𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔

𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙨 

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫

╰┈˚ · ° .   THE CULLENS HAD MOVED AWAY, but it wasn't much of a relief as we had all expected. Sure, we all preferred to not have them anywhere near our territory, but with them gone, it meant that we had more ground to protect and patrol.

The woods of Forks were not part of the Reservation, but that didn't mean that at least once every few patrol shifts, we didn't need to move further away from our borders to check the surrounding area. It was for safety, but the number of wolves was too low to cover all the ground that we would wish and we were all already stretching thin our time.

The coven helped when we could, adding spells to various spots that would at least serve us to pinpoint anyone passing through that land, crossing the line between Forks and La Push.

But other than the supernatural duties, there was still our day-to-day lives to live and deal with. We needed to attend school, keeping up with the homeworks and the lessons— each one of us had a job that we needed. Not even just for personal necessities, most often then not, at least half of the days of the week we would eat together, and the groceries were expensive with the amount of food that the wolves could eat.

The Uley house stopped being the hangout point— Emily's house now having become that. Much safer and homely. And there was no mother around the corner or sleeping the night of alcohol and pills away in her bedroom.

It took Emily a lot to persuade Sam to accept her offer to use her house, but in the end, he finally did when his imprint revealed that she loved having us around. Having a house full of laughter and that always smelled of homemade food, a place that could be a safe haven and love and friendship— she couldn't think of a better way to see her home.

October arrived, and with it, autumn too. Leaves started to turn orange and red before falling on the ground and creating a carpet of colors, leaving the branches naked to the elements.

A soft breeze entered my room, the moon bathing it with its natural light. The window was open, and it was a surprise— not even the slightest unwelcomed— when a thud was heard of feet coming in contact with the floor and the window squeaking as it was closed.

Paul.

Our days had become more and more frenetic, there had been almost no time to see him. Even the nights together had become sparse and few lately with the amount of patrol shifts that he was assigned on in late evenings.

I missed it.

I missed him.

Not that I was ever going to tell him that. My lips were sealed.

"Hello, little arsonist." There was a tilt to his lips of his infamous smirk that made coal burn in my stomach. Sneakers and cropped sweatpants were the only thing that he wore even in the autumn cold.

"Hi." I breathed out, almost speechless there for a second. I turned my head in his direction, looking up at him from my bed that was currently covered in textbooks. "Don't you have a patrol like... right now?" I asked. A quick look at the calendar hanging behind my door with all the shifts marked, gave me the confirmation that I was right.

"Come here." He said, like he had not even heard what I had just told him. There was a plea to his tone that didn't pass unobserved, but Paul wasn't someone to say please— he rarely did, you just had to learn how to read the shift of his tone or the micro expression in his face.

"Why?" I asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. But he stayed firm, not moving even a muscle but the ones of his eyes as he narrowed them, daring me to not do as he had said.

I did just that. Nothing. I couldn't lie and say that I didn't find it amusing challenging him at every corner.

A curse was muttered under his tone, "Why did I ever think that you would do something that I asked without having to make me sweat for it?" he mumbled to himself, but at the same time, he stalked forward until he was directly in front of my bed. He clamped his hands on my waist, a second, and I was no more sitting on my bed but safely enveloped by his arms.

"I missed you." Without shame he admitted, nose buried where my neck met my shoulder inhaling my scent of wild berries and charcoal.

Safe.

"I know that you missed me too, Beatrice, you can say it." His teasing left me grumpy, but was soon forgotten once my feet were once again on the floor and he tried to step back. I didn't move, crossing my arms around his waist to keep him there, my face buried in his warm chest.

"Shut up." I grumbled, sighing in relief when his fingers scraped gently against my scalp. I loved that— maybe not as much as I knew he did.

"Say it. Come on."

"I missed you too." I found myself replying in total honesty. Apparently, I did end up saying it to him.

His chest vibrates underneath my head and everything, to this day, pales in comparison to that sound. It felt like my entire body was made suddenly of gelatin, like I was melting from the inside out. I was free of anything, even my own mind. I never wanted him to stop doing that.

"I love when you do this." The truth spilled from my lips like I had no filter to hold them back, and I was half sure it was that sound that made my tongue loose, "A lot."

The vibration in his chest increased, as if his wolf was pleased by my words. "You can't say that, Beatrice." Through a groan his words were spoken like he was in pain.

"Why not?"

"Shut up."

"Now I'm the one that needs to shut up?" his cheeks were darker, his eyes evaded mine, and even his chest felt slightly warmer. Was he... blushing? I loved that, I loved that I could make him do that. I took a step back then, ignoring his groan of displeasure. "Why are you here when you have a patrolling shift?"

The blush was gone when he spoke again, replaced by a smirk that lightened his entire features making him look like he had no problem in the world, "Because I promised you a date." His tumb caressed the hollow of my neck, "I'll pick you up tomorrow. 6PM."

I didn't even have the time to say anything, because when I blinked, he was gone, and a minute later a howl pierced through my room coming directly from the forest.

══════ 🜂🜁🜃🜄 ══════

╰┈˚ · ° .   And just like he had told me, the following day a minute before the clock ticked to 6 PM, Paul knocked on the front door.

Though, I wasn't the first there, much to my annoyance.

"Where are you two going?" Sam was literally puffing his chest to appear more intimidating— not like he needed it— shoulders squared and eyes narrowed on his prey that at that moment was none other than Paul.

"Good to see you too, Sam." With his always present cocky attitude, Paul answered to my brother, dodging his question.

I rolled my eyes, side stepping my brother, "Before you start with your big brother overprotective bullshit, we are going."

Ignoring me completely, Sam pointed a threatening finger in the direction of his third-in-command, "I'll cut your hands off if you touch her."

"Are you serious?" My cheeks suddenly heated at the assumption, but my glare was already on Paul, who at that exact moment was ready to reply. The glint in his eyes of mischief was dangerous, because I knew exactly what he wanted to say. "Don't you dare." I grabbed his wrist, dragging him with me and away from the front door as my brother continued to stay unmoving at the threshold.

When the car was moving in the direction unknown to me, that spark of mischief didn't falter as Paul spoke, "Too late, should I actually fear that my hands will be cut off? I'm sure you'll start to love them soon, little arsonist, maybe you can change your brother's mind? What do you think?"

Once again my cheeks reddened as I slapped his arm. "Shut the fuck up."

"I love how you are always so sweet to me." The snicker that he left out was one full of amusement, and for a second, I was too focused on his dimples to reply anything back.

"We both know that you wouldn't like it anyother way." I scoffed, lips titling into a smile.

"True."

"Now." I began, turning slightly in the seat to look at him, "Should I be afraid? Where are we going?"

The beach, he brought us to the beach.

With the cold there wasn't anyone other than us on the shore of First Beach, just the echo of the waves and the seagulls in the distance.

He made me wait before directing me to a spot further down, and a smile, one bigger than I had ever thought possible, was showing on my face at what I saw.

"Are those–"

"Pumpkins? Yes." Paul replied, eyes never leaving mine, "Sam told me that you love carving pumpkins and that every halloween you alway at least carve 3."

"I do." I was melting. My heart was melting for him. "Thank you." The sincerity and softness behind those single words threatened to take my breath away. I wasn't sure how exactly we ended up at this point, but as I looked at him, I never wanted to turn back to how we were before.

"Anything for you."

I clapped my hands together once, "Now prepare to have your ego totally crushed because I'm going to carve the most perfect pumpkin that you have ever seen."

"Oh, I do not doubt it." He laughed, his head falling back and once again displaying his dimples.

══════ 🜂🜁🜃🜄 ══════

╰┈˚ · ° .  I had not expected to laugh as much as I did, but with a carving tool still in my hand and a grin on my lips, I glanced at Paul, happiness flooded my system.

Paul could do a lot of things, carving pumpkins was not something that he was very good at though— not at all, actually— but after he had massacred his own work, his puppy eyes turned to me, and now, I was helping him save the unsavable.

We had pumpkin guts everywhere, staining our clothes and hands, and laughter easily left our lips.

"They look good," he stated as he looked at the carved pumpkin after taking the last bite of his burger. I was sure that everything that we ate that night was made by Emily and Maddison. I couldn't help but grin at that.

"Good? They look totally awesome." I scoffed jokingly. "I'm the queen at carving pumpkins, thank you very much."

"You did won every pumpkin carving contest since we were little." With a wiggle of his eyebrows he delivered his teasing.

My jaw was on the floor. "Shut up." How the hell did he know that? Did Sam tell him that?

His laugh made me turn my head in his direction, and a smile split my lips. A second later I wasn't sitting anymore, but shoved on top of him by one single tug, my body completely on his body as he laid down on the blanket.

"You should really stop manhandling me." I narrowed my eyes, propping myself up on my elbows resting them on his chest.

"You like it." He teased me. His eyes searched mine and the amusement fell to the raw truth," I like feeling you as close as you can be to me." He replied, no lie, no filter, everything here felt comfortable enough to let the truth be unashamedly real.

"I'm literally on top of you." I pointed out the evidence.

"Would you like for me to be on top, little arsonist?" His taunting words held an undertone of lust and seduction that made my heart skip a beat.

"Wouldn't you like that?"

"Oh I certainly would." he replied before letting out another laugh that I could feel forming in his chest. He leaned forwards on his elbows, using a hand to caress my cheek, brushing away a strand of hair and revealing completely my features. "You are breathtaking, Beatrice." My eyes were set on his face, my heart beating for his words. I was earnest, softer than I had been in so much time. I almost couldn't bear how much I was yearning for him, for more. "Your smile," His thumb brushed against my lips, "Your mind," This time it was my temple that he caressed, "Your heart, your soul. You take my breath away." He stalled for a second, swallowing the emotions down, before connecting his eyes back with mine "I want you, not one time. Not for one dance or one kiss. I want you now, tomorrow and forever."

My breath got caught in my throat as I let out the smallest of gasps, "I can't promise you forever."

His eyes bore into mine, mahogany clashing with the deep dark chocolate color of mine. "It's okay." He said, almost through a whisper, as he closed more the space that divided our lips, "I can do it for the both of us."

✎

˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ˊˎ˗

Hello everyone!

Did they kiss? You'll know soon! 

Oh that was so cute ngl. Paul is such a softy for her and I'm all here for it. Since it's October in this chapter timeline, I thought about doing their first date as a picnic on the beach and carving pumpkins together. (I recently carved pumpkins for halloween and it was so fun, idk how you feel about it but I love it.) [I wrote this chapter back in October guys, I know, I suck. It took me so long to post this.]

October, November and December will be four chapters, one for each October and December, two for November. (This is the time where Bella is staring out of the window btw)

TW for the next chapter!! It's for parental abuse that happens on page!! It's not very graphic but I think it's better to put a TW for these things, which will be in the next chapter too!

Thank you for reading this chapter, I'll see you on Tuesday!

˚ · ° . 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 . ° · ˚

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!

– 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 ☾