I argued, “No, you’re not. I can answer the other questions you had, but do you want to hear it from me instead of your family?” Melanie nodded. I explained, “They thought you went to New York that night. They thought you were mad at them and left early.”
“We were told you won the competition. There was someone who was pretending to be you. They talked to her. On skype over the phone, she also emailed them. The fake you must be working with a Fairy or a Witch to be able to look like you.”
Melanie frowned. I continued, “Apparently there’s a Vampire who can compel other Supernatural’s.” Melanie’s jaw dropped. I told her, “Your pack and family were compelled. Whenever any of us thought about things about you not making sense we’d get a headache. Bad ones.”
She cringed, “So, I fought for them, but they didn’t fight for me.” I put my arms around her admitting, “I don’t know what to say here, Mel.” Melanie whispered, “Say it again.” I asked, “Say what?” She answered, “My name.”
I smiled declaring, “I love you Melanie Jane McAlister.” Melanie beamed at me replying smiled, “I love you too.” She yawned, “I’m really… tired.” I held her tight saying, “With the last few days you’ve no one could blame you.”
She got up and started to pull her things out of her drawers. I snapped it all packed then conjured it to Black Mountain. Melanie sighed, “I guess there’s nothing left to do, but go home and face everyone. I don’t know if I can tonight. Or be nice about it. I don’t… they got headaches... I got a lot worse.”
I assured her, “I will be on your side with this.” She asked quietly, “Can you conjure my motorcycle to Black Path?” I did it then announced, “Done.” Melanie crawled into my lap before saying, “I guess we will go to your home then.”
I kissed her then pulled back. I told her, “It’s our home.” She smiled admitting, “I like the sound of that.” I nodded and popped my mate home into the scene of complete chaos of the aftermath of this whole shitty day.
Emotional Overload
Melanie was floating. Freya’s voice called, “You have to go back, Melanie.” I hummed, “It’s so nice here though.” Freya answered, “You’re being healed. Well, you were healed. Now you’re just hanging out here because it’s too much to handle.”
Tears filled my eyes. I asked hopefully, “Are my scars gone?” Freya answered, “No, but they could be.” I questioned, “How?” Freya offered, “Ask mate.” I argued, “No, he can’t see them.” Freya told me, “He will eventually.” I sighed, “I’m pretty sure I can keep up the whole not seeing my back thing.”
Freya laughed, “You are stubborn.” I agreed, “Yup. I was born that way.” Freya said, “Xander needs you.” I groaned, “But aren’t mom, T and dad around here? I saw them after I got hit in the head. I thought I’d get to talk to them.”
Freya admitted, “You did see them. Go back Melanie. Get the answers we both deserve to have. We will figure this out.” I agreed, “Ok.” I had no idea what she meant about getting answers.
It felt like I was walking through darkness for a long time. I called, “Hello?” I couldn’t hear Freya. I just kept walking towards the scent of my dad. It didn’t make sense that was scent leading me around, but it was a comforting smell.
I couldn’t help but start crying because I missed him so much. I missed them all. I just wanted things to be different. I was scared that now everything would be different. Xander knew my real name, and he’d come for me.
Now everything would be his choice for what happened next. We were so far out of the bubble it was crazy. I didn’t even know how he knew to come for me. Freya snorted, “Uhh hello genius human, Angela told him.”
I weakly argued, “She said I was blurry.” Freya snored, “You’re being ridiculous. She heard Blair call you Ashley.” Well, fine. That was a valid point. I clutched the shirt holding me because it smelled so much like my dad.
Gosh, I missed him. I really wanted him back. A voice that sounded just like his talked to me, even calling me Ladybug. I couldn’t help but open my eyes. The cruel joke continued as I stared directly into my dad’s eyes. He told me it was ok, but he didn’t understand.
I told Freya, “I don’t think I care that I hit my head so hard I am hallucinating.” She seemed like she was trying to find a way to phrase something. Probably a way to say that I was her crazy, but I was still her human.
Seeing him like this was better than not having him. This version was better than the one I usually saw of him. The one of him bleeding with a giant hole in his chest. Xander’s voice snapped everything into focus.
I looked back at my dad and screamed. I fell out of the man’s arms. Ok…Melanie. Calm down and be logical. Let’s be logical. I hit my head…well that’s a really nice way of saying someone hit me in the head…ugh! That’s not the point. Focus.
The man that was holding me was obviously a real person, but I was seeing my father’s face instead of said man’s face. Why was Xander letting some random guy hold me? Did he not want me? I mean... who would? I was currently hearing and smelling my dead father.
It was the baseball bat to the head… that’s what was to blame. This was totally normal... blaming inanimate objects… this is fine. Tristan was here too and talking to me while standing next to my mom. I fell backwards, away from them.
Xander picked me up while I looked at all four of them. Ok… Xander was real. Those were real people, and I was just projecting my dead family's faces on them. Great... I was safe from Edward and this backwards pack only to be betrayed and unsafe from my own mind. Which seemed determined to mess with me.
Addison’s voice interrupted my staring contest. It was just nice to see my family in my mind, not bleeding to death or dead. Or being blamed in my dreams by the people from my old pack or Jason for their death. This was definitely new.
What I saw when I glanced over at Addison nearly made me fall over. My brother, Dalton, and Dakota were looking at Paige, Avery and Addison like they were mates. No. Just no. For the love of all that is good in this world…. NO!
Sierra subtly nodded in shock when I looked at her. Selene was evil and malicious. Seriously? My best freaking friends and people who don’t like me?! COME ON! Well, if Selene thought she could take my best friends from me… she had another think coming.
My friends could have their mates and me. Their mates could suck on them apples. I did think they’d all be cute together… gosh darn it. Somehow this was probably my fault. Freya snorted, “Not even kind of.” It felt like it could be.
The hallucination of my dad kept talking. He should wait until we were alone. I wasn’t going to answer a hallucination in front of other people. That was a terrible idea. Freya hummed and still felt like she was mulling over the right way to say something.
I stared at my brother… the non-hallucination one…because Jason never died. How could he have two mates? There’s no way he was that good of a person to get two mates. He didn’t even like his own sister. Surely, that was a knock in the two mate’s column.
