The Golden Rule

Chapter Eleven: Steel

JAMES

A bag of flour sat on the kitchen counter, staring James down.

It was menacing to say the least.

All James wanted to do was eat cereal with marshmallows, right out of the box when he was hit with an attack on his emotional integrity with the power of a wrecking ball. He touched the soft paper, his finger picking up the powder. A sigh escaped his lips. He just got out of bed and he was already ready for round two.

Eric's words played over and over in his head, echoing: whatever we've been trying to force the last few months is over now. It's over now. It's over now...

James scooped the bag of flour into his arms. He hugged it tight, resting his chin on the top. He thought maybe he could press it into his body, it could fill the hole left there the night of the worst date in history. He fell against the counter, happy that the floor wasn't disappearing beneath him. He didn't know what was up and what was down anymore. The last few months were a blur. How did he spend his precious time with Eric? Did he waste it? James made Eric drive him around? And what else? They fought. They fought like they didn't know how to hold up any other kind of conversation like being petty was James' first language. They fought like threatened animals.

Maybe he really wasn't meant to be in a relationship.

With another sigh, James took out his phone. He thought about looking Eric up on Facebook. Then, he remembered he knew Eric better than that and thought that Eric would never waste his time with Facebook, but maybe he would just to keep with his pack better or... a link distracted him along the way when Delphine suddenly burst inside, "WHAT IS THIS?"

James jumped. His eyes were the size of dinner plates, seeing Delphine in only a silk dressing gown over her lacey black bra. Her hair was tied up in a towel. She was freshly showered, and a green clay mask covered her face. She shouted and aimed an accusing finger at him. "This is not a moping household! Oracles do not mope. You better not be stalking him on Facebook."

"No," James technically told her the truth. Facebook was on a different tab. He did admitted, "I'm on a cat shelter website-"

Her mouth dropped. A raspy gasp crawled out of her throat. She shook her head, a dire look in her glare. "No cats," she said slowly, highlighting every syllable. "I have a strict rule against cats before marriage, you know that."

"Aw," James sighed and pet the little tabby cat on his cellphone screen. "but wouldn't it be nice to come home to something warm and snuggly? Look!" He desperately tried to show her, "Her name is Buttons! You can't get cuter than that!"

"James Connolly! You need to get a grip," Delphine raged, stomping over and lifting James up to his feet by his arms. She didn't let go. She tightened her grip, maybe cutting off his blood circulation and leaned in close. "This is not how I raised you! You are not allowed to admit defeat or cry over some boy as long as you can still fix it!" She released him, but she kept the bag of flour. "Get to work," she huffed and spun around, whirling out of the room like a hurricane. She left wreckage, but James could still salvage something here.

James' mind raced. He looked at the phone in his hand and his fingers moved on their own. He made a call. They answered maybe seconds before the answering machine kicked in. "Hello?" They croaked, sounding like death. "This is Frances, prince of the night, who's disturbing my slumber?"

"It's me," James swallowed, suddenly anxious. "James."

"Jamie?" That seemed to wake Frances up. "My, my, what can I do for you?"

"Do you know where Eric is today? Has he left already?"

"Not yet," he yawned, already bored, but James sprung to life. He found his deep blue coat and struggled into his oxfords. Frances went on "He's doing some last-minute meeting with Paloma that uh, future lady alpha from whatever. Turns out she's ascending to the top spot after her brother eloped with some witchy chick-"