his pick-up, Jared turned back to his packmate, fully intending to continue his lecture about respecting women but instead got a clear picture of just how engrossed Paul was by Jake's girl. "Christ, dude, put that one-eyed monster away before you poke someone's eye out!"

Tucking his erection up under the waistband of his pants, Paul shamelessly smirked and knowingly provoked the pack's Second. "Don't worry, J. Kim won't see what she's missing out on."

The words had barely rolled off his tongue before Jared's fist slammed them back in. The sucker punch was well deserved. Paul knew better than to mess with an imprint but the comment got him exactly what he was looking for: a distraction. His volatile personality demanded an outlet and his personal favorites were a fuck or a fight. Either way, Paul was damn talented and ended up satisfied. Pulverizing Jared's face would have to do for now because apparently Bella Swan was spoken for.

Being the resident bicycle, Paul had given a joyride to just about every willing female in town between the ages of 18 and 35. The range could extend even higher with a few (dozen) drinks and a cougar's promise of a hot breakfast in the morning. However, none of those women got a reaction like that out of him. Bella's scent alone made his dick so hard he could use it to autograph a boulder. Thank the gods he doesn't have to share a mind with his royal highness. Yet. Jake hadn't joined the pack yet but they all knew it was inevitable. Paul was looking forward to parading his fantasies of the leech lover through the pack mind even if his carnal curiosities about the girl only served to piss off goody-two shoes Jacob Black.

Bella was eager to get back to Jake's house, a little ashamed at her visceral reaction to the man back in the store. On her way back out she had made a point to get a better look at his face only to realize the only eye contact he was making was with her chest. Usually she would feel objectified but her feminist role models were rolling over in their graves while she savored the attention of this particular russet demi-god.

She shook her head to clear her mind from the lust clouding her mental processes as she walked back into the extra wide handicapped accessible doorway of the Black's home. A beet red flush still stained her cheeks when she nearly ran into Jake in the living room.

"It managed not to start raining and the fresh air feels nice. Let's walk down to First Beach," she suggested. Her best friend appraised her with a critical eye when she appeared slightly embarrassed for no apparent reason. Hesitating for just a moment, Jake nodded and quickly went to change into board shorts. Bella wondered how the heck he could surf in that freezing cold water in January but he insisted it wasn't too cold for him. She grabbed a bag for towels, water, and snacks. Lots of snacks. He was always hungry these days. With his surfboard under one arm and Bella under the other, they walked down the trail to the beach.

After the Cullen's had left Bella in the dust and she rebuilt her friendship with Jake, First Beach had become their spot. Specifically a piece of driftwood that they first encountered when Jake told her of the legends that catapulted Bella into a world of supernatural beings that she was dying to tell her best friend about. They never kept secrets, even during the years that Bella lived away with her mother. The two always kept in touch and told each other everything. Which made it even harder to sit here and get all angsty about her ex when 75% of the story is a secret to be guarded with her life. Not only because the Volturi were a threat to any human in the know but because Bella couldn't betray the rest of the family. Edward was a pitiful, prehistoric asshat but his family didn't deserve her betrayal. Bella was a good friend and that's what she was trying to be to Jake. He didn't even realize it but she had used him to get information and for that she felt guilty. His sunny disposition didn't allow room for grudges, he was just happy to be back with his friend and be back at their spot.

That's exactly where they were now. Sitting on their piece of driftwood, Bella leaning into Jake's arm to steal his impossible warmth to chase away the slight shakiness she still felt from this morning. Jake had already tried to surf but the waves just weren't cooperating today. Instead they (mostly Jake) ate the sandwiches she packed and chatted about their plans for his big birthday tomorrow. Sixteen was a rite of passage to the Quileutes and Jake would be considered a man in the eyes of the tribe. Considering he was the heir to the Chief, it was a big deal. Like invite-the-whole-tribe-to-a-bonfire kind of big deal. Jake hated the attention but he was looking forward to being one year older, especially one year closer to Bella's eighteen.

"Should I start going by Jacob now that I'm a man?" he asked with a squint to his eye.

Bella laughed and squeezed his arm even tighter. "A man? The tribe may say you're a man but Jakey, you're just fifteen". She realized she had struck a sore spot when he bristled next to her.

"Sixteen tomorrow!" the young man loudly insisted for the millionth time, just like any time age was brought up. It was very important to him that she knew he was barely over two years younger. He certainly didn't look any younger. He's sprouted up like a weed recently and filled out enough to easily pass for 20. The more he insisted, the more she wondered why he cared so much about what she thought of the age difference. It truly didn't bother her but she liked to poke fun anyway. For years their fathers had been nudging them towards a relationship with the subtlety of a neon sign in a dark room. Since the kids were in diapers, Charlie and Billy have plotted the eventual marriage of their children but Bella and Jake always had more of a friendly relationship. That didn't mean neither of them had been curious about the other.

It started as prolonged glances as they noticed attractive qualities about each other. Bella liked his dimpled smile and the way he always seemed to find a way to touch her. Holding her hand or just having a limb pressed against her on the couch, he always seemed to find a way to be in contact with her. It's just how comfortable they were with each other. The touches were innocent, but the looks weren't always. Sitting on the beach in just his wet board shorts, she couldn't help but also objectively appreciate his toned body. He still had a hint of that rounded adolescence to his face but that was where the kiddy comparisons stopped. Muscular shoulders over a broad chest, strong arms, long legs and a package that swim trunks just couldn't hide. Even in this cold it was that pronounced? Damn, girl, where did that thought come from? Those curiosities traitorous to their friendly relationship were pushed to the back of her mind and never acknowledged in the light of day.

Jake appreciated Bella in innocent ways like the way she didn't hesitate to help someone to the best of her ability and the femininity of her dainty hands. She had a classic beauty that needed no flashy makeup or whatever the girls at La Push High did these days to look so fake. For the sake of preserving their friendship he tried not to linger on the less platonic ways he noticed her too. The way her jeans hugged her curves and oh boy, did that girl have some perfect curves. Womanly hips curved out to a bubble butt that you could definitely bounce a quarter off of. Breasts that seemed to be the perfect size, punctuated by nipples that Jake could clearly see through her borrowed long sleeve shirt at the moment thanks to the brisk wind coming off the water.

Snapping his attention up from her chest, Bella asked, "ready to go back yet, Jake?" He looked across the beach to see if there were any surfable waves but instead of answering her question, his response was only a deep growl that startled her.

"What is it, Jake?" She followed his line of sight to four men practically stomping across the beach towards the tree line. She rolled her eyes just waiting to hear his usual song and dance.

"Sam Uley's gang of wannabe bodybuilders."

"Wannabe nothing, they're ripped," was her mumbled response but Jake didn't hear her. He was too busy rambling about how they think they're all that and a bag of chips. This was Jake's normal response to seeing the guys around the rez but this instance was especially aggravating because one of Jake's best friends, Embry Call, had joined the group of muscled misfits. Bella instantly recognized the man from her rather titillating shopping experience just a few hours ago and her stomach tried to escape up her throat. She immediately floated off into fantasies about him changing his trajectory across the beach, walking straight up to her and hauling her off over his shoulder like a caveman to have his nasty way with her.

"I swear they're watching me, Bells. I see them way too often around town to be a coincidence. Even just when I'm working in the garage I feel like eyes are watching me from the treeline -"

"Jake, shut up," she cut him off, realizing she could get information about her sexy mystery man. "Who's that one?"

"Geez, thanks for your concern Bells. Why do you care? There all the same steroid junkie—"

"Jake! I know Embry but who's that one?" She tried to point discreetly but it did no help to clarify.

"Sam Uley is the big one up front, but you know that. Then Jared Cameron, Paul Lahote, and—"

"Paul?"

"Stop interrupting me, woman! They're all a bunch of losers but especially him. He's the biggest sleazebag of them all. Total man whore. Why are you asking about him? Did you meet him? Did he hit on you? Bella! Did he hit on you?!" He was shaking. Jake had worked himself into a lather by the end there and he very rarely used her name. She was always Bells.

"No! Calm down, you animal. I just ran into him earlier today." Jake launched into another speech of warning and reprimand about how she should choose her company wisely. She once again tuned him out and wondered about the group of men. They had disappeared into the treeline but she watched them the whole way. They all had the same tattoo on their right shoulder that looked like a wolf howling with a circular design behind it. Almost like a moon. It was beautiful. She didn't remember Embry ever having a tattoo before he started hanging out with these guys. Maybe it is a gang? Why would a tiny Native American reservation have a gang? She giggled to herself as she thought that maybe they were a pack. Edward hadn't mentioned any specific traits of the shifters but hot damn, if anyone fit her mental image of a Quiluete protector it would be Mr. Tall, Dark and Delicious. It would be Paul Lahote.