Page 12 of The Alpha and His Childhood Sweetheart

Honestly, at this point Ray was like an Uncle to me. My dad nodded to Ray, then he and Drake started laughing when he saw what Dakota and Dalton had done. Ray was barely keeping it together. My mom chastised, “Don’t you dare laugh, Peter! Look at this mess!” My dad tried to keep a straight face.

She turned to my brothers, “What do you two have to say for yourselves?” Dalton defended himself, “I was just fighting fire with fire.” My mom rolled her eyes, “There’s some logic for you.” My Dad’s Gamma, Garrett, came in with his oldest son, Jared. Garrett started laughing, “Those two. What can you do?” Jared snapped his fingers, and the kitchen was clean again.

My mom sighed, “Thank you Jared.” She pointed at my brothers, “You two, get to your rooms right this second! We do not throw powdered sugar or flour around the house. Do you understand?” Both groaned. Dakota whined, “Daaddd!” My dad raised an eyebrow, “You heard your mother. Go to your rooms.” Both of them put their heads down and started to walk away.

I heard a booming laugh I recognized as Ray’s and realized he had gone back outside. I skipped outside to see what happened. When I did my eyes widened in surprise. Melanie was standing over Robert I called, “Uhhh dad, Drake, and Garrett you guys aregoing to want to come out here.” They walked outside with my mom.

Drake took off running to his daughter. Melanie had the most unique pale green eyes I’d ever seen. She’d always had a lot of hair, which my mom had laughed at when Melanie was a newborn. She had a full head of black hair. It was already down past her shoulders.

Melanie was crying, holding her new stuffed animal. Robert, one of the Warrior's sons, was on the ground holding his shin and his privates. I flushed and turned around. Tristan came outside and winced, “Mel kicked him in the balls? Dang! What did that jerk do to my sister?” He ran off the porch to Melanie with Jason right behind him.

Sam came out of their house. She looked at Drake explaining, “We’ve only been back for ten minutes. I just ran inside to change. I only left her alone for a few minutes. What happened?” Drake knelt down, “Ladybug, what happened here?” Melanie cried, “He’s mean! He threw…”

Robert interrupted, “I threw her toy in the mud. She kicked me in the shin and balls, then she pushed me into the mud!” Drake questioned, “Why would you throw her toy into the mud?” Sam sighed, “Melanie, go to your room.” I shot my mom a look.

Melanie argued, “That’s not fair! He…” Sam cut her off, “You don’t just hit people.” Melanie crossed her arms, “I didn’t! He…” Sam ordered, “Melanie Jane McAlister, go inside right now!” Melanie clutched her stuffed animal into her chest.

On a closer look I realized it looked like a wolf. She took off into their house crying. Drake raised an eyebrow at Sam. Sam said, “Well, one of us has to discipline her, and we know it won’t be you. You’re wrapped around her little finger.” Tristan warned, “Robert, stay down, or I’ll put you back on the ground.” Robert cowered until he saw me standing on the porch of my house. He straightened out but stayed on the ground. Ray snorted.

Drake growled, “Don’t bully my daughter Robert. Stay away from her.” My dad asked me, “Did you show Melanie the self-defense moves you’ve been learning?” I shook my head, “No, but she goes with her mom to the gym. She sees the training that’s going on while she colors.” My dad snorted, “I see a future female Warrior already.” My mom commented, “So do I.”

We all went back inside and I went back to reading. Sam walked into our house twenty minutes later. She sighed, “Elise could you go and talk to Melanie, please? She won’t tell me why she’s so upset. I can’t get her to stop crying about the wolf.” I closed my book, “Yeah, no problem.”

I heard my mom ask, “Didn’t you just get it?” Sam answered, “We just got it this morning. She was single mindedly focused on exactly what she wanted. I tried to get her a red wolf, but she refused. She was near hysterics they didn’t have what she wanted. The guy working got this one from the back. She wouldn’t let it go. I have no idea why she’s so attached to this toy. She knew what she wanted though, and she wasn’t going to leave with any other toy in her arms.”

My mom laughed, “She’s such a cutie.” Sam laughed, “She is, but such a little stink pot.” I laughed, “I’ll be back.” Sam said, “Thank you. I know you guys have a special bond.” We did. Melanie would always talk to me, and I talked to her. She was wise for her age.

I walked out of the house and spotted Tristan and Jason playing outside. I walked inside their house and up to the second floor and knocked on Melanie’s door. She didn’t say anything. I called, “Mel, it’s me.” She opened the door quickly.

I noted she was still crying, and she was covered in mud. I frowned, “Mel, what’s going on?” She walked away and went back to the bathroom in her room, so I followed her. She had the stuffed wolf in the sink. She was obviously trying to wash all the mud off.

I wordlessly helped her. I raised an eyebrow realizing it was a black wolf with white paws. I washed its chest off next testing a theory. I bit my lip seeing the chest was white. Melanie had asked about the Conners’ wolves the other day and I’d described them all to her. This wolf looked just like Alexander’s wolf, Oden.

When we got all the mud off, I went and got Sam’s hair dryer and we dried it off. She clutched it to her chest. I gently asked, “What’s his name?” She smiled announcing, “This is my Xander wolf.” I bit my lip, “Oh yeah?” She nodded.

I asked, “Did you get this wolf because he looks like Alexander Conners wolf?” She nodded. I prodded, “Why?” She answered, “Cause he’s my Xander. Robert is a meanie head! He just took him from me, threw him in the mud, and stomped on him! He said that Alpha’s were all black and humans were dumb. He said I should get a real wolf.”

I surmised, “So you kicked him because he threw your Xander in the mud?” She nodded, “And stomped on him. Then said he wasn’t an Alpha wolf, but he is. Xander IS an Alpha wolf.” I agreed, “He is.” Melanie smiled, “Jase said his wolf is pwetty.”

I asked, “Have you met him?” She shook her head confirming what I knew. EJ often teased me that Melanie was imaginary. I asked, “Have you seen Alexander?” She nodded, “Pictures.” I chuckled, “Do you have a crush on him?” She blushed, “He’s my Xander.” I nodded slowly, “Why do you call him that?” She shrugged, “Cause he’s mine.” I smiled, “Did a Fairy tell you so?” She shook her head, “No, I just know.” This was the cutest thing ever.

I nudged her, “You’ve seen EJ, right? I’ve seen your curtains move when he’s around.” Melanie nodded, “Your EJ.” I confirmed, “He is my EJ. We’ll just have to wait and seeif Alexander is yours. I’m sure you’ll meet them soon.” She insisted, “He is my Xander.” I laughed.

She looked at me insisting, “Don’t tell! T and Jase would tease me.” I assured her, “I won’t tell them.” She held up her pinky, “Swear? You won’t tell.” I took her pinky in mine, “I won’t tell anyone, I promise.” She sighed, “Gwonded.”

I laughed, “You got grounded?” She nodded. I admitted, “Hey, we’d all have done the same thing.” A knock came on the door. I could smell it was Drake. I opened the door, and he smiled at me. “Hi, Elise. Hi, Ladybug.” Melanie squealed, “Daddy!” He laughed as she went to him and he picked her up.

I told her, “I’ll see you later Mel.” She pointed, “Member, you sweared.” I laughed, “I remember. I won’t tell.” Drake winked at me then I walked outside. Jason and Tristan were waiting for me. Jason angrily asked, “What did the Warrior’s sack of shit son say to our sister?”

Sam yelled from my house, “LANGUAGE!” Jason sighed. My mom and Sam walked over. Ray had moved close enough to hear. He liked Melanie a lot. He said she reminded him of the daughter he lost. I held up my hands, “I pinky swore I wouldn’t tell. She had every right to kick him though.” Everyone groaned because they knew I wouldn’t tell them what happened.

I saw Robert standing off in the distance with his friends. I marched up to him with Tristan on my heels. I crossed my arms, “Robert, I know what you did. Unless you want to get your butt kicked, I wouldn’t say it ever again.” Robert paled because he knew what I meant.

Everyone knew Alexander had white markings and that some of his sibling’s wolves were other colors, not just black. If what Robert said about Alpha’s got back to the Conners family Alexander and EJ would beat him up. Cassie would be sneakier, but she’d get him too.

Robert frowned, “It’s just a stupid stuffed animal!” I shot back, “Then why did you toss it in the mud after you took it from a three year old?” Robert snorted, “She was in our way.” I growled, “She was playing outside her house. Stay away from her.” He scoffed, “Oh come on, it was harmless.” He stepped towards me, and I stepped back. I declared, “You’re a bully.” He looked as if I’d punched him. I turned and walked away.

Tristan told me, “You just punched him in the heart.” I rolled my eyes, “He doesn’t like me.” Tristan laughed, “Yes, he does. He needs to do a better job at hiding it, or your mate will make his head explode.” I smiled. Not because I thought he was right, but because EJ would do that.

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