An (Im)Perfect Imprint (A Paul Lahote Imprint)

Chapter 6

He gasped as I forced my lips upon his, his hot breath flooding into my mouth, but recovered quickly, kissing me back. He rolled on top of me, hands at either sides of my head, never breaking the kiss as my arms wound around his neck, pulling at his hair.

He moaned against my lips and clutched at the skin peeping out from my shirt. I pulled up on his shirt, nearly ripping it off of him. Staring up in wonder at the sight of him, I grazed my fingers down his bare skin as he shivered. A wolf cried out and I groaned. He rolled off of me, breathing heavily as I jumped off of the bed, cursing under my breath. I pulled up on his window and ducked out of it, Paul scrambled out of the window behind me.

I took off running into the woods and phased, immediately being overwhelmed by the voices in my head.

"No, " Jacob said, almost in the same voice Sam used when he was commanding us as Alpha.

I could feel the shock reverberate through the pack as Sam replied, "Jacob, what have you done?"

"I won't follow you, Sam. Not for something so wrong."

I ran faster towards the pack. Sam commanded, "Everyone phase back. This is our business."

I phased back instantaneously and I glanced back at Paul, who looked as shock as I did. I whispered, "Did Jacob just leave the pack?"

He nodded, not saying anything. Another howl rung through the air and I phased back. The flood of voices babbling filled my head and Sam yelled in our minds, "Everyone, shut up."

A silence broke out and I couldn't help but notice two voices missing: Jacob and Seth's.

Sam sent out, "Jacob and Seth have left to protect the Cullens from our attack. We've lost the element of surprise."

Baffled, I burst out, "Attack? Why on earth would we be attacking them? They saved my life."

Sam snarled, "They've created an abomination. We saw it when we were there. But his incessant pining after Bella has clouded his judgement."

I kept my thoughts silent. No one dared to make a sound or even think anything. Sam finally said quickly, "All of you are dismissed."

I phased once again and succumbed to my thoughts. Disbelief clouded my mind as Paul spoke softly, "Let's get you back to my house."

I jogged after him back towards his house, the sound of the leaves crunching the only thing disrupting the silence. Paul slid into the window as I followed him, still naked. I asked, "Could you hand me a shirt and shorts or sweatpants?"

He grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, throwing them to me. I slipped them quickly over my head. Paul whispered, "Are we really going to have to fight against Jacob and Seth?"

Thoughts ran through my mind as I stared at him. "Paul, you know I can't do that."

His eyes flashed. "What are you saying?"

I cupped his cheek, feeling his soft skin under my hand. "I, I'm sorry Paul, but I'm going after him. He's my cousin, more of a brother than anything."

He moved away from my hand and exclaimed, "How are you going to do that? You'll leave everyone for him? You'll leave me?"

I put both of my hands on his cheeks. "Paul, you're my imprint. You know how much you mean to me. You have to. But this, I can't do this. They're innocent. You have got to see that."

He refused to meet my eyes. "Sam has always been there for me. I can't just abandon him. He's my family I don't have anyone else."

I replied, "And you KNOW that Jacob is what I've got."

I pressed my lips against his twice, a sort of farewell. He whispered, "Please don't make me choose."

I breathed into his ear, "I'm not making you choose. I love you. You, you stay here. It's what you want."

He wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face into my hair. "I want you," he mumbled.

"Come here," I whispered. Laying down, I pulled him onto his bed with me and wrapped myself around him like a monkey. Grudgingly, he enveloped me into his arm and I let him loose to stroke his hair.

He mumbled so quietly I could hardly hear him, "My dad died today."

With all of the commotion, I had nearly forgotten. "And I'm leaving you. I feel awful, I'm so sorry Paul. Come here."

I wrapped my arms around him vice tight. He whispered, "I love you too."

My heart swooned but my brain quickly remembered the conditions we were in. I spoke into his chest, "If it comes to a fight, I won't fight you, I'm sorry, I won't do it. I won't be able to fight any of you."

He cradled me against him, replaying, "Let's hope this won't come to that. Maybe Sam will just stop. He's losing three of us. Mer, please don't leave me," he begged, "I can't do any of this without you."

I groaned. "Paul, I CAN'T fight Jacob or Seth or even the Cullens. Especially after they saved my life," I pulled him to me tighter, "I can't. I love you, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry."