Dangerous Woman ▷ Paul Lahote

EPILOGUE

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EPILOGUE

     "YOU KNOW THAT just because Esme likes to cook for you doesn't mean you can double dip between here and Emily's, right?"

     Amelia watched amusedly as her boyfriend scarfed down another stack of pancakes and mumbled something incoherent. Esme was at the stove, smiling at Paul's eagerness to eat.

     "Oh, let him be, Mia. It's been a while since I've gotten to cook for someone, especially since Bella usually isn't hungry," Esme waved her daughter off.

     Once Paul had swallowed down the last pancake and Esme placed two more on his plate, he wrapped an arm around Amelia's waist and pulled her forward.

     "Yeah, cut me some slack, Mia. Plus, if I go to Emily's, I have to share the food with all of the other guys. When I'm here, it's just me, food and you, which is just the way I like it."

     "That was extremely poetic, Paul," Emmett said, walking into the room. "Lia, you've gotten yourself quite the man there."

     Amelia rolled her eyes before pressing a kiss to Paul's cheek. "Well, nevertheless, I'm sure the pack isn't happy about you coming over so much."

     He waved her off. "Screw the pack. They can do whatever the hell they want. I still run patrol, and that's all that should matter to them."

     "Here you go, Paul," Esme spoke, sliding another cup of orange juice towards him.

     He flashed her a blinding grin. "Thanks, Esme." Once he finished gulping down his cup, he turned back to Amelia. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"

     "I have some business to take care of," Amelia replied, hoping Paul didn't hear the nervousness laced in her voice.

     She had requested to meet up with Demetri in order to discuss the nature of Paul's fate with the Volturi. She already knew what kind of expressions she would receive once the shapeshifter arrived in Volterra, especially from Caius, who was afraid of wolves. The one reaction she wasn't prepared for was Aro's.

     It was still a mystery as to what Aro wanted to do once he met Paul, and before Amelia could allow her soulmate to become exposed to any kind of danger, she needed to understand Aro's intentions.

     She still wasn't ready, however, for Paul to meet Demetri.

     "So I can't come with you?" Paul questioned, a frown on his face.

     She smiled and placed a kiss on his lips. "Not today, but you can stay here and continue to eat whatever Esme cooks up for you. I think Emmett and Jasper are going to watch a game on the television, if you'd like to join them also."

     His shoulders slumped. "Alright. Will you come back soon?"

     She gave him another kiss. "I promise."

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     "Interesting that you've chosen to meet me. You didn't want to bring your new beau?"

     "Let's not do this today, Dem. You promised you would help me."

     The diner in Forks was bustling with people, and no one noticed the two vampires sitting in the back, whispering angrily at one another.

     Demetri leaned forward. "Just tell me one thing — did you ever believe, just for a second, that we were soulmates?"

     She sighed at the question. Demetri knew exactly how she was going to respond, but he needed to hear the truth, one last time, before he could finally let her go from his heart. "No, I didn't. You were my closest friend, Dem, but it never felt the way soulmates should feel. The way I feel with Paul-"

     "Okay," he interjected, refusing to hear about her newfound happiness. "I get it."

     "So?" She raised an eyebrow, turning the conversation back around to the subject of Paul.

     "As far as I know, Aro has no intentions of placing any harm upon your precious shapeshifter. He is, however, intrigued by the nature of your relationship and Paul's feelings towards you. It's simple curiosity, Mia. Nothing to worry about."

     She heard the tilt in his voice. "But?"

     He sighed. "But if Paul comes across as a threat, Aro will decide how to handle the situation."

     Her eyes narrowed. "Meaning?"

     He took one last glance at her face, observing the beauty of her features. He still cannot comprehend that he lost her, to a shapeshifter, nonetheless.

     "Meaning that if Paul threatens the existence of vampires, Aro will allow you to stay with him, but force you to become a part of the Volturi."

if aro lays a hand on paul, i invite all of you to stand in line and start punching me