Heaven In Hiding

Chapter One

"Something is missing, I just don't know what."

Jacob POV

Running.

I don't think anything is more freeing than running through the forest. Feeling the earth move under my paws. Leaves flying up and around me as I move quicker. I'm currently running patrol around La Push. The quiet is strange. Usually I have someone else's voice in my head with me. But right now, it's just me running past the tall trees and trampled dirt. Being alone in wolf form can be freeing but right now I just feel restless. The feeling of restlessness and unease is not new. It feels as if it is a new part of my personality.

I don't know why and how these new emotions started. It was almost as if one day I woke up and something was off. It was the feeling of looking around and missing something right in front of you. I thought these feelings would pass. That they would just go away. But it's been almost 6 weeks and it's as if these new emotions are getting stronger, especially in wolf form. It's often that I feel being in wolf form eases my problems. That not being in human form your problems seem small and insignificant. However, its almost constant now, whichever form I'm in that I find myself looking around me just knowing that I'm missing something.

I run by Kim and Jared's house. Pausing to sniff the air deeply for anything off. I listen only to hear calm breathing and light snores. I take off running again to the next house on my stop. Sam and I made the decision to officially include imprints homes on patrols about two years ago. While it made patrols a bit longer no one protested it especially since it was something we already did anyways. A few of the imprints were upset for various reasons but I don't think they would ever realize how important their safety was to all of us not just the imprinters. Once one of the wolves in the pack imprints on someone, they are part of our big crazy family. "A life sentence" was what Quil called it with a wide grin on his face.

Almost all the wolves were imprinted, it was getting easier to name the ones who weren't imprinted rather than the long list of ones who were. It was a bit odd according to my father, to have this many imprints since it's supposed to be rare. But then again so is turning into a giant wolf so, who are we to say what's normal. There were some wolves who never want to imprint (Embry) and others who seem to be counting down the days (Seth).

I consider myself somewhere in the middle. While I want to be truly happy with someone the idea of putting my heart on the line again actually scares me. I'd almost rather face a hundred vampires at once by myself than have my heart crushed by someone I thought cared about me.

Flashes of brown hair and a shy smile run through my mind before I push them away. I hoped I had imprinted when I was with her, I thought I had imprinted on her at the time. I felt so deeply attached to her at the time that I was convinced she was the one. Everyone else seemed to know that she wasn't it for me and could barely remain civil around her. But my stubborn nature got the best of me and I fell. Hard. I thought for sure she'd pick me. But I soon found out it wasn't fun to be someone's second choice. The last time I saw Bella was at her wedding to that leech Edward. She had promised we'd stay in touch and she would be back soon.

That was the last time I saw her. I'd almost think I made her up if it wasn't for my best friend's dad, Charlie her father, mentioning talking to her on the phone occasionally. I know he changed her into one of them. I don't know how, call it a gut feeling, but I just know. Sam and the others wanted to track them down after I let some of my thoughts slip once. They said if she was changed into a vampire it broke the treaty, no matter where it happened. I convinced them to let it go. Just because she didn't want to be with me and was desperate to be one of them didn't mean I wanted to get sucked into her drama anymore.

So, the idea of imprinting, being tied to someone, while appealing I just don't think is going to happen to me. Sometimes though seeing the other wolves who I considered my brothers and sister being happy with their imprints made me smile. And just maybe I secretly wished it would happen to me. As I was running to Claire's home also known as Quil's imprint I felt someone phase in.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late. I fell asleep doing my Math homework last night and woke up late." Seth says or rather thinks to me. Images of him rushing and almost tripping on the stairs enter my mind.

"It's fine. I thought Paul was on patrol with me this morning. Don't you have school?" I think back at him while simultaneously trying to remember the patrol schedule.

"Your right it's his shift but he had to go venue shopping for the wedding with Rachel. And I'll only miss an hour of school. Not a big deal." Seth thinks back as I see his view of running on the border of La Push and Forks. Right now, our Patrol only covered La Push but Sam and I have been talking about extending it to Forks since it was so close and more people there which equaled more danger.

"Your mom and Emily won't be happy. You know how important school is to them." I thought back to Seth.

School was very important to a lot of the Imprints and wolf's families. When Victoria was building her army to attack us a lot of us had dropped out of school to take on the responsibility of protecting the town. Now that the Cullen's had moved away and we have fewer vampire attacks and visitors some of us have gone back to finish high school. I had graduated highs school almost a year ago at the insistence of my dad Billy and Sam's imprint Emily.

"I know. I know. You're so lucky to have graduated! It's sooo boring." He grumbled.

I chuckled but in my wolf form it almost sounded like a mix of choking and growling.

"Alright. But don't blame me when your mom and Emily come at you for missing school. Now go check on the imprints while I patrol the border."

XxXxXxX

I phased out of wolf form at 9 when Quil and Embry take over Patrol. I pull on my shorts and go inside the yellow house of Sam and Emily. As per usual I find Emily in the kitchen cooking up a storm.

"This all for me?" I say with a smile as I kissed the side of her unscarred cheek. She laughs and swats me away while loading me up a plate of bacon, pancakes and sausages.

"Nice try. Your brothers will be here soon. How was patrol?" She says as she hands me the plate.

"Quiet. Ran with Seth." I say as I stuff my face with delicious food.

"Seth?" She asks with a frown.

"It was supposed to be Paul and I but he went with Rachel to look at wedding venues. Guess he traded with Seth." I explain

"That boy is always looking for an excuse to miss school." She says with a roll of her eyes.

"Who is looking for an excuse?" Sam asks as he shuffles down the stairs. He immediately goes to stand by Emily kissing her scarred cheek and wedding ring. They had gotten married almost six months ago. Surprisingly Leah was Emily's maid of honor. Everyone was quite surprised by this and we were all even more surprised when Leah imprinted on Logan, one of Sam's friends from high school at the wedding reception. Things were a lot better now that Leah could fully move on.

"Seth. He missed part of school by switching patrol with Paul." She says as she snuggles into Sam's arm contently.

"We'll talk to him." Sam says kissing Emily one again before sitting at the table to let her get back to cooking.

"So, have you thought more about extending our patrol into Forks?" I ask sitting at the table after grabbing seconds of breakfast.

"Yeah, I think it's a good idea just have to talk to the elders first." Sam says after a moments pause.

"Great. When will that happen?" I say. I guess I sounded a bit too excited about his final decision because he stares at me a little too long with a confused expression on his face.

"What?" I ask perplexed by the look he's giving me.

"Why are you so eager about this? Is there something I should know?" He asks while looking in my eyes almost as if he's looking for something.

"It just makes sense as the next step to expand our range of patrol with having 10 wolves and Forks being a bigger town with more people." I say trying to explain without giving away my feelings of restlessness and unease that seem to be pushing me towards Forks. I haven't told anyone of these emotions because I don't want anyone to worry. I'm scared these moods will be misinterpreted into them thinking something bad is going to happen. I know if I felt this was a warning of something bad I would tell them in an instant. But I don't know how much longer I can hide my strange emotional state.

"If there's something up you need to tell me. Ok?" Sam says with a serious look on his face.

"Sam, I'm good. Really."

XxXxXxX

I stay at Sam and Emily's for a little while longer until some of my brothers and their imprints show up. Often, I love their company but today I just don't feel up to it. I just can't seem to get out of my head enough to enjoy their company. I'm walking home with a container of food for my dad. I'm sure most people wouldn't consider walking through the woods barefoot and only in jean shorts comfortable but I find it calming.

Sometimes I walk on the road to get to my house from Sam and Emily's since its quicker but I don't mind the walk today hoping it will clear my head. I also don't mind not seeing the stares and sometimes even glares from the locals and tourists. The reaction we got in the beginning was even worse though. People calling us a gang, mothers pulling their children away from us, even warning them about us as if we would lure them into trouble and danger. I laugh at the thought. As if. We're the ones protecting them. I don't want a parade thrown in our honor but a little gratitude would be nice. Though I must admit that once people realized we kept to ourselves and even helped local hikers be found a few times the reaction we got was a lot better.

I walk up to the little red house I share with my dad. "Dad? You up?" I call out not immediately seeing him when I walk in the front door. I don't smell him in the house so I walk outside to see him watering his garden. It was originally my mother's garden but after she passed away he kept it alive.

"Dad I got food from Emily." I say quickly approaching him.

"What do we have now?" He asks with a smile on his face as he shuts off the hose.

"Pancakes and sausages." I say wheeling him into the house and sitting him next to the table. He seems excited by the notion and digs in after I heat up the food in the microwave. I start to head to my room to see if I can nap away my weird mood when he stops me.

"Jacob. We should talk." He says giving me look that says I better listen. I sit at the table across from him.

"What's up?" I ask trying to appear casual.

"I know Sam is the alpha right - "

I cut him off before he can finish. "Dad I'm fine with Sam being the alpha. I'm the beta and that's enough for now. I'm in no rush to take over as alpha." I say.

"That's what I'm worried about." My dad says.

"What?"

"Listen, I'm happy that Sam was able to phase first and be in charge. I'm not saying you must become alpha tomorrow but it's in your blood. I just think it's time to start thinking about it and start learning from Sam and pay a bit more attention." He explains calmly.

"Dad, I'm just not interested. Eventually if Sam wants to stop phasing then I'll take over until then I just don't want that responsibility." I try to explain.

"Jacob, it's an honor that you even have the opportunity to become alpha." He says seriously.

"Sure, Sure."

"Jacob." He says with a sigh.

"I'll think about it ok." I say trying to end the conversation. While we're talking I keep feeling this urge that I need to be somewhere even though I know I don't. It's almost feeling like your late to something and need to rush to get there except stronger.

"Jacob? You ok? You keep looking around."

"Something is missing, I just don't know what…" I speak before I can even stop myself.

My father looks at me confused and leans back in his chair. "What do you mean?"

"I just… I keep having these uneasy moods and now it's being added to like I'm supposed to be somewhere and need to get there fast. But knowing there's nothing to go too…" I trail off lamely. I feel kind of embarrassed that I'm admitting all this to him but I also hope maybe he knows what's wrong and can help. My day always seems to have the answers or know how to get them.

My father is silent for a few moments seeming to think over my words seriously. "Is anyone else having these thoughts? Is it tied to your wolf?" He asks.

I shake my head no but pause at the second question. "No one else has mentioned anything and I haven't told anyone. It does seem to be tied to my wolf somehow because the feelings seem to grow even stronger when I phase."

"Is it a bad feeling? Like something bad is coming?" He looks a little worried at his own question.

I quickly shake my head no. "It's not really a bad mood. If it was I would have warned the others. It's more as if I'm missing something right in front of me."

"Hmm. I'll look into the old legends and books to see if I can find something." He says finishing his food. "Tell Emily thank you for the food. I hope your imprint can cook as good as her." He says with a warm smile.

"Dad." I say as a warning. Talking about what my possible imprint will be like is one of his favorite subjects. "I don't even know if I will imprint." I grumble out.

"You will son. You will."

XxXxXxXx