Page 97 of The Alpha Enforcer and His Dancing Warrior Vol. 2 (Ribbon #10)

I shouted, “NO! Don’t you ever touch me! You don’t GET to care! You didn’t care for the last seven years! So, you don’t get to care now… you said you hated me… you DISOWNED me.” He argued, “I didn’t, and I never would.”

I cried, “It was your handwriting in the letters and your voice on the calls! I begged you to love me again and you never would! Nothing I did was good enough. You always wished I was dead! What do you want to hear now?”

“They played a game about having sex with me? The probability is over ninety-five percent it was a game. So… yes… .a lot of freaking men wanted to have sex with me. They are pretty direct in saying that too. I wasn’t worthy for them to date me in Black Path…

they just wanted me on my back because I guess they’ve never heard of another position…

I don’t really know…That’s…gosh…let’s not talk about positions… moving on.”

I continued, “Most men…or boys…I’d go with boys since they are not real men…even though they should be based on their age…said they wanted to possess me because chivalry is dead apparently. Also… a lot of people have drugged me, but I’m a freak….” They snarled at that.

I ignored them, “and it doesn't work. In case anyone was curious, Xander is the only guy I’ve been with.” I waved at everyone in the dungeons, “No matter what tricks or drugs they used… I came out on top. Part of that is honestly thanks to Cayden for protecting me while I was unconscious. So, thank him. Because while you couldn’t be bothered to be there for me… He and Micah were!”

I accused, “You ABANDONED ME! You left me there to suffer, and I did! So, you don’t get to be upset that I did actually suffer. You talked to some fake me who doesn't even sound like me and just accepted it!”

“You seemingly forgot my personality and that I got homesick ALL THE TIME! You all sat up here with your perfect lives while everything that was me crumbled to dust! You don’t even love me, and you never did!”

I turned and ran out of there because I needed to stop talking. What was wrong with me? I didn’t want to say any of that. I burst out the door and took deep gulps of air. Fowler frowned when he saw me. He asked, “Muffin Luna, are you alright?”

I turned and ran away from him knowing Fowler would never be able to keep up with me. I was so angry. How dare they act like they cared! They never cared! Freya linked, “Melanie, what’s going on? You know they care.” She was right.

But I still argued, “No, they don't! They abandoned me and wished I was dead. Now they want to act like they give a crap. So what? They care that I was drugged? The pack did that to attempt to rape me countless times. The McAlister’s don’t get to care about that.

In reality, it HARDLY scratches the surface of the hell they left me in. ”

Freya gently consoled me, “Something is off about this, Melanie.” I knew she was right, but I kept running. Eventually, I stopped knowing I was close to the border of the territory. I sank to my knees and started crying.

I pulled my parents' wedding rings out from under my shirt and rubbed them. Why did I still have them? I should chuck them somewhere out here…or into the lake… but that would be wrong. A deep sense of needing to keep them gripped me.

I was only there a few minutes before I felt arms around me. Xander whispered, “It will be ok, Lovebug.” I cried, “What’s wrong with me?” Xander answered, “You’re hurt and that’s ok. Feeling how you feel is ok. ”

I whispered, “I don’t know if it’s how I feel. I just got so angry.” Xander assured me, “You didn’t do anything bad. You just said how you felt. Later, I’m going to want a list of my own.” I had no idea what he meant. Freya chuckled.

I asked, “List?” Xander replied, “Yes, my list. Like your brother, Dalton, and Dakota’s lists. I want the name of anyone who has ever hurt or drugged you.” I snorted, “You’ll be very busy.” Plus, some of them were on my personal kill list.

Xander whispered, “I have all the time in the world to avenge the wrongs done to you.” So did I and I had several I wanted to cross off myself. Freya offered, “What about together?” That could be a good compromise.

We stood together somehow. He asked, “What did you mean you didn’t feel like that's how you felt?” I shrugged, “It felt like when my grandpa touched me… something dark just took over. Freya said it didn’t feel right either…

and Stephanie laughed so it definitely can’t be good.

” Xander frowned saying, “We will figure it out.”

He grabbed my hand and popped me back into the main house.

Everyone was sitting there. Great. This was just what you want to happen when you go all dramatic and throw it in your family's face that they weren’t there for you when you needed them.

A room full of people that know you lost your cool. This was great….Just great.

Corbin, Princess Katie, Spencer, and two of her other children stood. Corbin slowly walked towards us. I frowned at him while Xander raised an eyebrow. Corbin spoke softly, “Melanie, can I see those rings please? Just slowly take them off over your head.”

I frowned asking, “Why?” I instantly touched my parents' wedding rings. Then I looked at their hands. They were wearing theirs… because of course they were. The ones I’d treated with care and wore literally everywhere weren’t even theirs. Anger filled me again.

Princess Katie spoke gently, “Melanie, can you please hand them to me or Corbin? We just want to see them.” I stepped back into Xander holding them tighter. I shook my head saying, “They are mine. I never take them off… unless it’s for a short period of time… which… is rare.”

Corbin pushed, “Why not?” I didn’t answer him. Sierra answered, “Because Luna Chelsea sent them to her and told her to always wear them in honor of her parents. She said that Melanie owed her for taking a serious risk to get them to her.”

Luna Chelsea stood with her palms out. She told me, “Melanie, I never sent you their rings. They have theirs.” I closed my eyes, “Yes… you did. I know what your handwriting looks like. Why does everyone keep saying they didn't do things they did?!”

Xander whispered, “Lovebug, take a deep breath.” My dad stood and showed me his hand. He emphatically stated, “This is my ring. I don’t know whose ring that is, but it’s not mine. I have never lost mine or replaced it.”

I scoffed, “You know what? Fine! They aren’t even real….just like the last several YEARS of my life.” I yanked on the chain ripping it off. Corbin, Princess Katie, and Spencer yelled, “NO!” As the chain snapped and a force hit me square in the chest. Suddenly, breathing was really hard.

I sank to the ground, vaguely aware that Xander snarling and yelling. I was seeing everything that had always been blurry to me. I saw my mom and my car accident. I saw the truth of the illusion I was in. It had always been so clear, but now it looked like they were holograms around the house.

I remembered the night I was supposed to shift. I remembered every repressed memory I’d sheltered myself from about what followed in those next two weeks at the hands of Trevor. Then I remembered everything that happened the night Trevor tried to mark me.

I finally got a breath and screamed before everything faded from view. I knew several things. I knew who the traitor in Red Run was… and I knew something about him I’d never recognized before. He had his biological father’s eyes.