The Beacon -Paul Lahote 2-

Chapter 3

"Carlisle," Mavis knocked on the door. "Carlisle, are you in there?" Pushing the door open, she scanned his office. He was nowhere to be found. "Well, that's odd." He was supposed to be in his office. Rather than leaving, Mavis stepped inside. She scanned the countless bookshelves that were piled high with books in different languages. Her fingers trail over the spines of the books. Mavis glances at his desk, noticing an open book. "What are you reading?" Her curiosity gets the better of her, and she approaches the desk. Without thinking, she lifts the cover. "Trapped Between Worlds: The Omen of Death. A book by Dr. Lucas Treveon." The words trail off towards the end. Mavis reads over the title multiple times. Flipping through the pages, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what the book is about. It's about Banshees. Carlisle was reading about Banshees.

Mavis had read a lot of books about what she is, but none came from a Dr. Lucas Treveon. It was a foreign name to her. The book didn't look like an ordinary book either. The pages were full of ink, pen ink. It was more of a notebook than a novel. As if it was the original copy. Carlisle had connections all over the world. There was no telling where the book came from.

The book had captured her attention instantly. Mavis was curious about what was inside. Instead of reading further, she hears footsteps approaching. She sets the book down and dashes for the door. However, before she can leave, Carlisle appears. "Mavis," he greets her.

"Hi," she forces a smile. "Sorry, I was looking for you."

"What can I do for you?"

"The car," Mavis remembers. "I think I ran over a nail on my way home from school. Sorry."

Carlisle smiles, "thank you for telling me. I'll have Emmett look at it later."

"Yeah," she slips out the door. "Can I take a different car? I promised I'd meet my friends at the beach."

"Already, but you just got home?"

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty popular these days."

That causes him to laugh, "sure. You know where the keys are."

"Thanks," she's already on the move. "You're the best."

"I know," he calls back. Mavis laughs and rushes down the stairs, but the name of the book echos in her head.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Mavis's eyes stay on her boyfriend. From a distance, she can see the concentration on his face as he kicks the ball to Jared. As usual, the moment they arrived at the beach, Paul was off to play soccer, leaving Mavis in the company of others. She never really minded. Usually, Emily was there, and the woman was great company.

Today was particularly chilly. Mavis had been used to the slight warmth in the town, but that seemed to be long gone. "I heard you got into Washington State," Emily nudged her shoulder. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Mavis forces a smile.

"They have great programs. A few of my high school friends went there." Mavis hadn't told anyone if she was going to college or not. They all assumed she was because she had never told them differently. The only person who knew what she truly wanted to do was Paul. He supported her. He always did. "I'll miss you when you leave."

"I'll miss you too, Em," Mavis found herself saying. Emily was older, but she was still her closest friend. The two got along well, better than most. Sam seemed appreciative as well. Before Mavis got there, Emily never left the Reservation. She lived on the outskirts because of her scars. Most people stared, but not Mavis. She pushed Emily out of her comfort zone in a good way, and he appreciated that. "Who knows where I'll go. Maybe I'll just stay here."

"I think Paul would like that," Emily laughed. "But wherever you go, I'm sure he'll follow."

Mavis felt her heart stop. They had never talked about a future together in that way. Of course, they were young, but they were soulmates. The Imprint bond confirmed that. They would forever be connected. That would remain the same after high school, which was coming to an end. "You think?"

Emily raised an eyebrow, "of course. He's completely infatuated with you. After watching him break down about being away from you for a week, I'll doubt he'll be far behind if you choose to move across the country." The idea caused her to smile. She liked to imagine a future, just the two of them. Maybe they could start a life together. 

But reality set in quickly. Mavis couldn't part from her family. They meant too much to her, and they were vampires. They bought themselves some more time in Forks, but it wouldn't last forever. Eventually, they would move again. Then again, and again The cycle was never-ending.

Mavis knew it would be wrong to subject Paul to that type of lifestyle. He was the type of person that would want to settle down and have a normal life—get married and have kids. That was who he was, and Mavis loved that about him.

Shaking her head, she forced the thoughts away. It was becoming more often that Mavis was plagued with negative thoughts. She often found herself falling victim to her own mind.

The air was cold, and she shivered slightly. "Well, I think-"

"Hey," Seth appeared beside them. "Are you cold?"

"Uh, I guess."

"Here," Seth slipped off the blue scarf he was wearing. Mavis shared a look with Emily, who failed to hide her smile. Seth draped the scarf over her neck. "There you go." Seth used his fingers to fix her hair tucked under the scarf.

Surprisingly, the scarf helped. "You're a lifesaver, Seth."

He blushed, "yeah, well. I try."

"Come on," Emily nudged her cousin. "Help me with the trays." At the mention of food, his entire body language changed. He was thrilled, as always. Mavis had never seen someone eat as much as Seth.

As they walked away, Mavis watched them. Recently, Seth had been making very light, flirtatious comments whenever she was around. Mavis found them humorous, but Paul did not. He was convinced that Seth harbored feelings for his girlfriend. Mavis thought Seth was being friendly. They had grown close the previous year when everything happened with Bella and Renesmee.

"Hey," Paul appeared beside her. His hand rested on her back, and he placed a swift kiss on her cheek. "I was thinking," he stopped. "What's this?" He observed the scarf curiously.

"Oh," she lifted the end of the fabric. "I was cold, so Seth got this for me." Mavis missed the glare Paul sent the younger wolf's way. Paul grabbed the scarf and took it off of her. "What are you doing?"

"Taking this off," he shrugged. "Smells like him."

"Okay?" She didn't understand, "it keeps me warm."

"I can keep you warm on my own."

Mavis eyed him curiously. "Are you okay?"

Paul ignored her, pulling her against his chest. Her cheek rested against his toned chest, and instantly his natural warmth radiated onto her. "Better?"

"Yeah."

"Good," Paul smirked triumphantly. "I'm glad we settled that." Mavis never had a chance to question him, "what exactly am I supposed to wear to this prom I was invited to?"

The change in topic was quick. "Well, a shirt would be great." He rolled his eyes, "but you don't need a suit. I would be happy if you showed up in pajamas."

That caused him to laugh, "I'll wear something nice. Thank you, Miss Helpful."

Mavis lifted her head to look at him. "You're very welcome." Rather than respond, Paul dipped his head down and happily placed his lips against hers. The rest of the world going silent around them.