Chapter Text
The next few days were a blur. For the most part, you stayed in your cabin (usually in bed) and grieved for the family you had just lost. Your emotions wavered between sadness and anger but had finally relaxed to a numbness as you pushed everything down to the deepest pits of your mind.
Everyday, you expected one of the Whitetails to show up to kill you and checked the window at any little noise from outside. Each time, you were met with the same emptiness that filled the air around your home but today when you heard a crunch of footsteps, you peeked out to finally see someone.
His stance was casual as he strolled up the clearing, as if he had done so a hundred times. When his eyes met yours, he quickened his pace and met you at the door as you threw it open and ran to him.
"I wasn't sure you'd be here," Jacob said as he held you to him. "Where have you been?"
"I'm out. I stopped them from attacking your truck and now they know," you said flatly. You wanted to cry but you had no more tears left. "Why couldn't you just stay away?"
"If I did, they would have known you tipped me off. I couldn't chance anything happening to you."
You rested your cheek against his chest as you let that sink in. He had risked his life just to ensure your secret was kept.
"You idiot," you said, pushing at him. "You could have died."
"So could you," he shot back. Jacob was grateful you had saved his life but the cost could have been much greater. That was something he would never forgive himself for.
You sighed and pushed your ring around on your hand, distracting yourself from his watchful eyes. "I don't know what to do with myself now."
Jacob saw the pain on your face and knew he couldn't leave you here on your own. He knew his offer would be refused again but he couldn't leave without saying it again.
"You don't need to stay here. You could come..."
"Even though I'm not one of them now, doesn't mean I'd join the Project. I can't give them up, or any info on them. I could never hurt them."
"You don't have to. No strings..." You looked up to him, questioning him silently. Jacob nodded before he spoke again, "Come home with me."
You held him again, knowing he was giving himself to you now fully; as a human, not as a Herald of Eden's Gate. You let your fingers trace along his back, whispering into his jacket, "Yes."