I frowned, then turned around spotting my mate. Melanie looked beautiful, but I knew what Phil was referring to. My mate was in a long sleeve red swim top while Sierra was in a bikini. Phil linked me, “Try not to lose it.” I replied, “They hurt her. She doesn’t want me to see where she got shot. SHE WAS SHOT!”
Phil conceded, “It is looking that way. There are other options here though. She could just like long sleeves and being covered. That could be a thing. She didn't have a wolf until last week so maybe she got cold before.” I cut him off, “Werewolf partials don’t get cold, even if they don’t have a wolf.”
He continued, “Maybe she covers up because she DOESN’T have a scar and Ashley Griffen is supposed to. That’s an option and please DEAR MOON GODDESS AND AESIR LET THAT BE THE RIGHT ONE.” I pushed all those thoughts away. Mostly because he wasn't wrong, that was a valid theory.
We were back in the bubble. Phil linked, “So Sierra definitely saw your tattoo. I’d link her but you know, I can’t. Since she’s not a mutant/superhero/Pokémon like your mate and we aren’t marked so like normal people I can’t link her.” I rolled my eyes.
Pool games came up. Her playing with Tristan and Jason were fine. The thought of her with her legs wrapped around another man however set me off. ANOTHER ALPHA?! FUCK HIM! SHE WAS MINE! HE was unmated AND they fought together! Hell, they trained together. She spent a lot of time with Caine.
I slammed my lips on hers claiming them. She was mine. I really needed to mark her so I could calm down. Oden snorted, “You calm down. I will continue to have NO CHILL! That Trevor pup wants what is ours.”
I asked, “Why did you bring him up? This was about Caine Davis. Now, we are talking about Trevor fucking McCann.” He replied, “He lives in my thoughts because HE HURT MATE! I want him dead and he takes up space in my head until we have captured and SUFFERING!”
Ok fair. I told him, “Trevor would be stupid to touch her, and he WILL die at our hands. Cayden would’ve beaten him within an inch of his life after that accident. No matter what he was told about what happened. He had to have some clues. Melanie’s friends would’ve had to tell him why they wanted her protected.”
Oden grumbled, “Fine. Plus, only we can mark mate permanently anyway. No one else’s mark would stick.” I told him, “I still don’t understand that comment.” Oden shouted, “ELEVEN YEARS, ALEXANDER! Don’t worry, I won’t make you wait that long.” With that he shut our link. He was being very moody and secretive lately.
I linked Phil when he made fun of my eye color, “So if Sierra was wrapped around Caine’s shoulders, you’d be cool with it.” Phil growled in reply. I shot back, “Exactly.” Oden hummed, “Freya said Torri backs up the claim Caine feels like mate is his sister.”
I warned, “You might want to tell your counterpart, since I can’t link her human yet, that had better be true. If it’s not, Caine is in for a rude awakening.” Phil linked, “Volleyball net. Come on, snap one and kick our ass.”
I asked, “Why would you suggest this game? I’m good.” He said, “To calm you the hell down. That’s why.” I noticed that while I could stand in the water, Melanie couldn’t. I inhaled deeply, calming down as her scent surrounded me.
I knew Melanie would catch on fast because Jason and Tristan said she caught onto everything quickly. Oden purred, “She’s great.” Honestly, she picked up easier than I thought she would. She could have easily been on the high school team in Red Run if she’d wanted to be. We killed Phil and Sierra.
Phil linked, “Ok, next time I’ll listen to my mate. Melanie is freakishly good at stuff. It’s the mutant/superhero/Pokémon gene. I’m convinced.” I hoisted Melanie onto my shoulders knowing we were going to kill my brothers at games together. That would give them fits. She’d destroy people in the Hackura Games too.
We made it the hot tub where Sierra mentioned being on Melanie’s team next time. Nope. She was my mate; therefore, she was my teammate. Always. Sierra’s comment had Phil asking subtle questions about winning and I knew why.
We’d heard that Swiffer never lost fights. Oden growled over the answer. Phil linked, “Do not panic.” Fuck that. I wanted to rage at the world. I took a deep breath and decided those thoughts were going in the box. That was going into the damn box of shit we were NOT talking about until I got read into the whole thing. After my mission, and outside of our bubble.
Melanie seemed locked up. I wasn’t getting flashes of words or pictures, so I was completely blind. Oden linked, “Freya is talking to her. It will be ok.” I questioned, “What will be?” Oden admitted, “I don’t know. I just know Freya is talking to her.”
I pulled her over to me and wrapped my arms around her. I heard Melanie in my head talking to Freya. It was more confusing than enlightening. My mate still called Tristan, T but she wasn’t saying Jase. She was calling him by his given name, Jason.
Jason said she only did that when she was mad at him. She didn’t seem mad though, but why would she give up on one nickname and not the other? Their conversation had me wondering about her shift. Shit. Would she really?
Oden linked, “She will.” I asked, “When?” He replied, “I don’t know but I do know she will eventually. She’s just got to get stronger.” I asked, “Any idea on the timeline of that? A month? A year?”
Oden sighed, “I honestly don’t know and neither does Freya. We just know that she will shift.”
Great. More unknowns. I was beginning to hate them more than Phil did. When we got out of the hot tub, I snapped us into dry clothes. We ended up watching a movie. I carried Melanie upstairs to our room afterwards.
When she linked me again, we discussed that she’d been doing that. I still thought maybe we could because we’d mated. I had no reasons for her being able to link Phil, but that wasn’t about us. I wished I’d gotten more insight on the things I had questions about. Sadly, I got nothing like that. I wanted to be done talking about it, because I didn’t have answers.
It wasn’t hard to convince her not to talk anymore. I hoped it would be just as easy to convince her to actually talk after my mission. We slid into each other. God, she was addictive. I gave her a hickey on her marking spot.
I definitely wanted to do more, but I left it at that. When we both came, I smelled blood. I looked at her lips and couldn't help but smile. I quickly healed her and told her that her canines elongated. Something inside me settled, knowing she did truly want to mark me.
Also, that meant Freya was getting stronger. Melanie got really emotional about her teeth elongating. I would imagine that after thinking she didn’t have a wolf, it really was a moving event. Hopefully, I could make her shift painless with my healing light. Oden snorted at me. I wasn’t even going to bother asking what his deal was. He wouldn’t tell me. Oden linked, “Correct you are.”
I asked her where we were meeting to have our conversation. Oden preened, “She gave us her real address. Mate trusts us even if she’s scared.” I would be lying if I said that didn’t make me happy. I’d have to have Micah look into the building when I got back. Since they were friends, he might already have the details I wanted.
I committed the address to memory. I noted it was in Nashville but just barely. Her trusting me felt like a warm blanket I wrapped myself up in. I’d keep her safe and avenge everything that had happened to her. Those who’d hurt her would know a pain they couldn’t possibly comprehend.
Phil linked me, “Sierra did in fact see both your and Melanie’s tattoos.” I replied, “Then Melanie saw hers.” Phil snorted, “Melanie showed it to Sierra. There’s more to this conversation, but Sierra is being tight lipped about it. She said she’s not sure what happened, but Melanie had some crazy dream.”
I asked, “Did you tell her in our family we listen to any type of dreams?” Phil sighed, “I did but alas, that has gotten me nowhere. She is deep in thought over these things. I’m off to convince her to think about sexy things.” I chuckled, “Best of luck, cousin.”
