1.

Heartbroken
Never again 2483 words 2021-08-27 13:53:49

Mandy's POV

..."I, Alpha Andrew Miller, reject you, Amanda Anderson, as

my mate and Luna." He stated, gazing at me with his cold
eyes.

Am I imagining things? Is this really Andrew - my Andrew? I

quickly searched my mind to check if last night was real.

Yes, yes, yes it was!

Here I am in his hotel room bed, sore, a little bruised, and

sated. I just found my mate, my other half, and I was finally,
wholeheartedly happy. Just to have my heart crushed? No!
This had to be a bad dream. I blinked my eyes a few times,
holding the bedsheet to my chest for dear life, and stared at
him, dumbfounded.
"What did you say?" I finally asked.

“Are you deaf? I said I reject you as-”

“I heard you the first time.” I cut him off, standing up from bed
searching for my dress “...but why?” I found the dress and
quickly put it on, not caring about my nakedness or lack of
underwear.

He stood there with a cold demeanor. I couldn't decipher his

emotions. Where is that sweet, caring, and loving guy from
last night? Is he bipolar, perhaps?

Putting his hands in jeans pockets, he took three large steps

forward. Stopping a few inches before me, I had to tilt my
head up to meet his gaze. He was so tall.

"You thought I would accept you?" he scoffed and continued,

"You are just a weak and pathetic human. You are not fit to be
Luna. I need someone strong, someone who is capable of
leading by my side, a worthy one."
I stood there frozen in place, not daring to move my shaky
legs. I knew once I moved, I would collapse. I refused to give
him this satisfaction. I would not break.

He lifted his hand and tucked my loose hair behind my ear,

sending shivers down my body. His lips formed a disgusting
smirk, and he added, "Although... I must say. You were a good
fuck." He chuckled. "Probably the best I’ve had, sweetheart."

And that was it. I stepped away from him, with all the courage
I could muster, sizing him up. I looked him dead in the eyes
and opened my mouth, “I, Amanda Anderson, accept your
rejection." And with that, I left...

...

Beep, beep, beep

I woke up in a cold sweat, panting. Dear God, what was that?

It had been five years since that horrible night, and four years
since the last time I dreamt about it. What does it mean? I
haven't thought about him in years. And I was surely not
thinking about him now! Was I going crazy? Was this the
effect of overworking myself? Yep, that must be the answer.

I got up from my comfy bed and looked at the digital clock on

my nightstand. It showed the time in big green numbers:
6:45am. Dragging my numb body to the bathroom, I stopped
in front of the mirror and checked the damage.

My brown hair was chaos, a huge mess. It definitely needed to

be taken care of. Not just my hair - my face looked pale, and I
had dark circles under my gray eyes, probably the effect of
lack of sleep. And my eyes, God my eyes were lifeless. I could
play a zombie role in some stupid sitcom. Is this me? I
wondered. Unfortunately, yes.

Sighing, I started my morning routine. After a refreshing,

warm shower, I wrapped a white towel around my small
frame and went straight to the walk-in closet to find a proper
outfit for work. After looking for a few minutes, I finally
decided to wear a knee-length red sleeveless dress that
hugged my upper body tightly then flared out over my hips in
a flowing skirt. I chose a matching set of underwear and black
stilettos to go with it. After blow drying my hair, I put on
enough makeup to at least look presentable. Then I left my
bedroom and went to the kitchen in search of the love of my
life: coffee.

The kitchen opened up to the dining room, only separated by

an island with a dark wooden countertop. My kitchen was
painted dark gray, which perfectly fit the white cabinets and
stainless-steel equipment. I loved the industrial style, that's
why my whole house was arranged this way. Thank you,
'Magnolia Design' and Debbie Mitchell, for your work. I loved
my home. It gave me a sense of security and peace.

After switching on the coffee machine, I started to make

breakfast. Today's special was a veggie omelet. Picking up the
ingredients from the fridge and beginning to cook, my
thoughts went back to my dream. Why now? Was it a warning
or something? How to interpret it? Was it a good or bad sign?

I was rejected, humiliated, and left heartbroken - all because I

was human. My wish to be loved was the most stupid thing I
could have ever longed for. It wasn’t that I still cared about
him or missed him or even loved him. It was just one night - a
one-night stand. It was just a little irrelevant episode in my
life. Not worth mentioning to anyone.
After finishing my breakfast and coffee, I went to my car and
drove to work. After driving for 30 minutes in my lovely golden
BMW, I reached the underground parking lot and parked my
car in my designated place. I went inside the elevator to
William's Holding building. I pressed my floor number and
waited.

At the main lobby, the elevator doors opened, and more

people came in, greeting me with a smile, which I returned.
Feeling a little tired, I took a few steps back and closed my
eyes, placing my head on the elevator's wall to rest.

"Hello Ms. Anderson, how was your weekend?" a familiar

voice made me snap out of my rest. Damian Kelly, our new IT
project manager, who started two weeks ago. Good asset to
our department.

"Hello, Mr. Kelly, it was full of relaxation, good food, lots of

fun, and a great amount of sleep!" I answered with a trained
fake smile. My weekend was the opposite of my made-up
claim, but he didn’t need to know that.
"Looks like you had fun, Ms. Anderson. Perhaps you will share
some good stories at our monthly meeting this afternoon?"

Is he trying to piss me off? Cause he might succeed.

"Well, Mr. Kelly, my private life stays private. I hope you will
present some magnificent project ideas at that meeting." I
answered coldly to shut him up. Remember who's the boss
here. He responded with a nod and turned back, waiting for
his floor.

Reaching the top floor, I went straight to the CEO's office, and
after walking in without a knock, I was met with the most
horrible sight. My boss, the famous Ryan Williams , was
sucking face with his new flavor of the week. I think her name
is Darcy or Daisy, whatever. Gross.

I cleared my throat to announce my presence. They

immediately stopped and looked my way. Embarrassed, she
jumped off his lap and rearranged her black,
way-too-short-for-the-morning dress and stood next to Ryan's
desk.
I had gotten used to that kind of situation over the past seven
years of working with Ryan. He excused her and whispered
something in her ear, making her blush. Giggling, she gave
him a peck on the lips and headed to the door. I walked her
out with my eyes. After seeing the door close, I turned back
and looked at him.

"Well, well, well, I see you had a great weekend." I teased.

"You should try it sometime. It's refreshing and relieves stress.

I'm all at your service." He said, wiggling his eyebrows.

I laughed; full belly laughed so hard I had to put my hands on

my stomach. A few tears left my eyes. Moments later, I could
finally open my eyes and look at Ryan.

"Every time it’s the same reaction. Will you ever consider my
proposal?" he asked, annoyed with my response.

"You know I love you Ryan, but this," I pointed my finger

between us, "will never happen."
"I'm persistent."

"And I'm stubborn."

Sighing, he sat in his chair and put his hands on the black
wooden desk.

"What brings you here at 8:00am? It's not something I forgot,

is it?" He asked, a little nervous.

"No, you are off the hook this time." I smiled.

"Uff, then what is it?" he visibly relaxed.

"Peter." was my simple response.

Peter Collins, my best friend, joined our company six years

ago, and we immediately felt a connection, like we were
twins. Although we looked very different. While I was short at
5'4, he stood tall at 6'2. Peter had auburn hair, while mine was
dark brown. He had beautiful amber eyes, mine were gray. I
was human while he was a werewolf, but we kept that a
secret. Besides looking physically opposite, we had similar
characters: stubborn, crazy, hardworking, and loyal to family
and friends.

Lately, he had started to act strangely. Skipping our Friday

movie marathons at my house. Finding any reasonable excuse
to not go to Barry's for Monday's beer evenings. He even
stopped crashing at my place after his Saturday family dinner
to complain about them.

It must be something serious. This can't be something as

simple as a hidden partner he was dating in secret to not scare
him away with his lifestyle or family problems . He would have
come to me first to find a solution to something like that. I was
concerned about him, and I needed to find out what was going
on.

"What about Peter? He's dead?" Ryan widened his eyes.

I sighed, shook my head, and put my hands on his desk. "No.

He's not dead." I answered. "His behavior seems odd these last
two weeks, and I don't know what's going on." I cleared my
throat to ask a frightening question..."Did he..." I gulped, "Did
he resign?"

I looked him straight in the eyes, hoping his answer wouldn’t

break me more than I already was, but his soft and sorrowful
eyes said it all. "He did," I stated, defeated. I hung my head
even lower, trying to fight the tears that appeared in my eyes.
I bit my bottom lip hard to not let them flow. Moments later, I
stood up straight and released the breath I didn't know I was
holding. I turned to leave his office.

"Listen, Mandy, he asked me not to tell you until he's ready. "
Ryan's voice stopped me when I was reaching for the
doorknob.

"Thank you for telling me. Your secret is safe with me. " I
answered, not looking back.

"I'm sorry, Mandy!" was the last thing I heard as the door
closed behind me.
...

Finally, the day was over, and after my morning conversation

with Ryan, my mind couldn't focus on anything other than
Peter. He was leaving me. HE WAS LEAVING ME. Why? What
happened? I needed answers, but I couldn’t pry. I had
promised Ryan secrecy. All the meetings today flew by in a
blur. I just asked my assistant to email me the notes. I would
deal with them in the evening when my mind was clear. I
hoped. Even Daniel didn't make any comments about my
behavior. Good boy.

Descending in the elevator to my car, my phone rang.

Reaching into my purse, I grabbed it, and when I saw the
name on the screen, my heart started to beat at 100 mph.
Should I answer or not?!

Taking a few deep breaths and preparing for 'the end', I

clicked the answer button.

"Hello handsome, glad you remember your bestie," I said with

a smile, hearing him chuckle on the other end.

"Well, hello to you too, gorgeous," he replied, with a happy

voice.

"I'm in the elevator now. Can I call you back when I get
home?" I tried to postpone my heartbreak for a little while.

"That's alright. I'm actually at your place right now. I ordered

pizza and brought beers. What do you say?"

It wouldn't have surprised me before, but now, after not

knowing what is going on, I was confused. What was the
occasion?

"Fine with me, baby. Be there in 40 minutes, I need to pick up

my order from Pam's Bakery, ok?" I replied.

"Oh, please tell me you ordered strawberry muffins?" he asked

dreamily. "You know I love them. Damn girl, I'm already
drooling!" he yelled.
"Yep, I did," I said with a smirk. "Ok, gotta go if you want
those muffins." I ended the call and exhaled. "Oh God, please
don't do this to me." I prayed while buckling my seat belt and
starting the engine to head back home. "You can do this. You
are strong." I told myself, leaving the parking lot.

...

"We need to talk."

I gulped. This is it. Prepare for the impact.

When I came home, Peter was already sitting on my black

leather couch, munching on pizza, and drinking his fourth beer.
'Great, thanks for waiting.' I thought to myself.

He greeted me as usual with a bear hug and a long kiss on my

cheek, giving me his million-dollar smile. I took notice of his
demeanor. He looked confident, happy, even a little bit proud
but what was most noticeable was his glow. What the f**k
happened?
"I know baby girl, that I've been avoiding you for some time
lately," he said, putting his arms on my shoulders. "But I have
my reasons," he continued, "You know you are my baby girl,
my best friend, and my person to rely on." He looked me in the
eyes, and I couldn't help but gulp again.

He was breaking up with me. He was leaving me.

"Shit!" He cursed, taking his hands from my shoulders to run

them nervously through his hair and turning his back to me.

I stood still; frozen and afraid. A sudden sense of déjà vu hit

me. The whole scene felt familiar. Where had I felt this before?
Suddenly, the memory of my dream appeared in front of my
eyes. Rejection. That’s what the familiar sensation was. All the
blood drained from my face, my heart dropped to my stomach,
and my legs started to shake. This was it, the end. Another one
was leaving me. I lost my mate. Now I was losing my best
friend.

I cleared my dry throat, put my hand on the back of his

shoulder, and whispered, "Tell me what is wrong?"

He let out a huge gush of air and turned around. Putting his
hands in his pants pockets, he opened his mouth.

"I found my mate."

2. Opportunity
Never again 4998 words 2021-08-27 13:54:28

Mandy's POV

I couldn't believe it was really happening. Peter was leaving

me. Oh My God! What was I supposed to do now, all alone,
heartbroken again? Was this some sick joke or something? My
brain kept shouting all the negative thoughts at me. My
heartbeat increased. Was I going to have a heart attack? This
was it. I was going to die now. He said it. He said it…

Wait!!!! Did he say mate? I didn't imagine it, right? Or was I

starting to go mental?
"Did you say MATE?!" I finally found my voice, still frozen in
place.

"Yes."

I blinked a few times and started to pace around the living

room, biting my thumb nail. My mind started to shut down,
and the only word that I repeated constantly was 'mate.'

"Mandyyyy?..." Peter's concerned voice pulled me out of my

thoughts.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh, my f*****g Gooooood!" I

shouted in realization. Clapping my hands, smiling like an
idiot, and jumping in place, I turned to face Peter.

His face showed a lot of emotions, my outburst must have

shocked him, but the most prominent emotion was worry. He
probably thought I was mental, but I couldn't control my
emotions. I was happy for my friend.
Giggling like a teenage girl, I jumped on the coffee table and
let my feelings out. "My Peter found his maaaaaaate!!!!
Ladies and Gentlemen, my Peteeeer," I pointed at him
dramatically, "fooooound his MAAAAAATE!"

"Get your butt down here, baby girl." he ordered, shaking his
head, "NOW!" he added. Putting his hands on his hips, he
furrowed his eyebrows and pouted his lips, waiting for me to
cool down.

Coming back to my senses, I jumped off the table and took

predatory steps his way.

"You!" I pointed my finger at his chest, and let my words flow.

"You made me feel like I was losing my mind! You were
avoiding me, making lame excuses, making me feel
abandoned. And to top it all, you resigned from work without
even telling me!" I punched his arm. "And you feel authorized
to scold me?!" Pointing at myself, I shouted, releasing tears.
"I... I..." I couldn't find my voice. I threw myself at him and
broke down.

He held me close and let me cry my heart out, murmuring

sweet nothings into my ear.

When I finally calmed down, I took a few deep breaths,

composed myself, and moved away from his embrace. "So." I
cleared my throat. "Let's start again. You were saying...?"

He chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "I said...I

found my mate."

This time, I reacted properly. "Oh my God, Peter, I am so happy

for you! Tell me everything. Do I know him? Is he a werewolf?
When did you meet?..." I shot my questions at him one after
another.

He laughed and led me to the couch. Sitting beside me, he

reached the table and offered me a beer. I took it vigorously
and gulped almost half of it to calm my nerves.

"Easy girl," he said, taking the bottle from my hand. "His name
is Benjamin, Ben for short. And no, I don't think you know him.
He's not from here." he answered dreamily. "He's a werewolf,
he came here for business purposes, and we met in the club."
he paused. "We bumped into each other when I passed the VIP
room in 'Stairs'. It was..." he sighed. "I can't even describe it,
magical, I guess. I was speechless, just stood there starstruck
admiring his gorgeousness..."

"Wow." I blurted out uncontrollably, staring in awe at my best

friend.

"He invited me for a drink, and since then, it just went

naturally."

How on earth didn't I recognize the symptoms? For two weeks,

he wasn't himself. He wasn't my Peter, the carefree and
spontaneous freak. He was reserved, like guarding some
precious treasure against the ugly world. Now I know. He
found his treasure. I can't blame him, can I?

"Can I meet him?"

"That's why I'm here. I wanted to ask can I bring Ben here
tomorrow for dinner?" His eyes pleaded for me to say yes.
I smiled and nodded my head, "Yes, of course."

We spent the evening talking about Ben, well I was just

listening, mesmerized by his story. His strange behavior had
everything to do with Ben. He is a Beta from a pack in South
Carolina and came here to finalize their new project. He told
me about the dates they've been on and how complete and
safe he makes him feel. He is undeniably in love. I am happy
for him. At least he has his happy ending.

After talking, laughing, and planning tomorrow's dinner, we

called it quits and ended the night. Peter stayed and occupied
'his' bedroom at my place. Lying in bed, I was exhausted but
content, not thinking that, in the end, he will leave me. South
Carolina is on the other end of the country. Sighing, I closed
my eyes and fell asleep.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Something heavy hit me. Trying to

steal a few more minutes, I didn't move. "Come on baby girl.
It's time for coffee."
"Go away, I don't know you," I reached for the sheets in an
attempt to hide, but he predicted my moves, tossed them
away and grabbed my ankle.

"If you don't want me to treat you the same way, you better
move your ass and march to the bathroom. Coffee and
breakfast are waiting," he ordered.

Defeated, I did as I was told. After finding my outfit and

putting on my makeup, I went to the kitchen when the smell of
coffee and bacon hit me. My stomach growled in anticipation.
Eating and talking about today's tasks at work, I couldn't help
but ask, "Why didn't you tell me you resigned? You went
straight to Ryan. Why?"

Putting our empty dishes into the sink, he sighed. "I'm sorry I
did it behind your back, but I wasn't ready to tell you. Mr.
Williams never asks for reasons, and I knew he would accept it
without demanding answers," he explained. "Besides, it was
inevitable, knowing Ben lives in a pack and I don't," he added,
taking my empty plate.
"You're right. I would interrogate you in a flash," I said,
smiling at him. I put my coffee mug in the sink, then turned
around and hugged him. "I'm so happy for you, really happy."
He patted my head and kissed my temple. A few moments
later, we broke our hug and headed to work.

The day went quite fast, a few members of Peter's team

complained about his decision, saying he was the best and
they won't work with anybody else. Some congratulated his
bravery and wished him good luck. I was still a little sad about
his leaving, but I knew I could deal with it in time.

Coming back home early to prepare dinner, I quickly took a

shower and changed my clothes to yoga pants and a loose
t-shirt. Putting my wet hair in a messy bun, I started to cook.
Forty minutes later, everything was almost ready. I put the
salad at the table with sweet potatoes and white wine. The
chicken will be ready in 5 minutes. I quickly went to the
bedroom and changed into a simple summer light blue dress
and sandals. Nothing fancy, but classy. Just when I was taking
the chicken from the oven, the doorbell rang.

This was it, the moment I was waiting for.

Opening the door, I was met with a grinning Peter wearing
dark blue jeans and a cream-colored sweater, and when I
turned my head right, I was met with a huge wall of muscles in
tight black jeans and a black button-down shirt smiling
friendly at me. He had dark blonde hair pulled into a manly
bun and brown eyes. I wasn't shocked or intimidated. I have
seen such a big man before. He looked similar to my brother or
his Beta minus the tattoos. Through his collar, I had a little
peek of ink on his neck. Big Bad Beta, I thought. Smiling back, I
gestured for them to come inside and closed the door.

"Come in, make yourself comfortable, perfect time for dinner."

I led them to the dining table.

"Mandy, I would like to introduce to you my mate, Benjamin

Owens," he said, facing me.

"Ben, this is Amanda Anderson, my best friend," he added.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ben. Can I call you Ben?" I said,
extending my hand for a handshake.
"Yes, you can, and the pleasure's all mine," he replied in a low
voice, taking my hand in his, and to my surprise, he kissed the
back of my hand and sent me a wink, making me giggle.

"Such a flirt you have here, Peter." I addressed him and looked
back at smiling Ben. "Congratulations on finding your mate.
You couldn't get better than Peter," I said, with a smile.

"Thank you, and you're right," he answered, sending a playful

wink to Peter, making him blush. I chuckled at that.

When we sat down at the table, Peter immediately started to

put food on Ben's plate, complimenting my cooking skills. We
ate in a comfortable atmosphere and made small talk about
their story. Ben also told me a little bit about his pack, friends,
and family. Sudden and strange pain hit my heart hearing that
his best friend, an Alpha, is a widower. It broke my heart
knowing she died giving birth to their only son. At least he is
not alone like some people.

After dinner, the guys sat on the couch, bringing their wine
glasses with them. I quickly cleaned the table and put the
plates in the dishwasher. Grabbing two more bottles of wine, I
joined them.

"...And then he said you will probably kill him for not
telling you earlier about me and that I have to protect him
from your wrath." Ben continued talking about Peter's
concerns, laughing at the same time.

Peter was sending Ben daggers with his eyes, making me

laugh. We had recently finished our fourth bottle of wine.
While it made me a little flushed, they stayed unaffected,
damn those werewolf genes.

"Must admit he looked so cute at the time," he said, putting

his right arm at Peter's shoulders and pulling him closer to his
body, kissing his forehead. That gesture made me awe them.

"Well, I must admit that at some point I was hurt he didn't tell
me, but I wasn't angry - a little disappointed, yes, angry, no." I
answered honestly and took another sip of wine.

Peter released a relieved breath and smiled satisfied, then

apologized sincerely. We talked until midnight, laughing, and
getting to know each other. Ben was a really good guy, they fit
together. Peter is lucky.

After we said our goodbyes and made plans for another day, I
took a quick shower, put on my purple shorts and white top,
and went to bed. Before the darkness consumed me, I thought
about the Alpha and his son, and the same pain hit my heart
again. Putting a hand on my chest, I closed my eyes and dozed
off.

...

The next few days were filled with many activities such as trips
to bars, watching movies, or having fun playing paintball, they
even let me win once. They persuaded me to sing one night at
the karaoke bar, which was embarrassing. Although they tried
to convince me I was great. Yeah, I know better, no more
singing. That night we ended up in a fight. Some guy decided
to hit on Peter, which made Ben go full Beta on him, and we
had to apologize and pay his medical bills. Thankfully he didn't
press charges against us. After that, we simply hung around
my place or ate at restaurants avoiding pubs.

Although we had fun and spent a pleasant time together.

I knew my time with Peter was coming to an end. In three
days, Ben had to go back to his pack and be in charge during
his Alpha’s absence due to an alpha training he'll take part in. I
wanted to fill my days with Peter's presence as much as I
could, knowing that our time is limited.

We were shopping at the mall. Our 'Drama Queen' needed to

purchase new clothes for his new place to make a good
impression. That's my Peter. Worse than any girl.

"Can you please hurry up, I'm hungry?" Ben whined after
another hour of shopping.

"You can't rush perfection besides don't you want me to look

good? " Peter answered, looking at the full-length mirror in
the changing room checking his next outfit.
Sighing, Ben plopped onto the couch I was already sitting on
and put his head on my shoulder.

"Goddess, where does he want to fit it all at my place, I'll need

to expand my closet," he said, gesturing for at least ten bags
of clothes Peter already bought.

"I love him, but I'll go bankrupt in less than a year if he doesn't
stop." he sighed, letting his head fall back onto the couch's
backrest and closed his eyes.

"This is my fault," I said, apologetically while rubbing his

shoulder in comfort. "I had him for six years, he is my best
friend, and I treated him like family. Most of the time, it was
just us, so I might have spoiled him a little." I made my best
puppy dog eyes hoping for forgiveness.

He only turned his head left, opened one eye, and looked at
me accusingly. "A little?"

"Is 300 dollars for a pair of sneakers a little?" he narrowed his

eyes, "What more did you do to him? I need to prepare
myself," he added.

"Well...." I began, just as his phone started to ring.

"Oh Goddess, please don't say it, I don't want to know."

Standing up from the couch, he took out his phone from a
pocket and excused himself to take the call.

"Call me when he's done," he said over his shoulder, heading

to the exit.

"Ok, I'm done, I have everything I need. Where's Ben?" Peter

appeared in front of me with at least ten different clothes in
his hands, his eyes searching for his mate.

"Great, so let's pay," I said, taking out my wallet while walking

to the counter. "Ben had a phone call, so he went outside to
answer it."

The shop assistant smiled at us when we argued about me not

paying, but I won. Peter took his bags, and we left the shop in
an attempt to find Ben.

We spotted him in Domino's sitting at a table, probably

waiting for the food he ordered, still with a phone attached to
his ear. He looked funny. Dressed in all black. Showing his
muscular body covered in tattoos and a cold face emitting his
domineering aura. He was surrounded by giggling teenage
girls trying to be noticed and boys feeling intimidated by his
cold demeanor. If you didn't know better, you might think he's
some mafia leader.

We made our appearance just in time to hear him ending the

call. "Yes Boss, I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Problems, babe?" Peter asked, concerned when he sat next to

Ben and gave him a peck on his lips. Ben growled in pleasure
and put a hand at Peter's neck while he was retreating and
brought him back, just to smash his lips with Peter's. That
made Peter let out a little moan, and the giggling girls whined
in dissatisfaction. The boys instead whispered a little 'yes' and
made a winning gesture with their hands. Not waiting for live
porn in public, I cleared my throat.
"Em, guys, you have an audience, and as I'm happy to see you
in love, I'm sure this strange couple in the left corner is about
to call the manager, so I suggest you wait until you get home,"
I advised taking the empty chair across Ben and sat down.

"I don't mind, he's mine, and I can kiss him whenever and
wherever I want," Peter announced a little loud for the whole
restaurant to hear and smiled at Ben.

Ben only smirked at him mischievously and responded.

"Wherever, you say? I have plans for later, so I hope you don't
mind being caught." he winked at him, and Peter gulped.

"So, what's the problem Ben, we heard you before you ended
the call," I asked worriedly.

"Well, first. I hope you don't mind me ordering for all of us.
Pepperoni pizza and extra cheese and mushrooms for you,
Mandy," he said while putting his arm around Peter's
shoulders. We both nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"My Al...." he looked around checking if there was anyone

listening. "My boss wants me to come back sooner. There are
some issues with our rivals (probably describing rogues), and I
need to take care of the matter. Because he already left for his
trip," he said apologetically, looking at me, because he knew
that my time with Peter was precious.

"When?" Peter asked the dreaded question I couldn't form

because of the dryness in my throat. We both looked,
expecting Ben to answer.

"Tomorrow" was his simple answer.

Tomorrow. I have only this night with my best friend, and then
he'll be gone. I know that South Carolina is not the end of the
world. But not having him here with me will be different,
difficult. I'll need some time to adjust to my new life without
him. Can I manage? If someone asked me if I can manage to
take another department and lead an extra 500 new people, I
would say yes in an instant - piece of cake. This is something I
can do on a daily basis, but we're talking about private life.
Letting someone important to you leave you to live on the
other side of the country, that's different. But I think I'll have
to figure out a way to survive that. I still have Ryan, although
he rarely has time for me, preferring to relieve stress in his
favorite way. Man whore. So, it leaves me with my brother
and his mate. Shit! Still not a good idea, he's not around
either, living far away in South Dakota.

"Mandy? "Peter's concerned voice brought me back from my

daze.

"Sorry I zoned out a little." I giggled. "You were saying?"

"I asked, do you want to help me pack my things tonight? The

flight is at 9.00 am, and I need help with all the new stuff I
bought. Are you ok?" He took my hand and gave a reassuring
squeeze.

I smiled at him in response just as our order was delivered. My

appetite was long gone after the bomb Ben threw at me, but I
couldn't show how devastated I felt so I said a quick, “I'm ok.",
took a slice of my pizza, and started to eat. There was an
uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before Ben excused
himself and went to the restroom.

"I'm sorry Mandy. It was not my intention to make you feel

sad," Peter said looking straight into my eyes, pleading for
forgiveness. I stopped eating.

"I'm not sad honey, he's your mate, and understandably you
want to be together, either here or at his place. It's just..." I
took a deep breath and continued." I never thought it would
be so far away, I'll miss you." Tears fell from my eyes when I
said the last words, causing Peter to grab me and put me on
his lap to hug me tightly. I put my head on his chest and let
myself cry harder. It must be some show to people around us
seeing me falling apart in a guy's lap after his boyfriend left.

"I'll miss you too, baby girl, but we always have phone calls or
FaceTime, or you can come to visit me on weekends, thank
Goddess, you are rich, so you can afford the tickets." he joked,
kissing my head repeatedly, making me laugh.

"At least I won't spend it on your new unnecessary shoes." I

giggled, looking at his face, God he's gorgeous. I want a Peter
for me too. He's perfect.

He pushed me away from him a little and held my arms, raised

one eyebrow and gave me the 'are you f*****g serious' face.
"Unnecessary shoes?" he asked accusingly.

I just sniffed and nodded.

"You are all wrong, woman. Without those 'unnecessary

shoes', I wouldn't have found my mate, because I was bending
over to lace my 'unnecessary shoes' just in front of the VIP
room at that club. If I didn't, I would have just passed by and
never met him. So I should thank you for buying them for me.
It's all thanks to you that I'm complete now." he assured me,
and with a final sniff, I put my hands around his neck and
hugged him tightly. His hands went around my waist, and he
put his head in my hair, giving me another kiss.

"Please, just don't forget me." I pleaded into his neck.

"Never." was his simple reply, and he tightened his grip

around my waist. After a few moments of us hugging each
other, I took my previous seat and continued eating. Ben came
back shortly after our moment, and the talk went smoothly
again.
Later in the parking lot, I was searching for my keys, when a
voice from behind made me turn.

"You didn't answer my question!" Peter shouted from about

six parking places away.

"What question?" I shouted back.

"Will you help me pack this evening?" his voice was pleading.

Smiling at him, I answered. "I'd be honored, see you later!" I

waved and climbed into the car, starting the ignition. Checking
my view, I stepped on the gas and drove my way home.

....

"Deacon?" I sniffed after hearing the other side pick up the

call.

"Are you alright, Mandy girl? Are you hurt? Why are you
crying?" my brother's concerned voice invaded my ear.

I sniffed a few more times before I could make a coherent

sentence. "He's leaving me, D. He's leaving me all alone here."
my voice broke down at the end and I let my tears flow freely.
I promised myself to be strong, to take it like a champ, but I
couldn't. When I entered 'his' bedroom at my house, all the
memories came, and I collapsed on the white, fluffy carpet and
cried my heart out. Maybe if I cry now, I won't later. Bullshit.
I'll cry myself to sleep at least for a month before Ryan will
intervene and give me his famous speech about life being
hard.

"He's leaving D. He found his mate, and now he's going to live
with him and will forget about me like everyone does." I said,
climbing into his bed and smelling the pillow that still has his
scent of citrus and something earthy.

"Who's leaving?" Deacon asked, concerned.

"Peter."
"Oh, Mandy, I'm so sorry to hear that, but it's a good thing.
He's a werewolf, and finding a mate is the most exciting thing
for us. You know that." He tried to reason with me.

"I know, but still, it hurts," I whined.

"Mandy, you should support him, not make it harder for him,
you knew this would come eventually. When he finds out you
cried about it, he will feel guilty for finding his mate and might
do something stupid." Deacon lectured me, "and you don't
want that, right? You don't want him to reject his chance to be
happy just because he's moving a little away from you." he
deadpanned.

He was right. I can't take this opportunity from him just

because I feel insecure. Remembering my happy time with my
mate, I forgot who I was talking with and spilled the beans
unintentionally.

"If finding a mate is so important to werewolves, why did mine

reject me?!" I shouted to the phone without thinking.
There was dead silence at the other end, and when I registered
what I had just said, I clapped my hand over my mouth with a
hard slap, but it was too late.

"What did you say?!" my brother growled into the phone so

loud I had to pull away the phone to not make me go deaf. He
was seething with anger. Oh, my stupid ass, why did you say
that?

"Nothing, I didn't say anything. I'm just an emotional mess

right now, and I say whatever my tongue wants." I said,
jokingly, hoping he would buy it. But of course, he didn't, he's
my brother after all, not by blood but still.

"Mandy, did you just say you found your mate?" he asked
coldly. Sighing, I answered, defeated.

"Yes." I think it's about time to share my little secret with him.
It's been so long, keeping it to myself, that saying it out loud
made me feel a little relieved.

"When?"
"Five years ago," I answered and immediately put him on
speaker, placing the phone on the bed. I knew he would shout
and probably cause some damage. I wasn't disappointed. I
heard a ferocious growl and a sound of wood breaking.
Probably his office desk, God why me?

After a few moments of hearing cracking noises and heavy

breathing, he finally asked, "Who?"

His voice was so deep I instantly knew his wolf emerged. And
that's not a good thing. Almost, immediately I heard Linda's
concerned voice asking what happened. After a second, I
heard her voice through the speaker, confused.

"Mandy, is that you? What happened?" her voice was

between plea and demand. Deacon was still breathing hard.

"I told him my secret," I whispered.

"What secret? What are you talking about, Mandy?" she

asked, intrigued and a little confused.
I took a deep breath and explained. "I found my mate five
years ago but got rejected." I sighed at the end, waiting for
the drama to start. As expected, the questions were thrown at
me.

"What?!"

"Who?"

"I'll kill him."

"Calm down Deacon, she won't say anything unless you calm
down," Linda said soothingly.

"Why didn't you say anything, Mandy? Goddess - five years! If

I knew, I would have..." Deacon asked, finally sounding calm.
Probably Linda had something to do with that.

"I know, you would have killed him. That is why I didn't say
anything." I explained.
"But why? We're family. Does Peter know?" Linda asked.

"No, he doesn't. You're the first. And I guess I was

embarrassed. I know everything about mates, from how to
recognize them to how they complete each other and all that
stuff," I stated, "but I didn't do my job properly, he was
disappointed in me being human, that's why he rejected me,
even after...." I stopped.

"Even after what?" Deacon's angry voice hit my ear.

"After we mated," I whispered. The growls and breaking

sounds started again. Deacon was furious. Well, what did you
expect from an Alpha?

"Mandy, can we call you back in a while, please?" Linda asked

pleadingly to say yes.

"Yes, of course, I'm sorry Linda. I didn't mean to cause

trouble." I apologized, grabbing my phone to end the call.
"Don't, we're family. We're here to help. Now let me calm
down this Alpha male, and then we'll talk, ok?" she suggested.

"Ok, bye." I ended the call and collapsed on the bed exhausted
and fell asleep instantly.

I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing somewhere in the

bedsheets, searching with my hand and closed eyes. I finally
found the culprit and answered the call.

"Mandy, I'm sorry for my outburst, but I was shocked." my

brother's apologetic voice filled my ear.

"That's understandable, D. It's not every day you find about

your little sister's rejection. I'm sorry I didn't say anything
sooner," I said with my eyes still closed.

"Still, I'm sorry, but I'm your older brother, it's my duty to
protect you, so why?" he asked.

"As I said, I was embarrassed. As a mate, I was supposed to be

everything he needs, and seeing you and Linda or Nick and
Anna despite all the differences, you're still together. I thought
it was me. That I'm not worthy to have a mate, that's why I
was silent. I know you love me D, but you can't fight all my
demons. I need to do it myself, starting with my ex-mate" I
explained. Hoping, he'll understand.

"Who?"

I knew he would ask that. "D, I love you, but this I won't tell. I
don't want you to do something reckless. I'm fine now. Please
understand." I reasoned with him.

"Ok, but promise one day you'll tell me?"

"I promise," I vowed, looking out the window. It's almost

sunset. In an hour, I should be helping Peter packing.
"I have an idea. Maybe it's stupid but hear me out sis." I
focused on his words.

"Why don't you take a vacation. It's almost summer, and

what's better than changing the environment to let yourself
heal. Come home or go to Europe, just let yourself relax, what
do you think?" he asked hopefully.

Thinking about his proposal, I didn't see anything wrong with

that. It's a good idea. "You might be right. I'll think about it." I
answered in excitement. "Thank you, D. You're the best big
bro a girl could have. It's a great idea. I'll call you later, I need
to head to Peter's now." I said, and we said our goodbyes.

Taking a quick shower, I thought about our conversation. It

was a good opportunity to deal with my emotions, and slowly
adjust to my new situation. Without Peter close.3. Funny little
Blake
Never again 4569 words 2021-08-28 03:38:37

Mandy's POV
"Are you kidding me? He's not even to the middle of the
closet?" I complained and took a look at the mess Peter
created.

Clothes were everywhere, drawers opened, and the suitcases

filled to the brim. I looked at Ben, who was sitting on the floor,
defeated. "Why didn't you call sooner?" I asked Ben while
Peter was running through his closet, yelling nervously.

"Please help me deal with him, and I'll do anything you want."
Ben pleaded, looking exhausted. I might take him up on his
offer sometime later.

I entered the closet and was met with an even worse view, as
Peter threw clothes nervously, shouting, "Have you seen my
gray hoodie?"

"Ok, stop! Stop it right there Mr. Collins! " I said in my bossy
voice. Putting my hands on my hips, I tilted my head to the
right and dictated. "Cold beer, at least seven; and undisturbed
time to deal with this hell." I gestured to the mess around him.
"And we will have time to say our goodbyes."
He just looked at me like I said something stupid but went out
of the closet.

An hour and a half later, five suitcases filled with Peter's

necessities and Ben's howling in appreciation, we sat at the
couch and drank another bottle of cold beer. God, it tasted
good.

Peter stood up to make a toast, "For a new beginning." Joining

him, I clicked my bottle with theirs and gulped all the contents.
They didn't hesitate to follow my lead.

"Mandy?" Peter started uncertainly and put his empty bottle

at the table. He looked at Ben, asking for support.

What's going on? Is there more he's not telling me? Dear God,
please give me strength. I was nervous all of a sudden. I
looked at Peter expecting another news. He smiled and took
Ben's hand and turned to me.

"We were talking about you after we came back from the
mall. Ben's feeling guilty for taking me from your life so
suddenly, and we came to a solution." he paused, and my
curiosity kicked in. What solution is he talking about? I also
put my bottle on the table and gave him my full attention.

"I want you to come with us." Ben announced. I was shocked,
and they probably saw it too. I widened my eyes at both of
them and opened my mouth to object, but he cut me off.

"Before you say anything, listen to me first." He came closer,

took my hands in his, and continued, sounding serious. "I feel
guilty for cutting short our stay here so suddenly, but you
know Alpha's orders," he explained. "I can't say no to that, but
I can try to make it up to you." He smiled and added. "Why
don't you come with us for some time, I already asked my
Alpha, and he agreed but there are some ground rules for you.
You can stay however long you want to have more time with
Peter and relax. He told me you are overworking yourself, it's
not good!" He lectured me, and I still stood shocked.

"Baby girl, do it for me. It's hard for me to part with you so
suddenly, and it hurts even more knowing you'll be here alone
while I will have Ben. So please agree." Peter joined Ben and
put his hand at my arm. "It's not that we never had
spontaneous trips before, remember Mexico?" Peter chuckled,
and I giggled, remembering that trip. We were watching the
sequel to 'Sex and the City' when we thought about going to
Mexico. Five minutes later we were in the car driving to the
airport, just like that.

"Ok." I nodded.

"Really?" They both asked in unison, surprised at my answer.

I smiled at them, picked my bag up from the couch, and

headed to the door. They were shocked for a moment, but
when they composed themselves, they reached me in no time
and grabbed my arm, turning me around.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked first.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, Mandy." Ben's concerned face was

funny.

"Well, if you want me to be ready in the morning, I better go

and start packing," I answered, smiling at them.

Their dumbfounded faces were priceless. In no time, they had

me sandwiched between them and shouted, 'hell yeah!' in
unison.

After Ben told me more about the rules I would need to follow
during my stay with his pack, we bid our goodbyes, and I went
home to pack.

...

"How long to the border?" I asked Ben after I picked up the

keys for my rented car and loaded the trunk with my things.

"Two hours. Just follow me, they know about our arrival," Ben
answered as I adjusted my driver's seat. Nodding, I started the
engine and waited for him to lead the way.

I was a little tired after the flight, packing, and arranging

everything with Ryan and my brother. Ryan wasn't so fond of
my sudden decision, but I assured him that I would work from
there, and If needed, I can always fly back for emergencies. My
assistant is perfectly capable of handling daily tasks.

So eight weeks without me wouldn’t be that hard. I decided to

spend two months with Peter and Ben, and they didn't object.
My brother was a different story though. He was concerned
about my decision because, in the end, it might cause more
problems for me, and a bigger heartbreak.

It turned out that Ben's Alpha was actually attending the

training at Deacon's pack and would be spending the first two
weeks there, So I had time to prepare before meeting him.
Ethan Jones, according to Deacon, was a good fighter, an
excellent Alpha, and a devoted father to his son Blake. A nice
name, I hoped I would get the chance to meet the little guy.

Driving for almost two hours, we finally turned onto a road

leading to the big forest. I got excited and relaxed, knowing
we were almost there. I needed my sleep; I was so exhausted.

Ben drove us directly to my destination, which turned out to be

a little cabin about a five minute drive from the packhouse we
passed. It was a three-story gray building with a lot of big
windows. It looked modern.

When I parked the car in front of the cabin, I immediately fell

in love with it. It was beautiful. Getting out of the car, I inhaled
the fresh air and sighed in contentment. Vacation.

"The kitchen is fully stocked. I asked a few Omegas to bring all

the necessary ingredients. Hope it'll suit your taste." Ben
explained while opening my trunk to take out the suitcases.

"You didn't have to, but thanks. Next time though, don't
bother, I'll go shopping myself, I don't want to be a burden." I
answered, turning my attention to him.

"Nonsense, you're a guest here and we take care of our

guests." he insisted.

"Thank you, but it is important to me. Next time I'll do it

myself." I stated firmly.
"Ok." He gave up, and we walked to the cabin while Peter was
sound asleep in the passenger's seat, looking so cute.

Surprisingly, though it looked like a small cabin from the

outside, it was more spacious inside. It consisted of a small
white kitchen that opened to the living room on the left of the
entrance, with a small dining table and four chairs, a leather
couch, a coffee table, and lots of shelves on the opposite wall.
On the right was a small built-in closet and two doors. The first
door led to the bathroom with a walk-in shower, small sink,
and toilet all in gray and white. The second door led to the
bedroom with a queen-sized bed, a built-in closet occupying
the entire right side of the room, and a vanity desk opposite
the bed. It was perfect.

"I hope you like it," Ben said nervously, scratching the back of
his head, standing in the middle of the living room next to my
suitcases.

"Are you kidding me, it's perfect!" I was beaming. "Now go, I
need to unpack and hit the bed as soon as possible. I'll call you
tomorrow" I rushed him outside a little impatiently and waved
goodbye just as he opened his car door. He smiled and drove
away to the packhouse.
After closing the door, I turned to the living room and looked
outside over the patio. I smiled, seeing a beautiful lake nearby.
Yawning, I started to unpack and put everything in the closet
and my essentials into the bathroom. I took a quick shower
and put on my pj's, then climbed into the comfy bed. The
moment my head hit the pillow I fell asleep.

...

The next three days, I did only three things: eat, sleep and
work a little. Although Peter called me a few times to hang
out, my body needed the rest, so I simply declined him. It was
now the fourth day of my stay, and I was relaxing at the lake.
It looked so peaceful and beautiful. I sat on the grass and
closed my eyes to enjoy the moment.

The sound of breaking twigs behind me caused me to turn my

head, and I was met with the wide eyes of a little boy. He
couldn't have been older than 5, maybe 6. He was staring at
me shyly, with black hair covering his forehead and
mesmerizing green eyes. I smiled at him and gestured for him
to join me. He was hesitant for a moment, then decided to
slowly approach me. I patted the place beside me, and he sat
down, leaving a little distance between us.

"Hi, what's your name?" he asked in his shy voice. He was so

adorable.

"Hi, I'm Amanda, but everyone calls me Mandy, and you?" I

tried to not scare him away.

"Blake Jones," he answered, looking at his hands.

So, he's the Alpha's son, the poor kid never met his mother. My
heart broke for him, he looked like he needed some motherly
love. He looked at me with his gorgeous but sad eyes, and the
look he gave me made my heart ache. The longing was so
evident. I gulped and tried to start a conversation.

"It's a beautiful lake. Do you come here often, Blake?"

"Yes," he said, but I noticed he wanted to say more. I waited,

and he finally continued, "I come here every time I'm sad, so a
lot."

Dear God, he's just a little kid, I know he doesn't have a

mother, but doesn't he have anyone to take care of him, make
him happy, except his father?

"This place has something that makes me feel happy." he

explained I stayed quiet, and just listened.

"My dad went for training five days ago, and I miss him. Rose
is taking care of me, but it's not the same," he said longingly.

"Who is Rose?" I asked curiously.

"She's my nanny, she's nice but old and doesn't want to play
with me. She said my ideas are stupid." he hung his head low,
fidgeting with his fingers.

Who in their f*****g mind would tell a little kid that

something he wants is stupid? She was stupid. I would play
with him.
"If you want a friend to play with you, I can do that. Would
you like to be my friend?" I asked, smiling at him.

"Would you do that? Even when Rose said it's stupid?" he

looked at me and asked hopefully.

I leaned toward his ear like I'm going to share the biggest
secret and whispered, "Especially when Rose says it's stupid." I
smiled at him.

He studied me, considering whether to trust me or not. f**k.

I'm going to make him smile and be happy while I'm here.

"Yes," he squealed and jumped to his feet excitedly.

"That's the spirit," I said, getting up from the grass. "But

before we start, I need to ask you something," I said calmly as
he put his hand in mine, and we started to walk into the
woods. "If I say that I can't go some places, would that be ok
with you? Cause you see, I'm just a guest here, and I can't go
everywhere freely like you." I explained, making him stop.
"I know, Uncle Ben told everyone that we have a human in the
last cabin near the lake." He continued to drag me to God
knows where, but I wasn't complaining. I felt honored to be
picked by him to play.

"Ok Boss, tell me what's your plan?" I asked with a smile.

"I want to build a fort in the woods." He stopped again and

faced me, suddenly unsure. "Is that stupid?" He asked sadly.

I raised one eyebrow and gave him the 'are you kidding me'
face and answered, "Are you serious? That is the best idea I
have ever heard! Come on, we have a lot of work to do. Lead
the way, honey!" I said encouragingly, which made him start
running, still holding my hand. I laughed at his eagerness.

We stopped at the place where Blake had chosen to build his

fort, and surprisingly there were already building supplies
there. I pointed at the pile of desks and equipment, and he
understood my unspoken question. "My daddy promised to
build it with me but was too busy with his work," Blake’s
cheeks turned pink with embarrassment.

"That's ok, at least he prepared everything for us so we can

start working," I said reassuringly and started the fort
construction while Blake bossed me around. He was funny in
his little Alpha mode.

A few hours later, the fort was standing proudly between

three big trees. We decided to camouflage it with bushes, so
we collected all the necessary plants, and a few minutes later,
the fort was all done. We high-fived each other.

"Well, I think we made the best fort in the world. What do you
think Blake?" I asked him seriously.

"Better than I imagined, thank you!" He hugged me in

appreciation. My heart melted, so I hugged him back and
kissed his head, inhaling his heavenly scent. A mix of apples,
cinnamon, and honey. Sweet, just like Blake.

"I'm glad you like it, honey, I'm honored to be part of it.
Anytime you want, we can do something you like." I said,
patting his head.

"Blake, where are you?" a concerned voice reached my ears,

and I realized that it was quite late, and Blake should head
back to the packhouse. Releasing him from my embrace, I
kissed his cheek. "It's late, you should go back, but if you want,
we can do something together tomorrow, what do you think?"
I asked, "You know where I stay, so come and get me and we
can maybe decorate our fort, hmm?" I added, and his smile
showed it all.

"Ok, I'll come in the morning," he said joyfully, and I smiled at

him in response.

"Oh, but I need to warn you, I'm here on vacation, so please

don't come before 10am, Ok?" I asked jokingly, but he nodded
and ran in the direction of the voice. When he was about ten
feet away from me, he stopped and turned around, giving me
a satisfied smile.

"She was right, you make me happy," he beamed, making me

confused.
"Who?" I asked curiously,

"Moon Goddess," he explained and took off to meet his nanny.

I was left speechless. His words were strange but flattering at

the same time. I knew he was something special.

Taking one last look at our fort, I smiled and made my way to
the cabin to make dinner and maybe work a little more. All the
way, I thought about the handsome little man that captured
my heart.

...

As promised, Blake came to my cabin the next day at 10am

sharp, full of energy to play. I invited him inside and offered
him something to eat. I was just making myself breakfast. He
took a seat at the dining table and observed me cooking. After
about five minutes of silence, he started his interrogation.
"Why did you come here?" he asked, playing with the fake
flowers in the middle of the table.

"Because Beta Ben offered me this trip to spend more time

with my best friend Peter, who is his mate," I answered
truthfully, stirring the eggs on the pan.

"You are human. How do you know about werewolves?"

"Well, my brother is one, so I’ve known about you for a very

long time," I answered, unsure of where this was heading.

"That’s strange, are you freak or special?" he was interested.

Kids have no filter. I suppressed an amused smile.

"Honestly, you could say I'm adopted. When I was 16 and

needed help, he and his parents welcomed me into their home
and took care of me. I loved them immediately, and now we
are very close." I answered, putting the eggs on the plates,
and taking them to the table.
Blake took the fork and started to dig in with satisfaction. "So,
you have no real mommy?" he asked, filling his mouth with
eggs, and I almost choked on my own food. I took a few gulps
of water to clear my throat and answered carefully, knowing
why he asked this question.

"I don't know my birth mother, but Adeline, my brother's

mom, gave me all the love and attention I needed, and treated
me like her own daughter, so she is my real mommy.
Sometimes strangers give us more than our relatives." I
explained the best I could.

He nodded his head, and after finishing his eggs, he jumped off
the chair and went to put his plate in the sink. Turning around,
he smiled, "We are the same. Alone. She said you are special,
and you'll give me your love. Do you want to play hide and
seek?" he bounded out of the cabin without waiting for an
answer, leaving me confused and speechless. What's going
on? What he's talking about?

I finished my meal in one big bite and threw the plate into the
sink. I ran after him, "Blake, wait up buddy, what did you
mean?" I shouted into the woods, trying to find him.
"Find me, and I'll tell you." I heard his giggling voice
somewhere in the distance.

Running through the woods was exciting and refreshing. I was

supposed to spend more time with Peter, but instead, I focused
on Blake. It was like an instinct to follow him, and I did,
forgetting about everything and everyone besides him. My
little source of happiness.

I finally found him hiding inside the fort we built and

approached him quietly, but he heard me and ran away again,
giggling. Damn, he's fast. I spotted him at the same place we
met, sitting there waiting for me. I took a few cautious steps
and sat down after determining that he wasn't going to run off
again.

"So, I've got you. Will you tell me now?" I asked, interested.

"She said that someone special will come soon, but it's not my
mommy." he started, “She said the special person will love me
and take care of me."
I couldn't speak, I just stared at him in wonder.

He continued, "She said, 'She'll be all you need little boy," He

frowned, "At first, I was angry, I'm not a little boy, but then I
understood that she was talking about you. You'll love me,
you'll be like my mommy..."

I didn't know what to say. I didn’t want to give him any false
hope but damn, seeing his begging eyes, I gave up. "I'd be
honored to be that special person, Blake," I said, holding him
tightly.

He hugged me back and kissed my cheek, "Thank you,

Mandy." He whispered.

I held him in my arms like he was my life, and suddenly he

was. Forgetting about Peter, I found a new purpose to exist,
and it was him. A little boy longing for love that I could give
him with no expectations to have it back. I stood up and took
his hand in mine, leading him back to my cabin. "You're
staying with me tonight. I'll call your uncle and inform him.
Can you mind link yet, honey?" I asked him, and he
immediately shook his head.

"No, I can't, I'm too young, but Uncle Ben knows I'm here, he'll
tell Rose," Blake answered.

After reaching the cabin, I led Blake to my bedroom and told

him to wait for me for a while I took the phone and called Ben.
After the third ring, he answered, sounding concerned. "Hi
Mandy, it's not a good time to talk, we have a missing child, so
I need to focus on my duties. Can it wait?" he asked in his
serious voice.

. "Are you looking for Blake?" I asked, laughing out loud.

"Yes. Have you seen him? He's been missing since morning."
His begging voice made me stop laughing.

"Actually. I have. And that's why I called. He's with me, so call
off the search team and calm down. I'll return him in the
morning." I assured him, and he ended the call, satisfied that
Blake was safe and sound.
I heard a little snoring when I stepped out of the bathroom
and went to the kitchen to check on my laptop. I promised
Ryan to look after the new project that was proposed by our
new IT manager. Checking it over thoroughly for an hour, I
found no mistakes, so I emailed him back giving the green
light, and went to bed. Seeing the little body in my bed filled
me with contentment, and I instantly cuddled him, closed my
eyes, and dozed off into a peaceful sleep.

...

Over the next week, we became so close to each other, almost

inseparable. We shared our little secrets and made the 'blood
oath' to never forget each other. The oath consisted of us
cutting our pointing fingers, and after joining them together,
we pledged our loyalty and undivided love inside the fort we
built together. It was perfect.

I didn't see Peter the entire time, and I was ok with that. I
think Blake took all of my time, and I forgot about the main
issue of being alone. Or was it an issue? Being alone
sometimes makes you think about important things from
another perspective... but Blake made me feel alive. He was
like fresh air, my joy and excitement, my entertainment and
pride, and mostly my new life. I couldn’t deny it anymore, he
did it. He totally and undeniably took my heart. It had only
been two weeks, but I already felt willing to do anything for
him. I was baking another set of muffins, waiting for Blake to
come and help me decorate them when my phone rang. I went
to the living room and picked up the phone from the coffee
table. It was Peter. Hesitantly I clicked the answer button.
"Hello, Peter." I started.

"Wow, no 'hi handsome'? You forgot about me." he

complained.

"I'm sorry honey, I was a little occupied, and truthfully I did.

But I'll make it up to you, I swear." I said, feeling guilty.

"That's ok baby girl, I was occupied myself," he answered,

chuckling, and I knew what or rather who occupied him.
Smiling at his response, I felt less guilty. "By the way, I'm
calling to ask, are you ok? Heard you found a new little
friend..." he sounded intrigued.
"Yes, I'm ok, actually more than ok, and yes I met a new
friend, guess you already know," I answered happily, checking
the oven to make sure the muffins were not in danger of
burning.

"Well, the whole pack knows, he's been running satisfied

through the whole pack saying that the Moon Goddess gave
him a new mommy," he said, worried. "Mandy, what's going
on?"

I knew that it might cause trouble but hearing him say that
Blake was happy made me feel content.

"I know this might sound strange, but I fell in love with him.
He's so adorable, smart, funny, and knowing he's got no
motherly love, I decided to give him some. I don't know how to
describe it, Peter. I don't know why but he became very
important to me, to my heart. We have a connection. I think
it's the same situation we had, remember - that pull to get
close to each other?" I explained.

"Yes, I do," he answered, concerned.

"Is this a bad thing? He's just a child, a sad child, he needs his
childhood to be happy, what's wrong with me trying to give
him that?" I almost cried at the end. He sighed in response.

"There's nothing wrong in trying to make someone happy, but

I'm worried Mandy, please don't make promises you can't
keep. You are here temporarily, please make sure he
understands that. If you break his heart, I think even your
brother won't be able to protect you from Alpha Jones' wrath.
Blake is his weakness, and you know what that means." he
said, a little sad.

I know what that means, but I can't force my heart to stop

loving him, he's my funny little Blake, and even when I'm gone,
I'll keep in touch. Nobody will take that from me.

"Don't worry, Peter, he knows I'm leaving, and we already

made plans for him to visit me in California." I answered
truthfully. "If you guys are free tonight, will you come for
dinner? We could talk about everything, hmm?" I suggested
hoping he would agree. It made me feel guilty that I forgot
about him so easily.
"Will you make steaks?" he asked, already knowing my
answer.

"Of course, everything for you honey, I even made muffins." I

teased him.

"Strawberry muffins?"

"Aha," I said, taking the last set of muffins from the oven, the
smell was mouthwatering.

"What time?" he asked excitedly.

"Be here at six," I answered just as Blake entered my cabin,

smiling in excitement.

"Deal, see you then."

"Ok, bye," I said and ended the call. Putting my phone down, I
turned to Blake, who was sitting at the dining table, already
munching one of the muffins.

"Hey, buddy, what makes you so happy today?" I asked,

kissing his head and taking the chair next to him.

"My daddy's coming home tomorrow!" he exclaimed, jumping

in his seat.

I was happy and terrified at the same time to finally meet the
Alpha. Hopefully, he would let me continue spending time with
Blake. If he refused, it would break my heart.

"Can we make muffins for him?" Blake's question got me out

of my anxious thoughts.

"Sure thing, honey," I answered, smiling and went back into

the kitchen, still thinking about tomorrow. Why am I nervous?
It's not the first time I'll meet an Alpha, maybe him being
Blake's father makes me feel this way. Oh God, please help
me. Taking a few deep breaths, I forced myself to relax and
start collecting ingredients for the next set of muffins.
Ethan Jones, tomorrow we’ll meet...4. Coming back home
Never again 3710 words 2021-08-29 15:16:25

Ethan's POV

"... ten more laps and we're finished" Alpha Henderson stated,
standing in the middle of the training field while we all
followed his order, exhausted, sweaty, and happy it was the
last day of training. Finishing my last lap, I sat on the grass,
breathing heavily. That was intense.

"Here, take it." a bottle of water appeared in my view, and I

gladly took it and drank eagerly.

"Slow down, Alpha," the voice said in amusement. I was so

focused on my task that I didn't register the person sitting
beside me. When I finally emptied the bottle, I sighed and
thanked the person. Turning my head to the left, I was
surprised to see who it was.
"Sorry, Alpha Henderson, I didn't see you approaching." I
explained.

"It's just Deacon, and it's ok, I probably shouldn't have been so
tough on you today." he said and looked around
apologetically. I followed his gaze to see all the other Alphas in
the same condition as me. Yeah, we were worn out.

"That's alright, that's what we signed up for." I stated and

looked at him. He was gazing at his warriors training at the
other end of the field.

"At 8 pm the bonfire starts I thought I should reward you all

for your hard work.” he announced, turning to look at me.
"You're a very skilled and strong Alpha Ethan, and an excellent
fighter, probably the best trainee I have ever had." he smiled
at me. I was stunned for a moment at his praise but quickly
composed myself.

"Thank you, Deacon. I appreciate that." I answered truthfully.

I put a lot of effort into this training. Being praised by him is a
huge compliment. He's the best fighter I know. I'm not
surprised that the council asked him to train other alphas; he is
simply the best choice with his knowledge, unorthodox
approach, and amazing fighting techniques. I learnt a lot and
was honored to hear his words. "The bonfire sounds good; I
think everyone will appreciate it. I need to hit the shower first
though." I smiled and stood up to head to my room. We said
our goodbyes and went separate ways.

On my way to our accommodation, I was interrupted by a

familiar and breathless voice behind me. Smirking, I turned
around to be greeted by my friend Alan. He looked worn out.

"Hey Ethan, happy to go home tomorrow?" he asked,

exhausted.

"Yes, I'll finally see Blake." I answered, smiling at the thought.

"He's probably excited to see you again too. You barely ever
leave him for this long." Alan stated the fact.

This was actually the longest time we've been separated. I

usually take him with me when I have to go for more than one
day. This time I couldn't bring him with me, though. f**k. The
past two weeks were tough. "I didn't tell him yet. He found a
new friend and he's not missing me as much as I thought." I
answered in fake annoyance.

"That's good man, someone saved him from crying after his
daddy." he joked, patting my back.

We both laughed. Continuing our walk, we talked about the

bonfire and our favorite parts of training. When we reached
my room, I hurriedly reached for the doorknob in desperate
need for a shower but was stopped by his next words.

"Charlie was asking about you," he said, making me face him.

"She asked me to ask you to call her." he nervously scratched
the back of his head, knowing I didn’t like talking about his
sister.

"Thanks, I'll think about it." I answered, not bothering to hide

my irritation and entered my room, closing the door a little
more forcefully than necessary. I went straight to the
bathroom to shower. The moment the warm water hit my
aching muscles, I relaxed. My thoughts went to Alan's request.
It pissed me off.
Charlotte Smith was a spoiled, irritating bitch, a total pain in
my ass. At 25 years old, she was still mateless and constantly
nagged me to make her my new Luna, saying her mate is
probably dead and I need a Luna to help me lead my pack. She
was right that my pack needs a Luna, but definitely not that
irritating and selfish slut. I bet her mate rejected her, but she
hid that. After Emily, I couldn't think about anyone to fill her
place. My sweet Emily was an excellent and loving Luna and
the best mate I could ask for. Everybody adored her. My heart
ached remembering her lifeless body covered in blood lying on
the damn delivery bed. It's been five years since that day, but
it still hurt to think about. Her last words haunted me for a
long time after that.

'I love you Ethan, take care of our son and be happy again.'

And just like that she was gone. My world collapsed, my wolf
howled in pain and my heart was ripped apart. That day I let
myself cry for the very first time in years. How can I be happy
without her? f**k. I punched the shower wall in anger.
Shaking my head, I forced my brain to think about something
else. I needed to call Blake, hearing his voice would definitely
lift my mood.
Shutting the water off, I exited the shower and took the towel
to dry my body. I entered the bedroom naked. I'm a werewolf,
nudity was normal for me. I quickly put my clothes on and took
the phone I left on the nightstand. Finding the number, I called
my son.

"Daddy!" Blake exclaimed with joy, answering after the third

ring. The sound of his voice made me smile instantly.

"Hey buddy, how are you doing?" I asked, delighted to hear his
excitement.

"I'm good Daddy, I'm going to see Mandy and she'll teach me
how to bake and then we'll go to play at the lake and then
we'll paint our fort and..."

"Slow down, buddy." I cut him off, he was talking so fast in his
obvious excitement.

"Soooo, I'm going to see Mandy...and we'll bake muffins... and

play at the lake..." he said slowly but I zoned out, thinking
about 'that' Mandy. She apparently took all his attention; all I
hear is 'Mandy this and Mandy that'. It was starting to piss me
off how much she seemed to have bewitched him.

Why the f**k did I agree to Ben's request and approve her stay
at my pack? Probably to make him happy. She was his mate's
best friend and was apparently devastated after hearing that
he was leaving her. How pathetic. Humans, they couldn’t deal
with change. I bet she did it on purpose - to look miserable and
depressed in order to gain some time so she could figure out
how to make money from it. That's what she was: another
gold digger. She definitely sensed money in Ben and was
trying her luck using a 'best friend' card. My wolf growled in
anger at my thoughts, but I blocked him out immediately. I
was so engrossed with my thoughts that I didn't hear Blake's
question.

"Sorry buddy, what did you say?" I asked apologetically.

"Are you ok, Daddy?" he sounded concerned, my baby boy.

"I'm fine buddy, I was just thinking about something." Or

someone, I thought irritated.
"I said I miss you, when will you be back?" he asked, pleading
which made me feel satisfied. 'Mandy' wasn't all he thought
about. Again, my wolf growled. What the f**k was his
problem? Focusing on my son, I simply answered "Tomorrow."
and was instantly met with a shout of excitement.

"Yesss! I need to tell Mandy about it!" His response made me

pissed again. What the f**k? I need to end this as soon as
possible. I won't let some bitch to manipulate my son. Again,
my wolf growled at me. What's wrong with him, is he sick or
something? Still blocking him out, I said goodbye to Blake,
hiding my annoyance and threw the phone on the floor.
Seething in anger, I sat down on my bed and pinched the
bridge of my nose. I needed a f*****g drink. I stood up and
went out, heading to the party.

Emptying my tenth beer, I felt a little dizzy. Slowly, I looked up

and focused on the fire. The other alphas were enjoying
themselves. Some were engrossed in conversations, some
sucking faces with slutty omegas and some just like me
drinking to simply forget. I was so focused watching the fire, I
didn't hear someone approach and sit next to me until I felt an
arm bumping with mine.

"What's up bro? You look like shit. Are you ok?" I over to see
Alan's concerned and definitely drunk face. He offered another
bottle of beer, which I gratefully took and took a few gulps.

"Yeah, I'm f*****g peachy." I scoffed, taking another sip of

beer.

"Please tell me it's not Charlie?" he asked, broken. He knew

exactly how I felt about her.

"No, it's not her." I answered truthfully.

"That's great man, at least I don't need to play the mediator

between you two." he sounded satisfied, definitely too drunk
to notice my indifference.

"So, what makes you," he pointed his forefinger at me, "this

grumpy?" he asked before he took another sip of his own beer.
He winked at the red headed omega approaching us with lust
evident in her eyes. Goddess, is this a heat season or
something? I was just about to respond but the redhead sat at
Alan's lap and started to kiss him deeply, rubbing on his lap.
She was definitely looking for a good f**k.

Uninterested in seeing live porn, I stood up and went for a

walk. Reaching a huge meadow near the waterfall, I sat down
and enjoyed the view. Moments later, I heard heavy steps and
looked up to see Deacon coming my way.

"Can I join you?" he asked, sounding desperate so I gestured

for him to join me. He sat down and looked at the waterfall.
"You know, this is my sister's favorite spot. Every time she's
here and has a problem, she comes here to think. I inherited
that from her I guess," Deacon said, chuckling. I was intrigued,
he was an only child as far as I knew.

"A sister? But you're an only child, right?" I asked him in all
seriousness.

He sighed, "Yes, I'm an only child, but you never know when
you will meet a stranger who will change your life, and you'll
connect immediately. That's where cupcake comes in," he said
smiling. "She is the best thing that ever happened to me,
except my mate of course," He laughed, then his face turned
serious. "I'm very protective of her." Why was he telling me
that? "Anyway, I noticed your sour mood, is everything
alright?" he asked, really interested.

No, nothing is alright, I have to deal with two bitches, one

wants my Luna's position and the second one stole my son. I
could feel myself getting angry again, but I quickly composed
myself. "It's nothing, I just have a lot on my plate right now
and I miss my son." I explained truthfully.

"Like we all do, man." he patted my back, chuckling. I laughed

with him and relaxed. "Ok, I better go now, I need to fetch a
beer before they drink it all," he stood up. "See you tomorrow,
Ethan." I just nodded in agreement, and he left me alone.

After staying for a little longer to enjoy the view, I decided to

go to my room. Maybe tomorrow would be better. As I turned
right into the corridor, I saw Alan leaving his room, his smug
face and disheveled hair made me smirk. Stopping at my door,
I heard him clear his throat, "Ethan, I'm sorry about Charlie."
he apologized.

I raised my hand to cut him off, "Don't." I ordered, "Just tell

her to leave me the f**k alone." I said, seething in anger
again. I went inside my room, shutting the door firmly. To calm
myself down, I took a long relaxing shower and headed
straight to bed. I fell asleep almost immediately.

The next day, I was woken up by my phone ringing, with half

opened eyes I reached for the nightstand and without looking
at the caller ID I answered with a snap, "What?!"

"Did I wake you up?" the voice on the other side sounded
familiar and apologetic. I checked the phone screen and seeing
the ID, my eyes widened in shock. I composed myself
immediately and explained myself.

"I'm sorry Alpha Henderson, I didn't expect you to call, I'm

sorry for my outburst" I apologized quickly. It was 7.30 in the
morning, after all.

"That's ok, and I told you it's Deacon. Anyway, I'm calling to
invite you for breakfast at my house. I want you to meet my
family." he offered sincerely "If that's ok with you of course?"
he added.

To say I was shocked was an understatement. I was speechless

for a few seconds but quickly accepted the offer. "I'd love to.
What time?" I asked.

"Hmm in 30 minutes, is that ok?" Deacon asked unsure and I

answered with a simple yes and we ended the call.

I got up from bed and started my morning routine. I don't

know why he did it, but I'm honored and a little surprised. Is
there something he wants from me? Shrugging, I chose my
outfit, combed my hair and left the room.

Just when I was about to ring the bell, the door opened, and I
was met with a beautiful little redhead. She was probably
5'7’’, with green eyes and a slender figure. I sensed the
motherly love radiating from her; she was definitely the Luna.

"Hi, come on in, we've been expecting you." she said in her
sweet and joyful voice, opening the door wider to let me in.

The house was decorated very modern with industrial design

and was very beautiful. She led me to the dining room where
Deacon was trying to reason with a little girl that looked like
an exact copy of her mother. He was lecturing her about not
going into the woods alone. I also noticed a boy with an
annoyed expression on his face seeing the girl's behavior, he
looked so similar to Deacon.

"I'm Linda, Deacon's mate." the redhead introduced herself,

extending her hand for me to shake and I took it, bringing her
hand to my lips with a small kiss before I introduced myself.

"Ethan Jones, it's a pleasure to meet you, Luna." I smiled

friendly at her, making her giggle.

"Just Linda, don't need to be so formal." she answered and led

me to the table. I took an empty seat opposite Deacon, and we
said our hellos. Linda had prepared a lot of heavenly smelling
food and I had just started to put it on my plate when the little
girl started whining.
"Why can't I go alone? Aiden is allowed, why can't I?" she
asked Deacon, pouting and crossing her arms over her chest.
Deacon sighed in exasperation.

"Sweety, the forest is dangerous and not safe for you to go

there alone, even Aiden is forbidden to do that." he tried to
reason with her but damn, the girl was stubborn.

"Then why did I see him going in there alone yesterday?" she
shouted and pointed an accusing finger at him. Family drama.

"I wasn't alone, I was following Uncle Nick, he's teaching me

tracking, stupid." the boy answered, rolling his eyes. I
suppressed my laugh.

Deacon scolded both of them and after a few awkward

moments, we continued to eat. I learned the names of the
kids, the boy was ten-year-old Aiden, currently training with
the pack’s Beta, who was teaching him tracking. The girl was
five-year-old Isabella, who was a little princess apparently.
Linda assured me that despite the differences, they love each
other. She even asked about Blake, which was very sweet of
her, and I praised my son saying he's the best kid in the world.
The conversation went smoothly but after an hour I decided to
take my leave. I needed to go home and still needed to pack
my bags. Standing outside on the porch, I smiled at the sweet
couple and said my goodbye.

"Thank you for breakfast, it was delicious." I addressed Linda

and she just smiled at me, next I turned to Deacon. "Your
training approach is amazing, I'm glad I enrolled. I learnt a lot
from you, I'll definitely come again." I assured him. I did learn
a lot, and I hoped my warriors would appreciate it also.

"Have a safe trip home, Ethan. Something tells me we'll meet

again soon." he said with a mischievous smirk, which made me
confused. What did he mean, did I enroll in another training
already? Saying goodbye, I left Deacon's house, another hour
later I left his pack territory and boarded the plane. Finally
going back home.

"I just landed buddy; I'll be home in two hours." I assured

Blake, smiling happily at the thought of seeing him soon.

It's good to be back.

On my way back to my pack’s territory, I called Ben for

updates and fortunately there were no rogues spotted during
my training, so everyone was safe, and no more problems
appeared. Next, I decided to call Blake to let him know I was
on my way home. He was excited and told me about the
surprise he made for me. That made me feel happy.

"Just hurry, I missed you Daddy!" He exclaimed happily. I

chuckled,

"Ok buddy, see you in a while." I said, smiling and ended the
call.

Parking my car in front of the pack house, I felt relieved to

finally be back home. I cut off the engine and attempted to
take my things from the trunk but was interrupted by a
shouting Blake who ran out of the house and jumped into my
arms. I caught him immediately, held him tightly in my arms
and inhaled his heavenly scent. Hmmmm. Apples, cinnamon,
honey...and strawberries? That's different but so alluring I
couldn't stop inhaling. My wolf purred in delight, but I focused
on my son.

"You're here, you're back!" Blake cried in my neck, and I

tightened my hold on him and kissed his head repeatedly.

"I'm here buddy," I said between kisses, " I missed you too." I
inhaled his scent again, but the strawberries were still evident.
"You smell different buddy, were you eating strawberries?" I
asked, confused.

"I was with Mandy all day, maybe that's her scent." he
answered and looked up at me with a smile "She smells like
strawberries." he explained.

My wolf purred again at hearing Blake's words. I could feel

myself getting angry and jealous. That human is crossing the
line. She might smell nice, but she needs to know her place.
After a moment, I put Blake down and took my suitcases
inside. It was after dinner already, so we went straight to our
floor, and I unpacked while telling Blake about my trip and he
told me about Mandy and what they did.

He brought muffins they baked to surprise me, and we ate

them vigorously. I had to admit they were delicious. When he
went to bed an hour later, I decided to walk to the cabin
where Mandy was staying to check out the cause of Blake's
happiness.

The evening was quite cold but thanks to being a werewolf, it

didn't bother me. Nearing my destination that strawberry
scent was growing more intense and my wolf started to pace
around in agitation. 'What's going on?' I asked him but he was
silent. When I was about a dozen feet away, I saw the patio
door open, and the alluring scent hit me twice as strongly. It
wasn't just strawberries but was mixed with cranberry and
honey. So mouthwatering, I took a big sniff of the scent. I
closed my eyes to enjoy it, but my wolf nagged me to open my
eyes. Once I obeyed, I saw her and froze. The world stopped,
my heartbeat increased, and all the air left my lungs. A
stunning little creature stood there wearing only a t-shirt at
least two sizes too big. Brown hair pulled up into a messy bun,
gray eyes looking at something in the distance, she had a wine
glass in left hand and the right hand holding a phone to her
ear, looking irritated at whoever was on the other end of the
line. My wolf shouted excitedly, repeating one word in my
head.

Mate.

I didn't hear what she was saying. I was too confused and
stunned to register anything around me. She walked out of the
cabin and sat down on the chair at the patio putting her sexy
legs on the opposite chair fidgeting with her toes. It was so
simple yet so f*****g sexy that my d**k immediately got
painfully hard. I didn't move and just watched her taking a sip
of the wine. When the glass met her kissable lips, I
uncontrollably licked and bit mine thinking how good hers
would taste. My wolf told me to claim her right here, right
now and I almost agreed but stopped myself.

"...ok I'll do it, but you owe me big!" she said in her sweet and
angelic voice, ending the call. She sighed and looked my way.

Although I was between the trees, well hidden in the dark, I

felt like she noticed me. Her eyes were focused on the
darkness, and I gulped in nervousness. What should I do? Her
gaze held me in place, and I didn't want to look away. Willing
myself to do it, I took slow steps back and then turned to
leave.

Was I ready for another mate? My wolf was excited, but I on

the other hand was terrified. Could I let her in? The answer
was simple f**k NO! and with that, I shifted into my wolf and
ran.5. Second chance mate
Never again 4092 words 2021-08-30 14:53:37

Mandy's POV

II woke up late today after spending most of the night trying

to find a solution for Ryan's problem. I swear sometimes he is
worse than a baby to deal with. Hopefully my rescue plan for
him will do. Once again, one of his ex-flings showed up and
threatened to expose their sex tape. Where does he find them?
And why would he let them record? I contacted Officer
Mitchell who was dealing with our latest 'madly, deeply and
insanely in love' psycho and asked for his help. He assured me
that he would deal with the situation. I hoped so.
I decided to spend this day all by myself, preferably reading
some book I never had time for . Blake would probably spend
all day with his father, which is understandable. They haven't
seen each other in a long time and Peter is totally engrossed in
preparation for his joining ceremony, helping Ben to find a
good reason for Alpha Jones to let me attend it. So today, it's
just me.

I was sitting on the couch with a book and another cup of

coffee when an excited Blake ran into the cabin screaming
loudly.

"He's back, my Daddy's back!" he exclaimed and jumped on

the sofa, colliding with me. My book flew at the floor while I
caught Blake to steady him.

"Easy honey, you might hurt yourself if you won't watch out" I
lectured him, giggling. Seeing his lit-up face made me happy
too. He hugged me and kissed my cheek in greeting.

"Ok, ok. I get it, you're happy your dad is back, but what are
you doing here?" I asked him, knitting my eyebrows in
confusion. He should be spending time with his father, not me.
He stood up immediately and composed himself before
answering.

"He wants to meet you and thank you for taking care of me."
he said, fidgeting with his fingers nervously. Ok, why was he
nervous?

"I'd love to meet your dad honey, let me change and we can
go to him together." I answered, looking at my outfit of the
day: fluffy black socks, blue sleeping shorts and black worn-out
t-shirt, my hair in a messy bun and today I wore my glasses
because I lost my contact lenses. I would need to hit the
pharmacy later.

"Actually, he's outside." he whispered but I heard him.

What!! I look like a mess, and he is just outside waiting? I

guess I have no time to change, great. Nice first impression.
Sighing in defeat, I simply nodded my head at him, and he ran
to get his father. At least I don't stink. Taking a big calming
breath, I prepared myself for the meeting, standing at
attention in the middle of the living room, eyes focused on the
door.

When Blake's light footsteps sounded on the porch followed by

heavy ones, my heartbeat increased. This is it.

The door finally opened, and they came in. I froze. Blake
forgotten; all my attention was on the huge guy behind him.
He was gorgeous, no, not gorgeous, divine - yes that's the
word. He halted his steps just when he crossed the doormat.
He stood with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. His face
was expressionless, but I could feel his dominance radiating
from him like an aura.

I slowly checked him out. Long muscular legs, six pack abs
evident through his tight black shirt, well-built chest, broad
shoulders, and huge biceps covered in ink. My throat was dry,
butterflies erupted in my stomach and my heartbeat increased
even more. Finally, I looked at his face. He was easily the most
handsome man I had ever seen. Strong jaw covered in dark
short stubble around full kissable lips. I realized that my
panties were wet, but I was too shocked to care. He had a
straight nose and long dark hair combed into a manly bun. I
wanted to run my fingers through that hair.
I gulped and looked into his eyes, they were green; a little
darker than Blake's but still mesmerizing, pulling me in. The
attraction I felt was something out of this world, I wanted to
jump at him and kiss the shit out of him, never letting him go.
Oh my God, is this what I think it is? It's been five years since I
felt the similar feeling but this time it's so much stronger. Is he
my second chance mate? I tried to compose myself and offered
my shaking hand in greeting and introduced myself.

"Hello Alpha, I'm Amanda Anderson, it's a pleasure to finally

meet you." I said, trying to sound confident but failed, I
sounded like a teenage girl talking to her crush.

He hesitated for a moment but accepted my hand and

squeezed a little too hard, that I had to bite my lower lip to not
hiss in pain. What's his problem? But the instant sparks that
ran through my arm confirmed my thoughts and my eyes
widened in shock, but he still looked unaffected like he didn't
feel it. I quickly retrieved my hand from his grip and decided to
not let him intimidate me. Never again. I remembered my
vow.
He looked surprised that I didn't melt into a puddle with his
looks but also composed himself and answered me in a deep,
sexy voice, "I'm Alpha Ethan Jones, the pleasure's all mine." He
didn't sound pleased.

Acting like nothing happened, I turned my attention to Blake,

finally noticing him. He was gawking at us confused, not
understanding what was going on.

"Blake, can I talk to your Daddy alone?" I asked with a little

smile, hoping he wouldn't notice the awkward situation.

"Ok, I'll be waiting outside." he agreed and ran out of the

cabin.

My eyes followed him and when I thought it was safe, I

opened my mouth to speak, but was rudely interrupted by my
mate's hand, so I shut my mouth, preparing for another
rejection.

"If you think I don't know what you're planning, you're

wrong." he said in his low voice, stepping forward
threateningly. I gulped. "Stay the f**k away from me and
definitely away from my son!" he growled, standing so close
that our bodies almost touched, the heat radiating from his
body made me fight the need to touch him. I tilted my head
up, took one step away from him and huffed, crossing my arms
under my chest. His eyes darkened with lust but quickly turned
angry again.

"Listen Alpha, I don't care what you think about me but don't
tell me what to do." I said bluntly, getting a little angry. "If
Blake wants to spend time with me, I'll do it but unless he says
that I need to stay away, you have nothing to say!" I hissed,
making him startled. Guess he didn't expect that. I smiled
internally.

"And now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do, so please

leave. You know where the door is." I sent him my best sweet
smile, turned on my heels and went inside the bedroom,
leaving him stunned.

I didn't want to be with him any minute longer. Closing the

door, I put a hand over my mouth to suppress my cries. The
tears gathered in my eyes, and I slowly let them fall. My heart
plummeted and darkness consumed me. Again. 'Never again,
do not let the mate bond trick you!' I said to myself. I heard a
low growl and the sound of the door shutting. He left.

I slowly slid down the closed door of my bedroom and let

myself break down. Another rejection. Am I really that bad?
Although he didn't say the words, I knew it was inevitable. I
just need to be ready for it. I'm strong, a fighter, I've been
through worse and survived, I'll survive this too. Tired. I
crawled into the bed, put the blanket over my head and cried
myself to sleep. Tomorrow's gonna be better.

"How are you doing?" Peter asked as he helped me with

dinner.

It had been three days since my breakdown; three days since I

saw Blake or that arrogant Alpha. I guess he forbade him to
visit me. I was seriously thinking about leaving this place but
decided against it. He might think I surrendered. I will not give
him that satisfaction. Today, I invited Peter and Ben for dinner
to celebrate their joining ceremony tomorrow. I'm not invited,
stupid Alpha jerk. But we'll celebrate today.
"I'm fine, a little tired with all the work Ryan asked me to do,
but I'm almost done so I'll be good." I lied, cutting the onions.
He went to the fridge and took out the steaks to be grilled.

"I'm sorry you can't come tomorrow, it would mean a lot to

me, but you know the rules." he said apologetically, looking
sad.

Sighing, I put my hand on his shoulder reassuringly and tried

to lift up his mood. "It's ok Peter, I understand. Besides we
have this dinner today and I was thinking... tomorrow is
Friday, how about we go dancing on Saturday?" I offered with
a smile, and he looked interested.

"Just you, Ben and me. Hmm? What do you say?" I added,
putting all the vegetables to the bowl.

"I think we can," he answered, taking the steaks outside and

firing up the barbecue. Sometime later, when the food was
almost done, Ben appeared on the patio, smiling like he won
the lottery, bringing 2 bottles of wine. Something good must
have happened.

"I've got news!" he exclaimed, excited. Me and Peter just

stood patiently for him to continue.

Putting the bottles at the table he began. "Sooo..." he paused

dramatically "I talked with the Alpha again." He looked at me.
Dear God, what was it this time?

"And he allowed you to come for tomorrow's ceremony!" he

announced with a smile, clearly satisfied with bringing good
news. Peter shouted out yes! and immediately hugged Ben,
thanking him repeatedly. I was standing shocked. Is he serious,
where's the catch?

"...but only for the ceremony, you can't attend the after party,
and need to stay unnoticed." he added apologetically.

So that's the catch, but it's ok, at least I'll see the most
important thing and maybe see Blake again. I miss him. I
smiled in appreciation, and we sat down to enjoy our dinner.
We talked about Saturday and Ben agreed with the plan. We
spent the evening laughing and joking about everything. I
finally felt good and forgot about that arrogant yet so
goddamn sexy Alpha and relaxed.

The next day came so fast and the ceremony was in one hour. I
was informed that some omega would come to get me and
escort me to the gathering. I think her name was Aria. I
decided to wear my blue long sleeved dress with a little
cleavage. I paired my outfit with light beige stilettos. My hair
was down and my makeup minimal.

When I heard the knock, I picked my phone and went to greet

the person outside. Opening the door, I was met with a
beautiful girl, with blond hair braided at one side, dressed in a
simple peach summer dress with black flats. She was my
height, but she was avoiding my eyes.

"Hello Miss Anderson, my name is Aria Spencer and I'm here to

escort you to the ceremony." she said shyly.
"Just call me Mandy, it's nice to meet you Aria. Can you look at
me?" I asked delicately to not make her more nervous. She
hesitated but obeyed. Her eyes were bluish green, so beautiful.
I smiled at her and complimented her eyes. She blushed and
started to walk. I followed.

"Your dress is amazing; it compliments your eyes," I said

truthfully, trying to make conversation.

"Thank you, but yours is gorgeous," she replied. We made

small talk about fashion she's interested in, and she informed
me about the ceremony. Apparently, I'll be standing in the
back of the ballroom to make myself unnoticed. Stupid jerk.
Me, the 'tallest' person in the world at the back of the crowd?
We'll see about that.

When we entered the ballroom, people were already gathered

and as I expected, they blocked my view. Not giving up, I
looked around and spotted chairs nearby. I wasted no time. I
picked up two chairs and brought them to Aria.

"What are you doing? He will punish you!" she whisper-yelled

nervously, looking at the crowd. Some people turned their
heads and gave us curious looks, but I simply smiled and
mouthed, "I'm too short." Some smiled, some raised their
eyebrows. Ignoring them, I placed the chairs on the floor and
stood up on mine, ushering Aria to do the same. She checked
the crowd and seeing nobody looking, she copied my action.
That's better, now I can see everything. Aria looked a little
nervous, so I squeezed her hand and we waited.

Finally, 'Almighty' (that's a perfect nickname) went to the

stage and stood in the middle in all his glory. God, why does he
have to be this sexy? He was wearing a black fitted suit, a
white button-down shirt with a black tie and black polished
shoes, his hair combed to the back. A mouthwatering view.
Clearing his throat, he began.

"Good evening, everyone, thank you for coming for today's

event. We have gained a new member to our pack, which all
of you already know is mated to our Beta. Peter Collins, please
join me" he looked to the left and then I saw him. Wearing his
dark blue suit with white shirt and dark blue tie, he looked
perfect. His auburn hair was styled in a messy way. He was
nervous, but he walked confidently and stopped next to the
Alpha. He scanned the crowd with his eyes and when he found
mine, he visibly relaxed, I sent him a reassuring smile. Alpha
followed his gaze and when he saw me the irritation was
evident, but then he quickly faced Peter. Taking the knife from
a table I didn't notice before, he cut the insides of their hands
and joined them together, it looked like a handshake.

"Peter Collins, do you accept this pack as your own and

promise to protect it with your life?" Almighty asked.

"I do," Peter answered proudly.

"Do you accept me as your Alpha and swear your loyalty?"

"I do," Peter repeated.

"Do you swear to fulfill your duties as Beta and respect and
protect your Alpha and the members of your pack?" Alpha
asked loudly, I guess for me to hear.

"I do." Peter almost smiled at that but composed himself.

"Welcome to the pack, Beta Collins” he said finally and
released his hand. The crowd cheered, I heard some whistles
and howls of joy. I simply clapped my hands vigorously and
shouted, "I'm proud of you!". I was so happy and excited, I
didn't notice people looking at me and Aria nudged me with
her elbow, already standing on the floor, I just ignored her, all
I saw was Peter's beaming face.

When people started to leave, I stepped down from the chair

and followed Aria. I stopped her when we were about a dozen
feet from the building and asked her to mind link Peter. I
couldn’t leave without congratulating him personally. She
hesitated for a moment but then her eyes turned blank, and I
knew she did what I asked.

Suddenly strong arms circled my waist and the person spun me

around, laughing at my scream of surprise. When my feet
touched the ground, I turned around and hugged him
instantly. Peter hugged me back and we laughed together. I
congratulated him and we made small talk about the
ceremony. Minutes later, Ben approached us with 'Almighty'
right behind him. Ben put his arm around Peter's waist and
brought him closer kissing his cheek and smiling, making him
blush. I giggled.
"Well, I think I'll take my leave now, enjoy the party guys,
congratulations once again!" I said and kissed their cheeks. I
noticed then that Aria already left.

"Congratulations Alpha," I turned my attention to him. "You

couldn't find anyone better for second Beta than Peter." I
praised my best friend and the Alpha simply nodded.

"Ok guys have fun, see you tomorrow." I said and they took
their leave holding hands, I was about to turn and go when I
was abruptly stopped by a hand gripping my wrist. The sparks
told me who did it. Turning my head his way, I looked at him.

“What the f**k were you thinking?” he hissed, “I said

unnoticed, are you that stupid?” he added.

“Well, Alpha,” I said calmly “For your information, when I

want something, I go for it. I haven’t failed yet, and don't plan
to anytime soon." I said and turned away, trying to release my
hand but he only pulled me harshly back so that I hit his chest.
He put a hand at the small of my back and lowered his head to
my ear, lips dangerously close to my ear, making me shiver.

"And what do you want now?" he asked huskily brushing his

lips against my ear, I lost my voice.

"I want..." I couldn't form a coherent sentence. He trailed his

nose against my neck. "I want..." He gently kissed me under
my ear, smirking. I instantly pulled out of my daze and pushed
him away, startling him.

"I want you to leave me the f**k alone!" I huffed in anger and
walked away.

Reaching my destination, I shut the door forcefully and

screamed in frustration. How stupid of me! I let him surprise
me. Angry at myself, I went to the bathroom to take a shower,
then jumped into my bed. I growled and forced myself to
sleep.

…
"Are you ready?" Peter's impatient voice followed the knock
on my bathroom door. It was Saturday night, and we were
heading to the club. Putting on my lip gloss, I checked myself
in the mirror. Satisfied with my look, I went out and posed for
Peter. I was wearing black high-waisted jeans paired with
white fitted top and my black stilettos. My hair was put into a
high ponytail, and I wore minimal make-up, as usual.

"Wow baby girl, I think we'll need to protect you from all the
horny dogs!" he announced while Ben whistled. I reached for
my leather jacket and put it on.

"Damn, I feel sorry for all the girls trying to flirt with both of
you!" I exclaimed, pointing a forefinger at them. They looked
drop dead gorgeous in their black fitted jeans and black
sneakers the only difference was their shirts. Although they
fitted their bodies like gloves, showing their muscular bodies,
Peter chose white while Ben was wearing black, making him
look like a dangerous bad boy.

"Sexy as f**k, I'm a lucky one tonight" I smirked at them, and

they laughed. They grabbed their jackets, and we exited the
cabin.
The line to the club was long and I sighed, knowing it'll take
time to go in but Ben led us directly to the entrance and we
entered the club without a problem. The music instantly made
my body want to move and I started to sway. Ben took my
hand and led us to the VIP room saying he knows the owner.
When we arrived at our booth we sat down and the waitress
immediately brought a bottle of vodka but I asked for water,
making her frown.

I'm the driver, baby.

Almost an hour later we hit the dance floor. My body moved

on its own, swaying to the beat. A pair of arms circled my
waist and brought me back to the hard chest, the bulge in his
pants showing his interest. I quickly turned around and put my
hands on his chest, stopping the intruder. He was handsome
but not divine, so I excused myself, but he pulled me closer.
Trying to break free, I almost kneed him in the balls but was
thankfully released from his grip by a pissed Ben. Walking
away, I decided to go to the bathroom and release my
bladder. Finishing my business, I washed my hands and went
out.
While I was passing by the office door, I felt an arm circling my
waist and one covering my mouth, the instant sparks told me
who it was. Dragging me inside the office, he shut the door
with his foot and pinned me against it holding my wrists at
both sides of my head. He lowered his head to the crook of my
neck and inhaled my scent.

"Why the f**k do I smell him on you?!" he said displeased,

tightening his hold. My breath quickened "Answer me!" he
roared in my neck, and I sobered up from my daze,
immediately pushing him away.

"This is none of your business!" I seethed in anger, crossing my

arms under my chest, his eyes focused on my breasts.

"You are f*****g MINE!" he growled, putting an arm around

my waist and pulling me possessively to his body, claiming me.

"NO!" I shouted and pushed him away again. "You said loud
and clear 'stay the f**k away from me' so you have no rights
to be territorial." I stated. "Let's make it quick, just reject me
and I'll be gone." I added confidently, but internally my heart
hurt. His eyes widened in realization, but he masked it with a
smirk. Putting his hands into the pant pockets he tilted his
head at me.

"So, you know?"

"That we're mates? Yeah, I do. I'm not stupid," Tilting my

head, I gestured for him to continue, "So go ahead, let's get
this over with." I challenged him.

"If you insist..." he answered smugly, and I held my breath

ready for his next words.

"I, Alpha Ethan Jones reject..." he trailed off, seeing my

unaffected posture but my eyes definitely showed hurt, and he
saw it. Urging him with a hand gesture, I waited for the
impact, but his next move took me off guard.

"f**k it!" he exclaimed, and took a long predatory step my

way, putting his left hand at the back of my head and smashed
his lips to mine in a demanding kiss. I was shocked for a
moment, but then he bit my lower lip, and I opened my mouth,
letting his tongue explore the inside of my mouth. The sparks
exploded and I moaned into his mouth making him growl in
appreciation.

My brain was in a frenzy, heart palpitating, my hands

automatically went to his hair, tugging at the back of his head
to pull him closer. Our bodies collided and the butterflies
erupted in my stomach, making my knees weak. He lifted me
up, grabbing my thighs and pinned me to the door. I circled my
legs around his waist, our tongues still locked in the sensual
dance, fighting for dominance which he won. Sensing I was out
of breath, he left my lips and started kissing my jaw, trailing
down to my ear and when he bit my earlobe, I arched my back
and moaned again. His right hand reached my left breast and
he squeezed it lightly, sliding his thumb over my hard n****e,
making my panties wetter. He thrusted his hips forward,
meeting my already soaked core and I screamed against his
lips in excitement. He slipped his hand under my shirt reaching
into my bra when a sudden knock at the door interrupted our
make out session.

He detached our lips and breathing heavily, put me down on

the floor. I steadied myself and my hand went to my swollen
lips, smiling to myself, but seeing his reaction brought me back
down to earth. He turned away and tugged his hair in
frustration. When he finally looked at me, I saw the regret in
his eyes that broke my heart. Fixing myself, I reached for the
doorknob, deciding to make it easier for him. I looked over my
shoulder and saw his confusion.

"That was a mistake. Goodbye, Alpha." I said coldly and

opening the door I saw a stunning brunette with a seductive
smile, I knew exactly her purpose was for coming here.
Brokenhearted again, I left his office, hearing in the distance,

"Hi baby, I missed you."

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