Aurora - A New Dawn

"Your pupils are the size of dinner plates. Have you ingested any drugs in the past hour?" Rachel asked.

"I'm not on drugs. All I've had was three beers with my friends. I'm not even buzzed."

"Alcohol is classified as a drug." She corrected. "Tell me the truth. Is my little brother dealing anything? Coke, weed... harder drugs?" She eyed daggers at Jake, who was now standing beside Paul. "Dad's gonna have a goddamn heart attack. Can't believe you'd be so stupid—

—No, he's not. He's pretty straight edge beside alcohol, but I have to convince him to drink." For the first time in Paul's life, an honest and soft smile tugged on the corners of his lips. His eyes remained trained to hers.

"What's wrong with you then?" Rachel swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Four, and nothing. Not a damn thing since you walked into my life."

"Did you bump your head earlier today?" She frowned, holding his face in her hands, looking him over for obvious signs of head trauma.

"I didn't hit my head, but I did scrape my knee... falling for you."

Her hands dropped at her side. "Sorry to break it to you pal, but that pick up line might have worked when I was in middle-school. It's not gonna work when I'm in my twenties."

"Hey, it was worth a try." Paul's smile evolved into a mischievous grin.

"Not really. I'm not interested in dating right now, and even if I were—I'm not into the muscle-headed desperate type."

Paul got up off his knees, dusting them off. "Whatever you say, princess. I'll be anything you want."

Rachel grimaced and turned to face Jake.

"First of all, your friend's fucking weird. Second, I need to borrow your jack. I think my tire's got a hole in it. It's been leaking since I left the Clearwater's." She glanced at Paul once before averting her eyes. He was staring straight at her still, like a lovesick puppy. "I drove over something on the way back from Sue's tonight."

"I got i—

Jake was interrupted.

—I got it." Paul said earnestly, extending his hand, "we work at the same shop together. Name's Paul. Paul Lahote. I'll take a look at your tire."

"Listen, asshat," Rachel hissed. "I humored you because I thought you were having a medical emergency, but now I see you're just another 'roided out gym rat who wants to get his dick wet. I'll make it real simple for you. My answer is: N. O. I don't want you, and I never will."

Paul looked as though he got shot with an arrow through the heart, and not Cupid's kind. His cocky attitude failed for the first time, and he was reaping the consequences.

"Paul—you stay here. Go sit down." Jake used an alpha command. Paul wouldn't listen to anyone else, especially not since his wolf was spiraling. It registered her comment as blatant rejection. "I'll grab my kit from the garage. Meet you out front, sis."

"Hurry up." Rachel turned on the ball of her foot, ambled around the side of the garage and disappeared from line of sight.

"She said... she said she didn't want me, bro." Paul slunk into a folding chair. "What's wrong with me?"

"Don't let it bother you, man. Rach's in a rough spot with relationships right now." Jake patted Paul's shoulder. "She just broke off a five-year engagement. Give it time."

Jake headed to the garage; the big metal door creaked open, he didn't even use the lights, instead relying on his heightened senses.

"Well, well, well, nice of you to join us normal folk back on Earth," Leah chuckled. "Not so high and mighty now that you imprinted, huh?"