Unattainable Fruit

Chapter 17: Vulnerability & Connections

Cody's POV

James and I race side by side around the massive lake, doubling back once we reach the edge of Rouge territory.

The late Saturday afternoon sun gleams in the water to the left of us, enforcing a strong love I've always had for our parklands.

James lunges towards me, trying to trip me up and knock me off balance to gain the lead, but his mana shadow gives him away, moving a fraction of a second than he does, giving me enough time to maneuver out of the way. James growls in frustration as I zip away from him, my speed allowing me to stay out of range for attacks and other dirty tricks.

As much as it annoys James to no end, these abilities will come in handy when the Pack Run starts in five days.

We continue racing and training, and eventually even decide to jump in the water when the sun finally gets high enough in the sky. I watch in embarrassed awe as James strips down to his underwear, his bronze skin glistening beautifully under the sun, his abs toned and flexing as he pulls his shirt over his head.

I see him catch me looking and I quickly turn away, pulling my own shirt over my head, clearing my throat out of nerves as I take in my own muscles, much smaller than my Alpha. I always learned that as an Omega I am essentially built for speed, agility and whatever natural ability I'm born with, power and strength not on the list of priorities for us Omegas. So even with my abs and my own muscles form, it's excruciatingly unimpressive compared to James.

But after I pull my shorts down and turn towards the Lake, I find James staring at me openly, his entire face blushed and his mouth open as if in awe. His eyes hold something dear and pure that makes me look away, a soft blush spreading over me at the intense look in his eyes that almost leaves me breathless.

The way he looks at me doesn't make me feel an less sexy.

I feel Jessie paying attention, a silent longing filling me to the brim and I bite my lip to stop myself from doing something stupid.

We jump into the water and do a few laps, racing through the slightly chilled water, our arms cutting through the surface like swift blades. We train until our arms and legs feel like jelly and our toes and fingers are all pruney from being in the water.

When we finally pull ourselves up onto the shore we're almost gasping for air, throwing ourselves down onto the blanket a few feet away.

I can tell by the sun that it's a little past four, the days slowly getting longer, sunset closer to seven now.

As we fry off and eat, I find my mind preoccupied by the daunting homework assignment that's at the pack house, the first part of which is due this Wednesday.

The last time I tried to read about my family it only threw me back into the last moments of their life, reminding my of my failure and the fact that I got the fortune of living through the hell of staying behind.

"Cody?!" With a start I realize I was zoned out, James sitting there looking a little confused and concerned.

Embarrassment has a chokehold on me and I finally just give up, falling backwards onto the ground, covering my eyes with my arm, craving the sweet release of nothingness so my mind didn't terrify me with my own thoughts and worries.

"Cody, what's going on? You can talk to me about it if you want. I know I haven't gone through what you have, but I understand how it feels to have no one to talk to. I'm here for you. Whenever you need." James tells me softly, the wind carrying his words to caress my ears softly.

I don't know if it's because I couldn't see him, or because I was starting to believe we were Soulmates, or just because he always knows exactly what to say, but I start talking. Almost as if a dam broke, my words flow out of me. "I have this homework assignment in Mental Health Studies where I'm supposed to research my family history and see if there's any Mental Illnesses that we have in our history." I start, my chest squeezing at the mere mention of them, but I keep my eyes close even as I feel James move closer, his aura visible to me even behind the barrier. "I tried to look through the folder I got, but as soon as I saw their names and pictures, it was like I was there all over again." I take a deep breath and say aloud what I haven't had to in almost seven years. "When I was eleven years old, my parents and sister were murdered by Rogues that had tried to get information from my parents. They're gone and I'm still alive. All because my sister and my wolf forced me to live." The last sentence is said so bitterly I almost spit it out, my lip curling in hurt and anger.