"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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MY brain short-circuited. Only one thing was on my mind: my mate.
The warning signs had all been present for weeks. I had the anxious wolf, an increased appetite, and a subtle change in my own scent. All of which pointed toward my mate's impending arrival.
Normally, my nerves on such a momentous occasion would have been mostly of pure excitement. I had watched the precious bond between my parents grow and flourish even as the years turned to decades.
But today was no normal day.
Today, I would receive my placement results, and my mate should have been the last thing on my mind.
Tension pricked at my spine, and I shivered, curling my toes as I waited for Spencer to leap through the basement window. At the first sign of sunlight, Spencer and I scrambled from our makeshift beds to prepare for our impending results.
I had been the first one to trudge through the window, and that was when I was hit with the earthy, citric scent of my mate.
Not being able to take the anticipation any longer, I paced in place before saying, "Spencer, I'll just meet you there, okay?"
Our original plan had been for Spencer and I to walk back to our homes together. It was no longer curfew, but Spencer only lived a few blocks down from me, and I couldn't wait any longer.
Standing idle in Olivia's yard made my skin crawl. If I wanted to succumb to the strength to get ready for placements, I knew I had to move, and Spencer was moving too slowly for my liking.
"Violet!" Spencer called after me, half his body stuck in the window.
"Sorry!" I winced, offering him a smile before I sprinted back home.
Haphazardly, I ran through the street, determined to make it home before either Henry or Dad could notice my absence. Luckily for me, my family was not comprised of early risers. As I carefully clasped the front door shut, I tip-toed upstairs, exhaling a sigh of relief when I heard the repetitious breathing patterns of both my brother and dad.
They were both still asleep.
My shoulders relaxed, and I plopped down at my vanity. Gripping the edge of the countertop, I cursed under my breath, "Fuck, fuck, fuck."
"Shut the fuck up, Violet," Henry yelled through the wall that connected our two rooms, but I paid his less-than-welcoming greeting no mind.
My knuckles turned white, and I closed my eyes, resting my forehead on one of my arms. The pulsing nerves relented, but I was still unsettled. Today was supposed to be about paving the way for my future on my terms, not the terms of my potential mate.
Nevertheless, of course, I still wanted to find my mate.
I wondered if my mate was in a similar state of disarray, looking for me. I shook my head, groaning. The scent had grown less potent the closer I had trudged back home.
