A/N: Inspired by the Paws and Art 2.0 contest.
Disclaimer: I do not own.
Warning: for language.
3rd POV
Paul sat in the crowded bar, empty glasses piling up before him. The agony that clutched his heart like a vice was what drove him to what seemed like the never ending bottle. The bartender, one he knew quite well and one who he bore his soul to one night just continued to top up his glasses.
"Paul, you need to…" Bella tries to speak, only stopping as the glowing eyes of the wolf glared at her from between the gaps of his hands.
"I don't need to do anything Bella, she had told me already of what she wanted. I am doing what she asked, now leave it be!" he snarled quietly, his voice all but that of his wolf.
Bella shook her head sadly, she had known Paul for over three years now and she had never seen him so unlike himself; so animalistic yet controlled. She knew the secret of course; after all she had found her mate in Jacob after the Cullen's abandoned her.
For a year Paul had been here, every night on the dot after patrols or work he had sat in the darkest corner of her bar. Every night since his imprint told him to leave; it was a sad thing. But Bella understood somewhat where Leah was coming through, but enough was enough; she needed to get her head out of her ass and accept the damn imprint.
How she could ignore it was one question that had everyone guessing, as she too was a wolf and imprinted on Paul.
With a huff, Isabella called the last call early; making everyone leave. She was going to kick Paul's ass into gear and get him to go be a man and face his stubborn imprint.
Paul looked up when he felt the glass being removed from his hand, a snarl escaping his lips in a warning. Bella rolled her eyes as she drank the last of his drink and placed it in the wash bucket with the rest of the glasses.
"I was still drinking that." He snarled standing, sending the barstool flying behind him.
"And you need to get the hell out of my bar and to your imprint. You won't hurt me Paul LaHote, your wolf won't let you." Bella replied smirking, causing Paul to snarl and then to huff. He knew she was right, a wolf cannot hurt theirs or their pack brothers imprints.
"I'm sorry." He muttered scathingly. "But I won't go to her."
Bella rolled her eyes and placed the dishtowel that was in her hands down before placing them on Paul's face. "You will go to her Paul. Leah can't keep doing this to you, she can't keep ignoring you. Go show her what she is doing to you, show her how hurt you are by her actions." She whispered sadly, rubbing her thumbs over the scruff on his chin.
Paul closed his eyes and took a deep breath before nodding, Bella was always right when it came to stuff like this and he wouldn't doubt her now.
"Okay. Jacob is here." He told her, his eyes turning to the Alpha at the door.
Jacob stood in the doorway, his shoulder leaning on the frame with his arms crossed and brow raised. If he didn't hear the conversation between them he would have assumed the worst of the scene before him, but then his imprint loved him dearly and he know how much of a brother Paul was to her.
"Hey Jake, just cleaning up I won't be long. Paul you be off now." Paul smirked as Bella practically pushed him from the bar, him allowing her of course; but it was still funny. "Go to her." Was all she whispered before closing the door before him.
With a sigh he looked up to the full moon in the rare clear night sky and straightened his jacket that he had on. It made him itch but he had come to the bar right after his shift at work. He didn't want to go to his imprints, but wanted to at the same time. It was a war within himself, one with his wolf and the other himself – the human side.
The wolf demanded his imprint, to go and claim her as his while the human screamed at him not to go, not to be hurt anymore. Soon enough his humanity lost and his wolf took over, it was angry, confused as to how his mate could deny him; to hurt him the way she has.
Paul let his feet lead the way, his heart tugging him in the direction of his mate. It took all but mere minutes to arrive at his mate's home, his eyes peering from the darkness of the trees into her home. She was in the kitchen, her hair clipped back as she cleaned; though her lips were tugged into a smile, her eyes were flat.
Leah tensed as she turned her back from the window, her whole body tingling with fire. She knew the feeling well; she always got it when Paul was watching her. Turning slowly, her eyes peered out the window; catching Paul's wolf like eyes immediately.
Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the man before her. He was tired, ragged almost. Though most of all, she was pissed off at the fact that he was here; she told him not to come near her.
"Paul? What happened and what the fuck are you doing here?" She asked in a hiss as she stormed out of her home into the night.
Paul stalked forward, stopping mere feet from his imprint and snarled almost brokenly at her. "Look what you are doing Leah! Look what you ignoring me does! You are breaking me!" He yells, his hands flying to the air in exasperation.
Leah watched as Paul mumbled more to himself as he paced, his movement's jerky as he tried not to phase. "Just accept the damn imprint!" he snarled at her as he came to an abrupt stop.
"I don't want this imprint Paul! All imprinting does is take away my choices and keep me in this god forsaken cursed world!" Leah screamed at him, her voice cracking at the end. Paul whirled around and growled his wolf angry at hers. She was holding it back, holding her animalistic side back.
But he saw the flash of pain in her eyes before she covered it, the one she has been showing since Sam had hurt her; since he had left Leah for her cousin and it made him furious that she was hung up on him still.
"Stop being so fucking selfish Leah! It has been FOUR YEARS! FOUR LONG FUCKING YEARS SINCE SAM LEFT YOU!" Paul snarled as he pointed out his thoughts, her body jerking back by the admission. "Just let him go! Let him go and be free to love again!" he whispered, the fight leaving him instantly as a sob broke his imprints chest.
"I don't know how to Paul. He was my everything, I gave him everything and he destroyed it with a simple look." She sobbed, falling to her knees. Paul quickly rushed over and pulled his mate into his arms, holding her tightly as she sobbed into his chest. "He didn't even fight for me… you didn't fight for me." Her voice was muffled but it made Paul whimper. It was true, he didn't fight for her; he just stayed away like she asked… until now.
"But I am fighting for you now Leah, I can't be without you anymore; I need you." Paul whispers, lifting her head up softly so he could look into her eyes. Paul could never understand how Taha Aki could bless him with a mate as beautiful as Leah. Even now with her face streaked red and her eyes puffy with tears; she was still the most beautiful creature to exist in his eyes.
Leah held back her gasp as she stared deeply into the soft brown eyes of Paul, her world shifting around her as every little gesture Paul did for her since Sam left her came back. He was her imprint and in her own selfishness and little world had missed all the gestures he had given and done for her and in return she had hurt him.
"I'm sorry for hurting you…" she trails off, only stopping as Paul placed a finger over her lips to silence her.
"Sh, it doesn't matter now…" he whispers, leaning down and placing his lips on hers.
No, it didn't matter now at all; everything was forgiven…
A/N: Well I know Paul and Leah? Well I was in a funk and I came across the contest and the banners sparked a little bunny in me that refused to let go.
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Ellie