Flashback
Grandma Esther stood behind me. She chuckled, “You look where you want to hit. Line the bead up and squeeze the trigger.” I took the shot and felt the recoil. I admitted, “That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”
She winked at me, “You’re a natural shot, Melanie Jane. Possibly the best of all my pups and grandpups. Let’s keep that as our secret.” I beamed at her. I asked, “Won’t daddy know?” She replied, “He will easily figure it out. Your Uncle Duncan already knows SINCE HE IS SPYING!”
Uncle Duncan laughed and came into view. He came over and hugged Grandma Esther. He greeted, “Hey, momma.” He hugged me, “Hello, sure shot.” I grinned, “Hi, Uncle Duncan. Can you shoot?” He winked and took the gun.
He shot all the cans Grandma Esther had set up. I clapped, “You’re so good!” He winked, “There’s a reason I got out and do things for the pack.” Grandma Esther snorted, “Yes, because you are a daredevil and you have been since you were two.” I laughed while they bickered and set up more cans.
I came back and lined up just like Grandma Esther showed me and hit every single can just like Uncle Duncan. I turned to face them and they both gaped at me. I asked, “What?” Uncle Duncan laughed, “You’re a regular Annie Oakley.” I blushed and they both laughed.
Flashback Ends
I shoved all those memories back because I needed to protect Xander’s family right now. I didn’t need to remember how much my Grandma Esther used to love me. It was now all replaced with hate for getting her son, daughter in law, and grandpup killed. I did that. My hands shook.
ILYX commented, “You’ll need to move quickly, Melanie Jane.” It pulled me out of those thoughts. I put on my Resistancemask and left. I clicked onto the coms. I called, “Bravo Twenty, I need you.” Virgil shimmered to me.
I projected the location we needed to be at on my watch. He shimmered me in and I quickly took up my spot on the nearby rock. I quickly fired in succession. Jeremiah Junior used the fact I was on his side to get the hell out.
He’d been fighting and he was impressive. Benny would’ve trained him. I drew our circle once everyone after Jeremiah Junior was dead and he was long gone. Virgil shimmered us out and back to our home base.
He hummed, “That was a Cambridge but not one in your file.” I grumbled, “I need more files. They have secrets… and secret family members. That’s going to be so unhelpful! I need to have all the information to protect them and…” He chuckled, “I look forward to the new files.”
Paige showed up hours later. She tapped my shoulder, “You told me to come to work on our project about making something for the women and men whose mate’s cheat.” I grumbled, “Well, the cheater uses a Witches spell, so they don’t feel pain and I just thought… it’s not really fair the mate who did nothing feels all the pain.”
We got to work and within hours had come with how to combat it. I tapped my chin, “We need a way to get it to them that they won’t suspect. I’d say vitamins but they’d throw that away… everything down here is just…”
Paige jumped in, “Wrong. I know. We need something they won’t want but something they won’t throw away.” I hummed, “Caine just got here… so he might have an idea.” Caine snorted, “You are so hyper aware it’s maddening. Do them in Sweethearts form. It’s the candy pups and women are allowed.”
I grumbled, “Allowed. I hate that word….” He added, “And the men don’t eat them because of the name.” I sighed, “Toxic masculinity at its finest and…” Paige jumped in, “But it works forour purposes.” I agreed, “It does.” She got to work on that, and I went back to figuring out how to contact Duke Benny.
Between my chores, monitoring the Ring via the Resistance, and the Undergrounds it took me two weeks to figure out where in Arizona was the likely spot for Queen Veronica and Duke Benny’s drop. She clearly had one and he frequented it the most.
I’d found out a lot in those two weeks though. I knew practically everything about Duke Benny, his brother Duke Alastair the partial Hackura Selkie, their kids, and Jeremiah Junior.
I was also pretty sure I’d nailed down that Duke Benny’s mate was a Valkyrie. I was pretty sure I knew who it was too. I had met one before. I’d actually met several Supernatural’s that, as a whole, had been thought to have died out.
It helped that he was looking into a coven the Resistance was also investigating. It was how I’d backtracked the hack to the Valkyrie. Which led me to believe that’s what his mate was. Because I could easily see a Hackura and a Valkyrie together. It just made sense because once upon those realms were quite close.
So now I was in that spot waiting. I began to get nervous. I was pretty sure this was Queen Veronica’s drop with Benny. He came here the most, so I was going to find him. Hopefully. When I felt a Hackura here I nearly cheered. Sierra shot me a look.
I called, “Umm Duke Benny? So… hi… I…” He faded in a few feet from me. I said, “Gosh, well umm… hi.” He asked, “How do you know me?” I said, “Well, so… from your uncle’s…well and your cousins files… for reasons…. and things.”
He questioned, “And you are?” Sierra came up by my side saying, “She’s Ashley Griffen.” He snorted, “Is that name supposed to mean something to me?” I admitted, “Probably not, since your mate is a Valkyrie, so you don’t know about the forgotten packs… I just… well… I thought I could help you…”
He asked, “How could you help me? And how did you find me?” I gasped “Find you? What….? You were here and we were here….” He cut me off, “Jesus, kid. You’re a terrible liar. Do you mean me or anyone in my family harm?” I shouted, “What? No! Why would you ask…?” He cut me off, “I believe you.” Well, that was helpful.
I said, “Well, you’re looking into a coven… that I am also… ok I plan to kill them…. all… which sounds bad…. but I was just wondering why you were looking…. at them.” He ignored that question, “How do you know I am?”
I shrugged, “Knowing things is kind of what I do… I’m just confused on why you don’t go home.” He stared at me, but I wasn’t backing down. It’s one thing to have a long mission but this was beyond all reason. He’d never been home since he left from what I found.
He answered, “I’m on a special mission.” Obviously. I nodded, “I mean… I did kind of figure that was the reason. Since no member of the Royal family would stay out so long…. I think it has to be about your family.” He questioned, “What would a Werewolf know about my family?”
I answered, “Well it’s clearly a cover up. I feel like you’re out here trying to find the right people… but it’s been forever and…” Sierra elbowed me. I asked, “What?” She whisper yelled, “You can’t insult the Hackura.” I knew that.
I replied, “I didn’t… I stated a fact… several… well, some of it is supposition… but it makes sense.” Duke Benny commented, “I believe she’s referring to the fact that you said it’s been forever since my family died and I haven’t avenged them.”
I clapped and pointed at Sierra, “I totally told you that was his mission! The probability…” I stalled when I felt another Hackura. I asked, “Is the person with you your guard, Duke Alastair, JJ, or one of your kids?” Sierra grabbed my arm when his eyes blazed.
