Cody's POV

      It's officially be a week since we found our last threatening letter and though we know not to let down our guard at all, it feels good to be able to breath once more even if it's only a little. The constant fear and panic was getting tiresome and I was slowly losing it, living in my head as my life was repeatedly threatened, which is never very fun.

      It has been one thing after another, his dad, my room, at school, the letters, the threats, his mom, it was an endless cycle that revolved around me something that I couldn't help nor would wanted even to safe the world.

     I might be tiny and soft, something a lot of people take advantage of, but I will do all I can to stay on the arms of my lover, no matter how many people I have to fight off... even if I'm crying while doing it.

     As I make my way down the stairs and to the kitchen, the pack house is quiet, the volume of the silence pleasing to me as I make my way into dimly lit room, the only light coming from the one over head the stove. My feet pad softly in the floor as I make my way to the stove, reaching on my tippy toes to reach into the cabinet above it and pull down the box of my favorite tea. As I go to pull it down and turn to find the kettle beneath the sink, I almost jump out of my skin when I come across Zee sitting at the table in the dark. I squeal in both surprise and fear, only the long pony tail and the faint smell of her scent wafting across the kitchen telling me who it is.

     "Zee, you scared me!" I tell her and I lean over the counter to flick on the light that's right above the table and gasp quietly at the state that the usually confident woman is in. Her ponytail isn't sleek and smooth but rather messy and thrown up, tear stains falling down her cheeks and though I want to rush over to her and make sure shes okay, I turn away and decide to help in the best way I know how.

     I crouch down under the sink and find the kettle, filling it with warm water before I turn and click on the stove, placing the metal on top of the stove top. Once that's on there, beginning to heat up, I turn my attention back to my tea collection, something I started a little bit after my family passed and I lot of sleepless nights.

     I grab my favorite kind of mugs and place them softly on the counter, before I go searching for some sugar and honey. Once everything is set up, the water is boiling at the kettle is whistling it's tune to tell us it's ready. As I go to pick up the boiling water, I feel James' sleepy mind caress mine, seeking entrance and assurance and I gladly give it to him, opening our link so he can nuzzle my mind softly.

     'Where did you go? You okay?' He asks me, even his mental voice thick with sleep as he yawns. I had woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and my mind was too busy to go to sleep, hence why I ended up here.

     'I'm getting some tea. I'm okay.' I answer him and there's the instant relief that comes either the affirmation that everything is still quiet and that I'm still able to love my Mate as I please.

      'Do you want me to come down?' He asks and I think about telling him yes, his position as Alpha making things like this so much easier for him than me, but I suck it up, deciding to just get it over with and try to help as best I can.

      'No. I have Zee down here. We're about to have tea.' I tell him so that he doesn't think I'm alone down here and he says okay before I feel him drift back off to sleep, but his mind remains wrapped around mine lovingly making me smile. I pour the hot water into the two cups, setting a tea bag in each. After pouring both some honey and some sugar into both cups, I carry them carefully over to the table before setting them down on the table. I push one over to the she-wolf, not saying anything for a second as I grab my cup and take a tiny sip.

After a few moments, her hands hesitantly comes out to at least grab the warm cup and the action makes me smile a bit as I hold mime close to my chest.

"When I was younger, before Jessie and I lost our family, I was a restless kid, very shy but never able to sit still very long, a trait I picked up from my mom. Whenever I would wake up in the middle of the night, I would get up and walk to the living room and I would find her there curled up on the couch reading a book." I tell her quietly, staring off into space a bit as I remember my favorite memories of my mom, something I haven't done in a long time.

"She would always take me to the kitchen and make us matching cups of tea before we went back to the living room to the couch and we would sit and talk about anything. It could be school, what book she's reading, or even just if I'm okay. Sometimes, when I wake up at night, I come down here and I remember her all to myself in the quiet hours at night." I say, my voice as soft as the darkness and I can feel Zee start to relax a bit and I watch form the corner of my eye as she raises the cup to her mouth to take a small sip of tea.

"What was she like?" She says, though her gaze isn't on me but somewhere far away, but I don't mind, only tilt my head as I think about how to put into words the love I have for the woman that brought me into this world.

"She was a very overprotective momma, I remember that. Didn't matter if you were right or wrong, she would always protect you first." I say and I feel Jessie stir form his sleep, his tired mind tuning into the conversation. "She was also very loving and funny. And for a human, she had a great sense of smell." I tell her and she laughs, a small one but it's enough to make me smile as well.

'She always read us bed time stories and made the best cookies.' Jessie adds, his sleepy voice adding to the soothing aura in the room, surrounded by darkness, as well as the sweetest memories we have before James and Sloan.

"She sounds wonderful." Zee tells me and I smile and nod, drinking someone of my soothing liquid.

"She was amazing, but far from perfect. She couldn't cook noodles right and she had trouble raising our wolf half but she tried her best. She might not have been perfect but she was the perfect mom for me." I tell her honestly and she smiles softly, though her lips wobble a bit. I ignore it, knowing that if she wants to talk about it she will, and my patience is rewarded.

"Rain's family hates me." She tells me and though I'm surprised, I don't say anything, letting her get it out like I know I would need to. You only sit alone in the dark when you have emotions you feel like you need to hide. And if she feels comfortable enough to share them with me, I wouldn't do anything to invalidate them. "We met a few month ago and I thought it would get better but it only gets worse."

Her voice gets thick and there's a pause as she tries to get herself together and I don't rush her, continuing to drink my tea in silence as I offer her a quiet shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen.

"They want Rain to be with a man or at least a traditional Asian woman and I have the audacity to be far from both of those options. They don't hide the fact that they don't approve of our Mating, even if they know the Goddess herself made it so. They think I make Rain bring dishonor to the family. And I'm starting to think that Rain is beginning to believe them." Tears are streaming down her face as she talks and imma heart aches and reaches out for her in sympathy.

One thing I've never understood when it comes to supernaturals, is that even though they preach day and night about the Goddess and respecting her wishes, they're the same ones to disown and force their child to reject their soulmate based off their own prejudices.

It's disgusting.

And so eerily familiar.

I reach my hand across the table and grab her hands that are anxiously twisting in each other's hold. I stare at her gorgeous face until she looks up at me, her brown eyes gleaming in fear.

"Though I don't know the two of you closely, in the time that I've spent with you, I can tell that Rain loves you so dearly. What it sounds like is that she has trouble expressing that to you and because of the oppressive household she's in, it makes sense. Find her love language and her communication style and you'll find out just how much she cares." I tell her honestly and she nods her head along with my words.

"And as for her family." I continue, a touch of hardness entering my tone at the thought of the ignorant people. "They aren't they ones you're going to have to spend the rest of your life with. Stand up for yourself and they'll either respect you, or leave you alone, but don't let their bitterness take control of your happiness." I tell her and she smiles up at me with a wobbly smile before her hands squeeze mine back.

We're both silent for a while as we enter our individual thoughts and continue to anchor each other to this moment with our hands intertwined. My train of thought gets interrupted when my hand is squeezed and I turn my attention over to a softly smiling Zee.

"Thank you, Cody." She tells me and I return her smile with one of my own.

"Thank you. I think I needed tonight as much as you did." I tell her and she laughs a bit before she tilts her head as if you look at me i'm a new light.

"You're going to be a great Luna, you know." She tells me and my throat closes as tears come to my eyes. I'm not able to answer so I give her hand a squeeze and I show her my best wobbly smile. Looking at the clock, I turn towards her with a question.

"I'm going to head to bed. You'll be okay?" I ask her and she looks at me with a happier gaze than when I found her.

"I'll be just fine." She promises me and I feel my chest lighten at the words. I lay her hand before I grab my now empty cup and bring it to the sink, filling it with water. I go to exit the kitchen and turn around to see Zee looking down at her cup with a half smile. I turn away and take my time going up the stairs and back to James' room.

I pull the covers back and lay down, snuggling into my Mate as he turns over to cuddle into me. His nose going straight for his mark on my neck as always.

Yeah. We'll be just fine.

~~~~~~~~
Guys I actually love this chapter very very much. Cody is getting so mature and his character development is perfect. They're going to have a break for a while so enjoy these chapter while you can.

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QOTD: Do you like watermelon?