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He cut me off, “I believe you.” He conjured a duffle bag of books from Faerie.

He winked, “I went to a new section for you this time.” I grinned and gave him a hug, “Thanks, Jared.” We’d had this deal since I was two.

The first book he’d given me was a Fealish dictionary and we went up from there. I’d learned for my Xander.

My mom called, “Ten minutes, Ladybug.” Jared winked at me then popped out.

I pulled out my packed suitcase from under my bed and my backpack.

I put a few of the books from Jared’s duffle back into them and unplugged my tablet that had the two new downloaded papers ready to view.

I pulled out my Xander wolf and put him under my arm and smiled at him remembering the day I got him.

Flashback

Melanie was so excited. I’d convinced my mom that I wanted to go to the toy store. I’d earned my allowance from my chores, and I knew what I wanted. I felt a little bad… I had kind of tricked Elise… but she didn’t know.

So, that was ok. I hoped… it seemed ok. Ever since I could remember, I knew Xander was mine. Now, I knew what his wolf, Oden, looked like because she told me. I hadn’t met my Xander yet, so I wanted something to remind him of me.

I loved stuffed animals, so we were heading to the big store around here that carried all a bunch of toys and stuffed animals. My mom asked, “Are you sure you want to spend your allowance?” People would’ve considered me young for one if they knew how old I was.

I was three and I was certain people didn’t think I could hear them whispering that I was genius pup like my dad.

That made me want to impress them even more.

I wanted to be just like my dad. I knew that if I lived in a different realm, I’d probably already be working my way through high school level classes.

I could already speak three languages… but… well… no one knew that. Except Jared. Well, he knew I could speak two. English and Fealish. I just also knew Latin because of my Xander. He spoke all three so I wanted to as well.

My mom parked the car, and I scrambled out from the back. She laughed, “The store isn’t going anywhere, Ladybug.” Yeah, well she hadn’t eaten the mom monster cookies yet today, so I needed to get this done.

I hated those cookies because she ate them, then never believed what I said. I didn’t trust the lady who delivered them, but she was friends with my mom…. I guess. Mom always said that when I told her she was shifty.

I’d get in trouble if I said it after she’d had a cookie that evil lady brought.

I’d tracked them back to the grocery store.

The whole pack raved about them, and sadly I couldn’t prove they were evil.

I was hoping I could when I got older. Plus, she clearly wasn’t my mommy’s friend.

They were acquaintances at best. Mom never hung out with her or went to the allies day with her.

I couldn’t wait until I got to go those. Xander’s mom hosted them rotating through several realms, and they all whispered about how much fun they were. Elise got to go since she was EJ’s. I was Xander’s but I was the only one who knew that.

When I was older, I would get to go. It was probably how I’d meet Xander at this point. I blamed Robert and the evil cookie delivery lady. It was definitely their fault. Robert was a pup in my pack, but he eyed me weirdly and said mean things to me.

He liked Elise and was mad I’d told him she was EJ’s.

I warned him he’d better leave her alone.

He made fun of me because I didn’t get all the words right.

It annoyed me that I could read all the words but somehow, they didn’t come out right.

I sounded better than other pups my age, but I could think all the words they just came out wrong.

My mom took my hand, and we walked into the store.

I went over to the stuffed animal section; they had a massive wolf one.

The humans thought they were just popular in this area, and had no idea they were so popular because pups wanted wolves that they thought would like them one day or their parents’ wolves.

My mom cooed, “Awww, this looks just like Pepper. How about him?” She held him up and I shook my head continuing to go through the bin. She chuckled, “You seem to be on a mission.” I nodded and kept going.

She gasped, “This one could be what your wolf will look like.” It was a brown wolf with little white spots on it but I shook my head. Although, she was right. It probably was what my wolf would look like.

She snorted, “Fine, he’s a light brown one. I just think my Warrior blood will get in your wolf, and you’ll have a white paws or a white spot.”

Warriors often had white in their coats.

The only ones who didn’t were Alpha bloods, even if there was Warrior blood in their DNA.

Except my Xander. He had a white underbelly and paws.

He was special because he was an Alpha Enforcer, and he was poised to be the strongest one ever.

I’d tell people he would be, but they wouldn’t believe me.

I’d read about it in one of the books Jared brought me.

Ok, so it was also a hypothesis based on the book…

so it wasn’t really anyone else’s fault they didn’t know about it.

My mom laughed, “Mel, are you going to pick one?” I huffed once I got to the bottom because there were a lot of all black wolves, but none that looked like Oden.

Tears filled my eyes because I just wanted to get something that would remind me of my mate.

I whispered, “They don’t have it. Let’s go.

” She knelt down, “Mel, they have lots of wolves.” I shook my head, “They don’t have him.

” She chuckled, “Him?” I nodded. She winked, “Let’s keep that between us girls. ” Ok?

A worker came over asking, “How are you ladies finding everything?” My mom glanced at me then said, “I don’t think we found it today. We’ll come back another time.” The worker frowned, “What are you looking for?” My mom turned asking, “Mel?”

I answered, “A bwack wolf with white paws and white chest.” The worker tapped his chin then clapped. He said, “You know what? I think we actually got one like that, but it was a manufacturing defect, so we were going to send it back.” Why would they do that?!

I gasped, “Pwease! Can I see it?” Ugh! I needed to stop talking because that wasn’t coming out like I knew it was supposed to sound. Why couldn’t I get all that right?! I curse not living in a different realm. I would talk at a high school level if I did.

The worker nodded, “Wait right here, I’ll go look.

It might have gotten sent back already.” I bit my lip and shuffled my feet.

My mom said, “Don’t worry, Ladybug. If they don’t have him, we can just order it online.

” I’d looked on the tablet I had. They had parental controls on the old one I got to use, but I could get around them.

I hadn’t found the wolf I wanted anywhere.

The worker came back twenty minutes later with his arms behind his back and a big smile on his face.

Happiness filled me knowing he’d found it.

He pulled it out and winked, “It was all packed up and ready to go, but I called the store owner. She gave me permission to sell it to you for the same price as the other wolves.” I squealed, “Twank you!” I hugged my Xander wolf tightly and we skipped to the counter.

My mom already had my allowance, so she paid for it.

She chuckled, “Well, you were dogmatic, but you got exactly what you wanted.” She took a cookie out of her purse and ate it.

I deflated and knew my normal mom would be replaced with the mom monster.

I hated when that happened, and I hated the evil cookie delivery lady.

It was HER fault my mom turned into the mom monster.

I silently told my Xander wolf, “Once I have my wolf, I’ll eat the cookie delivery lady. You’d be on my side about it. You’ll protect me, won’t you?” I hugged it tightly and we got back in the car. I was quiet on the ride home, so I didn’t provoke the mom monster.

As long as no one said I did anything remotely bad, the mom monster didn’t activate.

Well, unless someone asked to take me outside the pack.

Then the mom monster raged. I decided today I didn’t care because I got my Xander wolf, and he was everything I wanted.

I hugged him tightly as we drove back to the pack.

Flashback Ends

I shook off the past and quickly ran downstairs so I could say goodbye to everyone. All before the evil cookie lady showed up. She was here less often, but those cookies were still EVERYWHERE. ALL THE TIME. Did anyone but me find that weird? Nope.

I had this all timed out today because we could NOT have the cookies on this trip.

I had things to do and that didn’t involve being foiled by mom monster cookies.

I had to get word to the Faries and Hackura stealthily.

I had a whole plan mapped out that came straight from multiple papers of Prince Gunner Cambridge.

I could admit I was nervous to see if I could pull this off. I’d pulled papers that were decades apart, so I was hoping they didn’t check it all. I knew I had to be above reproach and there was no room for mistakes because I was going up against the best of the best.

My own mentor… who still didn’t know that’s what he was to me…. Put all the papers out. I’d done test runs and checked everything more than I needed to, but this was important. It was for Xander. I slid down the banister like I always did.

My mom gasped and grabbed my dad’s arm tightly. She didn’t like when I did this, but if she didn’t have a mom monster cookie, I didn’t get in trouble for it. I jumped off at the end and into my older brother’s arms.