Alexander felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest as Melanie fell apart. I couldn’t do anything but hold her. I’d thought she’d passed out, but she woke right back up. She was sobbing and trying to speak.
What came out was, “You’ll hate me. You’ll hate me….and it hurts. I don’t want to see it anymore. I hate this.” Fury and confusion battled within me. Phil linked, “Alexander.” I replied interrupting him, “WHAT?” Phil winced but said nothing else.
When Melanie finally passed out for real this time, I looked at Sierra demanding, “Start talking. NOW.” Sierra winced, “It’s about the bigger explanation she wants to give. It doesn’t go in the bubble. That’s what she said to tell you.”
I growled, “You have GOT to be kidding me. She JUST said she thinks I’ll hate her. I would not now, nor could I EVER hate her.” Sierra leveled me with a looked replying, “Yes, well we both know...” She paused and seemed to debate herself.
Finally she said, “No, all three of us know she’s wrong. You already know the big thing she wants to tell you, but you’re just pretending you don’t for her. You’re only doing it because she asked, but you knew when you saw us and I know it.” She stared at me for a reaction. I inclined my head, indicating I did in fact know my mate’s name was Melanie McAlister.
Sierra sighed, “She doesn’t see it, but I do. She’s insanely smart but not so people smart sometimes. Especially when it involves things about her. You don’t care what her actual name is, right? You’ve known the whole time, and you haven’t cared for a single second.” Phil’s eyes widened and I couldn’t help but notice Sierra was still being careful not to say Melanie’s real name.
So, I guess we were still weren’t outright saying her name in our little group here. I nodded answering, “I have known the entire time who she is. I knew from the moment I smelled her in that building.” Sierra sighed in relief, “And you don’t care?”
Phil frowned chiming in, “This conversation makes no sense. Why would he care about her real name?” Sierra answered carefully, “She was told you did.” Phil gasped, “Oh good god. I’m going to need you to take that back quickly.”
I roared, “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!” Sierra flinched then explained, “When she turned sixteen, she was told you didn't want her. That you’d reject her if she was your mate. She’s always been so adamant it was you. She told us all you were her mate and hearing you would reject her shattered her heart. Possibly her very soul.” Oden snarled viciously in my head.
I clutched Melanie to me and roared, “SHE IS MINE! MINE! WHO DARED TO TELL HER THAT?! TELL ME!” Phil got in my face demanding, “Calm down.” I snarled at him. Oden argued, “There is no calming down. Mate is OURS.” I was in total agreement on that statement.
Rocket came forward, “Oden, you can’t shift.” Oden took over, “I’m not going to shift. I’m going to go exploding heads mad on people. SHE IS OURS! MINE AND ALEXANDER’S! THEY TOLD MY MATE I DIDN’T WANT HER AND IT’S NOT TRUE! MY HUMAN AND I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED HER!”
Rocket said, “I know that and so does my human. I’m sure you’ve told Freya that.” Oden growled, “No one who had anything to do with this gets to live.” Rocket agreed, “Of course they don’t. We can have them tortured for years for what they’ve done.” Oden let me come back and Rocket did the same.
I growled demanding answers from Sierra, “Tell me who is dying.” Sierra sighed, “I can’t tell you who told her. That’s something she needs to talk to you about. I knew it was bullshit! We ALL did! The rumors about your mom told me it wasn’t true. She’d definitely kick your ass if you rejected your mate over something stupid. There’s no way you’d promise to reject Ash specifically.”
I nearly snarled, “Tell me who said it, and they die tonight.” Phil argued, “Not tonight. Tonight, you have to make sure Shley is ok. Plus, they should die so slowly. I have plans about how slowly they will die. If I get my way it will take decades. The fucking pricks. Poor Shley.” If I heard that name ONE more time I’d lose it.
I shot back, “That’s not her fucking name! Her name is MELANIE!” Sierra clapped, “I KNEW IT! I knew you knew!” I kept going, “And calling them pricks doesn’t cut it. They told MY mate I didn’t want her after she didn’t shift. She’s a BETA’S daughter! That had to devastate her, then they used ME against her. ME! I WILL FUCKING DESTORY THEM!”
Phil sighed, “Ok, going back to my mate’s comment; yes, we are aware she’s Melanie McAlister. Alexander knew when he scented her in the building.” He turned to me, “You’re not wrong. All of that is utter bullshit.” I growled, “I know.”
He said, “I’m not done. I know it seriously messed Melanie up not to get a wolf because I’m a Beta blood. I can’t imagine the pain she went through then hearing that about you is cruel and sadistic. Those people deserve hell and beyond for that.” I agreed.
Phil put a hand on my shoulder saying, “But right now is not about the vengeance we will get. You’re doing this whole pretending not to know who she is FOR Melanie. She wants to be in the bubble and ultimately her feelings are what matter to you.” Oden was raging in my head. I needed to kill someone.
I snarled, “Her feelings have been what mattered to me this ENTIRE TIME! I thought I was letting her live her dream and I was wrong!” Sierra asked, “Uhh what?!” I snorted, “Are we sharing stories?” She winced, “No. Fair enough. It was a weird comment though.” I scoffed, “You’re one to talk.”
Melanie snuggled into my chest, and I looked down at her. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, knowing I needed to keep it together for her. I asked Sierra, “Why did she get drunk? Why was she crying?” Sierra winced, “It’s about the date.” Oden growled, “What?!”
I looked up at Phil who turned his phone around. I stared at the date showing, it was one I knew well. It was the night Melanie left to go dance at her competition. The one she supposedly won. I locked eyes with Phil knowing he knew that too.
I linked him, “Did she even make it to the dance competition? Was she taken by the Supernatural Council when they landed in New York? Did they force her to do this? How would they even know about the fact that I thought Melanie was mine?”
Phil replied, “I mean they couldn’t have known. They did probably know that Melanie owns a stuffed wolf that looks like Oden. Sierra knew she always thought you were her mate. Maybe they took Melanie and that Tiffany chick at the airport. Tiffany was her friend. She probably knew that Melanie said you were hers. Maybe they asked Tiffany and she mentioned it, not knowing it would be a big deal. She was just a pup.”
I ground out, “They will die for this. Melanie didn’t want to meet with me this whole time because she thought I’d reject her.” Phil agreed, “Yup. I got that. Very dead people, so very dead. Truthfully, they deserve it. Using mates against someone as a scare tactic is fucking gross and I’m really appalled by it.”
Sierra asked, “Are you guys going to talk out loud again?” I growled, not at her just in anger at the situation. Oden assured me, “I told Tori, her wolf, that.” Good. Phil chose to oblige his mate which wasn’t surprising.
Out loud he questioned, “What’s a Beta cousin to do? A sobbing hysterical mate trumps rational reasoning every damn time. Really, I’m in a lose lose situation. So, I’m embracing all the killing that’s going to happen. Whoever did this, they hurt Melanie intentionally. We can’t stand for that.”
Sierra fanned herself, “Gosh, you guys are so different. You really feel that way about Mel? You want vengeance for her? Because that’s what it sounds like and you did use that word earlier.” Phil answered, “Yes, she’s the Luna for my pack and my cousins mate.”
He paused then added, “Even if she wasn’t, I would. To use a rejection as a scare tactic for a sixteen year old, who didn’t think she had a wolf, is a really fucking shitty thing to do. She probably thought a rejection would kill her.” I snarled.
Sierra looked between us admitting, “She did think that. There’s a whole table and data she tried to collect about it because she didn’t think it was fair to make her Xander wait to move on with his life.” I declared, “SHE IS MY LIFE!”
Sierra’s eyes filled with tears. Phil asked, “Babe?” Sierra wiped at her tears as they fell. She said, “He means that. He has Fairy blood so he can’t lie. Which I only know because she came into my life and educated me on other Supernaturals.” How the HELL did Black Path not teach their pups about other Supernatural’s? They needed to know basic things for any interactions they could have.
