A Second Chance

“Are you ready yet? We’re gonna be late.” Jessica asked as Katie ran down the stairs. The floral white chiffon short dress she borrowed from Jessica made her heavy heart feel a little lighter. Grabbing her white sneakers from beside the front door, she walked back to the kitchen where the twins sat having some breakfast.

“Mom and dad had to rush out to the pack house but they did say hi.” Jessica smiled, handing Katie a bowl of cereal. Katie loved Jessica and Jared’s parents like they were her own.

“I hope you enjoyed my bed as much as I enjoyed the couch last night, your highness.” Jared grunted sarcastically, stretching his sore muscles. Katie and Jessica both giggled at his grumpiness.

“I did, why thank you. You do have a very comfortable mattress.” Katie batted her eyelashes at him and he only rolled his eyes in return.

“Come on, you two, hurry up. I have an Environmental Science class to run to.” Jessica rushed to collect her notebooks, leaving the other two to finish their breakfast.

******

“Hey, you.” Megan greeted her boyfriend as he walked over to the bench she was sitting on, along with Nick and Sophie, her best friend.

“Morning.” He gave them a firm nod. They were all used to his grumpiness anyway.

“Did you sleep well?” Megan asked as she wrapped her hands around his arm, pulling him down to sit next to her. Nodding his head, Zach took a seat beside her.

“We missed you at the party last night. It got so sick after you left. Who knew that nerds could plan parties this well?” The rest of Megan’s words didn’t reach Zach’s ears when he smelled the scent he secretly longed for. Only it was mixed with another.

Frowning, his eyes darted to his left where Katie just walked past the bench he was sitting on with two of her friends, one of which was the male who gave her the necklace she was wearing. Zach noticed that it was indeed his scent on her skin and he instantly got furious. Standing up he excused himself and rushed after her.

Katie felt and smelled her Alpha before she heard him call her name. Turning around, she gave him a weak smile. “Yes?”

“Do you have a moment?” His voice was low yet laced with anger. Nodding her head, she waved back at the twins who stood there with wide eyes, before following him into the nearest building, away from earshot.

“Yes, Alpha?” Katie was nervous that he was going to reject her then and there. Indeed, she wanted him to make up his mind, but that didn’t mean she still didn’t dread such a moment.

“Call me Zach, and why the hell do you smell like that?” He took a step closer as he asked. He was never a man of many words, yet with her they flew out on their own.

“Like what?” Katie was confused. Yes, she hadn’t taken a shower this morning but she had the day before. And Jessica gave her a fresh and clean dress to wear.

“Like the guy you just walked in with, Kat.” He spit the words as if they were venomous. Katie raised her eyebrows, shocked for a mere second. The shock didn’t last long, however, and was quickly replaced with hot rage.

“Excuse me?” She couldn’t help but narrow her eyes at him.

“Why do you smell like him, Kat?” She had never seen him so angry. Yet so was she. The audacity he had to ask her such a question.

“Because I spent the night in his bed.” Raising her chin a notch, she replied honestly, knowing well enough by now that her answer would piss him off further.

“You did what?” His voice was ice cold as he took a step closer. He looked like he was ready to kill.

Standing her ground, Katie refused to let him intimidate her. Not when she was equally as pissed. “I spent the night in his bed. Is that a problem? Because last I checked you still haven’t accepted the mating bond and you still had a girlfriend. Unless there’s something you want to tell me, Alpha.”

“It’s fucking Zach.” He clenched his jaw in annoyance, surprised at how pissed he was. He was never usually this easily triggered, yet with her he was having a hard time controlling his emotions.

“Well, if that’s all then please excuse me. I have a class to get to.” Glaring at him, Katie fixed her backpack on her shoulder before walking past him out of the building, leaving him seething. Zach knew he had no right to question her but the jealousy he suddenly felt had hit him hard. Smelling another man’s scent on his mate’s beautiful skin made him see red. She was his and no one else’s.

Blinking in shock at his own possessive thoughts, Zach took a deep breath to calm himself. It was either his wolf playing games on him and gaining control over his emotions, or he was royally screwed. A small part of him, however, admired how she had technically just handed him his own ass and left him to deal with it. No one else could ever dare.

Katie was ambivalent about what had just happened. Zach was driving her insane. A part of her, along with her wolf, was ecstatic that he got jealous when he smelled Jared’s scent on her. Another part was still mad at him for questioning her as if he had every right in the world to do so. Yes, he was an alpha, and sure, he was her mate, but not before he accepted the bond, broke up with Megan and announced her to the whole world as his mate and Luna. She knew what she deserved and she wasn’t going to settle for less.

******

Zach spent the rest of the day pissed off at both himself and Kat. The image of her sleeping in someone else’s bed haunted him for the rest of the day along with her scent mixed with another male’s. He was more than happy to go home at the end of the day and bury himself in the pack’s affairs.

His gamma, Thomas, came in his office with the news of more rogues lurking around their territory. Deciding to focus on the matter at hand, Zach called in for a meeting and gathered the maps and the patrolling schedules, trying his hardest to shove her mixed scent to the back of his mind.

*******

Katie couldn’t be more glad that the day was over. Throwing her exhausted body over the bed in her dorm room, she let her mind wander to a certain pair of crystal blue eyes. The way his jaw clenched when he thought something was going on with her and Jared was still fresh in her brain, refusing to let her get some sleep. He was handsome alright, she decided. She found everything about him perfect: his pitch black hair, his strong jawline, his sharp cheekbones, and especially his eyes which seemed like an ocean, so deep yet wonderfully clear, that she couldn’t help but want to dive in.

Her cellphone rang, breaking her out of her trance. Katie smiled when she saw her mother’s number and accepted the call.

After spending an hour trying to convince her mother, her father and her four year old sister that her birthday was not today but the day before, she felt exhausted enough to crash with a smile on her face.

*******

The rest of the week passed in a blur. Katie ignored Alpha Zach as much as she could, and it seemed like he did the same. They didn’t run into each other and they were both thankful. Katie was anxious about his decision but decided to ignore his presence altogether until he made up his mind. Despite being successful all week, her patience was now running thin.

Zach had been successfully avoiding Katie all week. He thought staying away for a few days would help him figure out what to do, but boy was he wrong. He kept pushing Megan away as well, ignoring most of her calls and gently stopping her every time she tried to go further than a simple kiss. He didn’t even understand why, but it felt wrong; as if he were somehow cheating. So he decided to have the week for himself with no distractions to figure out his next move.

*******

“What got your panties in a twist this morning?” Jessica asked once she noticed how grumpy her best friend was being.

“You know what.” Katie rolled her eyes, mumbling.

“I’m assuming it has something to do with a certain Alpha-dream-boat, a mating bond, and a girlfriend.” Jessica giggled as they walked down the hall for the only class they had in common this semester, earning herself a glare.

“I’m glad my pain is amusing you.” Sarcastically, Katie forced a smile.

“Aw, come on, don’t be like that. I know how impatient you can be, but you need to give him some time, Katie.” Jess negotiated.

“I have, Jess. I have given him a week. One whole week I had spent miserably trying not to think about him every second of every day, and it was as painful as it was hard, okay? And now, I’ve run out of patience. I can’t just wait forever for him to make up his mind. I know it’s a hard decision and I truly understand that he has a lot to lose, but so do I. Being rejected isn’t something anyone can take lightly, but here I am, waiting for him a day after another to choose between us. And even if he didn’t choose me, Jess, that’s okay. I just can’t wait any longer. I want this to end. Who knows, maybe the moon goddess will grant me another mate someday.” Katie finished her rant with glossy eyes, on the brink of shedding tears. Yes, she was close to having a meltdown.

“Hey, it’s okay. I understand how you feel.” Jessica tried, rubbing her best friend’s arm in a soothing manner. “Look, just wait until you can’t anymore, okay? Once your patient truly runs out, just talk to him and command he gives you an answer. I know it’s not nice to put him on the spot like that, but you can only take so much, alright?”

Katie took a deep breath to calm herself and nodded her head, agreeing with Jessica’s plan, as they walked together into the lecture hall.

********

“Hey, can I talk to you in private for a minute?” Zach was sitting on a bench in the fresh air with Nick, his mind occupied with the mess he was in, when Megan showed.

“Sure.” He stood up and followed her to the nearest building, but not before noticing the sympathetic look his best friend shot him. Opening the first door on their right, Megan was glad to find the chemistry lab empty. She waited for Zach to come in before shutting the door behind him and taking a deep breath.

“Where have you been this whole week? I missed you.” She pouted sweetly, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Loosening a sigh, Zach straightened. “I’ve just been busy, Megan.” He wished he didn’t have to lie to her, but he couldn’t tell her about Katie, not until he figured out what to do.

“Have I done something to piss you off?” Her eyes locked with his and he could feel how she truly cared for him. For the hundredth time this week, Zach felt like an ass for pushing her away.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he shook his head as he pulled her closer. “My mind hasn’t been clear lately. Don’t worry about it.” He promised.

“I won’t nag on you anymore, but please do come around.” She let her hands wander down his torso. “I’ve missed you.”

Zach frowned at the sudden discomfort he felt having her hands roam around his body. Clearing his throat, he gave her forehead a kiss. “I will. Let’s go back to Nick.”

Moving her hands to unbutton her blouse, Megan smiled at him seductively. “Nick can wait a few more minutes.”

Zach’s eyes followed her hands only to frown further. He didn’t want to do this now. Not before he knew for certain what his decision was. “Not today, Meg.”

She tossed her blouse to the floor, showing off her light pink bra. “But you’ve been saying that for the whole week. Come on.” Her hands traveled to his belt and she tugged at them. “I’ll make it worth your while, Alpha.”

She surprised him by crashing her mouth on his, her hands quick with his belt. Groaning in irritation, Zach held onto her waist in an attempt to gently push her away.

“Oh, I’m so sorr-” Katie’s voice froze the blood in Zach’s veins as he snapped his head to the door to see her stop from shutting it when she noticed who he was. Her eyes widened as realization sank in, and he automatically felt like shit.

********

Favorite quote of the chapter: “Zach knew he would never be miserable with Kat in his arms.” What’s yours?

Love, Farah x