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Second 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
Second Chance At Love 001.
Cassie."Hey, isn’t that the Alpha’s slut?" a sharp, mocking voice shattered my thoughts.I pulled my shawl a little tighter around my body, willing myself not to look over my shoulder as I walked back toward the pack house. My breaths came in sharp, shallow pulls, and I picked up my pace."Has she finally gone deaf?" a second voice sneered, and my steps faltered. But I quickly brushed it off, forcing myself to keep moving forward. After all, I was used to people talking about me behind my back. I shook my head, telling myself to ignore them—until someone rammed into me from behind, sending me stumbling forward. I gasped as I hit the ground.Looking up, I found two she-wolves standing over me, their eyes glinting with malice. They exchanged a glance, struggling to stifle their laughter. One of them, a red-haired, snorted, unable to hold it in any longer, and within seconds they both burst out laughing, their mocking voices filling the air."Oops, didn’t see you there, Cassie," the oth
Second Chance At Love 002.
Cassie.For a moment, I stood frozen, my mind spinning, unable to make sense of what I was seeing.I wished desperately that it was all a dream—that I’d wake up, with Cam nestled in his crib beside my bed, and realize it was just another one of those nightmares that had haunted me since our marriage began. But no matter how many times I blinked, the scene before me remained painfully, horribly real.My breath caught as Cam whimpered in my arms, the small cry pulling me back to reality, cementing the terrible truth: this was no dream. This was my life. And standing before me, entwined with my husband, was his true mate. The one person I’d feared he’d find since the moment I became his wife.Selena took a step forward, her eyes softening as she looked at Cam. She stretched out a hand, reaching as though to coo at him, but I instinctively shifted back, holding my son closer. Selena paused, her head tilting to one side in confusion.A faint frown appeared between her brows, but she quickl
Second Chance At Love 003.
Cassie. By the next morning, the whispers had spread throughout the pack estate like wildfire. News that Axel had found his mate traveled fast, and the estate buzzed with excitement. The murmurings of pack members as they gathered in the pack house, exchanging glances and barely whispered conversations made my stomach churn. “We finally have a Luna!” a wolf exclaimed, eyes wide with intrigue. “I hear she’s beautiful. No wonder Alpha was drawn to her at first glance,” another replied with a snicker. Forced to welcome the pack members, I clenched my fists, trying my best to remain positive and composed, but as I made my way through the house, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of everyone’s stares and the sting of their words in my chest. In the main living area, Axel was practically glowing, his eyes filled with adoration as he held Selena close. She was everything I wasn’t—confident, radiant, and utterly captivating. Selena laughed at something Axel said, the sound light
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Cassie. Days turned into weeks, and the bullying I endured escalated to new heights, far worse than I could’ve ever imagined. Every corner of the pack estate felt foreign, and each encounter with a pack member was a fresh reminder of my failure to keep Axel’s attention. Whispers trailed behind me like shadows, relentless and cold. The pack members looked at me with contempt, as if I were nothing more than a stain on their proud alpha’s life. “Look at her,” one she-wolf sneered as I passed by one day, “The discarded wife, all alone.” “She should be grateful Alpha hasn’t thrown her out yet,” another chimed in, laughing, “But we all know it’s just a matter of time until that happens.” In the midst of it all, Axel’s demand the night before made it difficult for me to sleep. “Make sure to let Selena get close to Cam; he needs to get used to her,” he’d said without so much as looking up from the document on the table before him. I had agreed, believing that perhaps Selena was genu
Second Chance At Love 005.
Cassie. I came to find out Selena really meant every word of her threat two days later. New rumors circulated the pack, where the pack members claimed I was so desperate, so jealous of Selena, that I stooped low enough to use my own son as bait to seduce Axel. They said I was nothing but shameless and if I really thought that if not for my seduction, Axel would ever look my way or pay me any of his precious attention. I forced myself to stay calm, to keep my head high as I heard the new rumors because I knew where they came from, and I was also used to lies being told about me to worry myself about them. If anything, I was only happy that Cam was not grown enough to understand what was being said about me. But no matter how much I ignored it, the rumors kept coming. The next day, as I took Cam out for a morning stroll, I noticed the whispers had only grown louder. This time, they hit harder, cutting deeper. “You know, seeing as Alpha doesn’t like her, I doubt that child is Hi
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Cassie. "How dare you speak to me in that manner?" Axel rose from his desk, eyes full of hate as he approached me. His expression was so cold, so filled with disdain, that it almost made me falter. Almost. But I couldn't allow myself to back down now. "If you and your mate want me out of the pack so badly, then fine. I'll take my son and leave," I said, my voice shaking but firm, "perhaps you believe the rumors too, that Cam isn't your son." In an instant, Axel closed the distance between us with a speed that made my pulse race, his hand gripping my arm hard. “What the fuck do you mean by that?" he asked, his tone sharp. His face was so close to mine. It was the first time since that one night we'd shared that he'd allowed himself to be this close. For a little moment, I almost let myself remember it –the way he'd looked at me back then, the gentleness in his touch. But I forced myself to focus, shaking away the thought. "I mean exactly what I said," I replied, ba
Second Chance At Love 007.
Cassie.The morning sun was soft but unforgiving. I sat on the edge of my bed, holding Cam close as he drifted back to sleep after his early morning feed. Watching his peaceful little face felt like torture because all I could think of was how I’d failed him—how I’d stayed here too long, long enough for his life to be threatened in such a manner. I traced a finger along his tiny cheek, his skin so soft, so pure.Gently, I put him down in his cot and moved to the small vanity mirror, staring at my tattered reflection. I looked a mess, and I sure felt like it.My hand drifted to the bruises Selena left on me that night, her words still echoing in my mind like poison."Forty-eight hours. That’s all you get. If I so much as see you in this pack after forty-eight hours, I don’t know what’ll happen to that bastard son of yours.”There’d been no mistaking the hate in her eyes. I couldn’t unsee it, and I couldn’t unhear those words. She meant every bit of her threat. She was relentless. And
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Second 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
Second 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
Second 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
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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
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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
Second 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
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
Second Chance At Love 028.
Cassie.The faint sound of furniture being moved greeted me as Axel raised a brow, curiosity etched across his face. His features were calm, yet there was a sharpness in his eyes that unsettled me. He gestured toward the apartment, his broad shoulders brushing past me as he stepped ahead. I followed silently, feeling my chest tighten with every step.When we reached the apartment, the door was already ajar, and inside, men were working diligently, shifting furniture and unpacking boxes. I paused in the doorway, taken aback by the sheer size of the space. The white walls glistened, reflecting the soft rays of sunlight that poured through the open windows, making the whole apartment feel warm and inviting.It was far more spacious than I had anticipated, with high ceilings and polished wooden floors. For a moment, I allowed myself to admire it. But then, as if on cue, Axel’s presence loomed behind me like an unspoken reminder of everything I was trying to forget.“We can talk in the b
Second Chance At Love 027.
Axel.The moment the elevator doors slid open, I felt a spark of irritation that shot straight through my chest. Cassie was standing next to Jake, her petite frame dwarfed by his tall, broad stature. Her face tilted up toward me, confusion clouding those brown doe-like eyes of hers.And indifference. There was a damn trace of indifference in her expression, like she couldn’t care less about my presence.That look was enough to make my jaw clench, and my wolf, Ice, stirred in my mind.“Pull her away. Mark her,” he snarled, his voice raw and demanding, “Let them all know she’s ours.”I shook my head, keeping my expression neutral even as Ice’s growls rattled my brain. “Not now,” I told him firmly.“Then when, Axel?” Ice snapped, “She’s right there, and I can smell Jake all over her!”Ice’s possessiveness clawed at me, but I shut him out before his anger spilled into mine. I couldn’t deal with his relentless growling and Cassie’s infuriating presence at the same time.Still, my eyes c
