Storm ☾ Paul Lahote

~THERE WAS NO CHOICE~

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"Jake!" I stormed into Billy Black's house, slamming the front door behind me in absolute annoyance. "What the actual hell were you thinking?!" I stop in my tracks, scanning the living room.

Embry was leaned up against the wall beside the couch, his arms crossed as he looked at me before looking back at Jake. Jake sat on the couch, clutching his nose in discomfort.

"He wasn't," Embry shook his head in annoyance.

"Shut up, Embry." Jake scoffed, tipping his head back as he rubbed his nose.

"Jacob Black, you fucking idiot," I shake my head at him as I trudged over to where he sat. "You can't go around picking fights with everyone you see."

"Says you," Embry chimed in, a little smirk on his face as he mocked me.

I sent him a glare, "At least I know to pick on someone who I know I could beat." I point out.

Embry rolled his eyes. "Jake, you should have known that Paul isn't the most peaceful person. He isn't interested in tea parties."

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "Paul?"

"Yes, Paul." Embry nods, "Did I stutter?" Embry sends me a knowing smile, practically mocking me.

"Jacob Ephraim Black, at least be smart and don't pick on someone that will brutally murder you," I leaned down to get a better look of his tanned face. "You're starting to get bruises under your eyes," I mumble, reaching out to touch his nose.

"He broke his nose," Embry informs me as I pull my hand away, watching as Jake winced in pain as he touched his throbbing nose once again.

Billy rolled into view, sending me a small smile before hearing Jake's cries of pain.

"It's a broken nose," I nod to Billy who looked at the three of us in concern. "Get over it, you baby." I straighten myself, glancing at Embry.

"Who did this?" Billy rolled beside the couch, making me step towards Embry so Billy could check on Jake.

"Paul," Embry says once again as I propped myself against the wall beside him.

"That boy is always getting into trouble, releasing his anger on anything that breathes," Billy sighs, studying Jake.

"Just like Reagan," Embry nudges me, making me swat his elbow away.

"I'm going to kill you," I sigh, tipping my head back so it rested against the wall behind me.

"You guys are perfect for each other. You're both explosive," Embry points out.

Jake scoffs, "Will you two shut up about that bastard?" Jake rubs his forehead in annoyance.

My eyebrow raises at Jake's sudden aversion to Paul.

Jake never liked Paul or Sam. I felt terrible since Paul was my imprint but, Jake was also one of my best friends. I couldn't tell Jake what was going on, he would have to just wait.

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"What the hell is his problem?" I walk beside Embry who's arm was wrapped around my shoulders. "He was so snappy about Paul." Embry and I were walking towards Quil's red pick up truck that Embry always borrowed.

"He dented his face, I would hope he'd be snappy. Who would be giddy about being assaulted?" My eyes narrow in suspicion, making me halt my steps. 

I turned to Embry, who looked confused as his arm fell from my shoulders. "He's phasing, isn't he?" I look up at him, watching as he averted his eyes.

He sighs, "Yes," He nods, stuffing his hands in his pocket.

"That explains it," I scoff, "Jake would never fight someone unless it was self-defense," I shake my head, glancing around. "You know what, you go ahead and take the truck, I'll take the trails. It'll be faster," My eyes shift over to the trees beyond Jake's house, something caught my eye.

"Are you sure?" I look back at Embry who looked at me like I was crazy. 

I nod, reassuring him that I would be okay.

☾

  The light was fading, creating new shadows and dark patches around me. The wind wailed between distorted trunks, carrying the sickly stink of wood rot. I moved faster, ignoring the thorns that caught at my jeans, the damp leaves that grimed my skin. I lifted my face, letting the light and shadow dance across my skin.

The trees stood utterly still, statues in a living museum where no leaf dared to fall. It lingered in the air, thick and heavy, like a blanket. Wherever I moved, that silence followed, always watching never fading. The silence was like a restorative draught after the frenetic rush of the day. The silence surrounded me like a fresh, pristine, white blanket of snow on a winter's day.

I heard the crunch of a crispy twig on the forest floor, causing my breathing to stop for a moment. In any other situation, it would be fine. But now, the whole vampire on the loose situation was terrifying me. I stopped walking, turning my head to the side slowly, trying to figure out where the hell the sudden noise came from.

"Baby girl, you learned your lesson," A vile voice rung out, ceasing the silence. "I'm surprised, you never really were tame," 

Goosebumps ran quickly through my spine. My body was shivering as if I was in a living freezer.

I turned around, figuring out where the voice originally came from.

"Leave me the hell alone!" I ordered, frantically moving my head from side to side. I didn't want another surprise attack like last time.

"I'm not here to hurt you, baby girl," Scott reassured as if he was offended that I even thought that might be why he was here. "I would never hurt my girlfriend," All of a sudden, he was in front of me, his skin just as pale as it was before.

"I'm not yours anymore," I bared my teeth, feeling them throb at my anger.

I noticed his eyes widened at my rage. I never yelled back at him last time, this time, I was much more prepared.

"So I see who you've chosen," He nods at the ground in fake sadness. 

All at once, I discover there's nothing around at all but a spreading carpet of gray-green moss, years deep, and a silence that feels as old as time itself. There's nothing to frighten me, but I am frightened ... and lonesome, not so much for people, but for a sound ... any sound. I turn to run back towards my house that I knew was only about a hundred feet away, but there's nothing behind me now but the same gray moss and gray sky and dead silence.

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