"I may be your second chance, Wade, but I will not be your second choice."
Reeling from the death of his mate, Alpha Wade tried everything in his power to bring her back to life. So consumed with raising her from the dead, he almost missed his secon...
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AFTER taking a moment to settle my turbulent heartbeat, I took a tentative step over the threshold into the temple. Goosebumps rippled up and down my arms, and my breath caught in my chest. Despite Alpha Wade's vibrant cursing, I had yet to encounter what had him in such an uproar.
The temple—while not in an immaculate state—was not any different from the lackluster exterior. Marble lined each and every wall with matching marble tiles cascading throughout the floor. A few marble benches were fashioned around the eerily large room, some toppled over and chipped.
However, the furnishings and finishes of the temple had more in common than the material they were forged from. They all were angled in the direction of the Selene statue.
The statue was tall, almost too tall for the surrounding space. The top of Selene's head, which had begun to chip away was mere inches from hitting the ceiling.
While I had never stepped foot in this temple—much less even heard of this temple's existence—there was an air of familiarity vibrating throughout the vast but sparse room.
It was also completely vacant, not even the distant pitter-patter of heartbeats could be heard. Even though Alpha Wade and I appeared to be the only humans in the foreseeable area, the damage to the benches did not appear to be a product of normal wear and tear.
While the temple seemed to be in disrepair, it was not obvious whether or not the potential disruption occurred recently. I sniffed the air, trying to catch wind of any lingering scents, but I was just met with the overwhelming citric scent wafting from Wade's direction.
Even after having countless opportunities to grow accustomed to his scent, it still sent a tantalizing chill down my spine. My toes curled into my shoes, and I gripped my hands tightly at my sides.
"Fuck," Alpha Wade cursed again. He paced in small, untidy circles. He pressed a hand to his forehead, and his forehead threaded in deep concentration. A thin layer of sweat trickled down his forehead, and I could feel his unsettled nerves course through our bond.
"Alp—Wade," I corrected myself as I watched his body tense. He ran a shaky hand through his hair before dragging his hand down the side of his face. "Wade."
Wade, for a brief moment, looked up, eyes locking with mine. He licked his lips, his forehead still a bundle of deeply concentrated lines. His lips twisted, and he narrowed his eyes.
"No one is here," he stated, his voice filled with an unspoken tension.
In an attempt to settle his mind, I began: "Maybe..."
"No," he interrupted as he continued to pace, picking up his speed. A loose strand of his hair fell over his eyes. He cleared his throat. "Something's not right." He paused briefly. "Fuck."
Taking a step closer to him, I said, "Wade."
"Fuck," he said louder.
He kicked the large Selene statue. The sound of his metal-tipped shoe hitting the tough marble exterior rang throughout the temple. A few pieces of spare rubble tumbled down from the statue, and I had to leap to one side to move out of the way from the debris.
