Freya made some corrections to what I’d learned but overall, she didn’t give many insights. Nor did Oden. I teased him, “Wolf halves can be obnoxious too.” Oden chuckled in response but didn’t say anything.
It started to sink in for my wife. Melanie panicked a little about being a goddess. I comforted her as best I could. Truth be told, I was struggling with it too. I knew Melanie would be perfect though. Freya had waited for her.
Oden coughed, “And us. Don’t forget our mate waited for us too.” My wolf had a point. I explained to Melanie that we’d have a meeting, the day after tomorrow, about it. My wife figured out it was Dylan’s manifesting meeting.
I wondered how Dylan would react if I had Melanie hack in and delete it off everyone’s calendar. I smirked thinking that might be a fun prank to keep in my back pocket. Melanie wanted to head to bed, and I was all for it.
My wife seemed preoccupied with some other thoughts she wasn’t sharing yet. I intended to distract her and prove how much I loved her. I would never forget things about us ever again. I’d set up a charm to have a sticky note hit me in the head or something. I’m sure Uncle Aiden would have ideas, and he’d find it funny. Plus, my Fairy Uncle really liked Melanie.
I turned on the shower then popped inside which made Melanie laugh. My mate quickly took her clothes off and joinedme. I started to wash her body enjoying that my mate shivered under my touch. I whispered in her ear, “And you thought we’d fall if we did this.”
Melanie snorted, “Without superhuman reflexes… we would absolutely fall doing this. Without a higher than regular body temperature one of us would also get cold doing this… I mean… not the washing part… but if like… we are doing other… things… that would be….”
I chuckled, “You can say sex, Lovebug.” My wife stuttered, “Well… I mean… we can just do this… that was presumptuous and….” I cut her off with a kiss. When I pulled back, I said, “It’s absolutely my intention to have sex.” My mate blushed.
Oden purred, “Mate is too adorable.” That she was and all ours. We lost ourselves in each other for hours. I fell asleep with her on my chest feeling cocky because Melanie was already asleep. Hopefully, we woke up like that.
I should’ve known better because we did not. I sighed when I woke up because my wife was gone. I got dressed and went downstairs. Oden linked, “Mate’s not here.” I frowned but found my dad in the kitchen.
I asked, “What’s wrong with this picture? No, I know the answer. The kitchen is not a war zone and it’s Thanksgiving. Where is mom? Where is my mate?” Dad snorted, “Your mate was up earlier than everyone like normal. Your mom counted on that detail and took Melanie the Hackura realm to work on their pie with Zoe.”
I asked, “And you’re in a bad mood because…?” I trailed off my sentence. Dad glared at me retorting, “I like waking up with your mom.” I raised an eyebrow grumbling, “Yeah, I can’t say I have much experience with that. I wake up and my mate is constantly gone.”
Dad smirked, “Get better at waking up with your mate then, son. The rest of us do not like the trend.” I rolled my eyesgrumbling, “If you can let me in on the secret, I’ll do my best. Also, don’t say sex. That’s clearly not it.”
Dad laughed, “It works for me.” I groaned, “Yes, we all know that. I do that but Melanie still wakes up early.” Tristan walked into the kitchen saying, “I am pretending I did not hear the start of that conversation. Ladybug used to sleep in all the time. Waking her up was complicated. I hate those Black Path assholes for what they did to my sister.”
I snarled, “I can’t imagine their techniques for getting her up early were anything but awful.” Oden said, “I want to kill them.” So did I. Tristan snorted, “They weren’t. Ladybug was beaten if she didn’t wake up on time. Addison told Jason about the things they did things to my little sister.” I growled.
Dad put his hand on my arm saying, “Melanie’s here now and your mate won’t be hurt like that again.” Tristan admitted, “I just hate that pack a lot. I wish I could round up more of the bad ones and kill them. I know some of the ones we left were mean to her, which kills me.”
I acknowledged, “I agree.” Dad said, “Sometimes people do the wrong thing because it’s how they are taught. Melanie is giving them a chance to change. If they don’t, we will be there to end their lives.” I sighed and nodded. Oden grumbled, “We should just kill them.” I’d be looking for an excuse to do just that.
I asked Tristan, “Are you guys coming to the Hackura realm today?” Tristan answered, “Yes, we want to spend the day with Ladybug, and that’s where she is. We haven’t had a family Thanksgiving in years. Plus, she’s been avoiding talking to us, which you know. We are taking your advice from yesterday and not getting on the schedule. We are just showing up.”
Dad snorted and I turned to him. Tristan asked, “Do you know something I don’t, Eric?” Dad replied, “I have theories. One, it’s cute you thought you weren’t coming to Thanksgiving at any point in time. My wife had a slew of curses Katie wouldimplement on you if you all thought you weren’t coming. You always were. Let that be so clear.”
“Two, your sister thinks you’re going to ask questions she doesn’t want to answer. Melanie gave me Aiden, and Bjourn information just fine. Melanie thinks you’re going to ask something she doesn’t want to answer, and she’s a bad liar.”
Tristan sighed, “I don’t think it’s crazy to want to know who got her into the Resistance. I know the Ring took Ladybug, but whoever brought her into the Resistance is someone we need to talk to. I can’t help but feel they are taking advantage of her.”
Dad replied, “Maybe, maybe not.” I raised an eyebrow asking, “How are they not? They send her into dangerous situations.” Dad pointed out, “I’ve watched your mate lead, and run into, dangerous situations all on her own. She commands people in different packs, not to mention Alpha’s.”
“Now that we know she’s the white wolf it makes sense. The fact remains that Alpha Caine defers to Melanie in fighting situation. So do his Beta and now Gamma. His now Gamma was the Male Lead Warrior running that pack for quite some time before Melanie came down there.”
“That pack and those leaders looked to Melanie. Even Emmett’s seasoned Warriors were looking at my daughter in law. Our seasoned warriors and Lead Warriors followed your wife’s plan of attack when Liam and Cory had every right to change her plan.”
“I’m not saying you're wrong, T. The Resistance leader could be taking advantage of the grief Melanie had along with her talents. There is Julian’s theory though. If it’s Mason or Hendrick, then they aren’t taking advantage of her.”
“They are giving Melanie the tools to get her revenge, and protect people, without placing herself in as much danger as if she were going about it alone. Then there’s my personal theory that’s forming no one recruited Melanie. If she found out aboutthe Resistance on her own, then she’d join it on her own. She’d march right in and demand to fight for their cause.” I could see that too.
I thought about that. I said, “I don’t think Mason or Hendrick would’ve sent Mel to save Blaise and Tenley on her own.” Dad pointed out, “She wasn’t alone, but I don’t know if they send your wife anywhere. She could send herself. If Mason and Hendrick are behind this then Melanie could pick and choose what she wanted to do.”
Tristan sighed, “We could be right though.” Dad conceded, “There is absolutely a chance you are right. Someone could’ve manipulated a smart girl using her grief. Now, she’s deeply embedded into the organization. Melanie has her own sense of protecting people. She also has a way to reach people that we simply don’t.”
“My daughter in law understands where they came from. We don’t and never really will. Haley can but there’s something about knowing where people have been coming from. They can resonate with it. I wish Melanie didn’t have that in common with them but she does.”
“I think my daughter in law has a unique ability to reach people without having their past, but unfortunately she does. Melanie certainly knows a lot of unique people. I’d bet your other cousins have probably asked her to introduce them in case their mates are in her network, son.”
