Melody

2: 4

The weeks went on, Melody was excelling academically, while still struggling to make connections and friends. It didn't help that everywhere she went there was a seven foot tall lumbering, and unfriendly wolf nearby. The other students didn't know Cyrus was a wolf of course, but his presence was more than enough to ensure there was always a wide berth around Melody. She had tried eating at the dining hall a few times, beseeching Cyrus to sit at least a table or two over but his aura was too imposing, and Melody just ended up eating alone anyways. At least the guard for the nursery was a little more subtle. Kara didn't stand out at all, quiet and relatively short for a wolf, no one thought twice about the pretty red haired girl reading a book in the alcove near the nursery day after day. But anyone who thought she was too small to be effective protection would be firmly shown their error. Kara was one of the best assassins Alexander had ever met. The woman was deadly, armed or not.

Eventually Melody gave up on trying to make friends, and just settled into her routine. Lunch in the daycare with Ansley, and a mad rush through her classes so she could get home to James and Alexander as soon as possible. He had been trying so hard lately, always home on time, but he seemed stressed and worried. Melody just wished he would tell her what was bothering him, or if he couldn't talk to her that he would talk to someone.

Melody had become a big fan of therapy and counselling, it had basically been required after her extraction from her family, and then even more so after she was kidnapped and discovered the truth about what had happened to her father. Those few months had been traumatic to say the least of the situation. Melody had seen a counsellor for almost a full year afterwards, until she felt like she had processed what had happened and wasn't consumed by guilt anymore. She had learned new coping skills, and how to better recognise when her thoughts were in a destructive pattern.

Alexander however, had only done the compulsory single session, and never again. Melody tried to encourage him to go, or for them to go as a couple if that would help him. Alexander was still hung up on what the older wolves expected from their Alpha, and it wasn't an Alpha in therapy. Which of course was stupid. Melody and Raven had spent countless nights complaining about the state of wolf culture and how far behind some members still were. But one thing Melody knew, you couldn't push someone into getting help, not until they want it for themselves.

One Tuesday morning, towards the end of the semester, Melody had finally had enough. She was fine, but Alexander had been weird and preoccupied far too long. Something was bothering him, and he wouldn't talk about it. If he didn't want to process his feelings with a therapist, maybe he needed something else. Now it was time to plan. She made a list of the things she was going to have to organize to make her idea real. Melody decided she was going to take charge.

First tonight was going to have to be a pack meal. So Melody could have extra time to block out the most remote of the houses from the main pack house, and any other in use cabins for the upcoming Saturday night. Then she had to arrange for Diana to watch the kids, which was a sure thing the moment she asked. If she wanted to know the reason, Diana would be all the more glad when Melody told her she was planning to try and figure out what was under Alexander's skin.

Why were men so stubborn when they needed help with their mental health? It was clear to everyone who loved him that something was off. Even Flint was worried, Melody could feel the conflict between Alexander and his wolf and knew the friction between them had to stop. She didn't know why, but she knew that time was running out. She could feel in every part of her soul. He was her everything, their family together was her whole world. She would do anything for her family.

Melody quickly ran through her morning routine and rushed to get the kids dropped off before arriving at school with a full extra twenty minutes of free time. She couldn't go shopping in person like she would have preferred, since her lumbering shadow would follow her. Cyrus did not need to know a single thing about her plans. No he definitely didn't need to know what she planned to do to his Alpha on Saturday.