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2024-11-21 21:40:55Related chapters
Second Chance At Love 029.
Cassie.My heart raced as I stared at the glowing screen of my phone, my breath caught somewhere between disbelief and exhilaration. My name sat boldly in the salutation, followed by the word “accepted.”“Dear Cassandra Holt… we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted—”I screamed. Loud, piercing, and raw, the sound bounced off the walls of the room, so loud that for a moment, I didn’t even recognize it as my own. It was pure joy, unrestrained and rare—a spark of light in the darkness I had been wading through for years.Before I could fully process the email, the door to my room burst open, slamming into the wall with a deafening crash. My scream choked in my throat as I spun around.Axel stormed in, shirtless and barefoot, his dark eyes wild and frantic, scanning the room like he expected to find danger lurking in the shadows. His hair was tousled from sleep, but his body—toned and intimidating—was tense, ready to fight whatever threat he thought I was facing.“Cassie
Last Updated : 2024-11-22Second Chance At Love 030.
Cassie.“So does that mean you won’t be returning? Or do I need to hold on to your spot for a week—which quite frankly is all I can do?” Eric asked over the phone.I smiled, shaking my head even though I knew he couldn’t see me. “No need to hold on to it,” I said, keeping my voice as even as possible, “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone for.”The moment the words left my mouth, I heard the soft clearing of a throat from the other side of the table. I didn’t need to look up to know it was Axel, seated with his iPad in front of him, though I could tell his attention was zeroed in on my conversation. His presence was suffocating, even when he wasn’t saying a word.I rolled my eyes, turning my gaze back to the piece of bread in my hands. I dragged the butter knife through the Nutella jar with more force than necessary, my phone still pressed between my ear and shoulder.I’d hoped that the harsh sunlight that filtered through my window when I woke up would somehow prove everything from th
Last Updated : 2024-11-22Second Chance At Love 031.
Cassie.The hum of the engine was almost soothing, but the man sitting next to me made it impossible to relax. Axel’s sleek black Range Rover glided effortlessly down the highway, its red and black leather interior gleaming under the sunlight streaming through the windows.Axel’s idea to take me back to say proper goodbyes to Eric and the others had seemed logical enough at the time, but now, sitting in a box of leather and masculinity, I wasn’t so sure anymore.He was wearing what he called casual—a fitted blue sweatshirt that stretched over his broad shoulders and jeans that hugged his thighs in ways no man’s jeans should. His sneakers were spotless, and the rolled-up sleeves of his sweatshirt revealed strong, veined forearms. My eyes kept drifting toward him like they had a will of their own.“Pull it together,” I muttered under my breath.Cy, my wolf, wasn’t helping either.“He’s so sexy,” Cy purred, the words vibrating through my mind like a smug little melody.I shifted uncomfo
Last Updated : 2024-11-23Second Chance At Love 032.
Cassie.The car felt suffocating. My fingers tightened around the seatbelt, gripping it so hard my knuckles ached. The sleek interior of Axel’s car, once fascinating with its leather and red-and-black design, was now the last thing on my mind. The only thing I could focus on was the way Axel drove like a madman, his foot pressing into the accelerator as though he wanted to punish the road beneath us.“Axel, what’s going on?” I managed to ask, my voice shaking despite my best effort to sound calm.His jaw clenched but he didn’t respond, his focus fixed on the road ahead, his knuckles white against the steering wheel.The tension was unbearable. The speed of the car, the way it swerved so sharply around corners, sent my pulse into overdrive. For a moment, I thought I heard a growl—low and menacing—and I wasn’t sure if it came from Axel or somewhere deep within the car itself.“Axel, I’m serious. Talk to me!” I tried again, this time reaching out to him.I intended for my hand to land
Last Updated : 2024-11-24Second Chance At Love 033.
Cassie.“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to you today. Something came up, and I had to return immediately,” I said, pressing the phone closer to my ear as Axel’s car hummed quietly beneath me.“You must’ve taken a huge risk coming here, Cassie. Are you okay?” Eric’s voice came through with a mixture of disappointment and concern.He’d called me to ask where I was since I’d called him before Axel and I left Red Hollow estate, telling him I would come visit. A sigh escaped my lips at his words.“No, it wasn’t like that. I am okay, but I’m sad I was only able to see the old couple. There was a little situation and I had to leave right away,” I explained, stealing a glance at Axel, who was gripping the steering wheel tightly, his jaw set in that unreadable expression he always wore. “I’ll visit again when I can. I just need some time to get things in order.”Eric let out a heavy sigh. “Okay, but be careful. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, alright?” His concern made my chest tighten
Last Updated : 2024-11-26Second Chance At Love 034.
Cassie.“Cassie,” Axel called my name like a warning, his deep voice vibrating through the small kitchen space.I folded my arms across my chest, my eyes hard and unyielding. The intensity in his gaze didn’t scare me—it only fueled the storm that had been brewing inside me for years.“The least you could’ve done was to treat me like I was a person,” I said, my voice trembling with both anger and pain, “Do you even remember that you almost stripped me of my right to be Cam’s mother?”Axel’s breathing was harsh, his chest rising and falling like a caged beast ready to lash out at my words, and I instantly knew he recalled that day.He had known more than anyone, how horrible Selena had been, but he never tried to defend me once, and now he expected me to let go of everything I’d been through all because he was my mate?“Don’t bring him up in this, Cassie,” he said, his voice quieter but sharp as a blade, “you can make your point without bringing him up.”I let out a bitter laugh, shaki
Last Updated : 2024-11-26Second Chance At Love 035.
Cassie.For a moment, my brain refused to process what I was seeing. Standing there, holding a basket of what smelled like baked goods, was Bella. Of all people.“Cassie?” Her voice carried the same sharp tone it always had, but her expression betrayed her surprise. “What are you doing here?”I froze, my hand tightening on the edge of the door. She looked the same—sleek, polished, and exuding the same fake sweetness that had fooled most of the pack. The only difference in her appearance was that she looked older.“I—” I started, but the words stuck in my throat.I felt a flush rise to my cheeks as I realized how disheveled I must’ve looked. My eyes were probably swollen from crying, my braids frizzy and falling loose from the bun I’d tied them in last night. I quickly adjusted my hair, pulling the strands to either side of my shoulders as if that could somehow restore my dignity. I must’ve looked like an absolute mess.I knew that coming back to Red Hollow would mean running into pe
Last Updated : 2024-11-27Second Chance At Love 036.
Cassie.I had to suck up my tears and stop crying. I didn’t have the luxury of remaining in my pain for too long because sitting on the floor, drowning in my own tears, wasn’t going to change anything. Cam deserved more than my silence and despair.Sniffling, I wiped my swollen eyes and tear-streaked cheeks with the back of my palms, then I glanced in the mirror, flinching at my own reflection. It was a reminder of how long I’d sat there crying. It was way worse than how I looked in the morning.The one thing that had made me determined to visit Cam’s grave had been the realization that it was now two weeks to Cam’s birthday.Just two weeks, and he would’ve been four. My boy, a four years old.I inhaled shakily as I let myself imagine what Cam would be like as a four-year-old. There was no doubt he would’ve been introduced to his wolf, his tiny face would’ve lightened up with excitement as he discovered a new part of himself. He would’ve been riding his bike around the yard, laughing
Last Updated : 2024-11-28
Latest chapter
Second Chance At Love 071.
Axel.The morning air was light and cold. It was the kind of weather I usually found soothing, but today, it grated on my nerves. Every breath I took felt heavier than it should, as though the weight of the world pressed against my chest. My knuckles cracked audibly as I clenched and unclenched my fists, the movement both a habit and an outlet for the frustration boiling beneath my skin.I hadn’t slept. How could I? Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Cassie bruised, bandaged, and hiding her pain like it was a secret she couldn’t trust me with. That image had burned itself into my mind, each detail fueling an anger so fierce it kept me pacing my room through the rest of the night.By the time the sun began to rise, I knew I wouldn’t make it through the day without taking action. I summoned Warren and Jake through mind link as the first light pierced through the fog.“We need to figure out what happened to Cassie,” I said sharply, my tone leaving no room for argument.I tasked Warren wi
Second Chance At Love 070.
Axel.The moment Cassie returned home that day, something felt off. I couldn’t quite place it at first, but I knew something was wrong. She walked through the door, limping slightly, and I froze in place. I noticed her clothes were different from the ones she had worn earlier in the day. She was wearing something more casual, and her hair was down, completely covering her face.What bothered me the most, though, was the way she was avoiding me. She wasn’t meeting my gaze—she was just rushing to her room as if she couldn’t get away from me fast enough. My heart sank. I didn’t need to be a genius to figure out that something had happened. She was hiding something from me, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to know what it was.I stood there for a moment, just staring at the door she had disappeared behind. Then the worry set in. What happened to her?That night, I found myself replaying the day in my head over and over again. How did she go from being so excited to go to school in the mo
Second Chance At Love 069.
Cassie.The moment Mr. Pierson’s words left his lips, Violet and I exchanged confused looks, our eyes darting between each other and Mr. Pierson. My heart sank as his gaze settled firmly on me. A lump formed in my throat, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if I’d heard him correctly.“Me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.Mr. Pierson’s smile didn’t waver—it was polite, calm, but somehow intimidating. “Is there another Cassie standing here right now?” he replied, tilting his head slightly.I felt a few students slow their pace as they walked past us, curiosity etched on their faces. Though no one stopped, their glances lingered for far too long, making my skin prickle. I resisted the urge to shrink under the weight of their stares. My cheeks burned with embarrassment.I glanced at Violet, hoping for some reassurance. She shrugged and gave me a small smile. “I’ll wait for you at the cafeteria,” she said casually, though I could see a flicker of concern in her eyes. Her response
Second Chance At Love 068.
Cassie.When I woke up the next morning, something felt… off. It wasn’t like the typical tiredness from a restless night, though that was part of it. It was as if I’d forgotten something important that should have been impossible to overlook.Was it someone’s birthday? An anniversary? I wracked my brain, but nothing came to mind. Still, the unease lingered.Closing my eyes, I saw a hazy vision of Axel sitting on my bed, his hands reaching out to touch me. My heart quickened at the image, but I shook my head. No. That was impossible, I’d barely slept, and when I finally did, I was all alone in my room. It must’ve been a figment of my imagination, surely. The product of exhaustion, or maybe a bizarre dream. I pushed the thought away, forcing myself to focus on the day ahead.I dressed in the pair of jeans that nearly cost me my legs, that day at the mall and a plain black top to match. I rolled my hair into a bun, grabbed a banana on my way out of the kitchen, and headed out the doo
Second Chance At Love 067.
Cassie.Dinner was quieter than I had expected, though the sound of Mirabel cleaning the counters filled the space. She had prepared something simple—grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and sautéed vegetables—and as I sat there eating, I could feel her eyes flicker toward me every now and then, though she said nothing at first.As she continued wiping down the counters, her voice broke the silence. “It seems like no one ever sees you around anymore,” she said, her tone polite but formal, as it always. “You’ve been coming in late and leaving early, so much that when you’re here it feels like you really aren’t.”I glanced up, startled by the observation but masking my reaction quickly. It wasn’t like Mirabel to comment on my comings and goings.“I didn’t realize anyone cared,” I said lightly, trying to keep the conversation from veering into anything too personal.Mirabel shrugged, her expression neutral. “I only mention it because it’s noticeable. Makes things feel different around he
Second Chance At Love 066.
Cassie.By lunch, the rumors had spiraled into full-blown scandal material. More detailed information about the affair surfaced. It sounded absurd but that didn’t stop anyone from entertaining the idea. It was scandalous, and scandals were irresistible. Even though no one had mentioned any names yet, I couldn’t shake the gnawing unease settling in my chest. Every look in my direction felt like it lingered too long, every laugh like it was aimed at me.I sat alone at a corner table in the cafeteria, poking at the pasta on my tray, as snippets of conversation floated toward me.“Do you really think it’s true?” one girl whispered to her friend at the table next to mine.“It has to be,” the other replied, her voice brimming with excitement. “Why else would a lecturer pay that much attention to a freshman?”My stomach churned. I knew better than to listen, but their words clung to me, each one sinking deeper than the last. It was just talk, I told myself. Nothing more than mindless goss
Second Chance At Love 065.
Cassie.I woke up earlier than I had the day before, my body fueled by a restless energy that wouldn’t let me sleep in.The sun was just beginning to settle when I dressed hurriedly, slipping into a red long-sleeved shirt and jeans. My goal was simple: leave before Axel woke up. The idea of running into him again, with his sharp gaze that always seemed to pry secrets from me, made my chest tighten.I needed quiet, enough quiet to make decisions for myself without his intrusion.“No, what you need is to tell him about what happened to you, and have them catch those perpetrators. Those girls deserve hell!” Cy countered, but I couldn’t do that, so I shut her out because I knew it would only be a series of the same talk.By the time I arrived on campus, the morning air carried a strange buzz. Whispers floated around, pulling everyone’s attention toward some unseen source. Students clustered in groups, talking in hushed voices, but their expressions weren’t subtle. There was excitement,
Second Chance At Love 064.
Cassie.Lectures ended earlier than I expected, though not by my choice or normal situation. I was halfway to my next class when I heard my name being called, loud enough to stop me in my tracks. I turned around to see Mr. Pierson jogging toward me, holding a small white rectangular card in his hand.“What’s this?” I asked, staring at the card as if it might bite me, not looking down at it.“It’s a sick pass,” he replied, somewhat out of breath. “You’ve been excused for the rest of the day.”I stared at him, unsure of how to feel about it. “I’m fine,” I said. “I can still make it through the rest of the day.”He tilted his head, his gaze dropping briefly to the faint bruise forming on my wrist. His voice softened, though the sternness remained. “You’ve been through enough today. Don’t push yourself.”Slowly, I reached out and took the card, even though I hated the thought of leaving early. This wasn’t the way I’d imagined my first day of college going. I wanted to stay and prove to
Second Chance At Love 063.
Cassie. The man carried me up several flights of stairs, his strong arms steady and unyielding as I sagged against him. Each step sent jolts of pain through my battered body, but I bit my lip and stayed silent. When we stopped in front of a polished wooden door, he shifted me slightly in his arms and pushed it open. The office was spacious, with bookshelves lining one wall, a sleek desk on the other, and a plush, three-seater couch near the window. He strode over to the couch and gently laid me down. My whole body felt heavy, the weight of the attack sinking in now that I wasn’t in immediate danger. He took a step back, adjusting his sleeves before placing a hand on his chest in a formal gesture. “I’m Jon Pierson, but you can call me Jon. I’m a lecturer in the Psychology department,” he said, his tone professional but tinged with concern. “I’m sorry about what happened to you. It’s unacceptable.” I blinked at him, still trying to process everything. My throat felt dry, so
