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Keeping Her Protected

PPOV

I jumped awake, when I felt Bella move; I rubbed my eyes and watched as she started to look out the window.

I climbed out of bed, and silently walked up to her and placing my hand on her shoulder.

"What is it?" I whispered, not wanting her to jump.

"I heard a howl, so I had a look out the window. I feel like there is something out there, looking and staring at me. The hairs on the back of my neck keep going up, it happened earlier in the alley way by the Newton's store." Bella replied, and I watched as she shuddered and her heart rate started to rise again.

I looked out the window, looking deep into the forest. I couldn't see anything, until I looked down towards the grass near the forest edge. I could see what looked like footprints, but I couldn't make out if they were mine or somebody else's.

"Wait here and I will go and have a look. Stay in your room, by your window." I instructed her, stepping away from the window.

"My dad" Bella suddenly asked, looking panicked.

"In bed asleep, he came home about an hour after we went to bed." I replied, before leaving the room and making my way silently through the house and out the back door.

I walked straight into the forest, taking in the scents. I almost growled when just inside the forest I came across leech scent.

I took my cut offs off, and phased. I needed to check on Bella, make sure that I could still see her. I walked back to the edge of the forest, and looked briefly at her from the bedroom window. Before walking back into the forest and following the fresh scent.

"Paul, where have you been?" Sam's thoughts echoed through my head.

"Sorry, my wolf didn't respond to the howl. Bella heard it though, how close were you to the house. That leech scent is in the forest near her bedroom window." I replied, following the leech scent as it done a loop around the forest in Forks before heading towards the highway.

"Close enough that he caught my scent and tried to loop around before giving up and running. Do you recognise the scent? I think this is a new one." Sam asked.

"No, it's not the red heads, maybe it followed the old Cullen's scent and followed it to Bella's." I offered, before I thought about what she said about feeling like she was being watched earlier today.

"What was that Paul?"

"Bella felt like she was being watched earlier, when she was putting the garbage out at the outfitters."

"OK, might be worth checking it out." Sam thought, I watched silently as he ran through the forest, coming out near the alley way by the outfitters.

"It's the same scent, it could be a new leech just passing through or the red head leech has a friend."

"Either way, they were trying to get close to Bella. When will these damn leeches give her a break?" I growled, she was my life, my world and I would never stop protecting her. But surely she deserved a break, a chance to have a normal life without these fucking leeches constantly trying to get to her.

"She is our sister and we will help you protect her Paul, go back to your imprint and make her feel safe. I have your back Paul, I will howl if I come across anything else." Sam thought, as he ran back to the Reservation.

I phased back and quickly put my pull ups before sprinting out of the forest and through the back door. I locked it, and made my way back up to Bella's room.

I walked over to Bella, who was still sat in the chair by the window and kneeled in front of her.

"Bella other than today, have you ever had that feeling before of being watched?" I asked her, taking hold of her hands and lightly squeezing them

"No, why?" She asked, her heart rate rising.

"There was a fresh scent out in the forest, this was a new scent not the same as earlier today."

"And the howl?"

"It was supposed to have been a warning for me; Sam smelt it near the outskirts of the Reservation." I answered her, keeping how close the leech came to her house.

"What does this mean?" She asked, looking out the window before getting up, letting my hands drop and sitting on the bed.

"At the moment nothing, there are nobody missing. No bodies have been discovered, so it could just be a bloodsucker passing through. The patrol schedule will be changed, and we never forget the scent of each individual bloodsucker so if it comes back will recognise it straight away." I answered her, if we ever came across a new scent; we always change our patrol routes, so the leech would never be able to guess where we will be coming from.

She nodded silently, before climbing back under the blankets, I followed shortly after. Remembering to open her bedroom door again, I didn't want to upset Charlie and forget the rules. It could mean him stopping me from sleeping with Bella in her bed.

"Now try to sleep, I'm here nothing and nobody will be able to get in here." I whispered, as I pulled her into my arms.

"Says the person, who didn't hear his pack mate." I roll my eyes at her comment, before she rolls over, so her back to facing me.

"It wasn't the normal trouble is coming howl, so my wolf ignored it." I whisper in her ear, before pulling her closer to me.

I listen as Bella's breathing changes, indicating that she had fallen into a deep slip. I lay there with my arms around Bella, knowing that while she is this close to me she is safe and protected.

"I will look after you my mate; I will protect you with my life. I will make sure; you never have to worry about what's out there." I whisper into her ear, pulling her even closer to me.

My wolf purring in agreement with me, we will protect her at any cost. Bella is more important to me than anybody or anything else. She comes first.

I suddenly wake up, when Bella's alarm starts to go off and she climbs out of bed. I don't remember falling asleep last night, I watch Bella as her arm swings out and turn the alarm off before rolling over cuddling into me.

"Bella, you have to wake up, you have school." I whisper, before shaking her.

"Not going." I hear her mumble, unable to take the smirk off my face when I grab the blanket and pull it off her.

I watch laughing silently as she blindly searches for the blanket.

"Give it back Paul, it's too cold."

"Nope get up, the sooner you go, the sooner you will be finished." I reply, pushing her towards the edge of the bed.

With a loud huff, I watch her climb out of bed and stomp around her room, getting her clothes out the closet and then stomping into the bathroom. Slamming the door behind her, I listen as the shower comes on.

Just as I'm falling back to sleep, I hear Bella walk back into the room. I jump when her cold, wet towel lands on my chest.

"Get up, if I have to be up then so do you." Bella shouts, before walking out her room and downstairs.

Once we had a bowl of cereal each, we left the house. Bella getting into her truck and driving to school and I phased to follower her.

"What is the latest Sam?" I asked, as soon as I phased.

"Whoever it was didn't come back; there has been no other scents." He replied, as I followed the truck. Hidden in the forest, as Bella turned into the school parking lot and parked as close to the entrance as possible.

"What about the red head?"

"No, I ran to the Cullen house and back, and no fresh scent."

"Good." I replied, as I sat down in the forest and watched as Bella got out of her truck and walked towards the entrance. Stopping when a girl caught up with her.

"So what's the plan for today?" I asked Sam.

"Go to Bella's new place, there is an inventory in the kitchen of what needs doing." I've not long taken over from Jared, so I'm good for a few hours."

"Sure, howl when you want me to take over." I thought before getting up and running deeper into the forest towards the cabin.

Ok, Jared will take over once he has finished school. Get some sleep; I need you on patrol tonight."

I got to the cabin and phased back just before stepping out the forest. I stopped and sniffed when I caught the scent of the red head leech. Taking my cut offs of, I phase and begin following the scent.

"Follow it Paul, I'm on my way." Sam suddenly growls, as I watch him run from the cliffs on the Reservation.

I follow the scent around the cabin, all the way to Bella's grandparent's graves and then the forest to the right of them. The further away I get the stronger the scent became; I crouch down when I see the red head one hundred meters away.

"Sam, please get to the school. It could be a trick; the other leech might be there." I panic, thinking of Bella unprotected at school.

I stay where I am, as the red head starts pacing. Holding her hair, and screeching.

"No scent Paul, I will stay here. If you see an opportunity take it and end the bitch, but don't risk it." Sam orders and he starts walking around the forest near the school.

I watch as the leech, turns her back and I leap, going straight for her head. But she moves, seconds before I reach her and jumps into the tree. I follow as she jumps from tree to tree, laughing.

"You can't get me, I will get that human and you will never stop me, I'm going to suck her dry and tear her apart." She screeches out before, jumping out of sight.

"Stop Paul, she is too far away." Sam orders, I turn around and head towards the school.

"She needs burning Sam, I won't let this fucking leech get near my mate. She comes back again; I will chase her until I get her and rip her apart."

"And risk leaving Bella and the rest of the Reservation unprotected, we can't take the chance Paul. We know she is not alone; Jared and I can't be everywhere at once. We wait, she will mess up sooner or later and then we get her." Sam replied, before running back to the Reservation.

"Get back to the cabin, I will run loops between La Push and Forks."Sam instructed, with a final sniff, I turned around and made my way back to the cabin.