Chapter Twelve
Melanie
Melanie looked back and forth from Tye to Ethan. Surely if Ethan was a Shifter her and her family would have known. She had known him and his family her whole life. He didn’t even have the golden eyes.
“Tye, I think the cookies are going to your head. I’ve known Ethan my whole life. He’s definitely not a Shifter.” Tye still hadn’t let her walk around him. He also never broke Ethan’s eye contact. They were having some weird power struggle, and Tye was winning. Ethan was starting to shake all over.
“Melanie you may want to back up. I think Ethan’s about to show you his jaguar.”
“What? This doesn’t make any sense.” Melanie had a hold of the back of Tye’s shirt, and didn’t have any plans to go anywhere without him. Other than his stance being a bit rigid, he seemed completely unaffected otherwise.
“Ethan, just calm down. I don’t want to fight you. I will, but I don’t want to make a bad impression on Melanie’s family by wrecking her mom’s Thanksgiving dinner.”
“You’re bonded?” It was the first words Ethan had spoken in a while. It looked like he was in extreme pain.
“Not yet. She’s my mate though.”
That comment landed Tye a swift jab in the back. She didn’t like that word, and they hadn’t established that as a certain or not. She didn’t like him throwing the word around to everyone. He might as well just hike his leg, and pee on her.
“She seems to object?” Ethan took a threatening step forward. Uh oh maybe Melanie should have saved her disagreement for a more private setting.
“She’s human it’s new for both of us. There are no doubts that she is my mate though. Don’t try it Ethan.”
Melanie’s father, mother, and Ethan’s dad were all in the kitchen now. They were all wide eyed at the Shifter show down happening in the kitchen. Ethan’s head snapped over to them, which gave Tye an opening. Faster than Melanie thought possible Tye had Ethan in a deathlike bear hug, and was dragging him backwards. She realized he was taking him towards the French doors that lead to the back yard. She darted behind him and got the doors open just in time. Both men were now no longer men, but giant animals.
Tye never ceased to amaze Melanie in his gigantic Kodiak form. Ethan was indeed a jaguar just as Tye had said. He was circling Tye, every bit the predator. Tye still seemed completely bored with the situation as he stood, and kept his piercing eyes locked on Ethan.
“What the hell is happening Melanie?” Her dad had her by the arm trying to drag her behind him.
“I have no idea. As soon as Ethan walked in Tye recognized him, and apparently he is a Shifter. They had some sort of weird pissing contest, and now you’re watching the aftermath of that. Did you know Ethan was a Shifter?”
“Yes, but we didn’t realize he could still shift.”
“What? What the hell dad?” Melanie couldn’t believe her dad had known, and never told her.
Her dad stood completely still, and seemed completely frozen at the fight that was brewing in front of him. She shook his arm, and tried to get him to finish the conversation. It was Dr. Carr that finally explained things.
“I adopted Ethan when he was just a baby. His family had been executed for threatening humans, but the officers were sure what to do with him. I couldn’t stand the thought of them killing a harmless baby so I said I would take him in. Your father and I had been working on experimental drugs that might be able to control the Shifters.”
Melanie turned back to Tye and Ethan in the yard, they still hadn’t managed to make contact with one another, and she could tell Tye was hoping it would stay that way. He wasn’t provoking Ethan, but letting him pace and hopefully burn off some steam.
“Tye won’t hurt him.” As soon as she said it she knew Tye had heard her. She said it more of a statement for him not her parents. She didn’t think he would anyways, but she didn’t know what was happening with the two of them in the kitchen. Ethan seemed to be having trouble coming to terms with Tye’s claim that she was his mate.
“Do you know if humans can mate with Shifters?”
“Melanie!” Her mom was aghast at her question.
“Not like that? Tye and Ethan were using the term mate in reference to me. That’s not the first time Tye told me I was his mate. Is it possible?” She asked the question to Dr. Carr assuming he would know.
“I’ve seen it before. It’s rare, but if he says that you’re his mate, then he obviously is feeling the mate bond with you. It’s not a term Shifters use lightly.”
Melanie wasn’t sure if that was reassuring or not. She turned back to Tye and Ethan who had finally started to fight. Ethan dove in trying to go for Tye’s throat, but Tye was faster, and batted him away with ease. Ethan righted himself and jumped right back up and immediately launched another attack. The two circled and lunged at each other until Tye finally caught Ethan by the neck. He slammed in down on the ground so hard it felt like it shook the house. Ethan immediately shifted back into a man.
Tye released him, but he didn’t shift yet. He kept himself protectively in between Melanie, her parents, and Ethan. Melanie wanted to go to Ethan and make sure he was okay since the hit seemed to have really dazed him. She wasn’t sure how Tye would feel about that though. She decided best to stand back. Tye was a doctor after all, and a Shifter he would know how to help Ethan better than anybody.
“I’m fine Tye. I won’t hurt them you can Shift.” Ethan’s voice was hoarse. He still hadn’t moved from his position on the ground. Melanie realized he may not be moving because he was naked so she ran in the house and got two blankets. She came back out and handed one to Tye. When she went to lay the other on Ethan Tye growled, and took it from her, and did it himself.
“You’re being a bit over bearing Tye.” He was still in his bear form so he gave her his best frown. He finally shifted back.
“Finally. What happened?”
“Your friend Ethan here was hoping that you’d be his mate. When he showed up today, and realized that you were mine his jaguar took over. You saw the rest. I think we’re both in agreement now though. Wouldn’t you say Ethan?”
“As long as Melanie is happy I’m fine.” Ethan said as he made his way over to them.
“Huh. Well I’m glad that you two have this all worked out. Let me see if I follow. I’m yours, not his. You two had to fight it out first though.” The venom dripped from her voice. She couldn’t believe how barbaric they were acting. It was all too much. She stormed back inside. Tye was hot on her heals though.
“Melanie, what is going on. I’ve told you before that you’re my mate.”
“You’ve told me. You TOLD me! Don’t you see how that could make me a little angry. I don’t like to be told how I will spend my life, and with who. I don’t want to be anybody’s mate. Not right now. You know that Tye. You know how hard I have worked to get this far. I’m not done yet.”
“Yeah, I know how hard you have worked. I also know that you feel for me as strongly as I you. You may not be a Shifter but you have opened yourself up to the bond, to me. I have no intentions of throwing you off of your career path. I’m right there with you. We want the same things.”
“No, you just want a mate. I can’t be that. I don’t want to be stuck at home with kids, and cooking. I’m a doctor.”
“Melanie. You’re delusional. I have nothing but supported you. You just can’t get it through your thick skull that not every man is your dad. You’re so hell-bent on proving him wrong that you’re going to piss away your life just to prove your point. I can’t do this anymore Melanie. You called me today. You wanted me here. Now, you’re pushing me right back out the door. That’s fine.”
Melanie watched as Tye ran his fingers through his hair, and paced the floor in her parents living room. She knew she was hurting him, and she really didn’t have a good reason why. She wanted him, he was right about that. She wanted to let him love her. She had a plan though, and this wasn’t part of it. It was best for both of them. She needed to focus on her internship, and passing her boards. Tye was definitely a distraction.
“Tye, I asked you over here today as a friend. I didn’t know all of this would happen. I just knew my dad was having Ethan come over to try and push him on me. I thought with you here, that he’d lay off me.”
“So you used me. You had no intentions of exploring a relationship with me, but you asked me over here on a holiday to meet your family. You told me when we first met that you weren’t a nice person, and I see that now.”
“Tye, that’s not fair. This is all really overwhelming.” Melanie tried to stop Tye from walking out the door. She didn’t want a relationship, but she didn’t want him to leave either. She stood back at that thought, and realized how selfish she was being.
“Goodbye Melanie. I hope you get everything you’re wanting out of life.” With that Tye was gone. Melanie couldn’t do anything but collapse onto the couch. She should run after him. She should just be honest with herself. She should do a lot of things, but she just sat there.