Second Choice

Prologue

Max Pov.

        Days like these makes me rethink my past choices, not just because of the outcome but because of the people that got hurt in the process. Then I realized that it was for the better, for those who I hold dear and for me. I just keep looking at them and it makes me feel better, if it wasn't for my decision I wouldn't have met him. That great and sensible man, the one who puts others before him, I don't know what I did to deserve him but I'm glad I did. He made me a better person, even if he says otherwise, because for him I haven't changed. I love that man with everything in me. 

There are days that I think what would have happened if I didn't get the chance to meet him, what would it be like being happy sharing a mate with my twin brother. It's sometimes weird when I look back and realized that I would have wanted to meet my special man because I just knew he was my future and my whole life. The center of my world; the sun and the stars, just everything. 

That day I will always remember, it was on a rainy day, I was looking for a way to expand my knowledge in magic and I thought that I could summon a storm or stop the rain. I was distracted by it and didn't realize that someone was looking at me till I heard a voice say "What are you doing outside in this weather?"  which was weird because so was him.

            "The same can be applied to you."  I said to him with sarcasm, the stupid thing was that he just smiled and started laughing. My first thought about him was 'What a peculiar man'. 

What was more weird was the connection that I instantly felt when our eyes met. Not in a way that mates do, but in a stronger and special way. That feeling was new to him and me, we just kept looking at each other under the rain but even then time seemed like it had stopped. It was just us, no one else in the world matters at the moment. It was like that for a few minutes before he talked again. 

            "I think we better take this inside, we should talk, I feel like there is something happening and I want to know what."

I couldn't agree more, I just spaced for a second and said "Sure, even though I may have an idea on what is happening."  I really didn't but I wanted to impress him.

I was like a love sick puppy then and now. We started walking and I followed him till a cabin came to view, when we entered the cabin, it was small but cozy. It had an old smell and the wood looked like it was shining. He had a simple living room with one big sofa and a small table with roses. The fireplace was on and above it he had a television. Even when I wanted to keep looking I couldn't because he told me to sit on the sofa so we could talk.

            "You said you have an idea of what it is, care to elaborate?"  Just by saying that I panicked, I lied before, so I didn't know what to respond to. 

            "Well, I know that we are not like mates, at least in a sense, it's something else."  I said the first thing that came to mind. A thing that I knew so far, because it was obvious that we were something remotely close to mates. The question is, what were we?

            "I feel the same, we have to investigate, I don't feel like ignoring something like this, it feels important."  The answer he gave made me feel like I'm floating in a cloud. I just knew that I wouldn't let him go. I needed to get to know him.

            "First of all, I don't want to keep calling you a stranger in my head, I'm Max Wheeler, you are?"  I had to make the first move, I wanted..no I needed to know his name.

            "Cute name, I'm Robert, Robert Pines, where are you from?"  Robert? that sounds sexy, as sexy as the person himself. 

            "I'm from Florida, but moved here 10 years ago, you?"  It's true, my parents thought it was a good idea to change scenery and we came here to California. Even though I think we moved here because we have more forest.

            "Oh, so you are not from here originally, I was born and raised here, only went to Florida to go to Disney's Magic Kingdom, but because my brothers wanted to go."  Perfect!! he must be perfect! I don't know why, his voice is so dreamy.

            "Brothers? are you the oldest?"  I had to use the opportunity to know about him as much as I could.

            "Yes, I'm 3 years older than Mike, who is the second oldest and then there is Jordan who is the youngest of all of us by 4 years. Which is ironic because he acts more mature than Mike. Do you have any siblings?"  Oh!, when I asked that question I didn't think all the way through, my twin brother was a touchy subject.

            "Yeah, a twin brother."  I said it in a questionable tone, my brother and I were close till we met our mate which changed our relationship and it was never the same again.

            "You don't sound so excited by that."  If only you knew.

            "I'm not, we had a falling out, just to put it in a nice way"  That day is now one that I wanted to forget, the one when I met my mate. That day marked the start of my torment. The start of the falling out between my twin and I.

My time with them was torture, a moment that should have brought me happiness just brought me pain, a pain that made me what I am today, a powerful being. Not just a werewolf, but someone that can use magic, something that should be impossible happened to me. Getting those thoughts out of my head I listened to Robert.

            "Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?"  He is so sweet! 

            "No, it's okay, let's just talk about something else."  And that was the day I met Robert and later we realized what we were to each other, Fated Mates. A once in a lifetime opportunity. A bound so powerful that is impossible to break. That day I vowed to be a better version of me, just for him, because he is worth it.

Just looking back at that day I feel so lucky that I went out and met him. It was fate, I just knew the moment I saw him. When I was reminiscing I didn't realize that someone got close to me, I looked to my side and jumped in surprise. 

            "You surprise me, since when have you been there?"  It was my Brother-in-law, Jordan, we have been good friends since we met, more for the fact that we are close in age, me being 20 years old, and him 21. My sweet Robert was 25 years old and my other brother-in-law was 22 years old. 

            "Since you started going to memory lane"  How did he...

            "How did you know? Am I that obvious?"  At least I didn't think I was, but then again I am always spacing out so I do not have a say in this. Anyway is creepy enough that he just stood there looking at me spacing out thinking about the past.

            "Your face says it all, you have that dreamy look every time you think of my brother, which by the way is gross!"  How dare he?! It's not gross, I'm pretty sure he will feel different when he gets to experience what I feel with Robert. He hasn't found  the one. I don't want to say mate because maybe he can be as lucky as Robert and me, and find his fated mate. It's really sad that not everyone gets to experience what I feel every time I am with my Robert.

            "It's not gross! you just say that because you don't know the feeling, you will get it someday, I promise"  He looked at me indignant, like I grew another head. Which is ironic based on his speech last year about mating being the most important part of being a werewolf, even if he hasn't experienced it. This guy it's really something else entirely.

 He is always doing speeches in things he doesn't even know about. It's cute and stupid at the same time because he doesn't apply what he says to himself. I am starting to think that he does it to make us miserable, having to hear him go on and on about a new topic that we don't even want to know about. Like who wants to hear a speech about toothbrushes, really? who?!!! and that one is not even one of the weird ones. He once talked about the importance of eating ice cream. Who does that?

            "Whatever you say, Maxy"  Again with that nickname? I don't like it. It makes me sound cute, which I am not, I'm handsome. I know I am not muscular but I have my own charm.

             "I have told you over and over again not to call me that, it makes me sound cute"  I know it's on purpose. He does it all the time, and I always give him the same answer. By now is more of a joke to him then anything, something to rile me with when he's bored.

For Jordan that is most of the time, he doesn't have a life, and I say it with all the love I can. He really needs to get out there, being stuck here won't help him at all. Sometimes I wonder if he stays here because he's scared of what he may find out there. The thing is, he won't know till he tries, will he get hurt? maybe, but that is part of life. You get to pass real hard moments so that you can evolve and use that experience for the future.

I just know that even if he were to be alone, he's going to be alright, he is a fighter. He may sometimes look like he couldn't hurt a fly but he is trained in body and mind. 

            "I will keep doing it, I don't know why you think that reminding me every time will change anything"  If only it were that simple with him, when something gets inside his head it's difficult to get it out. For example, his speeches, his one of a kind speeches.

            "Just enjoy the view, take a breath and give me a few minutes of silence"  I just wanted to be in silence for a few hours, times like this I just sit down and think about anything. A way to be inside my mind and just relax. Not that I need it, I haven't felt this relaxed since ever, just by being here I feel better. I am really lucky and can't think of a better place to be. Unless it is in my mate's arms, I would be in his arms all the time if I could.

        When I got inside the house I saw a mess, which is nothing new, and I just know who is responsible for it. He is a one year and a half boy but still manages to run around the house causing havoc. His name is Nathan, he is our adopted son. Robert and I found him in the forest when he was a month old, it seems he was abandoned by his parents, we asked around to see if someone lost him. Which we doubted but when we found out nobody knew who he was we took him in. He is the sweetest boy ever but it's like a little storm, he comes unexpectedly fast and takes with him everything in his path. I find it cute till we have to clean everything and put it back where it was before.

Nathan is the light to our darkest days, I love him so much. I would do anything for him. I just know that one day he is going to make his own path, The only thing that I hope is that he won't have to suffer in the way. He should have a happy life, I don't want him to feel alone. And when the time comes to tell him he's adopted I just hope that he knows that something like this doesn't change anything between us. We are family, blood isn't the only thing that makes a family, love makes one two. That is why he is the light in our life, he brought us closer together. More stronger than before, and that is saying something.

He is also one of the many reasons that I don't regret what I did, the decisions I made and the people who got hurt in the process. Taking into consideration that I got what I wanted at the moment, to make my twin and our mate suffer. I wanted revenge but it seems that I didn't have to do it, karma got to them first. At that moment I just felt so alive that I just forgot about the world around me.

When I sat down on the sofa I saw Nathan smiling at me with that cute trying to get on the sofa. He is so cute, even though I give him space to make mistakes so that he can learn from it. Without getting hurt in the process that is. I always ask him if he needs help, I don't want to appear as a helicopter parent, which I am but that doesn't apply to the situation at the moment. 

            "Do you need help, sweetie?"  I wanted to get up and help him so bad but I contained myself. It's really hard but seeing his determination face it's so worth it.

            "No papa, I can do it"  He is so cute!!! My baby Nathan keeps growing up fast. I don't want him to grow so fast but unfortunately we werewolf's grow faster than humans. At first I thought it was okay, till our little Nathan came. 

            "Okay sweetie, just remember, I'm right here for you if you need anything"  I always will be right there for him. 

            "I know, thank you papa"  One of these days I will start crying out of nowhere, he has that effect on me. I feel like a little baby. I have this sensation to just get up and start jumping with Nathan all over the place. That way Robert won't feel lonely with just one little storm, he will have two. 

In that precise moment that Nathan succeeded and got on the sofa someone that made my heart beat really fast appear. The person who appeared is a handsome man with tan skin, brown hair and blue eyes that light the whole sky. That was my Robert. The love of my life, my world.

            "Honey, when did you get here?" I felt giddy just talking to him.

            "Just got here, love. The meeting got cut short, my father told me to get here that it was important"  

His father? What could it be? I don't really understand that man, he is all over the place, Jordan got it from him. Both are odd balls, but lovable people. With them you won't even see what they come up with out of the blue. What is it this time? I'm really curious.

            "Now I really want to know why, I don't want the same surprise as last time, that was a disaster"  Last year his father got it in his head that we should have a barn, he even got volunteers to help with the vegetables and fruits but he wanted a cow. Everything was okay at first  till one of the pups opened the gate and the cow got out. She pooped in front of the pack house and the pups started playing with it, it was the most disgusting and stinkiest day of our entire life. Lets just say that since then we didn't follow any of his crazy ideas. We unfortunately learned the hard way.

            "Disaster is a short description of what really happened"  It's true that the word doesn't even come close to it. I really was grateful that Nathan was not present to that moment because I know my baby. He will have been there faster than any of the kids. He's a really peculiar kid, just like his father.

            "I'm really nervous Robert. What if he wants to start a market or a zoo?"  I believe it if it comes from him.

            "Market I can understand but Zoo? I don't think he's that crazy, is he?"  He is so cute if he thinks his father wouldn't do that, I don't even know him my whole life and I think he is capable of opening a zoo.

            "I do, I think he is capable, honey, you know by now that father always gets this crazy ideas, if he wanted a barn, I think he can think of opening a Zoo"  I really haven't learn to be alert of my surroundings, that is why his father, Frank, heard our idea and sounded intrigued by it. 

            "A zoo? Hmm! I think that is better than what I was thinking of doing"  Nooooooooo!!!! We opened a new can of worms. We are so doomed, we are going to literally become a zoo, a pack of werewolves with a bunch of animals. 'Fun' I thought with sarcasm. Why did I open my mouth again?

            "Why don't we talk first? What do you want to do?" Abort!!! Abort!!!! Please!!

What I really didn't know was that with this idea of him everything was about to change. I really thought that everything was behind me, guess not.

            "I was thinking of moving the pack up north close to the pack around the area" Wait.. up north? that can't be...

            "What is the name of the pack?"  Please don't be, please!!!

            "Redmoon Pack, why?" Nooooo!!!

            "That was my previous pack"  I responded with a heavy heart.