He asked, “You know JJ?” I replied, “Well, he didn’t shoot those Demons that surrounded him two weeks ago… Now did he?” His guard, Otto, faded in. Duke Benny asked, “Why did you help my nephew?”
I squeaked, “Why? I mean… don’t you mean thank you? Because like… I did help… helping is a thing that I do… for people… and reasons…” Otto said, “Duke Benny, she’s something.” Benny nodded agreeing, “She is.” This was going well. I could tell. Sierra still seemed nervous, but there was no reason for that.
Duke Benny asked, “Which of my cousins do you like?” Sierra said, “She doesn’t like any of your cousins.” I muttered, “He says cousins like… including them all…like literally he means….” She shot me a look.
I frowned explaining, “I mean he doesn’t say second, third, twice removed or…” She put a hand over my mouth. Duke Benny asked, “So, which one is it? Because I watch over them all. None of them have mentioned an Ashley Griffen.” That stung and I hung my head.
Sierra whispered, “They don’t know your name, Mel.” I admitted, “I was hoping they’d figured it out.” It’s why I picked the name after all. I wanted them to know I was me. People did talk about me by name. Especially after starting The Rebels. We were basically the most popular Supernatural Band in the surrounding area.
Benny apologized, “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” I whispered, “You didn’t.” I wiped tears away. He sighed, “If you’dcome home with me and meet my wife and kids, we’ll have a meal. We can figure out a way for us to help each other.”
I nodded, “I mean… I hope you’ll trust me over time… I’m young… so I know you won’t like… let me fully help… but if you would, we could totally get you home sooner… rather than later.” He shook his head and chuckled. We followed him and Otto to the portal near here the Valkyries had.
We walked though and took it all in. Sierra gasped, “Wow.” I admitted, “I have a list started of Supernatural’s I’ve met that you’d find interesting.” Otto and Duke Benny looked at me. I picked at my sleeve, “Well it’s just that King Titus… I mean former, because Bjourn…. I mean King Bjourn… is King now… and you knew who I meant.”
He agreed, “I did.” I continued, “Well, he was going to appoint you liaison for hidden Supernatural’s … which is why I know that you’d find my list interesting… because… well… yeah. By the way, I think if you told your cousin your pen name he’d read your books too.” Otto choked.
Benny asked, “My pen name?” Sierra whisper yelled, “Stop talking.” Benny laughed, “Please do not.” I pointed out, “Umm you write romantic fantasy books… under a pen name… that I found…” He snorted, “Do come inside.” He opened the door.
He called, “Mist, we have company.” I gasped, “I KNEW IT! I totally called that Si! I knew it was her and him. I said that.” She groaned. I asked, “What? I did. It makes sense. He’s a Duke and she’s related to the crown of this realm.”
Duke Benny said, “You get more interesting the longer you are here.” I reasoned, “That doesn’t make sense. I’m either interesting or not… the location is basically irrelevant.” He snorted. His mate walked into the room and their kids followed behind her.
Jeremiah Junior asked from behind us asking, “So, who is she?” I asked, “Is Duke Alastair coming too?” Sierra smackedher own head. Jeremiah Junior laughed, “I’m going to like her.” Benny replied, “She had your six the other day.”
He hummed, “You found the circle group, Uncle. Nice.” I groaned, “First, it’s the Ring Resistance. Or the Resistance for short and I cannot believe I have to explain that to people. Two, I found him… if we are being technical.” They all laughed, and we sat down. Duke Alastair did join us. Duke Benny seemed really resistant to our help, which was disappointing.
After we left Sierra bumped me. I asked, “What?” She said, “He’s not going to fully let you in.” I shrugged, “I knew that coming here. It’s just that I need to help have his back. That cover story is horrible though… like… truly bad.”
She shrugged, “I wouldn’t question it coming from my dad. Their family is good, so people are going to say anything. They haven’t all this time.” I hummed, “It seems like there is more there… I should…” She cut me off, “You can have his back and when things cross, we will help. Let him have this.”
I argued, “I could help more and…” She interrupted, “This is his family. You understand what your vengeance means.” I grumbled, “He’s not telling me everything.” She pointed out, “You don’t tell everyone everything about anything you do either.” That was true. I wouldn’t push Benny on his vengeance because I wanted my own.
More time passed. I was basically in a groove of inventing new things, never sleeping, cooking, cleaning, Underground fights, getting whipped, beaten, and working on Resistance things. Currently I could feel my friends eyes on me. They were incredulous I was actually thinking of following up on the Hunter lead.
Caine warned, “This is a bad idea.” He wasn’t exactly wrong. I reasoned, “It’s a change to bring…” He growled, “You don’t know this isn’t a trap for Red One.” I told him, “The probability is…” He cut me off, “I don’t give a damn what a computer program, and your mind, says is going on here. This is dangerous.” He was right, it was.
I whispered, “But if a member of the Knakonechny’s starts working WITH us we can bring their family back to their rightful place… and that’s…” He reasoned, “They got pushed to the background of their OWN supernatural race. THAT HUNTS US.” I argued, “But this note says Hunters weren’t meant to hunt us.”
He snorted, “They could be lying.” That was also true. I told him, “My gut says it’s true.” He growled, “No.” I winced and looked down. He was using an Alpha aura and everything in me wanted to let this go. He was a good Alpha, but I was teaching him about how things worked. Xander would meet with this person.
Ultimately, I let my friends think I let it go. Which was mean, but I had to know. Once they left, I went to the bunker, like normal. I just geared up then used a holoport Paige set up and left. I called over the coms knowing whose was on. “Bravo Twenty and Bravo Four, I need you.” They shimmered in.
Virgil grinned at me. He said, “You are never boring.” I shrugged, “I guess not.” I showed him where we were going. He grinned again, “I love this so much. To Russia.” He shimmered me in. I ordered, “Stay back here and if it goes bad, leave.”
He snorted, “There is not a single chance I’ll do that, Bravo One.” Valentina replied, “We will get out with you.” I left them behind and went to the meeting place specified in the email that had been sent to me.
I called, “I know you’re here. I can sense you.” A woman came out and I felt an instant kinship with her. She revealed herface lowering her hood. I realized, “You are Princess Anastasia Knakonechny, the youngest one in your family.”
She agreed, “I am. The Hunters have turned from us leading and our purpose.” I replied, “It had to be a very long time ago that they did that. Most supernatural’s do not know you have Royals. You mentioned you’re not meant to hunt Werewolves.” She handed me torn pages from a book.
She said, “I found a journal of my ancestor’s that had proof. I want to join you and turn our people back to our true purpose. I want to save them and those we are meant to protect. I feel it in my blood this is the right path.”
It would blow the Supernatural world’s mind that Hunters were meant to protect us. I held out my hand, “You’re in then.” I took off my hood. I introduced myself, “Many call me Ashley Griffen.” She hummed, “The voice of the forgotten.” I agreed, “Yes.” She grinned, “Well, my family agrees with me, but Slade has them scared. He’s got some type of collateral or blackmail I’m not sure.”
I growled, “He will go down.” She nodded, “Good. You hate him as I do.” I admitted, “You speak English very well.” I’d been prepared to speak Russian. She nodded, “Yes, well I spend a lot of time secluded to be kept from my purpose. So, I know many languages.” We exchanged information and I went back to Virgil and Valentina.
They shimmered me back to the bunker. Caine growled, “Goddamn it, Mel!” I reasoned, “It worked out.” He retorted, “That’s not the point!” I hummed, “It feels like the point.” He groaned, “You are IMPOSSIBLE!” I was. It had been a problem all my life.
