Dylan shifted the topic immediately. He was back on adopting my alias again. Freya said, “Fang is trying to lighten the mood.” Whose? My dad definitely didn’t like this topic. My mom walked over and hugged me.
Mom linked, “I have known since you were a pup you were such a special little girl. I am sorry this type of responsibility has been thrust on you given the life you had these last few years. I would do anything to make your path in life easier, Ladybug.” I would not cry, I refused.
I told her, “It’s ok… it’s just how things are… I guess.” My brothers wanted to know about my feelings. I desperately needed people to stop asking about my feelings. That’s how I felt. I told Freya, “You know I’m really happy you’re able to run and we can shift. I’m happy you’re not just locked away inside me anymore.”
“You deserve to run. I am happy Xander and I FINALLY marked each other. Having the electric ability is awesome… it also just means everything will always be hard. The Supernatural Council keeps trying to put language in front of Eric about Xander… and now it will be about the white wolf. I’m just tired of bad people.”
Freya assured me, “They could never contain or control us. Not now that I’m with you, they will never get our mate. We will not let them.” I agreed with that, then shook myself. I was notgetting into my feelings. I’d learned to push them aside long ago, and I wasn’t going to start diving into them now.
I linked Sierra, “How did my dad know I said I was a freak?” Sierra sighed, “Beta Dylan has sources, you know that. Probably someone he talked to in Black Path told him when they came down there while you were beating up Stephanie.” Jerks.
They couldn’t just keep their mouths shut? I pointed out it was weird to be immune to silver and wolfsbane. It’s not like anyone would logically jump to… obviously I’m the white wolf and that’s why I’m immune. They didn’t understand because people weren’t like that here.
Freya growled, “They were small minded, pigeon toed into their way of thinking people. Nothing was ever wrong with you.” I replied, “It makes me happy that they had to stay up wondering why it didn’t work because they knew my dad was biologically my dad.”
I wanted to shout that people constantly told me I was a freak. I was alone there with my friends. We were all pups or young adults except Hendrick and Mason. They were all raised down there in that culture. They didn’t think I was a freak… but the pack's words made sense. They would have felt the same way if they were me.
Alpha Peter wanted to protect me. WAS HE FOR REAL? Freya reasoned, “Mel, he’s being nice. It’s his instinct to protect you. Thunder is very serious.” No. Just… no. He DID NOT get to talk about protecting me. His time to protect me had LONG since passed.
Jason argued I needed protection. No, that was not true at all. In fact, the opposite was true, people tended to need MY protection. I could take care of my dang self, and I had been for seven years. They couldn’t just come back into my life and determine that I needed their help. That was not a thing. They had no idea the things I’d done.
Sierra cut me off. I linked her, “It’s insulting. I run the Resistance.” Sierra pointed out, “You haven’t told them that.” I grumbled, “Still… I started, funded, and run a Resistance to the ultimate big bad guy. I have followers and spies in a ridiculous number of packs.”
“From ALL over the world. Kingsley is currently in Europe. Kaiya lives in Australia, and then there’s Anastasia in Russia… I have people everywhere. Regardless, I was a Female Lead Warrior practically running and protecting a pack…. by myself.”
Sierra snorted, “You want to bring Kingsley home to see if her mate is in this group too. Don’t you?” I sighed. Yes and no. I had a feeling… her mate was Hastein. I don’t know. Maybe… I shoved that thought aside.
Addison and Paige wanted me to eat. My grandpa thought they were trying to change the subject. Oh… he and Paige were going to clash. Paige was a born mother hen. Freya chuckled, “I told you that Forrest was worried about you eating.” That was true.
Zoe walked in with sandwiches. I sat down and ate it as everyone talked around me. Unfortunately, this allowed my thoughts to swirl. The white wolf… was real… and it was me. It was surreal. My dad was freaking out about some groups that wanted to come and hunt me.
I snorted internally wanting to say that those people should ask Black Path how that would go for them. Tristan had taken me to a secluded area in Red Run’s territory many times to practice covering my scent and hiding from people.
Not to mention, by the time I was fourteen I had created a spray to conceal my scent. They had no chance to beat me. One, they were not the sharpest knives in the drawer. Two, I was highly motivated to kick their butts.
Sierra accidentally spilled the beans out loud about the hunt. My Beta Female linked me, “I’m so sorry. It just slipped out.I’m not used to being around people who don’t know.” I replied, “Don’t worry about it. Prince Gunner would’ve been going through Edward’s files… he’d find it eventually. It’s recorded.”
Grandpa Ben was upset. This time I actually understood his frustration. Either he was avoiding talking to me about saving his life… or he wasn’t quite certain because he was shot and drugged. Part of me deeply suspected he knew.
Sometimes when I looked in his eyes, I thought I could see him holding himself back from asking me things. Then there’s the distance between us because I believed he’d disowned me when he hadn’t. When it came down to it, there was a lot unresolved between us.
At minimum Grandpa Ben knew that I was in the Resistance if he remembered what happened that day. He just wasn’t saying anything about it. It was a big secret to keep. I just wasn’t certain if the whole group knew I was in the Resistance… and he’d been told to keep quiet… or if he was unsure himself. Whatever the reason it was clearly putting him on edge.
Addison gave a cursory explanation on how hunts in Black Path worked. No one was particularly happy about those details. Freya said, “Well, I am proud of how you handled all that. If I had not been suppressed, we would’ve killed them all.” That would’ve been interesting.
Jason linked me, “You are scarily smart, but I’m so dang proud of you.” Well… that was just all I had wanted him to say for years. I stopped those hunts from happening again because I trained all the wolf less members which gave me the right to take their places.
Edward, Jean, and Booker had been embarrassed enough about our first round of hunting. Hunting the wolf less was supposed to assert their dominance. After losing to me during my Female Lead Warrior challenge followed by the hunt was bruising enough to their ego.
Especially when you considered I couldn’t shift,andI was sixteen at the time. Their refusal to let me attend school backfired on them in that aspect. They really should’ve known better. Tristan linked me, “You used the tactics I taught you.” I acknowledged, “With some extras, yes. Everything you taught me about hiding from wolves while they were hunting me was useful.” My brother barely hid his smirk.
My family’s pride was going up the more people described how I’d won the hunt. They had no idea the details we were leaving out. I avoided Micah’s eyes because I knew he’d be upset. I could’ve asked them for help, and I knew I probably should have.
That was just a whole barrel of cats I didn’t want to get into. They briefly mentioned what I did to Trevor. I smirked knowing the Fairies would enjoy hearing it from Trevor more. Freya chuckled, “You think it’s the best way for mate to find out based on your projection table.”
I knew based on that table Xander would be in the best headspace to hear it when he was within in reach and able to make Trevor pay. Everyone would feel that way so…. I was helping. If someone made Trevor tell the truth it would piss him off more than getting caught would.
Elise grabbed me specifically and dragged me upstairs. She led us into her and EJ’s room. Cassie popped in and smiled at us. My sister in law looked at me before saying, “Cayden explained you have had quite the day, and Micah texted him updates.”
