The rain had been steady since dawn, the kind that blurred the trees into watercolor and filled the cabin with a low, constant hum. Tala sat curled on the old armchair near the window, legs tucked beneath her, a quilt Emily insisted she use draped across her lap.
She had barely slept the night before. Everything felt sharper lately — sounds, scents, emotions, even the way the house breathed around her. It wasn't overwhelming, not like that first night, but it pressed at her in ways she was still learning to navigate.
Paul's scent lingered faintly in the room. Sand, forest, heat. He'd been by earlier with Sam and Jared, checking in before patrol. Checking on her. Always checking.
Tala wasn't sure how she felt about that yet.
She hadn't told him to stop.
The front door opened, and Sam ducked inside first, followed by Paul. They both shook rain from their hair, Sam heading straight for the kitchen while Paul's eyes sought her out before he'd properly stepped into the house.
It was always like that now — his focus finding her like a compass needle finding north.
"Hey." Paul said, voice low, not wanting to intrude. "Emily said you didn't sleep."
Tala shrugged, pulling the blanket a little tighter. "Hard to sleep when your head won't shut up." She tried to say it lightly, but Paul's brows drew together anyway.
He didn't approach immediately — he'd learned her pace fast. Instead, he walked toward the fireplace, crouched there, and started coaxing the embers back to life. Sparks leapt, the glow stretching warm across the room.
"You feeling anything weird today?" Paul asked without looking at her. It didn't sound like prying — just checking for danger.
"There's been this humming in my ears." She admitted. "Not loud. Just...like the air's vibrating."
"That's your senses syncing." He said gently. "Happens to all of us. Means your wolf's settling."
Tala chewed her lip. "Is it going to get worse?"
"It's going to get clearer." Sam answered from the doorway, drying his hands. "You're stabilizing. That's good."
Tala huffed a laugh. "Stabilizing. Sounds like I was a bomb."
Sam lifted a brow. "You kind of were."
Before she could reply, the screen door banged open in the kitchen. Jared stepped in, shaking out his jacket, eyes flicking instantly from Sam to Tala.
"Everything good?" he asked — too casually. They'd all been like that since she came home. Too gentle. Too careful. Like she was made of glass and gunpowder at the same time.
"I'm fine." Tala said, even if she wasn't entirely sure.
Paul finished with the fire and finally crossed the room, slow and deliberate. He stopped a few feet away, giving her plenty of space. The awareness between them flickered, subtle but present — a tug beneath her ribs she kept pretending she didn't notice.
"You ate yet?" he asked.
"No."
"Want to?"
Tala hesitated. She wasn't used to someone...orbiting her. Not like this. But she also wasn't used to someone offering without expecting something in return.
She nodded.
Paul's shoulders loosened — the closest thing he ever gave to a relieved smile. "We made enough stew for a small army." He said. "Sam cooked. So, you know. It's edible."
Sam glared without heat. "Barely."
Tala snorted before she could help it. And just like that, the room relaxed.
Emily entered then, brushing rain off her braid. "Tala? Walk with me for a second?"
Tala blinked but slid out of the armchair. Emily led her onto the covered back porch, where the rain drummed steady against the roof.
"You doing okay with Paul?" Emily asked gently.
Tala froze, eyes widening. "What—why would you—"
"Because he looks at you like he's afraid you're going to vanish." Emily said softly. "And you look at him like you're trying to figure out if you should run or not."
Tala dropped her gaze. "I just... I don't want to hurt him. Or myself. Or let this whole imprinting thing decide what I feel."
Emily touched her arm.
"You get to choose your path." She said, firm. "The imprint bond can pull, but it can't force. And Paul? He'll follow your pace. Even if that pace is slow."
Tala let out a shaky breath. "It's just... whenever he's close, it feels easier to breathe."
"That's not the imprint bond telling you what to feel." Emily said with a small smile. "That's your nervous system taking the support it needs."
Tala swallowed. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."
"You don't have to do anything." Emily assured her. "Just allow yourself to feel whatever comes up. Confusion included."
They went back inside. Paul stood exactly where she'd left him, as if he hadn't moved an inch. His expression was careful — open, patient, waiting without assumption.
"Food?" he asked quietly.
Tala nodded.
He smiled, small and soft, and she felt that quiet tug again. But this time, she didn't fight it.
She followed him into the kitchen.
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A.N:
little bit of a shorter chapter, but i've taken a break from my other book: Riddle Heiress
just so i could pre-write chapters for this book. i promise i will start updating regularly. but i just want to thank you guys for the love you've still been showing this book, it means the absolute the world to me. and i appreciate you guys being so patient with me, i've had some stuff going on lately and i appreciate you guys not rushing me on updating and continuing to show love.
anyways yap session over, as always let me know what you guys think so far
peace out, love y'all <3
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Only Exception | P.L
Fanfiction"None of this was ever worth the risk, well you are the only exception" Paul Lahote never wanted an imprint nor expect to find one, much less it being his best friend's little sister. Tala Uley had grown up pretty guarded. With their parents not ar...
