Not Your Enemy

Paul started shaking and turned into a wolf. My –no, not my Paul… just Paul. Paul turned into a wolf! That can’t be, humans can’t just get angry and change into animals whenever they feel like it. Werewolves and lycans don’t exist. That’s a fantasy Tobi; you’re probably sleeping next to Ruby in the sand and having an awful dream. That’s right; it’s all just a dream.

Tobi’s thoughts were everywhere when as she was dragged into the forest. She didn’t know who had picked her up, but she knew whoever it was saw exactly what she had seen. Every emotion she felt at that moment caused her head to spin just a bit, but along with her dizziness new worries and stresses came to mind.

You blew a wolf! You had a fucking dog’s penis in your mouth! That’s bestiality Tobi, since when did you have a thing for animals? Ohmigosh you truly are a sick fuck. What are you going to tell your mom? No, better yet, what are you going to tell Jasper? ‘Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you before we kissed. During my freshmen year I gave head to a werewolf, but it’s all good now. I’ve brushed my teeth a thousand times since then.’

“What the hell just happened back there?” Ruby half shouted, bringing Tobi out of her head and back to the horrific reality that she had to face, “One second there’s Paul and then ‘poof’ there’s a big… wolf in his place and you’re calling Paul?!”

“Calm down, Ruby,” Sam raised his hands as if that action would calm down Tobi’s flabbergasted friend.

“Calm down?” Ruby questioned with a dry scoff before she looked to Tobi. The brunettes eyes softened a bit when she noticed her friends calm yet lost look. She shook away her emotions toward Tobi and looked back to Sam with stress glazing over her eyes, “This is… just a dream,” she closed her eyes. “I’m going to wake up!”

“It isn’t a dream,” Sam sighed.

“Then, please explain what we just witnessed!”

Sam looked to Tobi and then back to Ruby.

“We’re… werewolves,” Sam said. “It was an old legend in La Push, but recently, due to a… certain visit, me, Jared, and Paul have phased into wolves to protect this land. Paul is having problems controlling his… emotions. It triggers our phasing.”

“Oh, well… that’s just… peachy,” Ruby muttered lowly.

“What do you mean a certain visit?” Tobi asked, her usual soft and optimistic voice was now low and apathetic. The young girl didn’t know whether to be afraid or sickened with herself so she felt nothing and compressed all her emotions like she usually did. Yet, as she did so a pain in her chest rose. Her dulled eyes looked up and into Sam’s, almost causing him to break his usual serious stature and pull her into a protective hug

“I’m not allowed to say,” he said with his serious look.

“Why not?”

“It’s not my secret to tell.”

Tobi wanted to walk over to Sam and shake him by his shoulders until he told, but the moment she began to release a much needed sigh there was movement coming from just several feet away. Suddenly, Jared and Paul appeared. Paul had his eyes set on Tobi the whole time. Tobi had blushed and looked down at the ground. Ruby placed herself in front of Tobi, blocking Paul’s view.

Paul glared up at Ruby but tried to keep himself composed for Tobi’s sake. She looked so shaken and confused for him to ruin in by harming her friend. Usually, Paul didn’t give a fuck about how a girl saw him; it was either they loved him or they hated it. However, once Tobi’s eyes locked with his he couldn’t help but feel as if she was the most important person in his life.

The only person that mattered and at that moment he wanted to make sure she was aware that he meant no harm to her or those she loved, “Get the fuck out of my way,” Paul growled at Ruby.

“No, after what you’ve done to her, you’re not going anywhere near her,” she hissed at him. Ruby took a step toward him, but Sam pulled her back by her upper arm and tried to lead the angry human teenager away from the almost angry teenage werewolf.

“He’s not going to hurt her, Jared is going to stay close. You need to let them talk.”

“Talk?! No--” Ruby started to struggle under Sam’s grip but it failed.

Tobi started to think more clearly. She thought it was best for her and Paul to have a bit of a private conversation because for some reason she felt drawn to him. It was wrong, extremely wrong; but the moment she locked eyes with the overgrown wolf, Tobi she wanted to walk over to it and calm it down from the obvious anger it held. Her gasp was more of one mixed with shock and admiration than one of fright, yet she knew that what she had experienced was something unnatural. Looking up at her friend, Tobi decided that she needed to clear some things with Paul, “Ruby, please?”

Ruby looked at her with a confused look. “But, I thought… are you sure?”

Tobi only glanced at Paul and then back to Ruby before nodding and shooting an attempt at smiling, “Yes.”

Ruby stared at Tobi for a while, and then she sighed. “Okay…be careful.”

Sam and Ruby left slowly, and Tobi watched their receding figures until they were no longer visible. Slowly, she stood up and crossed her arms over her barely covered chest. She hadn’t been able to throw on her blue cover-up because she had been dragged away so quickly and without warning, and she was walking around with bare feet causing the moistened forest floor to cool her once heated toes.

“Autumn-October,” Paul started, trying to ease some of the awkward feelings in the air, “it’s been a while.”

Tobi bit her lip to stop herself from crying and turned her back to Paul so he wouldn’t see that she was close to a breaking point. She wanted so badly to just run into Jasper’s arms and cry until she couldn’t produce tears anymore, but she couldn’t.

“It’s been a while.”

She nodded and ran her fingers through her hair, “A little over two years.”

Paul looked at her back, and couldn’t help but check-out how she filled out nicely since her freshmen year. Her curves were more prominent, her long legs more slim, and her voice was more woman like. He had seen her from a front view and her eyes claimed his attention more so than her barely covered body. Everything besides her eyes painted a picture of a mature, sophisticated, and sexy woman; however, her eyes showed how truly vulnerable she really was.

He couldn’t take it anymore, “Please look at me.”

Tobi turned to face him and looked him straight in his eyes. The moment she met his brown windows of worry, she broke and allowed every emotion she felt for him out. Tears fell from her face yet she managed to glare dangerously at the werewolf, “How the hell could you do that to me?! I was drunk for the first time, pressured by people I thought were my friends, and excited about my first high school party! You took advantage of me and I bet you don’t even feel bad about it!”

Paul shook his head and made a move to comfort his crying imprint, “I’m so-“

“I bet you’re sorry!” Tobi yelled, unable to keep her voice low any longer, “and when were you going to tell me that you were a wolf, huh?”

“Plea-“

“You wait until I’m at a happy moment in my life to change into that fucking animal form! Do you really want me miserable every second of every day of my already fucked up life?”

“Au-“

“No, don’t say anything.” Tobi interrupted, stepping closer to him and drying her tears roughly with her palm.

“Dammit, Autumn!” Paul growled, irritated that he couldn’t get a word in but calm enough to stay in his human form, “can I please have just a couple of minutes to explain everything?”

Tobi looked at him cautiously and nodded, “You have three minutes.”

Jasper paced around the living room with a million thoughts running through his head. All of which involved Tobi and her being harmed by the mutts of La Push. He growled and punched the wall angrily when he realized that he could have stopped her from going to the beach that day, he could have held her close to him and whisper sweet nothings until she was lost in his hypnotic, vampire charm; however, he knew his control wasn’t strong enough for that and he knew going to enjoy the rare amount of sun was important to her.

“Ruby said she was okay,” Rosalie tried to sooth her brother, “just because she disappeared doesn’t mean she’s dying. Maybe one of those dogs are just in the area, I promise you she’s smart enough to listen to your warnings and stay away from the forest. Just trust her.”

“I trust her,” Jasper moaned in agony as he fell next to Rosalie on the couch, “I just don’t trust the flee catchers. She can end up like Emily.”

“But you’d still love her.”

Jasper nodded with a stressed smile, “Always.”

Tobi stared at Paul as she listened to him explain the imprinting process. She blushed heavily, “I h-have a boyfriend.” She stuttered, immediately thinking of Jasper waiting for her to return to him safely.

“I know, I smell his stink all over you,” Paul hissed, trying to overcome the strong vampire stench tainting his nose hairs, “don’t worry, I’m sure I harbor no romantic feelings for you. There are several types of imprinting: romantic, protective, friendly, and brotherly.”

“Which are you toward me?” Tobi asked, curiosity replacing the previous emotions she felt for Paul. After he apologized and explained what he was to her and actually told her a little about himself, Tobi felt a strong friend like bond link the two together. She only felt a bond like that with Ruby, and just recently Edward, yet Paul was able to create one as strong as Ruby’s the moment she met his eyes.

“The latter three,” Paul whispered, “romance isn’t in my vocabulary.”

“That’s for sure,” Jared snickered from the sidelines, making himself known to the two.

Paul threw him a small glare and turned back to Tobi, “You look cold, are you ready to get back to that bitch you were with.”

Tobi slapped the side of his arm and glared, “Her name is Ruby and be nice to her because she was the only one that stuck with me ever since we were kids. She’s just protective of me.”

“She stinks too, does she have a boyfriend.”

Tobi nodded, “Emmett is the nicest guy that ever met her. I hope he doesn’t have any secret flaws.”

“Don’t put your money on that, not everyone gets what they hope for,” Paul muttered, helping Tobi up and walking toward the beach where Sam was with Ruby. Tobi wanted to ask him what he meant, but when she saw Ruby waiting for her by their stuff she broke out in a run and hugged her friend close to her body.

Ruby hugged her friend back but glared in Paul’s direction. She still didn’t like him, even if he had apologized to Tobi. He wasn’t there to watch her cry and get tormented by everyone at school for what he made happen

“Are you ready to go back home?” Ruby asked when she pulled away from Tobi.

“Yeah, I think I’ve had enough of the beach today.”

“and Paul.” Ruby whispered earning a growl from the said boy, “oh, and Jasper’s been blowing up your phone. He’s really worried about you.”

Tobi nodded, “I’ll call him when I get home.”

Sam, Jared, and Paul walked the girls to Tobi’s car; Paul walking a couple of inches behind Tobi like he was expecting someone to come at her with a knife. Ruby noticed, but said nothing of it; she’d talk to Tobi when they were at home. As Ruby got in the car, Paul pulled Tobi back and looked seriously into her eyes, “I know I shouldn’t be asking for something from you, but please promise me something.”

“What?” Tobi asked, straightening her dress

“Just watch out for those Cullens,” he whispered, pulling her into a warm hug, “thing’s aren’t like they seem.” –he pulled away and looked into her eyes- “everyone has their dirty little secrets.”