I gave Julianna the next dose so she could get through the shields, which would feel like her power on steroids. I heard the stampede coming up the stairs and got ready to fight.
Caine linked, “Tell me you didn’t.” I replied, “Busy.” He growled, “MELANIE JANE!” It was odd that it was nice to hear. It sounded like my brothers being mad at me for something. Caine and Dax were my family by choice now though, so I guess my brother WAS mad at me.
I pushed Julianna and Everly down and took great delight in kicking over Dante’s desk. He loathed disorganization. He had everything on his desk ‘just so’ and knowing it would ruin his whole day made it all better. I began to fire at everyone coming through the door.
Everly asked, “What the hell is going on? Was this the plan? Where’s your backup?” Was she for real? I didn’t get to plan this! I was busy being kept away from my computer healing from the request from her mate to punish me.
Which I knew Jason thought would be bad patrols and dish duty but STIILL. I grumbled, “Well… my plan is better than yours now, isn’t it? I didn’t have a lot of time to come up with a plan. I had to come save both of you… with their last minute… I think we talked about their timing already.”
I waved saying, “You know what? Save people in your phone with code names… that’s annoying but you should do it for me… I feel like that’s something you owe me. They texted people from your phone because you put their first AND LAST NAME in it. Don’t do that… please… No. Actually, no please just don’t do it.” My watch blinked a code sixty-sixty. Dante had called in more backup.
I handed Everly a card with the coordinates to Laxenread. I ordered Julianna, “Pop her out now!” I shoved Julianna and Everly away from me and turned to shoot. Julianna popped. Sierra linked, “ILYX is giving fifty percent on you beingcaptured. I will not be alone in kicking your ass if you get captured.” I replied, “Ask ILYX what the probability is with the new window replacements.”
She shouted, “YOU ARE GOING TO JUMP OUT THE WINDOW?!” I reasoned, “There’s a lake below the window.” She shouted, “Are you serious?! God, you are. ILYX gives you eighty percent on escaping with the window data. It’s also a ninety percent chance of injury.”
She paused then added, “No, one hundred with your injuries already.” I snorted, “There is nothing that has a one hundred percent probability.” She growled back. I greeted, “Hi Tori.” Tori, Sierra’s wolf, growled, “You need to get back here unharmed.” I reasoned, “That’s the plan.” I still had to make Alpha Peter and Beta Jason proud. They didn’t know what I’d done yet with the Female Lead Warrior position.
I was taking down a massive chunk of Dante’s most loyal followers. I didn’t feel bad about that. They knew the true Hunter purpose. They were hiding it from those they recruited. So, they totally deserve to get shot… that had logic to it.
I switched to my knife that Charles had gifted to me. I still didn’t feel bad about taking them out. Some of these people had decided to come after Xander and his mom. Someone shouted outside, “Dante, stop worrying about the car and get back in here.” Aww poor baby… his car was ruined.
Dante filled the doorway looking enraged. He was going to burst a blood vessel or have an aneurysm. That would be a little funny. He told me, “You are outmanned and outgunned. Surrender or die.” I would be killed if I surrendered eventually. The allies weren’t going to come for me. Beta Jason would convince them not to.
I replied laughing, “Not a chance… to both. No to the dying… and definitely no on surrendering... that’s a lot of no…” Dante cut me off, “You came alone. That was foolish and arrogant. Nowwe finally have one circle group member in our grasp. I kept telling people you’d fuck up. Your little blue circles and your line drawing days are over.” Seriously? The circle group. IT WAS A RING!
Sierra linked, “DO NOT RANT ABOUT THE NAME!” I asked, “Are you in the cameras?” She snorted, “Yes, ILYX gave them to us.” Well, I kind of wanted to rant about the name. Caine ordered, “Evade your ass off right now. He doesn’t need to know you’re alone.” I could evade.
I asked, “Who said I came alone?” Exactly like I thought they would, they turned to door ready to take the people coming at them from behind. Except no one was coming. Mason and Hendrick would be outside. Mason on his motorcycle and Hendrick behind a scope.
I threw the gun at the window, shattering it just like Anastasia and I planned. I took off running. Dante and his men sputtered. “STOP!” Uh huh. Ok. Why would I listen to them? I jumped. I flipped midair so I was ready to dive into the water. Please be deep. Please be deep. Hitting the water felt like hitting lead. I felt several of my ribs crack, but at least the water was deep. I hit my ankle on the bottom and nearly screamed in pain.
I swam the length of the lake. My lungs screamed for air, but I’d trained with Tristan on outdoor tactics. I could hold my breath for a long time. I nearly inhaled but I swore I saw Tristan waving to me. I could reach him. He was right there. I swam harder, but just as I reached him he disappeared. Because he was never there Melanie. He’s dead.
I surfaced drawing in air I desperately needed. Dax linked, “SWIM!” I shook myself and followed his instruction. I got out and took off running. Pain radiated from my ankle. It might actually be broken. The Hunters were running after me. Which was insane. I was faster than they were.
They started firing tranquilizers at me. Well, the joke was on them. That wasn’t going to do anything to me. Something that had been proven over and over. Most missed me, but one landed. Addison linked, “Did that do anything? Are you ok?” I replied, “You know I’m fine.”
Mason linked, “On your six.” I heard the revving of a motorcycle. He came charging towards me. Hendrick linked, “I’m on BOTH your sixes. Get to Mason.” I changed direction and ran for Mason with everything I had left.
He held his elbow out and we locked both of ours and I swung up behind him. My ribs screamed in protest when he quickly executed a turn to get us out of there. Hendrick shouted, “Get in the front of Mason. They are shooting!” His return fire was coming but I flipped around Mason and began to cover his shots, so they didn’t suspect a sniper.
Mason drove through our holoport and Hendrick jumped through after him. Mason ripped off his helmet. He yelled, “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!” I replied, “That I couldn’t just… sit there and let something like this happen… and it didn’t make sense. Julianna should’ve been the target… but it was Everly and…”
Hendrick sighed, “God damn, kid. You can’t do stuff like this. Especially right now.” It wasn’t the first time I had, and likely would not be the last. We went back and found the group. Caine growled, “We decided not to interfere!”
I disagreed, “No… you did. I did not. Definitely not me…” Dax raised an eyebrow looking at me. It made my skin itch to go against Caine, but I was right. It was the right call. ILYX announced, “Black Mountain and their allies have entered the building you wanted, Melanie Jane. They read the note.”
I sighed in relief. They had Laxenread now. They would be ok. Caine said, “Let’s listen to the group vote next time. Ok?”I shrugged because I was absolutely not going to do that. ILYX told me, “Micah is calling.” Oh gosh… did he know?
I answered, “Uh hi.” He chuckled, “Hello. I have a request.” I asked, “What is it?” He chuckled, “My sister in law wants your email. The one I have, not your lead Warrior one. Congratulations on that, by the way. Are you doing ok?”
I sighed, “That seems like a veiled way to ask about how I’m dealing with not having a wolf… and probably like you’d imagine… or worse and no on the email. Wait. Which sister in law? Actually just no. No is good answer.” He ignored me, “Elise.”
I shrieked, “ELISE WANTS TO TALK TO ME?!” Addison grabbed the phone ordering, “Ashley, calm down.” I whispered, “She wants to talk to me… well… .no probably not…. no… because no. Right? Like… Elise though.”
Micah said, “So, it’s still a yes on Elise being the one who wants your email. The personal one. Actually, Former Beta Dylan Frost is literally begging and pleading with me to give it to him too.” I said, “He emailed me… not on my personal email though.”
Micah hummed, “Well, Elise, Eric, and Dylan want it.” Caine covered my mouth when I screamed. Micah said, “I still heard that whoever muffled it.” I replied, “Umm no. So…no… but maybe… no. Former Beta Dylan Frost… I mean…. ok. I’m curious… umm Alpha Eric could get it anyway and…. umm sure… but Elise… no… but then….”
