I looked at Cassie who sighed and said, “Fine, but if your answer is like his I’m hitting you with my sunlight. On principle. Why are you here?” Avery’s mom answered, “I miss my baby. At least when she was in Black Path, I got to see her. I wasn’t the mother she deserved, but I do love her. I want to see her at her Mating Ceremony.”
I warned, “I’m not even sorry about what I’m going to say… but I have no sympathy to give you. Maybe someone here does…but I don’t. Avery doesn’t want you here. She thinks you’re indifferent to her, and that’s your fault.”
“You never even tried in private to have a close relationship with her. You’re not putting your failed relationship on her today. If you really mean what you say, and I have to think you do as Cassie made you tell the truth, then make an effort on any other day.”
“Not on the day she’s getting married. Show up. Make Avery realize you really care. Then maybe you can have a relationship with her. Because the fact you have a non-existent relationship with her, is on you. You didn’t even teach her to cook…and that’s a requirement for women in your pack…or was…even for female pups. Did you think she learned to cook by osmosis? Buck taught her.” Avery’s mom gasped. So, she did not know that.
Avery’s dad asked, “Buck can cook?” I answered, “Yes. He learned because he knew his sister was going to have to betaught and you guys couldn’t be bothered to teach her! Which meant she’d have been whipped for not knowing how.” Dalton snarled along with everyone else.
I waved my hand, “I’m sure Buck can take videos and show you pictures, and he probably will… he just won’t show them to you. Because like me, Buck knows you’re pieces of crap who never tried with Avery.”
“Buck deserves to be here because has always loved Avery and showed her publicly and privately. YOU TWO are the ones who made him think he had to orchestrate me helping her. Which he did do, by the way. That entire event was his plan… which is insane that he thought he could do nothing himself, and it is YOUR FAULT!” Freya’s voice mixed with mine.
I was so angry I was vibrating, “You kept Buck AND Avery from their potential. You made Buck think you love him though. I just know… you don’t. You held him back… in every single way. Now, Buck’s the Gamma… the GAMMA. Avery’s going to be a Luna and all of that is despite you. You’re not crossing into this territory. Are they, Dalton?”
Dalton snorted, “Hell no they are not.” Cassie snorted, “Even if he said yes, I was going to say no.” They did a fist bump. Dalton winked, “Alpha bloods are united on this. As allies do.” Dalton shot a glare at Avery’s parents.
Blue Moon Warriors showed up on the border Avery’s parents were on. I smiled practically singing, “You’re about to get kicked out of the territory you’re in. Which would… embarrass you on every level... and Buck won’t listen to you complain about it. Especially since he’s not here arguing for you.”
“That means he’s mad you came… uh oh…you’re in trouble with your Gamma, which means he’s going to tell Caine and Dax, who are here, that he’s pissed… they will even notice…because Buck is their Gamma. Just leave.”
Avery’s dad sighed, “Fine, but this isn’t over.” Dalton snarled, “It is over. Unless Avery invites you somewhere you stay the HELL away from her. She’s my family now.” I forced myself not to wince because that was a good thing.
It was… it just stung hearing Dalton defend someone as family when no one did that for me. He was even supposed to. I was supposed to be here when he took over. Cassie wrapped an arm around me. Zane added, “Plus, you upset Ladybug. We just got her back and you people aren’t ruining that for us.”
Dalton agreed, “You aren’t. You had her in that pack. You are old enough to know you should’ve reported her treatment to someone, even if you believed you were her foster pack. My allies have been talking my pack leadership down from killing off everyone your age in your pack.” They had?
Dalton warned, “Want to bet if Alexander agreed with me everyone else would? He doesn’t currently know about the discussion, but I could tell him.” They all paled. Cassie laughed, “My brother wouldn’t care about a groups decision anyway.”
Dalton hummed, “No, he probably wouldn’t.” Cassie declared, “You could tell Alexander you felt that way about their age bracket, and he would simply kill all of them. Which I’d have to help with because he’s about as subtle as a wrecking ball.”
Hastein and Gabe came over to our group. Gabe said, “I told you, brother. I knew if we hung around here something interesting would happen.” Hastein snorted, “You did not say it would be because of Alexander’s mate.” Umm… the odds were actually solid it would involve me. They were even high. Freya pleaded, “I beg of you to say that out loud.”
Gabe retorted, “With all the Fairies running around here, how was I supposed to guess that?” I answered, “Umm because of who was getting married, me being in my home pack again, and the drama that happened the last time I was here.” Dalton snorted.
I asked, “What? There was over an eighty percent chance the drama would involve me.” Dalton and Zane smirked at me looking deeply amused by that accurate statement of facts. Dylan Frost jumped out of an SUV and yelled, “MelAshley is right! PICK ME CREEPY NINJA ASSASSIN PRINCE! I knew that the drama would’ve involved her. I would’ve told you that, but I didn’t know you were invited.”
Hastein shrugged saying, “I don’t tend to need an invitation to the places I want to go.” I wanted to glare at him even though he was right. Hastein didn’t need an invitation, but he kept not being where he was supposed to be. Which meant getting Kingsley and him together was practically impossible because he was rude….with his schedule changes at thelastminute.
Dalton linked, “Whoa there on the annoyed glare with the Hackura Crown Prince. Why are you annoyed with him?” I answered, “He… is annoying… and I tried… and he didn’t… ugh. It’s complicated.” Dalton nearly laughed but advised, “Just cool it on the gaze. I’m sure whatever you want to happen you can work out now that you’re Alexander’s.” That was true.
Dylan snorted, “I love them and the superiority they exude because Creepy Ninja Assassin is right. No one in their right mind would kick him out. Or try to but if they did, I’d better have FRONT ROW seats!” Hastein laughed, “We are simply here because of how the other mating ceremony went.” His eyes went to mine. Well, that wasn’t my fault… at all….but it was in my percentages of why this one would be interesting. So… Hastein wasn’t wrong.
I blushed saying, “Well, this seems to be under control… so Virgil, go find your seat… and I’ll just… umm go.” Cassie popped us back near my friends. My future sister in law asked, “Why were you sad when Dalton defended Avery?”
I explained, “It wasn’t because he defended her… it was because he never defended me. Those two people out on thatborder hate me. A lot. Avery’s dad said a lot of things to me and… it’s not really… you know… umm… today isn’t about me. I just wished he would’ve backed me up… a lot… but he didn’t.”
Cassie gently said, “Dalton would’ve been on your side and defending you if he’d known.” I nodded, “I know… plus he said it…. after Zane did… so… that’s all true. It’s just so hard sometimes… because he’s exactly who I thought he was… he never changed… I did.”
Cassie reasoned, “We all grow up and change. Everyone here still loves you.” That didn’t exactly make sense… because they didn’t know me anymore… but I loved them, so maybe it did. Cassie had just walked back into the room when Xander linked me about Buck.
Of course he’d go talk to Cayden and Micah. Was he insane?! I sighed, “Be right back.” Avery yelled, “What’s wrong?” I snorted, “Wrong? Why would you say that? Who said anything was wrong? No one… that’s who. You’re talking crazy… someone get the bride a drink… or some coffee… definitely coffee.”
Addison linked me, “What happened?” I sighed, “I have to go stop Micah and Cayden from kicking Buck’s… butt… or killing him. I don’t really know which…feels like old times though.” Addison snorted, “You didn’t stop either of them from killing Buck the day of that incident.”
I gasped, “Well, I was….angry….and…I didn’t them specifically…I meant keeping Buck alive… from people attacking….that’s a thing I did a lot…ok he’s helpful…but I still saved him, several times…Booker was probably trying to get people to kill him because he’d be a good Gamma…now that I’m thinking about it.” Addison admitted, “That actually has merit.” I knew that.
Before I reached the door someone, I assumed it was Cassie, snapped me into my dress for the ceremony. It was really pretty.Avery had good taste. I linked Caine, “Why are you LETTING Buck talk to Cayden and Micah?! That’s a horrible idea.”
