In the Heat of the Night

Chapter Five:

There was an emergency pack meeting to discuss the return of the cold ones. Paul's heart was palpitating the whole time. He knew that Bella and him were imprinted, but that didn't stop the waves of jealousy, and also anxiety to crash over him. Edward was her first love, and that was always a dangerous territory to be in. She might have feelings for Edward that were still hiding under the surface. It repulsed him to even think of them together.

His lip pulled back in a snarl just thinking about it. How a leech, someone that was dead, could ever think that they could love and cherish a living human, was beyond him. Maybe that was why the Cullen's had left to begin with. But why were they back?

The pack sat around the fire, and everyone waited for Sam to speak. Jacob and Paul still weren't on good terms, and ignored each other. Sam finally spoke, "It's been brought to our attention that the Cullen's have entered their land again. For how long, we're not yet sure, and for what purpose, we do not know." The fire crackled in front of him, and he set his big hands on the knees of his faded jeans. "For now, however, everyone is to remember that we have a treaty with them, and that means that we don't enter their land."

Eyebrows raised around the campfire, and Jacob was the first to blurt out, "How are we supposed to guard Bella?" Paul's face was contorting into a horrible snarl.

Sam sighed, "The cold ones will pick up protection on their side of the land. Obviously, we're still allowed to go into town in human form, but our wolf form is forbidden."

It was Paul's turn to snap, "Why should we trust them? They left before, who's to say that they're not going to leave again and leave her unprotected?" This time Jacob nodded in agreement.

"She's my imprint, I'm not leaving her under cold one protection-" Paul snapped, "It's against the law of nature." His dark eyes flashed, and stared Sam right in the eyes.

Sam's nostrils flared, annoyed that Paul would try and challenge him here in a group setting. "There are two options. Bella moves onto our land, where we can resume defending her at all times, or she stays on their side of the land, and we trust that the Cullen's will resume protection."

Paul kicked his chair over as he jumped to his feet. "I don't trust them, and I won't let them toy with her life." He shouted across the fire, "I'm not letting her get hurt, because you don't have the balls to step in and tell them to let us guard her."

There was an audible gasp from Quinn and Embry as Sam's eyes narrowed. Sam didn't rise from his chair, and instead spoke very carefully and concisely. "If you can't control yourself, Paul, you are free to wait inside until the meeting is over. You heard what I said. I'm not breaking a centuries old treaty, because of your girlfriend-" he spat out the last word, "Bella was fine with the Cullen's last time. That is the final word." He waved his hand at Paul, and as furious as Paul was, his Alpha had spoken, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He stormed away from the fire, and drove to town to see Bella.

Pulling into her driveway, he knocked on the door, and Charlie answered. "Hey, can I talk to Bella?" Paul asked, hands shoved deep in the front pocket of his hoodie. He looked kind of disheveled, but not terribly. Just tired, and stressed. Charlie was a little suspicious about what this could be about, but he trusted Bella, and he didn't think on it too long.

"Couldn't you have texted her?" Charlie glanced over at the clock on the wall, "It's a little late, son."

Paul nodded, a little embarrassed, "Sorry, sir. It'll be quick, I promise."

Charlie sighed, and nodded. "Kids-" he grumbled, but he didn't mean it in a bad way. Heading over to the staircase, he shouted up, "Bella, your boyfriend is here-". Paul blushed a little when he heard him say those words. Charlie walked back over to the door, "We're going to have to lay down some rules, son." He arched an eyebrow at Paul, "She's to be back on time, you're to treat her like the princess she is, and if you break her heart-" he let out a tight sigh, "I don't want to have to break you, son. She's fragile right now, after what happened, last time-" he gestured his hands around, and Paul knew that he meant Edward.

His heart palpitated in anger at the mere reference to the leech. He hated everything to do with the Cullens, and the idea that Edward thought he was good enough to break Bella's heart, was laughable. It was also disgusting, and he felt sick even thinking about him touching Bella.

Bella headed down the stairs, a plaid long sleeve shirt on, over top of a tank top, wearing a pair of jeans. She rubbed at her eyes. "Paul? What's going on?"

"I need to talk to you-" he told her, and Charlie sighed. "I'll let you kids have your space." With that, he headed into the other room, leaving Paul and Bella to talk.

"The Cullen's are back-" Paul told her, and hated the look of interest that flashed through her eyes.

"How do you know?" She asked, immediately perking up, looking around like she expected Edward to al in at any second.

Paul's stomach rolled in anger, and he barely contained his rage from boiling over. "We had a council meeting about it. We can't patrol around your house unless we're in human form. The treaties been reinstated now that they're back." His lip pulled up having to say the words out loud.

Bella's face fell. "Who will watch and see if Victoria's coming?"

His neck muscle tensed, "We're supposed to assume that the Cullen's are taking up their watch again, but I don't trust them." Paul's handsome face was twisted in a scowl. "I don't want you to stay here tonight, I want you to come home with me. I can't leave you here."

Bella stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking back and forth, trying to decide her plan. "Charlie won't let me stay the night at someone else's house-" she told him, keeping her voice low.

"Then you sneak out the fucking window-" Paul snapped. "I'm not taking the chance that Victoria comes tonight."

Bella chewed her bottom lip. "Fine, just wait outside a little okay, I've got to get dad to think I'm asleep."

Paul nodded, and as he headed for the door he called, "Goodnight, Mr. Swan-"

"Goodnight, Paul-" he heard from the other room, before he closed the door.

He pulled his truck down the street and then parked it, and then headed back to hover in the bushes outside her house. Just over half an hour later, her window popped open, and she stuck her head out. "How do I get down?" She whispered.

"I'll catch you-" Paul told her, standing underneath, arms outstretched.

Bella looked at him nervously, before deciding to take the chance. She climbed to the edge, and then jumped. Paul caught her, almost losing his footing, but keeping her close to his chest and steadying himself.

"Got you, baby-" he told her with a grin, before hearing a twig snap behind him. Standing behind him, arms crossed against their chiselled chest, was his most hated Cullen.

Edward.

"I see you've got her." Edward snapped, "Can you put her down now? Before you inundate her with the smell of wet dog?"

Paul's pulse sped up to the point where he thought his eardrums were going to burst, and his vision went red.