It made me feel like a fraud because he didn’t know me. All the cute things I’d planned over the years of what I’d say to him….flew out of my head. I simply said hi. HI?! After YEARSof planning our first meeting….I went with hi? Open up the heavens and take me now.
Sierra linked, “That’s so not on the list of the things you planned to say to him.” I replied, “Please kill me here and now…Did I really just SQUEAK hi?!” She answered, “Yes, but he finds it adorable. Let’s consider it a win you’re not ranting nervously. This is such progress for you and I’m so proud of you right now.” I wasn’t!
When he called me Ashley Freya and I growled. I didn’t like another girl's name coming out of his mouth. I linked Freya, “DANG, FREYA! Be cool! We are Ashley…too….so…he means us.” Freya growled, “No. WE are Freya and MELANIE!” I reasoned, “He doesn’t know that.” Freya disagreed, “I wouldn’t be so sure.” I was sure.
He’d freak out if he knew I was Melanie McAlister. No one knew Ashley Griffen was Melanie McAlister outside of Black Path. He would leave and reject me. Freya snarled, “No, he wouldn’t.” I replied, “Just be glad he clearly has a picture from far away…obviously in full dance makeup mode to give to those model like girls he sleeps with.”
She snarled, “I will rip all their lying heads off.” I replied, “That’s hardly …well…they….liars?” She scoffed, “He has no chosen mate. So, clearly they lied.” I offered, “Or it fell through… not that I found any paperwork….about them staying in the Luna suites…and I looked.” She growled, “Liars.” Maybe.
I linked Sierra, “You heard him say Lovebug, right?” She answered, “Yes, and it’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever heard.” It really was. My eyes filled with tears. Because the endearment matched with what people called me for fourteen years. I used to be Ladybug.
My heart clenched at the loss of my family, but it wasn’t as bad with Xander here. Phil was talking, but I couldn’t hear him. My own thoughts and being lost in the fact that Xander reallywas here with me. We were together. I couldn’t stop myself from touching his face…it was hardly my fault…. He was so beautiful. I was in his arms. This was real. I had a wolf….maybe…..maybe this could work out.
Xander conjured our things and mine to his room. Holy crap. Freya purred, “Good.” Sierra linked me, “Hey, this is a good thing. You can finally live out those fantasies we’ve caught you masturbating to. Except this time Xander will be there.”
I gasped, “SHUT UP! You guys were the ones who said I need an orgasm. Then you just waltz into my room...without knocking!” Sierra snickered, “You did need one.” Yet they barged in…that was on them. Freya agreed, “It was. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Masturbating is perfectly normal.”
Sierra linked, “Your Xander brings up a good question. Are you ok? This is a big deal.” That was an incredibly complicated question. I had never been better….or more confused in my entire life. If I had a wolf….was everything for nothing? Every scar…..everything I’d let myself endure….No I still deserved that. My family was dead.
Freya whispered, “You didn’t deserve any of that. That should never have happened.” Xander took my hand, and I lost my train of thought. We walked outside. We were really out of the country. We were in a mansion in Switzerland.
I had this mansion and schematics plugged into ILYX in case anything happened here but I never thought I’d see it in person. I couldn't stop talking about it until Xander wrapped his arms around me and complimented me. No one called me beautiful anymore…Lux Bartlett did compliment me…but it was flirting…that probably still counted. Most men and boys just said they’d possess me.
Compliments outside my friends? Nope…those didn’t happen. Well, Lux did…he was a flirt though and he was kindabout it. I couldn’t stop myself from melting into my mate which had Freya purring in my head.
I stuck my tongue out at Sierra when she commented on how Xander stopped my rant. Xander popped away with me when the alarm sounded. He would probably freak out if I put in his code…right? That would probably turn into a whole thing.
Freya snorted, “Yes, let’s not admit we can turn of the alarm at all the Connor’s homes.” Fine…that was reasonable. That seemed like a later revelation to let them in on. He quickly put in a code. His muscles were distracting.
Freya linked, “He offered to give you a tour.” I replied, “I know the schematics of this house. So, I know where all the rooms are.” She snorted, “Just go on the tour.” Ok…but I already knew where all the rooms were.
He called me his Lovebug and warmth filled me. Freya purred, “Let’s go throw him down in the next room we get to. He’s so sexy.” He was very sexy. I replied, “I’m pretty sure if we threw him down he could roll... and pin us…throw is…the wrong word…we could tackle him.” She hummed, “Fine. Tackling is also fine.”
That didn’t seem like the right move either. She groaned, “I don’t mean as a fighting move.” I replied, “How else does one tackle people? We aren’t playing football…well.. American football…we are in Europe and they call soccer football…and you can’t tackle people in…”
She cut me off, “You are funny.” It was good she thought that. I asked her, “How many humans have you had before me?” Freya answered, “None. You are my first. I’ve been around though for a long time because I have been waiting for the perfect human.” I apologized “I’m sorry you got me then.”
Freya snorted, “Nonsense! You’re perfect and none of this was your fault. I’m proud of you. You are so smart! You’ve invented things for Xander to be safer. You’ve started theResistance and you’ve started taking the Ring down. Now with mate and his family we can dismantle them.”
I questioned, “You’re proud of me?” Freya answered, “Yes, and mate will be proud too. Your parents would be too. No one is going to be proud of letting yourself get beaten to a pulp but hey you can’t win them all. No one has a perfect record in life.”
For the first time, I felt embarrassed of my actions. Maybe Xander wouldn’t find out about that. Freya snorted, “Optimism. I like it. It feels like the first moment you’ve had it since I came to you.” I rolled my eyes at her while thinking she might be right. She should know my life doesn’t go anywhere near happy things happening in my life.
My approach to everything was the glass is half full and someone was about to drink it. It was a better way for me to view life. Xander said he had a mission he needed to leave for, but I already knew that. Freya snorted, “Yeah, maybe we wait on the whole knowing his every second and move.”
I replied, “He makes last minute decisions…that I have to catch up on….but this is a mission…of course I know about that. It was planned…that’s obvious.” She snorted.
I was happy that we had two weeks here though. Two whole weeks. Maybe it could just be us for two weeks before everything came crashing down. That’s more than I thought I’d ever get with him. I lived my life up until now on fantasy’s. I could literally go my entire life with two weeks’ worth of actual Xander.
Freya told me, “It will be a lifetime of memories.” She really was optimistic. That was probably good since I wasn’t anymore. Xander took me to the library and off handedly mentioned he’d read theThoroughbredseries. I physically jolted because I hadn’t read it since I left, but it was still my favorite.
It was a silly notion but I felt the book series let me down when no one in Red Run clicked onto my name as Ashley Griffen. Freya surmised, “Mate knows who we really are.” Ireasoned, “Jason probably didn’t tell him I read that book series. He doesn’t know….he just might know that Ashley Griffen….isn’t my real name…or it’s just a general comment.” Which flustered me a little bit.
She replied, “Keep in mind, I know the answer to this question. What’s the probability he thinks the name and the name you gave for Sierra is a coincidence?” I admitted, “Less than one percent…but that doesn’t mean he knows I’m Melanie. He doesn’t. Because the probability he would react with anger is over ninety-nine percent.”
She hummed, “Those are based on things your brother, old Alpha, current pack, and family members said. Not our mate.” That was true…but it was still the probability. Xander walked over and caged me in his arms.
I’d imagine he’d gotten many people into this position who didn’t feel safe…except the model like blondes he liked…and had been with. Freya snarled, “Don’t think about them right now.” Easy for her to say…I wasn’t blonde…but he was attracted to me…so that was something.
