Weaknesses and Strengths

That evening, Bella and Sam had come to an agreement. She had been very open about what she wanted from him, and he was happy to oblige. He no longer visited his regular to service his sexual appetite, instead he would call on Bella.

There was something odd about the arrangement that Bella and Sam had created. After Sue would take the girls to school, Sam would show up for an incredible round of passionate love making. Then Bella would cook for him and sometimes she would become closed off and hide in her room for a few minutes gathering her thoughts.

Sam had several questions about her late husband and wanted to know more about his heritage. He swore there was something so familiar about him when he finally saw his picture at Charlie and Sue's place. There was something else that worried him a lot as well, his imprint. Clearly she was not over her late husband, Sam could feel it.

"Bella," he whispered as he knocked quietly on her door.

He heard her let out a quiet sniffle before responding. "Just a moment," she called.

"You don't have to hide from me, Bella. I understand," he said opening the door.

Bella was sitting on the edge of her bed holding a photo album tightly in her hands. Sam sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders pulling her closer to him.

"He wasn't ready to take over his parents company yet. He wanted to try for a boy and travel a little more," she was flipping through the pages of the album as she spoke.

"What was he like," Sam asked her trying to help her get through this. He was actually genuinely curious about him.

"Ironically he was obsessed with wolves. He could paint too," she replied smiling fondly at the memory of Aaron.

Sam caught a glimpse of a picture of Bella and Aaron on their wedding day. Though he felt a jealous pang in his chest, he couldn't help but wonder why he was so darn familiar looking.

"Bella," Sam began.

"Did you know that we were going to try for a boy before she took him," she sniffled.

Sam let out a quiet sigh before reaching over to pull her onto his lap and hugging her close. The album fell to the floor with a soft thud.

"I know I can't bring him back, but I'd love to help you get over this pain anyway I can," Sam said softly.

Bella pulled back to look up at his handsome face. She wiped the tears from her eyes before nodding her understanding. He was such an insatiable man. No, he was an insatiable Alpha. There was one good thing about their arrangement that seemed to calm Bella just a little bit, and that was that for just a moment she forgot about the pain. She forgot about how she missed Aaron so much. So she gave in to her wolf because he was her balm to an invisible wound that felt like it was bleeding.

Sam was gentle this time. Going at very slow leisure pace as he caressed every inch of her body. As his imprint he would be exactly what she needed and everything she wanted. He was a sucker for her in every way possible. It wasn't love just yet but he could feel it creeping in.

After both reaching a climax, Sam was just about to get out of the bed to go as he would usually do to give her privacy. Only this time Bella grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Stay," she whispered. "Just for a moment," her voice was soft as she gently pulled him back into the bed.

Sam couldn't seem to deny her anything and stopped what he was doing. He stretched himself back into her bed resting his head on his arm. Bella snuggled up to his hot body and rested her head on his chest wrapping her arm around him. He held her gently, rubbing her back. He sure was well built with hard lean muscle. Yet Bella seemed to fit perfectly against him.

He was her strength and she was his weakness.

They laid together like that for a few minutes in complete silence. Finally Sam broke the silence.

"Bella, do you know anything about Aaron's heritage or his birth parents?"

She lifted her head to his face. "His parents have everything in a safety deposit box. I could ask them to retrieve it and have it hand delivered. Why do you ask?" She wondered.

"It's just that he looks so familiar and I can't seem to place it. Yet I feel like I've met him before," Sam replied.

Bella furrowed her brow. "I only know that he was native American by birth. His parents have a manilla envelope that his birth parents left for him. He never said anything about the contents of that envelope, only that he had it placed in a safety box," she replied.

"He didn't tell you what was in it?" Sam questioned.

"Just that it was information on his family history," she replied.

Sam was quiet for a minute trying to think how to word his next question. "Did he mention what tribe his parents were from?"

Of course he did but that was something Bella wasn't ready to share with anyone just yet. So she lied.

"No, he didn't go into detail about anything. I didn't ask him to. I trusted that if he really needed me to know that he would tell me," she had told the same thing to Charlie and Sue once. As well as her nosey mother Renee Dwyer.

Sam knew she was lying, he could feel it. He wasn't going to press her for more information on the subject today.

The remainder of the week went well. The setup for Bella's coffee shop Coffeology was going well. It was her dream to have a place to sell her baked goods and a good cup of coffee while running a bookstore. The girls were fitting in well at the rez school and for once Bella had a routine again.

She wouldn't admit it to her daughter's or anyone else for that matter of course, but she was definitely developing feelings for Sam. He visited her more than once a day for a round of casual sex. And when she wasn't at the shop going over details, she was at her father's house trying to get along with the rest of the pack.

Sam was happy. He was in his own little world of euphoric bliss. He had his own imprint and the red head was no where to be seen at the moment. His imprint was so submissive to his needs and on some occasions she was the one calling on him. He knew she wasn't ready for anything serious but he couldn't deny that he wasn't developing feelings for her. Every time she moaned his name in the throes of their passion, he felt his heart give a little tug of pride. He loved hearing his own name falling from her lips in the heat of the moment.

Bella was finishing up menu preparations, while Sam's workmen were finishing up with painting the walls, when Sam walked in after running patrol, to greet her with a smile. She never could help but return that smile.

"Hey you," she smiled brightly.

"Bella," he replied leaning down to kiss her cheek lightly before pulling her into a hug. Her scent was so intoxicating to him. He absolutely loved it, it was his favorite smell in the whole world.

"How was patrol," Bella asked reaching up on her tippy toes to kiss Sam's chin, as it was all she could reach.

"No, new trails yet" he said.

Bella knew Victoria wasn't gone for good, but that she was simply biding her time. She wasn't the type of vampire that gave up easily. Especially when it came to Bella.

"You know she's not gone," Bella assured him.

Sam nodded his head at her words and turned to get to work. Clearly the red head was planning something big, he could feel it. Whatever it was, he'd be ready for it. He had to be, it was his imprint, his very reason for breathing.

Bella enjoyed watching Sam work. Especially when he was shirtless in just a pair of jeans and work boots. She loved watching how his skin would glisten with a light sheen of sweat. How his muscles would move under his heated tan skin when he moved a certain way. He was absolutely rugged and downright sinful for his own good.

Bella had to look away before she worked herself up in a frenzy. Of course it didn't matter as Sam could smell her arousal from across the room.

"Bella," Sam said between his clenched jaw as he tried to contain himself.

Bella cleared her throat before looking at him. He was still facing the wall with his head turned slightly to the right.

"Yes," her voice came out in a squeak.

"If you don't calm yourself, I'll be tempted to take you right here in the middle of your shop," he said as low as she could hear. A couple of the pack members that worked for Sam, heard what he said, and let out a low chuckle.

Bella just nodded, unable to speak. She gathered her belongings and made her way upstairs to her office. After putting everything away she hastened to her car.

She was barely through the door, heels off, halfway to her bedroom stripping as she went, when Sam burst through her door with a low growl. He was overwhelmed with lust and arousal at the sight of Bella in just a pencil skirt and a black lace bra.

He wasn't slow this time, as he moved at a pace unnatural for a human. He made quick work of his jeans and boots before nearly ripping them off. Then he shredded what was left of Bella's clothes. She was internally thankful that she was only in her panties by then.

Sam released a growl as he sheathed himself within her hot center. Her scent surrounding him as he thrust in and out. It didn't take either of them very long to finally get their release. Bella sat up in the hallway realizing they didn't even make it to her bedroom before they pretty much attacked each other. She was definitely going to feel that in the morning as a she felt a small brush burn on her spine beginning to tingle.

She was exhausted and it was Friday, which meant that the girls were staying with Charlie and Sue. She'd been on the Reservation for several weeks now, and usually she wouldn't let Sam stay no matter what, but something in her wanted him to stay.

"Will you stay with me tonight," she asked looking down at Sam, as he was running his fingers over her sensitive skin.

"I'd love to," he whispered sitting up and placing a quick peck on her nose before standing. He held his hands out for her to take ahold of. "But first let's eat," as if on que Bella's stomach growled and she blushed brightly before giggling.

"I'll cook us something while you pick out a movie to watch," she smiled.

"Is this a date," he grinned.

"You could say that," she winked as she wrapped her silk robe around her body.

He was finally getting somewhere with his imprint even though it wasn't official. Their first 'sort of' date, and he couldn't wipe the goofy grin from his face. It made him ask so many questions in his mind. Was she finally ready for more? Was this her taking a step toward maybe thinking of more? When was it appropriate to ask these questions aloud?

Sam picked out a romance comedy, Knight and Day. Didn't look too bad with Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise.

As Bella cooked dinner she couldn't help but smile to herself. She was definitely starting to have feelings for Sam and something inside her told her that everything was going to be okay.