Chasing Forever: Jacob's Story

Surprise!

 I wake well after dawn two days later and panic grips me when I roll over and Chyenne is not beside me. My heart beating hard in my chest, I jump up, pulling on pants and run out of the room. 

 "Mum," I call, taking the stairs two at a time and walking into the kitchen. "Do you now where Chyenne is, I can't-" My question dies in my throat and I stop dead when I see the empty kitchen.

 Now my fear turns to confusion. Where could they all be?  I wonder, turning slowly and walking through the house, opening each door and coming to find that my sisters and Pop are also not in the house. After about twenty minutes I give up, sighing, and go upstairs to get dressed.

 Soon, I'm walking through the village keeping a lookout for my family and mate. I pass Sae and his mate Rebecca, sitting on his lawn and laughing and I call out. "Hey, Sae, have you seen Chy?"

 He looks up, still smiling his goofy lovestruck smile, and shakes his head. "No, I haven't." He says. "Why? She take off?"

 I nod. "Tell her I'm looking for her if you see her, yeah?"

 "Of course mate." He says, turning back to Rebecca. "I will."

 I turn away and shake my head again, turning and jogging toward the clearing. I may as well train while I wait.

   ******************************************************************************************

 The sun is well above the trees and the hot August sun beats down on my bare shoulders as I do pushups in the clearing. It's been hours and I've yet to hear from my mother or sisters. Or Chyenne. Not for the first time I wonder where they could have gone off to.

 Suddenly I hear a crashing through the trees and Mikaela runs in, breathless, her face red. "J, its an emergency!" She says, loudly.

 I jump up."Chy..?" She nods once, and that's all the confirmation I need. I take off, running through the trees faster than I've ever run in my entire life my heart beating painfully in my chest and fear gripping me. If anything's happened, if she's hurt.. I'll kill someone. I think to myself.

 Mikaela runs after me, struggling to keep up with me but soon she's just trying to keep me in her sights. I slow down a bit, briefly looking over my shoulder at her. "Where is she?"

 She pants, her face a dark red. "The abandoned house."

 I nod and I speed up, taking fallen trees and rivers in a single jump, and hitting the ground running on the other side. 

 I reach the fallen house and my mum stands outside, her hands in her hair. "Oh, Jacob!" She says. "Thank god you're here. She's inside." She says pulling me toward the door. I'm soaking wet, I didn't even realize how sweaty I was until now.

 "What happened to her?" I say, breathing hard, but not out of exhaustion. "Is she okay? Is she hurt?"

 My mum doesn't say anything, only opens the door and pulls me inside. And for a few seconds I'm confused by the scene taking place in front of me.

 Chyenne smiles, walking over to me. "Hey, perfect."

 "What...?" I say confused.

 "Tell me he's forgotten!" Pop chortles, sitting on the couch reading to Alison, who smiles at me. "

 "Forgot what?" I say, looking between everyone.

 "You're sixteenth birthday, of course!" My father says, walking into the room from the old kitchen. "You think we'd forget that you're officially a man?"

 I look at him, dumbfounded as he pats me on the shoulder. "You're home." I say in shock. "I.. I didn't think.."

 He smiles at me, his blue eyes warm. "I wouldn't miss this for the world, Jake." He says, pulling me away from Chyenne and into a hug. "Happy birthday, Jacob."

 For a second I'm stunned, then I close my eyes, hugging him back hard. "Thanks, Dad."

 After a second we pull apart and I turn, walking back to Chyenne and taking her hand. "Does this mean you've changed your mind about us being together?" I ask him, hopeful.

 He nods. "You love each other. Who am I to stand in between your happiness?" He says proudly.

 I look around and a feeling of overwhelming happiness flows through me. No more secrets, no more hiding, and my family is finally back together.

 I look at Chyenne and she smiles at me, squeezing my hand. "Happy Birthday, J." She say.

 "I love you," I say, staring into her eyes. "God, I do."

 "I love you too."

 Pop opens our link and I feel his power as King radiating through it as he whispers. You have to decide soon, Jacob. Will you stay or will you leave with me? 

 I glance at him. I don't know..

 I leave at dawn the day after next. He reminds me, keeping his eyes on the book he reads to Alison. You will do well to decide before than.

 I look at Chyenne and not for the first time since being given the offer, think about how impossible it would be to leave her.