I gripped the sledgehammer and yelled as I hit them all. They were cracking but it was going way too slow. I cursed myself, “Stupid…Melanie… spending money… on nice headstones THAT DON’T WANT TO CRACK! I PAID FOR TOP OF THE LINE… AND GOT IT! BUT IT WAS LIE! JUST BREAK!”
Xander popped in. I knew it was him… because I could smell him. I could also smell my family with him. Tristan whispered, “Ladybug, what’s going on?” I explained, “They won’t freaking break! I literally got what I paid for… any other time….this would not be annoying….but it wasn’t true! You’re not dead…and they need to be gone!”
Dad ordered, “Conjure us sledgehammers, Alexander.” Yes… more people breaking the headstones would work. Freya said, “If I was at full power, we could take care of this easily.” I wondered how. I jolted in surprise when Everly hit the one the opposite of me.
I stared at my brother’s mate. Everly had come and was helping. Addison joined us too…but her having my back wasn’t shocking. Xander nearly made me hit my own foot when he took his own shirt off and got to work. I studied him for several seconds before I shook myself.
Everly and I got Tristan’s gravestone to break in half. I cried as I hit the broken piece, trying to smash it into rubble. I screamed as I swung at my dad’s next. Mom was working pretty hard on it. I watched as the hammer hit his name and started to crumble. Dust came off of it.
I screamed, “BREAK! JUST BREAK!” Freya said, “I got you. Swing with everything we’ve got. I’m at the front of your mind.” I screamed again and swung. The top half actually flew away from the group and everyone paused.
I stared at the sledgehammer and the top of the gravestone… and where it landed. I told Freya, “You’ve got juice.” My wolf agreed, “I do.” Haley offered, “I can blow it all up now.” My future mother in law had popped in with Eric at some point.
I looked at the graves. Dad and Xander had gone after mom’s with Jason and Tristan so it was pretty much destroyed like I wanted. I looked at the ones for my dad and Tristan. I nodded, “Do it.” Xander grabbed me and popped me further back. I grumbled, “I wish I could make them explode.”
My mate kissed my temple. Haley blew all three up and gathered the dust of them all in a box. My future mother in law told me, “I’ll use so a charm so it’s flammable. You can throw it in the fire pit we have.” I admitted, “I like that idea more than I should.”
Everly argued, “I think you like it the right amount. This was a good plan to remove these markers of the lie you were force fed.” I replied, “I mean… it wasn’t so much a plan…more an idea… that required an immediately reaction….because it just hitme that I had to take them out.” Addison hugged me. My friend knew how much I came here to dance and talk to them.
Xander popped us back to the pack where Aiden was standing, waiting for us. He and Haley used the charm, and he started the fire before she handed me the box. I took the lid off, dumped the remains of the markers, and watched them burn.
My dad came over and wrapped me in his arms with my mom. Eventually Tristan and Jason joined us. It really felt like our first step towards… maybe healing? Freya said, “It was definitely a step, and I can tell how much better you feel with something physical being gone.” It was silly, but…I really did feel better.
I addressed our group, “Thank you for coming… since… I didn’t tell you to… but you did and… clearly, I would’ve been there forever… and Caine probably would’ve shown up because of the yelling.” Addison interjected, “Caine was there.” Oh… well… he didn’t say anything.
Mom said, “We will always show up for you, Melanie Jane.” Unless a compulsion made them not do that… she was right. Even with the mom monster cookies they showed up for me. I hugged them tighter and then sat down and watched the flames in the fire.
Xander sat behind me and pulled me into him. He linked, “I’m glad you took Cassie.” I replied, “I was coming for you… but I saw her first and those gravestones had to go.” My mate acknowledged, “I get that. I would need them gone too.” I nuzzled into him and felt like everything was going to be ok again.
The rest of the weekend went by drama free. It was nice but I found it highly suspicious. I was definitely on alert for something to go wrong. It was all smooth sailing though. I planned to go with my friends on Wednesday to look for my Mating Ceremonydress. I’d invited Haley, Elise, and Cassie along with the other Conner’s sibling’s mates.
After a lot of internal debating… I’d invited my mom. I knew she was really happy about me asking her to join us. Personally, it was like a weight had lifted from my chest. So, I knew it was the right decision. I debated Grandma Esther, but not Grandma Haskins… it felt wrong to invite one and not the other….probably mean.
Freya snorted, “Grandma Esther has talked to us. Grandpa Ben has been around for a lot of meetings. The Haskins haven’t.” My wolf was right. They were basically ignoring me at this point, but that wasn’t any different to how they’d acted since I was fourteen… except that was a lie. I don’t know what to do with all that… so I just wasn’t going to think about it.
Before I knew it, Monday rolled around and it was time to listen to Luna disputes. As I listened to all the disputes come and go, I knew my assessment about Elise being a fair Luna was accurate. In person data was preferrable to reviewing the cases after they were filed. So, this was fun for me.
Elise’s decisions matched the situation along with Buttercup’s. I was really proud of Micah when he was making his decisions. They considered him an Alpha Male, but as Max’s mate... he was part of these proceedings since he clearly wanted to be.
I felt a little bad watching Jane, Theo’s mate. I avoided her a little bit because… she could out me. Jane didn’t see my face, but she’d heard my voice, so I limited our interactions… it seemed mutual on her end though so… maybe we were avoiding each other. She was a really good Luna though.
The last case of the day stepped into the circle to present their dispute. I already had a feeling this one was going to test my patience. The guy who’d filed the dispute looked haughty and had an expression of I’m holier than thou. My annoyance levelwas already high before he even spoke. Freya chuckled in my head.
The arrogant guy stated his case. I nearly snorted. Holier than thou was upset that the gardener planted the wrong colored flowers in his yard. You have got to be kidding. I bit my lip. I mentally chiding myself, “Do not say any words, Melanie. No words. Do not punch the asshole in the face for this absurd dispute. Don’t do it.” Freya cackled.
My mantra was interrupted by the haughty holier than thou guy speaking to Elise, “No offense Luna Elise, but I want to hear how the Muffin Luna would handle this. In fact, I want her decision to be what’s implemented.”
I couldn’t stop myself from speaking. I snorted, “No, you don’t.” Elise cracked a smile. Jane was staring at the ground smiling while Buttercup actually laughed. Micah looked deeply amused. Which made sense… he knew better than anyone here, well… the me I became… obviously Elise knew me…. back… before… I left.
I spotted Haley in the crowd. My mate’s mom looked very interested in what I would say. I was astonished to find Dylan in the crowd crunching on popcorn. Was he everywhere? I actually spotted my parents, Tristan and Everly in the crowd. Why was everyone here?
I was about to link them when Elise broke the silence, “Bradford, are you sure that’s what you want? I will enforce Melanie’s decision. I won’t listen to a dispute if you don’t like her decision. I’ll make sure EJ does not either.”
Bradford? HIS NAME WAS BRADFORD? This just got better and better. He sounded like a spoiled rich kid, and he acted like one. Freya admitted, “He does.” I added out loud, “It’s not a good call on your part, Bradford.” The gardener was trying and failing to hide his smirk.
Sierra caught my attention by laughing out loud and not quietly. Bradford was apparently overly confident and didn’t listen well. Holier than thou said, “Luna Elise, I will abide by the Muffin Luna’s ruling. I think this pack and I deserve to know what type of Luna she will be.”
He added, “She has been exposed to more Luna dispute hearings than this one. She was raised in Red Run and is a Beta by birth. The muffin Luna would’ve attended Luna Chelsea’s hearings.” Bradford was right, I did. It was the first thing he’d said that was correct.
