Chapter Twenty-Six
Even though I’d planned this video with the intention of doing this very thing, I’d given myself a back out clause. But now that some bastard had the audacity of hacking into my live stream, there was only one way forward.
This had become bigger than me. It was about making sure Velvet didn’t die in vain. And Jen didn’t die.
Full stop. Full send.
“My real name is Ellie Carmichael.” I peeled the wig away from my head and shook out my hair.
I tried not to think how mousy and plain in looked in contrast to the platinum blonde curly wig I’d been wearing.
What a stark contrast my reality was to my fantasy.
“And no one has ever taken me seriously.”
I paused to catch my own breath, but I also wanted to see how the viewers reacted.
Of course, I couldn’t see their faces. That had been the original promise—we all stayed anonymous and had a good time.
But the contract had been broken, and it was time to reclaim it with every fucking tool we had at our disposal.
This wasn’t the first time I’d weaponized Ellie, and I finally had the power to make sure it would be the last.
The viewer count didn’t go down. It was actually increasing.
“I don’t want you to feel bad for me,” I said, giving them my biggest brightest smile.
Without the makeup and the crazy outfits, it still worked.
Under all the disguises and the frosting, I was still Synamon Fucking Honey.
“This is hardly a pity party. Think of it as my coming out. My debutante ball.”
The comments were going wild.
Nice to meet you. Ellie.
You’re even more beautiful without the costume
Just tell us whose ass to kick. We’ll be there.
And so many more.
“Being overlooked was kind of my superpower,” I continued.
My spine straightened, and something familiar flooded through my veins—power.
It was a frequent occurrence when I sat in front of the camera and entertained my viewers, but I thought it was the skits, the persona.
Turns out, it was me all along. “If you live outside of Boise, you might have made up your own stage names for me.
Hard ass, Bitch. Worse. Believe me, I heard them all when I denied your human plans to take land away from shifters like my family.
“And it got me off more than than the peach cobbler video. It was sexier than stripping for you in front of this camera. But let me get one thing totally clear—shifters aren’t just here for your entertainment.
We live and love and have traditions we care so much about.
My family loved the 80’s--and that’s why Synamon wanted to share that with you.
I thought I could reclaim some of the magic that was stolen from my family.
But here’s the truth. I treated it like a dirty little secret, and today, I’m gonna make a promise—I'm never going to be quiet when someone wrongs someone I love ever again. Will you hold me to it?”
Yes!
We promise, anything for you, Synamon.
Fuck yeah
We’re your family now, and we fight for family.
I took a moment to look at Brad. He was still behind the camera, watching over me, protective as fuck.
I expected him to make me stop, to step in, to take control. I had to guess that Barrett and Bellamy were freaking out—I'd gone so far off script and this was just the beginning. To be honest, I had no idea what would come out of my mouth next.
But this bear, this strong, gorgeous bear who’d done everything in his power to keep me safe wasn’t stopping me. He wasn’t trying to take my power away.
His gaze was on me, like it frequently was, and just like always it was full of love and admiration, It took me a while to fully accept that at face value.
But I was finally ready to drink it in like the finest whiskey.
This bear was top shelf, solid, something I’d never dared to wish for because he was a bigger fantasy than anything Synamon Honey could ever dream up.
And he was real, and he was fucking mine.
Those eyes were also shining with something I hadn’t been able to name until now. Admiration. Pride.
He wouldn’t stop me, dim my light, or underestimate me.
And that was his superpower.
The two of us would be unfreakingstoppable together. But first, we had to save my best friend’s life.
“My family lost everything in a bad, confusing, corrupt land deal. My parent’s lives were ruined because they weren’t taken seriously, and those good times, those nights that we used to do karaoke to Poison or have Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th marathons and argue who was scarier—Freddie or Jason—were gone. Stolen from us.”
A debate had sparked over the scariest horror movie dude and the best Poison songs in the comments, and I couldn’t be mad that they were missing the point, because my viewers got me. They loved these things as much as I did.
We shared a common love for a time we could never go back to.
“There’s no place for shifters to go when they lose their land. Nowhere for them to continue traditions humans can’t and don’t understand. I vowed I’d never let it happen to another shifter.”
My temperature spiked, and I slid out of my leather jacket. I didn’t do it to be sexy, but the comment section disagreed. Seemed like some of my biggest fans were definitely Team Ellie.
Whoa. Never saw that coming. But I couldn’t let their flattery, the recognition Ellie had always quietly craved, distract me.
“I fought in the most overlooked way I could—using city policies and state laws. Things so dry and boring fancy lawyers prayed no one would notice when they blatantly ignored.
“But I did.” I winked at the camera, growing more comfortable. “I noticed and I blocked their sorry asses. Then, the son of the developer who fucked over my clan wanted to take me on a date. But rest assured, the last thing he actually wanted was to get into my bed.”
Brad growled, and the comment section agreed with him.
“He wanted to get into my head, because he knew what I was doing. How dangerous I was, and he wanted to silence me.”
I paused. Turns out, I could tell my truth as dramatically as I could tell the stories I usually relied on during these lives.
“He couldn’t. And the last time we met face to face, he said he’d expose me. Thing is, fam, I never told him about Synamon Honey. I don’t know what he thinks he’s got on me. And I don’t know who’s really responsible for Velvet’s death or Jen’s disappearance, my ex, or the Centerfold Slasher.”
I leaned into the camera, and pulled a lip gloss from my little makeup bag. I traced my lips and blew the camera a kiss.
“I’m the most dangerous bitch you’ve ever overlooked.”
I took a deep breath and drew away from the camera.
“I hope to see you all next week at the Stepchild.”