Author's Note: To the reader who asked about the Volturi – they don't have a place in this story. There will be vampires, but much later.
Chapter Four: Family
Jake had been with the tribe of bears for a week. The more time he spent there the more he thought of home and what he was putting people through. In the end his stubbornness and pride broke down enough for him to call his dad to let him know that he was okay despite having run off like he had.
When his dad answered the phone, Jake felt a lump in his throat. Damn he felt so guilty, he could hear in his dad's voice just how tired and stressed he was. Being the cause of that made him feel like a terrible person.
"Hey dad," he said cautiously after a moment, having to force himself to speak. Lily and her brothers had vacated the house, the only way there would be any privacy considering the heightened hearing of shapeshifters. Though he could faintly hear them outside, apparently play fighting in their bear forms.
"Jake?" Billy's voice shook with emotion and it broke Jake a little more to hear it.
"Yeah dad, it's me," he replied, trying his best to keep his tone even. He could not have his dad thinking that he wasn't okay. Those wounds still ran deep and he felt pretty broken, but on the grand scheme of things he was fine.
"How are you? Where are you?"
"I'm okay, don't worry." That was a stupid thing to say and he cringed as the words left his lips. "I actually found another tribe of shapeshifters. And I.. I met my imprint." Which was probably the last thing his dad would have been expecting him to say after everything he had gone through with Bella.
"What's she like?" His dad might have kept his tone light and casual but Jake could hear the hope there. He knew what that hope was for: that his imprint was not someone who would just walk away from him. There had already been enough of that in his life. His sisters had turned and run from La Push the moment they could.
"She's a shifter too, a bear like the rest of them. She's..." Jake paused, wondering how to describe Lily. He had not got to know her very well yet. "Kind, sarcastic, doesn't take crap from anyone." He smiled as he spoke, unable to help it.
"I'm glad, you need a little of that," Billy replied with a little laugh. But his laughter died as he cautiously asked, "So... are you going to stay there?"
It was not something Jake had thought about in terms of the long term. "Honestly? I don't know," he confessed. "For now anyway. I can't.."
"Can't face coming home?" his dad finished for him and Jake was suddenly glad that his dad knew him so well.
"Not right now. I need some time. But I promise to call, if that makes it any better." He certainly hoped that it did.
"It does. Be safe, Jake," his dad replied softly, making Jake's heart clench.
"I will. Talk to you later, dad."
The conversation weighed on him as he hung up the phone. He could tell his dad had been worried, that it had been effecting him. Jake hated that. He did not want to make anyone's life harder than it already was. Ever since the girls had left it had just been the two of them against the world. Maybe when he found the courage to go home they could make room for one more person, so it would be the three of them from then onward.
"Want to talk about it?" Jake turned at the sound of Lily's voice, finding her standing in the doorway. He considered it for a moment then sighed.
"I just feel like I'm letting everyone down," he confessed. He let his dad down, his tribe, the pack. And he was letting Lily down too, by not being enthusiastic over their imprint.
"Maybe you shouldn't be so hard on yourself," she replied softly. She looked at him for a few moments then asked, "Can I give you a hug? You look like you could really use one."
His inner wolf was all but pleading with him to allow it and even though his mind was whirring he could not disagree. A hug sounded pretty good right then. He nodded and watched as she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him. It took him a few seconds but he wrapped his arms around her too, closing his eyes and just letting himself exist in that moment. Jake breathed in her scent, realising just how soothing it was to have her close.
And all at once he wondered if he deserved this, if he deserved to have an imprint when he was still unable to give in to the pull to be with her. He moved just enough to be able to look down at her. She looked up, their eyes meeting and as they did she gave him a little smile.
"Do you overthink everything or just some things?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she observed him.
"I normally don't even think, never mind overthink," he laughed.
"No? Maybe you need a distraction to get you out of your own head," Lily suggested. She got an idea, smirked and grabbed his hand before leading him outside to where Sawyer and Luke were still playfighting in their bear forms.
She let go of Jake's hand and turned to face him. "How about it, Jake? Think a wolf can hang with bears?" she asked in a teasing tone. He knew she was goading him into it and he did not have a single complaint about that.
"More than," he replied with a laugh.
Soon enough the two of them were on four paws, joining in with the almost childish antics. It felt good to not have to be serious, to do something just because it was fun and not be tied down with responsibility. As Jake watched Sawyer flop down on top of Lily, making her groan at being rather flattened, he could not help feeling glad that even if he was not with his dad right then he had still found a family. One that was willing to accept him as he was, no questions asked.
