The Alpha Enforcer and His Dancing Warrior

Fed Up Pt. 3

My eyes went wide, “NO! DON’T!” She turned around and asked, “What?” Xander’s eyes blazed gold. He roared in anger and went to the ground. I cringed. The other me turned and put her hand on his back. She asked, “What’s wrong with him?” Haley answered, “He’s getting his f*****g wings.” Seconds later Xander’s wings came and he flew into the air. I sighed, “Hey..other me….unclasp your necklace that you think are our parents' wedding bands, and hand them to me.” She shrugged, “Sure.” She did and slowly gave them to me. She started laughing, “I’m seeing things like a movie reel. Weird.” I snorted, “The way to do this is definitely drunk. I’ll have to pass that along somehow to other me’s.” The other me said, “Xander….can you fly me around? That’s really cool. I can’t fly. Now you can fly and the other me can electrocute people….Where are my cool powers?” He flew to the ground and picked her up. EJ snapped her a t-shirt. Haley was deathly pale. Elise was sobbing. Xander flew her high up in the air. She squealed. Cayden hissed, “Do you have those scars?” I said, “Not anymore. Once Paige removed the magic on my back…Xander and Haley healed them.” Elise sobbed, “What happened? She’s living her dream.” I cringed, “Umm you need a vampire to release Elise and Eric from their compulsions.” Eric was rubbing his head. Haley popped away and came back with a vampire. He quickly released Elise and Eric from said compulsions. Both were crying.

Elise hugged me, “I’m so sorry.” I said, “It’s not your fault.” I heard Alpha Peter speak, “Hey Elise…the warriors pointed us over here…Whose roar of anger shook my windows? What is going….?” He trailed off when he saw me. He gaped, “Ladybug! You came home!” Xander came down from flying. The other me said, “Yes, I did…but Xander said he wouldn’t put me in the dungeons. You said he wasn’t mine….that he couldn't be a partial hunter's mate….but he wants me and I have a wolf now….So…doesn’t that change everything? I’m Drake McAlister’s daughter….I have to be…” She looked at me and sobbed, “Right? Alpha Peter is wrong…I have a wolf….Drake is my dad.” Alpha Peter said, “Excuse me? What is happening? Of course Drake is your dad. That’s not really up for debate.” I touched the other me, “Drake McAlister is our father. Your wolf was suppressed. They lied to you. You were never talking to Alpha Peter or Jason. Mom, Dad, and Tristan aren’t dead either.” The other me started laughing through her tears. She said, “The other me is crazy. Or very wrong…though she was right about calling Xander….so…she’s just crazy. We should keep her though.” Alpha Peter stared at me. He yelled, “What the HELL is going on? Since when do you call your brothers by their given names?” He was released from his compulsion too. Haley sighed, “Come on Sir Arthur….we need to go to Red Run and pop…the McAlister’s back after you release them….then we get to come back for the s**t show…that SOMEONE will break the f**k down for me.” Everyone looked at me.

I sighed, “One day….One day I want everyone to not look at me when something needs to be explained.” Cayden snorted, “Sadly, that day is not today. So now that I know you’re in the resistance….I would very much like for you to get me in touch with your leader for a meeting.” The other me cackled, “Granted.” I said, “Seriously….?” She laughed, “What would you like to talk to me about Cayden?” I slapped my hand onto my own face. Elise gasped. EJ said, “I’m sorry….what?!” Micah gaped, “You’re saying it’s you….YOU LEAD THE RESISTANCE?!” She tilted her head to the side and smiled and put her hand on her chin. I rolled my eyes. I told her, “When you’re sober….you’re going to regret that.” She shrugged, “I’m also the best sniper. Seriously….you guys need to get a clue. People know who you are….like a lot of people. It’s like a full time job keeping you all safe. IT IS SO COMPLICATED! Then everyone in Red Run…..jeez Louise! Find your traitor already. I have other things I could be doing…so many things…gosh I’m busy…I’m not bored though…so there’s that.” I said, “It’s Robert. He’s their traitor. So there’s that.” EJ snarled. Haley popped back in with my family…or the other me’s family.

The other me started sobbing. She ran to her dad…our dad? This was weird. The rest of them stared at me. I was going to go with calling them by their names….no that was weird…So dad said, “Ladybug? You came home?” She sobbed, “I miss you.” He hugged her, “Well, we’ve missed you too….Good lord….How much alcohol have you had tonight?” She hiccupped. EJ said, “I have questions.” Tristan laughed, “Who cares?! Ladybug came home! Why did she come here first?” Elise snorted, “Really, T? It’s her eighteenth birthday.” Tristan looked at Alexander. He sighed, “Aww man….did she get her heart broken on her eighteenth birthday?” Elise said, “No, they are mates.” Everyone was now in shock. Jason shouted, “HOLY s**t! ALEXANDER HAS WINGS?!” Xander was growling. The other me said, “I should get drunk more often. I’m seeing another me…who can shoot electricity…hey! You’re also the w…” I cut her off, “That’s an inside the house comment.” She shrugged, “Sure. I met my Xander….and now my parents are here. I see dead people….isn’t that a movie?” Tristan asked, “Dead people?” I sighed, “They aren’t dead….mom, dad, and Tristan are really standing in front of you very much alive. You were put into an illusion. The things you saw that night weren’t real.” Everyone stared at me. I sighed, “I’ve got to get out of here. My versions of you already look at me like this too often. I’m maxed out on that look. I’m out of patience for this whole dang day.”

Cayden snorted, “Your versions of us look at you like that and they don’t even know you’re the leader of the damn resistance?” I glared at him as several people shouted, “WHAT?!” I said, “No, they don’t. To be fair….very few people know that.” Eric said, “We need to go inside.” EJ popped me inside. Xander popped in with the other me and the Red Run group. Haley brought the rest. EJ asked, “What did our Melanie mean when she said you shoot electricity.” The other me said, “She’s a white wolf. It’s VERY pretty. Her fur shimmers. Shouldn't I be a brown wolf? I guess you are in my head…I imagine creative things.” I sighed, “Well….does anything in our life go according to what should be?” She snorted, “No.” Eric said, “I’m sorry….your wolf is white? Partly white?” I shook my head, “Nope….I’m the white wolf.” I shifted into Freya. Several people jumped. Eric sat down. So did my family. I shifted back. The other me said, “Cool right? In my own head I’m a legend. I mean…I kind of am…I run the resistance…it’s not really a legend….I don’t know where I was going with that. Hey…where’s my backpack? I need another drink.” I sighed, “I’m not in your head.” She asked, “Ok…sure….whatever. Did you find Xander on our birthday too?” I cringed, “No.” She frowned, “How old are you?” I said, “I’m twenty.” Xander asked, “When did we find each other?” I said, “A few weeks ago….” He growled angrily. Cayden said, “Ashley…I mean Melanie….Your friends are in the Hackura realm. We are GOING to attack Black Path.” I told them, “My warriors won’t fight you. So….it won’t be much of a fight.” My dad said, “Your warriors?” I shrugged, “Hers…Same difference….sort of…”Jason said, “Can we go back to you somehow being the leader of the resistance?” I shrugged, “What about it?” Jason said, “Umm…HOW did you start it?” I thought about it, “That’s complicated.” EJ said, “Can you uncomplicate it?” I thought about it, “I mean…” A glass dropped. I turned. Someone I’d saved was trying to bring snacks to the Alpha’s. She whispered, “You’re Red One. You saved me.” I nodded, “Yeah…that’s me too. Hi…it’s actually her in this reality.” I pointed at the other me. She gaped between us. Eric said, “Are you f*****g kidding me?” I shrugged, “Nope.” Micah asked, “How do you get your information Ash…Melanie…good lord.” I told him, “Lots of coding…and knowing people’s cell phone numbers. I hacked into the network of the ring. I have a virus that is slowly going through their networks and taking down their information. I can’t go too fast or they’d notice.” Micah gaped. EJ asked, “How are you getting away from us as our sniper when you watch out for us?” Tristan yelled, “THE SNIPER?! OUR SNIPER?!” The other me skipped back over to Xander and said, “I don’t always get away…but demons, holoports….then my personal favorite…..sometimes I just climb a tree and wait for you to leave….Seriously you guys spend forever at a site sometimes. It’s annoying.” EJ raised an eyebrow, “We would’ve smelled you.” The other me took out her concealing spray and used it on him. He raised an eyebrow. Elise said, “EJ….you don’t smell…like anything.” The other me winked.

I shook my head. Micah said, “Can you show me your network?” The other me laughed, “Of course I can! This is a fun weird drunk state land….I don’t want to leave though.” I sighed, “It’s not drunk land…it’s real.” She snorted, “Sure….oh damn…I’m supposed to fight in an hour. I have to leave drunk land….Of course.” I bit my lip. Xander growled, “What fight? You’re not going anywhere!” The other me kissed his cheek. She said, “I wish I didn’t….but I have to go fight.” She pushed back and said, “Onward to the undergrounds where I get the crap beat out of me then win the fight!” I tried to just slowly slink back towards the opposite door she was heading for. Arms gripped me from behind. I spun around. My eyes went wide. It was Bjourn. He asked, “Where do you think you’re going?” I sighed, “Back to my reality?” He chuckled, “I think you’ll need to explain a few more things for the other you who is now passed out in my nephews arms.” I turned around. Everyone was pretty pissed. Xander’s eyes hadn’t stopped blazing. Cayden said, “What fight is she talking about?” My Dad growled, “What does she mean getting the crap beat out of her before winning?” I pursed my lips, “I’m not…really…sure…how…to explain….exactly…this…it’s…well….”EJ asked, “How did you explain it in your reality?” Haley snorted, “I seriously f*****g doubt she has.” I pointed at her, “She’s right. I haven’t. I hope not to…..it was a whole thing. There were the wedding rings perpetuating my feelings of self hatred and doubt…. I thought my family except Jason had died and everyone blamed me…Hell, I blamed me…It was a way to earn money…well…eventually…At first it wasn’t a choice….there was the whole sold to the undergrounds thing…but I flipped it on them and started making money…actually to fund the resistance….I did stop fighting that way when Xander asked me to….if that counts….I think it counts…it just hasn’t happened here yet…so….yeah..this has been fun…but I’m going to figure out how to get back home….to my reality….where people don’t know all these things….or look at me like that….yeah..going to avoid that look on all your faces from the whole underground fighting thing.”

Xander growled, “What do you mean when I asked you to stop?” I sighed, “Well, technically you asked the sniper…who is me….you left me messages…I listened to them….all of them…” Jason pointed out, “You are a lot more snarky than the Ladybug I remember. The rambling is the same though.” I sighed, “Look, I’m not normally this snarky. It’s been a HELL of a few weeks for me, ok. Now I’m the freaking white wolf and I’m having to explain things…I don’t want to explain to my versions of you….let alone other versions of you. I’d like to skip the whole story about being the Swiffer….all together in my reality. Ok? I just wanted to rest my eyes for a second. I shifted, was marked, had a meeting, had a girls night go VERY seriously awry, threw up a lot, by the way she can’t go to Red Run until Paige makes this witchy brew because I get very ill. Trevor was captured.” Xander growled. I sighed, “Francis was captured….it’s been a HELL of a day. If you wanted a nicer version of me…talk to whatever goddess decided tonight was a good night for this…it wasn’t! I’m just so tired of constantly having to do all this stuff….and it is NEVER going to end. I’m the freaking white wolf. I’m with my Xander…we are together….and now I’m the white wolf. I had to protect all the forgotten packs….I had to protect everyone from the crappy ways they were raised. Protecting the wolf less from the hunts. Protecting the she wolves from being told they were only useful in the kitchen and on their backs. I had to shove my own personal feelings and pain down to help protect you guys…them…and I’m running out of mental space to shove my feelings ok?!”My mom said, “Ladybug….you don’t have to do that.” I snorted, “Yes, I actually do. Because ALL the crap I believed was said and done for the last seven years OF MY LIFE….didn’t. You guys aren’t dead….Jason didn’t ever say he didn’t want me. The Kyle’s didn’t banish me and ship me off to Black Path. Grandpa Ben didn’t disown me. Jason didn’t say horrible things to me. Xander didn’t promise to reject me. NONE OF IT WAS REAL! You are all still the same people I knew for fourteen years, and I’m the one who is different. I’m the one that was shattered and glued the pieces of myself back together. How can you be mad at someone who didn’t do what you thought they did? I don’t know…but I kind of am. It’s all a GIANT mess over the most ludicrous thing ever!” My eyes started to drift shut. I sighed, “And now I’m tired. How do I get back?” Bjourn set me down on the couch. He said, “It tends to be like this.” I sighed in relief. Haley said, “For the f*****g record….shoving your feelings down doesn’t work out. Eventually….they come out….I would f*****g know.” I went to answer her but my eyes shut.

I opened my eyes and jerked back. I looked around, “Umm….how did I get here?” Prince Hastein laughed, “You appeared here. I just got back myself. I do know who you are though. You are Melanie McAlister. Or at least I believe you are since I see my cousin’s mark on your neck.” I nodded, “I am.” He smirked, “Do you know who I am?” I nodded, “Prince Hastein. The future king of the Hackura.” He smiled, “Yes, except family doesn’t use the title. Some even call me H.” I asked, “Are we in the Hackura realm?” Hastein nodded, “Yup. Let’s get you home little wolf before my cousin loses his mind.” I snorted, “He’s probably already lost it.” Hastein smiled, “I have so much to catch up on. I was only gone for two months. What could I have possibly missed?” I laughed, “A lot…you missed A LOT.” He opened a portal and we stepped through. Xander crushed me to him. He frowned, “How did you get to the Hackura realm?” I shrugged, “I don’t know. I met other versions of us…fell asleep on that couch and woke up in the Hackura realm.” Eric sighed, “It happens to me sometimes. Haley ends back up in the realm she left from…I do not always.” I sighed, “Great. That’s just great….”Hastein said, “I see all is well though, cousin. She is yours after all your worrying.” Xander nodded, “She is.” Elise walked in and said, “Oh thank god! Alexander! Why didn’t you tell us she was back?” I closed my eyes. I was talked out. EJ asked, “So…where did you go, Ladybug? What age were you there?” I told him, “I went to the time I tried to get to Xander on my eighteenth birthday. The other me was VERY drunk and far too chatty.” EJ laughed, “I see…” He and Xander exchanged looks. Yeah well…I wasn’t about to drink several bottles of vodka to blabber things to him. Xander said, “Paige did say you almost made it to me then.” I nodded, “Trevor, Francis and Mark stopped me. Had I not been so drunk….I probably could’ve made it….it was NOT a good day though.” Elise asked, “Why?” I snorted, “Trevor declared he was my mate. We fought…I said he was lying…he said my lack of wolf meant I had to be marked to tell. I told him to drop dead and eat cow dung. We were dragged to the Alpha’s office where everyone except Trevor’s mother and grandmother said I should let him mark me. I told them all to go to hell. They whipped me….it was all a fine Happy Birthday to me.” Xander growled loudly and pulled me into him. Hastein asked, “What? What the HELL is going on?” EJ said, “We have a lot to catch up on, cousin.” Hastein stared at me. He eventually nodded, “So Melanie said….Do I need to recall my brothers and our cousins? No one is out on anything they can’t at least be briefed on this situation.” My eyes went wide. He would recall the royal Hackura family….because of me?

EJ answered, “We should brief everyone at least. You and Uncle Bjourn can decide from there what to do.” Haley spoke, “Alexander, why don’t you take Melanie upstairs and go the f**k to sleep. She’s clearly exhausted.” EJ said, “I need to know how she knew something was off with the girls' night. They weren’t after her. From what Elise said that was clear.” I sighed, “I’d imagine they were only after Emma and MaryBeth just happened to be with her….so they decided to take her too. I thought something might be off when Adlee said several of their staff just happened to call out that night. It seemed weird. Then there were some guys who wouldn’t look at me. I knew Cassie would be drinking water, but her drink was not water.” Everything I had on my resistance information said the female children of the Lyons, Conners, and Daniels were high priority targets for abduction. So was Haley herself. Technically Lexi too. Emmaline was on the wish list, but not super high up. She was more like a bonus. In my mind, I figured that because no one actively tried to abduct her for the ring specifically; whereas Haley was in it previously and from what I’d gathered…..Lexi was meant to be in it, they just never managed to get her. Some guy named Noah protected her…until he went totally off the rails, but then he wanted her for himself. Based on what I’d found….he wasn’t going to get it…but he thought he was.

EJ studied me. He nodded and said, “Ok, Elise said you knew those guys at the club.” I nodded, “I do. They are hunters I’ve met before. They are from Kentucky. They were purposely not facing me. Then Emma and MaryBeth weren’t with the group…it felt off.” Xander said “Next time link me.” My eyes went wide. Well….that’s….I’d completely forgotten. Haley spoke, “It’s perfectly f*****g natural that linking us is not an instinct to you yet. You’re used to being on your own, and it was an urgent f*****g situation. Not to mention….you boys tried to pop to the van…it didn’t f*****g work.” I closed my eyes. I said, “I’m sorry Xander. I should’ve linked you.” Xander kissed my temple, “It’s ok. Next time, though.” I smiled, “I’ll try.” Haley interjected, “That’s all anyfuckingone can ask of you.” Xander popped us upstairs as more people walked in the front door. I stared longingly at our bed. Xander said, “Come on.” I sighed, “People will want to talk about…” Xander kissed me. He pulled back, “People can talk. WE are going to bed. You’ve had a very big day, and you’re tired. I can feel it. You’re physically and what feels to me like you are emotionally spent. I don’t think anything good comes from talking through anything right now. Once you are rested. Then we can all talk more. The facts remain the same. You’re the white wolf, we have marked each other, you saved Emma and MaryBeth, and you caught a member of Black Path who wanted to hurt you. Then we capped it off by you going into the ribbon for the first time without me, which I do not care for.” I snorted, “It’s trippy.” Xander chuckled, “That it is. Sleep my little dancing warrior. There will be plenty to talk about in the morning.” I snuggled into him and let myself drift off into sleep.