Unattainable Fruit

Fear and Finality

James' POV

"James!" I hear my name being called through loud sobs but it's like I'm underwater, the voice is so distant I can barely comprehend them.

You're weak.

I hear a crash and I know deep down that something bad is happening but I can't bring myself to care. There was no one who cared. No one who reached out when I was hurting. No one except Alex and I sent him away. No one but Alex.

No one will love you for anything more than your position.

No one will love me. I'm just the Alpha of the Autumn Falls pack, I only have friends because they want to be close to power.

Your Mate will probably reject you when you find her.

I will never find a Mate that will-

No. No, I have a Mate. I have a cute little bean that means the world to me. Cody. A little caramel pint sized lover that giggles and doesn't like bad words. Cody. Even though he's a werewolf he wears glasses and has curly chocolate he hides behind when he's scared.

'Cody.' Sloan groans as he comes back to my consciousness. He stands up in alarm in my mind and starts to whine, clawing to get out. 'Cody! Cody's in danger, James, snap the fuck out of it!'

Cody in trouble? No he can't be. Cody's with Alex, right? My head begins to clear as the sound of struggle finally reaches my ears. I uncurl from my position on the bed, and turn my head towards the noise. A loud earth shattering growl that rattles the windows is pulled from my chest as I see my Father with his hand around a struggling Cody's neck.

Without asking for permission, I slam into Alex's mind and give him a message. 'Get to my room, now.' I tell him and without waiting for an answer, I cut off the conversation.

Switching over to the pack link, I stand on my legs, steadying myself for a moment before I start towards my Mate. 'Everyone in the living room, now!' I tell them finally reaching the man I once called my dad. I grab him by the throat from the side, surprising him before I return the favor from earlier and slam my fist into his face. He immediately drops my baby who's face was turning a deathly shade of purple as he stumbles back.

I drop to my knee quickly, lifting Cody's head as he struggles to breath through his anxiety, his now bruised neck and his sobs. His fucking sobs. I turn back towards Richard enraged just as my door flies open.

"Alex, get Cody, no one touches a fucking piece of lint on his shirt before I can hold him, understand?" I tell him, my gaze piercing a glaring old bitter excuse of a wolf.

"Yes, Alpha." He says. I start foreword to grab the spiteful man and he tries to lounge at me. I easily deflect the hit and knee him in the stomach making him double over.

I'm not a kid like I was for all those years and I refuse to be shamed and controlled anymore. And no one. No one will ever put their hands on Cody again. I grab the old man by his neck like he did my sweet Mate and force him out the room with one arm twisted painfully behind his back, following Alex as he carries my bean down the stairs.

'Bite his fucking head off in front of the pack. It'll send a message. Creates good moral.' Sloan growls in irritation. All he wants is Cody in his arms, but I have to make sure this disgusting excuse for a man doesn't ever threaten or bother my happiness again. We finally reach the end of the stairs and I hear a collective gasp as the four of us come into view of the living room. I nod to myself as I see all the wolves that are in the house have collected in the living room, and I hear the sound of cars in the drive way.

'Patience. I'll make sure you get your turn.' I promise him. Alex goes towards the front of the room to stand in the middle of the large sectional couch and I drag my father with them. I can feel curious and cautious eyes on us as I let go of my father in disgust. The man stumbles and turns around to snarl at me but the sound is met with the response of dozens of unmated and retired wolves that reside here in the pack house. I hear a few growls of contempt from the families that have arrived from their own houses. I wait until those that were in the driveway are inside before I start speaking.

"One thing I always preach to each and every one of you in the pack house and on the lands is acceptance. And one thing I don't let slide is intolerance of any caliber." The wolves nod their heads in agreement as they warily eye the angry wolf in front of them with suspicion, newcomers quietly entering in the back.

"This man you all have called your Alpha, and that I have called my Father spits in the face of acceptance and lives off of ignorance and intolerance. Ever since I was young, he has always beat me down and told me I wasn't strong enough to become Alpha of this pack." There's a collective growl of protest at my words but I quickly shush them.

"But the last straw for this man I have tolerated for the past eighteen years is when he tried to strangle and kill and Omega named Cody, my Mate." There's a uproar of anger and protest as my wolves take in Cody's scared and broken form in Alex's arms and the angry guilty wolf in front of them.

Of course, he isn't smart enough to take his loses and just with his head attached to his shoulders, instead he speaks up, spit flying in anger. "Your Alpha is a fucking faggot and you're all okay with that?! You're are pitiful ungrateful bastards!" He yells and the pack gets quiet. Not because of his words but in response to me coming up behind him steadily and quietly. Once he realizes their gazes he turns around quickly stumbling back when he sees the look of finality and dismissal on my face.

'Let me at the bitch.' Sloan begs and I oblige, letting him take over my mouth to say his piece to our father. "If I see you again my sparkly three inch heels will be shoved right up your ass along with the metal pole wedged up there. And I will be wearing my new tiara that replaced the one you broke and stabbed me with. Die soon, Daddy." Sloan tells him so calmly and sweetly, he immediately turns on his heel, shoving his way through a snarling and growling crowd in his way out.

The room holds their breath as we listen to his truck start up and the sound of the vehicle being driven down the road. There's a collective sigh of relief before everyone turns to me expectedly, Sloan and I are twitching to get to our Mate, now that the threat is gone and make sure he's okay. To make sure he doesn't want to leave me after what he just went through.

As if sensing my thoughts, Alex steps forward and hands over a shaking Cody in my arms. Once he's there, tucked under my chin without a fight, I'm able to calm down enough to wrap up this meeting. I tighten my grip on my bean when I hear him taking greedy gulps of my scent before I address the group before me.

"I'm sorry to call you out of your homes and whatever you were doing, I needed an audience outside of these two so that I had proof of his insolence." I apologize to the wolves in fronting me.

     "We're glad to help." Someone says and there's a chorus of agreements that echo through the room and I look on in pride at the pack that took my side. Someone that's only been Alpha for a few mouths versus my father who had been Alpha for over twenty years.

     "I need word to spread to the supernatural council, our sister packs, and the city officials that my father is out there. Homophobic, irrational and dangerous."

     A series of, "Yes, Alpha." greets me back immediately.

     "Thank you all again, but I have to go take care of my bean, now. You're all dismissed." I tell them and they immediately turn to gossip to themselves about what just happened, informing the late comers who were coming from further parts of the city. I ignore them all as I wrap my arms tighter as I climb up the stairs.

     Hopefully this isn't the last time this beautiful creature will be in my arms.

~~~~~~
Ouuuu snap. Now THATS the tea. What do you think about how James handled the situation? What about Sloan?

Thoughts?

Comments?

QOTD: What time are you reading this?