Love Just Isn't Safe (Paul LaHote)

Chapter 12

Emily's eyes widened in understanding, though before she could say anything Sam came to her side. He looked to Paul with a serious expression, then to me, and back to Paul. "Okay, this should be good," he chuckled.

I froze mid-sip when Paul's looked to me with that expression that always left me speechless. I swallowed and put down my cup as he walked towards me. He leaned down to kiss my forehead, "Ready to see my biggest secret Little Wolf?"

I narrow my eyes, "I think so, but you're scaring me."

He didn't respond, he just grabbed my hand and led me out the door followed by Sam. Emily didn't follow us, she just stood by the front door. Neither one spoke to me as they led me to the woods. Suddenly every crime show I've seen came back to mind, realizing that they could be bringing me out here to kill me. A bead of sweat formed at the back of my neck at the thought.

"Paul what's going on?" I demand, as they came to a stop in the middle of a small clearing.

Sam stopped walking and crossed his arms, "Elsa, there are things you've got to understand about what we're going to tell you. What you see here, you cannot tell anyone else. Or we'll be put in danger."

I didn't like where this was heading, though I was more afraid of Sam's intense gaze rather than Paul at this point. I grabbed Paul's hand tighter and hid a little behind him. "Okay. I'm assuming I can't tell anyone that you guys are a mob group right?" I tried laughing, but I couldn't quite get it from my throat.

Though, the corner of Sam's mouth twitched at my attempted joke, "We're not some sort of gang Elsa, I'll let Paul show you," he stepped back a few feet from us.

Paul sighed nervously and slid his shirt over his head. I stepped back from him, "What the hell? Paul what are you doing? Stop!" I demanded. But he didn't stop, he unzipped his pants and I turned my back on him. What in the actual hell was going on? Sam came to witness . . . this? What kind of sick bastards were they?

I heard a loud ripping noise and I clamped my hands over my ears, waiting for whatever came next. My eyes squeezed shut as I waited for my dreaded demise, but nothing happened. I dared to peek over my shoulder and instead of my naked boyfriend was a . . . giant-ass grey wolf.

The wolf whined and lowered itself on it's stomach so it was just below eye level. Its eyes were a light brown, almost like . . . no. No Elsa that's insane. My head began to spin as he inched closer, and a ear splitting shriek came from the back of my throat. I stepped back but tripped on a root and fell back hitting my head on a fallen log. Everything went extremely fuzzy.

The wolf barked and came closer but I scrambled back as best I could. "No, no," I whispered, but the dizziness took over too soon for me to find out exactly how these two men killed me.

-

At first I thought I was dead, killed by the wolf, but I can't be dead yet. Surely there wouldn't be this much pain in death. My head felt like it was on the verge of exploding and every muscle ached. A groan escaped my lips as I tried moving, but my body was too heavy. A cool cloth washed my forehead in attempt to bring me around to consciousness. It was working, each time it was replaced a new sense was brought to me.

First was my sense of self, or touch, I was very aware of my own body, which caused me to know that my head was killing me, that everything was killing me. I tried to feel something else, but couldn't until the cloth was replaced again, this time it was my sense of smell. Whoever was took care of me was cooking something that smelled like chocolate chip cookies. I focused on the smell rather than my aching head until it was replaced again, wishing I could just wake all the way up already.

Then came my sense of hearing, oh hell what a surprise that was. There were two men talking, I think it was about me. They spoke in hushed tones, I can only assume trying to hide their conversation from the others in the room. There were at least four others there, eating I think. One, I remembered as Emily was cooking, bringing more warm cookies from the oven.

"She's never going to accept this," one voice whispered.

"Yes, she will, just give her some time to adjust, we didn't go about this the right way," the other one responded. "We should have been more careful with her. She obviously wasn't ready to find this out."

"Come on Sam, you saw the way she looked at me."

Sam? That's right! Sam! Sam and Emily! That's where I was, that means that Sam was talking to Paul, my ex-boyfriend. Who was a . . . a shudder shot through my body. A werewolf. That's what he was. I didn't see it myself, but those eyes couldn't have been anyone else's. They were my ex-boyfriend's eyes. The love of my life's eyes.

But was he really? He was a monster. My thoughts drifted back to all those killings from "bears" a few months ago. They hadn't been explained, and Bella had said she saw wolves in the woods. They were murderers, every single one of them. Including Emily for being in on it, well, guilty by association.

"Paul, you need to calm down, once she wakes up you'll talk to her. She'll understand like everyone other imprint has," Sam assured him.

Emily came and replaced the cloth on my head and I was finally able to speak. I groaned and went to move again, being able to with ease this time. Emily helped me sit up, encouraging me to take it easy. I put my head between my legs at first to keep my coffee down.

"Easy sweetheart, you've got a concussion," Emily warned me trying to keep me from standing.

Paul came immediately to my side and I jumped away from him, nearly falling off the couch, "You're a . . ." I couldn't get the word out.

"Werewolf." He confirmed reaching out to touch my face, but I flinched at the action. He thought better of his actions and recoiled his arm. Pain and hurt flashed across his eyes like lightening, first they were there then they weren't. Instead was the wall he always put up.

That wasn't the word I would have used, so I corrected him, "Monster."

At this, the entire background went silent, a fork somewhere fell to it's place. I could tell everyone else was astonished at my accusation, but my eyes only saw Paul. He was looking to the side instead of at me. Tortured by my words but I didn't care. It was true, if he really killed those hikers, then they were just that. Monsters, and they probably weren't going to let me go.

"Are you going to kill me?"

Paul's eyes snapped back to mine in shock, "No," his voice barely above a whisper, "I'd never hurt you Elsa. Never." he stressed the last word.

I stood in spite of Emily's protests, and saw who was at the table. My best friend, Seth Clearwater. My eyes softened seeing his hurt eyes, I looked back to Paul and Sam. I shook my head, "You brought Seth into this?" I whispered then held out my hands. "I can't deal with this." I went for the door.

"Elsa wait please," Paul chased after me as I patted my pockets looking for my car keys. "Please don't leave, give me a chance to explain everything to you, you don't know anything except what you've seen." he blocked the driver's door.

"I've seen too damn much Paul," I yanked the truck door open but Paul slammed it shut again, not allowing me to leave. I held my breath, "Those animal attacks? Those people who died? You killed all those hikers?" I demanded turning around and getting in his face.

Paul shakes his head, "No, no Elsa, those people were killed by a different monster, not us. Not one of us have taken a human life."

His use of the word human made me wary, "Human? More monsters? Paul, what in the actual hell is going on?"

He holds up his hands, "If you just calm down and let me drive you home, I'll explain everything to you I promise Elsa."

He held out his hand showing that he had the keys. He looked into my eyes, pleading with me to allow him to drive me home. I bite my lip, then nod, "Okay, okay fine!" I decide, "But that's all the time you get! The time it takes to take my home you got that LaHote?" I demand.

Paul nods, grinning like a fool, "That's all the time I need Miss Swan."