I groaned, “She’s the key to everything and I hate that for her. She has so many answers locked inside that head of hers.” My dad chuckled, “She does. Which is why I say the Ring fucked themselves taking her. Melanie is telling you pieces of it because she trusts and loves you. We will eventually get all those pieces. She’s dealing with quite a lot at the moment. How do you feel about not being able to mark her?”
I growled, “Fucking horrible. She cries about it, and I fucking hate it. Melanie is mine and random fucking bastards keep saying it’s not official until she has a mark on her neck. I want to fly into a murderous rage remembering that asshole's words.”
My dad shrugged, “I’m impressed you didn't because to be honest. I’d have killed him. You boys often prove you have that patience of your mother’s in you. EJ most often, but you do as well. I am proud of you, Alexander. I am proud of the man and mate you are being.”
I asked him, “How do I live with this? How do I live with ignoring my instincts which led to her continued suffering?” My dad said, “You accept there were factors out of your control. You fought against the spell as much as you could.” I snorted.
Dad insisted, “You did. You even reached out to Melanie as Ashley. You knew how much that meant to Ashley at the time, and now that we know she’s Melanie it makes more sense. You are who she’s done all these things for, andyoureached out to her. On the sniper phone and to Ashley. You did what you could with magic holding you back.”
“I know you felt things for Ashley, and you felt bad about it. It was all because she was Melanie. I hate that magic did this to you both, but all we can do is move forward more prepared for this situation should it ever arise again. We make sure Melanie has the life she deserves.”
“We keep her safe. We help her with her causes because, goddess almighty, she does have a lot. I’ve got a lab coat waiting for her at the scientific experiment center your mother had conjured after we discovered Laxenread. I hope your mate wants to go there one day.”
I snorted, “I’m surprised she’s stayed away.” My dad shrugged, “She’s got a lot going on. Again, this is just my advice; but if I were you, I’d watch her about this whole Addison and Jason mating ceremony. That’s a lot of emotions. She thought she wasn’t invited to Jason’s, but now she knows she just missed T’s,and they thought she skipped it. When, in truth, she wanted to be present for that more than anything.”
Dad advised, “If Melanie can’t go, you let her know that’s ok. KJ will be here with her. If she tries and then can’t go, that’s ok too. If she does go and makes it through the entire thing, my advice would be to get her out of there as soon as you can.”
He added, “That’s colored with my past with your mom though. I just think too much too fast could break her. Or push Melanie’s mental psyche into a place we don’t want. I could be wrong and totally off base with that though, so just keep an eye on her.” I replied, “That I can do.”
My dad asked, “Have you read the letters she has from her family?” I shook my head, “No, they are still in her backpack in my room.” My dad shook his head saying, “The shit that has to be in those things. I can’t honestly imagine. I can’t imagine the devastation a teenager would feel from losing their family, only to be shunned by the remaining family they had left.”
He sighed, “Real or not that’s a horrible thing to do to a pup. Which makes what the Ring did worse. They kept her isolated. I’d just bet my fortune they did something to Drake so he kept her isolated in Red Run. That way they were the only ones who knew her face. They built Red Run and her family at her core. She had no one else.”
“Then Elise moves here because she’s mated to EJ and because of whatever was going on with Drake, they didn’t see each other as often. Then she loses everything she considered home and family in one night where she herself is injured. That’s just a whole other layer of evil.” I didn’t disagree.
My dad admitted, “Sometimes, I think I’ve seen the worst of the Ring. Then they go and add psychological warfare on pups. It shouldn't surprise me they have these depths of depravity. The things they did to your mother were barbaric. I should be immune to their depravity, but they reach out and get me sometimes. I am very sorry you are going through this, son. I truly didn’t want that for you.”
I replied, “I know. You had KJ on Melanie to make sure she was safe.” My dad sighed, “Yes, well fat lot of good it did. He also feels guilty because she acted nothing like the file, I gave him other than being busy all the time.”
I told him, “It matters to me that you put him there and I’m sure it matters to Melanie. You and KJ tried.” My dad nodded, “I wish it had different results.” I snorted, “Me too.” My dad ordered, “Snap us whiskey.” I did as he said. Dad drained his and stared off into the distance.
His voice broke the silence after several moments, “I think you will be in the Ribbon like your mother and I are.” I spit out my drink sputtering, “What?” My dad nodded, “Not that the Fairy Goddess is worth shit. Hell, at this point maybe Selene’s not either. Allowing a wolf to be suppressed is an epic failure. I just think you and Melanie have things you can fix.”
Dad admitted, “I only want you to be prepared should you find yourself in a different reality. Out of all my mated pups it makes the most sense that you would go in. As much as I wish that wasn’t true, it is.” I sighed, “EJ and Elise could fix things for Melanie if they went in.”
My dad acknowledged, “Any of them could, but they did not suffer. You two did. Like I said, I just want you to be prepared. I don’t know where you’ll go, and that terrifies me on a level I wish it didn’t. I hate that your mother goes into bad places. I don’t know with you being the one that is pulled if you’ll go to yourself or to Melanie.”
I frowned asking, “Why would that scare you? I can handle being in the Ribbon.” My dad sighed, “I have wreaked havoc in some Ribbons I’ve been to. There are times I’m taken to myself, and others where I’m taken to your mom.”
“I’ve slaughtered my fair share of Faerie in a few realities. It’s tougher to see it firsthand. Knowing what was done to your mother and seeing it are vastly different things. I know you can handle yourself, just remember to bring that version of our family with you.”
I replied, “If I can, you know I will. They will feel me there and I can pull them to me. Probably EJ and Cassie the strongest. Maybe even myself, which would be weird.” My dad laughed, “Now that would be some shit. Pulling you to yourself.” I smiled.
Fowler linked me after we had a few more glasses of whiskey, “The Muffin Luna and her friends are on their way home. The Muffin Luna was the savior of the trip. She found THE dress. Future Luna Avery clued us in on the conundrum that was finding THE dress.”
He growled adding, “It’s sadly not your normal bride finding her mating dress story, Alpha. Edward, I refuse to call him Alpha, burned Addison’s mother’s dress because he found out his daughter was playing with it. Apparently dreaming of her mating ceremony to her mate was a serious offense.”
I snorted, “I don’t call him Alpha either so that’s fair enough. Besides, it would be former anyway. Alpha Caine took over Black Path.” Fowler replied, “Yup. I’m team Muffin Luna. That guy doesn’t deserve the title. I don’t have a mate or pups, but I’d never hurt mine that way.” I said, “Agreed.”
I told my dad, “The women are coming back.” My dad said, “Your mom is going to join me out here. Go to Melanie.” I smiled and we both stood. I hugged my dad, “Thanks, dad.” He hugged me tightly, “Anytime, son. I love you.” I replied, “I love you too, dad.” I popped away so I was waiting outside when the women arrived.
Melanie looked so happy. Oden purred, “Mate is happy.” I commented, “You’ve been quiet.” He said, “I was talking to Thor.” Good to know. I noted all the women actually looked happy. I linked Dalton, “Why are you inside?” Dalton snorted, “Jase has been banned from leaving the house until Addison’s dress is back safely in our territory. My mate has banned me too because I’m on team groom.”
I laughed, “You’re joking.” Dalton snorted, “Not even a little bit. Apparently, we have teams and team groom is the enemy because we could blabber about the dress. Paige is so fucking adorable, man. She says shit like blabber.”
I snorted, “The dress is in a garment bag, but to be fair the garment bag is clear. It’s a pretty dress.” Dalton demanded, “Say no more words about said dress. I don’t want to know.” I snorted, “I have no other words about it. It’s a pretty dress. I’m sure if Cassie popped out here, she could describe it in detail.” Dalton laughed, “Fair enough.”
I popped behind Melanie and we teased each other while I inhaled her scent. God, I’d missed her. Once the Red Run group left, I went to find EJ. I found him in his office. I questioned, “When is our dinner about Cass? I thought it was tonight.”
