Page 82 of The Alpha and His Childhood Sweetheart

My heart hurt, for everyone in this situation, but especially him and Melanie. She would be devastated because he’d reacted this way. I was a little worried that he did something worse when they didn’t let him come heal Mel after the car accident. We didn’t check on him then because we were on our honeymoon.

EJ was so upset he wasn’t looking at Alexander, but I was. His emotions were all over his face. He was devastated. There was a bit of self-loathing there too. What was going on? I could feel how emotional the sight of Alexander’s blood made EJ.

I linked the pack, “Stay out of the west field until further notice.” Everyone replied, “Yes, Luna.” That was weird. People around here called me that often, but now it was official. I was the Luna. I shoved that weird feeling aside for now. Haley linked me, “Link me if you need anything.” She’d know who this involved. I couldn’t imagine how hard it was for her to stay out of it.

Alexander sounded so small and broken during the conversation I had a few tears leaking out of my eyes. Rhea growled, “I don’t like this.” I gasped to her, “He’s saying Melanie’s going to New York! She decided to compete? I could swear she was leaning towards not going. She’d miss everyone too much.”

Rhea reasoned, “She’d miss him too much. She was definitely leaning towards not going.” He explained what he knew. I toldRhea, “This isn’t right. She didn’t mean that, she was just upset. We will go see her. Tonight. EJ will understand that Mel needed me. She knows we believe her.” Rhea reasoned, “I’m sure we can solve it quickly and climb EJ mountain.” I teased, “You have a one track mind.” She agreed, “Yes, so please get on it. It’s so easy.” I shook my head at her.

EJ was sending me strength because I couldn’t keep my devastation from him. Rhea was trying to cheer me up and I knew it. Everyone knew if Mel competed, she would win. What if she agreed to stay because she was so mad?

Honestly, I was mad too. This wasn’t fair. Rhea linked, “Not to mention what could she have possibly done? We talked to her until they were about to leave. She needed like fifteen minutes. What could’ve possibly happened in fifteen minutes?” It was a valid question.

The conversation took a strange and confusing turn. I linked Rhea, “Disgust? Why would he be disappointed and disgusted? I need Oden to give us a hint.” She replied, “He’s just whining in the link.” She didn’t mean complaining but a literal whine of a wolf in pain.

I felt EJ’s hurt and anger that Alexander would think that of him. Alexander then began to lay out his feelings for the past five years. To say that I was astonished would be an understatement. He thought the McAlister’s knew he liked Melanie. I knew he was wrong, but he’d gotten the thought into his head that they were protecting her, by keeping her away from him.

Rhea linked, “What utter bullshit. We need Fang to wade through all that utter nonsense. Or someone with Beta blood. My Alpha blood just wants to scream that’s completely ridiculous.” She wasn’t wrong. We might need to bring a Beta in. Maybe their cousin, Charity. She wasn’t either of their Beta’s, but she could usually calm Alexander down.

I couldn’t believe this stemmed from those possessive jerks from Two Peaks reacting to Melanie. I linked Rhea, “No one thinks Alexander would hurt someone who didn’t come against his family or pack.” She agreed, “I know that and I’m telling Oden. The whines have dwindled. I really think he needed to hear EJ say that was bullshit.” He probably did. Alexander was more in his feelings than most the Conners in general.

Rhea snickered, “He still has the hoodie.” I reasoned, “Of course he does.” She snorted, “Which does NOT still smell like Melanie. If he’d told us we could’ve gotten him another one.” That was true. We might have to do that anyway.

This was completely absurd. If anyone was concerned Drake would’ve told my dad. In turn my dad would have talked to Eric. That’s how things are done. No one was worried about Alexander hurting Melanie physically.

Jason and Tristan were worried she was going to get her heart broken, but they didn’t think that was his fault. They had NO earthly idea Alexander thought she was his mate. Rhea reasoned, “He is clearly deeply hurt that they didn’t let him heal her after the accident.”

I replied, “But that was his dad’s rule. Drake was just abiding by their wishes. He’d tried his best to get the doctor to say it was an emergency. Drake hated seeing Melanie and Sam hurt.” It hadn’t been severe, but it took Sam’s wolf some time to heal her. Melanie had our accelerated healing, but without her wolf it was a much longer process.

I added, “We heard Drake complain to my dad multiple times about the fact that it needed to be an emergency.” She said, “I don’t think Oden and Alexander care. We learned it hurts when their healing is denied.” She was right we had.

I sighed, “Well, they run the pack now. So, they could change the rule if they wanted. Right?” Rhea replied, “Maybe forthemselves, but not their siblings under eighteen.” Well, maybe I’d ask EJ about that later when everyone had calmed down.

Alexander feared he was obsessed with Melanie like all the other wolves. Rhea growled, “Oden says the same, but he’s convinced she’s theirs. This is just ridiculous. We shouldn’t have let him hold this in for five years.” She was right. The poor guy.

It hurt watching Alexander break down in EJ’s arms. I tried to make things better by using facts, but the air stayed sad. Rhea agreed, “The air does feel sad.” Alexander had Earth and Sky blood so that made sense.

I finally figured out why he’d hit Jason though. He thought Jason believed he’d hurt Mel and that hurt his feelings because they were best friends. Rhea scoffed, “Neither Jason nor Ajax think that at all. They think Mel was setting herself up for heartache. Well, Ajax doesn’t as much but she’s his sister, so he worries.” I told her, “You don’t have to convince me. Get Oden to see reason.” She replied, “I need a Beta wolf.” Probably.

Alexander barely listened to me when I tried to explain their side. He was pissed because he heard Tristan say Melanie wanted to meet her crush. EJ’s amusement flooded our bond. Rhea linked me, “Oden is raging about this crush. Can I tell him that they are jealous of themselves?”

I bit the inside of my cheek so that I wouldn’t say anything. I told her, “Let EJ tell him.” She groaned, “But it’s so funny. He’s stopped whining and is now raging ready to kill. He just doesn’t know it’s him. Honestly, we need a Beta wolf in here. Alpha’s are too blind right now.”

I shot back, “STOP trying to make me laugh during this very serious moment.” She sighed, “This is the only funny thing that’s happened in the last thirty minutes or so. Let me have it. He wants to rip himself to pieces but doesn’t know that. The threats have gotten worse about how the crush gets torn into pieces too. He’s going to convince Alexander to let him shift and bite thecrush. The plan has layers, Elise.” EJ tried to lead Alexander to the water that Melanie liked him. It did not work.

Christ in heaven. I agreed with my wolf, “You might be right about needing a Beta. Did he really not put that together with her stuffed toy wolf?” She told me, “You have no idea how proud Oden is that the wolf looks like him. Seriously, if you think Alexander looks peacock proud think of Oden in another stratosphere about it. This is golden comedy right now. Fang will be so sad he missed it. So will Ariz.” That was Dylan’s son, Finn Frost’s, wolf.

Rhea linked, “I think you need to mention Melanie has his hoodie. I feel that would bring back the puffed up Oden. I enjoyed that quite a bit.” She had a point. I teased, “Look at you being the Beta we need.” She replied, “I’m not going to help if you’re snarky. It’s kind of a compliment though.” It was.

He did NOT pick up on the hoodie hint. Rhea said, “The human did not. Oden is now purring. He’s purring. This is delightful. I know it’s a serious moment, but I am having fun. Is this what Fairies feel like? I think it could be.” EJ finally revealed who Melanie’s crush was.

The complete one hundred eighty degree turn in his mood was staggering. The air felt easier to breathe and he puffed up the more EJ talked. Rhea linked, “I’m telling Oden that Mel sleeps in his hoodie.” I snorted, “You just want him to keep purring.” She replied, “I really do. It makes me happy.” She loved him as a brother.

Alexander’s hope for the situation now had turned the night around. Rhea snorted, “He cannot be surprised Thor knew. That’s always been his thing even when he was Duke.” I asked, “Did you know him in a past life? Duke/Thor, I mean.” She hummed in reply so I guess she did.

I shrugged that off thinking one day these guys were going to stop being surprised their dad knew things. It was like his weirdsuper power. Especially when it came to them and their mom. I knew what I had to do now. The second Alexander said Melanie was leaving, it was all crystal clear.

Rhea agreed, “YES! Action! That’s what this Alpha wolf likes!” I was going to talk to her right now. I could calm her down. If she wanted to go that was one thing, but if she just wanted to go because she was angry that was an entirely different issue.

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