Without looking back, Jamal took a few steps toward the house. Gabrielle was already at the door when he got there. Lily and Pearl must have entered the house.
"Good morning, Gabrielle" he greeted, trying not to around worried.
"Good morning, Jamal. Welcome back. The rest have been waiting for you. You should come in" Gabrielle said, gesturing to Jamal with her hand.
He smiled at Gabrielle and then walked past her into the house to see the rest seated. They seem to be lost in their chat. Jamal could notice the happiness in their voices. Jasmine noticed him first.
"Jamal is here," she said, standing up and walking up to him.
Everyone turned to look at him and he smiled wearily at them. He seems to be the only one who is not happy that they are leaving soon. Jasmine hugged him.
"I have missed you, Jamal. How have you been?" Jasmine asked and he sighed.
"I guess I am fine" he replied.
Jasmine pulled away from the hug. She could sense the sadness in his voice and she knew Immediately that something might be bothering him. At first, she wondered what might be wrong.
"Are you ok?" She asked and he sighed.
"I am fine, trust me" he replied and walked past her to greet the rest.
She quickly realized she knew what could be wrong with him and she sighed. She feels sorry for him. Just like Jasmine, they could all sense the sadness in his voice and they felt so sorry for him.
He noticed Lilly was seated with Stella. Rachel was seated with Jabal, Kelvin, and the rest but Pearl was not in the living room. He looked around, wondering where she could be. He saw her walk out of the kitchen with a tray filled with glasses of orange juice and Gabrielle walking behind her with some cookies.
Jamal greeted Rachel and Stella and made to go upstairs but Rachel stopped him. "You should sit Jamal. It's your farewell party"
He stared at Pearl who nodded her head. She had not spoken to him for a while but she seems happy he is leaving. Or maybe that is what he thinks. Maybe she doesn't want him to go but she can't just say it. He decided to shrug off the feeling.
He sat down, saying nothing. Rachel stood up to say a few words, which at some point, made them all laugh. And when she finally made a toast, the atmosphere had become more friendly than it was before.
Soon, the glasses of orange juice were shared and there was clashing of cups. They headed to the dining room to eat what Gabrielle had prepared. All through the meal, Jamal had a sad face on. Despite how friendly the atmosphere was for the rest, the sadness on his face could be detected. The kids tried to pretend not to have noticed the sadness on his face and tried to be jovial as much as they can.
Jamal had so many things running through his mind that he could not eat much. He was worried about Pearl who seems happy despite not saying a word. He doesn't want anyone of them to notice his sad face and make them worry about him.
Staring at them, one after another, he noticed they were busy with themselves and had beautiful smiles on, so he pushed his plate aside and stood up.
"I will head to my room to get things ready," he said and everyone stared at him.
There was an awkward silence that had been created by him. He groaned. Just what he doesn't want to happen. He pushed his chair backward and made to leave.
"I already did that. You don't have to worry" Jasmine answered, breaking the silence.
Though he was happy Jasmine ended the silence, he still wasn't comfortable with staying in their midst.
"If that is the case, then, I will go get some rest. You can call me when we are ready to leave" he said.
As he left, Jasmine stared at one, then at another. Without saying a word, she stood up. She has lost her appetite too and thinks she needs to speak to Jamal. She is the only one that can understand him. She felt this is the time he needed her most.
"I will go and check to see if he is ok," she said and the rest nodded. She headed to his room, with Pearl trailing behind. She stopped moving when she heard footsteps. She turned to see Pearl.
"Pearl?" She cooed. "Why are you following me?. Do you want to see Jamal too?"
Pearl nodded and Jasmine sighed. She needed to speak to Pearl and this seems the right time to. But she doubted if Pearl will speak to her too. She needed to know what she thinks and plan to do.
"Pearl, you will answer me when I speak to you right?" She asked and Pearl stared at her, saying nothing. She sighed. "You have to speak to me. Try to speak ok?. I am no stranger to you and I need to speak to you about Jamal. You will speak when you ought to". Pearl shrugged but said nothing. "You won't make Jamal stay back right?". There was silence as Jasmine waited impatiently for Pearl to speak up. "You won't right?"
"Of course, I won't. I've got no reason to keep him here" Pearl answered and Jasmine battered her lashes.
"Y-you just spoke to me?"
"As you said, you're no stranger to me. That's the reason I can answer you"
"Then you won't keep him right?. Like you said?"
Pearl sighed. She knew she can't keep Jamal here but that isn't her choice to make but his. She knew about his task. She knew what his task will be and how difficult it might be for him. She knew how difficult it will be for her too but she can't interfere and she has to do what she has to do. She stared at Jasmine for a while and sighed. She has nothing more to say to Jasmine.
Giving Jasmine the last look, she left. Jasmine was also staring at her as she leave. She wondered what suddenly became wrong and why Pearl has decided not to say anything more. Giving her the last look too, she headed to Jamal's room.
Jamal lay on the bed. He was facing the ceiling, lost in thought. When Jasmine entered and called his name, there was no answer and she had to touch him.
"Are you ok? Jamal?" She asked and he sat up.
"To be sincere, Jasmine. I am not ok. I am worried"
"About Pearl?"
He nodded. "Yes. Not just her. About my task too"
Jasmine held his hand. "Jamal, you've got nothing to worry about. Just follow your heart. Everything will be fine"
"Are you sure?" He asked, staring at Jasmine and she nodded.
"Trust me. Everything will definitely, be fine"
**
It was time for them to return to Alaska. Everyone carried their bags and was ready to leave. Jamal walked up to Stella to ask when he would carry out his task but Rachel stopped him.
"Jamal, you should speak to Pearl first," she said.
"I want..."
"I know, Jamal. But you should speak to her first" she said and he sighed.
He stared at Jasmine who nodded. Every one of them seems to be in support too. He went to meet Pearl who was pacing around. She was beginning to worry she might not be able to do what she was told.
She is his mission. If he chooses her, then he chooses to stay back and that means he has failed his task. If he chooses to leave, he would have to reject her and that means they will never be able to meet again.
She knew how difficult this task will be for the two of them and wished there is another way to carry this out without any of them getting hurt.
"Pearl?" Jamal called, jolting her out of her thought. She sighed. "I am leaving, I thought I should say goodbye"
She sighed. "Do you have to leave?" She asked and he stared at her. "You can stay back right?. You don't have to leave" she said, hoping he won't change his mind and stay back.
Though she wished he could stay back, she hoped he would make the right choice and leave. Even when she knew, his leaving will affect her, she still wants him not to forfeit his quest for her.
"What do you mean?" Jamal asked, folding his arms.
"You know if you leave, we won't be able to see each other again and you can't return here either. Are you going to leave me here?"
He sighed. "But I can't stay here either"
"And you can't leave me"
Jamal groaned. "Pearl..."
"You want to leave, huh?" Pearl asked. She had this serious look on and Jamal was worried.
"I wish I don't have to leave but..."
"But you have no choice, right?" She asked and Jamal nodded. "Then you have to reject me" she replied, folding her hand and Jamal batted his lashes.
Is she being serious right now?.
"A-are you been serious?" He stuttered slightly.
"I am very serious Jamal. We can't be together if you leave"
Jamal brushed his hair backward. This was the last thing he had expected from her. That she would be the one to suggest being rejected.
"I can't reject you, Pearl. I..."
"You should understand me better, Jamal. I can't leave here. I don't even know when my wolf will wake up completely. If it doesn't, I will be stuck here forever and if you choose to go, you won't be able to come here again. So tell me, what is the point?"
"There will be a way. We just have to think of a way"
She sighed. "You still don't get it, Jamal"
"Make me understand, Pearl"
"There is no point. All you have to do is reject me right in front of everyone and you will be free to leave"
"And you think I want to do that?"
"It doesn't matter, Jamal"
"Do you even care about me?"
Pearl stared at him in shock. She had not expected him to ask that. "Does it even matter?"
"It does. Just tell me, do you care about me?"
She sighed. "I am sorry, Jamal. That does not matter" Pearl said and turned to leave but Jamal held her. She pulled her hand away from him and made to leave.
"I won't reject you Pearl," he said and she stopped moving.
"Y-you have too"
He moved closer to her. "I don't want to"
"Why?"
"B-because I am in love with you"
She blinked. "Y-you've met me for only a few days. You can't be in love with me"
He sighed. "You think so?". She nodded. "Well I don't think so. I guess you don't believe in love at first sight"
She stared at him and sighed. "I do believe it and I am in love with you. That is the reason why you should consider staying back. I need you and you know that"
"But I can't stay back. They need me. The rest needs me"
She held his hand. "They don't need you, Jamal. Because, with or without you, peace will return to the world. You don't have to put your happiness In line for the peace of the world. Jasmine and the rest can do it without you. Just stay back. It will cost you nothing"
He release her grip from his hand and moved away from her. "Y-you are not Pearl"
"Of course, I am"
"No. You are not. Pearl won't ask me to ditch the rest for my happiness. She won't ask me to stay back and do nothing. That is the Pearl I know, not you"
She stared at him. Tears were already dripping down her face. She is sorry, she has to be harsh on him. That she has to sound selfish to make him believe she needed him to stay back.
"But you have to go and you know what that means to me," she said and he moved closer to her.
"You can come and meet me when you can finally leave this place," he said and she stared at him.
"I can?"
He nodded. "You can"
"What if..."
"What if you don't see me?"
"No. What if you are with someone else?"
"I can't be with someone else. You're my mate and for as long as I do not reject you, the mate bond will always exist"
"And I will be able to see you?"
He nodded. "You will". He pulled off his neck chain. "This belonged to my mother and has been with me since birth. Take it. It's a token of my promise to you that I will wait for you". He stretched it to her.
"I-i can't take it from you. It's precious to you"
"You're precious to me too. And that is the reason I am giving it to you. So take it"
Jamal placed the neck chain around her neck and she smiled. "You promise to wait for me?"
He nodded. "I promise. You have to promise to come to look for me as soon as you can leave this place"
She smiled. "I promise". She removed her hairpin and placed it in his hand. "Take this too. You can give it back to me when next we meet. And please take care of yourself"
Jamal took it from her and hug her. "I will make sure to keep it safe and I will be safe too. You should be safe too"
"I will"
He moved away from her. "Let's go and tell the rest about our decision," Jamal said. They walked hand in hand with each other until they got to where the rest were.
"Stella, Rachel. We have agreed that I go and Pearl will join me when she can leave this place. Can she?"
Rachel nodded. "Of course, she can"
"What about my task?"
Stella smiled at him. "You've done your task correctly, so you can leave with us"