"We don't take too kindly to leeches." Paul snapped teeth barring at the taller man. Sam growled at him under his breath a threat echoing in his mind, do not attack. It was Cullen territory, Paul almost didn't care about breaking the treaty anymore.
Paul took a seat on the edge of the couch stiffly, Jared taking the seat beside him and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. In that moment he was incredibly grateful for his friends' presence as their Alpha stayed standing eyes locked on the stairs as they waited. The scent of his Imprint grew stronger as she grew closer, strong notes of strawberry and cherry blossom. He felt Jared shift as he sensed her approach too, and for a moment Paul wasn't sure who was more nervous...him or Jared.
He saw her next, her head held high though her brow furrowed in either thought or frustration he couldn't tell. She was tense and took the stairs two at a time at an almost human like speed. "I'll be taking my leave now," Edward said, though mostly to her and Carlisle, who Paul hadn't seen following after his Imprint, "I am going to Bella's."
Like Carlisle had before Edward was gone in the blink of an eye making the hairs on the back of Paul's neck stand up on end, "This is Maisie," he introduced the woman next to him, the very woman that had been a never ending presence in Paul's mind since he saw her by the river, "Maisie, this is Sam, Jared, and Paul."
But she was already looking at Paul, almost completely ignoring the introduction of the other two. The shifter felt strange under the amber gaze of his Imprint, though he felt an immediate sense of relief that she was so close. The tension that had been winding up inside of him unwound all at once and he resisted the urge to cross the few feet between them in order to be right by her side.
"Carlisle tells me you've imprinted on me," her voice was on the deeper side and slightly gravelly, though Paul thought it was absolutely perfect, "Like a duck."
---
Paul couldn't help himself, the bubbling laugh that spilled from his lips when she spoke caused his fellow pack mates to look at him in surprise. Jared snorting at his friend while Sam seemed less than amused by his outburst.
"I think it would be best if Paul and Maisie spoke among themselves," Carlisle decided, "The three of us can go talk in my office."
With one final pat on his friend's shoulder Jared stood up from the couch and followed after his alpha and the blonde vampire. Paul and Maisie were quiet for a few minutes as she sized him, experiencing her own form of relief. The tension she had chalked up to being caused by Bella nearly completely fading away when she was in his presence and he noticed that her shoulders dropped into a less defensive manner than before.
She wasn't threatened by him. Even more surprising he didn't feel on edge around her at all, despite everything about her, from the absolute perfectness of her appearance, to the gleaning amber eyes, and the fact that he couldn't hear her heartbeat telling him that something was wrong.
"Carlisle said you would explain the Imprint to me." she said crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow.
Paul cleared his throat and wiped his sweat palms onto his cargo pants, "Well it's not quite like a duck..." he trailed off for a minute watching her facial expression remain impassive, "It's something that happens when a wolf finds their soulmate, we're bonded for life in whatever way you choose to need me. A friend, a brother, or...a lover."
"A lover?" Maisie tensed a gain and Paul pursed his lips.
"It's whatever you want, I will fit into any role perfectly..." he trailed off, "Nothing happens unless you want it to."
Maisie nodded and finally looked away from him, her intense gaze flickering around the room for a few seconds as she thought. She unfolded her arms and crossed the few feet, his heart fluttered at being so close to her all of a sudden and she held out her hand, "I'm Maisie Alvarez."
The thought of any formal introduction had completely left his mind and he chuckled a bit, Paul stood up to face her properly and noticed that he was only a few inches taller than her, "Paul LaHote."
It was the first step, he felt it as she took a slight step away from him, a strange smile on her face. Maisie was conflicted and frankly feeling a little weird about the situation, coming to Forks was meant to be a simple affair, to see the family and attend a wedding.
Now she bonded to someone for life.
It was written all over her face, or maybe it was the Imprint making it easy for him to read her. Maisie Alvarez needed a friend.
So a friend he shall be.
---
"I don't see another option besides allowing her onto the reservation," Sam said with a sigh, Maisie had gone to get the rest of them after the short talk with Paul, "Paul won't be able to handle himself around the vampires for very long, even you make him uncomfortable."
Paul felt slightly embarrassed that he was being displayed as the out of control shifter but he knew his alpha was right, even the passing scent from the other vampires was setting him on edge. The only thing keeping him calm was Maisie standing beside him as though she knew that her being there made him feel better.
"You won't be able to hunt on our land," Sam said sternly, finally looking up at his pack mates Imprint, the alpha had realized that because of Paul's connection to her he also felt more at ease around her. She smelled different from all the other vampires, less sickly sweet and death like, "and you'll stay away from the civilians, we don't want any incidents."
Maisie rolled her eyes and held her hands up in mock surrender, "You won't have to worry about me. I've been a vampire longer than you've been alive Sammy, I can control myself around a few blood bags here and there."
Paul didn't know if he should laugh at her calling his friend Sammy or cringe at comparing the human's to blood bags. Jared chose for him and snickered quietly though it was heard by everyone in the room.
Maisie grinned a bit to herself at the boy's laugh and moved to stand by Carlisle as the three wolves perked up at the sound of a howl. Any human would have been unable to hear it due to the distance but the supernatural were all privy to it, Sam rolled his eyes at whatever was the cause but Jared and Paul shared a smirk.
"We better go," Jared decided, "Our packmates are getting restless with their patrol."
"It was nice seeing you, our door is always open for questions. Or if you need to come and see Maisie." Carlisle said grinning at them and Maisie scoffed knowing exactly why he was so happy.
Once the three wolves were out of the house Maisie dropped down onto the sofa with a sigh, she could feel the absence of Paul very clearly but didn't say anything about it. Carlisle watched her with a smirk, "This is an interesting turn of event's...isn't it?"
"Why can't anything be normal for us!"
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