Tristan said, “I could tell you if I didn’t want to say I know you’re lying.” I grumbled, “I’m evading... which is different.” Tristan hummed, “Jared missed you a lot.” I winced hearing his name because I’d missed Jared too.
I whispered, “His letters really hurt me too.” Because he acted like I was just an annoying pup he barely knew when we were close. Everly growled, “Those fucking assholes! Who else did they send letters from? Wait, what did you and I talk on the phone about, Melanie?”
Pain literally choked me, and a sob bubbled out. Tristan shouted, “Ladybug, take deep breaths!” I managed a half of one. Dalton linked me, “Breathe, right now.” He’d used an Alpha Command. It didn’t work but hearing his voice in my head helped.
I asked Dalton, “How did you know?” He replied, “T linked me.” I whispered, “I’m totally ok… everything is fine.” Dalton snorted, “Ladybug, you are literally getting worse at lying.” I gasped, “I am not.” He said, “You are but it’s ok. Just keep talking to T.” I planned to.
I admitted to Everly and my brother, “We talked about Kai. Edward told me you had a pup… and I called Jason to see if I could meet Kai… and… several people called about how I’d ruined everything surrounding his birth… and that I’d never know him… it was a really dark day for me… because I just wanted Jason to be proud of me… but he was so mad.”
Everly growled, “If that fucking pretender bitch knew that, I will kill her.” I muttered, “Not to defend her or anything, but I doubt it. The fake me seems pretty self-involved. I doubt she had anything to do with the calls.”
Everly said, “Well, I punched her because she introduced herself to T.” I considered it then said, “I’m sure she did. My family kept calling… they weren’t giving up on me…. and she was trying to cut them all out… she wanted them in her life… not just my fake one.”
Tristan sighed, “Yeah, well she’s a bitch. She could’ve told me about what happened to you.” I needed to look into her. He continued, “It’s just going to take time for us to all move past this. Thanks to the Fairies sharing their light, we have a lot of that to give.”
Two pops sounded next to me. I jumped up and saw Xander’s Aunt and Uncle. The Queen and King of Faerie. I told Tristan, “I have to go. I’ll see you at Jason and Addison’s mating ceremony.” Tristan whispered, “Please Ladybug, don’t go. We just started talking again and I missed you.”
I admitted, “I really missed you too… so much… sometimes I thought I saw you… I actually ran after a guy more than once…but he obviously wasn’t you… but I was saying that I had to go because the King and Queen of Faerie just popped in.”
Tristan said, “Oh, ok. I thought you just didn’t want to talk anymore. You go talk to Aiden and Lucinda. Just know you can call me anytime Ladybug. I’ll answer.” I wiped more tears and admitted, “I know that… one…you’re a Beta so you answer your phone… two… you all would answer if I called. Even Grandpa Ben and I’m certain he wants to yell at me.”
He argued, “He’s not going to yell at you.” I replied, “Then he’s yelling at someone.” But I wasn’t going to call him because he might keep the pretense with the group he didn’t remember me saving him, but something in his eyes told me he did. On the phone, he might just say something. Then again… I was probably off about it. Grandpa Ben and Alpha Nick would say something if they remembered. The whole group wanted to know about the Resistance.
I told my brother, “You can call me too, you know?” Tristan let out a light chuckle, “I didn’t know that, but I’ll keep it in mind now that I have your number.” I said, “Talk to you later, big brother.” Tristan choked but eventually said, “Talk to you later, little sister.” I hung up.
King Aiden smiled at me greeting, “Before you call us King Aiden and Queen Lucinda, let me just say please call us Aiden and Lucinda.” I replied, “Ok… I could do that. Would you like a muffin?” Lucinda conjured one to her hands saying, “Do I ever. My nephews and nieces have been talking about these muffins.” The Fairy Queen took a bite and moaned.
Lucinda ordered, “Oh my goddess. Aiden, try a muffin. Right now.” Aiden smirked and conjured one to him. He took a bite then announced, “These are fabulous. I do hope they will be at all my sister’s realm’s holiday parties that we are told we must attend.”
I laughed, “I’ve heard her parties are next level… I always wanted to go… but… yeah… I didn’t… which you know...” Lucinda smiled, “They are quite something. She is a great party planner.” Aiden said, “Speaking of parties, we have one to get you and my nephew to.”
I gasped, “A party IN FAERIE? And you want me there?” Aiden answered, “You are required to be there, yes.” I squealed, “Me?! Oh my gosh… ummm slight problem… I don’t have anything to wear. You guys are formal about everything.”
Aiden’s lips twitched as he replied, “We are. I heard you studied all things Fairy as a child and teenager.” I blushed as Lucinda snapped me into a beautiful red dress. I knew my eyes widened and both of them watched as I touched the material covering my back. Thankfully, it had some.
Lucinda said, “Aiden found out your favorite color is red. That information is still accurate, right?” The Fairy Queen snapped and a full length mirror appeared so I could see the dress. Tears filled my eyes as I stared at my reflection. I whispered, “It’s accurate… the information I mean… this dress is beautiful.”
I turned around to confirm it completely covered my back. I didn’t want to ask Lucinda how she knew I wanted that. I really wanted to live in denial that anyone knew about my back. The thought lurked in the back of my mind that if Lucinda knew, then everyone did. She hadn’t even around me before now.
I ran my hands over my new dress. Aiden cleared his throat, “Well, I’ll go wait for my nephew.” He walked out of the kitchen. Lucinda smiled saying, “You MUST give me this recipe for these muffins.” I nodded, “Sure. If you want.” Which didn’t make sense, she didn’t cook and I knew that… but I couldn’t exactly say that.
Lucinda chuckled, “You’re right, I cannot cook.” Darn talking out loud when not meaning to. She continued, “There are Fairies here who do. We usually conjure what we want, but I think it would be a fun challenge to see if they could make these muffins as well as you do.”
I flushed, “I’m sure they could.” Lucinda laughed, “I don’t think so. There’s something about you.” I frowned asking, “What do you mean?” Lucinda answered, “I myself have a rare talent among Fairies. I can sense others’ powers.” I knew that.
The Fairy Queen continued, “I always knew Haley herself was powerful. I never believed her father was human because of what I felt from her. I thought the power I felt from her was due to her non Fairy side. I say all that to point out that I have been around many wolves at this point and know that you have powers they do not.”
My eyes widened, because… I mean…. That was true. I could give myself a weird tattoo… plus the whole silver and wolfsbane don't affect me thing. As I was thinking of how to reply, Lucinda simply smiled. She told me, “You are special.”
I snorted, “My wolf says that too…. I say freak.” Lucinda frowned, “You shouldn’t. That is a term unwise people use. You are quite intelligent. Though I imagine that word was said to you often in that awful pack. People here called Haley that. They were small minded people unable to see the big picture.”
“Just because someone is misunderstood, or can do something one does not understand, that does not make them a freak. Not in the slightest. People with a lack of vision and understanding use such terms for another person. They put people down to feel better about themselves.”
“Or because they are dealing with something they do not understand. You, Melanie McAlister, should not think so poorly of yourself because others with self-esteem problems put you down. You will be a Luna, and Duchess of Two races. You are not a freak, my dear.”
“In fact, I’d argue that no one is. Those who wish to say otherwise, well, they lack imagination and should probably examine why they feel the need to say such things. The unknown may be scary, but it is also exciting.”
“That does not mean you discount something because you are scared, or you have a lack of knowledge about it. I find that you cannot escape it. People like to say wisdom comes with age, but it depends on doesn’t it.”
