Remembering Melaina

by Maia Dylan

  Calmer, he ceased his counting and focused back on his brother. As always it was up to him to bring them back on track. Before he could speak, Grant resumed pacing, but this time, he verbalized his frustrations.

  “I can’t fucking stand it, Kyle. It seems to me that for every two steps forward we get pushed back a step. How in the hell is she able to stay so damn far ahead of us?” Grant threw his hands up in frustration. “We’ve been here in Salt Lake City for almost three weeks, and every time I think we are close to finding her, we discover she’s in the wind again. Who in the hell trained this woman? Houdini?”

  Despite his shared frustration at the number of dead-ends they had encountered on their search for the woman they believed to be their mate, Kyle grinned. “Ty’s right, you are such a damn drama queen.”

  Grant flipped him off, but Kyle read the amusement in his eyes. “Ty and you can both kiss my ass. What in the hell are we going to do, Kyle? Our mate is in this city somewhere, and I can feel that she is in danger. How in the hell can we convince her to let us get close enough to earn her trust and keep her safe?”

  “I don’t know,” Kyle said with a sigh. “Ty reckons we should just head on back to Grey River and wait to see if Xanthe gets another one of her visions.” The sound Grant made mirrored Kyle’s feelings perfectly. Neither of them was going anywhere.

  Grant threw himself down in the gaudily patterned armchair and sat with his elbows on his knees and his head bent. “I know you have your doubts about this, Kyle”—Grant lifted his head and looked up at him—“and due to our family history, I can’t say that I blame you. But my wolf and I know that this woman is our mate. What we can’t do is let the fact that our father was a homicidal psychopath get in the way of our future. That soulless bastard stole our childhood from us and it severely pisses me off, but I fucking refuse to let that prick steal my future.”

  Kyle held his twin brother’s gaze for a long moment before he nodded. He had been absorbing all information they had been able to get their hands on about the woman they searched for. Parris, the mate of two of their pack mates, had given them information and stories that scared and enraged Kyle at the same time. Everything he learned about Melaina Christakos he liked. A kick-ass woman who took shit from no one was most definitely on his list of what made the perfect woman.

  But he had reservations. Hell, he had a metric ton of reservations. Not just about the woman herself but also about Grant, and yeah, sure even himself. He and Grant had watched his father kill their mother in front of them. He believed she was cheating on him, which was something a true mate wouldn’t ever contemplate and had made the connection in his head that meant the woman he married was not his true mate. Despite the fact she had born him two sons and loved him with everything in her, their father had still been able to turn on her, using him and Grant as bait to draw her to the place where he eventually killed his wife. All while their eight- and six-year-old sons watched helplessly.

  Then, just under a year ago, they were both injured by a bear shifter called Baxter, who had come to Grey River looking for revenge on a mate of a friend of theirs, Rowena. He and Grant had been injured badly trying to stop Baxter, but he’d come in so damn fast and hard, they were taken down quickly, neither able to stop the huge bastard from taking Rowena and running into the forest with her. What made it even worse was Baxter told them of his intent to kill her before he left them there to die, which they very nearly had done. They were confronted with a situation that was fairly reminiscent of their childhood, and Grant had run. He didn’t pause long enough to even heal properly before he peeled out of Grey River and, if truth be told, Kyle hadn’t really forgiven him for that yet.

  Kyle stood up and walked toward the cold beers they had left on the table. “As I said before we even started on this journey, no more running like a pussy and no letting our father take this from us. We need to make our peace with our past and move on to our future.” Kyle popped the top of the two cold beers and handed on to his brother.

  Grant reached out and grabbed the beer and met Kyle’s gaze over the bottle as they both still held it in their hand. “I swear to you, Kyle, I am in this a hundred percent on this one. I know you still doubt me, but wait until you are in the same room as her. I believe that we will experience the Quickening once we are close enough to her, and then you will know for sure.”

  Rhys and Jase Wilson had announced just recently they had found their mate, Parris, but had not been struck with the Quickening in that first moment of meeting. Both of them had to practically bury their nose in the woman’s neck before they experienced it. Parris, Melaina, and another woman called Pepper had been given drugs to enhance certain psychic talents, but it had a very strange side effect. It masked a person’s scent. The person who had fed the three women that cocktail was Aristos Christakos, and what was even more fucked up about this whole situation was that the prick was Melaina’s father. And that was the first of what Kyle hoped would be many things they had in common. Neither of their fathers would ever have won any father of the year awards.

  A knock at the door to their motel room had them both tensing. Kyle spun around toward the entry and placed his barely touched beer on the dining table against the wall. He shared a quick look with his brother and knew that neither of them had heard anyone approaching. This was unusual, given their enhanced hearing, and left him unnerved. He lifted his head slightly and scented the air. There was nothing on the air to tell him who stood behind the door and his heart began to beat a little faster.

  “Take the left,” Kyle sent to his brother over their familial link before he stood to the right of the entrance, carefully lifting the curtain on the window beside it to see who stood at the door. He was surprised to see that the light just in front of their door had been extinguished. The figure stood in the darkened doorway wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood up and their shoulders hunched. Although it was difficult to make out who it was, the figure was slight.

  “Is it her?” Grant’s anxiety was evident in his voice.

  Kyle didn’t take the time to answer because he had a very strong feeling that it was, and he didn’t want her out in the open any longer than necessary. He opened the door as quickly and quietly as he could, with the intention of waving the person into the room with little or no hesitation. He needn’t have worried, for as soon as the door was open, the figure slipped in the slight gap and moved to the far wall, placing them out of view of anyone who happened to have been watching the door.

  Kyle closed the door and then moved to stand in front of it with his arms crossed over his chest. If this wasn’t the elusive Melaina Christakos, then he and Grant were destined to have separate mates. Although this person’s scent was subtle, as they moved past her, he caught a slight hint of spice that had his blood running hot and his dick filling fast.

  Not taking his eyes off the newcomer, he spoke to Grant down their link. “Did you catch that scent?”

  “Yeah, I did. It’s the second time I’ve caught a slight trace of it, and I have to tell you, my physical reaction is exactly the same.”

  “Didn’t your mother ever teach you that it’s rude to talk about someone when they’re standing in the room with you?” Her voice was liquid sex as far as Kyle was concerned, filled with a sensual heat that had him wanting to close his eyes and groan. He fought the urge, though, as she lifted her hands to push back the hood of her sweatshirt. As more and more of her was revealed, he knew he wouldn’t have missed this moment for the world. She had long, thick black hair. There was a slight curl to it that made a man want to sink his hands right in and pull her closer. She had startling blue eyes that reminded Kyle of her sister Xanthe’s, and to top it all off, she had full lips that simply begged to be kissed.

  “No, she didn’t really live long enough to teach us anything,” Kyle replied flatly. He hated talking about his mother, and having her be the topic of the first conversation between him and his mate—and yes, this woman was his mate—th
ere was no mistaking that put him on the back foot. Not something that happened often.

  Melaina’s eyes filled with sadness and something akin to understanding. “Well, I can assure you that, had she lived, she would have taught you that at some point.”

  “Melaina,” Grant asked as he stepped toward her, his hand lifting in her direction, but then dropping quickly, “are you okay? When you called Parris you were hurt. Are you still? Where have you been? Are you safe? How did you get here?”

  Melaina smiled and Kyle lost his breath at the sight. “Wait. You can’t keep asking me questions and not give me time to answer them. But, please, before we get into discussing anything else, can you tell me about Parris? Is she okay?”

  The anxiety in her tone tore at Kyle’s resolve to remain as unaffected as possible. “She’s doing okay. She was released from the hospital about three weeks ago, and from what I understand, she is living with Jase and Rhys and doing exactly as you told her to do. Staying out of sight and not bringing any unnecessary attention to herself.”

  The relief was clear on Melaina’s beautiful face. “That’s really good to hear. Thank you.”

  “Of course,” Grant added as he moved to sit back down at the dining table, “she would be a shitload happier if you’d pick up the phone and call her.”

  Melaina winced and relaxed a little, leaning back against the wall. “Yeah, I know. But I can’t call her. I might actually give in and tell her where to find me and that would be a disaster. Hell, I still find it hard to believe that she’s actually stayed in Grey River and not come out after me herself!”

  Kyle grinned. “Oh, she definitely wanted to, but I believe her mates threatened to physically sit on her to get her to remain exactly where she is.”

  Melaina grinned back, and being caught directly head-on with a full smile had Kyle’s dick swinging quickly to full mast. Good lord, she is beautiful. “I would have liked to have seen that. Parris needs a strong hand, and Pepper? Well, she is so very talented and just about the sweetest person you’ll ever meet. She needs someone to protect her, even from herself.”

  At that, Melaina’s eyes filled with sadness, and Kyle’s heart physically ached at the sight. “You’ll get her out.” Melaina’s gaze lifted to his at his words. “I know we have only just met, but I know more about you than you think, and I sure as shit know you won’t quit until you have all your sisters out of that place.”

  Melaina looked at him for a few moments, as if searching his face for something. After a moment she nodded, gracing him with a beautiful smile that told him that whatever it had been, she had found it in his expression.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. “The only ones that have ever shown or expressed faith in me are my sisters.”

  Grant sighed as he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “Mel, we have faith in your badassness. Hell, we have been tracking you for what feels like the last three years, and you have always managed to stay a step ahead. Where the hell have you been?”

  Melaina grimaced and gestured to the bed farthest from the door. “If I’m going to be interrogated, can I at least sit down?” Grant grinned sheepishly and nodded, and Melaina moved with a sensuous grace that dialed up Kyle’s physical response to the woman. “I’ve been sleeping in a car that is currently parked across the street.”

  Kyle’s jaw dropped open. “In a car parked across the street? You’re fucking joking. How long?”

  “For the past three nights that you’ve been here, and before that, I was, well, let’s say out of town for a while.” Kyle was seriously getting pissed at all this fucking cloak-and-dagger shit.

  With a growl of frustration, Kyle pushed off the wall. Even before he had taken his first step in her direction, Melaina had rolled sideways off the bed to stand on the opposite side of it. Kyle came to a surprised stop when she dropped into a fighter’s stance and all warmth disappeared from her face. There was no fear, just a sad resignation. As if her assumption that he was coming to hurt or attack her was exactly what she was expecting, and that had his anger drying up immediately. His heart ached for her and it was almost enough to cut him off at the knees.

  * * * *

  Grant sat up straight as Kyle moved off the wall and their mate rolled from the bed. It was obvious she had moved into self-defense mode, and from the look on Kyle’s face, he was shocked and pained that he had caused that reaction in their mate.

  “Melaina.” Grant deliberately kept his voice calm. “Baby, Kyle wasn’t coming at you. We’re pacers. When we have something to think about or are desperately trying to figure someone out, like an enigmatic woman that drives us crazy like yourself, then we pace. It helps us to think.”

  Melaina looked at him for a moment, before nodding and rising to stand with a deep breath. Grant noticed she didn’t relax completely, though.

  “I’m sorry,” Melaina self-consciously swept a lock of her hair behind her ear in a sensuous and charming move. “I’m not used to being around other people. I’m better at being and working alone.”

  Kyle barked a single laugh and swept both hands into his hair. “Well, Blue Eyes, that’s something you are gonna have to get over. My brother and I made a promise to your sister and to Parris that we would stay with you and help you save Pepper. And as far as Grant and I are concerned, that is non-negotiable.”

  Mel frowned and tilted her head adorably to the side. “What do you mean non-negotiable? I can get in and get to Pepper by myself. In fact, I have gone over every single permutation for getting in and out with Pepper, and the plan I have is the only option that is acceptable. Anything else puts Pepper in danger and that is intolerable.”

  “But what about you?” Kyle asked as he dropped his hands to his hips, frustration clear in his expression and his tone. “How much danger does this plan of yours put you in?”

  Grant stood from his chair and moved to stand beside Kyle. “You talk about having strategically dismissed other options because they place Pepper at risk, but nothing about what could happen to you. Why the hell is that?”

  Melaina’s gaze slid away from them and Grant growled low in his chest. “Goddamn it, Mel. You have no problem with you being the one in danger. It is acceptable to you that you could be hurt or worse, as long as you get Pepper out of that damn compound.”

  “He’s right, isn’t he?” Kyle added, folding his arms across his chest. “It is acceptable to you to be in danger as long as you can protect the people who matter.” Grant felt a wave of shock and anger slam down their link and turned to look at his brother, who had gone startlingly pale. “Blue Eyes, please tell me that you haven’t been parked outside in your goddamn car, sitting out there with a fucking target on your head, making sure that Grant and I are safe.”

  Grant recoiled in shock, knowing it was true as soon as he looked across at Melaina, who now stood with her own arms crossed in front of her and a look of defiance on her beautiful face. “Fuck, Mel! We have been going crazy trying to find you, and you’ve been watching over us? Why in the hell would you do that?”

  Melaina’s arms dropped to her hips, and Grant’s chest ached at just how incredibly beautiful she was when she wore her anger wrapped around her like a shield. “I have been trained for two things, to protect and to kill. That is all I know how to do. My own father has turned me into some goddamn psychic guinea pig and thinks to use the people I love to ensure that I do what he wants me to do. People have died and been hurt because of him, and it is my job to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Xanthe is my younger sister, and it is my job to make sure she is safe. Now that she has Hunter and Dane, I know that some of that responsibility falls to them, but it is something I will always do. I met Parris and Pepper at a time when my life seemed bleak, and I was contemplating death in the hopes that my next life might be better than this one. They gave me a reason to live. They may not be of my blood, and for that I am thankful, but that does not make them any less my sisters, or my responsibility. That is just how I am hardwi
red. All three of them are my family and I will do anything and everything to protect them. Xanthe is safe, Parris now, too, and once I have Pepper out of that place, Aristos is mine. Until that happens, anyone who helps me is a risk to him, and he would kill you both without even blinking an eye.

  “You have been making so much noise in this city trying to find me it will be just a matter of time before he sends his men for you. And yes, I know that you are shifters and are no doubt skilled fighters. But if they came to the door with a smartphone, live streaming an image of a man standing with a gun pressed to Pepper’s head, threatening to pull the trigger if you didn’t submit to the injection and go quietly, what would you do?”

  Grant’s stomach turned at the vivid picture she painted. He had the horrible feeling that she wasn’t simply a fantastic storyteller but was telling them about a scenario she had faced personally. “We would do exactly what I am sure you did in that exact situation. We would submit to the injection and go quietly.”

  Melaina seemed to deflate a little, her shoulders hunching. His wolf began to pace within him. Neither the man nor the wolf were happy at how defeated she looked. “Yeah, that’s what I thought you’d do. Except he wouldn’t just have you beaten and then placed back in the reinforced cell he had built. He would kill you.”

  Grant wanted to rage at the world, throw his fists through the walls, and roar with rage that his mate had been treated so fucking horrendously all these years. He wanted to shift, go hunt this bastard Aristos down and let his wolf have at him, and from the dark storm of emotions pulsing down the link to his brother, he knew that Kyle felt the same way.

  “So, why tonight?” Kyle asked in a clipped tone, his anger clear in his voice. “Why come to us tonight?”