My Second Chance Mate: A Shifter Romance Page 6

  Angered by the truth in his words, I stand toe to toe with him, forcing him to bow his head in submission before saying. “Who the hell are you to tell me what could be? You can’t see the future. You’re no psychic. You haven’t even found your mate yet. How can you expect me to take a risk like that when you haven’t gone through the pain I have?”

  With his head still downward, he says softly but with conviction, “I was there by your side when you went through that pain. I saw what it did to you, but I also see the life that’s been brought back into you when you’re around Harmony. She’s awakened a part of you that you’ve kept locked up for far too long. You need her.”

  Stepping back from him as if his words struck a blow, I turn my back, ashamed that I had acted the way I did when Austin was only trying to help. I hear movement behind me, and I know it's Austin leaving but not before he makes one more point.

  “We, unmated males, wander through life having meaningless sex with random girls. Always being left with a hole inside that can only be filled by our mates. We bide our time ‘til the day she comes into our life and completes us. And here you are, having already met yours and lost her. Only to be granted with an even better one, yet you choose to give her away. That’s like a slap to the rest of our faces.” He pauses as if gathering courage to say what he does next.

  “Do us all a favor, Trevor, and grow a pair. Be the mate she needs and deserves before it’s too late.” Done saying his piece, his steps retreat as he leaves.

  I sit for a moment and think about it. I'm sure I can do as he suggests. I'm still terrified at the thought of loving her then losing her, but I can at least apologize for what happened at lunch. That's a start. My next two classes drag on and finally, it's time for math. I make it there in record time, and sit in my seat at the back. I'm the first one there, much to Mr. Donovan’s surprise. I watch the door intently. Almost a second before the bell rings, she arrives looking beautiful but sad. Our eyes meet, and I feel the sparks instantly but notice hers were red, rimmed, and puffy as if she's been crying. Hating myself for causing her pain, I smile sadly in her direction, but she ignores it and sits down next to me. She smells amazing. I just want to put my nose in her hair and inhale the intoxicating aroma, but I know she’d probably have my nuts for that, so I settle on grabbing her hand.

  She yanks her hand away, and I flinch at the hatred in her eyes. “Don’t touch me,” she says through gritted teeth.

  “Just let me explain,” I tried to convince her.

  “I don’t want to hear any more of your explanations,” she argues.

  “Just give me a chance,” I plead.

  “Let me think about it . . . “ At this, I was filled with hope.

  “Hmmm. . . how about you meet me at the time never gonna happen and leave me alone?” she hisses.

  Damn this girl is mad. I am about to try again when she raises her hand suddenly. Was she going to tell on me or something?

  “Mr. Donovan!” she shouts.

  We were seniors in high school, but she was going to tattle on me like we were still in kindergarten.

  “What is it, Ms. Evans?” Mr. Donovan asks clearly irritated that his lesson is being interrupted.

  “May I be excused to see the nurse?” she asks sweetly.

  Oh, so she's not going to tattle. She's going to run. Well good luck, honey. Mr. Donovan never lets anyone leave his class unless they were practically in a body bag.

  Then, with all seriousness, she says, “It’s kind of personal. You know, female issues. The kind we get only once a month.”

  Freakin’ sneaky little mate. Hit him where he’s most uncomfortable. It works too because he turns bright red and scribbles out a note for her to be excused. She shoots me a triumphant grin, grabs her stuff, and leaves. I'm upset that she's getting away, but I have to admire her quick thinking. Just one more thing to love about her. That thought combined with the things Austin hammered into my head make it official. There would be no more denying it. I'm ready to fall in love with my mate. The only question now is, what am I going to do about it?

  Chapter Nine

  Unwanted Visitor

  Harmony

  After that horrible episode in Math, all I want to do is get out of school. I convince the nurse that my cramps are so painful that aspirin won't be enough, and I need to go home to my bed to rest. She caves. I'm an excellent actress. She writes me an off campus pass. and sends me on my way. I'm majorly relieved, until I arrive in the parking lot and realize, I don’t have a car. Not wanting to take Jared away from his Chemistry class, that boy needs all the help he can get in that subject, I decide to wait on the bleachers by the football field, knowing it will be empty.

  I find a seat at the top, and lay down letting the warmth of the sun soothe my aching heart and allowing the breeze to blow away any unwanted thoughts. After about ten minutes, I feel relaxed and almost in a light sleep, when someone sits next to me. Tensing for a minute, fearing that he too has escaped Mr. Donovan and found me. I open my eyes and am surprised to see Austin.

  I sit up quickly. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have class?” I know I'm being rude, but the last time words were exchanged privately between us, he was following orders from his Alpha. I didn’t want a repeat of that.

  “Don’t worry. Trevor didn’t send me. Although if he knew I was talking to you and sitting this closely, you would most likely be attending my funeral tomorrow,” he says wryly.

  “Oh.” Is my awesome reply. Wow, aren't I miss articulate all of a sudden?

  “Truth is, I have a free period and was sitting in front of the school when I saw you walk by and decided to follow you.”

  “So, you were stalking me? Creeper alert,” I say standing up.

  He puts a hand on my arm and says, “Wait. It’s not like that. I just wanted to say something to you.”

  I take a peek at my watch. School will be done in about fifteen minutes, so I guess I can give him that. Sitting back down, I face him. “Well, go ahead then.”

  “I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about what Trevor did.”

  “That’s nice of you, but it’s not your apology to make, Austin,” I state.

  “I know it’s not, but on behalf of my pack I’m apologizing for the stupidity of my Alpha,” he tries again.

  “Okay, then. Apology accepted. Is that all?” I'm ready to escape this awkward conversation.

  “No. I wanted to tell you that I don’t think Trevor did anything with that girl at lunch.”

  “Really? Did he tell you that? He was probably lying. Anything else?” I am kind of over this whole situation already.

  “No. Geez, are you always this frustrating to talk to? My god, being your mate is not gonna be easy,” he grumbles, frustrated.

  A little hurt by this, I stand once again and say, “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I was rejected by two of them, isn’t it?” Then I start to walk off.

  Realizing his mistake, he jumps up after me, and gently takes my hand. He begins to apologize. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I just meant that your mate will have to work very hard to win an argument with you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything bad by my comment.” Finally looking into his eyes, I see that he's being sincere, so I once again sit back down.

  Having my heart somewhat soothed by his words, I tell him, “Alright. Apology accepted. Again.”

  “Thanks. Now I don’t think he did anything other than kiss that girl, because they came back five minutes after they left, and she only had a little bit of Trevor’s scent on her. Just enough to be transferred through a kiss or embrace,” he explains.

  “Even if that were the case, Austin, a kiss with someone other than your mate when you know who he or she is is still disrespectful. Besides, regardless if he did or didn’t, his intentions were obvious,” I state sadly.

  Austin takes a breath. “I know. I’m not making an excuse for what he did. I just wanted to assure you that he didn’t take things too far. He’s changed since he met you. I know it’s only been a day, but before you arrived he walked around like a shell of a person. He wasn’t completely whole. Yeah, he slept around, but I don’t think he ever really saw any of those girls for who they were. They were just puppets to him. When he met you, a spark lit up in his eyes.”

  “Yes, I know. It’s called a bond, and as my first mate so kindly informed me. It is forced on a wolf so he may not have wanted it to begin with,” I argue.

  “No, it was more than that. He had no real purpose in life. Just his duty being alpha, and his responsibility with Cody. Meeting you gave him something to fight for, or in your case, against. But the point is, it awoke him from this fog he was suffocating in.”

  “Well, that’s good to know. I guess,” I respond with a lack of enthusiasm.

  “Look, I know for a fact you’re all he thinks about. He wouldn’t have a chance not to, with Cody hounding him every second he’s home to do something to get you back there.” At the news of Cody, my face brightens.

  Noticing this, Austin smiles. “I see you’ve already fallen in love with the little guy. It’s hard not to. That kid’s a charmer. You should know the feeling is mutual. You’re all Cody talks about, even though he barely knows you. There’s something special inside you. We all noticed it; Jeremy, Greg, Craig, and myself. You’re the best thing that could have happened to Trevor. You just have to give him some time to pull his head out of his ass long enough to realize it for himself.”

  I think it over a minute before responding, “I know what you’re saying. But I’ve been rejected twice already. I’ve made myself vulnerable to two males that were supposed to cherish me, and it ended badly both times. I’m just not sure if I can put myself there again. It’s too risky.”

  “All I wan
t you to do is wait. Don’t jump into any relationships or beds yet.” I shoot him a dirty look at the latter statement. “I’m not saying you were planning to, so don’t go getting mad again. Just keep an open mind about things. Trevor may be clueless, but he’s not brainless. It will eventually sink in, and he’ll make things right with you. Deep down he’s a good person. I wouldn’t respect him as much as I do if he wasn’t,” he reasons with me.

  He then stiffens, and I know Trevor is speaking to him through their mind link.

  “He knows I’m talking to you, and he’s not happy. He wants you to wait here for him, and if you’re not ready to face him, I suggest you leave quickly before he orders me to keep you here,” he informs me.

  Giving him a thankful look and surprising him with a peck on the cheek, I say a quick, “Thank you, and I’ll think about it,” then I hurry off.

  I make it to Jared’s car just as I see Trevor heading towards the bleachers. Ducking behind the SUV, I watch as he meets up with Austin, and gets angry. They're arguing, and I notice Trevor point a finger at Austin’s cheek, the cheek I kissed. Did he see me do that? Or can he smell me on him? Austin rubs the back of his neck, and starts waving his arms around as if explaining something to Trevor. I'm so engrossed in the conversation across the parking lot, that I don't notice someone sneaking up behind me until it's too late.

  “Whatcha doing, cousin?” Jared shouts, causing me to jump a mile high and clutch my chest.

  “Jared, you jerk!” I emphasize each word with a slap on his arm.

  “Ouch. Dang, you hit like a guy. And didn’t your mom ever tell you it’s not polite to spy on people?” he asks with that irritating smirk on his face.

  “Since when did you care about being polite?”

  “I don’t. I just wanted to irritate you. Is it working?” he teases.

  “Very effectively. Now stop and drive me home, chauffer!” I playfully order as I duck his head lock attempt, and jump in the car.

  When we arrived at the pack house, I notice an unfamiliar car parked outside, but my uncle must be taking care of some pack business. We grab our bags, and make our way inside. As we enter the house, we smell my auntie’s famous snicker doodle cookies, and fight our way to be the first one in the kitchen. Before we can get there, a shriek was heard, and followed by a “Harm, bunny!” And then I'm tackled by the familiar firecracker that is my sister.

  Untangling myself from her and smiling because I’ve missed my best friend, I ask, “Megan, what are you doing here?”

  “I missed you, and Aiden suggested we come here and visit since it’s been too long already,” she explains.

  The smile drops from my face. “D-did you say Aiden?” I ask wearily.

  His scent hits me before I see him. That woodsy pine scent that never fails to remind me of Christmas morning. “Hello, Harmony,” he says in that sultry voice of his.

  Aiden is here, and he's with my sister. In a place where my new mate lives. Who's also an alpha. Just when I think my day can’t get any worse, fate has yet another curve ball to throw my way, and I know there is no way to avoid getting hit by it.

  Chapter Ten

  Expect the Unexpected

  Quick as a flash, I grab onto Jared’s hand to both calm him and prevent him from ripping into Aiden’s throat. I see my aunt doing the same thing with Uncle John. As much as I want Aiden to get what he deserves, I can't risk hurting my sister, and let her know what Aiden is to me. She's innocent in this whole situation, and I know in my heart if I tell her Aiden is my mate, she will let him go no matter how much she loves him. It will break her heart to do so, and that’s the last thing I want.

  “Hello, Aiden,” I say with as straight a face. while my heart practically pounds out of my chest due to our close proximity. It's been a long time since my wolf was this close to our first mate, and she's fighting to get closer, especially after the heartache she suffered today. I won't allow it. She may have forgotten what he did to us because all she wants is to have her mate, but I haven’t. I don’t plan on ever forgetting it.

  Megan rushes to give Jared a hug, which he returns, still glaring at Aiden. “Aiden, honey, this is our one and only cousin, Jared,” she says, facing him with a smile on her face. I take this moment to examine my sister. She's glowing with happiness. As much as I hate Aiden, I'm glad to know that at least he can make one of the Evans sisters happy.

  Aiden reaches out to shake Jared’s hand, and after a discreet nudge from me, Jared accepts it, gripping a little tighter than necessary. Aiden raises a brow, then glances at me, understanding immediately that Jared knows the truth about us. Sensing the unspoken tension in the room, my peacemaker of an aunt suggests we go out to dinner, since she wasn't prepared to cook a nice meal for our guests. Everyone disbands, and I make my escape to my room. As I pass the first guest room at the top of the stairs, I notice Megan and Aiden’s things there, and I say a silent thank you to my aunt for setting them up in the room farthest from me.

  Once in my room, I lock the door, not sure if it's to keep me in or Aiden out. That’s how mixed up my emotions are right now. I head to the shower to hopefully calm my nerves. I scrub myself with my milk and honey body wash, and wash my hair with vanilla scented shampoo. Feeling like myself again when done, I quickly dry my hair and go to my closet to find something to wear. I'm not trying to impress Aiden, but I still want to look nice so I settle on a black strapless dress that hugs my breasts, making sure to show just a hint of cleavage. It's difficult being the size C that I am. The dress flows out from under my breasts, ending just at my knees. It has the right amount of coverage with a hint of what's underneath. I throw on some red heels for color, a long red beaded necklace with matching bracelet and earrings, gloss my lips, fluff my hair, and leave the room to meet up with the rest of my family.

  They're waiting by the door; just finished getting ready as well. My sister looks nice in a blue off shoulder dress, that makes her blue eyes sparkle. She got those from my dad. She also has her blonde hair up in a twist. When she sees me, she gushes about how pretty I look, and turns to Aiden. “Doesn’t my baby sister look beautiful, honey?”

  Aiden is dressed in black dress pants and a gray long sleeve button up shirt. His hair is still a little damp from his shower. I hide a grimace at my sister’s use of a pet name for my mate, and I am shocked when he replies, “Stunning.”, not because of his choice of word, but because of the intense look in his eyes as he says it. Feeling a little uncomfortable, I look for my safety net, Jared. I see that he noticed the same look Aided gave me. The anger in his eyes suggests he doesn’t like it one bit.

  “Why is he looking at you like that?” he questions in my head.

  “I’m not sure, but it’s making me uncomfortable,” I inform him.

  He puts his arm around my waist and we turn to leave, but are momentarily frozen in place when we hear a quiet growl from Aiden’s direction. Because my sister isn't a werewolf, she can’t hear it, but the rest of us can, and the shock of it is deafening. I shoot Aiden a glare, because who is he to be possessive? I drag Jared the rest of the way out the door and push him to the car, before he can beat the crap out of Aiden.

  It's decided that we'll be taking separate cars. Jared and I, Uncle John and Aunt Katherine, and Aiden and Megan. That way we can all do what we want afterwards. I think my aunt and uncle knew I wouldn’t want to spend time more time that’s necessary with Aiden, so they eliminated the chance of me being stuck in a car with him. Did I mention they are my favorite aunt and uncle in the whole world? We decide on a popular American Fusion restaurant near our school, which is considered the neutral zone between our pack’s territory and Trevor’s. Trevor. That name brings up some of the things Austin said. Am I willing to wait for Trevor? And if I was, will it make a difference, or will he continue to be the stubborn, cowardly ass that he’s been so far?

  “We’re here,” Jared announces, breaking me out of my thoughts.

  “Let’s get this over with,” I say as we head toward the entrance.

  We're seated at a table near the windows, which allows me to distract myself with passersby if needed. I catch a whiff of the caramel chocolate goodness that surrounds Trevor, but it's gone in an instant. Probably means he was here at one point, but not now. Feeling a mixture of relief and disappointment, I study the menu silently, all the while feeling Aiden’s eyes on me.