I popped Melanie back into the office. Elise spoke first, “I have a few questions, Mel.” Melanie replied, “Ok. I’m betting you have more than a few… but ok.” A few people snickered. Elise replied, “I’m just curious about if there are others we need to be worried about for your friends?”
“Specifically do we need to worry about people showing up who have tried to mark them? I don’t want them to be uncomfortable here and our Warriors would never let anyone on the pack grounds if they’d committed that crime.”
Dalton snarled, “Who is the fucking Warlock who was going to mark my mate?!” Melanie grabbed a piece of paper, wrote on it, and slid it to Dalton. He looked up with wide eyes. Dalton growled, “He lives an hour from here.”
Melanie nodded, “He does now…maybe someone made that happen thinking eventually he’d piss of the Bishop’s. He’ll be easy for you to get a hold of since… he’s kind of paralyzed.” Dylan laughed, “So that’s your move then? You’re the paralyzer. I see you MelAshley. I see you.” My mom asked, “Huh?”
Dylan smiled squealing, “Ohh Moody Triplet, you are quickly moving up the board of my favorite Conners siblings with all your fun secrets.” I sighed because I hadn’t told my family about the Claire situation yet.
I told Dylan, “EJ and I have a meeting about that Monday.” Dylan laughed, “Buttercup, my lovely Princess, my darling girl, I will be here Monday.” Buttercup laughed, “Of course you will, dad.” EJ linked me, “It’s about the chick fight over you, isn’t it?” I answered, “Yup.” EJ snorted, “Goodie. You’re dead.” I smiled replying, “Probably not quite but I’ll get a serious tongue lashing.”
My mom frowned. She said, “What I hear you saying is that on Monday I get to know what the fuck this is about. No later than this coming Monday, correct?” I nodded, “Yes.” She sighed, “Fine.” My dad was trying not to laugh.
Dakota asked, “What about the rest of us?” Melanie sighed, “I’ll get you a list.” Jason growled, “THERE ARE LISTS?!” Gage linked, “Is he serious right now? She’s a Beta blood. OF COURSE THERE IS A LIST! It would be shocking if there wasn’t one even if each list only contained ONE name.”
Gage seemed on edge like the rest of us.
Oden said, “His mate likely lived the same pack life before her brother took over.” Probably, given how she acted outside. Melanie nodded saying, “Yes. Yours has four names. Depending on the range of what you want on this list, Dakota’s is the longest.” I winced.
Dakota snarled, “WHAT?!” Melanie said, “Well, if it’s just an attempt to be forcibly marked list, you don’t have one. Buck had a higher position than his dad so he had to approve of the choices for Avery. He found reasons the pack leadership agreed with as to why Avery’s candidates weren’t suitable. Buck… is actually decent at playing their game….of logic….he did try to help me but….it was wrong so…”
Tristan barked out a laugh. Jason demanded to know, “For the love of god, what else could be on the list?!” Melanie answered, “Well, Warriors... not mine mind you, mine were good people… the rest of them… were told they could rape anyone they wanted to by Edward.” My dad all out roared in rage.
Melanie continued, “If you want that added to the list then…” Dakota snarled, “I want it on the list. Anyone who hurt Avery is on my list. Hell, anyone who raised a hand to her goes on the list.” Melanie sighed, “Ok, but remember you asked….and I killed some of them, so… there’s that.”
Cayden cut in, “Let’s have that meeting you wanted to.” Melanie looked nervous, “Umm yeah... well... sure… in a different room though... for a smaller meeting… with less people...” Drake asked, “We can’t stay?”
Melanie frowned, “Umm... I mean that’s... complicated... and… yeah... actually, complicated... works and… other people and things… about... well… stuff...” Despite not being happy she didn’t want them be involved, the McAlister’s were smiling. Oden linked, “Their wolves said it’s about her rambling.” Right. The lie about the etiquette and manners coach.
Cayden laughed, “Come on, our loveable little rambler.” He opened a portal, and we stepped through into his office. Melanie squealed, “Are we in the Hackura realm? Is that what’s happening? It’s totally what’s happening. Oh my gosh… I’m actually here.”
I laughed, “Yes, I can show you around later.” Melanie sighed, “I need to talk to your dad and check on Si.” She looked so sad I tickled her. Melanie squealed and started laughing. I told her, “We can come back. Please don’t be sad.” She smiled, “Ok.”
Cayden, Micah, Cassie, Max, and I sat down. Melanie turned to me, “Umm so... I’m kind of, well… a source... for Cayden... and... I don’t really... but I kind of… well... I don’t….” Cayden snorted, “She gives us information about the Hunters and the drug Rings.” I stiffened. I knew that already but hearing about her with Hunters was chilling me to my core.
Melanie rushed, “I didn’t work WITH them. I mean I was supposed to, but I didn’t… I swear... and…” I kissed her. I pulled back saying, “I believe you.” She sighed, “Ok… so that’s good… and Cayden and Micah can totally confirm it all…” Oden snorted, “The fact she’s the worst liar of all time confirms it.”
Micah offered, “She’s telling the truth.” Melanie continued, “Right… he said that so we move on to… obviously... it’s going to get around the Hunting groups who I am. That I’m really Melanie and not Ashley… they probably knew honestly.” The rat bastards.
At least ONE group of people not telling our pack made sense. Hunters wouldn’t tell us anything, ever. My mate handed Cayden two flash drives. Melanie told him, “The black ones are the members that are good guys... they help gather information and save the Omega’s being given to Hunters. The other is everything I have on the drugs, and the Hunter groups….the bad ones.” That would be all of them.
Cayden’s head snapped up saying, “You’ve never given me anything this big.” Melanie sighed, “I’m going to be blown. It’s only a matter of time…if I’m not already. You have the ability to come up with a plan and act on this probably in a few days. I don’t… because there’s a lot going on.”
“You can save people. I can’t get you more information now. Xander isn’t going to agree to having me there now….and I was only there because…” She looked away. Micah eventually said, “Because why? You’ve never told us why you were there in the first place.”
Melanie sighed, “They made me. I refused the first time they brought me. I actually tried to get Sierra and Addison to leave. Trevor shot a pup and killed him because I was balking. He had a line of them there, and said he’d continue shooting until I gave in.” I snarled, “He fucking what?!” Cayden’s jaw dropped and Cassie growled in anger.
Melanie explained, “The next time Edward was there and he shot two pups…even though I’d already agreed…I had a plan…to get information out and not help…which they didn’t know…I showed up on time and everything. Black Path make teenagers without wolves go in and work with Hunters.”
“Wolf less are forced in longer. It’s part of the payment for the Hunters leaving the pack alone. They ambushed me with the meeting, and I didn’t see the shot coming for the pup… either time…I…” I yanked her into my lap.
I said, “It’s not your fault.” Melanie cried, “I should’ve run in front of the pups. They was so little.” I linked my dad, “You kick that goddamn fucker’s ass RIGHT NOW! Edward killed two PUPS in FRONT of my mate. He had another shot by THE DEAD MOHERFUCKER because she didn’t want to work with Hunters.” Dad’s snarl echoed down the link.
Melanie took a deep breath and scrambled off my lap. She looked into my eyes and admitted, “I’m Red One.” My eyes widened only because I was stunned that she was telling us that. My mom was right though. People would recognize her in the pack.
I nodded, “I’ll have to tell EJ that.” Melanie shrugged, “Who you tell, is up to you. They would find out anyway. I sent a lot of people to you guys, and they saw me. I owed it to Cayden to have this conversation with him here though.”
She turned to Cayden and Micah saying, “I know you two feel bad and I want you both to stop that. I just…” Her eyes filled with tears, “I was so scared you’d go away, and I wouldn’t be able to help Xander if you knew who I really was.”
