sparks fly~ paul lahote

ⅸ. lunch with the wolves

Saturday morning came too quickly for someone who had to lay awake waiting 14 hours for it. Diana decided, considering who she'd be meeting today, that she should hunt, beforehand. That killed three hours, then it was 11 am. Time to get ready.

She picked out her favorite jeans, a striped knitted sweater, and her converse. She left her hair to lay wild, put on a simple pair of diamond earrings.

"Alright," she sighed, grabbing her purse and exiting the household. She left in her black jeep, speeding away from her tiny house. It was 12:30 so, she hoped that she wouldn't be late.

After a thirty-minute drive, however, she found that she was early. Billy just smiled curtly, through her apologies, and offered her a seat at the table.

"So, how has your week been, Ms. Masen?" Billy asked, he seemed genuinely interested.

"It's been good, thank you," she said, smiling slightly, "- And please, call me Diana, formalities were never my thing."

"Very well, Diana," Billy said, he smiled slightly, "You seem nervous."

Diana quickly looked out the window, assessing the terrain outside. When she turned back to him, he was waiting patiently, with a smile still present on his face.

Diana sighed, "My last encounter with a shifter pack wasn't pleasant." She looked down, for fear of being laughed at. What vampire (timid or not) is scared of a couple of shifters? But, Billy didn't laugh. He waited, still patient, for her to look up again.

"Well, that's not our way, doll," he spoke softly, not condescending, "While I can't guarantee that some won't blow a gasket, we are never violent first."

Diana took a deep breath, though she didn't need to, and nodded. The two spent the remaining hour chatting, and laughing a little. Then, there it was. A knock at the door, accompanied by a scent that made her weak. Cedar... apples... and wet dog.

Diana stood as the three guys from the woods last week, filed into the small space. Diana glanced at him (carefully to not make eye contact), then maintained eye contact with the Alpha. There was a tension-filled moment of silence. Diana swallowed, putting a stop to her breathing.

"So, this is the new leech in town?" The Beta sneered at Diana, who didn't even blink at the name. Then the Alpha spoke, "Leech or not, she has respected our laws and our people, we will respect her."

Diana let out a breath and nodded in respect. The Alpha stepped forward and held out his hand. Diana's eyes widened at the show of acceptance, she smiled slightly and shook his hand. He raised his brows, at her temperature, remembering to ask about it later.

"My name is Sam, Sam Uley. That jackass is Jared, and that's Paul," he gestured to each of his companions.

Diana nodded, her smile still present, "I'm Diana, Diana Masen." Paul took in a sharp breath and Jared glared at him.

"So, you're not a Cullen?" Sam asked, taking a seat in front of her. Diana glanced at the boys who moved to stand behind their alpha, then sat as well.

"No," she frowned, "I mean, I wasn't exactly invited into the family, like the rest of them," Diana paused, wondering how much she should say.

"If you're gonna be hanging around I'd like to know what we're getting into here," Sam said as if he could read her mind.

Diana nodded, "I guess I'll start-" Billy interrupted, telling the two boys to sit down and rolling into an open spot next to Diana, "At the beginning. You'll start at the beginning."

Sam nodded in agreement, and while Jared rolled his eyes with a sigh, Paul hadn't moved. He just watched Diana with hawk-like eyes, no fidget, no twitch, no gulp went unnoticed.

Diana cleared her throat, unnecessarily, "Well, Diana Elizabeth Masen is my birth name, my brother and I were turned when we were 17. I was turned a few months before him; I was just walking home and a wandering nomad decided he was hungry. But, he didn't drain me completely, and that's why I'm a vampire and not... dead. Carlisle didn't take me in like he did the others." The silence was deafening, but Diana couldn't tell if she liked or hated that they were listening.

"He offered, but I rebelled against everything in my new life. I managed to get a bit of a grip when my brother got sick, but, after he turned we had a bit of a disagreement. I went a while without seeing him, any of them..."

Diana paused to allow herself a sigh, "Then, I got a phone call from my brother a few months ago. He asked if I'd come to look after the house... and Bella. Just until she moves on, and then... well... I plan on leaving."

"So, that's it? You're here for maybe a couple of months, max?" Jared asked, he seemed to have lightened up a bit.

Diana glanced over the wolves across from her, then turned her gaze to an old bracelet on her wrist. She began to fiddle with it, her heart in pain and her eyes begging to tear away from the old thing and gaze at Paul.

Sam noticed the girls' reluctance to meet Paul's gaze. Her eyes held a fiery determination when facing off with Jared, even Sam himself. But, Paul? She looked weak, unable to stomach being near him. It clicked, all of a sudden.

"I think, and I do not say this lightly, but, I think you should stay," Sam said sternly, he didn't like the idea of a vampire being the soulmate to one of his packmates, but he also knew how special the imprint bond was, how rare. Diana and Jared looked at him, incredulously. To Diana, he seemed to be speaking for Paul, whose eyes hadn't moved from the table, but that wasn't enough, she wouldn't allow it... she was so sure it'd ruin him, so sure he'd ruin her.

"I don't think I can-" she said, shaking her head. But at the same time, Jared had lost his patience.

"What!?" the boy exclaimed, standing from the table with a violent exhale. He was shaking aggressively and Paul immediately dragged him out of the house and to the woods, where Sam directed them to wait for him.

"Diana?" Sam's voice went soft, in a firm but sympathetic way. "You can't keep him from imprinting."

Diana shook her head and looked up at him, "Yes I can. He won't be happy with me, Sam. I'm a vampire, I go against everything you guys stand for, I'm everything you guys are fighting against... I'll ruin him, you have to know that."

Sam sighed and nodded, "That might be true, but things change... times change. Paul won't imprint again after you leave, that's not how it works."

"Maybe not, but-" when Diana spoke, not at all fazed by his statement, his face hardened. If he had to fight her for this, he was going to, "You think he'd be happier without you?" he interrupted her.

"He already feels the bond, he's questioning everything about you, he wants to know you. Who are you to take that away from him?"

Diana's patience left her immediately, she stood abruptly and slammed her hands on the table, "I don't want another fucking soulmate! I've gone through it! It was great, sure, but it tore me apart to lose him the way I did! And I'm not dumb enough to walk into that shit again, not if I can help it."

Sam remained calm, but gave her a questioning look, "What do you mean 'again'?"