Second Chances {ManxMan}

CHAPTER 10

Throughout work I had the brightest smile. Everyone at the office was curious as to why I was so happy, nothing could possibly upset me it seemed and it was all due to one brief brush of a hand on mine.

At my secretary job I was just someone who couldn't be annoyed, not by the ambiguity of the boss' requests, not by the whispering of my fellow co-workers. Not even the notice of cut backs could interfere with my cloud nine.

The days passed on so brightly, so fast except when I was with him that I honestly didn't see how I could possibly still be alive. This had to be heaven this new life I lead.

Slowly, Emmett seemed to trust me more and more, enough so that when work got in his way I was the one he asked to look after Katya. Katya was becoming a fixed presence in my home, the boys absolutely adored her much to Duncan's dismay.

Parker would always interact more when Katya was around even though the girl was just as silent as he. He even let her play his video games. Logan liked her enough to stay without my even having to ask and it was just nice.

Emmett would come pick her up and sometimes I would go the extra mile and drop her off, having a brief chat with Emmett only served to elevate my moods again.

We texted more often too, calling included. Randomly he'd ask me what I was doing, check in to see if I was alright or needed him to look after Duncan if I needed to work extra hours. It was absolutely surreal.

Until-

"Are you dating?"

I choked on my soup and gasped looking at the glare fixed on both Logan and Duncan. "What? Why would you-? Who even-? What?" I found my insides flipping around.

"They are definitely dating."

"No! Wait who?"

"Don't play dumb dad, we see you." Duncan huffed grumpily eating his food. I frowned at him then.

"What do you mean?"

"You're oddly happy these days," Parker snickered, he had one ear exposed as he played his game. "You gave me a hundred the other day and didn't even notice."

"What!?" I screeched.

"Too late, it's gone now." He looked smug and stuck his tongue out seeming proud of himself while I glared.

"It's like nothing irritates you lately and you're always on your phone too even when it's not doing anything. You're dating, we know it, just come out with it."

I blinked at my kids then, Parker paused his game to look at me smiling softly, Duncan stabbed his soup with his spoon and I frowned.

"I'm not dating." I told them honestly. There was silence echoing then and I sighed.

"But you wish you were."

I looked at Logan and I couldn't tell what was swimming through his gaze at that moment. I felt like a potato had appeared in my throat and I looked at my hands before I spoke softly

"He's my mate."

"What!?" They all seemed to scream. Even Duncan who was just ten knew exactly what that term meant for us wolves.

"But you had a mate, dad, speak sense." He growled and I took a deep breath.

"No way." Logan laughed then and slapped the table. "You're kidding."

"I don't get it." Duncan murmured and frowned. "Papa was your mate and papa is gone."

"Sometimes, very rarely, we get a second mate." Duncan looked at me as though I had poured water in his face. "They just show up, and all the signs are there, the feelings too." I felt my eyes burn as the weight of their anger lingered in my mind.

Would they hate me now? Would they see this as a betrayal to their father? To them? I felt my heart ache then.

"But he's human." Parker whispered then and I looked over at him looking at the table in thought. "Dad," he looked at me then, his eyes wide. "Are you okay? I mean, he doesn't know and like, what will he even say? Oh, man, what are you going to do?" Parker seemed stumped, eyes wide and leaning back in his chair, he seemed... Worried.

"He's just gonna have to be patient really." Logan chuckled and shook his head. "I can't believe it."

Parker grabbed my hand then and the first tear fell. "It's okay dad, you'll win him over, it's gonna take some time but...I know you can."

"What?"

Duncan was frowning still before he stood and left the table, I stood then.

"Let him absorb it dad." I looked at Logan who just stared at his food. "It's a bit of a blow to his chances with Katya and he's still to young to really get the whole mates thing."

"But-"

"Let him sleep on it."

I pursed my lips and sat down, I pushed my salad around and drank my soup and looked over at Logan who seemed deep in thought. Parker finished, washed his dishes and dried them before going upstairs.

"You're angry."

"Well, no." Logan answered his lip twitching. "I'm wondering why you didn't say anything."

I couldn't look at him as I digested. "I was afraid." I began slowly. "Afraid that somehow I'd disappointed you all."

"You got a second chance dad. Not just at life but at love. How could th-"

"I thought you'd think I was betraying your father." I cut him off and sniffed. "I didn't want you guys to think I'd forgotten about him."

"What? Because you didn't go rogue like some people? You think remembering someone is forsaking those left behind? That we'd honestly hate you for living your life after a huge chunk of it was taken from you? That's not fair, dad."

"I know, I just..." I sniffed and found myself pulling my legs up to my chest. "I've seen them, heard them, those kids whose parents just up and lost their minds after losing their mates. I hear what they say and I just, I couldn't help wonder if maybe...."

"We resented you for keeping it together?" I looked at him then and he looked hurt.

"I'm sorry." I whispered weakly, whimpering as I closed my eyes to not see the kind of pain my words may have caused. There was the sound of scraping chair on floor and I thought he'd gone but his scent only wrapped around me.

My pup, my grown ass pup who'd always just be a baby for me was hugging me and I was crying into his stomach.

"I'm happy for you, you know." He chuckled rubbing my back. "I worried, that once I went to college you'd, well, you'd fall apart or something, you'd get lonely. So I'm actually so ducking happy."

He crouched so we could be at eye level and I wailed all ugly like and kissed his face. He laughed trying to fight me but not really since I still had a good grip.

How did I get so lucky?

Duncan didn't speak much for about a week before he started to relax again. We had been at Emmett's place and he played with Katya, I had expressed how the little dude was mad at me to Emmett who comforted me even though I couldn't tell him why the boy was mad.

After the visit Duncan seemed in better spirits, I don't know what happened or how but I was just glad he was talking to me again. Getting more and more into his animated self.

I figured he was just young, and whatever decision he came to I would respect it enough not to push because I didn't want him mad at me. He did seem more and more open to Emmett being my mate because he'd ask if I was going on a date, and if I was happy which brought me to literal tears, hugging and kissing him he had fought his way out of my affections.

Now that my boys were happy for me, I just had to maintain the semblance of friendship with my second chance mate and hope it doesn't blow up in my face.

A/N
19 September 2021