AN: okay, here we are the end, I want to thank all of you who read, reviewed and added me as favorite and alerts. I enjoyed writing this story, and now I'm focusing on finishing imPerfect love, only 4 more chapters to go for that one. On another note, while writing this story I met astridt244 and we decided to write together two fictions, one Bella/Embry and one Bella/Sam, our fanfiction nickname is ast-lucy so stay tuned for news of when we'll publish them.

"Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave,

and grow old wanting to get back to."

John Ed Pearce

Epilogue

Paul opened his eyes and turned to look at his Bella. She was still sleeping and still very naked; her lithe form was cuddled on his warm side. Her leg was entwined with his and one of her arms was holding him around his waist. He studied her and frowned when he noticed the mark, it had left a huge bruise on her skin, and he needed to tend to it. The wolf inside him was instead really satisfied, she would smell like him and everyone would know whom she belonged to.

Looking her body over he noticed bruises over her hips too, his fingerprints were very visible. He sighed, still half happy about it and half saddened that he had hurt her. Bella was murmuring something and when he tried to hear what she was saying she whispered, Paul… more… he smirked, his little mate was really something else.

Then she moved and grimaced, after a moment she opened her eyes and Paul was really concerned about her. "Little sweet Swan how are you? Did I hurt you?" He asked her.

Her smile was enormous. "Good morning… and well, I'm a little sore and the bite hurts a bit, but I'm so happy Paul. It was so good, I probably need a few days to recover, but I want to do it all over again, as much as you want, wherever you want…"

Paul laughed then. "Calm down my little wanton mate, we need to check your bite and have a shower. Then we'll wait that you feel better and after that I'll see what I can do to make you even happier."

She moved her hand up and down his chest in a slow caress, Paul was feeling her little hand moving and everything in him was demanding that he take her again, luckily he had still some self-control, it wasn't the right time.

"Get your mind out of the gutter Swan, you're taking the shower alone and then I'll check the bite, I don't want you to get an infection and we know that with your luck…" He said softly.

Bella pouted. "Are you sure you don't want to join me in the shower?"

Paul shook his head; he was in deep trouble here. "Oh I want to, believe me I do, but you aren't up to anything as of now and I don't have the best control in a shower with you naked at my side."

She laughed and nodded. "Okay, but you owe me."

"I'll be happy to pay up when the time's right." Paul replied, trying hard not to think about it. He stood up and picked her up bridal style. "Let's get going." She sighed softly and put her hands around his neck. He arrived in the bathroom and left her there with a towel and a fresh t-shirt. "Call me when you're done."

While she was in the shower, Paul called Sam to ask about treating the bite and he got invited to for the evening to a little get together there. Then he went cooking some breakfast, he heard Bella walking to where he was, "Smells good… I'm starving."

He kissed the crown of her hair. "You smell good… go and sit down, I'm almost ready with the food."

She sat at the table and after a few minutes he sat two with the plates, she was looking at him with a weird look though. "What's up Swan?"

Bella shook her head, "Nothing, it's just that you're so… well yesterday night you were very dominant… while this morning you're so sweet…." And she blushed.

Paul smiled at her. "I guess I'm whatever the situation requires. In bed I like to lead and I'm probably more aggressive than most. But you don't need me ordering around when out of it."

"Fair enough. Are you going to have a look at my bite?" She asked and he understood that she was in pain.

"I'm sorry about it… I mean I'm not sorry that I marked you, just that it hurts. Anyway Sam told me to take you to Emily for it, she knows what to do. After breakfast we'll go there." He said.

….

At Emily's he let her there and went out with Sam, they walked for a while and the Sam asked, "So is everything okay?"

Paul nodded. "The leeches left so we're okay. They won't come back either, we should make a bonfire and celebrate."

"And Bella?" Sam said, looking at him seriously.

"Bella is fine, I hurt her slightly last night, but her skin bruises easily so there isn't much I can do about that. Other than that, we're fine. She makes me happy." He told his Alpha.

"Good, treat her right and love her. That's all she'll need." Sam said.

"Sam? I was wondering… when she's ready for University…. If I can leave with her, she deserves to have a future and a career if she so chooses." Paul said, he had thought over it and he was ready to either give up phasing or the tribe if that was the price for Bella's happiness.

"I think we can arrange for you to go with her, provided that you'll be back once she graduates. I think Jared and Kim will go away as well." Sam answered.

Paul felt relieved because now he could really be with his Bella and he knew he could make her happy. The wolf didn't mind moving as long as he could phase once in a while. His profound anger had almost been extinguished with the marking; Bella has basically cured him of his sadness and loneliness. Life had been hard for him but he got paid back when he was given Bella.

….. Five years later…

"Are you ready Swan? How long does it take to put on some fucking clothes?" Paul snarled, Bella really was taking forever.

"Don't make a fuss about it Paul, today I'm graduating and then we're leaving for La Push. I want to look good!" Bella said while she was putting on an earring.

"You always look good my sweet Swan." Paul whispered and pulled her for a kiss. She kissed him back with the same intensity of the first time. No matter how many times and how long they had been together, the flaming passion within them would never be extinguished.

"Now, I wish we had time for something more, but as usual you didn't set the alarm clock for the right time and we're already late." Bella scolded him.

"You do know not to trust me with that blasted thing; I can't get it to work properly." Paul growled.

Bella laughed. "It's amazing how you hate all high tech things."

"I don't hate them, but I grew up in a place where we didn't need all that shit. I can't wait to be able to go back to wearing just my cut-off jeans." He grumbled.

Bella's eyes softened and she hugged him. "Paul… I just want to thank you for… being there for me and for leaving your home to make me happy. I hope I'll be able to make you as happy as you've made me."

"Swan, you're my family and although we have our ups and downs I wouldn't change you for anything or anyone… though I could do with more sex…" He finished smirking.

"Only you could ruin such a romantic speech asking for more sex!" She said laughing. "Now let's go before I get even more late for my graduation."

Paul took her hand in his, and he thought while they were walking together that he never expected his life turning out so well. He had Bella, Charlie and a pack of furry brothers that no matter what never gave up on him, and he was grateful and felt lucky. Today they were going back to La Push, back to the place he had wanted so much to leave and that he had missed so much for the three years he hadn't been there. The wolf howled happily, he was impatient to run again in his forest.

He was going home with Bella at his side. He couldn't ask for anything more.