Page 59 of The Alpha Enforcer and His Dancing Warrior Vol. 2 (Ribbon #10)

Melanie was floating. Freya’s voice called, “You have to go back, Melanie.” I hummed, “It’s so nice here though.” Freya answered, “You’re being healed. Well, you were healed. Now you’re just hanging out here because it’s too much to handle.”

Tears filled my eyes. I asked hopefully, “Are my scars gone?” Freya answered, “No, but they could be.” I questioned, “How?” Freya offered, “Ask mate.” I argued, “No, he can’t see them.

” Freya told me, “He will eventually.” I sighed, “I’m pretty sure I can keep up the whole not seeing my back thing. ”

Freya laughed, “You are stubborn.” I agreed, “Yup. I was born that way.” Freya said, “Xander needs you.” I groaned, “But aren’t mom, T and dad around here? I saw them after I got hit in the head. I thought I’d get to talk to them.”

Freya admitted, “You did see them. Go back Melanie. Get the answers we both deserve to have. We will figure this out.” I agreed, “Ok.” I had no idea what she meant about getting answers.

It felt like I was walking through darkness for a long time. I called, “Hello?” I couldn’t hear Freya. I just kept walking towards the scent of my dad. It didn’t make sense that was scent leading me around, but it was a comforting smell.

I couldn’t help but start crying because I missed him so much. I missed them all. I just wanted things to be different. I was scared that now everything would be different. Xander knew my real name, and he’d come for me.

Now everything would be his choice for what happened next. We were so far out of the bubble it was crazy. I didn’t even know how he knew to come for me. Freya snorted, “Uhh hello genius human, Angela told him.”

I weakly argued, “She said I was blurry.” Freya snored, “You’re being ridiculous. She heard Blair call you Ashley.” Well, fine. That was a valid point. I clutched the shirt holding me because it smelled so much like my dad.

Gosh, I missed him. I really wanted him back. A voice that sounded just like his talked to me, even calling me Ladybug. I couldn’t help but open my eyes. The cruel joke continued as I stared directly into my dad’s eyes. He told me it was ok, but he didn’t understand.

I told Freya, “I don’t think I care that I hit my head so hard I am hallucinating.” She seemed like she was trying to find a way to phrase something. Probably a way to say that I was her crazy, but I was still her human.

Seeing him like this was better than not having him. This version was better than the one I usually saw of him. The one of him bleeding with a giant hole in his chest. Xander’s voice snapped everything into focus.

I looked back at my dad and screamed. I fell out of the man’s arms. Ok…Melanie. Calm down and be logical. Let’s be logical. I hit my head…well that’s a really nice way of saying someone hit me in the head…ugh! That’s not the point. Focus.

The man that was holding me was obviously a real person, but I was seeing my father’s face instead of said man’s face. Why was Xander letting some random guy hold me? Did he not want me? I mean... who would? I was currently hearing and smelling my dead father.

It was the baseball bat to the head… that’s what was to blame. This was totally normal... blaming inanimate objects… this is fine. Tristan was here too and talking to me while standing next to my mom. I fell backwards, away from them.

Xander picked me up while I looked at all four of them.

Ok… Xander was real. Those were real people, and I was just projecting my dead family's faces on them.

Great... I was safe from Edward and this bac kwards pack only to be betrayed and unsafe from my own mind.

Which seemed determined to mess with me.

Addison’s voice interrupted my staring contest. It was just nice to see my family in my mind, not bleeding to death or dead. Or being blamed in my dreams by the people from my old pack or Jason for their death. This was definitely new.

What I saw when I glanced over at Addison nearly made me fall over. My brother, Dalton, and Dakota were looking at Paige, Avery and Addison like they were mates. No. Just no. For the love of all that is good in this world…. NO!

Sierra subtly nodded in shock when I looked at her. Selene was evil and malicious. Seriously? My best freaking friends and people who don’t like me?! COME ON! Well, if Selene thought she could take my best friends from me… she had another think coming.

My friends could have their mates and me. Their mates could suck on them apples. I did think they’d all be cute together… gosh darn it. Somehow this was probably my fault. Freya snorted, “Not even kind of.” It felt like it could be.

The hallucination of my dad kept talking. He should wait until we were alone. I wasn’t going to answer a hallucination in front of other people. That was a terrible idea. Freya hummed and still felt like she was mulling over the right way to say something.

I stared at my brother… the non-hallucination one…because Jason never died. How could he have two mates? There’s no way he was that good of a person to get two mates. He didn’t even like his own sister. Surely, that was a knock in the two mate’s column.

Did ANY wolf have two mates? In the history of ever?

Because they didn’t from my knowledge. I’d actually read several papers on it.

Wolves, even twins, couldn’t handle sharing a mate.

We were too possessive with our animal side.

It’s why shifters or and were of any kind never had more than one mate.

Jason said Everly wasn’t his mate, but his reason didn’t make sense. Tristan was dead. I would’ve known if our brother met Everly before he died. I studied Jason, noting he seemed serious though. Freya offered, “He is serious.” How?

Hallucination Tristan was talking to me now too… yeah, the hallucinations were going to have to wait… including my MOM, who was now talking. UGH! Didn’t they get it? I’d talk to them when we were alone. That would look FAR less crazy.

Freya linked, “Mel, I see them too. Which means they are real.” I replied, “Of course they are. They are just in our heads. That’s not actually them.” Freya gently said, “I think it is actually them.” I pointed out, “You have my memories... we saw them die.”

Freya replied, “I told you something seemed off about that. To me it looks fuzzy or hazy.” I snorted, “It doesn’t to me.” Freya assured me, “I’ll keep thinking about how that’s possible.” She could think all she wanted. I still wasn’t talking to hallucinations until I was alone.

Alpha Kyle talked to me. Part of me was thrilled. He didn’t even sound mad. He sounded confused, but happy to talk to me. Then I was mad because the traitorous jerk was acting like he had no idea what was going on. He acted all innocent, and I went firmly into angry. He has GOT to be kidding.

Freya seemed confused, but she did offer a low growl in my head. It wasn’t convincing, but it did convey her confusion and anger at him. My hallucinations kept talking. Freya said, “If ONE more wolf in this field contacts me calling me Ember I’m going to lose it.”

I asked, “Why would they call you Ember?” She replied, “I do NOT know but it’s NOT my name.” I knew it wasn’t her name. Why did anyone think it was? She huffed, “Well, Thunder is genuinely confused.” I whispered, “Thunder contacted you? Like really?”

She replied, “He has. Along with Caulder, Jet and several more.” I asked, “Did…I mean…umm.. never mind.” Freya said, “I know you want to ask about Cove and he did too. He’s deeply confused and worried about you.” Cove was Jared’s wolf. He cared again? This was too much.

Freya offered, “All these people in this field are real.” They couldn’t be. This was not happening. I wouldn’t be here in Black Path... I never would’ve been in Black Path if my parents were alive. So, HA! Nothing was going to convince me they were real .

Dylan Frost joined the conversation. I almost told him to take a number, but curiosity got the best of me. Freya snickered, “According to Fang he really does want to adopt Ashley Griffen.” My jaw dropped while Addison snickered.

Jason looked horrified because of course he did.

It wasn’t like I was going to Blue Moon though.

He had to know that I’d be in Black Mountain.

Freya said, “Ajax said that’s not why they are horrified.

” Jason’s eyes briefly locked with mine.

He looked hurt. Why did he look hurt by me ?

He was the one who ruined our relationship.

I took my solace in the man I’d always loved. Xander obviously knew who I was, and currently he was sticking to me like glue. My hallucination dad got mad. What shocked me, and made me question everything in my life, was the fact that Beta Dylan answered my hallucination.

Dylan shouldn’t have been able to hear an angry statement from a figment of a brain injury in my head. He did though… and that meant… no. No. I was shutting that door. Freya whispered, “Melanie.” Yeah, no.

I emphatically stated, “It’s going in a box.

We will talk about it later… so much later.

In… I don’t know… a therapist’s office… maybe…

probably… our future mother in law is one so…

there’s that.” Freya agreed, “Ok. Whatever you need but their wolves were in the group that contacted me too.” I had no words for that.

Dylan asked questions and I had so many thoughts at this point I couldn’t pick one. This was strange, but if it pissed off my dad …. who... could be real… If my dad was real… I just might let Dylan adopt Ashley Griffen.

If my dad left me here all these years, then I knew nothing. Everything I knew was wrong and Aesir was right, I would be angrier than I’d ever been if that was true. No. Bad Melanie. That’s going in the box to be dealt with later.