High Tide

The Hardest Part

"When do you think you're going to leave?" Sam asked.

"Tomorrow morning. I'll say goodbye to everyone then leave."

He gave me a look. He saw right threw me. By 'everyone', he knew I meant Nessie, but he just responded with, "That sounds like a plan to me, Alpha."

The ambush that I had hated this morning didn't bother me anymore. I was at fault for being angry with them. They were all gathered this morning for Leah, not me. They wanted to help Leah.

"So do you think the guys are listening to us from outside the door?"

He laughed once. "Not anymore they just ran back inside the house."

We both laughed.

"How dare those eavesdroppers listen to us." I said imitating the tone of a disapproving parent.

"Someone is going to need to have a talk with them and give them a time out." He mocked my same tone and smiled.

                                                                                          ***

Sam left and I decided it was time to go to bed. I had a long day ahead of me tomorrow. I told Quil and Embry to go home and I even teased them a little before they left. I said goodnight to my dad and cleaned up the house a bit. He asked me why I was going to bed so early, but he knew. He always had a way of making me do things without even asking me to do them. I hope when I had kids, I would be able to do the same thing.

I told him why I was going to be early and he told me, "You're a good person, Jake. I knew you would come around and do the right thing. I am proud of you. I always am."

I knew the last words he said would always stick with me until I was old and feeble.

"Night, dad. Love you." Usually I didn't get mushy like this, but the words just flowed out of my mouth. I was glad I said them. It felt right.

"Love you, too, son."

I went to bed and tried to close my eyes, but before my eyelids could shut down together I thought about Nessie. I wasn't going to be able to say goodbye to her, but I had to do it. I shut my eyes together tight.

It was early when I awoke but I knew Nessie would be up by the time I got to the cottage. I said bye to my dad, engulfed a bowl of cornflakes and milk and was off to Nessie's. Now this was going to be the hard part, not for her, but for me. She might be able to stay away from me, but I wasn't able to stay away from her so easily. As long as I kept reminding myself I was the Alpha, I would be able to stay strong and say goodbye.

The run over to her house seemed to short. I couldn't believe I was in the clearing already. I wasn't ready to say goodbye yet. I phased and started walking to the house, but I quickly realized I hadn't brought any pants along with me. It occurred to me that I didn't need pants when I was looking for Leah, but now I wasn't so sure anymore. I phased back to wolf. I guess I would say goodbye to her in wolf form. Maybe that was best, humans were so emotional. It might even be easier to say good bye to her this way.

Nessie ran out of the house. Bella and Edward accompanied her. Maybe they knew why I was here. Edward knew why I was here. I looked at him and he nodded to me. I looked down to Nessie. She didn't to have any idea what I was doing.

"Hi!"She said so energetically that it filled me with energy.

I gave a little howl to take the edge off my sudden excitement. I hope she translated that as my hello.