I watched Karina put the cookies down for everyone inside. When she stepped back outside, I grabbed her. I smiled greeting, “Hi. It’s Karina, right?” Rain chuckled, “You know it is.” I instructed, “Talk to her wolf.” Rain said, “Her wolf is very quiet and shy.” Huh? With another wolf? I ate another cookie then nearly laughed at my suspicious ass. I was being silly, that made sense.
She nodded, “Yes, Alpha Cassie.” I smiled telling her, “Just call me Cassie. How long have you been dating Robert from Red Run?” She smiled answering, “Oh, that’s an easy question to answer. Since last year. We met at Luna Elise’s ceremony and neither of us have met our mate. I really like him.” I asked, “Do you?”
She nodded, “He’s a Warrior but he doesn’t mind watching me in the kitchen. He said that he loves watching me work. I usually fix lunch for him while he waits.” He watched her make food but Gia’s spy couldn’t keep track of him? What the hell?
I nodded, “Alright. You’re happy with him though?” She nodded, “He was honest with me. He told me that he used to like Luna Elise, but once she turned eighteen, he understood she wasn’t his.” I’d made her tell me the truth. The question was could Robert be telling the truth? Since he should’ve understood that her entire life. EJ announced she was his, which meant Robert knew LONG before Elise’s eighteenth birthday. I nodded, “Alright. Let me know if you need anything. Ok, Karina?” She nodded and bounced off.
EJ waited for her to get out of ear shot then said, “He might have told her that, but it’s a lie.” I replied, “Time will tell. He can’t date her forever since they aren’t mates. Eventually he will stop coming around here.” Alexander snorted, “He stays out of our brother’s way, and he doesn’t even really approach Elise.” EJ nodded, “And he’d better keep it that way.”
I told my oldest brother, “Elise is yours. She’s your Luna and no one can take that from you.” Alexander muttered, “Because they let you meet her.” We both looked over at him. EJ said, “Hey, don’t worry. You’ll meet Mel…” Alexander frowned interrupting, “She’s living her dream. How can I get in the way of that? I don’t even know if she’s mine.”
I rolled my eyes, “That’s bullshit Alexander. Her scent tells you she’s yours.” Alexander shrugged, “People are possessive of her though.” I got in his face, “You are not people. You are Alpha Alexander Conners. You are a Squadron Leader of the Hackura Army. You are an Alpha and an Enforcer of this pack. Your instincts tell you she’s yours. The other people claim they WANT to make her theirs. There’s a difference.” Alexander sighed and walked off towards the gym.
I groaned, “How do we make him see that? There is a difference.” EJ replied, “I think you’re right, but he’s afraid he’s obsessed with her just like everyone else. I don’t think our logic will reach him. We won’t know until they meet.”
I snorted, “Which will be when? When she graduates high school? Maybe? Meanwhile our brother torments himself with this ‘am I possessive Alpha’ bullshit, and it IS bullshit EJ. Of course he’s possessive. He’s an Alpha, but no one will convince me she isn’t his.”
EJ nodded, “Most of the time I’m right there with you.” I retorted, “You should be there all the time. Melanie McAlister is our brothers. Which means she belongs here with him and us. Where she will be loved. Not in some pack in New York that doesn’t care about her like we would. She’s one of the Luna’s here. They won’t watch out for her like we will.”
EJ growled, “They’d better. If anything happens to Melanie McAlister, then they will know my wrath. Not just for Elise and Alexander, but for Ladybug herself. I really like her. She’s a very nice and smart pup.” I grinned saying, “Jason said she’s pretty.”
EJ nodded, “She is. Elise has always been jealous of Melanie’s hair. I don’t see why because her hair is perfect.” I laughed, “It’s not about the color. Hair has different thickness and texture, big brother. What am I saying? You won’t understand.” Rain snickered, “Brutus is asking what the hell you’re saying right now.” It made me laugh and EJ joined me.
We walked back inside together. My dad frowned asking, “Where’s Alexander?” EJ tilted his head, “I’ll give you three guesses dad but if you need more than one, you’re slipping in your old age.” My dad rolled his eyes and walked out of the house.
I walked over to TJ and hugged him. “I’m so happy for you.” TJ boasted, “I’ll be just like EJ with Elise. I’ll protect my mate, always.” I smiled, “I know you will.” I snagged another cookie then hugged my mom. I asked, “Do you want one?” She wrinkled her nose, “Nope. I’m good.” I giggled and winked at her.
I told her, “I’ll see you at my tournament.” My mom smiled, “Yes you will. I made posters to cheer you on.” I startled, “You what?” My mom nodded, “I saw those when you guys were in high school. I can make a fucking poster. Gia and Tory helped.” I hugged her, “That’s…” I trailed off then said, “Of course you can make a poster. You can do anything. See you later, Mom.” I waved to the room, “Later family!”
I linked Tory, “You helped my mom make a poster?” She snorted, “Gia bought her glitter glue.” Oh my god. I linked Gia, “GLITTER GLUE?” She cackled, “It was honestly my best moment. I can’t believe she didn’t know about glitter glue. I changed her life taking her to Hobby Lobby.” Aesir above.
I popped back to the Hackura realm where it was already night time. I snapped my shoes off and walked along the beach by the castle. It was calming to me as it was to my mom. I sat down on the sand and closed my eyes.
I smelt someone coming, but I wasn’t worried since I knew that scent. It was my grandpa. He sat down beside me. He chuckled, “You know, I used to find your mom out here a lot. What’s on your mind, Cass?” I replied, “So many things.”
My grandpa nudged me asking, “What’s one?” I shrugged, “Melanie McAlister.” I rubbed my head because it hurt to say her name. My grandpa nodded, “I feel that is a popular topic for my grandchildren to think about. Levi gets quite upset about it.”
I raised my brows, “He does? I mean I’m not upset, not really. Why is Levi?” My grandpa explained, “He insists something is weird about the whole situation.” I inquired, “And what did you find when you checked it out?” My grandpa shrugged, “Nothing odd, which makes me wonder why my grandchildren sense something else. I sent someone to make sure she was ok. Your father already had someone there watching her.”
I raised an eyebrow, “Does he?” My grandpa laughed, “Of course he does.” I sighed, “Somedays, I think I should tell mom. She’d know what to do and she’d be sneaky about it. Then I remember Melanie is living her dream. Our pack is all about following your dreams. It would be hypocritical to try and stop Melanie from living hers.” Frandpa nodded, “I’d be lying if I said the entire thing didn’t give me pause. From what I can find though, everything is as it should be.” We sat in silence after that declaration.
Eventually I asked, “Why does it give you pause?” Grandpa answered, “Because several of my grandchildren are affected by this. Levi is adamant it’s weird. I told my children, and I tell all of you grandkids, to trust your instincts. Levi will keep monitoring the situation, but I don’t know if he will find anything. Hopefully, he’s just off about this.”
I muttered, “What’s off is that she never met any of us. Levi and EJ met her by chance.” Grandpa smiled, “I know Alexander thinks that is because of him. To be fair, his logic makes sense.” I gasped, “How can you say that? He would never hurt her.”
He agreed, “I know he wouldn’t. No one in my line would. If you were an outsider though, it tracks. Warriors in neighboring packs, and her own, want her. I think a normal person would fear our unmated family members. Where others cannot take her, we could. You kids can go to any realm you wish.” Rain huffed, “We wouldn’t though. They have to know that.” I would hope they did.
He continued, “Two realms would protect you. I’m not saying they are right, but I’m saying I understand why Alexander feels they are keeping her from him intentionally. On the one hand if they are I understand the fear. Terrible things happened to my daughter while I was a realm away. That was different though, and there will never be a day I don’t regret it.”
I consoled him, “That wasn’t your fault.” My grandpa disagreed, “I was the Hackura King and Protector of the Realms. When I had that crown on my head, my daughter was tortured and raped. Who else would you blame?” I snorted, “Fabian.”
My grandfather’s eyes blazed, “I do blame him. My point is that people react strangely out of fear. While I might understand the logic, if they’ve intentionally kept them apart, they will know what it means to hurt my grandchildren.” That sounded ominous. Rain replied, “Because it definitely is.”
He waved his hand, “Right now all we have is supposition and conjecture. If there is proof they have hurt Alexander in this way, I will not be kind.” I went to bat for my friends. “Jase is a good man. So are Dalton and Dakota. Peter Kyle is great, even dad thinks so and he’s not easy to impress.”
My grandpa sighed. I added, “That’s what doesn’t make sense. I know Jase. He’d be happy if his little sister was mated to Alexander. They are friends and he’d never think that Alexander would hurt Melanie. So much doesn’t make sense.” I rubbed my head.
My grandpa frowned asking, “Cass?” I shrugged, “A light headache.” My grandpa asked, “What else is on your mind?” I accepted the subject change. “Cayden and my tournament.” My grandpa smiled, “Cayden will make it back. Your tournament will go well. I’ve seen you training with your uncles. You will be amazing.” I winked saying, “I changed the outfit.” My grandpa laughed, “I’d be worried about you if you didn’t.”
