The first couple photographs showed three women, roughly Melody's age, nothing else in common between them. They were all of different heritage, but all were very dead, by the similar ragged horizontal slash across their throats. No metal blade had opened their throats, that was the mark of a clawed hand. Then there had been two men, Melody didn't know them, but her heart filled with sadness as she realized these were all probably the dead mates to alphas. Who in turn according to Alexander research, never knew their mates were taken and murdered, instead thought they had been rejected. That each of these people had been stolen and their lives ended, causing echos of heartbreak for so many people, filled Melody with guilt that twice she had been taken, and twice she escaped mostly unharmed. She didn't know why she was ok in her home now, and these people weren't.
Alexander was just finishing up with Guillermo, his own worry at a new level with the news from his head of security. He dropped everything mid sentence and ran back to the table when he felt panic from Melody, tinged with something he had no words for, and had never felt before.
Melody had turned the page over, and instead of another anonymous face, she saw Beverly's face staring back at her. Tanned skin, sun spots near her temples from too much California sun, wrinkles around her lips and eyes, the same warm chocolate hair Melody herself had, in a face that looked so similar to her own. It was her mother, and her throat had been slashed just like the others. Melody froze, unable to react as she looked at the picture of her mother's corpse.
"You know this one?" Josehine asked, her own curiosity piqued, tapping on the photo. "She was older than the other's, stood out as strange to me."
"It's my mom" Melody said. Just as Alexander reached the table and had to fight down the urge to retch as he realized it really was Melody's mother dead in the photo. Guillermo wanted to let them know that Royal had been trying to contact Melody relentlessly since the day before, Finally leaving a message with the call center that he thought something bad might have happened to Melody's mom. Something odd Robert had said on his last phone call home. That Melody should check on her mom if she cared at all about her.
Turns out Royal was right, and was also too late to change anything. Beverly had been dead for at least a week, Josephine had told Melody, before hearing it was her mom and switching to mutters of apologies, and sorry for your loss. The hollow sound of it grating in Alexander's ears. Knowing Josephine didn't care an ounce how badly this all hurt Melody. "Was there anything else we could tell you, to help?" He added the help part only after Flint insisted he still be polite. They needed the pack lands warded, and didn't know any other witches strong enough.
"No, Melody has been very helpful. One last thing, the Vampire who turned your father, was this her?" Josephine pulled a worn photo from her wallet, the edges of the old polaroid wrinkles and uneven. Sliding it across the table to Melody. It was of a younger, fuller Josephine and the ageless vampire who had controlled Melody's father like a dog on a leash. Melody nodded, whispering, that's her. It was all the confirmation Josephine needed.
"Did you kill her?" Melody asked, wanting to know if her nightmare was over, if Valentina was still out there. If her father had been avenged.
"She remains undead." Josephine said, her voice indicating that she felt that was a personal failure on her part, as she gathered up her things, turned off the recording, and packed up her magic bag. As she rose from the table, she looked at Melody, "Find me a necklace or ring, all the better if it has a high precious metal content and at least one gemstone." She barked at Melody who jumped to obey.
"Protection spell," she said to Alexander, "Now my Novices have been laying the salt path for our magic around your border," she handed a heavy dull grey ring to him, "If anything with even a spark of magic in it tries to cross your bolder without permission, you will feel it. The hotter the ring burns, the more powerful the foe. They wont be able to cross easily in the first place since I am the best at what I do. Now thank me, for my help today, and for keeping watch in the future and I will go." She said, and Alexander only focused on the parts that ensured the woman would leave.
YOU ARE READING
Melody
Werewolf"Mels I think we should break up" David said to her, his voice flat, no emotion, as though he wasn't blowing up her entire world with his blunt words. "What?" Melody asked, her face had gone pale, she had heard the words he said the first time but s...
