My Second Chance Mate: A Shifter Romance Read online

  “But . . . then . . . how . . . I’m confused,” I state.

  “To make you understand, I need to start at the beginning. Sarah was my mate,” he starts to explain.

  It hurts me to hear those words, but something else in that statement catches my attention. “Wait, did you say was?”

  “I’m getting there. Will you just let me talk?” he growls in frustration.

  “If you must.” I can't help taunting him.

  He gives me a disciplinary look, as if scolding a child then continues. “As I was saying, Sarah was my mate. I met her five years ago when I was thirteen. The bond was instant, and I was head over heels for her immediately.”

  I didn’t know how much of this I could take. Each word is like a dagger to my heart. Here we go again, right? I let him continue regardless.

  “The only problem was she was two years older, and already loved someone else, and was carrying his baby. She felt the bond with me but because she carried another wolf’s baby, it wasn’t as strong as it should have been. I told her it didn’t matter to me. I would love and raise the baby like he were my own because I already loved her. Pretty deep stuff for a thirteen year old, but I have been prepared from birth for this so I was ready. She seemed to be happy with that so we decided to wait until she had the baby before I marked her, that way we could all start fresh together. We got to know each other during the last three months of her pregnancy. There seemed to be no interference from the baby’s father, and every time I asked about him, she said he was out of the picture. Cody was born, and I bonded with him right away. Sarah loved Cody very much, but would always make excuses to go back to her pack and visit with her parents. I couldn’t go because my alpha duties required me to stay here. Most of those visits, she left Cody with me, saying it was too far of a drive for such a small baby. I didn’t mind because all the guys helped me care for him.”

  Suddenly his expression changes to something dark as he continues with his story. “It was on one of these visits that tragedy struck. Sarah’s car plunged off a cliff into the ocean below, killing her instantly. She wasn’t alone. Cody’s father was with her, and he died in the accident too. It turns out that she had still been seeing him, and used those trips to spend time with him. The diary her mother gave me after her funeral revealed that though Sarah and I shared a bond, she only stayed with me so her son would have a good life while deep inside, her heart belonged to her first love.”

  I can't believe what he's telling me. I thought my story was bad but his is horrible. It breaks my heart to see the pain etched on his face caused by another woman. If she were alive, I would kill her myself for doing this to him.

  “Sarah’s parents were older and couldn’t care for an infant, not that I was wiling to let Cody go. His father’s family had all been killed in the same battle with rogues that took my parents so he remained with me. I knew I couldn’t raise him as my son because he didn’t have alpha blood in him, so I became his uncle even though in my heart he is my son. It was scary. I was only fourteen, an Alpha with no parents, and only young adult cousins to help me but we made it work,” he finishes.

  Wow, now it all makes sense except for one thing. “So, if you’re mate passed on, that means you’re rejecting me so you can sleep around?”

  “No, that’s not it at all. I know what the pain of losing your mate does to you. I could barely get anything done. I was weak with loss and as an alpha, I can’t let that happen. The pack depends on me. Cody now depends on me. I can’t risk having you as a mate then losing you. You already said you had a mate. That just doubles the risk of you leaving, whether by choice or fate. I refuse to be weak ever again,” he states, steel resolve lacing every word.

  This is unbelievable. My first mate rejects me because he doesn’t want to love me, the second because he’s scared to. My veins buzzed with hot, molten rage, as my eyes begin to shine. “So you’re saying you’re scared to love me, is that right? I expected at least a little more from you, Trevor. You’re an alpha, for gosh sake. You’re supposed to be smart, strong, and fearless!” My body starts to shake as I feel a mixture of anger and pain. “But I guess you’re nothing but a coward.”

  Trevor’s eyes start to glow as well. Our wolves are out for blood. “What did you call me?” he asks with a deadly glare.

  I stand up and get in his face. “You heard me, you coward! How ridiculous. A big, strong, alpha afraid to love. Are you sure you are even qualified to be an alpha? Because I was always told a true alpha faces his fears no matter what they may be.” I emphasize each word with a finger poke to his chest. I hear a few oohs from the next room. Trevor is vibrating with anger but who cares? So am I. I look him in the eyes, ready to give him more grief, but when my green eyes met his, what I see shocks me. The anger is there but something more as well. Pride, amusement, and lust . . . definitely lust.

  Suddenly, he grabs my arms just above the elbows and before I can argue, he crashes his lips to mine. I want to fight it. I was angry but it feels too good. Sparks fly between us, and I melt into his chest. His hands slide down my arms to rest on my waist as mine wind themselves around his neck. He teases my lips with his tongue, and I easily grant him entrance. As our tongues tangle, my hands weave their way into his hair and it feels as if a thousand fireworks are going off between us. Just as I'm getting really into it, I'm pushed away from him. Dazed, I look at him and see the lust vanish and is replaced with disgust. Somehow, I knew it isn't me he's disgusted with but himself. Probably because he sees his lust for me as a weakness.

  Shaking myself out of my desire filled haze, I take a good look at him. There's no changing his mind. It's written all over his cold, dispassionate expression. Feeling weary, I slump my shoulders in defeat, huffing a small laugh that is anything but humorous. “You know, when you're a kid being told stories about true mates and happily ever afters, the world is your oyster. The future possibilities are endless.”

  Trevor stares at me with a frown, not sure where I'm going with this as I continue on. “Never in a million years did I think I wouldn't have any of those possibilities, nor could I have ever predicted I'd be rejected by not only one but two mates.”

  I see his hands clench, almost as if he wants to reach out and comfort me. I know better though, he made that clear. Tears begin to well in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I need to leave with at least some dignity in tact. Gathering as much courage as I can, I look once more into his eyes before saying, “I accept your rejection. Now, can you please take me home?”

  Trevor nods solemnly. I make my way to the door, each step is heavier than the last, but stop suddenly when a tiny hand tugs on my shirt.

  “Are you leaving, pretty lady?” little Cody asks.

  I crouch down to his level. “Yes, I am. But not before meeting such a cutie!”

  The guys stand a little to the side watching our interaction.

  “Cutie? You mean me?” he asks shyly.

  I pretend to be shocked by his question. “Of course I mean you, who else could I be talking about?” Cody's smile grows as he looks over at his uncles, clearly thinking I'd be referring to one of them.

  Playfully rolling my eyes as I glance their way, I assure Cody. “No way, clearly you got all the good looks in this family.”

  He is practically glowing from my praise, and I return his smile, falling in love with the little guy more with every second I spend in his presence. My smile slips as I realize he's just another guy I have to give up. He sticks out his hand for a shake and says, “My names Cody and I'm five.”

  I shake his hand and reply, “Nice to meet you, Cody. I'm Harmony.” Definitely gonna miss not getting a chance to know such a cutie.

  Standing slowly, I start to move again. I direct a quick wave to our audience and notice a thoughtful expression on Trevor’s face. Before I reach the door, Cody asks, “Are you going to come back again to visit?”

  “I don’t think so, bud. But I’m glad I got to meet you. Very glad.” Truthfully, I am. Anyone would be lucky to know such a sweet little boy. His expression falls, and I can see he wants to ask why but is quickly distracted by one of his uncles. He waves once before being lead into the kitchen as Trevor and I make our way to his truck. The ride is silent. We said all that needed to be said. The whole time I keep a lock on my emotions, knowing soon the dam will burst. As was the plan, he's allowed into our territory, and drives me to our pack house. As I get out, his hand on my arm freezes me but I refuse to look at him and risk letting him see my tears.

  “I am really sorry, Harmony,” he quietly says.

  “Yeah, I know. I’ve heard it before.” Tugging my arm out of his grasp, I open the door and jump down. I hold my head high all the way to the door and don’t turn around as I hear him drive off. Once inside, I close the door as the first tear falls. More follow and soon I'm falling and sobbing into the comforting arms of my cousin.

  Chapter Six

  Comfort of a Wolf

  Jared picks me up bridal style, and I bury my head in his neck while continuing to cry silently. He doesn't say anything, and turns to carry me up the stairs, past his worried parents and to my room. As we pass the game room, I hear the boys arguing over whose turn it is next to challenge Nate to a game of Madden. Evidently, they're having a major Madden Master competition. I can't bring myself to care at the moment.

  Jace spots us and shouts, “Hey, what happened to Harmony?”, effectively ending their argument.

  “Not now, Jace. Just let me get her to her room,” Jared replies in a stone cold manner.

  They all shuffle after us curiously with threats of bodily harm to Trevor if he was the one who caused this to me. Jared opens my room door and walks to my bed, sitting down with me, still in his arms. He makes us comfortable and l
eans back against the headrest, tucking me into his side. I look up to see three guys awaiting by the door with anxious expressions, and I nod to them to let them know it's okay to come in. They quickly stumble inside and sit around Jared and I on the bed. Anyone looking at the scene from the outside would consider me the luckiest girl in the world to be lying on a bed surrounded by four hot guys, but I fail to see the luck while my heart hurts too much. Besides, they're like brothers to me. I don't think I will ever be able to see them in a romantic way. They wait patiently for my tears to slow down, and when I'm finally able to speak, I fill them in on what happened. I tell them everything; Aiden rejecting me then marking my sister, Trevor's troubled past and his nephew, and finally Trevor's rejection and reasons. To say they're angry is an understatement. Calming them down is no easy feat, but I remind them that any harm done to Trevor hurts me. The misery surrounding me is almost tangible, and I know the guys feel it. Suddenly, Jace suggests, “Why don't we go for a run? We'll go to the clearing north of our territory, and just lay there for a while. Sometimes it helps to share our body heat in wolf form. It's supposed to be comforting or something.”

  “Really? I thought that was just a line you used on unmated she- wolves to get them to take off their clothes?” Nate questions suspiciously.

  Jace smiles sheepishly but replies, “Well, it is. But it actually works, and it might be just what Harmony needs right now.”

  They all look to me as I let that sink in. It sounds like a good idea so I agree. “Alright, Jace. We'll try it, but if you're doing this just to get me naked, I swear I will chase you down and hang you in the trees by your balls. Is that clear?”

  Everyone is silent until Jace replies, “Crystal.”

  We get up and make our way out the door but Jace can't resist adding, “Besides, getting you naked didn't even cross my mind. Well, not at first, anyways.”

  No one is surprised when he gets cuffed in the back of his head by Jared. A small smile curves my lips. It's hard not to love these guys. Before we leave, Jared steps into his dad's study to assure him I'm alright and explain a little of the situation. He promises not to tell him of Trevor's rejection. He’ll just tell his dad about Aiden and my new response to Trevor. Otherwise my uncle will not let me leave until he knows every last piece of information. Once that's done, we make our way to the tree line, and I breathe a sigh of relief that my uncle was going to wait to discuss things with me. I walk down a little farther to undress in private. Allowing the change to take over my body, I relish the feeling of transforming. My muscles relax and my body contorts until my two arms and legs became four and my rich brown wolf stands proudly. Shaking off the last effects of my shift, I scurry over to the boys. They're equally impressive in wolf form as they are in human form. Jared stands a little bigger than the others being he's of alpha blood with black shiny fur. Jace and Brad are at his sides with their light brown fur that looks so soft and comforting, and finally there's Nate, golden boy through and through with his sandy fur with hints of red here and there. The color of our wolves directly matches the color of our hair while in human form. It really is a beautiful sight to see. Jared approaches me and nudges my side before signaling to his left.

  “Let's go, little cousin.” I hear him say in my mind.

  I nod and we're off. It feels good to run and let the wind blow through my fur. The boys nip and wrestle with each other along the way, causing a few pile ups here and there but we eventually reach the clearing. It's beautiful. Rich green grass, flowers of purple, yellow, and pink scattered here and there. There's even a butterfly or two floating around. It's a very romantic place. Somewhere you would bring a boyfriend, girlfriend, or . . . mate. That thought brings me up short, and I feel the sadness slowly start to return. Sensing my distress, Nate nudges me from behind, effectively getting me to lie down. He places his body close to me. Jace takes the other side, a little behind Brad, resting his head on my back, and finally, Jared places himself horizontally in front of me, allowing me to rest my head on his shoulders. Jace was right. It is comforting.

  We stay like that for a while, just taking in the scenery when Brad speaks, “I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Harmony. If you were my mate, I would've had trouble stopping myself from marking you right away. You're mega hot!”

  “Stop perving on my cousin, Brad!” Jared warns.

  “I wasn't,” Brad defends in mock outrage. “You didn't let me finish. I was going to say she's even more beautiful on the inside and any wolf would be lucky to have her.”

  “Oh. That's okay then,” Jared concedes.

  There are equal grunts of agreement from the other boys, and I thank all of them before returning to admire the clearing. We lie like that for a few more moments before the boys get restless and start wrestling with each other. I just enjoy watching them. After some time passes, we begin making our way home when my uncle’s voice floats into my head. “Harmony, why don't you head back now so we can talk about your situation. I think I understand why you have two mates.”

  It puts a little dent in my mood to be reminded of reality, but I'm curious to know how this was all possible, so we pick up our pace and run back home. After shifting and redressing, the guys leave to get something to eat. They promise to bring me back a strawberry shake while Jared and I head to the study. There we find my uncle behind his desk. He is a handsome man in his forties, with black hair like Jared's that shows early signs of gray above his ears. He has brown eyes and was well over six ft., with broad shoulders and strong arms. Very intimidating if you messed with him but a big teddy bear if you were his favorite niece. My aunt stands behind him with a hand on his shoulder. She's a petite little thing with blonde hair and green eyes similar to mine.

  He gestures for us to sit in the chairs in front of his desk and begins to explain. “I've been doing some research while you were out and, according to our history, it seems there were rare cases of second mates. It is instinctual for species of our kind to mate and replenish our withering population caused by hunters, rogues, and other causes. That being said, if a wolf loses a mate to rejection or death, our wolf will call out to another in a similar situation and a new bond is formed. As is the case with you and Trevor. You were rejected and he lost his mate to death. Therefore your wolves recognized kindred spirits in one another and bonded in sympathy.”

  It's a lot to take in but it’s understandable. I just wish I didn't have to go through it.

  “If that's the case and Trevor is now my new mate, why can I still feel my bond with Aiden?” I ask, confused.

  “Well, the old bond of a rejected wolf is not severed until both wolves are marked by someone new or they mark another . Which in your case would mean that you would have to mark a human or have Trevor mark you to disconnect your bond with Aiden, seeing as he has already marked Megan. Trevor's bond was broken when his mate died,” Uncle John explains.

  That answers why I can still feel when Aiden is in pain or more often, pleasure.

  “Why can't I feel Trevor's emotions?” I question.

  “It's because you are still bonded to Aiden. Trevor won't be able to feel yours, either. But he can sense certain feelings if he's close enough to you. Once he marks you, every emotion, as well as pain, that you or he feels will immediately be felt by the other.”

  I sigh. “Well, we won't have to worry about that happening.”

  My aunt Judy raises her eyebrow questioningly. “And why is that?”

  “Because he rejected her,” Jared huffs out angrily.

  “HE WHAT?” my uncle shouts.

  I look at Jared and plead with my eyes for him to tell my story. I just can't do it again. Understanding me, he immediately begins filling my aunt and uncle in on all the details. After he's done, they're furious. My uncle wants to declare war on Trevor's pack, but I tell him the same thing I told the guys. He'll hurt me in the process, so he lets it go. He does warn me that he won't be able to control himself if Trevor ever steps over our territory line. We all get up, and I accept hugs and words of comfort from them before heading downstairs in perfect time to meet up with the guys.