Caine suddenly stiffened. Great. That’s just what we needed, someone to find their mate. I could tell it was Judy Miller coming to join us. I was not ok with the standoff that followed. I didn’t care about their bullshit right now. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. I needed to claim the fuck out of my mate and then kill shit. This is what I needed.
Melanie touching Caine was about to send me straight into the killing mood portion. EJ linked me, “She’s just trying to calm her friend down.” I snarled, “I don’t care.” Cassie was inching forward, but TJ was making no moves to come over here and calm me down. Because he knew it was a lost cause. They should note the EMPATH was correct.
What stopped me was the pain Melanie felt when Ted said she was new around here. Red Run looked like they were in physical pain. I could tell Ted regretted it the second the words left his mouth. Judy even winced. Cayden had to vouch for Caine.
Dylan whispered, “We need to get the Moody Triplet a Zen garden and some Xanax. Go to your happy place Moody Triplet. I shall expedite the shipping on your Zen garden. Your dad can reimburse me for that, don't you worry.” I glared at Dylan. I’d gladly pop Melanie out of here and go to my happy place.
My dad linked, “You’re going to hate this, but we do need to talk with us and Red Run before things go down with you two in our territory.” I closed my eyes wondering where everyone thought this strength I did not possess existed in me.
Dylan might actually have to get that Zen garden. I warned my dad, “Not a long one. I don’t have much left in me.” My dad agreed, “Ok.” I grabbed Melanie as Caine and Judy ran towards each other. Paige ran outside and was filled in.
I linked EJ, “I find it unsettling Paige IMMEDIATELY knew who dove IN FRONT OF A BULLET. This is not a one off. Six times, EJ. SIX.” EJ sighed, “Yup. I heard all that, and I’m not liking any of it. You’re angry, I’m angry. Elise is angry and devastated. Our siblings aren’t happy. I don’t have a SINGLE good emotion in my connections.” I couldn’t even check right now.
Thankfully, none of my siblings were hurt because I’d feel that; however, my anger was all consuming right now. I jolted and glanced at my Gamma and Beta. I linked, “SHE MADE THE BULLET PROOF VESTS WE BOUGHT?! That I JUST said I was giving money to?!”
Gage replied, “We vetted that company to the teeth. Melanie’s aliases are beyond solid and withstand our scrutiny.” Motherfucker. Could I get ONE break with my mate?! Dylan linked, “You were talking about throwing money at your own mate’s company. That’s adorable. Do we hate the actor CEO? Maybe he should get a light headache.” I ground out, “He’s doing his job.” Dylan saluted me while I rolled my eyes.
Emmett changed the subject to things I already knew my mate had no idea she was even doing. Oden said, “She really doesn’t know. Freya didn’t tell her.” I locked eyes with Cayden and linked him, “Melanie has no idea that she can see through charms.” Cayden replied, “It doesn’t sound like it, no.”
EJ linked me, “Oh great. She doesn’t know she’s doing it. She just thinks everyone around her is crazy. Perfect.” I noticed Sierra, Valentina, Paige, and Avery all shoot each other a glance which meant we were right. Melanie obviously told them Cassie was at that buy, and they’d called her crazy because they saw the charm, not Cassie.
Caine and Emmett sniped at each other. Eventually, Freya came out and told Emmett to drop it. EJ raised an eyebrow along with the rest of my family. Emmett was annoyed that her wolf knew, and she wasn’t going to tell us.
I linked him, “Watch it, Emmett. My mate has been through a lot.” Emmett reasoned, “I’m willing to ask questions you guys aren’t.” I didn’t care because I wasn’t going to let this go too far. Melanie truly didn’t understand or know how she could do things.
EJ linked me, “Why do I feel like there are things we don’t know about that Melanie can do?” I snorted, “Because there obviously is. Look at her group of friends.” Dax and Addison were tense. Sierra was looking up at the sky to avoid any looks thrown her way. Avery’s face was buried in Dakota’s chest. Meanwhile, Caine was staring at Judy like she was the only woman in the entire world.
The literal only person staring people down was Paige. Her eyes held knowledge, but the anger for her friend was stronger. My mom linked me, “Let Melanie handle this with Emmett. I can literally see you about to interject, but your mate can fucking handle this.”
Melanie snarked at Emmett not backing down from his Alpha stare. My dad and Uncles were clearly impressed by her. In fact, Uncle Aiden looked positively gleeful the longer her speech went on. Gage linked, “Damn it. Did Emmett really have to point out these people came for her? We knew that already.” Phil snorted, “Emmett hates us now, Gage. I’ve been so nice to him, and he hates us.”
I didn’t know if my muscles would ever relax at this point. I nearly fell over when Melanie pointed out no one should’ve known she was in Yellow Hills. EJ grimaced and linked me, “That’s true. Only us and Yellow Hills knew they were having a practice. I didn’t even tell the pack. Our family didn’t leak it so Yellow Hills did.” I’d put that together already.
My mom couldn’t stop laughing. I was glaring at Emmett, but he wasn’t looking at me. When he did, he was taken aback. Gage linked, “Emmett isn’t actually wrong here.” I replied, “I didn’t say he was. I’m saying he doesn’t need to treat my Luna like a suspect. She isn’t one and she helped him.” Gage agreed, “Yes, and he knows that.” Well, Emmett could act like it then.
Tristan snorted, “Cayden is right. You’ll know when she lies.” I broke my stare with Emmett to gape at him. I linked EJ, “He did not just say that after they believed all that ‘she’s crossing the pack border’ shit.” EJ winced replying, “To be fair, T believed her when she said she didn’t do it.” Fuck cookies and fuck everyone with all their logic.
Emmett admitted his wolf told him to let it go. Good. All the wolves were in on the secret and keeping it that way. That somehow segued into my mate’s watch. Oden grumbled, “Everyone is so mean to us and we never cockblocked ANY of them like this.” My wolf was right.
EJ linked, “Ok, we have some answers. It’s a remote, but a remote that does what?” I answered, “You know what I know.” Melanie’s confusion made her adorable. Everyone was trying not to laugh. Oden snorted, “I could guess who mate was tracking.”
I’d bet the wolves in Elise’s Luna bracelet were trackers. That’s how she’d found her in Nashville. My dad had a guess. I linked, “It’s the obvious ones, plus Elise. Right?” My dad snorted, “Oh, I think it’s more than those people son.” Who else? Melanie was rambling about people being able to track her too.
I linked Micah, “I need you to figure out how to hack into Melanie’s.” Micah winced saying, “I can try, but she’s an incredibly good coder. I tried to get to Jason’s from what I got from Cayden’s and it’s intense. My dad and I can work on it.” I urged, “Do that.” I wanted to know where my mate was and if she was missing.
Caine and Judy took off together. Emmett was giving Tristan crap. I linked EJ, “I’m on T’s side here. He told us all she was a genius. You, me, and dad believed him.” EJ snorted, “True. I want to know what Melanie has for Emmett.” I didn’t know or currently care.
Emmett couldn’t have looked more interested in Melanie and her watch if he’d tried. Emma and Alexandria showed up. I couldn’t take this conversation anymore. Emmett linked me, “Sorry, man. This is a lot for today.” It was too much for a year.
Rena popped in and it turned out she was Dax’s mate. They promptly took off together. I was now jealous of Black Path’s new leadership. BLACK PATH?! GOD what is my life coming to? I don’t think I couldhandle seeing ONE MORE person find their mate that they could claim when Melanie and I were stuck in limbo. Oden growled, “Do something about it.”
What was I supposed to do? They could mark their mates AND take off. I linked Phil, “I’m jealous of BLACK PATH’S ALPHA AND BETA. This was just...” I trailed off then said, “No. No more. I’m done.” Phil replied, “This is longer than I thought you’d stay.”
I popped us to the main room. I managed to explain in clipped words we were having a meeting. A really fucking fast one. Melanie turned red out of nowhere. I linked Oden, “What was that?” Oden snickered, “Freya is teasing her about sexy punishments from us.” Good. I planned to spank her.
Everyone was talking around me. I could admit they are good questions, I just didn’t care about the answers at this exact moment. Tristan’s questions very valid, but I actually could not give a damn. Oden agreed, “We are missing out on claiming her for this? She is our Luna.” He was right.
Plus, she did have Beta blood. I linked my dad, “They need to get off the marking topic or we are out of here.” Dad replied, “That’s fair.” I knew that. Somehow that brought us to her speed. I linked Oden, “Faster? She’ll get faster.”
