Melody

37

Alexander was awoken by a summons from the Alpha. His uncle was waking him up with a command he was unable to ignore. The moment he came fully awake, there was a soft knock on the door. Alexander, got up from bed, noth bothering to check the time, or put on more clothes. When he opened the door. Guillermo was outside. "I'm here to guard Melody while you are out." Guillermo looked almost sad. Which scared Alexander more than he wanted to admit.

He strode out in his boxers towards the call he was bound to obey towards Alec's office. The older wolf sat behind his desk, tired eyes unflinching at his nephew's state of dress as he indicated for him to sit down in a chair. "Alexander, we have a lot to discuss."

Alec laid out all the intelligence that was collected during Melody's rescue. The hyena's were back, seeking revenge and to rebuild their numbers using mates of alphas to improve their bloodlines. Kidnapping mates before they are marked. Melody was taken to be a brood mare to some hyena male but since she was already marked she was useless for their plan.

Once marked, a female is only fertile for her mate. It had likely saved Melody today that he had marked her when he did. There had been vampires on the compound, a female escaped, but the male had been exterminated. His identity was unknown and he had turned to ash and dust before a picture could be taken to ID him. Several hyena youths had been captured, several warriors from the other side had died in the struggle. But the situation was still fraught. The Cackle leader of the Hyenas was still free and unknown. The threat to Melody and Alexander remained.

"I think you and Melody should consider heading home, Alexander. It's not safe here any longer. The school is full of hyena's. My pack is going to have a difficult time controlling the situation as it is... I can't guarantee Melody's safety here any longer."

They were being asked to leave. They were the focus of the Hyena's hate. Melody was a human and a target. Because of what Alexander's grandfather had done. It had nothing to do with Alec's pack. Alec had to think of his own pack first. Alexander understood, and would do the same in his shoes.

"As soon as Melody can travel we will head home Alec. Thank you for everything you did for us." Alec nodded, and Alexander was free to return to his mate. He bid Guillermo goodnight, locking the door behind Guillermo and tucked himself back around Melody's sleeping body.

Alexander was awoken while the sky was dark and starless outside by a scream. Melody was screaming from a nightmare she couldn't wake up from, she was thrashing violently in the bed, screaming as tears streamed down her face. Alexander wrapped her up in his body, slowly helping her to still all while running his hands over her skin, whispering in her ear that she was ok, she was safe, he has her over and over again.

It felt like hours, but really only minutes had passed. Melody stilled and was leaning back into Alexander's arms. Her cheek on his naked chest listening to the steady beat of his heart. They stayed like that until everyone's breathing had calmed down. Alexander was scared to speak, worried he could scare her or hurt her more, but he had to ask, "Melody? Are you ok?" He kept running a soothing hand up and down her back as he cradled her in his arms, pressed tight against him.

"No." She was speaking, that was good. But the look in her eyes as she turned her face to look him in the eyes was enough to shatter him. Something deep inside Melody had broken today, she wasn't the same and he didn't know if she ever would be. He would spend the rest of their lives trying to repair what had happened. "My father," she sobbed out, "he was there today."

Alexander felt his body tense. Her Father had left her before she moved here, abandoned her. What the fuck was he doing showing up now. He continued to hold her, unsure what he should say, thankful when she kept talking to him. "He didn't abandon me" tears were streaming down her face now, "The night he found out about the affair, he went out drinking. He was coming back and she found him." Alexander stayed quiet, thinking about the intelligence from Alec. A female vampire had escaped, a male had been terminated. "She killed him, made him like her and tortured him. Hes her fucking pet now." Melody's voice was choked as she sobbed and gasped trying to get the story out in the open. "He bit me, he drank my blood because she told him to and forced me to drink his."

Alexander felt his heart stop. Melody had drank vampire blood today. It would help her heal quicker, most of the small scrapes and bruises would likely be gone in hours. Her arm would repair itself in likely just a few days. But if Melody died before the vampire blood was out of her system, she wouldn't stay dead. She would come back as a blood sucking monster. Alexander thought everything would be fine once he had her back in his arms. He was going to keep her locked in this room for the next 72 hours. He wasn't going to risk his love becoming a monster.

"Shhh it's ok Melody. Cry it all out. I got you." He continued to whisper soft soothing words in her ear, holding her close.

"It's not ok!" She was almost screaming at him, "I thought he abandoned me. I was so mad at him. But he didn't leave me, he was taken and he was tortured and now he's out there a slave to that monster!" guilt overwhelmed Alexander's senses, it wasn't his guilt though. Melody was torturing herself.

"You couldn't have known otherwise, Melody. None of this is your fault. It's not fair, but sometimes the world is awful. If you hadn't believed your father willingly left you, you wouldn't have moved with your mother here. We wouldn't have met. We might never have met."

"He is still out there. How can I just leave my father as that monster's pet?" Alexander winced, not wanting to tell her the truth. She saw his reaction though, and pounced on it, "You know something you aren't telling me." eyes narrowing as she studied his face.

"There were two vampires at the grain mill this afternoon. A female escaped. A reasonably newly turned vampire male was exterminated. The wolves weren't able to ID him."

Melody sucked in a breath. "He's dead?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure it was him. There weren't any other vampire scents in the building."

Melody exhaled, her body relaxing. "He's free." Alexander felt her head nod against his chest. "You are going to teach me how to kill vampires and I am going to hunt down that bitch." The fire was back in Melody's voice. He could feel the darkness still hovering around her heart, but he knew he could bring her back to the light. His Melody wasn't irreparably broken. Thanks be to the goddess above.

"We will hunt her down together. Killing vampires is something wolves do exceptionally well." He squeezed her a little tighter to reassure her. "Melody?" He waited until she was looking up at him, wanting to break this to her as softly as he could, "You need to stay in your room for a couple days." Her brows furrowed as she asked him why. "The vampire blood you drank, it will help you heal faster," he paused, trying to gather his own courage. "But if something happens and you die before it's out of you. You will turn into one of them."

Melody paled and started shivering "I don't want to be like that." Remembering the pressing terrifying aura that flooded the room when the vampires entered. She did not want to be like that ever.

Alexander kissed her forehead. "That's why we are going to camp right in this room. Three days is more than enough. I'll stay with you the whole time."

Melody leaned up, pressing her lips lightly against his. "I know. I'm sleepy. Can we go back under the covers?"

Alexander nodded, holding back a chuckle. His Melody had come back, soft and sweet with a fierce fire burning just under the surface. He was so glad they had a perfect excuse to stay holed up in her room for the next few days. She wasn't going to be out of arms reach anytime soon.