After they finished talking about Lisa and rogues, James asked Damon and Talia if there was any other information they could give him about their packs that was not threatening. Considering how much time he spent away from Alpha Edward, he needed something to prove his worth.
They came up with a few stories that had just enough facts to make them believable yet not useful. James didn't plan on using those unless necessary; they were just in case his father got impatient and tried something crazy.
With that, James and Cornelia left with Cornelia's room as their intended destination.
Now that the official work was over, James was slightly embarrassed about his meltdown where he cried like a baby in front of his mate. That was not manly at all. Did she think less of him because of that?
James was grateful that Cornelia didn't bring it up, and he was happy that she didn't leave his side. She was letting him hold her, and she held onto him as well, like she understood that her proximity made everything better.
James' hand landed on the doorknob, and just as he pushed the door open, his eyes lost focus.
Cornelia noticed. "What is it?"
James looked at her with a complex expression. "My father wants to see me." He didn't want to leave.
"We knew this would happen," Cornelia said, and she pulled him into the room. "Hold me for a minute before you go."
James was quick to wrap his arms around Cornelia, happy that she was clingy. The confirmation that his beautiful mate wanted his proximity was the best thing ever.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled her sweet scent of wild berries.
The time was running out, but instead of letting go of Cornelia, his hold on her intensified.
"Jay?" It was getting difficult to breathe.
"I don't want to go."
Cornelia didn't want him to go either, but… "You must. It's part of the play. To be honest, I am surprised he didn't call you earlier."
James realized she was right. During the night, James shut down his mind link. However, after returning to the packhouse in the morning, James was available, yet his father didn't reach out.
It was uncharacteristic, and James could think of only one possibility. "What if my father was part of last night's attack?"
"You don't know that."
James stepped away from Cornelia and rubbed his face while thinking aloud, "Didn't Damon say how my father didn't disturb Talia at the event? I remember how eager he was to get close to Alpha Natalia, the Alpha of the Midnight Guardians pack. Why would he stay away? Talia was right there, yet he only watched from the side. My father is not the one who will sit on the side and watch unless he has an agenda."
James started pacing around the room. "Should I believe that he was afraid of provoking Alpha Damon? Or that he put his hopes how I will open the door of the Midnight Guardians pack for him? Now that I think about it, it makes sense… he knew someone will try to kidnap Talia. And if he was behind it, it explains why he didn't approach her. It was because he was planning to talk to her later, when she was in his hands." And knowing Alpha Edward, it wouldn't be just talking. "We were thinking of using Lisa for information, yet the one behind it all was my father. How come I didn't see it?"
Cornelia moved to block his path, and he stopped an inch before they collided.
Cornelia poked his chest with her finger. "Stop doing this to yourself, James. No one expects you to know everything or to save the world. Edward Redmayne did many bad things, and you can't be responsible for them. I won't allow it."
James snorted. Saving the world? He was unable to save himself and his mate. How could he save others? Besides... "I did bad things also."
Cornelia cupped his cheeks with her palms. "And I am confident that whatever you did was to survive. I will never blame you for it. You are NOT like that man. He is hurting others for power, for greed. You are doing it to save yourself. There is a big difference between those two, Jay."
James knew she was right but knowing and putting it into practice were two different things.
It was easy to blindly follow Alpha Edward's orders when he didn't know who was impacted. But since he came to the Dark Howlers pack and met Damon, Talia, Maya, Caden, Petra, Erik, Zack, Cornelia, and many others, things changed. James changed.
People like Damon and Talia acknowledged him as a person, not as Alpha Edward's son, and not as the future Alpha of the Red Moon pack, but as a person.
Damon offered him a position of a Gamma in the largest pack in North America. And that would be because of what he, James, can do. And that meant the world.
James wondered, was he worthy of such a position?
What would a good Gamma do? Would he turn a blind eye and pretend that things were alright only so that he could survive?
James knew Lulu, and she was gone now. Even Marcy died, and if Alpha Edward was behind this attack, how can James move on like it had nothing to do with him?
But retaliation meant punishment, and probably more, and James now had to worry about himself and Cornelia. Putting Cornelia in danger was unacceptable.
James looked at Cornelia, whose deep brown eyes held so much love that he wished to stay in there forever. He didn't want to disappoint her because if she stopped looking at him like that, it would be the end of everything worth fighting for.
"What do you expect me to do?" James asked.
Cornelia's eyebrows shot up. If it were up to her, they would get rid of all problems with a spell, or maybe with a potion. They didn't need to kill anyone. Turning them into imbeciles would be enough. But she guessed that things couldn't be that simple. "You are asking me?"
"Yes. Should I come clean and face my father's wrath? With any luck, I might survive, and everything will be over. Or should we run? With different identities, they won't find us if we are careful. Or…"
"Kiss me."
James paused. It's not that he didn't want to, but how will that solve anything? "What?"
"You don't expect me to make a life-altering decision without thinking it through? I hear you want my input, and I will think about it. Once I come up with something, I will let you know, and until then… kiss me."
James smiled a bit and leaned to peck her lips, fearing that if he did more than that, he would drag her to bed, and then Alpha Edward would go ballistic because he had to wait.
The kiss was brief, too brief, and they stared at each other in silence because it was too soon for him to leave.
"Jay, there is no solution that will guarantee a happy future."
"So, what do you suggest?"
"We need to ensure a happy present. Plan for the future, but not to the point of freezing in fear because you don't see a way out now. No one can predict what the future will bring. However, if we do our best to enjoy the present, we will create happy memories which will help us stay strong when the times get tough."
James' eyes widened as he processed Cornelia's words.
"Ah! What are you doing?" She squeaked when he scooped her in his arms without any warning.
James lowered her to the bed. "Creating happy memories."
Cornelia opened her mouth to say something, but the words failed her when James' lips latched around his mark on her neck, and he started sucking.
The sensation was electrifying like someone rewired every cell in her body to be able to think about only one thing.
Her hands moved frantically to pull his shirt up, craving for that skin-to-skin contact that will relieve the throbbing need which swelled in her core, and James didn't resist as she undressed him with urgency.
No matter what Alpha Edward wanted and how long he waited, every minute without Cornelia was torturous, and James was set on creating happy memories that will help him stay strong until the next time they could be together.
