I demanded, “Ask Phil who Xander is giving a tour to. It has to be her… and Gage is in the gym… but he probably knows anyway.” Abigail snorted. Sierra said, “Well, if it is Cheyenne then her brother is also here and you don’t care about that detail. That’s not a look of caring. Asking Phil.”
I muttered, “I already knew he was coming with her. So… no I don’t really care… that he’s practically third wheeling what is a date inCHHEYYYY’SSSmind.” Freya snarled in my head. After a moment Sierra winced.
Abigail groaned, “Yeah. I asked Gage, so I know what Si does.” Sierra admitted, “So, your Xander is giving them a tour.” It burned. I knew I was right before I had the answer, but it still burned. Freya was snarling in my head.
I told my wolf, “We are going to be nice untilCheygives us a reason not to.” Freya snorted, “Then we won’t have to wait long.” I told her, “That does appear to be true…. but Cheyenne can’t know we are the white wolf. She’d sell that information to the highest bidder. So… no shifting.”
Freya grumbled, “If we kill her then she can’t tell anyone.” I nearly choked on my water. I replied, “Killing her is not off the table, but she has to do something to deserve that. Wanting our mate and running background checks on us does not warrant death.”
Freya grumbled, “It could.” My wolf closed our link. Great. Now I had to keep a temperamental, somewhat homicidal, goddess wolf calm over some rude she wolf I already didn’t like. UGH. Why me? I was not equipped for this. I handled bad she wolves… from bad packs… not ones who our allies, and my mate… were friends with.
This has to be what Grandma Esther was talking about which meant… there were people who could help me. I called Tristan. My big brother answered, “Hey, Ladybug! How was the trip? Keep in mind I’m asking about scenery and not anything else.”
I said, “Uh huh. It was lovely. Are you with Jase?” Tristan answered, “Actually, yes.” After a moment he said, “You’re on speaker phone, Ladybug.” I stared at the phone then said, “That’s utterly pointless, T. Jase can hear me with or without being on speaker phone.” I heard someone laugh. I greeted, “Hi, Dalton. Normally, I’d have more to say to you… but currently… I have problems.”
Dalton groaned, “Oh god why?” I snorted, “There’s always problems… when you think about it. Anyway… can either of my brothers tell me why I don’t have a text warning me that a she wolf who wants my mate is in town?!”
I heard an intake of breath. Paige gasped, “Excuse me? I will curse the SHIT out of her. Wait, no! Someone tell me Cheyenne isn’t here. Tell me that’s not a thing. I do NOT have enough snacks for this to be occurring.” Dalton asked, “How could you possibly know about Cheyenne. My Witch?”
Paige snorted, “There were days Dalton, my love, if Melanie’s Xander farted I could tell you about it. Let alone the she wolfwho is borderline obsessed with him. Is she here? Because it’s gonna go down!” Sierra sighed, “So hard.”
Abigail offered, “I wasn’t in the core group, but I also know about this woman.” Because Cheyenne had visited Black Mountain while I was helping Abigail’s pack… and maybe I mentioned it… a thousand times.
Jason said, “Ok, we were coming to see you tonight and let that detail be known. We were hoping you guys wouldn’t run into them today.” I snorted, “Really? Did you? Because the obsessed with my mate she wolf… clocked my mate the second we got back. He’s giving that woman and Lomax a tour.”
Paige snorted, “A tour? You’re joking. Lomax and Cheyenne have been coming to Black Mountain for over a decade. They don't need a tour. Mel did say Lomax was here, right?” Sierra confirmed, “He is.” Paige snorted, “Well, there’s a small saving grace.”
I said, “While I know that they don’t need a tour, Paige…. clearly you know that… it seems to be that pesky Y chromosome acting up again not realizing basic things. For example, the fact that two people who have been traveling here for over a decade don’t need a tour.”
“Or the fact that she obviously knew when we were coming home… which I was warned about. Except I didn’t realize it was the LITERAL MOMENT we got back.Chhhheyyyytimed her request so Xander would show up and give her the stupid, unnecessary tour.”
Tristan asked, “What are you going to do, Ladybug? Because I’m sensing you buzzing around like a bug and not a lady right now.” Jason snorted “Sensing? I can hear it in her tone.” I snorted, “What am I going to do? Better question….What would you do if someone kept KISSING YOUR MATE?!”
They all growled. Vindication filled me while Freya growled in my head. I shouted, “Exactly!” Dalton said, “It’s on the cheek.”I snorted, “So…you’d let that fly, Dalton? I recall you once saying you’d pluck someone’s eyes out for looking at your mate in a way you didn’t like.”
Dalton said, “No, I’d hate it and not let it fly. I’m out. Ladybug is too smart for this conversation. That’s all you guys.” Paige cooed, “He’s such a smart man. Also, I’d curse the SHIT out of some bitch, who is not related to you, for kissing your cheek Dalton. So, bare that warning in mind.”
Jason asked, “Mel?” I said, “I’m going to wait forCheyyyyyyto slightly mess up and kick her butt in the fighting ring.” Jason warned, “Cheyenne is a decent fighter who has sparred with Alexander for years, Ladybug.”
I snorted, “You did not just say that… to me… of all people.” Abigail groaned, “He did. You’re lucky you’re on the phone, Jase. A Warrior in our pack mentioned that and he ended up hospitalized and educated on all things Cheyenne.” Well… I was drunk when that happened.
Tristan shouted, “You fought someone drunk?!” I replied, “Uhhh I do that a lot… or did… so it was fine. Jase,Cheyyyyyyis a mediocre fight who is not focused enough to be as good as she could be. She only trains when she’s coming to see Xander to impress him but her skills wane when she’s not. Even if she was the best that pack had to offer… I could take her. Easily.”
Dalton said, “For the record, Melanie is correct. I’ve seen Chey fight and there’s no competition between Ladybug and Cheyenne.” Tristan asked, “How do you know all that, Ladybug?” I snorted, “For the same reason she hired a private investigator to look into me. Because I know who my enemies are … inside and out.”
Paige gasped, “PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR?!” I replied, “Yeah. The difference betweenCheyyyyyand I is that I’m so much better than her P.I. Not to mention I also don’t have to pay someone to get information. I can get it myself. I also don’t stickto the legal means. Not that P.I.’s always do, but the one she uses has morals.”
Tristan said, “We need a Fairy ride to Black Mountain.” Paige agreed, “Heck yes, we do. I’ve been gearing up for the Cheyenne / Melanie show down for years. Someone mention where she’s from, please. For me.”
I growled in warning. Dakota offered, “Umm Ok. Cheyenne is from Europe.” The lid on my rage box rattled. Paige snickered. I shouted from my actual soul, “CHEYENNE IS NOT FROM EUROPE! SHE IS FROM WYOFREAKINGMING! WYOMING! WHICH IS IN THE UNITED STATES!”
“They do not kiss people on their cheeks in Wyoming. Who is the ONLY person around here she does that with again? MY MATE! Wanna know why? Because she wants him…. and no one else.Cheyyyyyyuses her mother’s Italian side to get away with saying she’s from Europe.”
“Cheyenne’sancestors are from Italy. Her MOTHER is from Italy. SHE IS FROM WYOMING! Where she was raised, by the way… and she GOOGLED Italian customs to get away with KISSING MY MATE! She comes around here, in her barely there shorts and sports bras trying to get my mate.”
Jason said, “Ok, so you’ve gone in deep if you know what Cheyenne is googling for god’s sake. You know that around here women wear what they are comfortable in to work out.” I snarled, “Oh? And you think that’s whatCheyyyyis doing?”
Tristan said, “I did until you said it that way. Something tells me now that the answer is no.” I replied, “You are correct, it’s not. Everywhere else,Cheyyyyyywears yoga pants and a tank top. Sometimes a t-shirt. Magically when she comes here…suddenly she’s a barely there outfit kind of girl. No… that’s not even kind of logical. So, outthink your Y chromosome with your Beta blood.” I hung up the phone.
