My Second Chance Mate: A Shifter Romance Page 2

  Chapter Two

  New Friends, New School, New Guy

  Although I don't have the brightest outlook on life after what I've been through, I can still appreciate the beauty of Hawaii. I mean, isn't it perfect to wake up almost every day to clear skies, a brightly shining sun, and trade winds? It's amazing! Almost amazing enough to bring back the old me . . . almost.

  After a quick breakfast of bacon and eggs with some delicious guava juice, something I have become obsessed with, I follow the boys to Jared's car. I don't have my own car yet, but my Aunt June promised we could check out some cars this weekend, courtesy of my parents. It's a little missing you gift, which I am totally stoked about.

  It's important that I get one right away because the ride with the boys would make any sane person want to pull their hair out. If the constant size vs. performance debate isn't bad enough; the spitting, the farting, and burping ractically push me to commit murder. After the rules were set that none of them could score with me, I instantly became an honorary sister. I'd rather be the hook up because at least they'd leave me alone after that instead of being blown off. I have to answer questions like Why do girls have to be so bitchy while on their monthly period? or Why can't girls just put out and shut up? I give Nate a hard smack to the back of his head for that one. I explain to them that they'd be pretty bitchy too if they have to stuff a cotton plug up their vaj for five days a month. As expected, they all gagged in disgust.. I can't resist giving Nate some crap, and tell him that if he's able to do the deed right, his girl of the moment will be so content she'd pass out, eliminating any sort of talking. I point out that he must not be handling his business right and probably needs more practice. This causes the others to crack up just as we reach the school and find a spot in front.

  The guys get out of Jared's Tahoe, still laughing which makes heads turn and girls drool. I understand them because the four of them together are drool-worthy. Jared with his black shiny hair, Jace and Brad with their light brown hair, Brad’s ending a little past his collar while Jace's is shorter with a bit of a wave to it, and Nate with his blond hair and the cutest dimples you'd ever see. Their eye colors are another draw. Jared has green eyes similar to mine, Jace has blue eyes, and Brad has black which he says makes him seem mysterious. I definitely rolled my eyes when I heard that. The egos on these guys are ridiculous. My fave of them all is definitely Nate’s. He has the prettiest hazel eyes any girl would easily succumb to. All the guys are pretty tall, between 6’ and 6’2, with hard bodies and even harder heads. Yes, they're hot, but I'll never admit that to them. They get enough flattery as is, which is proven as we make our way inside.

  “Hi, Jared. Looking good today!”

  “Nate, baby, can I touch your dimples?”

  “Jace, you want me to massage those sexy shoulders?”

  “Oh my gosh, Brad. Your hair looks awesome today! Can I run my fingers through it?”

  Are these girls serious? I glance at them in amusement and I get some glares. Whatever. These girls have nothing to fear from me. There’s no way I’d be stepping on their territory. I'm done with guys. Aiden made sure of that. Shaking away thoughts of he who shall not be named, I remind myself there is to be no more unnecessary thoughts of him. They only bring pain, and I refuse to feel anything for him anymore. I have a hard enough time dealing with the physical pain I feel every time he makes love to my sister, and I can live without the emotional scars the thoughts of him are causing. The distance between us has minimized it quite a bit but I still feel it. It's not unbearable, just uncomfortable. Another blow to my heart.

  I leave the boys to their admirers and follow the sign directing me to the office. I pick up my schedule and locker assignment and head to my homeroom. Once there, I recognize a girl I met at the pack welcoming party that was thrown for me. She sees me and waves me over to the seat next to her.

  “Harmony, right?” she asks.

  “Um yeah, and you're . . . Michelle?” I question.

  She smiles and says, “Yeah, but you can call me Shelly.” She's pretty with her curly short brown hair and brown eyes.

  “And this is Katie.” She gestures to a girl with strawberry blonde hair and light green eyes who’s sitting in front of her.

  “Hi!” Katie gives a slight wave.

  “So, how do you like it here so far?” Katie asks.

  “It's alright. The weather’s great.” The weather. Seriously? Do I want them to think I'm boring?

  Shelly chuckles. “That it is. And do you know the best part about it? The sun highlights all the hot male bodies that go to this school especially during lunch when they take their shirts off and toss a football around. Sooo yummy,” she says dreamily.

  I laugh. Oh yeah, I think I just found my new best friend. As luck would have it, I share a lot of classes with my new bestie, Shelly. Of course I have the boys in a few of them too, which earns me even more glares since they always choose to sit next to me.

  Shelly was right about lunch. The view is definitely yummy, but something catches my attention as I'm scanning the lunch crowd. A little to the side of the courts is a set of trees and two tables with a group of guys sitting there. They look athletic, but none of them are in the ball game. One guy in particular peaks my interest because he's looking right at me. His eyes are covered with Oakleys, so I can't see the color and he has chocolate brown hair, just long enough to run your fingers through, and nice full lips . . . That last thought catches me off guard. Why am I noticing his lips? Strange. I catch their scent with just a quick sniff of the air. Werewolves. I don't remember seeing any of them at the pack party. Trust me, he would be hard to forget. That unexpected realization creates a slight frown to form.

  “Who are they?” I ask Shelly, nodding in their direction.

  Turning to see where I'm looking at, she catches sight of the group and stiffens before answering, “That's the Dark Mountain Pack. They run the northern territory while our pack runs the Southern territory. This school equally divides the two.”

  “Who is that in the center?” I wonder curiously, still unsure why he's having such a strange effect on me.

  Shelly becomes even more tense and turns back to face me, looking straight in my eyes and says, “That's their alpha, Trevor Hanes. Don't get any ideas about him. He's cold and heartless. He uses girls for one thing, then treats them like trash after he’s done. Stay away from him, Harmony. He's nothing but heartache.”

  I'm no stranger to heartache. She'd know this if I was ready to blurt out my sad story but I'm not, so I assure her instead. “I'm not going anywhere near him. I'm just curious who I'm going to school with.”

  She relaxes instantly and turns away to watch the boys throwing the ball around. I take one last look at the table off to the side, and I see Trevor saying something to the big bulk of a guy sitting next to him. Then they both turn my way as if they are talking about me. I quickly shift my eyes away and continue eating my lunch, but I can't deny wishing my wolf hearing could pick up what they were saying. Are they talking about me? If so, why do I care? I'm done with guys. There will never be another for me unless I choose a human, and Trevor definitely isn't human. Still, why do I feel drawn to him for some reason? I'm awakened from my thoughts just as Jared plops his butt next to me, stealing half of my sandwich and stuffing it in his mouth.

  “I was going to eat that, you pig!” I grumble.

  “Oh come on, cousin. I'm a growing wolf. I need all the fuel I can get.” He pouts.

  Puh-leez, that face isn't going to work on me. Punching him in the arm, I tell him, “You owe me twice as many sandwiches tomorrow to make up for the fuel you've taken away from me today.”

  “Yeah, yeah, sheesh. So territorial about your food, aren't you? I thought girls were always worried about their figure and crap like that.” He smirks.

  Shooting him a deadly glare, I ask, “Are you trying to imply that I need to watch my figure? Are you saying I'm fat?”

  Choking on my stolen sandwich, he starts saying denials when he catches the smile on my face. “Frick, Harm. You had me worried for a minute. I thought you were going all girly on me.”

  My smile vanishes and gives a pokerface. “So now you're saying I'm not feminine?”

  He tenses even more. “No. That's not . . . I didn't mean . . .”

  I let him stumble over an explanation before I can't hold it in any longer, and I burst out in laughter. “You are too easy,” I say between breaths.

  “Well played, Evans. Well played. The student has finally become the teacher,” Jared praises while doing a terrible impression of a wise karate master. I'm about to punch him again when his next comment stops me. “I saw you checking out Hanes. Stay away from him, Harm. He's a player.” That came out of nowhere.

  I retract my arm and place my hands on my lap. “I was not checking him out, and you're one to talk. You're practically two of a kind then, right?” I tease, trying to lighten the suddenly tense moment.

  He gets serious. “We're nothing alike. Yeah, we both have our fair share of girls. The only difference is I don't treat them like crap. They're still people to me. To Trevor, they're just toys he plays with. He barely asks their names before he humps and dumps.”

  “Lovely choice of words?” I state sarcastically before reassuring him. “Don't worry. Like I was just telling Shelly, I was only curious who he was. I don't want to jump his bones or any guys’s bones, and you should know why better than anyone.”

  “I know, Harm,” he says gently. “I just don't want you to get hurt more than you already are.”

  “Well, you have nothing to worry about because I have zero interest in this Trevor guy, okay?” I reassure him.

  “Ok, so . . . are you going to eat those cookies my mom made?”

&n
bsp; Relieved he's dropping the subject, I warn him, “Touch them and lose a finger.” He just laughs. I meant what I said. I'm not interested in Trevor, but I still can't resist one last glance in his direction, only to see him chatting with a brunette and leading her into the trees. I guess he found his next toy. Why does that bother me?

  Chapter Three

  Seriously, Shoot Me Now

  It’s finally almost the end of the day, and I’m now on my last class, math. I groan internally. Numbers and I do not get along well. Unless there are dollar signs before them, I just don't see the need to study. I make a quick stop at my locker to drop off my unneeded books when I suddenly smell the most delicious aroma, warm milk chocolate with a hint of smooth, creamy, caramel. Shutting my locker door, I turn to search out the source, and come into direct eye contact with a pair of eyes that match the delicious smell; brown pools of chocolatey goodness. So that's what’s hiding behind Trevor’s glasses.

  He's about 6 ft., walking, talking version of a Twix bar which happens to be my favorite candy of all time. Only noticing how quiet it is just now, I tear my eyes away from his. I see that the hallway is empty. Classes must be starting.

  Giving him a pointed look, I say, “Excuse me.” When he didn't move, I huff in irritation and start to make my way around him, only to have my back pushed against the lockers as he runs his nose up the crease between my neck and shoulder, inhaling deeply. I want to push him away, but I can't seem to make my arms follow that command. My wolf won't let me. Trevor looks up, and I can see his eyes are shining so his wolf is taking over as well. We stare mesmerized with each other, as if we're in a world of our own. The last time I felt like this was . . . NO! This can't be. It's not possible! The sound of a door closing breaks us out of our trance.

  Shaking his head, he looks at me with eyes that are back to their beautiful brown color. It’s now filled with disgust. He shoves me roughly away from him. “This can't be. I don't want this,” he states angrily.

  It's like a case of déjà vu. I can't go through this again. Not another rejection. How is this even possible? I already have a mate. I can't have another. It's a good thing I already learned to harden my heart, or this encounter might have broken me again. I'm not going to lie, I could already feel cracks forming, but I fight against it.

  So he doesn't want this. Well news flash Mr. high and mighty, neither do I. I already traveled down this path, and I sure as hell didn't want to make the journey again.

  “Don't worry. I already have a mate, so this must be life’s cruel way of kicking me when I'm down,” I say, my voice laced with ice.

  A sudden growl leaves his throat, eyes glowing once again. This time in anger as he face me. “MINE.”

  What? Did he not just say he didn't want me? He must be bi-polar and in need of his meds.

  “He rejected me just like what you're about to do, so don't bother. I already know the drill. You don't want me blah blah blah. I'll live,” I say roughly, with every intention of walking away, but of course he has a different idea.

  Grabbing my arm, he forces me to face him as he says angrily, “You don't understand.”

  “I don't want or need to. I think I can figure it out myself. You enjoy the single carefree life, with a different girl warming your bed every morning. No problem. Continue on as if this little meeting never happened. I couldn’t care less,” I tell him even though it upsets my wolf to say that.

  “That's not it.” His voice still holds anger but there is something else there too. Something sad and . . . broken. What pain is lurking in his past?

  “It doesn't matter. I don't want this either. Been there, done that, and so over it. You just stay away from me, and I'll stay away from you. We can go on living our lives as if we've never met. I refuse to move again because of an immature, selfish wolf.” I successfully break away from him and walked away holding myself together until I make it to the girl’s restroom, and let the tears fall. How can one person be rejected twice? What is wrong with me? Was I so unlovable that it's forcing two different guys to fight the bond? And why do I even have two mates? I've never heard of this happening before, but of course I would have to be that one of a kind. Unbelievable.

  I can't allow it to matter, though. I will get through this. I did it once before, and I can do it again. I'll just avoid him like the plague. We're from different packs who live in different areas. The only time we'll cross paths is in school. Easy peasy, right?

  Turns out easy is far from what it will be, because after washing my face and heading to class late, who do I see sitting in the seat right next to the only available desk in the room? A lifesize, brown eyed, Twix bar with a scowl firmly planted on his face. The universe truly has it out for me.

  Class is a tension filled experience. I feel his beautiful brown orbs glancing my way the entire time, but I try my best to ignore it. I keep my focus on the teacher as if he is the most interesting person on the planet. He definitely isn't. He has a dull voice and no personality. Typical math teacher who's all about the numbers. He also has a very bad comb over, so I concentrate on that and try to figure out if he is wearing a toupee or is using one of those hair treatments for men that went terribly wrong. I'd probably need to touch it to be sure. What the heck am I thinking? Gross! This mate thing is screwing me up big time.

  As soon as the bell rings, I grab my bag and run out of the classroom before anyone else which is quite admirable because I was sitting at the backmost part of the room. I am in such a rush to get away from a certain Alpha, that I don't see the big bulky body in front of me as I exit the door. It causes me to crash into a hard chest. I start to apologize as I look up at my victim and see the black hair and eyes of the guy that was sitting next to Trevor during lunch.

  “My Alpha would like a word with you,” he says as if it's an inconvenience for him to stop me.

  Oh did he now? And what? He mind linked his little lap dog here to come be his muscle? Seriously? Give me a break.

  “Not gonna happen, bucko!” I say, kicking him in his shin and catching him off guard long enough to get away.

  I run as if the hounds of hell were at my heels, which judging by the pounding footsteps behind me, they were. Turning around the corner, I am ready to make a mad dash for the exit but is brought up short by yet another hard chest. What am I? A magnet for collision or something? I ready myself to bolt when I catch my new victim’s scent, allowing me to relax into the familiarity of it.

  “What's the rush, hot stuff?” Nate laughs.

  “Oh, thank God. It's you,” I whisper, relieved.

  “Thanks but you're not the first female to tell me that,” he smirks.

  I swear these boys will be the cause of my immediate imprisonment if they don't tone down their arrogance. I punch his arm, and he quickly puts his arms around my back, holding my wrists in his much bigger hands. He effectively stops me from delivering any more blows. Then he whispers into my ear, “Honey, I know you like it rough, but not in public.”

  I am gonna kill this butthead. I have every intention of kneeing him in the balls, when he is suddenly yanked away from me as I'm pushed behind a hard body.

  “Don't touch her again!” Trevor growls, glaring at Nate.

  What the hell does he think he's doing? I try to get past him to see if Nate is alright, but Trevor turns to me with glowing eyes and warns, “Unless you want me to go wolf in the middle of school, you should stay exactly where you are.”

  I want to disobey him in the worst way, but the safety of our existence relies on the secrecy of our kind so I stay where I am. I peek around his shoulder to see that Nate is fine and is getting up to dust himself off with a scowl on his face. By this time, Jared, Brad, and Jace have joined us, and they look equally pissed. You can definitely cut the tension with a knife.

  “Let my cousin go, Hanes. She's not one of your play things, and I won't let you make her one,” Jared says with more anger than I've ever seen in his eyes before.