Melody

2:27

Alexander and Melody spent their time with their kids and Diana. Letting Alexander's mother take care of everything while Melody and Alexander played on the floor with their kids, ate snacks, and just enjoyed the peace of their family. Raven was stomping around in her room out back, apparently a nap was not coming easily. 

"I guess it's not all she hoped it would be?" Alexander ventured softly while James was cuddling in his lap, almost asleep with a picture book in his hands.

"She has wanted this all her life, maybe dropping a vampire sighting on her this early wasn't the best idea." Diana said, softly, her voice like a lullaby as James drifted off to sleep. Melody was just returning from putting Ansley down for a nap, and smiled at seeing James limp in his fathers arms. She came over, gently and carefully picking the little boy up who snuggled into his mother's body as she picked him up, and took him to have a nap as well. Giving Alexander some time alone with his mom.

"Alpha doesn't wait," Alexander said in his defense. Before turning bashful, knowing he had been unfair, "I needed to be with Melody. Plus it will be good, it seems like she handled everything well, aside from being a bit cranky today. The old ranks need to see her as a leader, that a woman can lead." He glanced at his mother who had been acting alpha for years, "Can lead permanently." He corrected himself. Just in time.

"That's another problem," Diana continued, listening as Melody rocked her son in the room down the hall, giving her some extra time with her son. "Those old ranks, you've been too tolerant. Do you even care what they say about Melody? How much they have hurt her while she's stood strong next to you?" Diana's voice was still gentle, but there was an edge now, she was disappointed in her son.

"Guillermo takes care of that..." Alexander started to defend himself, when he knew his mother was right. Because she was always right. "I should have done something, I just wanted to be accepted, to be what they wanted, I thought they would see Melody like I do eventually..." His words sounded weak, and worse the more they tumbled from his throat. Melody had never once complained to him, not until her fervent demand that she be allowed to go to college and meet friends of her own anyways. He hadn't realized how much she had been keeping her own struggles to herself.

Diana gave Alexander a glare that might have killed a weaker man on the spot. "If they couldn't respect the Alpha's mate, how do you think they are going to react to a female Alpha leading a pack?" Her stare could have melted boulders; it was so intensely strong.

"I don't know, But we'll think of something, I have no regrets about stepping down mom. Only that it took me so long to admit it to myself. I know I have a lot of things to fix, I'm going to do it though. I know I can help make things better for Melody, and a lot of other people. But not as pack leader." Alexander was finally standing tall, conviction behind his words as Melody came down the hall on near silent feet, eyes shining as she heard her mate's voice, strong and confident like she hadn't heard it in a long time. He turned to look at her, with nothing but love and joy in his eyes, radiating through their bond. 

Diana made sandwiches for everyone, even though the late breakfast hadn't been that long ago. But wolfish metabolism and Melody's belly both demanded at least a snack before heading to a meeting that could last hours. James and Ansley were still asleep when it was time for them to head back to the pack house and the conference room they had been beckoned to join.

During the walk, Alexander felt as Josephine crossed the border. Already familiar with the aura the rings emitted to let him know it was her encroaching on the pack. He didn't want to give up his ring, but he mindlinked Raven to bring a ring of precious metal of her own to have Josephine attach to the border as well. He didn't want to give up his own ring, and having two alerts was better than one he rantionalized.