Tides Changing

Chapter 8

"Alright, Miss Swan, you'll have three hours to complete the exam. Once you've finished you may go home for the day."

Lily nodded, bent over the test and got to work. She had spent the last two weeks studying and getting help from the pack. She was exhausted, but ready.

At the end of her three hours, Lily double checked her test paper before turning it into Principal Green. She walked out of the school building heading for her truck. She smiled when she saw Paul leaning against the door.

"Hey."

"Hey, baby." He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her in his arms. When her head was level with his, he pressed his lips to hers, groaning when she tangled her tongue with his. Breaking away when they needed to breathe he grinned down at her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well," he said as he set her back on her feet. "I'm taking you to lunch and then I thought we could do some Christmas shopping."

"Paul, it's five days til Christmas. What do you need to get?"

"As a matter of fact, I need to get something for your Dad and for you."

Lily smiled up at him. "Honey, you don't have to get me anything."

"Good thing I wasn't planning to spend a lot then, right?" Paul chuckled at the look on her face as he opened the door to her truck.

Lily smiled at him and decided to let him have his way. She was already getting her gift. Charlie had agreed to let her move to the res, on the condition she wait until after Christmas. He also didn't want her moving in with Paul right away. While most of her belongings would be boxed up and stored at his place, Lily would be moving into Sam and Emily's guest room. When Sam had offered it, Charlie jumped at the solution. It was planned for Lily to be completely moved by the day after Christmas.

"You're awfully quiet over there." Paul commented as he reached for her hand.

They had spent the last few hours shopping in Port Angeles. Lily smiled and wrapped her fingers around his. "Just thinking."

"What about, baby?"

She looked over at him as he drove, admiring the line of his jaw and the russet color of his skin. She thought he was the best looking man she'd ever seen. "How much my life has changed in the last three months."

Pulling her truck into his driveway, he looked over at her. "Good changes?"

She smiled, "Mmm..." Opening her door, she jumped down and headed up his front stairs, walking right into his house.

"Lily ?" Paul found her in his kitchen getting something for them to drink. "Lily, what's going on in that beautiful head of yours?"

"Three months ago, all I wanted in the world was to become a vampire and spend the rest of my existence with Edward." She turned to look at him. "Now, all I want in this world is to be with you; to have a family with you, to love you and have you love me. I want to be safe and I know you're the only person who can make and keep me that way."

Paul placed his hands on her cheeks and stared into her eyes. "I will always keep you safe and protected. Just as I will always love you." Leaning down he pressed his lips softly to hers. When he pulled back, "I do love you, Lily. I don't know when it happened, but I feel it."

She felt a tear slip down her cheek at his confession. She thought she'd loved Edward, but what she felt for Paul overshadowed that tenfold. Grasping his wrists with her hands, "I love you, too."

A howl went up just as their lips would have met again. Paul turned to the door and then back to Lily.

"Go," she kissed him quickly. "I'll go to Emily's."

Paul yanked his shirt over his head and kicked off his shoes. He was unbuttoning his pants as he headed for the door, pulling them down and phasing once they hit the floor. He barked at her to go and was gone before she could blink.

Lily ran into Emily's and found Kim pacing the floor while Emily sat on the couch in shock.

"Em?" Lily sat before her friend and grasped her hands. "What is it?"

"Quil phased this morning, but Sam went ahead and gave Paul the time off to spend with you. Jacob was patrolling when he heard some pained howls and sent up a signal. You guys were on your way, but hadn't gotten back yet."

"Emily, what happened?" Lily gave her a shake.

"Uncle Harry had a heart attack when Leah and Seth got into an argument and both phased in their living room."

"Oh my, God." Lily covered her mouth. "What was the howl we just heard?"

"The redhead got a little too close to the res." Kim answered.

Lily turned to her, "How's Harry, Kim?"

"I don't think it's good, Lily."

Lily hung her head as tears leaked from her eyes. Harry had been her father's friend for as long as she could remember. She knew he would be devastated if he died.

Taking a deep breath, she wiped her eyes and stood up. "Let's get cooking, Emily. We'll need to feed our wolves and I think we should make something for the Clearwaters."

"I think that's a great idea, Lily." Kim agreed.

The two of them coaxed Emily off the couch and into the kitchen where she woodenly began helping make a meal. After about ten minutes she finally started to talk.

"She's gonna hate me more now than she already does."

"Who, Leah?"

"Yeah. I know you guys know the story."

"We do," Kim started.

"But everything works out for a reason, right?" Lily finished.

"I suppose." Emily whispered.

They worked in silence until the boys slowly filed into the house, Leah and Seth trailing behind them. Jared immediately went to Kim, Sam doing the same with Emily. Lily walked to Paul and placed her hand on his cheek, looking into his eyes.

"Is he...?"

"Not yet." Paul whispered, pulling her to him and breathing in her scent.

"Let's all sit down and eat something. Jake, you'll take patrol with Paul. Embry, you can go with Seth and Leah to the hospital. I'll stay on the res and watch the imprints. Quil and Jared, you need to get some sleep, you'll be on dawn patrol."

"Sam, would you mind if I went to the hospital as well?" Bella asked, knowing the sensitivity of the situation required the Alpha's permission.

Sam smiled, "I'm fine with it as long as Paul is."

"Just make sure you stick with Embry, Seth and Leah. Don't leave without one of them." Paul requested, knowing she would be safe with the three of them.

"I promise," she stood up and carried her plate to the kitchen. "Do you guys want a ride?" Walking back to the dining room, she smiled gently at Seth and Leah.

"Sure, thanks, Lily."

Paul stood and followed the four of them to the door. He stopped with Lily at the drivers side door and leaned down to kiss her. "Stay with your dad and the others, please, baby."

"I will," she reached up to caress his cheek. "I love you."

"Love you, too." With one last kiss, she got in her truck and drove them to the hospital.