I've Become Artemis Swan

Changes

Something was wrong. I didn't know what it was, but my heart dropped when Paul told me we needed to talk. Maybe it's because, a week before Winter Break was over, I hadn't seen him. I haven't seen him since then. He's been too busy with work and now wants to 'talk.'

"Everything okay?" Jessica asked,

"...I don't think so," I said as I stared at my phone.

We sat outside for lunch; she and Lauren worked on their tans.

"Uh oh, that's never good," Angela said as she looked at my phone.

"What does it say?" Lauren asked, sitting up.

"We need to talk. After School at our place," Angela said, hugging my shoulders.

"I'm sure it's nothing." Mike shrugged,

"You think so?" I looked at him,

"No. Sorry." Mike rubbed the back of his neck,

Bella and Angela both smacked him on the shoulder.

"Want me to come with you? I can wait in the car." Bella said,

"No. That would be weird. I'll be okay," I said, shrugging my shoulders and looking back at the text.

~

"You, okay?" I asked as I approached Paul.

He was sitting on a log, his head between his hands. He didn't say anything, even when I sat next to him.

"Paul. Be blunt. It's the best way to get something you don't want to say out. Or you don't want to feel." I said after ten minutes.

"I don't want to break up with you. I want to be with you. I love you," he said, looking at me.

I felt like I couldn't breathe. He looked like he was in pain. His eyes were black. I couldn't see the white in his eyes or his pupils. Or maybe it's all pupils.

"Paul, context- Paul!" I yelled after him,

He shook his head and got up. I moved quickly and grabbed his arm as he dragged me across the sand. He stopped,

"Paul. Please talk to me." I said as I moved in front of him, putting both hands on his cheeks and making him look at me.

"I can't," Paul said, looking at me with pain in his eyes as he put his hands on mine and took them off his face.

"Paul...Is someone else telling you to break up with me?" I asked softly, giving him a soft smile to reassure him that it would be okay.

"Yes and No." He said after a couple of minutes, his eyes searching mine, and I could still see their pain.

"Okay...you know you aren't obligated to stay with me. And, you especially don't have to try and force yourself to love me." I told him, looking into his eyes with a soft smile.

"I loved you before I...started working out. I knew I wanted to be with you before everything happened." Paul shook his head at me, tightening his grip on my hands.

"But?" I asked,

"...I don't know anymore." Paul let go and looked away from me, running his hand through his hair, looking frustrated, annoyed, confused.

"Then, let's break up," I said, pain shooting through my heart when I said that.

His head snapped to me, and he growled before grabbing me by the neck. His eyes were fully blown, no ounce of color visible.

"No!" He barked, his voice coming out deeper and the anger visible.

"Paul!" Jared shouted from behind him.

Paul's grip tightened around my neck, making breathing harder. This wasn't Paul. This was his wolf.

"Let her go!" Jared snapped at Paul, grabbing his wrist and trying to force him to let go. Paul's wolf just growled.

"Let.Her.Go!" Sam barked the order, Paul's wolf immediately dropping me to the ground.

I sat on the beach, coughing as I gasped for air. Jared kneeled beside me, rubbing my back as Paul shook his head, looking at me in pain before running off.

"I got him," Sam told Jared before leaving to go after Paul.

"He wants to break up; he doesn't," I said, confused as I got my breath back.

"You ever had that feeling when you look at someone and think they're your soulmate?" Jared asked as he kept rubbing my back.

"Never felt it myself, but yeah. I believe it exists." I nodded, looking up at him as he sat next to me.

"Paul felt that when he saw someone else..." Jared sighed, giving me a pitiful smile.

I gave him a pained one and got to my feet. I didn't know what to say to that; I mean, I had a hunch, but...it still hurts. Jared got up and pulled me into a tight hug.

"It'd be best for everyone if you stopped coming around. I'm not going to stop you from seeing Jacob and Quil. No one will...yet. But not to Sam and Emily's. Right now, I'll be here for you. So you can cry...I know how you felt about him." Jared said, tightening his hold.

I hugged him back as I cried, my heart aching.