I linked mom, “I’m really glad you’re ok. I love you, mom.” She smiled replying, “I love you too, son.” I kissed mom’s head again then announced, “Now, I’m off to gouge out some eyes.” Dad roared with laughter while mom frowned.
Mom wryly said, “I think in all the lecturing and raised voices you all forgot to mention something. Why the fuck is our son gouging out people’s eyes?” I winked at dad saying, “Because they deserve it.” Mom said, “As if there was a fucking doubt about that.” I popped into the dungeons.
I wasn’t surprised to find Drake McAlister already there. My father in law greeted me without turning around, “Alexander.” I replied, “Drake.” My father in law turned, “She’s my pup and they were looking at her like she was a goddamn adult when she wasn’t.”
The guy behind him said, “To be fair, that’s what she wanted.” Drake snarled, “She was FIFTEEN YEARS OLD!” I said, “If you want to talk about fair, in this realm Melanie was not a fucking adult. Wolves should probably consider those sixteen and up to be adults, but my mate was fifteen.”
I paused then added, “You are also in the human realm. Here, if you caught by the police one of their attention then her age would be a problem and you’d be in jail.” I turned to my father in law, “You can kill them if you want to, Drake. I just want to do one thing first.” Drake seemed shocked by my response.
Gage snorted, “Did I or did I not call that, Phil?” Phil said, “We both did.” Drake asked, “Just one thing?” I nodded. My father in law agreed, “Ok.” I smiled and conjured a hot metal rod in my hands. Without hesitation, or remorse, I shoved it through the right eye of the one closest to me. The guy screamed bloody murder while I repeated the process with his other eye.
The rest were crying before I even touched them. Phil said, “I can’t tell if this is sad or if I understand, because they see what is coming for them.” Gage said, “We go with sad, since they were just talking about being Supernatural’s.” I still gouged all their eyes out. Oden said, “That’s done and now we feel better.” My wolf wasn’t wrong, I did feel better.
Drake was trying not to laugh. One guy asked, “Why did you do that?” I answered, “Because you looked at what’s mine with lust, that’s why. You did miss the best part of Mel’s routine since you were drugged though.”
Drake muttered, “That was too much information.” Gage agreed, “We were so close to perfection here too.” I continued, “They saw the start of it and her all the same. They tried to offer her money for sex, which would’ve made her uncomfortable.” The guy hissed, “We thought she was a stripper!”
I shot back, “SO WHAT?! She still deserves your respect. If my wife offered that for money that’s one thing, but she didn’t. Lie all you want, but I don’t buy you didn’t know she was underage.” The guy muttered, “She didn’t look underage.”
I snorted, “Don’t evade with someone who has Fairy blood. Melanie might not have looked underage, but you knew she was. Now that her dad knows that; best of luck to you.” I popped away, but not before seeing the look of pure rage on Drake’s face. Gage linked, “Hell of a parting line, Alexander. I’m out.” Phil sighed, “I’ll just call Peter and be out myself.” Good.
The next few days, I couldn’t let Melanie out of my sight. I’d ordered KJ, Fowler, and Chason to stay closer to her, and not behind the scenes like they had been doing. I could tell it was irritating my wife, but I didn’t care.
We were in the gym when people started leaving. It ended up being us, KJ, Fowler and Chason. All of whom were avoiding looking at me. I asked, “Why did everyone leave?” Oden snorted,“I think you know considering I do.” Yeah, well I wanted my mate to say it.
Melanie said, “I told them to. I’m guessing those three…. are still here because you ordered them to stalk me.” KJ, Fowler, and Chason winced. I argued, “They are not stalking you. I ordered them to be close to you and to not let you get hurt.”
Melanie took a deep breath then said, “I’m not made of glass, Xander. I can handle myself… and I have proved that. One could say… a lot. I am good fighter, and I can’t always take them with me if I need to leave.”
I growled, “They don’t have powers and can wear a mask.” Melanie pinched the bridge of her nose explaining, “Their goal would be to protect me.” I snarled, “Yes it would because you are their Luna and it’s my damn goal!”
Melanie pursed her lips, “I’m not some Luna who can’t fight or should be kept out of the fight. You had your Guard, and don’t think… I didn’t see those three wolves you have guarding me… lurking nearby just in case I got by the Hackura Guards.”
“Which, I mean… I could… let’s be honest… but it would be difficult and I didn’t want to. I get tired sometimes too. I know they are in here too… which is overkill. The point is, I’m more than capable as a fighter. Which you know… so I don’t understand why you are doing this.”
I told her, “I am fully aware of how capable you are, and I’m damn proud of you for it.” Melanie hummed, “Uhh that doesn’t make sense then… because your actions contradict that statement… but you can’t lie. Your Hackura guard is even shadowing me… at all times. It’s excessive.”
I told her point blank, “I will do anything and everything I have to do to protect you, and I won’t apologize for that.” Melanie frowned, “Ok… but I can fight. I’m good at it and you know it.” Oden warned me, “Mate really doesn’t get it yet.”
I agreed out loud with Melanie, “You are an incredibly talented fighter. One could easily argue a generational talent, and I would be one of those arguing the validity of that statement. The problem is you also keep getting hurt and I cannot keep seeing that.”
“You saw me get grazed by a bullet, turned into a glow stick, and electrocuted people. I can use lightning when I make it rain to do that, but you keep getting injured when I’m not there. It’s maddening to me on every single level.”
Melanie frowned, “That’s not my fault though… and I can’t always help that. I didn’t know you could see it… if I had… I would’ve disabled the feeds. I’m responsible for people….” I growled interrupting, “I don’t want you to disable the feeds. You are responsible for people, but I am responsible for you as your mate and Alpha.”
Melanie groaned, “That’s… not romantic… at all.” I said, “I’m not trying to be romantic, but if you’d like that I’ll go there.” Melanie blinked as I continued, “I am your mate and you are my everything. My whole world falls and rises with the cadence of your breathing. I spent every moment since you were born wondering when we’d meet. The fact we didn’t brought out my moody and angry side.”
“I had a jaded view of myself thinking other people thought badly of me. Knowing what happened to you while I thought it was about me, guts me. You were never supposed to be hurt. You were supposed to be safe and living your dream.”
“I will not let go of you and the life we have. I will not let go of the happiness you bring to my life. I am supposed to protect you. Instead I’ve watched you take bullets to the vest, jump between vehicles as they explode, fall through sunroofs, get stabbed, and I’ve seen some horribly epic shit done to you in the Ribbon.”
“I stood there helplessly as the sixteen year old you cried out for me, begging for me to come save you as that wretchedbastard whipped and branded you. Is that fair? Not entirely because she wasn’t my you. Her me came for her.”
“All while I live with the knowledge that you cried out for me and I wasn’t there. I know you cried out for me when you were shot in Red Run, and when Freya was suppressed. I can’t keep seeing this shit happen to you. It makes me feel like a bad mate to you and a failure.”
Melanie’s eyes filled with tears and my mate hugged me. My wife whispered, “You’re the best mate. You’re everything I’ve always wanted. Our life is what I always wanted and never thought I could have. You’re literally making my dreams come true after I lived a nightmare.”
“So…. I’ll deal with the closer shadows… for now. Because… I do understand your Alpha, Hackura, and even Fairy blood would have trouble feeling that way… so… this is ok for the time being. I’ll also do my best to stop letting you see me get hurt.”
