Animal Attraction

I laughed. I’m not joking I laughed at his words. I continued to laugh until my stomach hurt. I was his imprint?! He and I were soul mates?! That only made if funnier and it got to the point where I was laughing, but no sound was coming out. Ever laugh that hard? It’s so dam funny that no sound comes out and tears form and you feel like falling on the floor and you try to stop, but it’s impossible because it’s just too damn funny!

I didn’t fall to the floor. I just hid my face on the couch and continued to laugh. Paul and I soul mates? My laughter died down after a minute. I chuckled a bit afterwards.

“God, thanks for that. I really needed that, Paul.”

Paul’s eyes glared at me.

“What?” I asked him. “Are you gonna tell me you love me?” I joked.

“How do you know what I mean by saying you’re my imprint?” Paul asked in all seriousness.

Oh, shit. I wasn’t supposed to know about imprinting.

“You said I was your soul mate, Paul and I know what imprinting means. I do own a dictionary… somewhere.” I muttered the last part.

He wasn’t buying it. Paul leaned in so close that our noses were inches away and all I could see were his eyes. He smelled like nature. It was intoxicating.

“What do you know, Erin?” Paul asked me.

“Know about what, Paul?” I asked and kept my voice straight.

“Who told you?”

He knew I didn’t need to answer that. Paul growled.

“Jared told you!” Paul said.

“What are you talking about?” I continued to play dumb.

“He wasn’t supposed to tell anyone other than his imprint!” Paul pulled away from me and started to pace back and forth in front of me. His body shook and I knew it was because he was having a hard time trying not to phase.

I crawled away from him to the other end of the couch, I knew how Emily got the scar on her face, I didn’t want that happening to me. Paul looked at me and I guess he saw my fear and stopped, but he was still angry.

“Why would he tell you?” Paul said it very slowly.

“Because I made him tell me,” I said and Paul snapped his eyes at me. “I cornered him because he was avoiding me. He wouldn’t look at me in the eyes and would use every excuse in the book to get away from me. He was afraid we would… you know. But when he realized it didn’t happen he told me what was wrong.”

“Wrong? You think there’s something wrong with us?” Paul said through gritted teeth.

“Don’t twist my words, Paul. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“So you’ve known for a long, huh?” Paul ran a hand through his short hair.

I nodded.

Paul laughed, but it wasn’t the ‘hahaha that was funny’ it was more like ‘Ha ha ha, I’m going to beat the crap out of Jared’.

“I said it wasn’t his fault. We’re best friends and we don’t keep secrets from each other.” I said.

“You two that close?” Paul asked.

“Closer.” I said.

Paul nodded and his pursed his lips together.

“Maybe it should’ve been him.” And with that Paul walked out of my house. I didn’t realize what had happened until he closed the door. I got up and hopped my way to the front door. I opened it and looked left to right and saw no one.

I went back inside and got my phone out of my pocket and dialed Jared. I had to warn him. It went straight to voicemail.

“Hey, bud… first of all… Paul knows that I know about you guys. Second of all we need to talk about something he told me.” I didn’t tell him I was going to kick his ass because then he wouldn’t come near me.

I went back to the couch and waited for Jared’s call. I turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. Nothing was on. I wanted to go up to my room, but that would be a lot of work so I just stayed on the couch. A knock on my door made me get up and hop to the front door. I opened it and saw Brock with a smile on his face. I looked over his shoulder and saw that he was alone.

“I am Dr. Brock and I’m here to assist you in any way.” Brock smiled.

I opened the door for him as he walked in.

“Whatcha doing here?” I asked.

“I said I’d visit.” Brock said.

I chuckled. “I thought you meant later or something.”

“Well, it’s been a while since… you know… we’ve been together.” Brock grinned.

I shook my head. “We’ve never ‘been together’, Brock.”

“Not officially and that’s what I like about you. No strings attached.”

“I don’t know whether to be flattered or insulted.” I told him.

Brock closed the space between us and kissed me. There was a time when I enjoyed his kisses because he was a great kisser. Now it was pointless and I felt nothing. It felt wrong. So, so, so wrong. I don’t know why it felt wrong at the time, but I then found out it was because he wasn’t Paul.

“Want me to carry you to your bedroom?” He asked after he pulled from the kiss.

I nodded. Brock wasn’t as strong as Paul so he had a bit of a harder time carrying me. Once in my room he closed the door and he started to kiss me again. I stopped the kiss.

“What’s wrong, babe?” Brock asked me.

“I just sprained my ankle, Brock. I’m not really in the mood to make out.”

Brock sighed and rubbed my arms up and down.

“Fine, I get it. Want to smoke then?” He took out a pack.

I thought of Paul and how he snatched my pack the other day. A cigarette always helped when I was stressed.

“Make sure the window’s open.” I said as I took one from the pack. Brock smirked and walked over to the window and lifted it open. He sat on my bed and I sat on my chair and rested my foot at the end of the bed.

He tossed me his lighter and I lit my cigarette.

“What’s with that look?” Brock asked me.

I turned to him and raised an eyebrow. “What look?”

“That look that says you’re about to kick someone’s ass.”

I smiled. “Jared’s.” I said.

“Why?” He asked.

“Just some shit. Where are Kris and Donnie?” I asked as I let out a smoke from my lips.

Brock shrugged. “They said they had some shit and ditched me, so I came to your place! Yay!”

I moved my ankle. It wasn’t that bad. It would be better tomorrow. I took a long drag of my cigarette and blew out the smoke.

“Landon asked my mom to ask me if I wanted to go to England with him.” I told Brock.

Brock laughed. “Seriously?”

I nodded and twisted my lips to the side and frowned.

“He’s such an idiot. I don’t know why he thought I would even want to leave with him and his family.” I said.

“Maybe he really wants to make up for his absence.” Brock said.

I laughed. “Nah, I think he’s just trying to play the good guy. I’m not buying it.”

“How long are they staying?” Brock asked.

“The summer, why? You want to make your move on Angie?” I smirked.

Brock grinned. “I think I can make her like me.”

“I’m sure you’ll have her under the sheets after a couple of minutes of flirting.” I joked.

Brock laughed. “I rather have you.”

“Well you ain’t.” I blew smoke in his face. He waved his hand and chuckled.

“We’ll see about that.” He took my wrist and pulled me on top of him and then he had me under him. His body pressed against mine. “Baby what you do to me. Your sex intoxicated me. I’m addicted to the way you move Oh, I wanna touch you I wanna touch you.” Brock sang.

I laughed when he kissed my neck and bit it. I pushed him off of me and he fell to the floor.

“Come on, Erin. You’re always teasing me!”

I waved my index finger gesturing him to come closer and he scrambled up from the floor and came close to me. I leaned in next to his ear.

“I’m not a whore, Brock.” I pulled away and Brock shook his head.

“You sure act like one.” Brock muttered.

I scoffed angered. “Whatever, get the hell out, Brock.”

“Fine.” Brock said mad as well and he walked out of the room. I heard as he slammed the door shut of the front door.

“Jerk.” I grumbled. I checked the time. It was only two in the afternoon. My ‘family’ wouldn’t be back until six. I had four hours of nothing.

[Jared’s Point of View]

“Hey, bud… first of all… Paul knows that I know about you guys. Second of all we need to talk about something he told me.” I heard Erin’s voice mail as I walked back to my house from Kim’s.

Sam had called a meeting about the vampire trail and I had to leave Kim.

I cursed after I heard Erin’s message. Paul knew and what exactly did Paul told Erin? Did he finally told her about imprinting? If that was so Erin was going to kick my ass for not telling her. I reached the location Sam had told me and I saw Paul. His eyes were on the ground and they were furrowed. He leaned back against a tree with his arms crossed.

I looked at Sam and he wasn’t mad so Paul had not said anything which really made me wonder what he was thinking.

Jacob and Embry were the last to arrive.

“So, what’s up?” I said to Sam.

“The vampire trail is still in town and… this morning,” Sam said sadly, “another couple of hikers were found dead. No blood in their bodies. There were four hikers that’s even too fast for two vampires.”

“You’re thinking there’s more than one?” I asked.

Sam nodded. “I think it might be a coven and they’re being smart about this or maybe they don’t know, but they’re only feeding in this town so the psychic leech can’t see them.” Sam said.

“It has to be someone the Cullen’s know?” Jacob spoke up.

“Probably, will you talk to them?” Sam asked Jacob. Jacob was like the bridge between the Cullen’s and us. None of us wanted to go over there with them. Jacob only went because of Bella.

After a small discussion everyone left and I was about to until…

“Jared.” Paul said.

I closed my eyes and sighed and turned around and opened my eyes. His fist made contact with my face. I stumbled back and held my nose. It was bleeding. I hissed in pain.

“Shit!”

“That’s for telling Erin about us!” Paul growled.

“What was I supposed to do?!” I yelled back at him.

“Keep your lips shut!” Paul yelled back.

“Are you really mad at me or Erin?” I asked.

“Both of you! Do you know what she did when I told her we were soul mates?”

Knowing Erin she probably…

“Laughed! She fucking laughed her head off!”

Yup I was right. I wiped my blood on my jeans. The bleeding already stopped by then thanks to the freaky genes in me. I looked at Paul and those his face said he was angry his eyes said he was hurt. He was deeply hurt by Erin’s reaction.

“I never felt so humiliated in my life! I told her something so fucking serious and she thinks I’m joking!” Paul spat. “But I’m through with her, Jared. I won’t give a shit anymore.”

“You can’t help it, Paul. Imprinting is not something you can turn off or on. You’ll always be worried about her. You’ll always wonder what she’s doing when you’re away from her and you’ll always feel whatever she’s feeling.” I said.

“Trust me, Jared, I’ll be the first to break this curse, I swear it,” Paul growled. “I don’t need Erin. I can have any other girl in this town. She’s not the only option.”