Taken by my mate; Second Chance

COVYN

I wasn’t surprised when Spencer texted me that he wouldn’t be to dinner, but me and Sequoia got a good laugh at his worry for her. She opted to stay in my room since I had no choice but to attend the dinner but I promised I would bring food up for everyone. The woman gave me a look like I had given her permission and an offering that were both expected, turning on a sassy twist and moving back to my bar.

“Oh no, I guess I’ll just stay in this luxury room with a jacuzzi tub and open bar all-by-my-lonesome.” She smirked and poured a shot of tequila. “Whatever will I do.”

I smirked in return. “Don’t drink it all,” I … almost ordered her but the tug on my lips made it less commanding.

She burst into laughter. “You couldn’t even pretend that you were worried, which honestly feels like a challenge.”

She wagged her eyes brows at me and I laughed. “Whatever, feel free to watch TV or take bath or whatever. I won’t be gone long.”

I met Daley and Ellion in the hall but they had heard one particularly loud outburst from the neighbouring room and knew we didn’t need to wait for the true mates. Ellion said it with some cheek, but the grin on his face as he told us how they left the garage said he was happy for them. Daley had had some girl time with Nova during the week and confessed now that the worry had passed that Nova had been especially antsy. We all had been told that this was because her animal instincts after a rebirth were strong enough to direct her even without the ability to shift and she had wanted to claim him herself.

An awkward feeling clenched around my throat. All week she has been bugging me about rejecting her so I could find my own mate. I returned that it wasn’t necessary, convincing myself it would hurt her less if I just let the time run out. Truthfully, I was worried that me doing so would push her more towards wanting Spencer while we were all still in the same room. The only thing worse than smelling her arousal in the room would be in if they were actually doing anything.

—

The dinner feels slightly unbalanced with the empty seats by my sides, but I still dish their plates along with an extra for Sequoia. Some guilt niggled at me that she couldn’t just come to dinner, but we needed to focus on one problem at a time.

Ellion and Daley took the plates for Spencer and Nova, having some concern that he would be very protective of her right now, but I could tell they were also being nosey and wanted to check on them. I took Sequoia’s plate and entered my own room with a groan. On the coffee table was an empty bottle of rum and I looked around for the tippler.

The bathroom door was open ajar and I moved cautiously towards it, calling her name and knocking on the door. When there was no reply I got worried and opened the door to see her in the tub with her hair floating and her head under water. Panic surged and I yelled her name before sprinting to the side of the tub and diving my arms under her body to scoop her out of the water.

She gasped loudly and then began to giggle nervously like she was trying to avoid screaming. Her eyes bat against the water clinging to her lashed and she looked around to see who was holding her. Those wild startled eyes quickly softened and her hand brushed my cheek as her mouth curved into a smile.

“I scared you, I’m sorry.” The calm way the words came out were in complete contrast to the smell of the coconut rum on her breath.

“What were you doing?” I demanded.

Her eyes drifted off me for a minute before they drifted back. “Iii.. I! I had too much to drink, and I thou… thought a shower would sober me before you got back.”

“Then why are you in the bathtub?” I continued, noticing for the first time that she was naked and we were both wet and cold.

I was taking a towel off the shelf and standing her up to wrap it around her as she replied, “I was too tired to stand in a shower. I thought dunking my head in the cold water would help.”

I can’t help but chuckle. “Did it work?”

She shakes her head. “Maybe it’s because my stomach was so empty from missing dinner,” she replied coyly, looking up at me with an innocence she’s never displayed.

I led her in the main room and show her the plate and water waiting for her. She squeals as happily as Nova had that one day for food and I go to pour myself a drink before going into my closet to change.

“Why did you drink so much?” I ask her finally.

“Why are you so pretty,” she returns sharply like it’s an insult.

“Born this way?” I question and she returns to eating.

After my first drink is done I have the courage to ask her if she needs me to call Spencer so she can get into the bedroom to watch over Nova. She appreciated my concern but asked if I would mine continuing to have one bedroom guest. I couldn’t possibly deny her and force her to feel like an obvious third wheel, a decision only made firmer when she said Nova was like a sister and a mom. Nova basically raised her as her familiar, as they had been together so lone, and a lot of who Sequoia was now was thanks to Nova’s care and acceptance. Apparently her attitude had kept her from being a familiar before but you always pair with who will balance you.

By this point in the conversation I was on my third drink and we were playing twenty question. Sequoia is so open about everything, and half her answers feel like a middle finger to someone’s deity, but she’s confident. She had been right, and does sober up a bit after some food, but is quick to negate that progress with a sip from my glass and then her making herself something else after a disgusted look.

“You drink swill, Covyn,” she muttered after her first sip of her new drink. “That tastes like the country’s hockey team rung the sweat from their jersey, into a pond full of goose shit, in the forest of no-return, where are the trees are made up of burning cigars. The ashes from those trees are swept into the pond and they bottle that shit for rich piss-ants like you and then you spend the cost of a condo to drink it.”

I stare blankly at her before bursting into laugher. “Wow, tell me how you really feel,” I bark between chortles.

She takes another big drink from a bottle and looks at me, heat creeping into her cheeks. “I think I have a crush on you.”