“We’ve gotten far enough,” James said as they turned to go back the way they came. “We know they’re down here. I talk to Tony later and get him to put some trackers down here; find out if he’s just using these tunnels to travel or he’s actually spending the day down here,” he continued and Lily made a snort of laughter and he grinned at her.
“I’d love to see him sleeping down here, it would be sweet,” she said with an evil look on her face. “But I doubt he’d stop that low, even as desperate as he is. Unless he’s found a better smelling spot that we haven’t seen yet.”
They arrived at the manhole they had used to enter and James sighed with bliss on his face as he took a deep breath of clean air. “Amen brother,” Lily said, her expression was a mirror of his own.
“But we took the stench with us,” James said, lifting his shirt sniffing it then jerked his head back at the stench. “If you’re really nice to me I might just let you shower first,” he teased her and she pinned him with a skeptical expression on her face that made him grin at her teasingly.
“Gee thanks but I think I’ll shower at my parents where I don’t have to give favors,” she said, staring him down with a righteous stare. “Only God knows what kind of favors you’d ask for,” she said with a shake of her head in disapproval, but a small smile on her face told him she wasn’t really taking him seriously.
“Only the best kind,” he replied, waggling his eyebrows at her and she shook her head again with almost silent laughter. James flashed her his cocky grin and she gave him a look he wasn’t sure what it meant then walked up to him. He watched her with cautious curiosity as she put a hand on his shoulder and pushed herself up towards him, his body instinctively tensing expecting a slap or some other form of physical chastisement.
“It’s only the best if it includes whip cream and handcuffs,” she whispered into his ear, so close her lips brushed his skin. James’s jaw dropped in shock as his eager imagination conjured up images of Lily and those two particular items. Heat flared through him and he could feel the beast in him stir. Lily laughed, sending more desire through him, and walking off but turned after a few steps to turn half way and give him a small wave with her fingers. “See you later James,” she told him, her tone sounding suggestive and continued to walk towards her parent’s house.
James let out a long slow breath when she was out of sight. “Damn,” he thought and ran a hand through his hair. He turned and walked toward his own apartment, not wanting to get his car and spread the stench; besides the walk would do him some good and force his blood to concentrate in other areas than where it currently was. He stuck his hands in his jacket and let his mind run over what had just happened and what it might mean.
Running a hand through his still damp hair, James left his apartment. His mind was still heavily on Lily and their banter in the sewers. It really seemed that she was becoming more open to the idea of them being together, but the past had made him hesitant let his hopes get too high. She had trampled all over him last time and then ran off, James couldn’t take that a second time. “There you are James,” Tony called out to him when he arrived at Andrews’ home.
“Have you talked to Lily,” James called back to him, walking up to the porch. The alpha made a sour face and shook his head side to side.
“No, she already left to meet the Aequivalere people when I came back,” Tony replied. “Not that I’m eager to talk to her again after her little stunt.”
“Well, you should. I don’t blame her for doing what she did. You were out of line and if you stopped to think about it, you’d agree with me,” James told him, letting his voice take a hard tone. The alpha narrowed his eyes at James with a hint of gold, but James didn’t care. He could easily take the alpha if he wanted and Tony knew it too. “And Greg and Lily were right for insisting on the sewers. The vampire’s scent was all over the place.”
Tony made a quiet growl then huffed before letting go of the wooden railing and sitting on the porch swing. “Are you two trying to make me look like an idiot?” he snapped grumpily and James shot him a cocky smile as he walked up the steps.
“Nope, we’re just trying to get you to keep from making the same mistakes as your dad did,” James explained. “Your dad ignored a lot of shit Tony. He ignored the bullies we were as kids, he ignores the bully that your uncle is, he hesitated for a long time to deal with Xavier and it cost Lily her humanity. The pack can’t keep making those types of mistakes if it’s going to survive,” James told him.
Tony huffed again, but his expression grew thoughtful so James continued. “Greg is an omega and couldn’t fight his way out of a wet paper bag, but that doesn’t mean he’s useless. I haven’t spent much time with him but the time I have I’ve learned a lot. He’s good at his computer things and he’s even better thinking outside of the box. If he says you should look into something then you should,” James said.
“As far as Lily,” he started and Tony laughed a dry laugh, interrupting him.
“You’re going to tell me that you know my own sister better than me now?” He asked in a mocking tone.
“In some things yes, Tony,” James snapped at him, growing irritated by his alpha now. “You should have known better than command her like that. I’m not the only one she was running away from you know! I don’t know if she hates the pack or she simply wanted to stay away from those who made her life hell but if you want her to stay you’re going to have to prove to her that she belongs and the pack wants her. Not command her obedience!”
“I’m the alpha James, it’s what I’m supposed to do,” Tony barked back and James shook his head.
“That may work for everyone else but not her. You know what she’s been through Tony. As her brother, Lily loves you and would do anything you asked of her but if you act like her pack alpha she’ll… well, you saw what she did. Prove to her Tony, prove to her that staying here, joining the pack, and taking you as her alpha won’t mean that she’ll lose her freedom and self-identity,” James continued then took a deep breath and let it out.
“Because if you don’t Tony and she takes me as her mate and wants to leave-I’m gone,” James said, his tone not harsh not but simply matter of fact. Tony jolted in surprise and looked at James in shock. “It probably won’t ever happen,” he added with a half grin and a laugh. Tony grinned as well and joined him with his own laugh.
“Yeah,” he said, almost sounding like a sigh. “She’d probably kill you way before that happens,” Tony teased then sighed loudly again. “You’re right James, but I don’t have any idea of how to do any of it; get Lily to trust the pack or to get the pack to change out of the archaic way of thinking it’s fallen into.”
“I would start by listening to what Greg tells you. The guy is dying to help if you let him,” James told him. “But for now I’m starving and would love to see what Sandy is cooking for dinner. How about you?” Tony chuckled again, lifting himself up from the swing.
“Your always hungry man,” Tony accused him and James shrugged as they walked into the house.
James sat back in the kitchen chair, his stomach comfortably full and enjoying a cold beer. The table was surrounded by people and it seemed almost everyone was there, even Greg. Only Lily was missing. He glanced at the clock on the wall then turned back to the people around him. Her meeting with the Aequivalere must have taken longer than she expected. She would have been there if not.