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AN: Sorry it took so long… fanfiction fail and then life and other stories and such. I've decided to take this story in a different direction than was originally planned… so I wanted to let you know it will probably turn out to be long(ish) and prob update once every 1-2 weeks. There are a few other things I'm going to be working on at the same time. Thanks for reading :) and I love all your awesome reviews!
Sam
After leaving the stream I take off towards Seth's house. He is a bit shocked when he sees me, but lets me in without saying a word. For a young kid he is pretty good at reading people. I sit on his couch with my head in my hand for what seems like hours just trying to figure out what went wrong.
Seth brings me some water and I gulp it down not realizing how thirsty I was. He looks at me worriedly. He has never seen me like this… uncollected and freaked out. I'm always in control, the strong leader who never shows weakness. Well I have found mine and it's tearing me in two.
I smile at him sheepishly. I don't like showing my vulnerable side. "Do you mind if I crash here for a few days?"
He cocks his head to the side, "What happened, Sam? Is everything okay with you and Emily?"
I look down at the floor and shake my head. Seth is related to her so I don't want to say anything degrading in front of him. "No, it's not. I broke up with her today. We just aren't right for each other. She's not my soul mate and I'm tired of trying to make it work."
Seth can understand why it would matter for her to be my soul mate. He hasn't found his yet, but we both can feel what it's like for the others who have imprinted. He nods his head and sits on the other side of the couch.
"Is there something else Sam? You don't seem so beat up about Emily. You almost seem like you are missing something that's important to you. That wouldn't make sense if you broke up with her." I sigh in resignation. I won't be able to keep anything from him or any of the pack anyways.
"I imprinted today… after leaving Emily. I shifted and ran off for a while. Someone else shifted later but they were thoughts I didn't recognize. It was a new shifter. So I took off to help them."
Seth's eyes go wide in shock, "There is another girl shifter? Leah is going to be excited!"
"No Seth, it wasn't a girl." I look at him pleadingly trying to make him understand.
"But I thought you said you imprinted, I assumed it was on the new shifter." He lifts an eyebrow questioningly.
"I did imprint on the new shifter." His eyes go wide as he realizes what I'm saying. He looks at me pitifully for a second but then his curiosity takes over.
"Well… who is he?" I'm more that thrilled that he doesn't seem grossed out by my imprinting on a guy. It makes me more hopeful for the rest of the pack.
"That's the interesting part. It's Jacob. We all thought that since he hadn't shifted by now that he wasn't going to." Seth gasps when he hears Jake's name but I continue before he can ask any questions.
I tell him everything that happened with Jake. It wasn't too long ago Seth first shifted so I know he can understand what Jake is feeling. Seth is shocked to hear that he took off after everything though. Not because of Jake's aversion to being Alpha but because of me, his imprint. I tell Seth how much it hurts to be away from him, not knowing when or if Jake is coming back.
He looks at me sadly, scooting over to put an arm around my shoulder. "Don't worry Sam. He will be back. His heart will be hurting just as much as yours. Whether or not he wants this life, he will want you. And you can stay here as long as you like, though I don't imagine Emily will stay in La Push for long. She's a city girl at heart."
I nod my head and thank him. It's late now so he brings me a cover and I crash on the couch. Later I hear Harry, Leah and Sue come home, the hushed voices escaping the kitchen. He is probably telling them about me and Emily. I doubt he would mention Jake at this point.
Sleep takes over quickly and my dreams are filled with jet black hair and dark brown eyes, a rustic wolf splashing in a stream, and large arms holding me against a firm bare chest.
I wake with a start when I hear the front door slam closed. Seth enters the room then to check on me. "Sorry Sam, you know how Leah is." He gives me joking smile and I laugh shaking my head. Of course I do. Leah, the only girl in our pack, likes to let herself be known. I guess she thinks that she will be left out otherwise.
I let Seth know I will be calling a meeting shortly and run back to my house. I'm a little hopeful that when I shift into my wolf form that Jacob will be too. But I know immediately that he hasn't so I push harder to get home fast. Emily isn't there which is good because I want to get some things while I stay at Seth's.
After putting together a small duffel bag, I hop in my truck and drive back to the Seth's. Only Harry is home now and he seems sad when I sit to talk with him. "I'm sorry about Emily, Sam. I know things have been rough for you two lately. Are you doing okay?"
"I'm fine, Harry. We will both be better off I think. Besides, did Seth tell you I imprinted yesterday? Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but none of that stuff with Emily matters to me anymore." He looks shocked so my assumption last night was right. I give him a shorter version and at the end of my story he stands up quickly from his chair.
"So that's what happened? Billy has been worried since Jacob didn't come home last night. I need to call him and let him know." He stops to look at me thoughtfully. "Are you okay with this Sam? It is an unusual situation. I don't think there has ever been a case where males imprint on each other, much less a shifter on another shifter."
I smile at him, conviction in my eyes, "I'm positive Harry. He is everything I could ever want."
"He will come back. You know that right? I can only imagine how much stronger the bond is with two imprints." He sounds hopeful and I try to soak some of it up. Hope is all I have right now and it doesn't do a very good job of filling the hole in my chest.
I nod and tell him my plans for informing the rest of the pack. He waves me off as I run into the forest, shifting as soon as I take my shorts off. No one else is in their wolf form so it gives me a little bit to enjoy the woods around me. I head towards our normal meeting place and sit for a moment to work up the courage to tell my pack about Jacob.
When I'm ready, enough, I let out my summoning call. It doesn't take long before I feel others thoughts pop into my head. A few are wondering why I'm calling for them, but I just greet them and wait for everyone to join me. Soon there are six large wolves forming a circle around me.
I jump right into the story now wanting to drag out their responses. Seth already knows and it is relieving to have someone who supports me while I do this. Even though I am Alpha, these wolves are my friends, my family. I don't want to lose their respect or their love.
I hear the expected gasps as I mention imprinting on Jacob but I soldier on trying to ignore their reactions until I'm through. When I come to the end, I stand in the middle proud of who my imprint is and waiting for their minds to bombard me. I'm shocked when all I receive is sympathy and understanding. Paul makes a few jokes of course, but it's all in good fun.
Relief sweeps over me as they all run into me, butting my head and shoulders or nipping at my legs. A thought catches my attention soon after the group bonding is over. Quil asks how we are going to get Jacob to come back.
"We can't do anything. We don't know where he is and he hasn't shifted as far as I know. Besides, I don't want to make him come back. He needs to come to terms with this, accept who he is. I can only hope his heart will lead him home."
Everyone looks at me sadly and I tell them to get lost, I will be fine. There hasn't been need to patrol very much now that the Cullen's have seemed to be keeping to the treaty. I let them know I will take care of the patrol tonight and Embry can take tomorrow night.
After everyone heads home and I feel them all leave my mind, I sigh and fall onto the ground. That went better than I thought it was. Everyone understands and still accepts me, now I just have to deal with their sympathy.
I spend most of the day as a wolf, walking through woods aimlessly and thinking about Jacob. What could I have said differently to keep him with me, to keep him from running off? I go through our conversation over and over again, but can't think of anything. He was completely fine with the imprinting thing, taking to it better than I could have expected.
He wasn't so excited about being a protector for our tribe, but it really hit him when I mentioned being an Alpha. I can imagine this sort of responsibility would be intimidating for him, a senior in high school with the whole world ahead of him. I'm only a few years older than him, but I've had years to come to terms with my fate.
I sulk around for the rest of the evening, glad that no one decided to shift anymore today. Around 11pm I return to Seth's house, silently entering to keep from waking anyone up. There is a note on the couch with my name on it. Curiosity consumes me as I open it.
Sam
Harry told me what happened. I'm sorry that I didn't see the signs for Jacob's transformation. I was hopeful that he wouldn't be changing I guess.
I haven't heard from him since he went to school yesterday morning. If I do, I will let you know immediately. Then try and help him understand everything better.
Sorry
Billy
It's a good thing Billy knows now, in case Jake calls him to let him know where he is. I'm starting to lose Hope that he will come home. Maybe his imprint is different, less intense. I couldn't imagine being away from him willingly for this period of time. There is a constant pain in my chest that only he can relinquish. The pull to him threatens to rip what is left of my heart out.
Sleep doesn't come easily while I toss and turn on the couch. When I do slip under, I dream of watching Jacob run away from me. It loops over and over, the pain growing each time until I wake up screaming his name. I look around and realize the sun is up, my watch showing 10am.
I lie back down and pull the cover over my head. I hear someone walk into the room and then Seth asks, "You okay Sam?"
"I'm fine Seth, thanks." I don't hear anything for a minute or two, but then he walks away without another word.
I don't leave the couch for hours, occasionally falling asleep just to be consumed by the same dream. Around 3pm Sue comes in and sits next to me on the floor. She looks at me for a few moments with sadness in her eyes. Her hand comes up to run through my hair and I close my eyes, fighting back tears.
"Do you want something to eat, sweetie? You haven't had anything since you came over yesterday." My stomach growls in response and she chuckles. "Ok then, I'll go make you something."
"You don't need to do that, Sue. I can get it." She puts a hand on my shoulder when I try to get up.
"It's fine. I'm cooking for everyone else too." She stands up and starts to walk away before turning to look back at me. "Everything will be okay, Sam. I hate seeing you like this. Just have faith; his heart will lead him home."
I close my eyes again and nod, not wanting to talk about my feelings anymore. She walks softly into the kitchen and starts to make dinner. The smells start to seep into the living room and my stomach makes noises again. It is really amazing that I haven't eaten anything in so long.
Dinner with the Clearwater's is pleasant, and no one mentions Jacob. I appreciate them trying to help me and tell Sue afterwards. She refuses to let me help clean up, so I go back to the couch. Seth joins me, plopping down next to me. He looks at me excitedly and I cock an eyebrow at him.
"Do you want to play Call of Duty?" A smile breaks across my face.
"Hell yea!" This is sure to take my mind of things.
We play for hours, stopping only to eat a snack, wolf size of course, around 7pm. I'm not really as into it as I would be normally, but it is better than sulking around all day.
A couple hours later I start to feel a tug on my chest. I pause the game and close my eyes, trying to understand this change inside of me. Then my head snaps towards the door just before I hear a car pull up. My heart starts to race and my breathing picks up. Could it be?
I barely make it to the door before someone starts to pound on it furiously. The tightness in my chest is gone and I know Jake is on the other side of this door. I swing it open and take him in. He looks shocked, not expecting me to be the one opening the door. He seems bigger, his body changing, becoming stronger. But beyond that I can see how sad and tired he is. He looks like I feel.
I hardly recognize my own voice when I whisper, "Jake."
His hand reaches for me tentatively and that is the encouragement I need. I lunge at him. He catches me in his arms easily, barely moving with the force of me knocking into him. I bury my head in his shoulder, my arms around his waist in a vice grip. I breathe him in, thankful that he is back, no matter what it means.
His grip on me is almost frantic, his arms move trying to get me as close to him as possible. We drop to the floor with me straddling his lap. I lock my legs around him and secure myself. He sighs my name into my hair and the warmth sends a shiver down my back.
I pull back to look at him and can see the apology in his eyes. His mouth opens to say something but I beat him to it. "Not tonight Jake. Please? I just want to hold each other. We can talk tomorrow."
He nods his head and slowly leans into me, his soft lips brush against mine and I feel something snap inside of me. My hands grab his head and I crush his face into mine. The kiss is frantic and needy as I try to consume him. He slows us down and rubs his hands up and down my back soothingly.
He mumbles, "Missed you" against my lips and I drop my face back into his shoulder, trying to fight back the tears that threaten to escape my watery eyes.
"Missed you too Jake." I hold him tightly to me, the hole in my chest gone, feeling complete and wanted.
AN: Thanks for reading and reviewing. And of course thanks to my beta, DreamingPoet1988. We are planning on a second chapter/outtake for Journey to Paris so check out our collab account (We're Only Inhuman) and put us on alert to find out when it's posted :)
