My Second Chance Mate: A Shifter Romance Read online

  Shooting the guys a death glare, I start to explain this non-existent disease to Cody. “Well, it’s when someone’s baby toe is just a tad bit smaller than the normal size and needs to be treated before it makes the rest of the toes smaller too.” Like I said, not a good thinker.

  At this point, even Trevor is having a hard time containing his laughter.

  I'm about to join in when Cody looks at his toes and shouts, “Oh no, All my toes are small.”

  When I dig a hole, I really dig it deep.

  I rush to take him from Trevor and reassure him. “No, honey. Yours are still growing so you have nothing to worry about.” Seeing the look of panic on my face, Trevor does laugh but he quickly shuts up with my next words.

  “Besides, only sleazy people like your Uncle Trevor need to be checked for it.” I can see I've hit a sore spot with the anger that crossed his features, but I'm not prepared for the hurt lurking behind it. I'm about to apologize when Cody, seeming to be over the whole small toe issue, asks me to read him his bedtime book. I follow him upstairs and help him change into his pajamas. He chooses Where The Wild Things Are and gets under his covers, patting the spot next to him. I sit and start reading. He curls into my side and after a few pages, fell fast asleep. Putting the book aside, I take a minute to examine his face. It's relaxed in sleep, his eye lids twitch every so often as if he's dreaming, his cheeks still hold some of his baby fat, and his mouth is hanging wide open. He truly is adorable. I feel a sudden sadness that he's growing up without a mommy. I snuggle a little closer to him, keeping my arm under his head. If things were different I could definitely see myself being one for him.

  ***

  Trevor

  After Harmony and Cody head upstairs for his bedtime story, the shit stirring begins.

  “So, Trevor, would you like me to make an appointment for you? You know, to get yourself checked for SMALL TOE DISEASE,” Greg hoots.

  “Yeah. I hope it’s not contagious or anything,” Jeremy teases.

  “Man, Harmony is great. I agree, Austin. I like her too,” Craig says with a smile.

  That reminds me of Austin’s earlier statement. “Yeah, what was that about huh, Austin? You like my mate? In what way? And what exactly happened at the bleachers?” I ask angrily. All humor vanishes with my statement as the guys take notice of the shine to my eyes.

  “Chill, Trevor. It’s nothing like that. I think she’s amazing and totally hot but I see her in that kid sister sort of way. And before you go jumping to conclusions, I spent my whole free period trying to convince her not to give up on you. No matter how much of an idiot you were being,” Austin states. “She’s good for you and being that you brought her here tonight after all that went on today, I’m guessing you finally figured it out for yourself.”

  Pushing my wolf back, I allow myself to relax. “Yeah, I did.”

  “Well it’s about time. You should’ve known from the moment you met,” Craig complains.

  “Not saying I ain't happy for you but why the sudden change? What made Mr. No Strings Attached want to become Mr. Tied Down?” Jeremy questions.

  Understanding how they could be confused by this, I relay my night causing more laughter to erupt especially the part about the waiter. They are definitely loving my mate. They’d never known anyone to get the better of me, until her. Surprisingly that doesn't bother me at all. Leaving the idiots to themselves, I decide to go up and check on my mate and nephew.

  Silently approaching Cody’s doorway so as not to disturb them, the sight that greets me is like a vision of the future I could have. They're fast asleep on the bed with Cody cuddled up to Harmony’s side, both her arms are around him. I'm almost jealous of the position. I want to be the one she puts her arms around. I want her to love me as much as I know she’s come to love Cody. I need to do anything I can to make her feel that way about me.

  Moving to her side, I don't want to wake her. I know it has been a very trying day for her, but if I left her here, she would start to cramp up on the tiny twin bed. Carefully untangling the two, I lift her into my arms. She mumbles something in her sleep before snuggling into my neck. I relish the feel of her body on mine. Nothing ever felt so right, and I want to live the rest of my life with this feeling; with my arms surrounding her. I know the bond is getting stronger, and it will eventually be too hard for her to fight, but I want her to come to me of her own free will first.

  I carry her into my room and pull back my black sheets, gently placing her in the middle of my king-sized bed. She'd already taken off her shoes at the front door, which is customary in houses here in Hawaii. All that was left to do was cover her. I took a moment to stare at her beautiful face before giving her a kiss on her forehead and leaving the room. I want to stay with her, but I know it will only make her hate me more. So with heavy feet, I head next door to the guest room. I strip down to my boxers and get under the sheets. Lying on my back with my hands under my head, I think over the events of today.

  How could I have been so stupid to even try something with a random girl today? No one compares to Harmony, and no one ever will. And her mate, Aiden. He better think twice about coming anywhere near her, because if he tries to make her his mistress again, no one will be able to stop me from killing him. We may not have completed the mating yet, but I already feel bonded to her for life.

  No one, especially me, will ever hurt her again. I plan to make sure of that. I'll give her time to love me on her own, but I will be marking her. No ifs, ands, or buts. I’ve already chosen my future path. All that’s left to do is wait for her to choose the same one.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Pushed to the Limit

  Harmony

  The cocoon of warmth I'm in when I woke up is wonderful. I roll over loving the softness of the sheets beneath me. I roll once more, spreading my arms and legs wide, enjoying the coolness. I roll— hey! With all the rolling I'm doing, I should have ended up face to face with the carpet, falling off the edge of my full size bed. So why am I still in bed? Then it hits me. The scent that never fails to make my wolf sigh with content while burning with lust. I sit up ready to punch him if he's in this bed with me, but I'm greeted with silence and rumpled sheets. The side where he might've been is cool to touch.

  Rubbing my eyes, I take in my surroundings. It's a typical male’s room. There’s a big king size bed with black sheets, a desk set up with a computer in the far corner, a masculine looking lamp, a 32” plasma TV mounted on the wall with a pretty killer stereo system below. Then I glance to my right and see there are floor to ceiling windows currently covered by drapes. Ever the curious one, I get up to check it out only to find that it isn't a window exactly, but sliding glass doors that lead to a balcony overlooking the lake at the back of Trevor’s pack house. The sun is just above the horizon. If only I had my phone with me to capture this moment. Having your closest contacts only a mind link away makes the purpose of a phone a little redundant so I don’t carry it around. I'd have to settle for a mental pic instead. The stillness of the morning gives me a moment to think. He never got around to the talk he wanted to have with me last night, but a part of me senses his change in feelings. The things he said at the restaurant proves that. I can't deny my feelings are changing as well. It's hard to deny the pull I feel every time he's around. Can I really trust his complete turnaround though? What if I give in to him and he changes his mind again? That will crush me. How can I be sure this won't blow up in my face? Then it hits me! I have to make him work for this mating. Give him a chance to prove that he's all in. As ideas begin to form in my mind, the man himself walks in the room wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs. My eyes wander from his long, muscular legs, to his very impressive package, then landing on his finely toned chest and eight pack. Oh yes, my feelings for him are definitely changing. My eyes then follow a path to his sensual lips that beg to be tasted. The smirk that grows on those very tasty lips force me to look away, hating the blush blooming on my cheeks.

  “No need to turn, babe. You can look all you want. After all, this . . . “ he makes a sweeping motion with his hands from head to toe, “is all yours.”

  “Who said I wanted it to be mine?” I protest.

  “Your eyes, they're practically eating me whole. I don’t mind. It’s a huge turn on. Do you have an itch you need me to scratch?” he taunts me.

  “Nope,” I unconvincingly deny. “no itch at all. I'm completely itch- free.”

  He chuckles, then makes his way towards the bathroom. “Denial isn't working for you, babe. You're attempt is cute though. I’m going to shower, then I’ll take you home so you can get ready for school.”

  How is it possible to want to slap and kiss him at the same time?

  Just before he closes the door, he sticks his head through the crack to say, “You’re welcome to jump in with me, and save some time and water.”

  Laughing at my irritated expression, he wisely shuts the door before the remote I send flying his way can hit him. He seems to be feeling pretty confident. Probably thinks my agreeing to come to his house then falling asleep here is some kind of win for him. Time to bring him down a notch. Rushing downstairs, I see Cody eating his cereal at the table, and luckily he's alone. I get him to help me find an empty plastic shopping bag, give him a quick kiss on the forehead promising to visit soon, and run outside. Moving further into the trees, I undress and put my things in the plastic bag tying the handles together. Shifting as fast as I can, I grab the bag with my teeth and run as fast as I can straight across Trevors land, past our school, and into our territory. Making it to the tree line surrounding our pack house, I shift back and get dressed. I enter through the kitchen and am met by five sets of curious eyes.

  “Doing the walk of shame, I see,” Jared says joking
ly, knowing for a fact my scent hasn't changed.

  “Geez, that must’ve been one lousy lay if you had to run all the way home to get away from him,” Nate offers.

  The laughter ensues until Megan tells them to leave me alone and drags me upstairs for all the juicy details.

  Once in my room, I turn on her in exasperation. “Seriously Megan, nothing happened. I fell asleep while reading a story to his nephew and that’s it. We didn’t even share a bed.”

  She doesn't seem like she's going to let it go, but I have some serious prepping to do if I want my plan to be successful. I'm not ready to tell her the truth, but I do need her help so I convince her that I need to feel more confident in my mating, and an armor to deal with all the skanks after my mate. She works her magic on me and when she's done, I almost booty dance in excitement. Trevor is going to flip! Megan loans me a pair of her short, black denim shorts which is much shorter on me, since I have a whole three inches on her. They end a little below my butt cheeks so still barely passable for school. She pairs it with a cute strapless top I had buried in the back of my dresser. Deciding my hair needs a little pizazz, she curls it before pinning part of it back, leaving a few tendrils of hair loose, then adds a smokey effect to my eyes making them look sultry. She finishes my face with some rose colored lipstick. I add some dangling silver earrings and slip into a pair of beaded flip flops. She suggests dropping me at school, because if the guys see what I'm wearing, there's no way I'm making it out of the house. We sneak out the front door while they're still in the kitchen, roll her car down away before starting it and drive off. Stealthy is our middle names. Once we are safely on our way, I realized someone was missing this morning.

  “Hey, where's Aiden?” I ask.

  “He had to return home earlier than we planned because some unexpected pack business came up, but I'm not ready to leave yet so he left last night without me. I’ll be here through the weekend so I’ll be able to help you find your car,” she says excitedly.

  It's a little odd that she's not even bothered by his leaving, but I've got my own mate issues to deal with right now. If she needs me, I'll be here for her though. We finally make it to my school and seeing all the people milling about, I start to chicken out.

  “Don’t even think about it, Harmony. You get in there and you show that alpha just who his mate is. You make him see that just because you belong together, doesn't mean he can do whatever he wants and wrap you around his finger. Show every she-wolf in there that you aren't the one to mess with,” Megan orders passionately.

  I can't help but laugh. This is why I love my sister so much. She's my main supporter in everything. She's always there for me when I need her. I realize in that moment that if I had it to do over, I would still go through all the pain of rejection if it meant keeping her happy. I give her a big hug, being careful not to mess my sexily messed up hair, and get out of the car as gracefully as possible without flashing anyone. I wave her off and strut. Yes, strut up the walkway as if I were walking in a NY fashion show. At the entrance, Shelly and Katie are waiting for me.

  “Damn, girl. You look hot,” Shelly says in friendly appreciation.

  “Who you all dolled up for?” asks Katie.

  “Trevor,” I reply, stunning them silent.

  Shelly breaks out of her shock. “Harmony, I warned you about him. He’s a heartbreaker.”

  “Yeah but he’s my heartbreaker. He’s my mate. My second one.” Once again, I leave them speechless. I explain my whole sordid past while keeping an eye out for Trevor. They're sympathetic and happy that I’ve been given another shot at it. They just hope Trevor is a good mate. I do too. We make our way inside and the attention is immediate.

  Guys are saying hi and asking if I need help with my books. They check which class I have first in hopes of walking me there. I'm building quite a following, and by the time I make it to my locker, there's a decent size group of guys surrounding me. I laugh at their lame jokes, pretend to shy away from their compliments, and fake interest in their conversations. Suddenly, the entrance doors open and my desired target steps inside.

  He scans the hallways, finally noticing the group gathered by my locker. I lean towards the guy closest to me, dusting off a piece of nonexistent lint from his shoulder as I see Trevor make his way through the crowd. I softly ask the guy his name, knowing he'll have to bend down to hear me clearly. Our lips are nowhere near one another but from Trevor’s view, it looks like a kiss. I sense his anger even before I look at him, but there's also hurt. I do not enjoy his pain, but it's too late to back down now. He needs to know what it feels like to witness something like this. It's all part of my plan to make sure Trevor appreciates what we have so neither one of us will have to feel heartache again.

  ***

  Trevor

  I was losing my patience. Not only did she leave my house before I was done with my shower, but I arrive at school in time to witness my mate lip locked with a male wolf who isn't me. Seeing red, I break up the circle of drooling vultures to see they aren't kissing but pretty damn close to it. I shove the kid far away from Harmony and lock my angry gaze on her.

  “First you leave without me, then you get all cozy with some mutt. You're mine, Harmony. That means you stick with me, and don't let anyone else touch you.”

  Eyes blazing, she gets in my face. “You don't control me, Trevor. And I have no idea why you think you do. The last time we had a serious conversation, you were rejecting me.”

  Gasps can be heard throughout the hallway. We are so caught up in our battle, we fail to remember we have an audience. That doesn't stop Harmony from continuing her tirade. With a finger to my chest to emphasize her point, she continues, “You can't just flip flop between wanting or not wanting me. I'm not some play thing you can have your fun with till it's old and dull, then toss away. And it's definitely not okay for you to walk off into the woods with random skanks.”

  Tears fill her eyes after her last statement. I didn't have a chance to work this all out with her after we got to my house last night. Cody took all her attention. I got too comfortable with her staying with me, it felt right and I let that calm feeling dissuade me from setting her straight. She takes a step away from me, and I know she plans to leave. It's then I get a good look at her outfit. She barely has anything on and looks hot as hell. My nostrils flare picking up her scent, but before I can react, the overwhelming flood of arousal around me brings my attention back to the crowd full of horny males wanting a piece of my mate. That shit ain't happening, and I'll kill every single one of them for even looking at her. A sniffle brings my attention from murder to concern as I realize Harmony is hurting. That trumps any plans I have for the dead wolves walking around me. I gently place her face between my hands. “I think it's time we had a good and long talk, babe.”

  Defiance lurks behind her watery gaze, and I know she's preparing to fight me, so I do the only thing I can. I drop down, placing my shoulder to her stomach and lift. I make sure to cover her sweet cheeks from wandering eyes and head for the exit.

  “Put me down, Trevor. I don't want to go anywhere with you right now!” she shouts while pounding on my back. We're causing quite a scene, which is why I need to get us somewhere private. What I have to say needs no audience.

  “Not happening, sweets.”

  She continues to pummel me as I make my way to the woods. Once under the cover of trees, I run as fast as my wolf speed allows while in this form. I heard her loud and clear in the hallway. She's afraid what I feel is fleeting. She doesn't want to be controlled nor treated like just another fling for me. She isn't. She’s in fact far from it. It's time I make sure she knows it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Completion

  I make my way through the house and up the stairs with her still grumbling on my shoulder. I kick my room door open then repeat the process once inside to shut it, making sure the lock clicks into place. Job done, I gently toss her on the bed, following her down and making sure to keep my weight on my arms as I loom over her. My wolf wants to lay claim to her right this very minute, but I push him back needing to assure her of my feelings first. I caress her cheeks still flushed from anger.