Better Man (P.L.)

10.

He was walking out of the forest, laughing with his best friend when a phone began to ring, both stopping.

Jared pulled his phone from his short pocket, checking the caller ID. "It's Kim." He spoke, a grin appearing on his lips.

Paul smirked, nudging him. "Go on then, answer it."

Jared rolled his eyes, but hit answer, putting the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"You and Paul need to come to Olivia's now." Kim sounded frantic and nervous, footsteps sounding beside her voice, as if she was pacing.

"Why, what happened?" Jared's tone became serious, hearing the slight shake to Kim's voice.

"We got to her house and we came inside. Olivia was calling for Leo, but he never replied, so we went into the living room and this guy was there. Jar, he was her ex boyfriend. Her abusive ex boyfriend. Apparently he got out of jail and came looking for her. They're upstairs arguing right now and I just heard something break and I'm really scared, so please hurry."

Jared and Paul shared a look, Paul shifting before he could change. His phone hit the ground as he ran to Olivia's, Jared sighing as he picked it up. "We'll be right there."

He quickly undressed and tied his shorts to his ankles, shifting and running after Paul. Jared, being the fastest in the pack, quickly caught up to the silver wolf, both howling as they went to Olivia's.

Jacob and Embry's voices sounded in their heads, both lost as to what was happening.

Trouble at Olivia's was all Paul thought, Jared replaying the memory of the call for the two other boys.

Paul was the first at Olivia's, throwing on a spare pair of shorts he kept by her house for when he patrolled it at night. Jared was at his side in seconds, both running into the house and throwing the door open.

Jared went straight to Kim, comforting the shaking girl as she sobbed into his chest. "I don't hear her yelling anymore, only him. Paul, I think he's hurting her." Kim sobbed, making Paul even more upset.

Her statement was only solidified in a moment, a bang sounding throughout the house and Olivia crying out in pain. Paul didn't hesitate to storm up the steps, throwing Olivia's door open.

The scene was straight out of a scary movie, Olivia bloodied and bruised, her mirror shattered, her things thrown onto the ground and broken, and her, leaning against a wall with a hand to the back of her head. She looked up at Paul, terrified, her eyes glistening with tears.

He rushed to her aid, his glare turning onto the coward hurting his imprint. He ran at the boy, easily overpowering him and punching him. He pinned Jason to the ground, punching him over and over.

Jason punched back, striking Paul once and taking the opportunity to escape. He didn't get far before Paul had grabbed him again, pushing him by the neck against the wall, as he had done to Olivia the night she overdosed.

He began to punch Jason again, Olivia managing to stand. "Paul, Paul, stop!" She yelled, trying, and failing, to grab his arm. "Paul, please!"

Warm arms grabbed her, Jared and Jacob stopping Paul from hitting Jason again. "That's enough, Paul." Sam commanded, Paul shaking Jared's hand off.

Jared stopped him before throwing another punch, motioning with his free hand to Jason. "He's already knocked out, Paul, he can't hurt her anymore."

It was true, Jason's eyes, although not that visible behind all the blood were shut. The damage was done, his lip busted, his nose probably broken, his face swelling, and a black eye forming. Paul had truly beaten the shit out of him, his knuckles covered in blood, stopping Jason until more help arrived.

Paul was shaking violently, his eyes darkened. "I should kill him."

"Paul, remember who you are. Look at Olivia, she needs you." Paul hesitantly turned to his girlfriend, who was shaking like a leaf in Kim's arms. Her face was stained and streaked with tears, her eyes big and watery, staring up at Paul in nervousness. Her hands, covered in scratches, were shaking as well, held against her chest. She wasn't afraid of him, no, more so worried for him.

But Paul didn't know that, so when he thought his imprint was afraid of him, he snapped, his shaking becoming worse. "I'm sorry, I-I have to go." He bolted out of the room, Jared and Jacob turning to Sam as if he was their general and they were his troop, awaiting a command.

"Go after him." Sam ordered, Jared and Jacob nodding once before exiting. Olivia was even more scared without Paul than she was with him.

"Where is he going?" She whispered, Sam turning to her.

"He'll be fine, Olivia. We need to call your dad, what's his-" Olivia managed to escape from Kim's arms, dodging Embry and Sam's attempts to stop her and bolting out of her room, down the stairs after Paul, Jared, and Jacob.

"Olivia!" Kim cried, all three of them running after the girl. Despite her pain and the dizziness, Olivia kept running. All Olivia could think about was stopping Paul, assuring him that she wasn't afraid of him, that she needed him there.

"Olivia, stop! He'll be back!" Sam yelled after her, trying to grab her arm. Olivia ignored them, stepping onto her porch.

She watched in horror, time seeming to slow as Paul exploded, his form disappearing, and in his place, a giant wolf.

Jared and Jacob both turned to face her, both shocked. Jared caught her as she fell to her knees, her eyes trained on the wolf that ran into the forest.

"Holy shit...." she vaguely heard herself say, her vision growing darker.

"Someone, call an ambulance. Kim, you call her father." Sam shouted out, Jared looking at her in worry.

"I'm losing her!" He screamed, trying to apply pressure to the wound on her head.

"Help is on the way!" Embry announced, right as Olivia finally passed out.