Love Makes Blind

Leah put an arm on Elia’s shoulder as they walked into Emily’s house. The scent of warm food surrounded the whole house. Loud voices were heard from the kitchen, they were talking in each other’s mouth, laughing and having fun. Leah guided Elia into the kitchen; it felt like she was guiding Elia into a pack of wolves, which she was, but anyway. All the voices went silent as they stared at the beautiful blonde girl standing next to Leah. Leah stepped away quickly, sitting down at her usual spot between Jared and Quil.

“Hi monster.” Paul kissed Elia’s lips quickly. Elia blushed when she felt everyone stare at her.
“Hi.” She smiled at him.
The boys had already started talking again, so Paul snapped his fingers. “Focus guys!” he said in a joking manner. “This is Elia.” Elia felt butterflies attack her stomach when she heard how proud he sounded. “Elia, you’ll get to know them soon, but I’ll list the names. You have already met Leah, Jake, Quil and Embry. The rest is Jared, Seth, Brady, Collin and Sam, and Sam’s fiancée, Emily and Jared’s girlfriend Kim.”
The boys greeted Elia before they went back to their food. Elia noticed that their conversations were changed, she didn’t know what was changed; only that it was different.

“It’s so good to finally meet you Elia, I’m Emily.” Emily grabbed one of Elia’s hands.
“You too, Emily, Paul has told me a lot about your food.” Elia grinned at the woman.
“I’m sure he has. But you better get something for yourself before the wolves eat it.” Emily joked. The boys burst out in laughter, and Elia didn’t understand why.
“Come on.” Paul pulled Elia over to his chair where he sat down with her on his lap.

What Elia didn’t see was the way everybody in the room looked at Paul and her. Because the way Paul was looking at Elia, and the way he so lovingly brushed her hair behind her ear or kissed her bare shoulder or even grabbed a pancake and give it to her instead of shoving it down his throat, was nothing like Paul. At least not the Paul they all thought they knew. They all noticed the change in him. They all knew he hadn’t had sex with anyone since after he made himself promise not to until Elia was ready.

Emily was the only one that had faith in Paul, only she believed he would change for the girl he loved so dearly. And even if it was out of Emily’s morals, she had made a bet with the all the boys in the pack, they all thought Paul would break and hurt Elia, but Emily knew better and she knew they all would have to pay up.

“So, Elia, what do you think about La Push?” Seth asked.
“I think it’s amazing, I love the beach. But I thought it would be a lot rainier.” Elia smiled a little.
“It doesn’t rain ‘cause here is a new sun.” Paul said and kissed the back of Elia’s head.
She giggled.
“Oh, dude, to cheesy!” Jared exclaimed.
“Look who’s talking.” Paul muttered.
“Hey! I wasn’t like that when I started dating Kim!” He tried to defend himself.
“Yes you were Jar.” Kim smiled and kissed her boyfriend on his cheek.
Everybody laughed at him, including Elia.

Elia loved the atmosphere in the little kitchen. And the loud conversations reminded her of Italy. Elia had always loved to help her nonna making food to everyone passing through, friends as well as family. Paul friends reminded her of her boys. The way they talked to each other and joking all the time.

“Are you okay?” Paul asked Elia in a whisper.
She nodded. “I am.” She smiled and kissed his chin.
Paul stood up and took Elia’s hand. “We’re going out; see you at the beach later.”
Elia linked her arm around Paul as they walked out of the kitchen.
“Seth, Collin and Brady will be patrolling the east border, Quil, Jake and Embry the north.” Elia heard a voice with a lot of authority in it say. She didn’t understand what he meant, but she guessed it was Sam who said it.

“What do you think about them?” Paul asked when they were outside.
“Your friends? I like them a lot. They remind me of my family in Italy.”
“That’s good.” Paul surprised Elia with throwing her over his shoulder and start running.
Elia laughed, but instead of fighting against his strong hold she relaxed. She trusted Paul, because, he loved her right? Or did he just say it to get her in bed? Elia managed to shake the thought out of her head before it got planted. She had to trust Paul.

Paul put her down when they reached the beach, but he quickly pulled her onto his lap. They did nothing but talk for hours. Paul told Elia about the pack, so she could know them better, and again they reminded her of her friends in Italy.

“We have to go now if we want to reach the bonfire.”
“Okay.”
Paul took her hand in his. He loved how small it felt in his big ones. Paul loved everything about Elia; the way she looked, the way smiled and her laughter. He loved how sometimes when she talked; he could hear a hint of Italian accent, though she denied it when he told her.

He walked slowly so she could keep up with him towards the cliffs where they always had the bonfires. What Elia didn’t know was that the bonfire only was held so she could get to know the legends, and that she had to know them because Paul was going to tell her the truth later. Paul was nervous.

Paul and Elia sat down in the ring around the fire. Elia sat between Paul’s legs and rested her back against his chest.

Sam started. “There are many legends about the Quileute tribe. Some goes all the way back to Noah and the great flood. But the ones we’ll focus on today are the ones that we are descended from the wolves. It is by law illegal to hunt and kill wolves on the reservation. Billy, do you want to tell the first legend?”
Billy Black cleared his throat before he started telling the old legends.

Elia was completely intrigued by the tales. She listened carefully and tried to remember all the details. She found it hard to believe that they were only old legends.

Paul was watching Elia’s reactions. She didn’t seem freaked out or anything, but why should she? She thought they were nothing more than stories. Paul really hoped she wouldn’t freak out later when he told her.
Would she think he was the real monster?