Stronger With Me #4
I replied, “Hastein hasn’t announced he found his mate.” I didn’t even know he had. Emmett snorted, “I know that. I knew he had because Uncle Heath told me, but it was a secret. It won’t matter to Hastein that he hasn’t announced it.”
I asked, “Ok, so Luna Melanie is….” Emmett interrupted, “In the clutches of the Ring which is all on purpose. Apparently, she has a plan. Alexander does not care for her plan. Which means the Conners do not care for her plan. All that to say, we are going to war.”
I looked at Odette. I asked Emmett, “Who is watching Odette?” Emmett answered, “The Warriors I assigned are staying behind to watch her. Immy has some assigned to her as well. Jules is being pulled off her because she’s coming with us. The wolf shadows should be enough.” He was right.
That wasn’t going to go over well with Immy though. She was perfectly capable of fighting, but I wasn’t going to wade into those waters. I was sure Joanie and my mom would say enough. Immy’s skills were easily being underutilized because her family was overprotective.
Odette joked about her friend coming to help us or being the one to hold Luna Melanie hostage.
Thankfully, her friend was not behind this since I really didn’t want to tell her, ‘oh hey so Supernatural’s exist, and your friend got her head exploded because Alexander does that to people when he’s mad. ’
‘Then there is the fact that Melanie is his mate and he loves her. Oh, and uhhh you’re my mate.
Sorry about your friend being dead, but she messed with the Supernatural world.
Don’t panic.’ I was certain that would not go over well.
Channing agreed, “Not well at all, but we can watch out for mate’s friend that’s not coming to help us save Freya. ” Yeah, that would be easy.
I didn’t want to leave Odette. Ken linked me, “She’s safe.” I replied, “You’re coming, aren’t you?” Ken answered, “I’ll be there tomorrow. It sounds like the battle will be then. I’ll stay with not Katie until I can’t.” I nodded.
The thrill of gearing up for a fight began to hum in my veins like it never had before. By the time I pulled up to the house I was more than ready for whatever fight Luna Melanie was bringing us into. The Ring had long since gone unchecked. We were due for this war.
Grandpa Frank grabbed me, “The meeting is in the gym.” I nodded and walked that way.
Emmett was briefing everyone, “We are going to Missouri. Luna Melanie is laying a trap for the Ring. We already have word that several Covens, Vampires, and Demons the Axe had under surveillance have started to gather in Missouri.”
Emmett ordered, “Warriors be ready to go since we will leave as soon as we get word from Alpha EJ. The Ring has sat back in the shadows for too long now. We are going to strike at them and bring our allies Luna home.”
“Look alive Yellow Hills, the techy Luna has made a lot of friends. Keep your eyes and ears open. I want people to know we are an ally they can count on. A lot of new Alphas will be there. I want their packs to trust us and our word. That starts with me and my family, but I want you to have their back as well.” Everyone nodded and we dispersed.
Once it was just family Emmett said, “It appears there were several times this event could’ve taken place.
Beta Toby sent a memo, but I think it’s missing some things.
” I asked, “What do you mean?” Emmett sighed, “Melanie stopped a bunch of plans from happening to people related to Alexander. I just think the Alphas let it go too soon with her friends.”
Malachi coughed, “I did.” I snorted. I should’ve known the Miller’s hung back. Emmett laughed, “True. Malachi thinks…” I interrupted, “Which means the Beta’s of Black Mountain also think what he does.”
Malachi admitted, “I’m sure they do. It just doesn’t track that only attempts for Conners family were made. We know that the Ring wanted Lexi…” Dad, me, and all my brothers snarled. Malachi sighed, continuing, “and Emma”
I growled, “Emmett, where is she?” Emmett answered, “Finn is on alert. The memo he sent is interesting, with a touch of rage.” I surmised, “So all the Beta’s know that this is wider than Red Run and Black Mountain. Because Melanie would’ve protected Red Run too.”
Emmett pointed out, “She has a serum to help us. Melanie saved Emma’s life from Mintor poisoning. She’s not just watching them. She’s been watching us all from afar.” I felt a pang in my heart for her. She was supposed to be part of us, and she felt like she was on the outside.
In some ways, I could probably relate to her more than anyone else here.
I was a part of this group my whole life, but since Lisa came into my life; I didn’t feel like I belonged with them.
I felt like I was on the outside. I was never tortured or abused, but I knew what it felt like to protect this group in the shadows.
She just did it on a much larger, more impressive scale.
Channing added, “Freya’s human included us, and we basically joined the moment we drew that circle. ” True.
Melanie could help me find Odette’s dad, I knew she would. The second Odette was ready; I would ask Alexander’s wife for her help. Channing linked, “We need to get her back first.” I snorted, “I have no doubt Melanie’s plan will work, and we will get her back.”
Channing replied, “That’s true. Plus, she has her wolf. Freya will be victorious.” He sounded very proud. I felt bad for Alexander though. The man just got his mate. She’s got this whole tortured soul thing going on, and he had to live with it.
Melanie also didn’t quite have the training we all did to be a leader.
It was just thrust on her. She was basically ruling as an Alpha with no Beta.
That she listened to anyway. Sierra was her Beta, but Melanie didn’t listen to her counsel like Emmett would Malachi.
Holy shit. It really was Melanie running the Resistance!
I thought it, but now I know it’s true. Channing snickered in my head.
My dad asked, “What are you thinking so hard about?” I shook myself, “Sorry. Did I miss something?” Emmett said, “No, but you study people. What are you thinking?” I sighed, “I’m just thinking Melanie was thrust into a role at fourteen she wasn’t supposed to be in yet.
She was supposed to be here with us and should’ve met Alexander. ”
I continued, “Melanie would’ve been prepared by multiple Luna’s. The Hackura would’ve had her observing their royalty and how they run things. Aiden would’ve done the same with the Fairies. Instead, she was in a pack where she had all of it thrown in her lap with no training.”
“Melanie was sheltered in Red Run, but she saw how Alpha Peter listened to her dad; and vice versa with Luna Chelsea and her mom. That means she should’ve listened to someone else. It also means something I thought was bat crap crazy is true.”
Emmett sighed, “I’m not sure what the bat crap crazy part is, but I do know Melanie saw that relationship in Red Run. So, I don't understand why the crazy techy Luna doesn’t listen to Sierra Kern. Or any of them really.”
I shook my head, “That’s the thing, she did listen. They’ve stopped Melanie from contacting us a lot. Which is probably not helpful in any of these situations now. They were operating under what they thought was best.”
“Melanie ignored her instincts and she’s highly intelligent. She blames herself for listening. I’m sure all the little moments that could’ve changed everything play in her mind a lot. That she berates herself mentally.”
Mom asked, “What do you mean?” I said, “All the people I’ve studied, even if they aren’t smart, that have been abused berate themselves over their errors. Most people do actually. Women in particular stay awake at night thinking over some miniscule mistake they made.”
Malachi snorted, “Damn. How in depth do his reports go?” Emmett proudly answered, “Very.” Channing asked, “Are you going to tell them the Resistance Leader theory?” I replied, “I’m getting there. Let me build it up.” Channing chuckled.
I continued, “Melanie, from all the scenarios we know about, reacted, and listened to her gut to save those she loved. If she’d hung around a minute or two longer, if she’d ever gone out when Alexander was out, her life would’ve changed.
If she’d told Cayden the truth, everything changes.
All of those are things her friends discouraged. ”
Alexandria asked, “Do you think she blames them? Because I talked to Melanie at the Summit, and she loves her friends. They are family to her.” I shook my head, “No, she doesn’t blame them. Melanie blames herself. Not unlike Aunt Haley is blaming herself for their situation.”
I glanced at my mom and the look on her face told me I was right, but I knew that already. I felt really bad for Aunt Haley. It wasn’t her fault, but she always carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, and she was seriously internalizing her issues
I shook myself and kept going, “Melanie, had a different time experience than we did. Emmett and Malachi were raised together and had good mentors. Malachi has always had sound advice. Sierra didn’t know the same life that Melanie did.”
“Melanie had to train them all. Their advice is colored by their past and Melanie’s training. She must feel that’s another failure on her head. That’s a big burden though. At fourteen years old, she had to train a future Alpha who had no training.”
“She could probably train Dax better because she lived in a Beta household. Then she was taking others under her wing. She amassed this whole network in the dark. She didn’t have the training to do this, and she managed to do it anyway.
It comes back to the fact that she’s had herself to rely on.
Melanie loves and considers those around her family, but the burden always came back to her. ”