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008.

Author: Natashah
last update Last Updated: 2024-11-12 11:08:26

Cassie.

My heart raced as I exchanged worried glances with Axel.

“What was that?” I asked, fear lacing my voice.

“Stay here,” Axel ordered in his Alpha tone, his eyes wide and alert as he turned to the door, disappearing into the hallway.

“Warren! Gather the warriors! We have a situation!” I heard his voice loud and clear and I froze.

It seemed we were under attack.

As if the fear that gripped me wasn’t enough, Cam started crying.

“Shhhh, my. love you need to stop crying,” I cooed at him, but he didn’t respond, so I carried him to my bed and began feeding him some breast milk to keep him quiet.

Instantly Cam hushed, sucking hungrily to let me know it was a hunger tantrum.

“I’m so sorry my love,” I passed him an apologetic smile which he ignored because he was too busy sucking. Minutes passed and the pack house seemed quiet, but from behind my locked door, I heard heavy footsteps down the hallway, and they were coming closer.

“Where’s the Alpha’s mate and kid?” a heavy voice demanded,
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  • Second Chance At Love   010.

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    Cassie.Three Years Later“Cassie! The party of four just left. Go, go, go!” my manager, Eric, a kind middle-aged human with freckles and red hair, called after me, pointing towards the empty table with left-over food and some empty plates on it. I nodded and grabbed my cleaning spray and napkins, moving towards the table in question, swiftly.Three years had passed since I made the bold decision to leave Red Hollow Pack, but the memories of that day still clung to me, so vivid in my mind as though it happened yesterday.When morning came after the traumatic day, I had wasted no time in taking Jake’s advice. I took every back road and hitched rides with strangers until I reached the next state, all because I didn’t want the scouts to find me. The whole journey, I was fueled by one thing: survival. But survival hadn’t been easy.At first, I holed up in a motel, still rich with the money I’d stolen. But on my third night there, two humans crept into my room while I was sleeping, demand

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    Cassie.Mate?The word reverberated through me, filling every inch of my being with a feeling I couldn’t even name. My pulse raced as my gaze locked with Axel’s, and the world seemed to shrink, narrowing down to just the two of us. No. This had to be a mistake.I had left him. I had run, stolen his money, and sworn never to see, and forgive him. I had tried so hard to escape everything he’d put me through, the pain, the betrayal—and now, here he was, standing right in front of me… as my mate?I stumbled back, a cold chill running through me, but Axel’s hand darted out, gripping my arm before I could pull away. The familiar, unyielding strength in his grip twisted my stomach. He pulled me closer, and his scent—earthy, woodsy, with a hint of pine—filled my lungs, stirring something buried deep inside me, something I didn’t want to acknowledge.I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look up at him. Axel had changed, and yet he hadn’t. He looked older, somehow sharper, with a thin line of

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    Cassie.Axel’s study felt suffocating, the heavy scent of mahogany and scotch pressing against me like a hand pressed against my neck. My fists clenched at my sides as I stood in the doorway, trying to calm the storm inside me. What had I been thinking, coming back to this place? Coming back with him?I knew it was a mistake, and I should’ve resisted even if it cost me my life.Maybe a part of me—no, a foolish, desperate part of me—had hoped things would be different now. That being Axel’s mate might mean something. That it might mean I meant something to him. But that hope had been crushed the moment I overheard him say that no one could know I was his mate. I was nothing to him. Just like always, and not even being his mate could change thatThe realization burned, but it also solidified my resolve. I couldn’t stay here, not with him. Not like this.I stepped fully into the room, clearing my throat to announce my presence. Three pairs of eyes turned to me: Axel’s, sharp and unread

  • Second Chance At Love   024.

    Cassie.The pack house stood before me like a dark reminder of everything I’d fought to leave behind. My feet stayed glued to the ground as my heart hammered wildly in my chest. Through the large windows, I could see my suitcase sitting in the far corner of the living room where Axel had left it. It looked so small and out of place—just like I felt standing outside, unable to go in.Axel had vanished with Warren and Jake into the pack house after my rather rude inquiry. And now it was just me, alone in the biting cold of the night, staring at the place that had been my hell for so many years.The living room looked just as I remembered it—almost too much the same. Sure, the couches were newer, and the center table wasn’t the old scratched one from before. But the walls, the scent, the energy—it was all the same. Too familiar. Too suffocating.I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and took a shaky step toward the door. My fingers grazed the frame, but I froze, unable to go further

  • Second Chance At Love   023.

    Cassie.A light tap on my shoulder pulled me from the haze of sleep. I blinked, adjusting to the darkened surroundings, and met Axel’s piercing gaze. His voice, low and steady, broke through the silence of the night. “We’re here.”The weight of those two words sank in like an anchor. My chest tightened as I processed them. I was in Red Hollow pack.It had been dark for hours now, but the night only seemed heavier as we arrived. I sat upright, peering out of the window at the all-too-familiar pack grounds. Even under the moonlight, every detail stood out like a haunting memory—the tree line at the edge of the estate walls, the distinct shadows of the pack buildings. My stomach twisted.I had spent three years running, clawing my way out of the pain and darkness this place had buried me in. Three years trying to build a life for myself, free from the ridicule and hate of this pack. And now, I was right back where I started.Cy stirred in my mind, her voice soft but maddeningly smug.

  • Second Chance At Love   022.

    Cassie.The suitcase felt heavier in my hand than it should have, but I knew the real weight wasn’t in my suitcase. It was in the decision I’d just made—or, rather, the decision that had been made for me.I hated it.I hated that I had no choice but to follow him. I hated that even as I considered running, my own mind betrayed me with the reality that Axel would find me. Running would only make it worse.When I reached the car, the sight of Axel froze me in place. He was leaning against the sleek black SUV, arms folded across his broad chest, one boot crossed over the other. His head was tilted down, a strand of dark hair falling into his face as if he didn’t have a single care in the world.Even from here, I could see how the black tee clung to his shoulders, outlining every sharp, defined muscle. My throat went dry, and I cursed myself for noticing.“This is the same man who destroyed you, Cassie,” I had to remind myself under a muffled breath.Axel looked up then, and the intensity

  • Second Chance At Love   021.

    Axel.Cassie stared up at me, the expression in her doe, brown eyes, unreadable, though I could sense the war raging inside her. Her hand hovered over the car door handle, trembling ever so slightly before falling back into her lap, the long extension of her braids moving with her.She parted her lips, ready to argue, but I didn’t give her the chance. “There’s no debate here, Cassie,” I said firmly. “You’re coming with me.”Her lips pressed together, her gaze narrowing slightly as if she were weighing her options. After what felt like an eternity, she shook her head, her voice soft but firm. “I appreciate you saving me back there, Axel, but I can’t return to Red Hollow. I won’t.”Her words ignited a flicker of anger inside me. Did she even understand how close she’d come to death?“Do you have any idea what just happened to you?” My voice was sharp, cutting through the tense silence between us. “If I’d been a second late, Damon would’ve dragged you off and killed you. Right now, y

  • Second Chance At Love   020.

    Cassie.Shock filled me, rooting me to the ground. My heart raced so fast I thought it might explode. Damon and Axel stood locked in a battle of stares, each exuding dominance, the tension between them sharp enough to cut through steel.Damon’s fury was evident in his clenched jaw, but Axel’s face was calm—a dangerous kind of calm. It wasn’t the absence of emotion but a silent warning that made the air between them feel heavy and suffocating.“Mate!” Cy’s voice roared in my mind, snapping me out of my shock.“Come here, Cassie.” Axel’s deep, commanding voice sent shivers down my spine.My feet moved instinctively toward him, even as my mind screamed in protest. Every cell in my body knew it was safer to be with Axel than to remain in Damon’s grasp. But before I could close the distance, Damon shifted in front of me, blocking my path.“I saw her first, Axel,” Damon growled, his voice sharp with defiance. “I’m not letting you take my kill even if you’re the one who proposed the bill.”

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