motormouth.

VI.

Paul had only been gifted snapshots of Bella Swan's stepsister, Ashlyn, through the form of Jacob's own memory. He knew the basics; she was the daughter of Bella's mother's new husband, therefore not directly related to any of the Swan's, and you could certainly tell, even through the broken thoughts of his pack-mate.

First of all, she was blonde, a golden shade with strands of white running through, probably bleached from the sun. Her skin held a permanent bronze, with freckles decorating her nose and shoulders, in contrast to her step-sibling's sheet white. From what he could tell, she was tiny, standing at least a foot below Jacob before he phased, but her figure was toned and strong. That particular detail was received due to Jacob's boyish observations, which often Sam shut down. Before today, none of the other boys needed to know the details of how her features were a little more shapely than the average eighteen year old. Clearly one member of the Swan family wasn't enough for him. 

It was also clear Ashlyn was much more vibrant than Bella, whom Paul had never paid much interest to unless he was forced into Jacob's obsessive thoughts. From brief memories of their childhood or the months in the garage building motorbikes, Ashlyn seemed fiery, often terrorising Jacob whenever she found the chance. It only took a few seconds to notice this in person, too.

Bella had fumbled past Paul without a second glance, glad of the relief from the tension in the room. In contrast, Ashlyn's face was a jumble of emotion, burning into the back of her sister's head. Paul could only guess she had some kind of inclination Bella knew more than she had let on, and he felt an overwhelming, perhaps unjust distaste for the girl, solely because she was upsetting his imprint. 

His stomach dropped when she met his gaze. Her eyes were a striking shade of light green, intensified by her golden skin and hair, and he could imagine their intensity bringing someone to their knees. He definitely felt slightly weak, especially when her plump lips settled in a subtle pout. It was hard to believe she was his, that the spirits had somehow decided he deserved someone so incredibly stunning as his soulmate. 

"Can I talk to you?"

Paul is aware his voice doesn't hold the same taunting, arrogant tone; it is replaced by a low, soft one, perhaps an attempt not to scare her, which is the kind of thing he would have never considered previously. He's certain he picks up her breath hitch from across the room, a light flush crossing her cheeks as she seems very aware that they aren't actually alone. 

"Sure."

Jacob's thoughts were entirely accurate as the girl comes to stroll beside him, barely reaching his elbow with her petite frame. It seems one stride for Paul is two for her as they head for the forest in a comfortable silence. He can't decide whether she feels the power of the attraction between them as strongly as he does, but the slight nervousness she seems to be holding indicates maybe so. From what Jacob had hinted, Ashlyn was not shy.

"I didn't realise how serious Jacob was when he said you were Bella's opposite."

Ashlyn smiles in amusement, which satisfies him more than he wants to admit. 

"Arizona didn't suit her like it suited me."

"Why did you move then?"

"A rescue mission, of course." She quips, with a sparkle in her emerald eyes. "Bella was practically a zombie after that Edward guy."

Paul's jaw clenches and Ash frowns in confusion for what seems like the hundredth time that day. He disguises his tension quickly but the blonde continues to stare. Suddenly, she can't handle the small talk any longer.

"The other day, in that meadow," She begins, her voice softening from the playful attitude just moments before. "That was you, wasn't it?"

He nods, stuffing his hands into his jean shorts.

"Thank you." Her voice holds a gratitude that sets his pulse racing. "I thought I was dead."

"It was a close call." Paul sheepishly grins at her. "I wasn't sure I was going to make it in time when we picked up his scent."

"Was he a vampire?"

The word sets the boy on edge immediately, like Edward's name. His arms tense so the veins running through them bulge, a sight that Ashlyn finds more sexy than she wishes to admit.

"Yes. The entire reason we can shift is to protect our land and people from them."

Paul stops walking abruptly, meeting his imprint's stare as she turns to look at him. She has an innocence in her bright, wide eyes that screams humanity.

"You might want to sit down."

Crouching beneath the trunk of a pine tree on the grass, Ashlyn absorbs every last detail of the Quileute tales, from the spirit warriors to the Cold Ones, her mouth slightly parted in awe as she listens. Despite her earlier assumptions, they were never a threat to her; their intentions were to protect, not attack.

"So the disappearances Charlie's investigating... they're not you." Ashlyn concludes. She's adjusted to lying on her front, her legs swinging in the air behind her as she picks at blades of grass comfortably.

Paul nods at her. He's leaning beside her, hand propping his broad frame up. Even with space between them, there's a heat radiating his body she can feel against the bare skin of her arms and it almost tingles, like there's magnetism between them.

"It's vampires. We've been tracking one for weeks, a woman, but she keeps getting away. Can't say the same for the one after you, though."

He smirks with pride and Ashlyn raises an eyebrow, the cockiness hard to process when it relates to a wolf killing a vampire.

"I think her name's Victoria." Ashlyn muses, surprised at her own ease in talking to him. "The man mentioned something about it, a warning, that he would kill me then Bella."

"That's not fucking surprising." Paul scoffs. He glances down at her puzzled expression. "I don't want to give too much away... maybe that's Bella's place, but your sister loves herself a bloodsucker. That's why we've been chasing the redhead up to Canada."

Ashlyn becomes rather unsettled by this. The thought of her sister being associated to the same creatures as the man in the forest bugs her, perhaps exaggerated by the stories Paul has divulged to her. She tries to shrug it off, focusing her attention to the darkening sky and depleting temperature.

"We should get going." 

As if he's read her mind, Paul rises up from the ground and offers Ashlyn his hand to help her up. She stumbles when she stands, her hands flattening onto his stomach and a sensation of sparks crosses both their skin, to which she gasps lightly. 

"Is the... temperature a trait of being a-"

"Mm-hm." Paul has another signature grin on his face as he looks down at her still leaning on him for support. She jumps back suddenly, like she hadn't realised she was touching him. The warmth was too tempting. "As well as being incredibly good-looking, of course."

She laughs musically, her defined cheekbones replaced with little dimples. 

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Lahote, I still haven't forgotten what happened earlier."

"And you seem to have forgotten I saved your life a few days ago."

Again, Ashlyn chuckles as she looks up at him. Everything about her was full of life; each step she took had a bounce to it, almost like she was dancing, and her smile was radiant, illuminating her entire face and making her eyes sparkle with energy. Ironically, this caused a dark discomfort to settle in Paul's stomach. His imprint, a woman he was destined to be with in this life, was so passionate and spirited, and this act of fate would drag her into a world that not even the brightest of people could conquer.

He slows to watch her gently brush her fingertips across a collection of wild flowers, a content smile etched on her face as her blonde waves flutter in the breeze, and the young man feels a conflict within himself that he's not sure he can handle.