Tell No Lies

Winter is Coming

Paul stood on First Beach, taking in the restless waves as they crashed into the shore. He knew he needed to get back to Roisin's - there was still tons to do for the cookout that afternoon - but he wanted this time alone here to clear his head and enjoy the view. He wasn't sure when they would be back to La Push, even though Roisin assured him they could come back eventually.

This wasn't forever, Paul told himself. They would come back. They were just on the run for now. But soon they would figure a way out of it. Find a way to get Rian and Roisin's family off their backs and then they could really start their lives together. Maybe finally figure out just what that would be without the constant threat of Summer or Winter.

Sighing, he shook his head as he sat down on the sand and continued watching the waves. He knew more than anything that he wanted to be Roisin. But it still was proving harder than he thought it would be to leave.

And he couldn't help the growing feeling that they shouldn't run. That they should face Roisin's brother head-on. But everytime Paul had tried to bring it up, Roisin cut him off with some other task or question about leaving. Maybe he should speak to Sean about it. It seemed if anyone could get Roisin to listen, it would be him. Perhaps if Sean and Paul teamed up on this, they could convince Roisin not to run.

But that was if Sean agreed. And Paul still wasn't sure if this was just a gut feeling or if it was his subconscious not wanting to leave the only home he had ever known. It was a bit ironic, seeing how he had been considering leaving La Push eventually and had even been a little bit jealous of Leah when she got out.

"Thought I'd find you here," Jared called out. Paul looked over and smiled slightly, turning back to the ocean. "Getting your fix? Thought you guys were going somewhere that had a beach."

"We are, but it's not the same," Paul said, taking a deep breath through his nose and committing the scent of the beach to memory.

"Mae still pissed?" Jared asked. Paul snorted and looked at his best friend.

"What do you think?" he asked. Jared chuckled and shook his head.

"I don't get it. She understands the imprint, right?" Jared asked. Paul shrugged. "There's no way that you weren't going with them."

"I know that. Sean knows that. Roisin knows it. But I'm beginning to think that Mae is attempting to delude herself," Paul said. He wasn't sure just what the fae had against him, but figured it was some sort of best friend thing.

It had been Mae and Roisin for the longest time. Then Sean. And now he was joining their little motley crew. Paul supposed she was still adjusting.

The two wolves then lapsed into silence for some time, both of them thinking about the same thing. That Paul was leaving with Roisin and they hadn't gotten any closer to figuring out what to do other than run.

"You ready to go?" Jared asked. Paul glanced at him and nodded. "Never thought you'd be the first to leave. Well, suppose you're the second after Leah - but we all expected that one.."

"Yea... never thought I'd leave either. Not like this, anyway," Paul admitted.

"On the run from a bunch of angry fae?" Jared said, his voice light, though Paul knew that it was mostly for his benefit. "Yea, I'm pretty sure there was no pool on that... running from an angry father or the law, sure. But angry fae - not even on the radar."

Paul chuckled and looked over at his best friend, his thoughts turning to everything they had been through together over the last few years. Shifting for the first time. Protecting the tribe from vampires and all that entailed. Not all that long ago, Paul was wondering what to do with the rest of his life with his biggest worry trying to figure out what he wanted to major in.