Page 92 of The Alpha and His Childhood Sweetheart

After we ordered I asked her, “What’s going on in that pretty head?” Elise sighed, “It’s just that girl. Ashley.” I frowned, “What about her?” Elise shrugged, “It just got me thinking about Mel.” I was thrown. Brutus said, “I have no clues on that, but Rhea agrees.” Interesting.

I asked her, “Why? Because they are close in age? Or because she’s a good fighter?” Those felt like solid reasons. Elise laughed admitting, “Both but mostly because of her name.” I told her, “You lost me. Melanie and Ashley are not similar.”

Elise smiled, “Ashleigh Griffen is the main character in Melanie’s favorite book series. Ashley’s name is spelled differently, but it makes me think of Melanie every time. I just miss her. This whole not visiting so she can focus on Julliard is strange.”

“I’m worried about her. What she’s doing is not healthy. That school is cutting her off from everyone she loves.” She waved her arms frantically, “Hell, they already cut her off from us. The McAlister’s are only agreeing because they feel guilty, thinking they held Mel back when she was a pup. Mel begs them to let this play out saying it will only be for a little while. I just know she’s being manipulated. I’m supposed to protect her from things like this, but she just doesn't hear me.”

Elise sighed then added, “This Ashley girl and her story makes my heart ache. I just want to help her.” Rhea took over, “No, that’s not it. We need to. We just don’t know why.” I sat back thinking my mate had a huge heart. For her wolf to agree they needed this was odd. Maybe Ashley was important to someone in her life. Maybe she was Dalton or Dakota’s mate.

I encouraged her, “I think you should follow your instincts. You have a big heart, and I love that about you. I have to admit I want to help her too. She has a position within her pack now. It actually sounds like she’s doing Nashville some good. Maybe we can actually respect some more packs around there if she whips them into shape.”

Elise sighed, “She’s an orphan all alone down there. I just know she just needs some love and we know she won’t get it there. We would be better for her.” I nodded, “I agree but unless she wants to come to us, there’s not much I can do.” Her face fell and her heartbreak filled the bond.

I grabbed her hand, “Tell me what you want me to do.” Elise sighed, “Get a message to her through Micah. Or get her on the phone.” I agreed, “Ok, I’ll tell Micah.” I’d already sent a message,but I would do it again for her. I shot a text to him on my phone immediately. She smiled, “Thanks, EJ.”

I told her, “Ashley aside whatever is going on with Ladybug is not your fault.” She sighed, “I know. I just…” My phone rang. Elise sent me her feelings to take the call. I gave her a look. She urged, “No one would call if it wasn’t urgent.” I shrugged, “It doesn’t matter. What were you about to say?” She shook her head. I shrugged, “You are the most important thing to me. I want to make sure you’re ok.”

A pop sounded. I was surprised my youngest sister was here. Angela’s eyes were wide and she felt pure panic in the bond. She yelled, “Something’s wrong, EJ!” I grabbed her, “What do you mean?” She frowned, “This path just hit me. We need to find Everly and Julianna. Their paths are suddenly blurry. I’m really worried.”

Elise said, “EJ, we can continue this later. We need to find them.” I nodded and grabbed Elise’s arm and held onto Angela’s hand. I popped us to my office. I ordered Alexander, “Get everyone on the damn phone. You track down Everly McAlister.” I took out my phone and called my Uncle Aiden.

He answered, “Hello, EJ.” I didn’t waste time on pleasantries, “Where’s Julianna?” Uncle Aiden answered, “Visiting her family in the human realm. Why?” I didn’t have a good feeling about this. I told Toby, “Get Jayden and Finn on the damn phone. Right fucking now!”

I asked my uncle, “When did you last see her?” Uncle Aiden popped to me. He asked, “What’s going on?” Jayden and Finn came up on the screen. I asked them frantically, “Where’s Julianna?” Jayden frowned, “With Fegle in Faerie.” Uncle Aiden argued, “No, she’s with you.”

Red Run came online with Tristan swearing up a storm. Alexander explained, “Everly was supposed to be in California with her family. Her plane landed twenty minutes ago, butshe wasn’t on it.” Jayden popped then was thrown back hard, screaming in pain.

Lucas and Emmaline popped in with Jade and Jacob. They clearly weren’t with Jayden and Finn. Alexander was already gone. He healed our cousin and popped them all back to us. I linked Jayden, “Are you ok?” He answered, “No, but physically I’m fine. Where is my sister?” I answered, “We don’t know.”

I linked my dad, “Get to the office right now! Julianna and Everly have been kidnapped and we can’t pop to them. Jayden got hurt trying.” I heard my dad’s snarl of anger from the open door. Alexander must have been working with it open.

My dad burst into the room with my uncles. Mom popped in so we filled her in. She surmised, “Jayden, you tried to get to Julianna, right?” Jayden nodded, “Yes.” My mom said, “Well then, I’ll try to pop to Everly.” I yelled, “NO!” At the same time as all my siblings and my dad.

My mom popped as my dad and I lunged for her. Blade materialized a second too late and he was golden eyed pissed about it. He was the fastest at getting to her when she did this. He was one of her guards, but he was family to us.

Aiden sighed, “It is moments like this I miss Arion. This was what he was meant for.” My mom’s pain hit us in the bond before she was thrown back. She wasn’t as badly burned as Jayden had been though. Brutus howled in my head hating her in pain.

She sighed and healed herself. Tristan’s terse voice came over the line, “Thank you for trying, Mrs. Conners.” My mom snorted, “You WILL call me Haley. Calling me Mrs. is almost as fucking bad as ma’am is. You make me sound fucking ancient.” My dad wrapped his arms around her.

She assured us, “I’m fine you worrying Walter’s.” Elise laughed, “It’s warts. Worry Warts.” My mom rolled her eyes, “Warts can’t worry! That’s absurd!” Micah ran into the room. Heput up a surveillance video. We watched as Everly was grabbed at her car outside the airport.

Tristan growled, “DALTON!” Dalton frowned, “There were supposed to be Warriors on her.” I grabbed Alexander and popped to the car lot at the airport. Micah would take care of the video. I smelled blood and took off with Alexander on my tail.

We popped the trunk of an SUV open and found the Warriors who’d been guarding Everly. They’d been shot and stuffed inside. They were near death. Alexander frowned, “We need mom. I can’t heal them alone. They’ve been bleeding here for hours.” I looked around, “We are good to go.”

We jumped in and closed the trunk and popped it back home. Alexander explained, “I can’t heal them alone.” My mom popped over to him. Together it took them twenty minutes. We all waited with bated breath for answers. I sent Julian and William to see if they could catch Everly’s trail from the airport.

Micah groaned, “Uh oh.” I growled, “There is no saying uh oh.” Micah winced, “Everly texted Julianna. That has to be how they got her.” Tristan argued, “She wouldn’t! How the HELL do I not feel anything from Everly?” I answered, “They must have blocked your bond.”

My mom sighed, “Or they muted it like they did mine as a child with my Hackura family. The mate bond for wolves isn’t as strong as our connection. If they could mute that one, then they can mute your connection with Everly.”

Beta Bond’s pack came online. He and Everly’s brother were irate. I was certain her other siblings and her mom had been kept out of the meeting. Knowing Tabitha Bond, she was on the ground looking for her daughter.

Once the Warriors woke from being healed we asked what happened. They were very upset. They’d tried to get Everly back into the car. They felt something off but were shot themselvesright after that. They said she was fighting after they were hurt. Tristan was pissed.

Julian linked, “We are still tracking but this trail is going cold fast.” I told him, “It was a long shot in the first place.” He replied, “They switched cars three times to throw us off, but we haven’t come on the forth yet.” FUCK!

Finn yelled, “We’re getting a call!” Micah grabbed Finn’s computer and projected the video call to the wall. I linked Micah, “Trace it.” Micah was already swearing, “Fuckers are bouncing it to hell and fucking back!”

---