Second chance mate

chapter 3 (final draft)

Olivia's eyes widened even more if it was possible. "How do you know about werewolves?"

Ariel shrugged. "I am a werewolf too."

Olivia sniffed the air. "You don't smell like werewolf." She said, caution on her face.

"I lost my wolf when..." Ariel broke off, a sudden but familiar pain hit her, making it hard or her to breathe.

"What?" Olivia said. This was the first time she was seeing her so flustered.

"I lost wolf when my mate died."

"I didn't know you lost your mate." Olivia said standing up.

"I didn't know you knew about werewolves." Ariel said with a small shrug.

"When did you lose him?"

"Almost two months ago."

"How did you lose him? If it's not too much trouble, don't tell me if you don't want to." Olivia said panicking suddenly.

"No, no, it's okay. I lost my mate when my pack was attacked. Everybody died. I ran because my mate told me too. As far as I know l, I'm the last member." Ariel broke off her sad story and focused on Olivia again. "But I am telling you, your father will get better. My father did when my mother died. Yours will get better too. So, it will take more time than I thought it would but he will get better. I mean I am getting better too."

"He won't! You don't see your mate in your daughter every day. He does. He can't even look at me because I look so much like mom."

"But I do!" Ariel said suddenly exclaimed. "I look at my son and see my mate in him every day. I can't even look at my son and he's not even two months yet."

"I didn't know you had a son."

"I do."

"Haven't seen him been here. And if he is just two months old then he should be here."

"I know. I know that he should be here. But I can't take care of him."

"So where is he? Where'd you leave him?"

"I left him with an uncle of mine. He was not a part of my pack so he's alive. I left my son with them. They're taking care of him right now. And when I'm capable of taking care of him. I mean I'd rather he live with someone who can take care of him than with me when I can't even look at him. I am getting better. I am so much better than I was when I came. I can look at him longer these days so soon. After I've helped you with your father I guess."

"How can you help me with my father when you're going to the same thing?"

"I can help you with your father because I went through this from both sides. I watched my father go through the pain and get out of this pain as well. I watched him spiral down into depression and then try to work back up. I am working back up and understand the pain of losing my mate. So when I tell you I can help you, I promise you that I can help you. You just need to show your father that you are there. That he can't shove you down your grandmothers or his beta's throat and can't forget his responsibility. He needs to know that his mate, your mother would want him to take care of you. So can I help you?"

Olivia nodded. "I will take all the help I can get. I already lost my mother. I don't want to lose my father as well."

"Alright then. You do exactly as I tell you. Do not stray from what I tell you to do."

Olivia look at her teacher. "But how do I know I can trust you?"

"You ask your wolf if you can. If she tells you to trust me, you trust me. And if she tells you that I'm a danger to you, you walk right out of this room and you don't look back."

Olivia nodded. "But shouldn't I tell my father about you?" Olivia asked.

"It's your choice. You can tell him, your choice. I won't be able to help you. I'm not trying to bribe you, because I will be leaving after helping you anyways. It's your choice and I'm not here to cause problems. I didn't even know it was a territory because I don't have a wolf anymore."

Olivia took a moment to talk to her wolf and then nodded. "She says I can trust you so I will. But if something happens..." Olivia broke off.

"Nothing will, I promise you that. Not because of me. I am just here to heal."

"Then what's the plan?"

Ariel grinned wide before explaining the plan to her.

That night when Olivia went home, she ran to her room and dressed in a skirt before going outside to play.

Her father was due home soon for lunch break, it was all a routine to him because he was used to be coming home from when her mother was alive. He never broke that routine. He still came home for lunch. Olivia didn't know why because he didn't keep any part of the rest of the routine but he still came for lunch at least.

Olivia waited for the right moment and then she let herself fall hard from the swing. She started bleeding. She didn't need to pretend to cry like Ariel had told her to. Tears came out of their own accord but she made herself make crying noises louder than she would have on a normal day.

But nothing about this day was normal do her, it was the day she decided that whether her father still cared for her or not. Somebody else outside would think that her father was just grieving, that he will come around, the he still loved his daughter, that his mate's death could not affect his love for his daughter.

But Olivia? She wanted to know if it was true, she wanted to know if he loved her.

So she cried and cried and cried, until she saw her father's beta coming out of the house and running for her. He tried to pick her up as he did these days because suddenly it was his job take care of her. She thought sarcastically but she didn't let him pick her up.

She pushed him away and screamed for her dad. She told him to get her dad, that she didn't want his head, she wanted her father.

The man mind-linked her father and waited. He looked flustered, he didn't know what to do. On one hand, he wanted to help her. He wanted to pick her up and heal her wounds. On the other hand, he knew that she needed her father more than she needed have her wounds healed. So he waited.

Soon her father came running out of the house and he ran to his daughter, picked her up in his arms and looked over her wanting to see what was wrong.

"What's wrong honey?"

Olivia just wrapped his arms and legs around him and cried in his shirt.

He looked at Jared in question, anger burning in his eyes.

"I don't know. She was out playing, suddenly started crying, wouldn't let me pick her up. She's bleeding from her knees."

He turned around and ran inside. He put her put on the kitchen shelf and got the first aid kit. He quickly put Band-Aids on her wounds and then he picked her up and she wrapped herself around him and was now just hiccupping.

"What happened, Olivia?" He asked her.

"I fell from the swings."

"Its okay, honey, you are okay." He said softly, stroking her hair.

Olivia once again hid her face in his neck, trying to hide the smile that was breaking on her face. She finally believed Ariel, her father really did love her and he will get better.