Phil cleared his throat and linked me, “She does really need to eat. She should be about to collapse. I’m worried if she does then I’ll have to deal with an angry you. Which I would, I’ve dealt with angry you so many times since we met her. Let me avoid it just this one time.” I growled but pulled back.
I conjured pizza. Oden grumbled, “She doesn’t need a shower. I need her in our arms.” I agreed with him. She didn’t smell bad anyway. Plus, Phil was right about her being near collapsing. We didn’t need her passing out in the shower.
Sierra and Melanie were all about the pool day idea. Phil sighed, “Ahhh back to the names of Ashley and Samantha. You’re lucky you brought me on this trip. One of your brothers would’ve slipped by now.” He was probably right.
They started talking about food. Melanie got a far off look when Sierra talked about cooking. I got a flash of Melanie in the face of Alpha Edward wagging her finger as she pointed at an Omega who was shaking and crying. It vanished from my head as quickly as it came.
I asked Oden, “What was that?” Oden answered, “A memory of hers. She was remembering an event, and she projected it to us.” I pointed out, “We didn’t hear what she was saying.” Oden agreed, “No, but I’m damn proud of mate for getting in an Alpha’s face to protect pack people.” He was right and he wasn’t alone in his pride. That took a lot of courage.
Coming from Melanie McAlister, who was raised to respect her Alpha, it took a serious level of disdain on her part. She had no loyalty to Black Path though. She’d said it in our emails, but that action proved it.
She’d have yelled at the Alpha in private if she respected him. She clearly ripped him to pieces in front of pack members from the flash I got. Which was good and bad. As a Beta blood, that would deeply hurt her soul that she felt the need to do so to an Alpha in charge of the pack.
Phil teased them that everyone would love their cooking. Oden agreed, “He is right.” I replied, “I know that. Sierra’s French toast was so light and fluffy. Something tells me Mason and Hendrick’s diner will be popular. They were the ones who taught them how to cook.”
I jolted when Phil subtly let Melanie know that we knew she’d been offered a spot in the Hackura Army. Melanie panicked so I growled at my cousin. He linked me, “Patience, Alpha grasshopper. We are still fishing.” Melanie began to rant about the pool day, and finding their swimsuit.
Phil sighed, “Abort. I’ve broken the future Luna, and you should fix her in your fun way. Also, you should stop giving me that look because your lips will be on hers.” I gave him a scathing look then leaned over to kiss her. I stared at Sierra and Melanie after our kiss broke.
They clearly linked each other. I linked Phil asking, “Could Black Path not know that she never joined their pack? She can link me without doing anything other than mating with me. Maybe she can link anyone.”
Phil snorted, “Sure. Your superpower Pokémon Luna can do all things. She’s special. If we are down that rabbit hole, Sierra is positive Melanie is a member of their pack.” I replied, “I know that, but I know that you know that I know they are WRONG.”
Phil sighed, “Her friends are who she would link. She’s probably never linked the Alpha, Beta, or Gamma. They are the only ones who would know she’s not truly a part of their pack. Everyone else might believe she is, like she does.” He was right.
I shoved that aside and took Melanie in my arms. I was annoyed with myself. I should’ve just popped to Cayden when he wanted me after “Ashley’s” accident. I could've met her sooner. I subtly glanced at my mate when her thoughts came through to me in bits and pieces.
“Talk... Cayden… figure... out... everything over….” I frowned. I didn’t know what talking to Cayden would do in her mind, nor did I know why she was so scared. She didn’t know I already knew who she was. If I was right, Cayden did too now. Oden reasoned, “She doesn’t know that.” True.
When the girls left, I held up a finger to Phil. I snapped us into our swim trunks and jumped into the pool. I let the water run down my face. Phil said, “Ok they have to be far enough away now to say what you wanted to say.”
I nodded, “They are in your room.” Phil asked, “What the hell was that about talking to Cayden and figuring everything out?” I gasped, “You got that too?” Phil shouted, “YES! I nearly jumped out of my skin. How the HELL can she accidentally link me?”
He pulled at his hair, “Good god, I am so confused! Was she some lab rat for someone? Maybe someone just had radioactive spiders bite her. Which gave her a special soldier serum while hiding her wolf? Is that what's happening? Are we in a Marvel movie??”
I admitted, “I don’t know. I thought maybe it was because we mated, but if you can hear her too then I’m wrong. I don’t know how any of this is possible. It goes back to my thought that she can link anyone. We know she’s still a member of Red Run. Drake would’ve been up in arms if she left the pack without a word about it to them.”
Phil snorted, “You're right, he definitely would’ve. T would’ve been right there with him. So would your buddy Jase. She’s either a Marvel Superhero or she’s one of Charles Xavier’s mutants. Or my original line of thinking that she’s an actual Pokémon is correct.”
I groaned, “She’s just my Melanie.” Phil snorted, “She’s your Melanie/Ashley/Red One/probably Resistance member/champion of forgotten packs/and I know you will flip a gasket since you haven’t mention it pertaining to our sniper, but she’s likely Swiffer too.” I growled, “NO!”
Phil groaned, “Alexander, she’s our sniper in the Resistance. We thought it was Ashley. If Ashley is Melanie, you need to be prepared for the fact that she's Swiffer too.” I growled, “Why the FUCK would she let people beat her? She’s a good fighter.”
Phil sighed, “Theo’s mate and Madeline told you why. For the money.” I snarled, “BULLSHIT, Phil! She could get money by just winning. Why would she LET someone beat her up to then win?” Phil admitted, “I don’t know. I’m just preparing you for things.”
I growled, “Then in that vein of thinking, and being prepared I have to warn you about something too.” He groaned, “Wonderful. Hit me.” I explained, “When we go to the Hackura realm, we have to avoid Cayden like the plague.”
Phil hummed, “Why?” I replied, “Because Uncle Bjourn came to check on me because of my emotions which means he did it for Cassie. He saw you with me.” He said, “Well, that’s a reason to avoid my cousin, Bjourn, not Cayden.”
I snorted, “I wasn’t done. Cayden called my dad to inquire about Melanie McAlister. I’m guessing he asked Uncle Bjourn what the woman I was with looked like. He’s clearly matched that description to Ashleyand he’s digging.” Phil groaned, “He could answer some questions for us though, and I wanted to talk to him.” I argued, “Questions Melanie wants to explain to me herself.”
Phil sighed, “Great. So, I just have to avoid the Commander of our Armies. RIP ME. You get to go on a mission. Me? I don’t have one, so I’ll just be casually doing my job back in our pack trying NOT to lose my mind about my mate not being there, while having NO CLUE what’s she’s doing or if she’s ok. Let’s add hiding from the Hackura Commander and anyone he could send to talk to me.”
I winced, “I am sorry about that.” Phil snorted, “It’s not as if we aren’t sneaky by nature. Nooooo, it’s not a skill of ours. It’s not as if we can’t just be in the background ready to appear and get answers. UGH! Hello paranoia, we are about to become best friends. I’m so confused, Alexander.”
He rubbed his temples and muttered, “I do know that I cannot explode people’s heads, but when I find out who has caused me to have no answers, while my mate was suffering in a pack that should've been checked a long damn time ago, I’m going to let my Hackura side go completely.”
I replied, “You and me both.” Phil smiled, “As long as we are on the same page then.” I laughed, “We are.” Phil raised an eyebrow looking past me saying, “I guess your mate is an exception to every girl we have ever met our age. Goodie. That means wonderful things for me.” Huh? Oden said, “I do not know.”
