Melody

2: 3

The next Monday morning was stressful. James seemed to know something was changing, and was extra moody, while Ansley was confused and loud as Melody packed her a day bag, and one for James before bustling both our the door before eight am for the first time in their lives.

James looked so confused as Melody dropped him with the pack daycare and quickly ran out to drive herself and Ansley to the nearby community college. Melody was acutely aware of the van that followed them the whole way from the pack house to the college, as well as the two wolves who followed her to daycare drop off, and then one on to her classes for the morning. They were hard to miss, and probably not going to help her make any friends if they continued to be such looming obvious shadows.

At lunch, Melody stopped by the daycare to breastfeed Ansley once, before returning to her classes for the afternoon. Everything went so smoothly, Melody was in an excellent mood when she returned home to the pack house, picked up James, and took everyone home to make dinner.

She was cheating a little bit, the kitchen omegas had made a soup, and another loaf of bread that would be the main part of her meal for her family tonight. But she had heated it, and turned the bread to garlic bread. Then kept it warm until Alexander came home. Or that had been her plan. When it started to get late, Melody fed James and Ansley, before giving them a bath, reading them stories before rocking Ansley to sleep in James' room until both were sleeping soundly.

She rose from the chair on silent feet across the room, holding Ansley to her chest, the infant's small head lolling on her shoulder as Melody tucked James in more tightly and made sure the small bear stuffie he liked was within his reach, before she walked to the door, holding the knob turned until the door was closed then slowly letting the knob go so there wasn't any click of the door as she left. James had excellent hearing and woke easily, Thankfully tonight he stayed asleep.

Moving across the hall, Melody went to her former walk in closet, now nursery, and placed her still sleeping daughter in her crib. Melody put her down on her back but the stubborn girl always rolled herself onto her stomach, tiny knees tucked up underneath her, in her preferred sleeping position. Melody sighed, turning on the video monitor, she went down stairs, and fed herself the now well overcooked meal, the noodles in the soup were mushy, the veggies all overcooked. Another meal ruined.

After eating burnt bread and mushy soup, she cleaned up the kitchen, did her reading for her classes tomorrow, packed her bag, Ansley's bag and then James, before checking the clock and realising, it was bed time and Alexander hadn't come home yet. He had never stayed late the first year, then once or twice the second year. This was the third time this month alone now that he had stayed out, and never even called to let her know.

It was like he forgot she couldn't mind link or whatever. All she had was him, and it wasn't enough when he was also supposed to be taking over as pack leader full time any day now. It was already overdue as it was. Melody sighed as she brushed her teeth, hoping to herself that whatever was keeping him out late would resolve itself sooner rather than later; and that she would somehow make some friends at college. So she could have a space all her own.

She looked at the lingerie she had planned on slipping into before bed, after having a family meal with Alexander and the kids together. If he wasn't going to come home he should have at least let her know. Then she would have gone down and ate with everyone else in the meal hall. Now she knows the elders will gossip about how she was hiding away in the apartment and eating alone. "Not very wolf like" Melody pantomimed the grumpy elders in the mirror, mouth full of toothpaste foam that she spat out angrily into the sink before rinsing her mouth.

She scrubbed her face probably a little too hard, as she was extra pink when she was done and smoothing her night cream into her skin. Still no sign of Alexander. With a sigh Melody went to the laughably large bed in the center of the room, rolled herself under the white duvet, curled onto her side and fell into an uneasy sleep. Mom life and school full time was tiring, but without Alexander next to her, it was hard to be truly at rest no matter how exhausted she was.