Unattainable Fruit

Chapter 25: Calls & Panicking

Cody's POV

It's exactly seventeen days until my eighteenth birthday, and I walk alongside James on our way home from school as I try not to let the thought of that consume me. Things have finally settled down since the meeting this past weekend, and I'm happy to have a bit of time and normalcy to get to know James, my role as Luna, and even my self a little bit more.

"Timari said she's free to train with you tomorrow if you want." James tells me, mentioning the commander that had ventured to the Rougelands.

Though it makes me slightly uncomfortable to be placed into a position where I have to try to charm someone or get them to believe in me, I promised myself I would try.

I can't keep running from being vulnerable and making connections forever.

"Okay, I don't mind." I admit with a shrug, and he smile, shaking his head slightly but not saying much, only reaching over to caress my hair for a moment.

"Okay, awesome. I'll let her know. Also, I don't know how you feel about it or what, but if you want, I can see if Lord Azrin will meet with you. Talk to you about your past. Your autism, if you want." He offers quietly, as if unsure of how I'll react. I turn the suggestion over in my head, my chest squeezing at the thought of sharing my deepest pains and troubles with someone probably as cold as he is shallow, his pointed ears a testament towards that.

'Cody, you know better than most that judging someone based on how they present is wrong and rude. Don't be that guy.' Jessie shames me, and I grumble at him, though I know he's right, noting to check myself over my biases.

"I guess I would be open to at least talking to him, but I don't know about anything beyond that." I admit, still unsure, and James stops me completely, grabbing onto my hands as he catches me eyes.

"Hey, hey. It was just a suggestion, one that you're welcome to leaving on the table, or taking me up on. The ball is in your court, so whatever it is that makes you feel the best, that's what we'll do." James assures me, his eyes kind and worried. I try to pretend as if my eyes don't water at the sentiment, but they do, his sincerity disarming and breathtaking.

"Thank you." I tell him honestly after taking a huge sigh of relief. "I would love to meet him and I'll decide from there." I say confidently, and he reaches forward, gentle and strong, to place a kiss on my forehead before lacing our fingers together and leading us back home.

My heart is warm along with my cheeks and ears, and I'm so caught up in the feeling of him and the ghost electricity holding my arm and romancing me, that I almost miss the unmistakable feeling of being watched.

My muscles tense slightly and I find myself scanning the people around us, the road we're on close to a few shops, this part of Vilin mostly schools and humans. I try to focus my breathe and force my mana to concentrate and form around my eyes, but I'm unable to, my lack of practice with my ability coming to bite me in the ass. There's a few other wolves walking ahead of us, a group of Hybrids sitting at a restaurant,  Vampire couple, and a witch, along with dozens of people minding their business. But no one sticks out to me, not ones attention is on us.

And it makes me even more uneasy than finding someone standing there openly staring at me.

Maybe I'm going crazy, especially since I'm the only one to pick it up, but I would swear that lately someone has been following James.

I turn towards me, wanting to bring it up and ask about it now that it's on my mind, but as I do, his phone suddenly is ringing. I watch as he fished it out of his pocket, checking the caller ID before staring at the flashing screen. After a few seconds he seems to unfreeze, and almost like a robot he slides the screen to pick up the call, pulling the phone towards his ear.