I’d tried to get Odette to stop taking the tablets, but she’d shut down about it. I guessed that she’d tried that before, but she wouldn’t talk about it. I couldn’t get it out of her what happened. I just needed more time with her. Time I no longer had, because Morgana just up and disappeared with her.
Morgana always changed their names. I had to hope that Odette went to Black Mountain or one of their allies. I’d given her all the city names the good packs were in. I’d told her to try to convince Morgana to try them out.
I nearly screamed and smashed things. I ran The Resistance for goodness sake, and I couldn’t find my friend! Odette looked up to me, and I was letting her down. I was trying to run down patterns of names Morgana chose for them.
I knew living in Nashville Odette was called Adair Vertend. Odette didn’t tell me any of her other fake names though before moving here. Or who the hell they were hiding from. Gosh darn Morgana’s timing! I just wanted to help Odette.
She needed someone to look out for her. She had a mother… in a way. She was alone in this world though. I knew what that felt like. I knew how much it hurt. My mom was dead, but I didn’t get ferreted away in the middle of the freaking night because I made some friends.
At least the gun I’d given her was gone. Hopefully, she still had that to protect herself. Plus, I had the knowledge she could defend herself now. She was really good. I looked up at the sky, glaring. This was yet another failure on the part of Selene.
She was supposed be the Moon Goddess, but she was more like the moon’s joke. At this point I was convinced Selene didn’t know her head from her behind. She had to be the most worthless goddess of all time. The Resistance shouldn't exist because the RING shouldn’t exist.
Selene turned her back on me when I was fourteen, but she’d turned her back on the people I helped long ago. When I’d arrived… I had NO clue how sheltered I was. I thought packs were like my home pack and the allies.
Now I knew…. when the Alpha is bad… it can all go south. People around here paid with Omegas lives for protection from Hunters. Instead of hunting them their DANG selves like ranked wolves were supposed to do, Black Path sent in wolf less and teenagers under the age of sixteen to help Hunters.
I still honestly couldn’t believe they didn’t know we hadn’t been helping since I got here. I was a suspect several times, but I’d passed their tests. All because they wouldn’t ever ask me directly. I was certain they thought there was no way I could outsmart them. My mind flashed back to the day I got the call about Jason. My heart had stopped.
Flashback
My phone rang. I frowned seeing who was calling. It was JC. JC was a wolf less pack member in Black Path like me. He’d never expected to get a wolf though… so he wasn’t exactly like me in that aspect. He was with one of the other pack members who hadn’t turned sixteen yet.
I answered, “JC, are you ok?” JC sighed, “I think you’ll be mad if we don’t tell you this.” I questioned, “Tell me what?” JC sighed, “Your brother infiltrated a Hunting ring while you were being hunted by the pack then punished for winning.” My breath caught in my throat.
I shouted, “HOW THE ACTUAL HELL DID WE NOT KNOW THAT?!” JC sighed, “You know how. You were being hunted by the pack and they kept it pretty close to the vest. He was doing great, but Dante showed up instead of Nate. He knew him.”
I scoffed, “How could he be doing great?! They knew he was a freaking Werewolf the whole time. Where is my brother?” JC evaded, “He’s in bad shape. I don’t think he’s going to make it.” I couldn’t breathe.
Valentina came up beside me asking, “Mel, what’s wrong?” I demanded, “JC, you tell me where my brother is RIGHT NOW AND YOU MAKE SURE HE DOESN’T DIE BEFORE I GET THERE!” Valentina’s jaw dropped.
JC begrudgingly told me, “We are in that building on the outskirts of Nashville. I don’t know if you can save him this time, Mel. They worked him over good.” I warned, “You’d best get on YOUR KNEES and PRAY I can save him.”
A sob bubbled up, “He can’t die… so…. I can save him! You should’ve texted me the SECOND Dante made him!” Valentina said, “Sierra just got you out of the hole after you were being hunted by the pack. When was he going to tell you?” I replied, “He could’ve told someone!” She made a face that said I was right.
This was fixable… I could fix my brother. I had Xander’s number memorized. He’d come get Jason, and I’d deal with the fallout. He’d save my brother. They were best friends. This was fine. Everything was absolutely fine.
I hung up the phone then looked at Valentina. I told her, “I need to get to the Hunter building Dante prefers in Nashville. I’m honestly shocked this isn’t being done at his headquarters. Get me there and then get the hell out of there. Let everyone in the Resistance know what’s going on. I’ll do what I have to do to save Jason. That might mean I might not come back.”
Valentina’s eyes filled with tears, “Mel….” I shrugged, “If I have to... I’m calling Xander. If he rejects me… he’ll still save Jason. I just…” I cut off as a sob reached my throat at the thought of my Xander rejecting me. Valentina rubbed my back.
She told me, “You know I understand why you have to save Beta Jason, but you’re not old enough to be rejected officially. He could change his mind even if he says something hateful and stupid today.” I knew she understood why I had to save my brother.
Valentina and Virgil had an older brother. One who knew what had happened to them. He’d tried to help them, but in the end… it came down to his children or them. He’d told them he’d tried to get them taken to the nicest place he could. They still kept tabs on him and his family through me now.
That was the reason they understood more than any of my friends why I couldn’t just give up on my brother. These last few years... sucked, but there were fourteen years when Jason was the best big brother with Tristan. No matter what… he was my brother. That meant something to me, even if being his half-sister meant nothing to him.
Valentina grabbed my hand, then shimmered us outside the building. I could smell the blood from where I stood. I wouldn't have needed anyone to tell me it was Jason’s. I knew that scent like the back of my hand.
I promptly threw up my lunch. What had they done to him? Valentina rubbed my back, “It’s ok.” I told her, “Get out of here. Warn everyone. I don’t know what will happen to me after this.” Valentina had tears in her eyes.
She told me, “Let me know if you need me to take Beta Jason home. If they dare put you in a dungeon then we will get you out.” My gut clenched.
Ever since my sixteenth birthday… and what followed… I couldn't be in enclosed dark spaces. It wasn’t great before mybirthday, but after… I’d have a panic attack. Maybe that would fade… one day…. It hadn’t happened that long ago… it felt like a lifetime since everything changed though, and I didn’t shift.
I could do a lot of other things… but dark enclosed spaces? I panicked. I shook myself and told her, “I’ll survive. It’s what I do.” Valentina rubbed my arm saying, “I know you believe your Xander is your mate. He can’t allow that to happen you if he is.”
“Even if, and I don’t think he would reject you especially when he officially can’t, you’re not eighteen. Causing you pain would hurt him.” She was hopefully right.
