“Same with you two,” I pointed at Paige and Avery. “You know my feelings about them… which are complicated…because I love them and I always have….but this isn’t about me. They were made for you. It doesn’t even matter what you decide about them. My feelings will not be hurt if you want them. I have been saving them this whole time… even when they IRK me.”
I waved, “But that’s about them not us. We are forged in fire. We have fought battles side by side. We have bled together, had each other’s six’s, and gone to hell and back together. No man will come between that, and heaven help one that tries. It’s not blood, but we are sisters. No one will change that. Plus, if you all live in Red Run… we can meet in Blue Moon and hang out.”
Paige’s eyes filled with tears as she whispered, “It will ruin everything.” I shook my head arguing, “No, it won’t. Being happy will not ruin anything. Let’s just… I mean come ON…. We all deserve to be happy. You owe it to yourselves to hear what they have to say.”
“We fight for people to be with their mates here. To not at least hear them out would show people we don’t practice what we preach. I know each of you has wanted to meet your mate. Jason apparently doesn’t have two mates….” My voice broke.
Avery whispered, “Melanie.” I put my hands up explaining, “It’s going in the box. I can’t think about that. Or what the story of how the HELL this all happened is right now. I’m telling you guys… if you want to be with them... I’m in your corner and on your side.”
“I will always be there. Men can’t change that for us. We will be who we always are. They will be good to you, or they will deal with me. Plus…I’ve told all of you those men want their mates… like a lot. They talked about it….all the time.”
Addison cried and gave me a hug that Paige and Avery joined. Avery whispered, “It feels disloyal.” I assured them, “It’s not… I don’t factor in here. This is not about me. You hear their side and the two of you with wolves trust them. Paige, trust your instincts. We all have a lot to deal with here.”
“What will never change is us. It may not be the mate bond, but we have one as friends, as family, and as sisters. It’s not disloyal to follow your heart. I will never be upset about that… and things clearly aren’t as they seem… for reasons that go in a box.” All three nodded.
Paige sighed, “Well, Dalton Kyle is REALLY hot.” I snorted, “Agree to disagree. There was a time... I considered him a brother... so... I’m not touching that….though I suppose objectively speaking…you are correct…but he’s like a brother to me…so…stop it.” All three of them laughed.
I reiterated, “Give me a second before you start listening to the space again.” Addison laughed, “Are you going to threaten them?” I answered, “Yes…. Yes, I am. On a different note. Ave… what do you want to do about Buck? It’s your call….but fair warning…I did tell Caine he should be the Gamma…so.”
Avery whispered, “The Gamma?” I said, “As I told you, you have Gamma blood. Buck does just try to survive and he helps…on the so down low…but it’s better than most people. He’s been more vocal lately too.” Avery agreed, “He’s changing. He’s my brother and I…” I held my hand up interrupting, “Of all people... I get it.”
I’d save Buck. Again. He wasn’t a bad person and he did possess the ability to change… he had good moments. They all snorted and hugged each other in a circle. I couldn’t help but smile. They would have each other in Red Run. Sierra and I would be close by too. We’d still see each other all the time.
I turned around in time to hear Blair’s Alpha say they needed to take over. My box of anger started to rattle. I immediately corrected them. Caine linked, “I’d planned to say that.” I replied, “I know…but like…as Xander’s mate…the Conners will back me up…also…I might have started to see red hearing you be passed over.”
Caine chuckled, “Easy there, killer. All is well.” Good because Caine would take over with Dax. They had a plan to change things around here and would be good leaders. I turned to Dalton, Dakota, and my brother to threaten them.
Freya linked, “Their wolves are in disbelief.” Well, I was serious. I’d beaten enough Alpha’s to know I’d win. Dalton and Dakota would give me a hell of a fight, but I knew I could beat him. Freya snorted, “Yes, we could.”
Tristan wasn’t happy with me. Little did he know…. I’d said far worse to an Alpha before. Plus, one also didn’t let their sister think they were dead for almost seven years. That was a more pressing thing we did not do if you asked me.
I focused on who was here. I knew all of Xander’s siblings and all of the Hackura here related to Xander. Most that weren’t too. I gulped when I saw Xander’s Uncle Bjourn. I smiled at Cayden and Micah. Both nodded with strained smiles on their faces.
I found who I was looking for in the group, Former Alpha Lucas Lyons. I asked about my mom’s family. As her Alpha... he’d know. Everyone from Blue Moon looked confused by my question. My mom answered but I was not going to take it from her... she might not be real. No one had talked to her yet.
The only person that had been spoken to was my dad. My mom and Tristan were still possibly hallucinations. Freya spoke gently, “Melanie, they are all real. All three of them. Sugar, Apollo, and Pepper have all contacted me.”
I retorted, “Then I’m still not listening to mom because she left me alone for all these years…. Even if she ate ALL the mom monster cookies in THE WORLD she never left me alone. She was always there. So…. letting me think I got her head blown off was cruel.” Freya seemed to agree with that.
Freya snorted, “I do agree with that for now. It’s too raw. We can figure this out later, but this is enough of an emotional bomb for years to come honestly.” Dylan jumped in and practically danced a jig to answer my question.
Freya linked me, “Stop trying to contain your anger, just feel it.” I planned to….well not all of it.. my box of rage couldn’t be let loose in its entirety. I screamed in frustration, agony, and anger. That LYING HORRIBLE WOMAN THAT WAS NOT MY AUNT! She started this!
This was obviously a massive plot, but Stephanie McCann was a player in it all. She knew. She knew the moment I woke up in the hospital that she was lying. I took off running passing several golden eyed people along the way. They’d spread out.
Duke Spencer Cambridge was waiting by the pack houses. He smiled greeting, “Hello Melanie, I’m Spencer.” I told him, “I know that… I’ll meet you officially later. Right now, I have someone’s butt to kick…. SEVERELY!”
Spencer laughed, “I wonder if you know how interesting it is that you know me on sight. As far as the rage you feel, that is an emotion I understand well. I believe the one you are looking for just came out of the pack house.”
I laughed humorlessly, “He left her here. Serves her right.” Spencer frowned asking, “The Warlock?” I nodded because I was not saying the name Ajax out loud. I grumbled, “Freaking pervert claiming to my dang uncle.” His eyes blazed brighter.
I took off the second I spotted Stephanie. Booker, and Ajax fled together. Ajax left her behind and that was honestly what Stephanie deserved. I linked my Warriors, “Someone find me Trevor McCann.” One answered, “He left after Angela Conners did.” MOTHER FRIGGING FUDGENUTS! Of course he did. BookerALWAYS protected him over everyone else because he was JUST like him. Whatever. I could track the both of them down later.
I launched myself at Stephanie screaming, “YOU LYING SACK OF WHEEZING HAGGARD BITTER BONES!” I tackled her to the ground and began to punch her in the face. I screamed, “WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? THEY AREN’T DEAD! YOU KNEW THEY WEREN’T! WE AREN’T EVEN RELATED!”
A crowd gathered but I knew that no one was going to stop me. No one liked Stephanie in this pack. She treated everyone as if they were beneath her. Several began to whistle and clap. A few gasped at my accusations.
Stephanie growled, “You would be a bitch and figure it out.” I snarled at her. Her eyes widened and she whispered, “You got your wolf.” Freya took over, “Yes, my human has me now. I have my mate. The real one, not the one you tried to force on Melanie.”
