Taken by my mate; Second Chance

NOVA

It’s been a little over a month since we all returned to our on rooms, but we regularly gather in Covyn’s room to hang out. Every morning we all went for a walk or run together, but last week Daley announced she was pregnant. I had looked quickly to Ambrose to look for any jealously, but I didn’t find it. He was genuinely excited for his friend and just knowingly held me and kissed my head. I even searched his emotions for something dark or sad, but again found nothing.

Two weeks ago, through the outreach plan, the pack too in some refugees from a pack land that was hit by a flood.Helping those people bought enough time for me to relax and since we’ve all fallen into a routine. The guys have even relaxed on watching me constantly so me, Sequoia, and Daley have girl days where we relax and pamper ourselves.

Three weeks ago when I was stuck with Covyn in his office he held my hand and rejected me. I knew what a step that was for him and I told him it was going to be okay with a hug. He broke the hug with the excuse of going to get lunch and I cooked for us, which calmed him down. After that, he did seem like he felt lighter.

Soon after, we decided to offer the men who hurt me a deal. So far, they hadn’t answered any of the questions so if they made a deal for their guaranteed honesty they would get conditional freedom. I had smiled wickedly at the thought of weaving such a deal, but all of the men refused. They chose death over answering whatever questions Covyn had for them, and they were cremated in dishonour after their execution.

I felt guilty over not feeling bad about their deaths, but I was glad they were dead. Not as glad as I would have been to be sure there was no one else here with their knowledge or world view, but they were already dead. I would have to get past that particular disappointment.Their pack would come to collect their possessions and ashes, as well as pay the debt they owed for the shame they put on their pack name.

Covyn kept me well updated on everything involving the incident, and when the pack was notified of their sentence they were told they could be there for the execution to be sure they weren’t immorally abuse, but they denied the chance. The only thing their pack wanted was to be notified when their things were ready for pick up. Even when they were given a date, they refused to say when they would be coming, only that they would call first.

It was easy to forget they still had to come at all until I was woken from a nap in Covyn’s office to a ringing phone. I had been up half the night with Ambrose and often fell asleep on the couch against the wall. When I heard their pack name through my sleepy fog I jolted away.

“… yes of course their affects are still available to be picked up. We are not so desperate for space that we would throw them… yes.. I will alert my people that you will be coming… Yes.. Good bye.”

I felt like my skin could crawl with the tone of the end of the conversation I could hear and Sequoia leaned comfortingly against my shoulder. Her light purring sounds calmed me down some, but I didn’t anticipate being so distraught at the idea that people from their pack would be coming. It was an effort to remind myself that it wasn’t likely a while pack of likeminded people and more likely a few bad apples. But…

“When will they be coming?” Sequoia asked, ending the purrs.

“Tomorrow evening,” he sighed heavily. “This mess is almost over.”

That was a calming thought. Being done with that pack would definitely be a lot off my mind and something to be grateful for, but more than anything I suddenly really wanted Ambrose. Sequoia knew me better than anyone, but my mate’s arms around me were now more comforting than her purrs. I tried not to be sad about that, but it felt like we were growing apart and, as the only person in my life for so long, I was afraid to lose her.

“Do you want to go find Ambrose?” Sequoia offered, and I gave her a warm smile.

“You know how much I love you, right Coy?” I return.

Her arms fly around me and she squeezes me tightly. “Of course Nova. I’m glad someone else can make you feel safe and secure. You’ve really grown here, and I’m proud of you.”

I blush slightly and from the corner of my eye I see Covyn smirking. “You would think you raised me instead of the other way around.”

“And you did a crack up job,” Sequoia smiles in return. “But you being older than me is probably why you’ve been stuck in your ways this long. While we’ve been here you’ve accepted other people and been able to tell your stories. It makes me so happy.”

I squeeze her back just as there’s a gently knock at the door and Ambrose walks in. He must search around the room because I see Covyn jerk his head towards me and Sequoia over on the couch and then I can feel him moving. Sequoia let’s me go and basically lifts me with her deceptively strong arms up to Ambrose behind me. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me to his chest, smelling my scent from my neck around his bite mark.

“What’s wrong my angel? I could feel your stress from outside.” His words are so soft and gentle but I only squeeze his arms around me tighter.

“They’re coming tomorrow to pick up the crap those man left behind,” Covyn grumbles. “Tomorrow evening,

Ambrose squeezed me tighter. “We’ll skip the dinner tomorrow. You do not have to see their alpha.”

As much as I wanted to be brave I wasn’t sure I had the strength for that and just nodded. “I’d like that, “ I admit.

—

I had more trouble sleeping that I thought I would with the news. Ambrose and his arms pinning me securely to his chest were the only things that helped me return to sleeping each time I woke up. Still, when I did lumber out of bed in the morning it was on heavy feet. This would be the first morning in a while that I was glad us girls had started doing a morning walk inside the house instead of outside in the woods.

With Daley’s pregnancy she couldn’t shift anymore, not until after she’d had the baby. Apparently the first few months were supposed to be fine, but she didn’t want to risk it, and who was I to tell her to. Anything that made her feel safer and happy was good by me, so me, her, and Sequoia would just walk up and down the hallway of the Alpha and Beta’s wing. When we could sense our men returning we would head back t Covyn’s room, the largest with the most seating options, to eat breakfast and talk in private.

Today I looked forward to our little routine and the calm that a schedule provided. The last thing I wanted to be thinking of was who would be coming for dinner. Covyn had offered for us to return to staying in his room for the night, when he saw how tired I was, because they would likely stay the night and head back out tomorrow morning. With his balcony of bullet proof glass and the solid, multi-locked bedroom doors, his space was a fortress of security.. and it was a tempting offer.

I felt the pull from Ambrose before Daley felt it from Ellion and turn to start skipping back. “Come on slow pokes,” I teased, “you aren’t big enough to daly Daley.”

She gave me a sarcastic laugh but chased after me anyway. “Wait until I’m big and round and can only waddle up and down these halls.”

“I can’t wait for a chubby little cherub to dote on and spoil,” I coo in return, turning the knob to Covyn’s bedroom ahead of them.

Sequoia is talking in our head about looking forward to being the wine-o aunty who will defend them with fist and foot when I hear her growling. I’m just about to ask her what’s wrong when I feel a hand curl around my wrist and yank me into the room. The door closes behind me and I hear the locks being thrown quickly as I crash to the floor on my ass.

I don’t have time for anger or frustration when I look up to see four men standing above me. They look vaguely familiar but I’m missing a setting to place them. Then I see Sal walk over and horror takes over every nerve that had initially told me my mouth would talk me out of this. I glance at the exits, locked and blocked, and remember when I called this room a fortress before it felt like a sentence.