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I closed my eyes. Gage said, “Just ask them.” Phil scoffed, “And have them run away from us? Have you met us? That would go poorly, and we’d hunt them down then mark them.

” I agreed with Phil, “We can’t force them to tell us.

All we can do is make them feel safe until they have to go back.

We can get them to open up. If we push them, they could take off like Phil predicts.

” I growled that part. Oden snarled, “MINE!” I knew that.

Phil muttered, “Then we’d have to march on down to Nashville because that has to be where they’d run. I don’t know what those guys are doing, but I KNOW it’s bad. I also know that I don’t want my mate, or my Luna anywhere near them. NOWHERE Alexander.”

I growled, “Do you think I like this? Or that I want them near those people my dad has ALWAYS thought are shady pieces of shit?” Gage replied, “I do not.” Our mates ran by us with clothes in their hands to the dressing rooms.

Phil snorted, “I actually think you want to go to nearest gym and beat someone to bloody pulp.” I inclined my head indicating he was right. That’s exactly what I wanted to do. I had to prioritize my wants here though.

I declared, “Melanie is my priority. She wants to spend this time before my mission just with us. She’s reeling. I can’t imagine being a Beta’s pup and finding out I didn't have a wolf.” Phil winced. I continued, “Only to find out at twenty years old you DO have a wolf.”

Phil sighed, “Ok, I’ll give you that, but it’s not really fair when you think about it. You have Alpha blood. You’re all about getting the answers, but you don’t have the urgency I do. I NEED answers. I have to know all the things.” Gage assured him, “I’ll be finding out what I can, Phil.”

We could hear our mates laughing. I looked at Phil practically pleading, “I need her, man. I need her not to disappear. She has a knack for being invisible and not around. I can’t lose her now that I have her. No, that’s not the right word. I WON’T lose her now that I have her. She’s mine.”

Phil teased, “And you’re her Xander. It’s adorable.” I glared at him saying, “Only Melanie can call me that.” Gage gasped, “She actually called him that to his face?” Phil answered, “Mmmhmmm.” He grumbled, “And I missed it.”

Phil rolled his eyes at me complaining, “I’m only your cousin and Beta but sure the Luna is the only one who gets special nickname privileges. I see how it is. Also, for the record, I said Ashley was meant to be my bestie. I’m obviously right, since she’s my Luna.”

I agreed, “Yes, ok fine. If it makes you feel better for us to acknowledge that you were right, that’s easily done.

She is going to be your friend because she’s your Luna.

” Phil smiled, “It’s so nice to hear you say that.

I do so love being right. It’s very fun for me.

” I rolled my eyes muttering, “Whatever.”

Sierra came out with her arms crossed. Phil said, “Gotta go, Gage. My mate is annoyed.” He snorted, “I’ll look into some stuff.” We hung up. I made the space heard before Sierra got to us. She looked a little suspicious but to my surprise she didn’t address Phil.

She looked at me saying, “I told Ashley that you don't care what we buy. In fact, I made her try on a lot of stuff. She looks great in it.” I glanced at Phil who shrugged. I admitted, “I don’t see the problem.” She threw her hands in the air shouting, “She just wants to get a coat!”

Oden growled, “We can afford more than a coat.” I knew that.

I told Sierra, “That won’t work. She’ll need a swimsuit and snowsuit.

We have a hot tub and a pool inside the house, and I want to take her snowboarding.

” Sierra nodded, “I got her all that and then some. Yet she insists she only needs the coat.” I winked at her.

Melanie ran out of the dressing room with eyes wide. She stammered, “Umm it all just… it’s gone. I didn't do anything, and it all just disappeared! I was putting everything back on hangers then it was gone like magic… oh my gosh!” She glanced at me.

She whisper yelled, “SAMANTHA! You told Xander to conjure the stuff back to the house! I told you I didn’t need all that.

” I kissed her stopping her rant. Oden said, “This is the most brilliant plan you’ve ever come up with.

Kiss her to stop the ranting.” It was because according to her family she did this a lot.

Which means I’d be kissing her all the time. Darn the luck.

Oden grumbled, “Until she got that etiquette coach.” Except she clearly didn’t have that coach or stop talking the way they missed with each breath they took.

Maybe the Supernatural Council had someone else writing their texts and emails and gave Melanie a script for their calls.

They probably had her keep them brief because she couldn’t lie well.

Sierra snorted, “So all we’ve needed this WHOLE time was him? We normally just let her rant.” Oden purred, “We are exactly what mate needs.” I ignored him enjoying the feel of her lips on mine. He said, “Freya said she also enjoys kissing us.” Good.

Phil snorted, “How long could a rant actually last?” Sierra laughed “It depends but it could be a few minutes… or hours. If she gets on a tangent, or she’s nervous, excited, angry, etcetera, it just goes on and on. There is no end in sight.”

I pulled back and looked into Melanie’s eyes. I told her, “I’ll buy and give you whatever you want. I want to take you to do some things while we are here. I left the coats here because I want to show you around the town.” She slowly nodded.

I grabbed her hand, and we walked out. Everyone we walked by was nodding to us. We’d been here enough our whole lives, they knew Phil and me. I caught a flash of someone familiar. I pointed at something for our group to look at, then I looked the other way.

I spotted my Uncle Bjourn in the crowd. I smiled broadly at him and winked. Melanie was excitedly chattering about everything around us. Uncle Bjourn raised an eyebrow then nodded to Melanie. I nodded back.

He linked me, “Is that who I think it is?” I answered, “Yes, it is and she’s mine.” He smiled and faded into the background. He sent me how happy he was for me in the bond. He knew the fact she was mine settled that piece of me that had been worried I was a possessive jerk.

I turned back around just as Melanie turned to look at me. She whispered, “This is so amazing, Xander.” I said, “I’m glad you like it. It’s just a walk though. I plan to dazzle you.” She flushed, “I don’t need to be dazzled. I just want to spend time with you.”

I teased, “Aren’t you sweet?” Melanie laughed, “Sometimes... I mean... well… some people would definitely not say that... some people really don’t like me.

I mean... they aren’t… well they suck. I mean.

.. I think they do. I’m nice to my friends…

. Well, I used to be nice to more people…

I’d never be mean to you… other people though…

other people suck when you really think about it. ..”

I tilted her head up saying, “Anyone who says you aren’t nice will not like the version of me they meet. No one will say an unkind word about you ever again if they know what’s good for them.” I kissed her again. I could admit I was addicted.

Hell, I was a lost cause. She’d owned me since I was fourteen years old, but now with her in arms reach, it was undeniable.

Oden said, “Yes, well she could’ve been in reach longer if you’d listened to me about her being ours.

” I apologized, “I really am sorry, Oden.” Especially since he’d felt pain since her sixteenth birthday.

I shook that off and showed my mate, and Sierra, around the town. I took them to a cookie shop in town. Melanie flushed scarlet red out of nowhere. Sierra laughed, “You ok, Ash?” She whispered, “They heard us! Oh my gosh… I talked about biting and licking a sugar cookie… and it was Xander!”

Sierra replied, “I mean you do plan to do that anyway. You’ve been fan…

.” She cut off her sentence and must have linked my mate.

I linked Phil, “How the fuck can she link my mate? Melanie NEVER broke with Red Run.” He replied, “You know what I do.” I was going to murder someone was the other part of that.

Melanie playfully slapped her, “SAMANTHA!” Phil called, “No linking things like that, Sugar Lips. I definitely want to know the end of that sentence. Don’t you, cousin?” I replied evenly, “I’m sure I can figure it out.”

I whispered in Melanie’s ear, “You’re definitely free to bite or lick me anytime you want to.

” She made a choked noise, and the smell of her arousal filled my nose.

I added, “You better get your cookie, Lovebug, before I throw you over my shoulder and take you home.” She shivered and definitely not from fear.

Sierra grabbed her hand and walked to the counter. The whole while, Melanie was blushing. Phil linked me, “No one would believe me if I told them that YOU, Alexander Marcus Nathan Conners, threatened to carry a woman out of a shop in a sexual way. Not a fighting way.”

He scoffed, “People will doubt me, in fact, NO ONE besides Gage will believe me. If you’re going to say things like that, you have to warn your Beta cousin so I can get video evidence. Beta Dylan requires video evidence in situation likes this.” Oden snorted.

I rolled my eyes retorting, “She’s my mate. Of course I’ll say things like that to her.” Phil snorted, “You’ve spent twenty five years not talking to anyone like that. You’ve been waiting.” I emphasized, “FOR HER. I was waiting for her, and you know it.”

Phil chuckled, “Even before Oden was certain it was her, you didn’t really show interest in anyone.

” I shrugged offering, “I’m like my mom that way.

We are both more sensitive as Healers. I’ve wanted Melanie for over a decade though.

” Now she was finally here and officially mine.

All the waiting. Every single moment before this one didn’t matter to me.