Page 77 of The Alpha and His Childhood Sweetheart

Elise was texting Melanie. I asked, “What is she saying?” Elise sighed, “She’s just not acting like herself right now.” I handed her a peanut butter cookie one of our Omega’s made that our family loved. She gobbled it down and grabbed another.

I consoled her, “She’s just upset right now. What did she say about the bracelets?” Elise shrugged, “She acted like it was no big deal. I told her it was huge, but she basically shrugged it off.” We retreated to our room, and I held her until she drifted to sleep, before I let myself follow.

After that the weeks passed by quickly. The day I’d been waiting for came and I was humming with energy. Our pack and allies were getting ready to go to an underground fight. It pissed me off that we couldn’t find anything on them. We all knew they were dirty. We all literally felt it.

Cassie had been working overtime trying to prove it, but the people she talked to truly believed it was for supernatural’s to fight for money. The ones we attended the fighters did so of their own free will. I knew better because my instincts screamed at me that all the fights weren’t like this. I could sense motivations as a Fairy, and while the fighters at these events believed what they said, there were people who were shady and I knew it.

Alexander walked in acknowledging me, “Brother, do you want to discuss what you’re feeling?” I sighed, “I guess. I know we won’t catch them tonight but keep your eyes open. For anything.” Alexander agreed, “You’re right. We won’t find anything bad tonight, but we aren’t seeing the true undergrounds.”

I frowned, “I agree but you seem to have more to say.” Alexander shrugged, “I do. It’s called the undergrounds, yet all of this is above board. It’s not very underground-y. That’s where they are mocking us. We know there’s a seedy underground to the undergrounds. They are throwing it in our faces that we can’t find it.” He had a point.

We left as a group. I happily had Elise by my side. We walked into the fighting area. All eyes were on us, which was what we wanted. Genevive inhaled, “No scent enticing me yet.” I nudged her, “Soon.” Toby linked, “It’s working.” He was right. No one’s eyes were on Red Run.

I saw their eyes going between us and Blue Moon. I linked Jayden, “This is going according to our plan.” He snorted, “They are watching us like hawks. If they stare at Jade or Julianna any longer, I’ll get them.” I agreed, “I’ll pop on your right.” He laughed, “Thanks, cousin.” I replied, “Anytime.”

Everyone was so focused on us that they missed Red Run getting closer to them. We were just spectators. It was hours of fighting, but thankfully they weren’t fighting to the death.Winners were paid. It all looked above board, but I could feel that something else was happening.

Jayden linked, “Well, this is boring.” I agreed, “Almost too boring.” He acknowledged, “That does seem to be the case. They look right at us as they pay their fighters after the fight. I had my eye on a woman that was visibly sweeting, but they got her out. I linked your father in law, but she got shimmered out.” Damn it. I told him, “It was a good call though by you.” He winked at me from across the arena.

Alexander linked me, “Micah is here.” I replied, “He wasn’t supposed to be.” Alexander chuckled, “I don’t think he’s here for us. He doesn’t usually dress that way.” I causally glanced around the room and found Micah in loose jeans and a tight sleeved shirt. Alexander was right, it was a far cry from his usual attire. He was trying to fit in.

I linked, “Max.” He growled, “I know. I can smell him from out here. He told me about it when he knew, but I’ve been following people. Is he hurt?” I answered, “He’s perfectly fine.” Max pleaded, “Can you keep an eye on him.” I answered, “Of course I can and will. Max sighed, “Thanks.” I simply said, “He’s my brother too.”

I linked my brother in law, “Micah.” He had joined our pack after Max marked him. They split time between our realm and the Hackura. He explained, “I’m here on Cayden’s orders.” I chided, “A little heads up would’ve been nice.” Micah explained, “It was last minute.”

I changed subjects, “Is there anything I need to know?” Micah answered, “Not yet. I’m just trying to get in with these guys to see if I can’t get more information. There’s a geek side to this. That’s where I come in.” I snorted, “My brother won’t like that.”

Especially considering this would be a long running mission. He’d still see Max all the time, but he’d be in danger. My brother cared for that about as much as I did when Elise was in danger.Micah acknowledged, “No, but he will understand it. I linked him when I knew I was coming. He does seem quite agitated in our bond.” I knew that because I could feel him too.

Elise squeezed my hand then leaned down on my shoulder. Her hand went to my thigh discreetly pointing in a different direction. That’s what I realized Micah wasn’t sent in alone. My cousin Levi had just stepped into the ring to fight. Alexander and I tensed.

Elise rolled her eyes. She linked us both, “No one could beat him unless he let them.” They announced him as Dennis the Digger. Brutus started laughing in my head. Levi did construction work and often dug holes. So, he was undercover. Brutus snorted, “Clearly.”

He easily won his fight. He didn’t even give it half of what he could. We left, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Jayden linked, “That seemed like a bust.” I reasoned, “You saw that woman that was sweating. You know her face now and can be on her next time.” He agreed, “That’s true.”

I popped Elise and I home and everyone else followed. We regrouped with our allies in our living room. I asked, “Did we get anyone? I know Jayden clocked someone who was nervous, and she was taken out of there.”

Tristan sighed, “I had to pull back.” I quickly asked, “Why?” He answered, “They know me. A lot of those people looked at me with recognition in their eyes. One actually squeaked and ran away. He was taken out. They avoided me as they avoided you, even outside.”

Jason sighed, “They knew me too. I got a lot of dirty looks though. No one was afraid. One woman nearly spit on my shoes as I passed her. Her mate was with her, and they left quickly. T never even saw them leave and he was waiting. He didn’t see my section, so I don’t know if it was just me.”

Dalton begrudgingly admitted, “They knew us too. We didn’t get any scared, squeaking, or dirty looks. I only saw recognition.” Peter sighed, “I got a few looks of approval and others of distaste. All the ones who looked at me with distaste left and no one we had on the outside saw them leave. Even though they left clearly headed towards exits.” Chelsea winced, “I got several dirty looks too.” What the hell?

I groaned, “We need people they don’t know.” Jason said, “The whole thing was weird. Everyone knows you guys. I’ll even give ‘em Dalton and Dakota but me? My name sure, but they knew my face. They had to know we were coming.”

I questioned, “Why would they care?” No one knew. I acknowledged, “You have a point though. Toby? Phil? What about you two?” They both frowned, “They knew us too.” Geneiveve added, “They knew me and Gage too.”

Emmett frowned, “Us too. All of us.” Damn it! We had specifically had our family and the Lyons in prominent view. I didn’t even see Emmett in the arena and that’s the way we’d designed it. Lux said, “We were ignored but people sure disappeared quickly if we showed interest in talking.” Good lord.

It became even more frustrating in the months that followed because that pattern continued. One woman actually fainted when she saw Tristan. She died in front of him. Her heart stopped and by the time mom and Alexander got out there she was long gone. To make matters worse, Melanie had refused to come home all year. Elise was devastated over it. Thank god Karina, the Omega that made the cookies we love, had them all over the house. They were real mood pickups when you were down.

The McAlister’s tried to get out to see Melanie, but it was a series of disasters. Plane issues. A freak snow storm here and in New York. Car breakdowns. Karina’s cookie recipe made it down there. Brutus thought Karina might have got it from their packbecause Sam said they’d been her favorite cookies ever since Melanie had been born.

Alexander was stoic about it all, but we felt his pain. We all knew Melanie was living her dream. I thought my mom was going to explode with rage when we kept saying it. She’d pop or portal away and I felt her frustration. She thought everyone was lying to her or something. She still thought Melanie was a prank. I knew it hurt her we weren’t telling her what was going on, but she’d figure it out.

Things got heavy when drugs started coming into play. They were dangerous to our pups. A week before Cassie, Alexander, and my twentieth birthday we managed to get a dealer to agree to a buy. Ben and Jason McAlister were going with Julian. That had been a heated debate. Not many people saw much of him. He looked a lot like us, but he spent a lot of time with Uncle Aiden in Faerie.

Brutus told me, “I don’t like this. I want Leif safe and back here.” That was Julian’s wolf. I agreed, “I do too. But he’s strong and we have to trust him.” It didn’t make us worry any less. That group had left earlier the day of the meet. They were scooping out the area.

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