Anastasia was going to work overtime once I told her my suspicion. She would want her family to accept her mate… and not be worried he’d hurt her. Anastasia’s family wasn’t actually that bad… they were kept silent and out of the way.
Slade was the one running things. Her family didn’t actually have power within the Hunter’s group right now. Anastasia and I were working to install her oldest brother, Dimitri… as their true and legitimate leader though. We had a plan. A plan that Dimitri himself was involved with.
Xander pulled my hand and tugged me down into his lap, then buried his head into my neck. My mate said, “Just so you know, I’m over being separated from you. I’ve lived far too long without you and I won’t go back to that time in my life.” I blushed while Freya purred.
I told him honestly, “I’ve missed you my whole life. It was more of a longing when I lived in Red Run, but in Black Path… it was like missing a piece of my soul.” Xander nuzzled me before promising, “Never again, Lovebug.” We sat like that for several moments.
Xander sighed, “We should get back.” I asked, “Where are we?” Xander laughed, “My secret place. Well, now it’s our secret place.” I asked, “Which is… where?” Xander smirked, “It’s our home in Red Run. I bought the place because I knew you got homesick. So, I planned for us to stay here.”
I gasped, “You what?” Xander smirked, “I always wanted you to be comfortable.” I took a deep breath as tears sprang into my eyes over my mate’s thoughtful gift. Without thought I wrapped my arms around him, throwing myself into kiss him.
My husband popped us home to Black Mountain while I reeled. Xander bought me a house… on land even… because I used to get homesick. Ok… I still did… I just hid it from people… and things. That was the sweetest thing of all time for my husband to do.
I heard, “Well hells bells! Someone popped Ashley’s cherry. Good on you, man! Now the rest of us can have a turn.” Oh boy. Freya sighed, “Here you thought you were the only one who couldn’t keep what should be inside thoughts to yourself. That man is about to find out he should work on that.” I nearly laughed out loud.
Xander snarled, flicked his hand calling the wind, and threw Butch into a tree. I quickly said, “Butch, this is… .my mate.” Xander roared, “MINE!” EJ popped next to us and promptly looked at me. I shrugged, “I was just standing here… actually… I was kissing Xander.”
EJ snorted, “It’s not your fault. Butch should’ve watched his mouth.” Tristan and Jason joined us. I rolled my eyes, “I’m fine. He’s just… well… crass.” Tristan punched Butch, warning, “Don’t you ever talk about my sister like that again.”
Butch held up his hands apologizing, “Sorry, man. She’s always been single.” Xander growled, “You can see the mark on her damn neck! SHE IS MINE!” Butch spoke softly, “I couldn’t see her neck when you popped in all wrapped around her making out. Now I see it. No harm, no foul.” He muttered, “Except to my back and face.” I added, “Butch is harmless.”
Xander stalked back over to me and slammed his lips on mine in a possessive kiss. We lost ourselves in the passion. Someone cleared their throat eventually. Xander broke the kiss warning, “I swear to god if that wasn’t someone I know, they are dead.” Someone laughed.
EJ offered, “It was Jase. Butch ran away the second you turned your back on him.” Xander growled, “Then he better have run really fucking far.” I told my husband, “I’m only yours.” He growled and pulled me closer against him.
Jason said, “Yes, we know. Side note, because a bunch of new Alphas took their place when Mel sent out her bat signal, there’sa big Alpha conference and meeting in a few weeks. It’s in May, right before graduation for the high school seniors.”
Xander commented, “Well, Mel and I will be there.” Gage literally yelled from across the yard, “I told you he’d say that.” EJ sighed, “It’s Alphas and Betas only.” I offered, “I mean technically I am a Beta too, so… I can come.” EJ chuckled.
I added, “Plus those new Alphas are my friends.” Freya added, “Who will easily listen to you.” Exactly. EJ said, “Yes, well the Supernatural Council will be there.” Xander stiffened. I asked, “So?” Tristan snorted, “Due to that factor, we want you as far away from them as possible.”
I asked, “Huh? What? Why? I already… blackmailed them… they won’t bother me. So… I can come… right, Xander?” My husband groaned, “I don’t like it either, but I do want you very far away from them.” Gage commented, “Predictable!”
Freya grumbled, “We could just electrocute them all.” I said to the group, “Ok… weird… but ok. The Supernatural Council will figure out I'm the White Wolf eventually… if we don’t kill them right away… which isn’t the plan.”
I winced admitting, “Probably sooner than later since…. Sherman suspects. He might leak it that it’s possible to them. Which means they’d ask to see me shift… and then people would be mad.” Xander snarled, “Which means I’d rip their heads off.” Freya purred while Gage groaned.
I shrugged, “Eventually, everyone will figure it out.” Xander said, “I’d prefer if that happened later.” I muttered, “Well… not to be… like… a downer… but nothing we want with like big stuff… and secret keeping ever really happens. Nothing really ever seems to go our way.” EJ sighed, “Sadly, my sister in law is not wrong.”
Xander popped us inside. I said, “Wow… ok so… there are lots of happy faces in here.” Freya cackled, “You can’t even besarcastic.” I mean… I could, since I was being sarcastic. Freya just laughed along with the Fairies present.
Dad growled, “Melanie Jane, don’t ever do that again.” I sighed, “I mean if I have to….” Xander growled, interrupting me. I sat down and winced. I saw more than one person smirk and flushed red. I continued, “I’ll talk to Xander about it…. but I might have to do something like that.”
Dad clarified, “You’re saying won’t go off before you talk to Xander?” I corrected, “I’ll do my best… not to. I’m not saying that’s going to be an overnight change or anything… but I really will try.” Because Xander was right, we are a team.
My husband pulled me onto his lap. I winced into his neck. I linked Freya, “We will have a serious chat if you ever agree to let my butt hurt from spankings the following day.” Freya pouted, “Ok, but it made Oden so happy.”
I snorted, “I bet if I shifted, your hindquarters would be fine. So… no making deals about my ass. Feel free to make them about your own though… if you want.” Freya huffed, “I guess that’s fair.” I knew it was. Conversations happened around me, but I was just tired.
Honestly, I was mentally exhausted. Xander got up to continue said discussions with the main group. Slowly people left the room I was in, and I let myself relax for a second then tensed when I realized who had stayed back with me.
I greeted a man I used to consider my second dad, “Alpha Peter.” My former Alpha sighed, “I wish you would call me Peter. Ladybug, I am so sorry. I should’ve protected you.” I shrugged, “You didn’t know.”
Alpha Peter questioned, “Why did you start calling me that?” I sighed, “I mean recently… you asked me to use your first name instead of your last. I used to call you Alpha Kyle… which happened over time. I didn’t at first. I called you… somewherenorth of… ten times on the phone before it worked. It was my first time in the hole after a beating and whipping.”
“I didn’t want to relive… that experience. Which is insane…. because I did. Once I started calling you Alpha Kyle…. it became easier to handle your words… when the letters came… you were never nice. You always blamed me, and I blamed myself.”
Alpha Peter repeated, “I am so sorry they did that to you. If anything had happened to your parents, you would’ve been in our home so fast.” I felt a piece of myself I thought was settled, break off and surface. I put my head into my hands and cried.
