Aurora - *FELIX V. PAUL*

Ch. 11

Aurora awoke to the sounds of pots and pans in the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes and sat up to see Emily with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't meant to wake you."

"You're okay." Aurora smiled and looked around. "What time is it?"

"10:30. You've been sleeping for a little while, but from what Paul's said you haven't had much sleep these passed couple days." Aurora nodded. Emily sat down beside her on the couch and looked around to be sure none of the boys were nearby. "Just so you know, when Paul phased to go on his watch the guys all saw... pretty much everything."

Aurora gave a long, breathy sigh. "So I'm guessing you know about Felix then."

"We never really got a name. The only pronouns aside from your name were a few very colorful and distasteful nicknames Paul came up with himself." Aurora turned red, unsure of how the pack would react to the recent events. "I have to ask," Emily continued, "what is it about this vampire?"

She had asked herself that same question over and over again with no luck in finding the answer. It was clear she wasn't in love with him, then again she wasn't necessarily in love with Paul either. She certainly felt better and more at ease with Paul around rather than Felix, but still something about Felix continued to draw her in.

Before she could answer, they heard the familiar howl just outside the screen door. They turned as Paul entered the living room, the looks on their faces evident that they didn't want him to hear they're previous conversation. Paul eyed them both suspiciously. Emily took this as a sign to stand from the couch and head back into the kitchen. Aurora blinked at him, but Paul simply motioned his head signaling her to follow him outside. She stood and tailed him.

Aurora expected him to come right out with a long lecture about the dangers of vampires and the fact that he loved her and that it should have been more than enough for her. She briefly paused on the porch thinking they would continue their conversation out there, but he didn't stop. Confused, she chased after him as he went to the passenger side door to her jeep and opened it for her. She was getting the silent treatment. This couldn't be good.

After she sat and buckled in, Paul shut her door and walked back around to the driver door and opened it seating himself in the seat beside her. He shut the door and they were off to an unknown location. Her eyes drifted to him trying to read his expression or his body language, but he gave her nothing. Paul never even glanced her way on the ride.

He went up the main road and twisted onto the mountainside path. He turned down a lonesome dirt road and they bounced along for awhile before he pulled right up to the cliff side where he had imprinted on her. Paul didn't get out of the car, he just sat back and sighed.

"Will you tell me what we're doing here?" Aurora asked quietly still expecting some form of blowout.

Paul was silent awhile longer.

"Do you remember?" He asked with no explanation. She didn't need one though.

"Yes."

"Do you want to know what I saw when I imprinted on you?" Aurora nodded at him. "It was your hands." He reached out for her hand and she gave it to him. Paul laced their fingers and continued. "I saw your delicate fingers... your perfect hands reaching out to me. Your want for me to take them and hold them." His eyes finally met her and scanned her face. "You wanted me."

Aurora sighed at the beautiful statement. She looked back down at their hands. She wanted him, she couldn't deny that.

Paul continued again. "I want you. Here and now, I want you all to myself. I would lay down myself, my pack, my secrets, everything just to have you..." he exhaled deeply, releasing the breath of stress and anxiety, "...but I don't want you to be in this half-assed anymore. You were never certain with me, and I don't want to go back to that."