Sierra made her way out and sighed, “Oh no.” I asked, “What happened?” Sierra shrugged, “I don’t know, but she’ll be out there for a while.” Phil pouted, “Do snap us breakfast then, Alpha cousin.” I rolled my eyes but still asked, “What do you want? I’ll sort out breakfast.”
Sierra jumped in saying, “Oh no you don’t. I would like show off my cooking skills.” Phil smiled happily asking, “You cook too?” Sierra nodded, “I just need to get things started. It will be likely we are having more of a brunch time meal today.” She stepped into the kitchen.
Phil told me, “People will envy us. Our mates are beautiful, good at fighting, and they cook. Who else knows what other wonders we will unfold? Your mate gives you tattoos too. She’s given me a complex, you know? I kept checking myself for a lower back, feet, and neck tattoos. I’m basically giving myself a tick check for tattoos.”
I rolled my eyes reminding him, “You already know Oden seems to believe Melanie is the only one who can do that, and only to us.” Phil shrugged, “Who knows? I haven’t found anything on a wolf who can give tattoos. Nothing. Not a hint, or even a whisper. It’s weird.”
I shrugged, “I don’t know if it’s been done before. So, why would we be able to find it?” Phil snorted, “True. So, we are back to the wolf hidden/suppression thing gave her weird superpowers.” I theorized, “Selene could do that for Melanie. She’s supposed to be the balance and if they hid Melanie’s wolf from her, my mate should get something in return.”
Phil sighed, “Sure. A full blooded Werewolf with powers with no one to teach her how to use them. Why not? What could go wrong? Except everything.” I pointed out, “I could teach her since I have powers and I’m a wolf.”
I added, “My mom, while not a wolf, is quite adept at teaching people about their powers even if she doesn’t possess said power. We might not have the exact same skills, but we do have a lot of people with powers that can help.”
Phil conceded, “Good point. Let’s find out something we can actually get the answer to.” I asked, “What would that be?” He chuckled, “What you did to piss her off?” I frowned, “I didn’t do anything.” Phil shrugged, “Maybe she thinks you gave her that tattoo on her feet.” I wryly replied, “I don’t think so.”
Phil asked, “Then what?” I told him, “You’re asking the wrong person.” Phil smiled, “Right you are.” He walked inside. I sighed, because I’d meant he should ask Melanie, yet he was clearly going to ask Sierra. I walked inside behind him, keeping an eye on Melanie still. She didn’t appear to plan to stop anytime soon.
Sierra was listening to music as she cooked. Phil said, “Ohhh Sugar Lips.” Sierra snorted, “What can I do for you, Muffin?” I raised an eyebrow. Muffin? Phil linked, “Shut it, Xander boy.” I snorted, “One, I didn’t say anything out loud or over link. Two, Xander is in my name at least. Cute little purse dogs are called muffin.” He rolled his eyes at me then turned to Sierra.
Phil cooed, “What’s wrong with Melanie?” Sierra replied, “I think I said earlier that I don’t know exactly. Normally, I’d say the Alpha, my dad, or the Gamma pissed her off. Or Trevor. Those dance moves are FAR angrier when it’s him though.” I growled.
She waved, “But she doesn’t have her phone, and she disabled the alerts to link to her watch. There would have to be an emergency for it go off. Addison has our phones until the day we were supposed to be returning. Then Paige has a spell set up to get our phones to the hotel.” I commented, “Handy.” Sierra nodded, “I thought so.”
Phil said, “Umm you mentioned her watch and I’d like to discuss that. I notice you have one too. It’s not like any I’ve seen before. Except on one person who lives in the Hackura realm.” She hummed, “I’m certain I’m not discussing the watch.” I linked him, “Who has the watch?” He answered, “Your brother in law.”
I glanced at her watch then said, “Jason has that too. How have I never seen Cayden’s?” He replied, “I know Jason has one too, but she doesn’t like mentioning him so I didn’t. You can be very unobservant about jewelry. It’s very un-Fairy of you and he doesn’t wear it all the time. He definitely doesn’t wear it in the gym. Pretty sure he leaves it in his office and that’s where you see him most.” True.
I changed the subject, “I wanted to get Melanie’s number.” Sierra rummaged around through several drawers then found a pen and paper. She quickly scribbled something then passed it to me. I surmised, “I assume this is her number.” Sierra nodded, “Yes, it is.”
Phil pointed out, “You don’t have four plates set out.” Sierra laughed, “Oh, Mel won’t be done dancing until well after we finish eating.” I asked, “How do you know that?” Sierra laughed, “Because of the way she’s dancing. That’s an ‘I’m going to dance until the music stops’ dance and her playlists are several hours long.”
Phil laughed, “She’s got stamina then.” Sierra snorted, “Blame your cousin for that, Muffin. She does his cardio program that he put out into the community religiously.” I laughed then straightened, “Oh my god.” Phil sighed, “I’m going to need more here. Expand on that sentence for my sanity, please.”
I explained, “Two years ago EJ called me after Elise went to sleep during her heat. He told me to tone down some of my cardio in my videos because they weren’t for partial Hackura’s, they were for Werewolves. He’s talked to Melanie as Ashley. It was her he was telling me to tone it down for.”
Phil asked, “For what purpose was she talking to EJ?” Sierra answered, “He wanted her to come to Luna Elise’s birthday party.” We both stared at her while she kept on cooking. Eventually, Phil said, “Ok, I’ll ask since someone wants to me, it could just be my brain but I’m asking. EJ invited Ashley to Black Mountain for his Luna’s birthday, and she said no?” She nodded.
Phil pressed, “She said no to EJ Conners, the Lead Alpha of Black Mountain?” Sierra looked over her shoulder, “She said no very politely.” Phil said, “I don’t think anyone has ever told him no.” I linked Phil, “If Melanie had said yes Elise would’ve known who she was. So would EJ, me too for that matter but she clearly doesn’t know that.”
Phil snorted, “Jason, T, and Everly come to all the birthday parties we throw. There would’ve been quite a few people who would’ve known her.” Phil said out loud, “Everyone wants to see Black Mountain. I know as a pup Melanie did too. I’m relatively good friends with her brother. He told me little things like that.”
I linked him, “You’re not going to say which brother? You JUST said she didn’t like mentions of Jason.” Phil replied, “I’m fishing! Give me the line, man.” For what? Sierra’s face darkened, “Oh.” I spoke into the awkward silence, “That’s it? Just oh?” Sierra shrugged, “I can’t say I’m a fan. Or that I’ll be nice to your friend, Phil. He’d do well to steer away from me.”
I pointed out, “You don’t know which brother is his friend.” Sierra snorted, “Sure I do.” Ok then. I was about to push when Sierra started banging pots and pans. Phil linked me, “Now we back off. It’s now beyondclear my mate believes Ashley Griffen’s cover story.” I sighed, “A name. I want a name. Then I want to know why.” Phil replied, “Patience. I will get a name.”
I asked, “Why didn’t Melanie come to Elise’s party?” Sierra raised an eyebrow and looked at me, “You know exactly why she didn’t come.” I sighed, “Elise, EJ, and myself would have recognized her.” Sierra answered, “Kind of. Just Elise, EJ, and your dad were the concerns.” I asked, “Not me?” Sierra snorted, “You clearly know she doesn’t think you know who she is now. It was a concern you might recognize her, but they were the main reasons.”
I asked, “Why would anyone recognizing her be a big deal?” Sierra sighed, “You know she’s afraid you’ll hate her. Do you think that’s a new fear? She’s had it for years. She couldn’t go to the party. Let’s change the subject.”
Phil linked, “This is why you have me.” I replied, “I’m more direct.” Phil huffed, “Exactly.” I asked Sierra, “So if she doesn’t have her phone to be upset with someone, what else could’ve upset her?” Sierra shrugged, “It was probably a dream or flashback.” I questioned, “Flashback of what?”
Sierra sighed, “Look, not everyone has the experiences in packs that you two do. Pack life is hard for some people. For people like Mel, who came from a pack where things and life in general are good, it was incredibly hard to be where we are.”
She sighed, “Mel pushed back on the way things were that she didn’t agree with. People who were being taken advantage of liked that, but there are those who will always be angry about change. There will be those who are thriving in the current state of things that don’t like the person changing things. That did not make things easy for her.”
Sierra winced, “Being able to fight…” She trailed off, “Hell, being a strong, capable female does not fit the mold of what they want in their pack. She’s fought tooth and nail to change that. To show that females can do more, can BE more.”
“She encourages people to go against the way they were raised because it’s wrong. She fights for the little people who get stepped on. She’s their champion, but that makes her other people’s enemies. It’s all a push and pull effect she never cared about she sees everything as right and wrong.”
