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I snorted, “I’m taking him down in under a minute. Book it, Phil.” Phil started to clap then punched me in the chest. Gage shouted, “LET’S FUCKING GO!” I linked Cousin Miley, “This is for you.” She asked, “Huh?” I walked out into the area and heard her go, “Oh no.” When she saw who I was fighting.

I linked mom, “How badly did he hurt Cousin Miley?” She answered, “She really liked him, and I’ve been charming the shit out of him since that day.” I nearly laughed.

Thadius and I tapped hands. He said, “Hey kid, no hard feelings.” I disagreed, “There are definitely hard feelings.” He gulped and the look on his face was priceless. He knew exactly what I was pissed about and he was stunned I knew what he’d done.

Uncle Bjourn linked, “When did you meet him?” Hastein threw confusion at me.

Kade linked, “The fuck? Since when do you know him?” I shot back, “Since when did you join the pack?” He answered, “Six months ago. What’s going on?

” I replied, “This fucker hurt Cousin Miley.” I felt his shock in the bond.

Thadius lowered his voice, but he knew I could hear him. “It was long ago and your mom has never let me forget it.” My dad and siblings all snarled. That set my whole family off. I replied, “No one hurts my family.” The ref groaned, “Fuck my life.” He shouted, “FIGHT!”

Oden said, “I could bite him.” I snorted, “That’s not allowed.

” He argued, “It’s not not allowed.” I replied, “Maybe he’d piss his pants if we shifted after we take him down.

” He came at me swinging hard. I normally would’ve just dodged the hit and observed him.

Instead, I tackled him full on and took him down.

He grunted trying to kick out so I dislocated his hip. It was a legal move and everything. Everyone gasped. Thadius groaned but stayed down. The ref yelled, “PINNED!” I got off him. Dad linked, “Forty-five seconds. I’m proud son.” I backed up and shifted into Oden.

The ref stared at me. Oden snapped his jaws at Thadius. He shouted, “Jesus Christ, I’m fucking sorry, ok?!” I shifted back and snapped my pants back on. I winked at him and popped outside to my crew. My mom was standing on her chair cheering waving the sign she’d made for me.

Cassie simply raised an eyebrow which had me raising mine right back. Cassie linked, “Is there a reason I should charm him?” I answered, “Yes. Get Aiylee and Bea in on it too.” She laughed, “Consider it done.”

My dad announced, “You have twenty minutes, give or take, until the next round.” Phil jumped on my back. Gage commented, “You took him down hard.” Phil shouted, “I know that’s right!” I snorted and carried him into the locker room.

I reasoned, “I really feel this should be the other way around since I just fought.” He snorted, “A Beta carrying their uninjured Alpha? Are you insane? I’d get my ass kicked by you and that doesn’t sound like any fun.” I threw my head back and laughed.

Gage said, “Don’t worry, if you were hurt, we’d carry your ass anywhere.” I rolled my eyes at both of them. I admitted, “I do know that but I don’t plan on you ever having to do that. One, I don’t get hurt. Two, you’d never stop mentioning it.” They fist bumped.

Uncle Bjourn came in and simply crossed his arms. Oden grumbled, “What did we do?” I asked, “What?” He snorted, “You did not just say what. What the hell was that out there?” He glanced at my dad.

I said, “Hey, I just found out why I needed to be mad at him. Go talk to mom and Cousin Miley. They know exactly what just happened.” He growled.

I complimented, “Good one.” He said, “Yeah, well we hang out with wolves a lot.” He stormed out of the locker room. I commented, “I think Thadius is soon to be grateful I broke his hip and sicced Cassie, Aiylee, and Bea on his ass.” My dad spit out his water and choked a little.

He asked, “You did what? Jesus, you pups keep me on my toes. Because I would’ve just thought Cassie would prank him alone.

You added Aiylee and Bea? YOU?!” I asked, “What? I’m fun.

” Phil said, “Yeah, that’s we call you the super fun Alpha.

” I rolled my eyes at him because I knew he didn’t call me that.

My dad groaned, “That’s what Julian usually does.

He’s the shit stirrer, not you.” I winked, “That you know of dad.” He grumbled, “God damn pups trying to keep me young, changing their dynamics and shit.” I laughed, “Well, you and mom stopped having pups so we gotta keep you young another way.” He said, “We may have more.” I was pretty sure they were going to.

I won my next three fights and had two more to the finals. We watched Julian surf before my next fight though. I teased him, “For a non-water Fairy you surf so well.” He punched my shoulder, and I put him into a headlock and messed with his hair. He groaned, “Alexander.” I chuckled and let him up.

I ended up winning all my fights. Uncle Darrin was on top of his chair waving a towel around cheering when I was given my medal.

My mom was cheering holding her sign. I linked Gage, “It’s your sister’s fault she found Hobby Lobby.

” He agreed, “It definitely is Gia’s fault.

There is nowhere else to place the blame.

” There was fucking glitter glue everywhere now.

I still smiled at my mom and sent her all my love and her pride and love bounced back to me. My dad had his hands over his head clapping and cheering. So did all my siblings. Angela and TJ had a sign. I blew them all a kiss.

A few women fainted for some reason. There was just one thing missing form this moment: My mate. Melanie being here would’ve made everything perfect. I went back to the locker room to change and conjured my computer. I quickly noted there was a new dance.

I watched it and was captivated. It was a dance of longing. Oden snorted, “We’d definitely know that emotion.” We would. It felt like the dance was directed to me, but that didn’t make sense. Oden reasoned, “Maybe she wants to meet us, just like we want to meet her.” Then she should come home.

To be fair to her, the past indicated we still wouldn’t meet if she did. The truth of the matter was that I didn’t know who this dance was for, but in this moment I imagined it was for me. I whispered, “I promised you that we’d meet one day, and we will.”

I still went over that text conversation and how she’d rambled. Everyone said she didn’t do that anymore, but I believed the second she got away from people judging her she’d be back to doing just that. She was around people who wanted her change, but one day she’d come to people who loved her.

EJ popped in and I conjured the computer away.

He hugged me, “Congratulations, little brother.” I asked, “Who is up next?” He answered, “Mom’s jumping competition on Pirate.

” They were going to win. They had every year I’d been alive.

Hell, they won before then. Ever since mom first competed and Pirate LOVED to win.

It seemed he had the competitive Hackura spirit.

We popped to the event where we had an entire section because we were a big ass family.

Uncle Lief made his way over and gave me hug.

He whispered, “Consider pouring over the cleanup files.” I nodded.

He said, “I know that look you had at your event. I had it watching my brothers with their mates. I wanted mine. Listen to me now and believe me later.”

I linked Phil, “Get me the cleanup files for the last year and half.” He asked, “Whose? That was broad. The pack?” I replied, “No, the Hackura.” He snorted, “Do you know how many files that will be?” I admitted, “I do. It’s not a priority.

We can go through them as we have time.” He snorted, “So, never.”

He wasn’t wrong in thinking that would be when we got to it. I was pretty sure Uncle Lief was being a shit stirrer. There was no way Melanie had anything to do with those clean ups because she was living her dream. If she was out there protecting me, she’d come meet me.

I shook myself, “Melanie is living her dream.” Oden agreed, “She is.” Uncle Lief hummed, “Yes, well she’s young and dreams change.

Speaking as someone who was the youngest sibling.

When you find out the things you are being kept out of, you can act irrationally.

” He walked away muttering, “And alone.”

Oden growled, “Mate better not be doing anything alone.” I reasoned, “She wouldn’t.

She’s a pack wolf, not a lone wolf.” He agreed, “That is true.” She’d know that any member of this family would help her.

Hell, the Hackura would. Melanie was living her dream, but one day we’d share this day together and I was really looking forward to it.

Crumbling

Melanie is Sixteen Years Old

Melanie felt numb. I knew I was I was in the pack hospital. Which was only because Caine forced them to treat me. They normally wouldn’t. I wanted it to all be a dream. Everything went by me in flashes.

My friends were all forced out of town the night before my birthday. I rubbed my head because I swore I heard my wolf at midnight on my birthday. She told me to fight, and I did. Then I woke up in Alpha Edwards office.

They said I didn’t have a wolf, and Slade Carter was my father.

It had to be a lie, but I still couldn’t contact my wolf.

There was just nothing. It felt like my entire reality was distorted.

Beta Jason and Alpha Peter requested they punish me for Slade killing my family since apparently he came to get me.

They claimed I was his daughter and not my dad’s and my lack of wolf proved it.

Alpha Kyle banished me from Red Run. In a note.

He didn’t even do it in person. I wasn’t sure if that was worse or better.

I was too numb and in pain to feel the pack link break, so that’s one thing to be grateful for apparently.

It was probably a phantom feeling in my mind that I still had it.

I was deluding myself to keep the pain away.