Howl • Paul Lahote

• 0.6 •

Ava had spent a lot of time with Paul. After her best friend left her to go to Italy with one of the Cullens, she recruited a new one. Not just one, however, a whole pack of them. In the week Bella had been gone Ava had hung out with everyone in the pack at least once. Whether it was doing homework with Embry or helping Jacob, she had been passed around. All through it, though, she had always gone back to Paul.

That's how she ended up in Emily's kitchen baking muffins.

"So you really hit him?" Emily laughed out.

"I didn't just hit him, I beat the shit out of him," Ava replied. The both of them were crying with laughter reliving their most badass moments. Their laughing calmed down when Sam entered the house. Walking over to Emily, the two kissed. Ava looked away, trying to give them their moment. She smiled when Paul walked through the door whilst mucking around with Embry. The two were an unlikely pair but good friends nonetheless.

As soon as Paul entered the room his eyes searched for Ava. This is something she had only just figured out he did. He smiled when their eyes met and headed towards her.

"Hey." She said when he reached her. He picked her up and spun her while she giggled. Paul had been doing this a lot recently.

"What's up?" He asked as he put her down.

"We're baking muffins." She replied smiling up at the tall boy.

"What was that about beating someone?" Sam asked smiling at Ava. Emily and Ava both looked at each other and starting laughing again.

"I swear they're both crazy." Embry joked as he swooped in and stole a muffin.

"Oh, it's nothing," Ava replied throwing her hand down. The boys then went on to talk about whatever happened on patrol with Sam.

"Oh, Ava?" Embry said at the door, about to leave. She replied with a hmm.

"I just wanted to tell you, because no one else will, Bella's back." He then ducked out the door as the two boys that were left growled at him. Ava froze and stayed staring at the muffin she was eating.

"Why wouldn't you tell me?" She asked Paul angrily.

"Because we knew you'd be angry and want to see her." He replied sheepishly.

"Why can't I see her?" She stood from the table.

"Because she's on the Cullens land," Paul replied.

"And?" She grabbed her keys.

"We're not allowed to cross the treaty line."

"Who says you were coming?" She grabbed her phone.

Paul growled. "You can't go by yourself."

"Why not?" She grabbed a muffin for the drive and started heading for the door.

"Because we can't protect you." Ava stopped and turned to them. Emily stood silently in the kitchen.

"Who says I need protecting? They aren't going to hurt me if they aren't hurting Bella."

"That's not the point," Paul said calmly, trying not to lose it.

"Look, Paul, you can tell me all about the point after I get back." And with that, she turned around and opened the door.

"Ava come back," Sam ordered.

"I'm not a wolf Sam, the fact that you're an Alpha doesn't apply to me." She slammed the door and headed for her car with Paul following behind her. He didn't say anything, just watched her leave. She looked in her rearview mirror when she got on the driveway and saw Paul shift into his massive wolf. The wolf stared at her retreating car then took off into the forest.

Ava couldn't help but feel bad. But just because he liked her didn't mean he had to protect her. She thought about it on the drive over. By the time she had gotten close to the Cullen's house, she had talked herself out of it. Like a sore loser, she turned around and drove home.

X

Since her argument with Paul, Ava hadn't been back to Emily's. She hadn't really spoken with any of the pack, only with Quil of course. But she had focussed on staying ahead in her studies, which she achieved earlier on in her week without the pack. So she had taken to binge watching t.v shows.

"Ava someone's here to see you!" She heard her Aunty call out.

"Coming!" She replied, groaning as she got out of her bed. She tripped over something on the floor and stumbled to open her door and turn on the light. Running a hand through her hair, she made it to the front door.

"Paul." She groaned as she got to the door. Joy just smiled as she looked between the two.

"I'll leave you two to it then." She smiled walking away. Ava's eyes followed her Aunt's retreating figure then made their way back to Paul's. He was already looking at her, staring like he always did.

"Ava we need to talk." Ava sighed and walked past Paul, down the driveway and sat on the grass in the sun. Paul followed her and sat down too.

"If we talk there we'll have people listening." Paul nodded still confused. "Aunt Joy! She always hears everything. It's like she's a werewolf too." Paul chuckled.

"So, uh, Ava."

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever heard of imprints?" Paul rubbed the back of his neck and turned towards her.

"No?" She asked confused.

"Well, it's a wolf thing." He tried to explain scratching the back of his neck nervously.

Ava sat up straighter and recrossed her legs,"It's a wolf thing." She repeated mockingly.

"Uh, yeah. It's when a wolf finds their soulmate." Ava nodded for him to continue.

"Well, it happened to me a few weeks ago." Ava smiled because she knew who it was, it had to be her. "When I first saw her, my world stopped. I didn't believe that I would ever get an imprint so the realization that I had one was so overwhelming. Then I made myself seem like an idiot in front of her when I ran off." Ava laughed.

"Then when I saw her again she was pissed and that made me pissed. So when she got hurt, I phased and almost hurt one of her friends. But then we told her about it and she understood. We got to know each other after that and I figured out that in that short time, she had become the most important person in the world to me. I wasn't being held down by gravity anymore, it was her, she was holding me down." Ava's eyes welled up with tears but none dared to fall.

"But after that, I fucked up. I got too overprotective and wouldn't let her do something, that she could've gotten hurt doing, but I still held her back. And she hated me for it and I felt so bad but I couldn't have another person leave so I tried to fight but she left. And after she left, it got hard and I got sad. I thought she hated me and I really hope she doesn't." Paul looked up at her after he finished. He saw her tears and reached up to wipe them away. She sat up so she was kneeling next to him.

"Oh Paul, I don't hate you, I could never hate you. You just pissed me off but it doesn't matter now." She then fell into his arms. They hugged as the sun set. Quil and Joy stood looking at them through the window. Joy reminiscing on her imprint, Quil wondering if he would ever have one.

"Kids!" Joy yelled out from the house,"Dinners ready!"

They both looked up and then turned back to each other. Ava got up then offered Paul a hand. He smiled at her hand and took it pulling her back down onto him.

"Paul!" She yelled out laughing. They both laughed as they got up and headed towards the house.