GODS AND MONSTERS ↝ P. LAHOTE

[19]

"Oh, look." Alicia said with a smile as she and Lark walked out of the school into the cloudy afternoon air, stopping suddenly to point at the boy leaning against his bike with his arms crossed over his chest, waiting for the girls' arrival. "Looks like you don't need a ride home after all."

The girls crossed over to where Paul was waiting, his eyes never once leaving Lark as they grew closer. She approached nervously, as the two hadn't talked since after the wedding, Paul agreeing to give Lark the space she needed after the revelation of his true nature. She wasn't quite sure how to approach the boy after their argument. She gave him a small smile and a half-wave in greeting, an uneasy silence settling between the group.

"I'll leave you two to... figure everything out." Alicia said, giving them an encouraging smile. "See you guys later."

"Bye," Lark said as Alicia crossed to her car, slowly turning back to Paul, who gestured back towards the bike.

"Want to go for a ride?" Paul asked. "I know just the place to sit and watch the water. Great place to talk, if you're up for it."

Lark nodded and Paul sat down on the bike, revving the engine and she watched as it roared to life with an angry hum. Lark climbed on the back, wrapping her arms around Paul's waist to steady herself and he kicked off, the bike's engine continuing to roar as they sped out of the Forks High parking lot and towards the rocky cliffs of La Push. Lark kept her eyes on the passing scenery as Paul drove,  and once they reached the beach he parked on a cliff overlooking the water, not far from where they had their picnic a few weeks before.

"Lark, please say something." Paul said as they climbed off the bike. "You haven't said a word to me in days. Being silent and moody is supposed to be my thing." he said, trying to ease the tension that had befallen them.

"I've..." she trailed off, searching for the right words. "had time to process things. I was so focused on figuring out the truth that I didn't even stop to think about how I was going to react if I got the answers I wanted."

"Come sit." he said, taking a seat on the grass overlooking the water and patting for her to join him. She took a seat and he slowly took her hand, holding it in his. "I'll explain everything."

She nodded, looking up at him with an encouraging smile.

"Well, I guess we'll start with the Cold Ones." he began. "Who, as you guessed, are the Cullens. Quileute wolves have only ever had one job. We protect humans from them. If there's no threat, then the wolves don't turn. Sam was the first one to turn when the Cullens first moved to Forks. But the longer they've stayed, the more of us that have shifted to protect the town. Next was Jared and then... me. I didn't know what was happening. I spent almost a day in the forest, stuck as a wolf before Sam and Jared found me. I thought I'd be stuck like that forever. Eventually they calmed me down enough for me to change back."

"Have you ever fought one of them?" Lark asked then, and Paul nodded.

"The Cullens, no. But other vampires, yes. Let's go back to the... camping trip that kept me from our first date." he said, and her eyes widened. "There was a bit of a situation with some vampires in Seattle."

"The serial killer." Lark concluded.

Paul nodded. "We took care of it, along with the Cullens. I guess you could say we're more of allies now than enemies. Seth's even friends with them. The plan was to fight them, and then I'd hopefully be back in time to make dinner. But we missed one, and it went after Leah. Jacob got in-between the two, and the bloodsucker crushed his body."

"Oh, my God." Lark said, covering her mouth with her hand.

"As you've seen, he's fine." Paul said. "We took the vampire down. But it was scary. In pack terms, that's my brother. We really thought we were going to lose him."

"Paul Lahote, local hero." Lark said with a smile, nudging his shoulder with hers and he smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"You'd best believe it." he said with a proud grin.

"So how does it work?" she asked. "If it's not the full moon."

"We can choose it." he said. "Sometimes it also happens if we get angry and lose control. You could say I'm guilty from time to time of getting angry and shifting. Probably the worst of the whole pack."

"Can't be that bad at it if I've never seen it." Lark said encouragingly, laying her head on his shoulder.

"I guess you could say I'm different around you." he said hesitantly, searching for his next words. "Which brings us to... imprinting."

"Imprinting?" she questioned.

"Probably not something in your books." he said, his cheeks tinging red. "Some werewolves have what's called an imprint. I guess you could say it's a bit like love at first sight..." he trailed off. "Anyways, when you imprint on someone, you'd do anything for them. Be anything they need."

"Sounds like you know a lot about it." she said.

Paul nodded. "You could say that."

"So you've done it then?" she asked. "Imprinted?"

"I wouldn't be sitting here if I hadn't." he said, his eyes meeting hers, and a silence settled between them.

"Oh." she said, her jaw dropping. "Oh! So you're saying you... on..." she stammered.

Paul nodded. "Yes. Larkin Hudson, I imprinted on you the first time I saw you. As you might recall, I looked like a complete idiot and just stared at you the whole time."

"Now that you say it, I do remember." she said thoughtfully. "So what does that mean? For... us?"

"Well, it means that whatever you need, that's what I'll be. Boyfriend, friend, it's up to you. But I'm bound to protect you, no matter the cost. Like I said, I'm different around you than I am my brothers and Leah, or anyone for that matter. You've never seen me lose control because you make me want to better myself. I'm an angry guy, sure, but I'm learning how to control myself because it's what you need. I am whatever you need."

"So..." she trailed off. "you're like a super protective boyfriend?"

Paul chucked, wrapping his other arm around her in a tight embrace and kissing her softly. "If that's what you need, then I'm all yours."