Melody

34

Alexander felt the moment Melody started to wake up. She was groggy, confused, and she was in pain. He was doing his best to focus on Alec as instructions were given for the rescue mission. He felt as Melody started to panic, a rushing whirlwind of emotions tore through the bond. It broke his already shattered heart even more. He interrupted to let Alec know Melody was conscious again, before reverting back inside his own head to focus on Melody. He felt as her panic started to ebb away, and then he felt a flood of calm come through to him.

She was trying to keep him calm, she had been hurt and kidnapped and she was trying to help him. She was too good, he didn't deserve a mate as perfect as Melody. If anything happened to her he wouldn't be able to live with himself. It would kill him if he lost her.

"Ok Everyone! You have your orders. Alexander rides with me, we need the bond to find her. Any questions?" Alec barked out loudly at the gathering of enforcers. Everyone responded no Alpha and headed to their vehicles or the woods to shift based on their role in the plan. She wasn't far, the kidnappers hadn't had time to go far and she hadn't moved recently, which gave Alexander hope that she was in a building.

He climbed into the passenger seat of Alec's truck, pointing in the direction she was. "It's a good thing you claimed Melody when you did son" Alec's voice was low, soothing like he was talking to a frightened animal. Which in a way, he was now.

"What kind of creature doesn't have a scent Alec? Who would take her?" Alexander's own voice was broken, defeated.

"Witches could have used magic to hide scents, we have a witch on her way to the scene to look for magical residues, I should get a report on that in the next few minutes. Other than that I've heard rumors that some cat shifters can hide their scent. Hyena's had been able to disguise their scent, but I'm certain those evil bastards were exterminated."

"I've never heard of Hyena shifters" Alexander was momentarily pulled from his depressed stupor, hearing about a shifter species he had never known of before.

"You wouldn't. They weren't ever very numerous, there was one band left in North America a few generations ago. They got so twisted on preserving their bloodline they refused to breed with anyone from outside their band. Obviously that led to a lot of genetic defects coming through, fertility rates dropped. The band was at risk of dying out. The Hyena's had gone mad from isolation and inbreeding. They had started to kidnap women and infants to try and increase their numbers. Your grandfather on your dad's side discovered everything and well, he ended them." Alec said bluntly, announcing Alexander's grandfather had essentially committed genocide. 

Alexander sat stunned into silence, pointing right at the upcoming fork letting Alec know where to go. "You think it was Hyena's?"

Alec nodded. "It would make sense. The role of Alpha is heavy, you didn't have anything to do with what happened to the Hyena's but you are the closest they could get to revenge."

"We're getting close" Alexander could feel her more strongly in his heart. She was holding strong. Melody was so strong, he willed her to just hold together a little longer.

Alec nodded, "There's an old grain mill up ahead, long abandoned and isolated. I'm directing the enforcers to surround it now from the woods. No sign of magic residue where we found her bike. We still need to be careful."

Alexander shivered. He didn't like magic, made his hair stand up on end whenever he was near it. The witches he had met were all white ones, tied to the earth and life with their powers. But something about magic always unsettled him. He didn't trust it. Suddenly Alexander sat up straighter, his body tense. "Something is happening, she is terrified." His voice breaking as Flint tried to force a shift to run to her faster than the truck could travel.