A Second Chance Mate

Sparks

Darlene’s pov

Okay, I chickened out. I couldn't contact Her Majesty. She was the Queen now and probably had a lot of royal duties to attend to. How could she find the time to listen to me? Besides, I was reluctant to ask for help, as I hadn't stopped feeling ashamed of who I once was. Not too long ago, I was her worst enemy, and I hadn't been able to forgive myself ever since I realised how immoral I was.

To drown out my misery, I pushed the thought aside and concentrated on my work. It hardly ever worked because Stephen was all I could think about.

I later found out that Stephen, and his brother went to the hospital. Amid one of her tantrums, Jenna sort of blurted it out. The unfortunate child was ill and required surgery. I was a little let down to learn that they would remain in the hospital for a few days. I yearned to hear his voice and perhaps glimpse his dashing physique, even though I knew I could never truly be his. The desire to sense his presence was also strong in my dragon. It was as though she was sort of thriving on his aura.

Yeah, that sounded creepy, but how could I deny that my soul yearned for my mate?

I had several moments when I considered calling a cab and going to the hospital. Despite my desire to see Seth, I always weighed my options first. What if Jenna misunderstood my intention? What if I accidentally locked eyes with him? With each passing day, it was getting harder and harder to ignore the bond.

I hesitated until the cook and the gardener agreed to accompany me to the hospital on our day off. They decided to go see the boy after learning he needed a kidney transplant in order to lift his spirits. Jenna wouldn't be able to point a finger at me that way. I was only joining the guys.

We bought flowers and chocolates, hoping that would cheer the boy up. My heart hammered in my chest as we strolled down the corridors of the hospital. They knocked on the door, and when Stephen opened the door, I sucked in a breath. Although I had forced myself to glue my gaze to my feet, I just couldn't stop myself from trying to catch a whiff of his scent. Our sense of smell wasn't as strong as that of the wolves and the lycans. However, our mate's aura was always special.

“Oh, hello there!”

The hair on the back of my neck rose. Damn, he sounded sexy.

“It's so nice to see you all!”

The joy in his voice told me he was delighted to see us. Smiling, I glanced at Seth, who was resting on the bed. He appeared to be exhausted, but at least he was smiling.

Throughout the visit, I avoided his gaze. Instead, I spoke to Seth, who, regardless of being worn out, seemed to love talking to me.

I peered at Stephen from time to time. He was busy chatting away with the cook and the gardener. In contrast to Jenna, Stephen seemed to be friendly with us. That seemed to relieve my colleagues.

Before we knew it, visiting hours were over, and we returned to the mansion. Although our regular duties began the following day and I had to put up with Jenna's usual taunts, I was happy that I had seen him the previous day. I barely spoke to him. Yet, I cherished the memories of the time I spent in the hospital. Seth was a charming boy, and so was his brother.

Too bad he could never be mine for real.

***

Stephen's pov

The doctor's appointment went well. I was both anxious and eager to go through with the surgery. However, my brother was rather relaxed. Being young, Seth probably didn't understand the pain and risks of going under the knife. And perhaps it was better that way. Tension would only exacerbate the experience.

When I went to the hospital, I wasn't expecting that they would inform us that the surgery was possible the following day. We were lucky to get a donor who matched Seth's blood type on such short notice, but it meant that Seth needed to be admitted to the hospital at once. So I returned to the mansion to get some of our belongings and went back to spend the next few days with him.

I was glad Jenna wasn't home. After what had occurred earlier, it would have been awkward to run into her. I texted her about the hospital stay as I was heading back to the medical centre. I didn't want her to think I was attempting to elude her.

The nurses were lovely and compassionate. I could not leave the hospital, despite knowing they would take good care of him. I barely slept during the night, partly because I found it hard to sleep on the couch and partly because of my anxiety.

When morning finally arrived, they quickly reeled Seth into the operating room. I paced around and counted the minutes for hours in the waiting room, doing my best to calm down, before they finally called to tell me the surgery was successful.

The news lifted a massive weight off my shoulders. I had saved my brother's life with no help from my father. With a broad smile plastered on my face, I followed the nurse and entered the room where he was resting.

My heart raced when I saw him lying silently on the bed, covered in white sheets. With his eyes closed, he appeared to be sleeping peacefully as he lay motionless on the bed. Almost as though he was in eternal sleep.

No. He's fine. I told myself. The nurse wouldn't have told me that the surgery was a success if he was in danger. Maybe he was just sleeping.

"Is he awake?" I whispered to the nurse, afraid to speak too loudly.

"Yes. He might be a little fatigued, however," she explained. "We suggest you let him rest."

I nodded my head. With my heart hammering in my chest, I anxiously walked up to the bed and gently touched his arm when the nurse left. He looked so peaceful. Just to make sure that he was breathing, I moved my hand close to his nose so that I could feel his breath. Gentle puffs of air fanned my skin, and a sigh of relief escaped my lips. My attempts weren't in vain. The surgery would be the beginning of the end of the pain he had to endure. Now to tolerate life the entire year in Jenna's mansion.

***

I tried my best to keep my brother entertained during our hospital stay. The focus was to help him heal and subdue the pain in his body. I knew that with time, he would get stronger, and once he shifted to his dragon, I would have nothing to worry about.

What amazed me was the surprise visit from the workers at Jenna's mansion. Seeing Darlene after what felt like ages was a massive relief. Upon seeing her, I once again felt the need to get close to her. Yet, I didn't. I kept my beast under control throughout the visit.

Jenna didn't visit Seth. She claimed she had an important business deal to complete, so she had to spend most of the days and nights in the office. Not that I cared.

She called and texted me, though. Yet, that wasn't the same. She had claimed to be interested in marrying me for real. Well, if so, I believed she should put more effort into our relationship.

After spending roughly a week in the hospital, they discharged Seth. Although he was still weary and had to take a bunch of medication, the results satisfied me.

The day we returned to the mansion was strange. My dragon was going bonkers. Even with all my efforts, keeping him under control was problematic. I ignored my inner turmoil and tucked my exhausted brother into bed so that he could rest.

I couldn't understand why my dragon wouldn't calm down. He kept clawing and resisting me, despite my best efforts to keep him down. I blamed the lack of sleep and decided that I should freshen up and get some rest myself.

It was a working day, and I knew Jenna wouldn't be home, so I removed my clothes and sashayed into the bathroom wearing nothing except my boxers.

I did not expect to find her there. Darlene. The woman who, with each glance, had the power to knock the wind out of my lungs.

As soon as I stepped inside, she jerked up in astonishment, gasping loudly as she stood up. Her eyes widened in shock. Perhaps she looked into my eyes involuntarily, but as soon as she did, her eyes shifted colour. As stiff as a stick, she stood frozen in her spot, staring at me. She appeared to be in an internal struggle. Perhaps her dragon was also fighting for control.

I gulped. My heart was racing faster than a speeding jet, and my dragon was on the verge of overtaking my body. I didn't look away from her. Apparently, she, too, felt something. Why else were her eyes shifting colour from hazel to golden?

Eventually, my inner beast overpowered my body for a moment, during which he leaped towards the demigoddess who was gawking at me. Before I knew it, I had pinned her soft hands above her head against the cold tiles of the bathroom, my face just inches away from hers. I could have let her go once I regained control of my body, but I didn't feel like it. There was something magical about our encounter, and I needed to find out the reason.

I took a deep breath. The proximity kept adding fuel to the undeniable passion burning in my soul. Her scent undoubtedly pulled me into a trance.

It was confusing, yet peaceful. Our chests rose and fell together. Several seconds elapsed, yet neither of us spoke, nor attempted to break eye contact. She didn't even try to break free, but her eyes seemed to convey a message to me. She appeared to be conflicted.

Was she in trouble? And why was I feeling the sudden urge to save her? How bizarre.

I wondered. Why was she so different? Why did she feel special to me? There should be a logical explanation. I studied her countenance, hoping to find an answer. Her alluring scent, sparkling eyes, luscious lips, and mysterious sparks where our skin touched were one of a kind.

Wait… sparks…

A sharp breath escaped my lips. Something in me snapped. I had heard about feeling an undeniable sense of attraction upon meeting our other halves. I was told that sparks would erupt when we touched our soulmates. At first, it sounded like a beautiful fairy tale. During my adolescence, I kept thinking that it was wonderful to meet someone who was yours for eternity. Yet, when I realised that finding your soulmate was like finding a needle in a stack of hay, I regarded it as a baseless myth.

Perhaps I was wrong.

My dragon's roars resounded in my head, forcing me to stop dwelling on my thoughts. He wanted to take charge of my body and claim her. Or better yet, shift and devour her. Trapped in between my arms and the wall, she kept staring at me.

Although I pushed my dragon back after losing control for a split second, he kept fighting against me.

My lips parted. As seconds passed by, the bizarre sparks kept getting more prominent, and her aura seemed to overpower my senses. I ran my tongue over my lips. There was only one way to confirm if my speculations were correct.

Looking right into her beautiful brown eyes, "Mate?" I whispered.