BK 3 - Chapter 6 - The Cubs
Melanie was holding the male cub when Saxon returned to the nursery with some applesauce and cups of milk. He knew they probably needed more than that, but it was the quickest thing he could get. Until he knew which couple was targeting Melanie, he was sticking to her like glue.
"Everything okay, Sax?" She noticed a small smile at the nickname she'd used. It had been a long time since she called him by that name.
"Uh, yeah. I brought them some applesauce and milk. Will that be okay until we make them a meal?" Saxon looked at the little cub in her arms and smiled. It reminded him of all the time they spent with the kids at the group home. Those were some of the best days of his life. He hated the circumstances that brought the kids to the group homes, but seeing them go from being scared of everything to loving and outgoing was the best reward.
"That should be fine. Hey, little one, can you tell me your name?" Melanie smiled at the little boy in her arms. She rubbed his back to help calm him and felt his body relax.
"Alex. She's Lisa." Saxon and Melanie exchanged a look. He spoke better than they expected for how small he was.
"How old are you, Alex?" She asked him as his eyes darted between her and Saxon.
"I'm almost five. So is Lisa." Melanie hugged him so she could hide her tears. Clearly, they hadn't been given proper nutrition to grow like they should have. Most likely, they'd been there for years to have such a significant impact on their growth.
"Are you hungry?" Saxon asked him, and the little cub nodded with a small smile.
"You guys are good, right? That's why you brought us here, right?" Alex looked into Saxon's eyes with hope.
"Yes, we're good. We won't let anyone hurt you anymore. Do you know how long you were there?" Melanie asked softly. Lisa started waking up, and Saxon didn't hesitate to pick her up. She snuggled against him without saying a word.
"I don't know. I can't remember being anywhere else." Alex answered while looking at Lisa.
"I heard someone say we were born there," Lisa said quietly.
"I brought you some applesauce and milk." The two cubs exchanged a look that made them look older than four.
"That's fine for now, but can we have real food? They only gave us drinks there, and real food smelled so good." Saxon and Melanie giggled at the sassy little lioness. Lisa had a strong personality for someone who'd been locked up her entire life.
"We can get you real food. Let's go to the other room, and I'll see what we have. Are you two okay with that?" Melanie looked between the two cubs, who both nodded. When they walked out of the nursery, no one was there. They took the cubs to the table and sat them down to eat their snack. Standing off to the side Saxon and Melanie watched them curiously.
"They're stronger than I thought they'd be." He said quietly.
"Yeah, me too. I guess I better see if I can cook them something to eat. I can't believe how small they are." Melanie started to head to the kitchen, but Saxon stopped her.
"Lanie, how well do you know the others here?" She looked up at him and frowned.
"I've been talking to Karlee and Vincent online for months, but I didn't meet any of them until I got here. Why do you ask?" Melanie could feel the nervousness coming off him in waves. There was also uncertainty in his eyes.
"Just be careful who you trust." He reached over and lightly held her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of it. She felt little tingles run through her entire body. His demeanor concerned her. Saxon could read people better than anyone she knew, so if he was worried, she knew he was picking up on something.
"I will. Besides, you're here with me now." Melanie gave his hand a little squeeze before letting go and going into the kitchen. There wasn't much food to choose from, so she decided to make the cubs grilled cheese sandwiches. Just as she was putting them on plates, the others walked out of the back. After what Saxon had said, she decided to try and study the couples a little closer.
"Hey, you two are so cute. Are you sure they can eat that?" Ava asked, watching Melanie put the sandwiches in front of the cubs. Lisa glared up at her.
"We're not babies." She said, taking everyone by surprise. Karlee looked toward Saxon and Melanie with her eyes wide.
"How old are they?" She questioned them.
"Alex said he and Lisa are almost five. They most likely were there from the time they were born. They were only given a liquid diet, so that's why they're on the smaller side." Melanie winked at Lisa, who beamed up at her.
"Did you get anything from the guy in there?" Saxon asked.
"Not much. He knows about shifters, but it doesn't seem like he knows anything about the trafficking. Trust me. We gave him many chances to talk, so he would have told us if he knew anything." Vincent smirked as he looked around at the others who had been in the room with him. Melanie felt a chill run down her spine at the energy she was picking up from them. She glanced at Saxon, who also appeared uncomfortable with how they were acting.
"What are you going to do with him now?" Melanie asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.
"Don't worry about that. He'll be disposed of soon." Brandon winked at her, and the others laughed. She looked down at the cubs, who both looked weary at the behavior of the others. She immediately put a hand on each of their shoulders. Lisa looked up at her with a small smile.
"I'm getting tired. Can you take me to bed, please?" Melanie nodded and took her hand. Alex grabbed her other one, and Saxon followed close behind.
"Wow, aren't you all a happy little family?" Karlee said under her breath. Saxon knew she didn't think they heard her, but when he turned to glare at her, she looked away. They were heading to the nursery where they had the cubs earlier, but Lisa pulled on Melanie's hand.
"I don't want to go in there. Can I stay with you?" She whispered so softly they could barely hear her.
"Sure, how about you, Alex?" Melanie asked him. He looked up at Saxon.
"I think I should stay with him. A boy's room and a girl's room." He answered just as quietly as Lisa. Melanie and Saxon turned toward their rooms. There was a connecting door between the two rooms that they opened immediately. Once the four were together in Melanie's room, they all seemed to breathe easier.
"They're not like the two of you. I don't like them." Lisa said as she pulled a blanket around her and Alex.
"Have you seen any of them before today?" Saxon asked, but both shook their heads.
"No, but we were kept in cages in the basement. We didn't see anyone except the lady that gave us our drinks. We had been taken upstairs for the auction when they took us." Alex held Lisa's hand tightly.
"They were having an auction? How many were they trying to sell?" Saxon questioned.
"I don't know. We're never taken up there until it's our turn. No one has ever wanted us because of how small we are. This time someone bought us, and those two women grabbed us and took us outside. We didn't see who bought us." Lisa spoke so matter-of-factly that it broke both their hearts. Melanie looked at Saxon, who was staring at her. She could tell they were both thinking the same thing. Did the people they were working with buy the cubs? If so, what were they going to do with them?
"Were there any others kept where you were?" Saxon wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to his own question, but if they had any chance of helping them, they needed to know.
"Yeah, but not in the same room where our cages were. We could hear other cubs and pups crying. Some adults were yelling and screaming too." Alex's voice sounded shaky. Lisa put her arm around his thin shoulders.
"After you were sold and the two women took you, did they say anything?" Melanie looked between the two cubs, who seemed to be having a silent conversation between themselves with just their eyes.
"When we got out the door, they gave each of us a shot that made us sleepy. One of them said they needed to run to make it look good," Lisa told them. Saxon looked at his mate, who looked just as angry as he felt. It didn't look like only one couple had something to hide. It seemed like they were all involved in some way. Saxon knew now more than ever he needed to get Melanie and the cubs away from there as soon as possible. Their lives might depend on it.
