Ash Over Seas

Jacob sat on the threadbare couch in the home of his alpha, surrounded by his pack brothers, all of who were laughing and joking spiritedly. He sighed, running a hand over his tired face as he tried to empty his mind of thoughts of the girl who had stomped on his heart and thrown it back to him without a second glance.

I love you, but I’m IN love with Edward.

Ugh, Edward. That stupid leech had absolutely no personality and no sense of life.

Jacob chuckled to himself at that last thought, knowing full well that the vampire never would have a true life. That was one thing that made him smug, knowing he could live while the vampire could merely exist. But then he remembered that she was planning to become one of them, throwing her life away, and he was back to square one.

He wondered whether he really had been ready to return to La Push, or if a couple more months in the Canadian wilderness would have done him well.

I suppose it’s too late now.

“Jake!” Seth’s voice chirped from beside him, bringing him from his trance. “Whatcha thinkin’ about?”

Paul scoffed loudly from across the room. “We all know what he’s thinking about. Just cause he got back doesn’t mean he’s changed.”

Jacob felt his hands balling into fists as the red-hot anger pulsed in his veins, causing his muscles to shiver as he glared at his pack mate.

“You have zero tact, man,” said Jared, slapping Paul upside the head.

Jacob took several breaths to calm him temper, which was—surprisingly—on an even shorter fuse than before he left. He had no patience for the ribbing his friends gave him over the brown-eyed girl. God, how he missed those brown eyes, which would soon be red as blood. The thought made him shiver.

“I’m bored, we should go do something,” Quil complained loudly.

“You're always bored when Claire’s not here.”

“Well, it looks like the rain’s cleared up,” Embry said, glancing out the window. “We could go down to the beach.”

“It’s not even sunny,” Leah bit.

“Shut up, Leah, it’s not like we feel the cold anyway,” Paul replied. “Take that stick out of your ass.”

“That’s enough,” Sam said curtly, before Leah could vault across the room and attack the boy.

“I say cliff diving!” Seth grinned. There was a murmur of agreement and everyone stood to go. Sam gave Emily a lasting goodbye kiss, as if he would never see her again. The sight of it made Jacob sick. He was actually surprised that Kim and Rachel weren’t here. Jared and Paul hardly ever left their sides.

Yeah, that’s right. I come home to find that Paul has imprinted on my sister.

Could my life get any worse?

Jacob turned his gaze away from the star struck lovers and headed swiftly out the door behind everyone else. Sam lived quite close to the beach so it was only a matter of minutes before the boys had reached it.

They roughhoused and played along the shore, pushing each other at the water and jumping on each other’s backs, trying to drag one another to the sand.

“Son of a bitch!” Paul yelped as Seth leapt, hooking his arms and legs around the tall boy's torso and causing him to fall face first into the sand. Jacob laughed in spite of himself. Seeing Paul in discomfort was always a mood booster.

Seth laughed easily and took off down the beach, a furious and shaking Paul darting after him, covered head to toe in wet sand.

“Idiots,” Leah muttered from beside him.

Up ahead, Quil had joined the match and they were all shoving each other around, Paul the only one actually getting angry, as always.

“Guys, tone it down to human,” Embry hissed quietly as he trotted forward to the threesome.

Jacob followed, confused.

“What are you talking about?” Quil asked as Embry and the rest of us caught up to them. Jacob looked between Embry and Sam, both of whom were staring off in the direction of the cliffs. He followed their line of sight to see two figures, a boy and a girl, playing at the end of the beach. The boy was watching as the girl attempted to climb the cliff.

"What does she think she's doing? Stupid girl," Leah commented bitterly, sneering at the pair.

“Damn, check her out,” Paul said as he noticed them.

“Aren’t you supposed to be with my sister?” Jacob seethed.

Paul rolled his eyes. “That doesn’t mean I can’t point out a hot lady. It’s not like I’m going after her. But even you have to admit she’s a looker.”

Jacob glanced up at the girl, who he could clearly make out with his enhanced sight. He had to admit, she was very beautiful. Her raven hair was pulled back from her slightly tanned face as she smiled down at the boy she was with. Jacob knew she wasn’t Quileute, for her skin wasn’t tan like theirs, but she wasn’t as pale as the leeches. The leeches that Bella would soon join for an endless life of murder.

Surprisingly, as Jacob thought of this, it didn’t pain him as much as he had expected.

“Em, you should go talk to her,” Jared said, elbowing the boy and causing him to stumble sideways. “Maybe you’ll imprint.”

Embry’s face flushed as he regained his balance and glanced at the tall beauty, now perched happily on a ledge jutting out from the side of the rocks.

“I—well, I—I don’t know, I mean it looks like that guy’s her boyfriend.“

Jared laughed. “Well, if she’s your imprint that guy will just be a minor obstacle. We all know that.”

“I guess, but what if—“

Embry cut off as he tilted his head to the sky, noticing fat drops of water starting to splash on their skin.

“Well, so much for cliff diving,” Seth sighed.

The pack watched as the boy growled for the girl to come down and she smiled and pushed herself from the ledge. Jacob held his breath as she fell through the air, landing with almost inhuman grace from the sixteen-foot drop. Curious.

She pushed herself to her feet and the boy immediately took her wrist in his hand, pulling her toward the forest. She turned back to glimpse the boys and Jacob's warm chocolate eyes locked with her navy blue ones.

He was in awe for a moment, seemingly forgetting who and where he was. His jaw unhinged slightly, forming a soft ‘o’ as he watched after the girl. He drifted out of his body and resisted the urge to run after her as he felt a squirming sensation behind his navel, almost pulling him toward the retreating girl. She turned her head back to the dark haired boy pulling her along, leaving Jacob feeling empty once more and staring after her.

“HOT DAMN!” Jared cheered as he noticed Jake standing there motionless. “Jake’s imprinted!”

The rest of the boys snapped their heads in his direction before slapping him roughly on the back and congratulating him. He clenched his eyes shut and shook his head vigorously. No, no, no, this was all wrong. He was supposed to imprint on Bella. It was supposed to happen eventually… it was going to happen and she would realize she loved him and not that bloodsucker.

But even Jacob couldn’t deny what he felt for this new, mysterious girl, and as he pictured her face once more, he felt all ties to Isabella Swan slowly slipping away. Thoughts of her no longer pained him, and as he noticed this—for the first time in months—a true smile worked its way onto his beautiful face.

Jacob Black was free.