AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Who do you think you are? Coming in here and telling me what to do with my own child. Where's her father, anyway, if he cares so damn much?"
"We all just want what is best for Sally," Melody pointed out, holding up her hands to show she was no threat.
"I'm the only one who knows what is best formydaughter!" Miranda snarled, and she flung herself at Melody, claws outstretched.
In an instant, Tara was there, shoving Melody out of the way. She planted her palms on Miranda's chest and flung her backwards, but Melody gripped hold of her friend's shoulder and yanked her back.
With gratitude in her eyes, she shook her head and told Tara, "This is my fight."
Though she looked reluctant, Tara stepped out of the way just as Miranda came rushing at them again. She had to be insane if she believed she could take on two she-wolves, though Melody hoped Tara would leave this down to her. This was something she had to do on her own, not just for Sally but for Jake, too.
And so she lunged for Miranda. The two she-wolves grappled at each other with human hands clad in werewolf claws. Fangs bared, they bit and slashed. And though Melody managed to hold Miranda off for a while, getting in a few good blows, things soon started to turn sideways.
The she-wolf's utter lack of reason and rationality seemed to give her an un-werewolf-like power and speed as if her lack of caring left her with nothing to lose. And Melody felt blood dripping from many different slash marks that were so swift she barely felt them stinging.
Blood pouring, she felt her energy being sapped.
"To hell with this!" she heard Tara yell.
"No, I can take her!" Melody protested, but the truth was, she was almost out of energy. Only the thought of Jake and Sally kept her on her toes.
At a nudge from Tara, she stepped sideways, only to feel her knees giving way.
"Melody!" Sally's horrified voice sounded in her ear just seconds before pain lanced through her head and she blacked out all over again.
Chapter 15 - Jake
The second Jake turned his truck onto the street where Kai lived, he felt a horrid sense of foreboding. The distinct sensation that Melody had done something stupid or reckless was undeniable, and as he searched for the right number on the houses, he became more and more aware that he was right.
Outside the house, he slammed his brakes on and jumped out.
The door was open, a raven-haired woman standing just inside the threshold, her arms spread in front of her. The way her hair raised without even a breath of wind, how she held herself, all pointed to one thing. It was Malia, and she was using magic. Jake could sense it crackling in the air.
The sounds of growling and snarling came from inside the house beyond her, and nausea threatened to overwhelm him. It seemed all hell had broken loose.
"Melody!"
Sally's cry set his feet in motion. He charged up the driveway, flung himself past Malia, and found himself stopping dead in his tracks. Kai was there, a look of strained concentration upon his face, and it was abundantly clear that Malia was the one holding him back from whatever he was trying to do. Just behind him, in what appeared to be the den, furniture was flying and the growling continued. Jake caught a glimpse of Miranda and Tara going head-to-head. And it appeared that Tara was winning.
But the part of the scene that made his skin crawl was Sally on the floor of the hallway, crouched over the motionless body of Melody.
The little girl was weeping, shaking Melody as if she were trying to wake her. Jake's entire body froze. His limbs turned to lead as he imagined the worst possible outcome.
There was so much blood, so much motionlessness. Was she lost to him?
He held his breath, fighting panic. Then he saw the way Melody's chest rose and fell. And he allowed himself a breath of relief.
With a quick glance at Miranda and Tara, he saw that the second's wife had subdued her. The blonde badass was pinning Miranda's arms to her chest from behind, and so Jake rushed to his daughter's side.
He dropped into a crouch beside her and asked, "What happened?"
"She fought Mommy, but Mommy was too strong, and she fell and hit her head on the side-table," Sally said, whimpering.
"It's okay," Jake assured her, pulling her close for a second. "Everything is going to be okay."
He wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure more, her or himself.
He released her just long enough to pull Melody's head up into his lap before he wrapped one arm around Sally and held them both.
