The other me asked, “We are in the Ribbon? Xander… he accepts us?” I answered, “He does. Look… we don’t have much time.” The other me frowned, “I need to get back to my friends… Beta Jason might be there waiting… I invited him to come down for my shift.”
I winced saying, “Ok… about that… nothing is as it seems, and we are going through the holoport. Come on.” The youngerme followed as I led her to the portal towards Black Mountain. When she realized where we were she pulled back.
The younger me whispered, “No… I… you don’t… umm…” I interrupted, “We aren’t going to cross their border just yet… just… come on. Trust me.” The other me frowned, “I guess… you are me.” I led her through one minute before midnight.
The area was clear… but not for long probably. The other me said, “I feel weird.” She went to the ground. I coached her, “Don’t fight Freya, just let her have control.” I quickly lifted her phone out of her jeans while she was concentrating.
I sent Xander a text. It simply had this location and the fact he needed to get here. Now. Watching myself shift for the first time was something. The other me gasped but didn’t scream in pain. It took a few minutes and there was Freya standing before me.
I smiled telling her, “You look just like me.” The other me pranced. A pop sounded and she jumped behind a tree whimpering. Xander growled, “MINE!” He grabbed me. I said, “Well... not me. I’m not your me… she is.”
Xander asked, “We are in the Ribbon? But my dad didn’t go without my mom for decades and the other me definitely isn’t here. We don't know why dad can now either.” I shrugged, “Well… I’m weird so... come on out other me… I can explain, but don’t you want to go on a run with Oden?”
The younger me tentatively stepped out. Xander gasped. I told him, “We didn't get to that part yet about her wolf.” The other me tilted her head. I linked her, “Just go for your run.” She startled. I told Xander, “You can link her, just go take her for her first run. She deserves that. I’ll… handle the others.”
Xander snorted, “You know you walking inside is going to cause quite the uproar.” I replied, “That’s kind of my forte… really… when you think about it.” Freya snickered. Xanderasked, “Why isn’t my Melanie in Red Run? She’s supposed to be there tonight.” The other me whimpered.
I sighed, “I’ll explain… but she doesn’t know that. She’s not where you thought she was… nor was she where Red Run thought she was. It’s a whole plot.” Xander growled then shifted into Oden. It was so cute watching Freya and Oden together. Freya took off with Xander playfully nipping at her heels.
I took a deep breath then ran to the house. I walked in and found EJ pacing. Eric said, “EJ, if Alexander needs us, he’ll tell us.” EJ said, “He gets some cryptic text and just takes off. I don’t like it. We need…” He whirled around to face me the second he caught my scent. I greeted, “Hi guys… so… there’s a lot going on.” I noted that Eric, EJ, Haley, Bjourn and Marcus were sitting there.
A portal opened and Hastein came through. Uh huh… he just had so many unscheduled things he did. Freya snickered, “You have to let that go.” That was not something I was good at. Hastein said, “I’m solely here for a few moments to see if my cousin met his Melanie. I have been listening to this saga for so long, I find I must know.”
Haley asked, “Excuse me?” I jumped in, “He did… they are on a run.” EJ shouted, “Excuse me?! But you are here.” Haley groaned, “No way. EJ, that's not our Melanie.” I said, “Exactly.” Eric frowned, “Why would you come here to shift? And how on god’s green earth has Melanie already shifted?”
I looked at this reality’s version of my future mother in law. I told her, “Umm Haley… we need Sir Arthur… if someone could go get him… that would be…” She popped away and came back with a confused Sir Arthur and his second, Robert.
Elise came running into the room, gasped, and threw herself at me. I explained, “I’m not your Melanie.” Elise cried, “I don't even care. Wait you’re not ours? That means you're in theRibbon! I KNEW IT! IT IS YOU AND ALEXANDER.” I mean I knew it and other people clearly doubted me.
Elise squeezed me tightly. Seriously…. I always said it was me and Xander. Sir Arthur said, “Uhh Lass, what am I doing here?” I answered, “Releasing all the Werewolves from compulsions.” Eric growled, “What?”
Sir Arthur immediately started doing that. I asked EJ, “Has anyone eaten Karina’s cookies today?” EJ answered, “Not today.” I sighed, “You need to call Katie… as in your aunt… who said I could call her that… for the record.”
“Karina has been spelled herself and you guys were… Robert’s a traitor… not that anyone should be surprised by that… he is the literal worst and almost everyone hates him. He’s insane and I really need to punch him in his stupid face.”
Hastein said, “So, I guess I’m staying.” I shrugged, “You might as well.” Haley said, “Back to Eric’s question, how ais our you already shifted and on a run with our son? My last point to make is WHY IS EVERYONE ACTING LIKE THEY KNEW MELANIE AND ALEXANDER WERE MATES?”
I explained, “Because they do know…that’s a whole other thing you can get into with them. I brought the other me here so the Coven in Nashville wouldn’t suppress her wolf like they did mine.” Everyone was on their feet.
Eric snarled, “WHAT?! What were you doing in Nashville?!” I rubbed my temples saying, “It’s where I’ve been the last two years in your timeline. I was never in New York. I was kidnapped from Red Run the night of Elise’s Luna ceremony.”
“I was shot and put into an illusion. Your me believes that my mom, dad, and Tristan are dead. That Alpha Peter turned his back on her and that Jason did too. Tonight, after I didn't shift I was told I was banished because having no wolf meant my dad wasn’t my dad.”
Elise gaped, “Ladybug, that’s not true. I know it’s not.” I held up my hand, “Your me will never be told that… so there will be no complex and spiraling into a depression for her. Just me… lucky… me.” Several of them winced.
I waved, “Anyway… someone needs to get my family here. Their compulsions are the strongest… particularly my dad.” Eric growled in anger. Haley said, “Well this…” She trailed off then said, “Let’s…” She groaned, “Oh for god’s sake. Come on Sir Arthur, you can release them in their pack and then something. I don’t fucking know.”
I explained, “Someone will have to pop to Tristan and Jason… they told me they were waiting at the airport when word came down that I’d had plane problems… and didn’t board a plane. I literally couldn’t because… I wasn’t in New York… so… the fake me might be there though.” Haley sighed, “I have Bexley doing that.” Eric said, “We have the fake you.” Ok then.
Haley popped out. EJ asked, “How has our Melanie already shifted to run with my brother?” I pursed my lips. Bjourn said, “No one will doubt you.” I snorted, “Oh… they would. One hundred thousand percent every SINGLE one of you would look at me like I was crazy… I’ll just show you then explain.”
I shifted into Freya. Elise gasped and jumped back into EJ while Eric sat down. Hastein asked, “Umm is that not the color of the wolf from the legends my cousins have told me about?” Marcus answered, “Yes, nephew it is.”
Haley popped in with my family and Bexley did the same with my brothers. Haley said, “To quote swear-y Haley EXFUCKINGCUSE ME?! OUR SON’S MATE IS THE WHITE WOLF TOO?!” Eric answered, “So it seems.”
Jason said, “Wow. Who is that?” Haley snorted, “I did not have any fucking time to prepare them for this.” EJ replied, “We didn’t prepare us for this. Jase, for the record the girl you are about to see is not from our reality. Ours is outside.”
Tristan laughed, “The Ribbon, nice! Who is in it?” I snorted and shifted back. My mom screamed while my dad gasped. Of course they’d brought the Kyle’s with them and all of them sat down. Tristan spoke first, “What the fuck do you mean ours is outside? Ladybug is outside? How the HELL is that possible? We JUST got a call that she made it back to pack lands after having plane issues.”
