Page 107 of The Alpha and His Childhood Sweetheart

Plus, his son had almost died. I reasoned with myself that Melanie wouldn’t be with Hunters from Nashville. She’d better not be with them at all, but down here? No way. She wouldn’t come to the area and not say hi to me. If she brought Jason back, she’d yell at us all while getting him help. I rubbed my face trying to disguise my headache again. EJ popped us home.

The next morning, I woke up and went to see Ethan. He frowned when I told him I’d been getting these headaches. When he asked how long I winced answering, “Two years on and off.” Ethan was astonished, “Luna Elise, you should’ve come to me much sooner.” I muttered, “I thought it was nothing.”

He took scans and ran bloodwork. He announced, “Well, I am glad I can’t find anything wrong with you, but I’m sorry tosay I don’t know why you are getting these headaches. Please come and see me if this happens again. Some people just get migraines. A dark room or even caffeine can help.” He handed me a bottle of pills specifically for migraines.

I sighed knowing EJ was going to see these. I nodded, “Thanks, Ethan.” I tucked them into my pocket and left. Alexander did a double take when he saw me walk out of the hospital. Did he have to be here at this exact moment?

EJ popped to me a second later frowning. He grabbed my arm and popped again. The three of us were in one of the triplets’ treehouses in the area. EJ immediately questioned me, “Elise, are you ok?” I explained, “I’ve just been getting these headaches. Ethan said there was nothing wrong with me though.”

Alexander admitted, “Same. I didn’t see Ethan though.” EJ sighed, “I don’t get them too badly, but I get them too. This situation has us all stressed.” That was probably it. Alexander’s phone rang. He frowned and showed us the read out. It was blocked.

EJ nodded to him before Max and Micah popped in. EJ must have linked them. Micah nodded to Alexander, “I’m ready to go. You can answer whenever.” Alexander accepted the call. “Hello, this is Alpha Alexander Conners.”

A distorted sob came over the phone that had me clutching my own chest. Alexander looked baffled. He said, “Hello?” Sobs were all he got back. He begged, “Can you please say something? Are you ok?” Nothing but sobs came through. He softened his tone, “Tell me where you are, and I’ll come help you. You called me for a reason.”

The voice sobbed, “I can’t stand it… anymore… it hurts…. You hate me. YOU. I can’t… not you. Why does it have to be you too?” Alexander tried again, “Who is this? I don’t even know who you are. I can’t hate you.” The voice cried, “You do and it kills me.”

Alexander pressed, “Are you our sniper?” Silence greeted that question which told us all the answer. Alexander rushed, “I don’t hate you at all. You’ve helped us and fight on our side.” The voice was still crying as the answer came. “Because you don’t know my name. You would hate me if you knew.” Alexander shouted, “No! NO! I wouldn’t. Let me help you please!”

Someone gasped, “What are you doing with a phone? Oh no, you didn’t.” I heard a hiccup before the phone clicked. Was our sniper drinking? I asked, “Did anyone recognize that voice?” Max scoffed, “It was a distorted voice and another distorted person whispering. We don’t know who it is and that’s what they wanted.”

We all sat in shock. Micah cursed, “Goddamn this chick is good! I got nothing.” He kept typing though. He fist pumped after a few more minutes. He announced, “The phone that called was bought….” He trailed off. I asked, “Where?”

He answered, “In the area outside where we found the building full of bodies and special Fairy juice.” So, they liked being near us but not with us. That didn’t make sense at all. He pulled up the feed from the store so we could watch it.

Eight people entered the store without looking at the camera. They all kept their heads down. Alexander growled. I asked, “What?” He pointed, “That’s the guy driving the motorcycle, and that’s our sniper next to him.”

EJ snorted, “I know how you recognize the sniper because I do too. How do you recognize the guy that saved her on the motorcycle?” Alexander growled, “I just do.” There was tone of possessiveness in his comment. We all stared at him for a second. Could it be Mel? My head pounded and the answer was clear, no. Maybe Melanie and Alexander weren’t fated after all. That felt completely and utter wrong though.

No, they were fated. I knew it. This was all some weird situation, and we were frustrated. That’s all this was. Wewatched as the group of eight walked out in pairs. They were a team. I sighed, “Well, we know there are at least eight of them.” Alexander threw his phone.

EJ conjured it back to normal. Alexander growled, “This is about me? Someone thinks that I hate them? That’s why we can't have an alliance! ME?! They did FOR ME, and they think I hate them?! What kind of logic is that?”

I reasoned, “I don’t think it’s just you they think will hate them, it’s all of us. The caller said she specifically couldn’t stand that you hated her. That implies more than just you hate her.” EJ groaned, “We don’t hate the sniper. I actually can't think of anyone I hate who would help us. I’ve been wracking my brain over it too.” I acknowledged, “Neither can I.”

Alexander popped out to go work out his anger. EJ held me in his arms and kissed my forehead. He told me, “We will figure it out.” I nodded, “I hope so.” I really did. A headache started to form yet again. I sighed and stopped thinking. It was what really made my headaches stop.

Heat

EJ is Twenty-Three Years old

EJ studied Elise. She was focused, chewing on the end of her pencil. I couldn’t stop my smile as I looked at her. I wished I could make all her worries fade. I knew the top one was that it was Melanie’s Senior Year of high school. I had no doubt she’d be getting into Julliard.

We were all hoping for her that she’d get into it, but at the same time I felt like shit because another part of me hoped she didn’t get in. Brutus reasoned, “Only because we want her to come home.” I had to stop thinking about it or I’d get a headache.

I looked up as a smirking Alpha Theo came and sat down in my office. Elise stopped chewing her pencil and sat up eagerly. She’d started an email correspondence with Ashley Griffen a few years back. I knew it made her happy, so I was too.

I’d even read some of the emails. Elise would read some of them to me. I knew we’d have to get Ashley and Ladybug in touch some time. They would get along really well and never stop talking. No one would get a word in edgewise around those two.

Brutus linked, “Mate is so excited to hear what happened in Black Path.” I knew that Theo had gone down to their pack since Dad, Lucas, and especially Alpha Chase couldn’t go. Alpha Theo had actually met Ashley two years ago.

My dad made that order because he wanted to be sure she was ok. It was the council’s duty in his mind. Theo liked her a lot and told us their initial meeting was interesting. That Ashley was bitter, rough, but a fireball. Apparently, she had moxie. Elise agreed with him, but she didn’t get the bitter part. Micah hadsilently agreed, but whatever bitterness they had seen in Ashley she didn’t show with Elise.

My dad asked, “So, what the hell happened Nashville? How did Black Path take over another pack?” Alpha Theo smiled, “Let me just say, you just won’t believe it. By the way, I love that none of you go down there. In fact, if we EVER need to speak to Ashley Griffen, or Black Path, I volunteer. She is worth the whole damn trip.” I snorted.

Elise eagerly asked, “Did you ask if she’d changed her mind about us meeting?” Brutus huffed in my head because we knew the answer already and I hated it. Theo frowned, “I did. She said it wasn’t a good time. To be fair, she’s right.” Except it was an excuse and we knew it.

My dad frowned, “Why?” Theo sat back answering, “Well, we will be slapping Black Path with one HELL of a fine. If Alpha Davis’s son wasn’t the exact opposite of his father, I’d say we take over and install a new Alpha.” That was as strong stance.

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