Ethereal Destiny

by shadowlynxbehr

AU. On the verge of having to take up the mantle of Alpha of the Quileute wolf pack, Jacob Black is reunited with the friend he never thought he would see again. In fact, everyone had tried to tell him that she had never been real, that she had just been his 'imaginary friend' when he was a child. Now that he's seen her again...

Summary: On the verge of having to take up the mantle of Alpha of the Quileute wolf pack, Jacob Black is reunited with the friend he never thought he would see again. In fact, everyone had tried to tell him that she had never been real, that she had just been his 'imaginary friend' when he was a child. Now that he's seen her again, he fights against the anger and hurt he feels over her abandonment of him and tries to resist the new feelings that are forming inside...feelings that his wolf refuses to let him ignore. In the process he will discover the truth of what she really is and why no one but him had ever known of her existence.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.

Notes: The banner link for this can be found on my bio page. Plus, those that know me, know I only love HEAs, so that being said, this story may seem sad, but don't worry, I stand by my words. :)

She emerged from the forest slowly…as if she had materialized from thin air.

They were all huddled around their fallen leader, unaware of her presence…all but him.

He had felt her coming and his eyes had flicked to the edge of the forest just as she had appeared. Without realizing it, he had slowly risen to his feet, the loss of his fellow pack member a distant memory for the moment.

It had been years since he had seen her…back before his change. He had still been a boy then, frolicking in the forest with his best friend, the ethereal beauty that now stood before him.

An imaginary friend…his parents had decreed.

But he had known she was real, even though he had been the only one to have ever seen her in the forest…only in the forest.

From the beginning, the forest had always called to him.

As an infant he had wandered into it many a time, giving his parents a fright when he disappeared like that. She had been watching him then, but he hadn't known that until later when he was old enough to talk to her. That was when she had finally appeared to him, a tiny slip of a thing with skin so pale it was almost translucent and hair as mottled as the foliage around her.

But it was her eyes that had called to him the most.

Brown eyes that changed with the seasons or with a catch of light. She had claimed her kind knew no emotion, but he knew different for her eyes always exposed what she was feeling when he looked hard enough. And she had always been open to him, more open than any of his own race.

Back in those days, he had gone to the forest almost every day, thrilled to spend as much time with her as he could. She had always come quickly, somehow knowing when he had entered the forest. They had shared everything, all their hopes and dreams, all of their laughter and tears. He had thought they would be friends forever…until the day she had looked into his eyes and sadly announced that they couldn't see each other any more.

"But why?" came his scratchy voice, poised at the brink of the change that heralded puberty.

"Because the time has come for you to grow up. It is something you will have to do without me, I cannot interfere with your life any longer."

He hadn't understood her words, hadn't figured out that somehow she had known what was going to happen to him. All he had cared about was that he was losing his best friend, the only person who had understood him completely.

In the end, he had cried as he ran after her, trying to find her among the brush and branches, but she had disappeared with the breeze…he had never seen her again.

For years after that, he had gone to the forest every chance he got, hoping she would appear…but she never had.

Then the change had happened and he had tried to reject it at first. His father had insisted that it was natural…it was meant to be, but he refused to listen. It was then that her words had come back to haunt him. It was then he knew that she had known all along.

It had only made him angrier, the hurt that bubbled inside of him both from the physical pain of his change and the realization that she had known the truth of what he was…

…of what he would become.

He had gone to the forest that day and screamed out to his surroundings, hoping that she would hear him. "You knew! You knew what I would become and yet you never warned me! How could you? I trusted you! You were my best friend and yet you kept this secret from me!"

His anger was such that he began to tear up the forest, leaving debris scattered everywhere even as his body had trembled, then phased into his wolfen form. In the end, he had wound up on his hands and knees, human again, panting hard while covered in sweat, bruises and blood.

She had never appeared that day, even when he had curled into a ball to cry his misery and fear away. She wasn't there to comfort him, to tell him everything would be all right, the way she used to do.

The years had passed…years in which he had refused to take his rightful place as the Alpha, the pack leader. He had reluctantly taken his place among the pack though, because the threat to their land was too great for him to ignore. The wolf in him wouldn't allow him to ignore it, so he fought alongside his brethren.

And now, their Alpha had fallen in battle. A battle which had been hard fought, allowing their leader to die a warrior's death. That was why they were all huddled around the body now, silently gathering the fallen warrior up to take him back to his home where his family could prepare his funeral to mourn his passing.

That was when he had felt her presence, making him glance towards the forest where he could see her slowly appearing. For a brief moment, something warm and joyful had flitted through his insides but that had quickly faded as indignation had inevitably replaced it.

He hadn't realized he was on his feet until her eyes flicked from the huddled group to his own heated gaze.

Even from that distance, he could see the emotion in her eyes and the hint of something wet sparkling at the corners. She simply kept her gaze locked with his for a few moments while he simmered.

Then her eyes flicked down to the fallen Alpha once more, before quickly returning to his.

Her mouth moved and his superior hearing allowed him to hear what she said even from that distance. "It was meant to be. You cannot deny your destiny now."

He roared his pain, phasing as he leaped towards the forest in pursuit of his quarry. Several of the other pack members reacted instinctively, rising to their feet, phasing and following his lead.

But she had disappeared again, even before he had reached the trees. Still, he ran through the area, occasionally lifting his nose into the air trying to catch her scent…or tilting his head hoping he could hear her breathing.

His pack thought he'd lost his mind for the moment…thought he was chasing a ghost. They had never seen her, never heard her speak to him. All they knew was what they saw in his mind and in his mind, she was real.

It took a while for them to convince him to go back so that they could all see to their Alpha's remains. Reluctantly he had returned with them while silently vowing to return to the forest on another day.

He would find her again, if it was the last thing he would ever do. There would be no escaping him again now that he knew she had always been there…

…and look for her, he did.

In the days after the pack had laid their fallen leader to rest, he had gone to the forest…searching for her while he was in wolf form.

Neglecting his duties…

…his pack

…his family.

He searched and searched, letting it become an obsession…letting it consume him.

Ignoring the pleas of his father, who wanted him to take his rightful place as the Alpha, now that the other one was gone.

"The pack needs a leader," his father stated, "and you are the only one who can do that."

"No," was his instant reply as he headed to the forest once more, "it's not what I want."

It had never been what he wanted…even as a child. Even though he had always known his father was the leader of their tribe, he himself had never given much thought to taking his father's place some day.

Being the chief of the tribe was in their blood, so his father had told him. And he knew the duty had called strongly to his father. The calling had been strong enough that his father had taken it up without hesitance when his time had come.

But the calling wasn't present in his own blood. And it was something none of the tribe could figure out…or understand. None of them could understand that the only thing that called to him was the forest.

That it had called to him…from the beginning.

That was why he kept returning to it, why he didn't stop looking for her…again.

The rest of the pack was in shambles, trying to go on as before but without an official leader. Sure, there was a Beta but his leadership was not as strong as their previous Alpha's had been. The pack continued to guard their territory, but it was only a matter of time before the fighting began amongst themselves.

Nothing the Beta could do, could prevent it especially since he was part of the fighting himself.

Finally the chief put his foot down and gathered the pack to organize a coup.

His son never saw it coming…for they had planned it well.

It took days for them to organize it all, even though in the end it was rather simple and quick. Still, those few days afforded him the time to return to the forest in search of his elusive quarry. Each day he tried to venture much farther than before, grateful that his wolf form gave him the ability to do so. Had he been a mere human, he would have never been able to cover so much ground without tiring.

Despite it all, he never saw her…never smelled nor heard her either. It was on the day that he realized he had traversed the entire forest without ever coming across any sign that she had ever been there, that the pack had descended on him.

Broken and weary, he had slunk out of the forest with his head hanging low, his tail nearly dragging over the dead leaves on the ground. He could no longer resist the pain that had grown inside of him since the day she had appeared to him again.

A pain unlike anything he had ever felt before.

The human in him was still angry at her for abandoning him the way she had, but the wolf mourned her loss. His wolf didn't like that he could not feel her presence nor smell her nearby. He had wanted her from the moment he had laid eyes on her, as if she had secretly called him to her.

The pull had been so great that it had surpassed the human anger, allowing him to search for her that first day until the pack had called him back. Even after that, the human side of him tried to say he was only looking for her because he wanted answers, but the wolf side of him knew the truth.

He was searching for her because she was his destiny.

Somehow, deep down inside he knew that, yet his destiny refused to come to him…and he had no idea why.

The growing emptiness inside of him threatened to consume him, dulling his usually superb senses. Distracted by the way the invisible hand crushed his heart and the way his lungs had shrunk so much that he couldn't breathe, it was hard for him to focus on what was going on around him.

Trying to concentrate on putting one paw in front of the other, he never noticed that the pack had surrounded him when he stepped out of the forest onto tribal land. It wasn't until several of them had wrestled his wolf form to the ground that he realized what was happening.

Those that wrestled with him were in human form, only the Beta and one other were standing before the group in their wolf forms. It was a testament to how much her loss was affecting his wolf that he was unable to throw them off of his body. Nor was he able to prevent them from dragging him away from the forest.

His sadness and pain allowed the wolf to begin to fade away, but not before he let loose a mournful howl that echoed through the land. It brought tears to those who heard it instead of the fear that a wolf's howl usually inspired.

As the wolf's body disappeared to be replaced by the man's human form, the howl faded into an anguished cry of defeat. Silent tears slid down his dirt-covered face as his captors pulled him to his feet, then placed the heavy shackles on his wrists at his back.

They were considerate enough to help him into a pair of jean shorts before shackling his ankles too. Had they been aware of his inner pain, they would have realized none of the shackles would have been necessary at the moment.

However, once he pushed past that pain, those shackles would be their saving grace.

As it was, they led him to the council building where there was a room that had been specially prepared for him. One that had been fortified to hold even his wolf form should that become necessary. He was made to sit upon the bed that was in that room and there they left him as his father came in and told him in a commanding voice that he had pushed them all to these drastic measures.

They could no longer allow him to come and go as he pleased. He could no longer ignore his tribe or his duties. His father told him that he would remain within that room until he let go of his fantasies and returned to the reality that waited for him. He told him that he would remain there until he accepted his duty as the new Alpha and chief of the tribe.

Then, he left him…alone.

Alone with his thoughts of her…of the one that got away. The one everyone else couldn't see. It would be a while before his thoughts finally turned away from her to focus on his surroundings. Even so, he couldn't find the drive to move from his seat upon the bed…misery still had him in her clutches.

More days passed which only saw him lift his head from his curled up position on the bed, when someone entered the room to bring him food and drink. Mechanically, he would eat and drink, but he never responded to the words spoken to him.

He could hear the whispers through the closed door…the concern in their voices.

"This isn't right," one of them said.

"Why is he acting like this?" another asked.

"I don't know," replied a third voice whom he recognized as the Beta, "but he's acting like one of us would if we lost our mate."

"Impossible," said yet another, "he doesn't have a mate!"

"That we know of," replied the Beta.

"He doesn't," answered his father.

"I'm not so sure about that anymore," said the Beta, "we told you what we saw…"

"In his mind, yes, I know." came his father's quick reply. "But it is as I said before, it is only his imagination. A childhood fantasy that he never gave up."

There was silence for a moment before the Beta's voice could be heard again.

"Then why is it that when he sees her again after all these years, she is a fully grown woman who tells him that he cannot deny his destiny?"

Again came silence, then his father's unsettled voice.

"What?"

"That's what she said to him. What we saw in his mind. She had been looking at our previous Alpha's dead body, then she looked up at him and said 'It was meant to be. You cannot deny your destiny now.' As if she was telling him that he had no choice but to become the next Alpha."

A muttered "hm" was the only response.

Then, "It was a vision then, he simply had a vision…"

"A vision? In plain daylight? While he was fully awake?" interrupted the Beta.

His father huffed. "Well, what else would it have been? After all, you said it yourself, the vision told him to take up his role as the new Alpha of the pack."

"Maybe so," answered the Beta, "but he clearly hasn't listened to the supposed vision, has he?"

There was no answer to that as the sound of footsteps faded away.

Silence sent him back into dreams of his wolf in the forest, chasing nothing but whispers from a female voice and wisps of a feminine form.

Then the words the Beta had repeated from the glimpse he'd had of the woman in his Alpha's mind began to replay within his own mind.

"It was meant to be. You cannot deny your destiny now."

She had known.

She had known what he was to become…what he had tried so hard to deny.

"It was meant to be. You cannot deny your destiny now."

Those words reappeared in his dreams…became a mantra. A mantra that continued even when he was awake until he could no longer deny it.

Still, his wolf fought him. It wanted to return to the forest, to look for her again. Yet he denied his wolf that right, instead, he waited until he was strong again, then told his father he was ready to become the Alpha.

He didn't blame his father or the pack for being wary for a few days after he had made that announcement. After all, they had been the ones to deal with his refusal time and again for all of those years.

He remained patient and determined to do what it appeared both she and the tribe had wanted him to do.

He became the Alpha.

He took to it like it was second nature…after all, it was in his blood.

As he became the leader everyone had expected him to be, he began to convince himself that what he had seen was indeed a vision. He was destined to be the leader, the Alpha of his pack.

He fell into it with all of the grace and ability of a natural-born leader.

In no time at all the pack was reorganized, becoming a force to be reckoned with while he ruled as Alpha. He was so focused on the pack and on protecting his tribe that the forest seemed to become a distant memory.

This pleased his people and his father immensely.

Months went by in which his leadership became a steady comfort to the tribe and pack. He had settled into the role well, much to his father's pleasure. Everyone knew the time would soon come when the current chief would step aside to let him take over the reins.

He knew it too…and he welcomed it.

It was on the eve before he was to be inducted as the new chief that he got the call once more.

As he slept, in his childhood bed within his father's house, her voice came to him. Softly at first, it made him shift in his sleep, his body turning in the direction of the forest. Until it grew louder, reaching out to his wolf who made him wake up and take notice.

Turning his head towards the window in his bedroom, he looked towards the forest with his wolf's eyes.

She stood at the edge of the trees, a small smile flitting across her face…a clear invitation.

His wolf reacted instantly, making him spring from the small bed, lift the window, then phase as he jumped out of it. He hit the ground in wolf form, immediately giving chase to the woman who turned and began to run into the forest.

It was different this time. This time he could see her as she ran through the forest. This time he never lost sight of her as she often looked back at him over her shoulder.

The chase gave him time to take in her beauty. The way the red highlights of her mahogany hair shone in the moonlight, almost as if it were giving off small lights like fireflies. It hung loose, falling in waves all the way down to her waist and moving like silk over her shoulders when she turned to look at him.

She wore a loose gossamer gown that seemed to shift through various shades of green when she stepped into the moonlight or brown when she was in the shadows. The skirt of the gown, which trailed slightly along the ground, appeared to have folds overlapping folds and he swore he could see tiny lights moving among them.

The bodice of the gown hinted at the curves of her figure even with the shimmery scooped neckline. The sleeves were long, flaring out from the elbows into more folds that blended in with the skirt when her arms were at her sides, hiding her hands completely from his view.

As she ran from him, she appeared to be floating over the ground. Her gait smooth and even while her hair and the gossamer gown flowed around her. When she would look back at him, her sparkling brown eyes and coy smile called to his wolf, inviting him to keep chasing after her.

He could feel the faint breeze moving over his thick russet fur as he ran swiftly after her. The chase made his wolf feel exhilarated, the quick beating heart and the lolling tongue the only evidence of that. His paws flew over the forest floor, stirring up the leaves and debris as he continued to close in on his quarry.

Suddenly, the moon disappeared behind the clouds, plunging the surroundings into darkness. In the seconds it took for his wolf eyes to adjust, her flowing form disappeared from his sight making him come to a skidding halt.

Turning his head this way, then that way, he tried to catch sight of her again. But it was the soft laughter that alerted him to her presence, making him launch into a run once more in the direction of the sound.

A few paces away she came back into his view just as the moon broke through the clouds once more. He saw her smile as she laughed again, the sound lifting his spirits as it chipped away at the pain he had carried within him for all those years.

On and on through the forest they went, never seeming to tire as her laughter and his panting echoed through the trees until she came to a stop at the edge a meadow filled with night-blooming roses. Near the center of the meadow was a huge boulder covered in moss, clover and tiny white flowers. The boulder was lit by a shaft of moonlight…as if it was on a stage and the moonlight was the spotlight.

She had turned to face him, gown and hair floating around her making his eyes return to her figure instead of the boulder. She gave him a coy smile as she slowly backed away from him.

He lowered his head, narrowing his eyes at her. As she continued to back up, his wolf stalked her. He could tell she wasn't afraid of him and that made his wolf rumble in contentment. She didn't stop until her back touched the boulder, making his wolf come to a halt too.

They stared at each other for a few moments as her smile grew. He stepped closer to her, his wolf unable to resist her smile. When he was close enough, she reached out her hand and ran her fingers through the fur on top of his head. He closed his eyes, as the rumble of contentment within his chest grew louder.

He heard her soft laugh as she continued to run her hands through his fur until she cupped his face, waiting for him to open his eyes. As his gaze linked with hers, she finally spoke to him.

"I'm sorry, Jacob. I'm sorry I had to let you go for a while…but you must know. It wasn't easy…to wait for you."

He saw the truth of her words in her eyes…knew she meant every word. She had missed him just as much as he had missed her.

She sighed. "You are grown now…you are Alpha. It was meant to be that way. I had to wait until you became the Alpha."

He understood that now…had understood that for a while even though he had never acknowledged it. Still, he had more questions that he wanted answered and they tumbled around in his mind as he tried to sort them out.

She smiled at him. "I know you have questions, Jake. I can answer them all for you now."

His eyes stayed locked with hers until one question finally came clear to him…why was he the only one who could see her?

"Because I am a part of the forest…but I was made for you."

His eyes grew wide at her words. She could read his mind?

"Yes, I can. You and I…we are connected. Don't you see? It is only because you have become the Alpha of your pack that this is all possible. Because of that, you and I can finally be together."

Together…that word seemed to echo in his head.

Together, they could finally be together.

Yes, his wolf rumbled, yes that is what he wanted…her.

She was his destiny and this time, he would not be denied.

"Yes," she repeated softly, "I am yours."

He watched as her eyes darkened, lids lowering slightly. Suddenly the smells of the forest heightened until he realized that it wasn't the forest he was smelling.

It was her.

He leaned in closer, burying his nose in her mahogany tresses. With a deep inhalation, he took in her scent…fresh, crisp…she was the forest.

And her scent called to the wolf…made him hungry…hungry for her.

He nuzzled her neck, wanting so badly to lick her, but the human in him held back not wanting to scare her off.

He heard her soft chuckle. "I'm not afraid of you, Jacob. I want you too."

Her words broke his resistance…made him phase back into human form so that he was now looking down at her as she continued to hold his face in her hands.

He lifted one of his hands, to run his fingers through her hair. The softness of it curled around his fingers, as if saying she didn't want to let him go.

A groan escaped his throat. He couldn't resist her…didn't want to anymore…and she had already given him the okay to do what he'd been dreaming of.

Without further ado, he curled his fingers tightly in her hair and tugged her closer to his naked body. Lowering his head, he covered her parted lips with his own.

She met him, move for move, not denying him in any way. He could feel her hands moving up his arms, fingers curling over his shoulders then trailing down his back as their kiss deepened.

The kiss drugged him, lured him in until he couldn't think anymore…could only feel what she was doing to him.

He barely understood that her own gown had disappeared instantly, leaving nothing between their skin. Yet, he was aware of the silky feel of her skin against his. Warm and smooth as satin as she rubbed herself against him.

It made him moan as his body responded eagerly to hers.

His hands left her hair, to run greedily over her perfect body. And she was perfect to him, he realized as he lifted his head to gaze down at her nakedness. She was so beautiful to him…skin so pale, yet glowing in the moonlight as if lit from within by a golden light.

Her pert, rosy nipples called to him, making the wolf in him salivate. He answered their call by lowering his mouth onto one of them and gently suckled it until it hardened against his tongue. While he continued to feast on one, his hand rose to tease the other one…rolling the bud between his thumb and forefinger until it matched the hardness of the one in his mouth.

He heard her moan as one of her hands held him to her chest…and somehow, he was able to feel what she felt. He knew with every flick of his tongue, every tug of his fingers…her breasts swelled and throbbed until those same feelings seemed to be echoed in the juncture of her thighs.

Her smell intensified…letting his wolf know she was more than ready for him. Still, he tried to resist his wolf as he trailed a hand down to where she was moist and warm. He growled when his fingers became covered in her slick wetness…she was more ready for him than he had thought.

As he rubbed her folds, her voice floated up to him…breathless. "Jake…please…don't deny us this. Listen to your wolf…please…listen to us…"

He closed his eyes, realizing she was still in his mind…reading his thoughts as well as his wolf's. And he knew…knew there would be other times where they could take it slow.

He lifted his head, to lock his gaze with hers as she leaned back against the boulder. His breath hitched as he took in the view of her, skin glowing as she spread her body open for him. He knew without a doubt that the slightly tilted boulder would serve well as a mossy bed for what they were about to do.

When she lifted her arms towards him, he didn't even hesitate…the man had finally given in to his wolf…and to his mate.

They came together quickly, his body joining hers easily since she was already so wet for him. As her arms wrapped around him, pulling him close to her, he sank even deeper inside of her until he was fully buried to the hilt.

She only allowed him a few heartbeats to enjoy that before she wrapped her legs around his hips and began to rock against him. His body answered hers with an equal rhythm until they were both panting and thrusting against each other with equal fervor.

Their tempo increased as their frantically beating hearts matched their breathing while the moonlight made their sweat-covered bodies glisten.

Their eyes remained locked with each others, both of them feeling what the other felt until they began to reach a crescendo. It rose within them both, pulsing and roaring until they reached the pinnacle together. A pinnacle that made him howl and her sing, voices blending together in perfect harmony…just like their bodies…their souls.

They floated together like the dust motes that floated within the shaft of moonlight. Slowly drifting downwards until resting peacefully against the moss covered boulder.

He finally lifted his head, to gaze lovingly down at her face. Trailing his fingers along her flushed cheek, enjoying the way her hair fanned out over the moss. He smiled as he noticed that some of the tiny white flowers had tangled in her tresses.

The contented look in her eyes made his heart swell with joy. She was his…and he was hers.

"Come home with me," he begged, not wanting to ever leave her side.

The smile she wore faded just a little bit as she answered him. "I cannot."

The invisible hand began to clutch his heart again as he struggled to breathe. "Why?"

"I cannot leave the forest…it is my home and I am forever tied to it."

He took a few breaths, trying to steady himself. "Then I will stay here with you."

She shook her head, lifting a finger to his lips as he began to protest. "You cannot, Jacob! You must go back…be the Alpha of the pack. You must become the chief of the tribe, it is your destiny."

He pushed her hand away and growled. "I never wanted that! You know it! I just want you!"

"I know, but you must do that. Jake," she paused to caress his face. "I'll always be here for you. Whenever you have need of me, come and I will be here."

He closed his eyes, leaning into her warm hand unable to hold back the grief that swelled within his chest.

"Please," he whispered.

"I won't leave you again, Jacob. I'll be here whenever you need me, just come to the forest."

Deep down inside, he knew that was all she could give him. But it was a promise that she would keep and one he would greedily take since he had no other choice.

It was close to dawn when he finally left her side, albeit with reluctance. She had allowed him to sleep at her side for a bit, but woke him to let him know he had to return before someone noticed his absence.

He parted from her at the edge of the forest, for that was as far as she was allowed to go. He walked with heavy steps toward his father's home, looking back at her once when he reached his window.

She gave him a parting smile as he heard her words that drifted to his ears. "I'll be here…waiting, my love."

And then she was gone.

From sight, but not from his heart. He could still feel her with him even as he returned to his bed. It was then that he understood what she had been trying to tell him.

She would always be with him…and he with her.

That feeling never left him as he took up the duty of chief of the tribe. As the days went on, she was always there inside of him. A soothing comfort that allowed him to do what he needed to do for the good of the pack and the tribe.

As the days turned into months, then to years he returned often to the forest to be with her when he could. Yet, he never neglected his pack or tribe. She helped him to balance his time with her and the rest of his life even though he kept their meetings a secret from the pack.

She had taught him how to do that…close his mind to the pack so that they never saw her or their secret meetings within the forest. She taught him so much more as he spent time with her…in between the times they spent simply loving each other, of course.

As the years passed, she was there for him in times of need. Offering him a shoulder to lean on or arms to comfort him when he was down. She even gave him advice when he asked for it…and sometimes when he didn't.

And she was there for him when his father finally passed away, leaving him the sole leader of the tribe. She had met him at the edge of the forest that day, their connection had already warned her that he was upset over the loss of his father. He had fallen into her open arms instantly, needing her comfort and strength to get through the next few days.

Then she was there for him again a few years later when the tribe and his pack began to pressure him into taking a mate. The pack was worried because he was not mated to anyone and had not produced an heir. As the Alpha, it was his duty to pass on the title to his son, yet he didn't seem willing to settle down with anyone.

He wasn't getting any younger they said…and he wouldn't live forever. It was time that he settled down, like most of them already had. He refused to do it, but never told them why.

His heart already belonged to her, making him refuse to take another to his bed and into his life.

One night, when the pressure had reached its peak, he went to her and begged once more.

"Please Bells, come home with me."

"I cannot, you know I cannot leave the forest."

"They want me to take a mate, Bella! You know I won't do it! I love you! I only want you! Don't you get it? You are my mate…there will never be another!"

"I know, Jacob. I know. It is the same for me."

"Then why? Why can't you come with me? Why can't we be together the way we both want to be?"

"Jacob…"

He reached for her, pulling her body flush with his. "Bells, I want a life with you. Only you…please."

She sighed against his chest, his pain was hers. Fighting back the tears, she whispered to him, "Jacob, everything will work out in the end. Please, don't worry, okay? I promise it will all work out."

He leaned back to look down into her eyes. He understood what she was saying. She knew the future…knew what was going to happen. Just like she had known what he would become, yet she wouldn't tell him.

He wanted to ask her what she saw, but he knew she would never tell him. He would have to wait and let whatever it was come to pass.

And it did…eventually.

He remained Alpha and chief, growing older all while refusing to take a wife or have children. There was grey at his temples now and lines marked his face with age. All tell-tale signs that his time upon the earth was growing short.

Still, he remained alone much to the growing panic of his people. He had kept his rendezvous into the forest a secret after all those years. No one ever knew that he had never been alone…would never be alone. She was always with him, always.

Then, a battle came to pass… a battle in which he was fatally injured.

The rest of the pack finished off their enemies as he lay there, his life-giving blood running into the ground beneath him. When the last enemy was gone, the pack phased back to human form and began to surround him knowing that there was nothing they could do to save their Alpha. His body was too old and too weak to survive this time.

His Beta swallowed past the grief stuck in his throat, trying to find the words to ask him what the pack should do. Who would be their new Alpha after him?

Before the question could pass his lips, one of the other men let out a gasp.

"Look!"

As one, all heads turned in the direction of the forest to see a young man walking away from it. And behind the man…was…her.

The pack instantly recognized her from the images they still carried within their minds…the image they had gotten from their Alpha way back when their previous Alpha had died.

She stood still, eyes locked on the body of their Alpha who lay with his eyes closed, barely breathing. No one paid attention to the young man as he knelt next to their Alpha and laid a hand on his arm.

They didn't see him open his eyes to look up into the young man's. It wasn't until they heard his swift intake of breath that they turned their gazes away from her.

It puzzled them that their Alpha was looking up at the young man with eyes wide in recognition. They didn't recognize him, even though his features seemed…familiar somehow.

The Beta leaned over his Alpha, "Jacob? Who…"

His words faltered when the young man looked towards the forest and smiled. "Mathair"

Once again the pack looked towards the forest in time to see the woman take a step towards them. Their eyes went wide as she continued to make her way towards the group. Silently they cleared a path for her, moving aside until she was kneeling on the other side of their fallen Alpha across from the young man.

She leaned over their Alpha, looking into his pain-filled eyes. Giving him a gentle smile, she ran her fingers along his jaw as she whispered to him.

"This was meant to be. You can fulfill your destiny now…at my side."

A light shudder traveled through his body as he gazed up at her. Gasps echoed through the pack as they watched the grey fade from his temples and the lines on his face disappeared until his skin looked as smooth as the young man who knelt next to him.

He lifted a trembling hand to her face. A light began to glow within his eyes.

"Bells…" he whispered.

"Yes," she replied as his hand fell to his side right before his eyes closed and a soft sigh pushed past his lips.

At first the pack believed he had finally succumbed to his wounds until his body rolled over onto his stomach. He slowly rose to his hands and knees, but the phase was instantaneous the way it had always been for him.

The russet Alpha wolf stood before them all, looking strong and healthy as if he had never fallen in battle. His eyes traveled over all of them, as he seemed to be waiting for something.

Her voice interrupted their surprised staring. "You must all phase too. There are some things he must tell you."

None of them hesitated, quickly phasing until a full pack of wolves faced their reborn Alpha.

As his eyes locked with each one of them, they heard him speak.

"My time here is over. There is another life that waits for me. One that I have looked forward to for so long now."

He inclined his head towards the young man who stood besides him. "I now pass the titles of Alpha and chief of the tribe to my son, the way it is meant to be."

Surprise registered within the pack mind as they all looked to the young man who stood smiling at them. He nodded at them, then instantly phased into a wolf with fur that was a slightly lighter shade of their Alpha's. The other difference was the black-tipped ears, but that didn't hinder their instant belief that what had been said was the truth.

Somehow they all knew it. They knew this new wolf was indeed the son of their Alpha and the woman who had emerged from the forest. They knew it was time for a change within their pack…that this new wolf would take over as their leader.

"It is time to go, Jacob. We cannot linger here any longer," said the woman.

The younger russet wolf nodded its head as its voice spoke within their minds. "She is right, athair, you must go. I will take over for you…as it was meant to be."

Without another word, the elder russet wolf padded towards the woman's side where she settled a hand into the fur at his neck.

The pack watched as the wolf and the woman walked towards the forest in silence. As the couple passed the edge of the tribal lands, they could see the faint blur of the wolf as it phased back into the form of a man.

A man with long raven hair that seemed as if it had tiny lights shimmering within it. Naked from the waist up, he wore what looked like a long breechclout and moccasins that reached to his knees. Yet, in the next instant that appeared to be an illusion… as if their eyes were playing tricks on them.

The clothing had looked like the fur of a russet wolf, then seemed to blur into the bark of a birch tree in the next moment. As they watched, it blurred back to russet fur, then to birch again.

It was then that they knew what was happening. They could read it in the new Alpha's mind.

They knew what the woman was now…what the man beside her was becoming.

They were ethereal…of the forest.

And as the couple disappeared from the pack's sight, they all knew neither one of them would be seen again by mortal eyes.

The only proof that they had ever existed would be the son who was now their new Alpha. Their legacy would live on in him…and his children.

That was the way it was meant to be…that was destiny.