The Professor's Second Chance Mate

14c

We might as well get this conversation over with. I still struggled to believe he, or his pack, would accept a wolf rejected by her own pack. In werewolf society, rogues are wolves that have been cast out of a pack. There’s a lot of stigma attached to that status. People assume there must be something wrong with you, or that you did something awful to get banished. But that’s not always the case. Some people were mistreated and had no other choice. The problem is that rogue wolves sometimes turn feral and, out of anger, jealousy, revenge, or desperation, they attack packs. Most packs tend to assume rogues are a threat. I was still worried that my status would be a problem.

He sighed heavily, and I knew I’d hit the right note.

“I know you’re not a rogue,” he said. We had discussed it a little before, but not in detail. I still don’t know what my father told him, but that’s not the point. The point is…

“Another werewolf might think I am though. I don’t have a pack link anymore.”

You aren’t worried about what other werewolves think. Just ask him what you want to ask, Maya encouraged.

“Are you disappointed because I’m not in a pack… I mean… not all lone wolves and rogues are bad,” I said a little more defensively than I meant to.

“I know. I also know that you aren’t a rogue. My reputation, I’m guessing that’s what’s bothering you. It was built, as I said, years ago. Rogues killed my wife and my parents.”

Well, that’s one hell of an obstacle.

“To answer your question, no. I am not disappointed. I know learning to trust me will be a process for you. Know that I do want you. You’re my mate.” Then suddenly he c***s his eyebrow. And f**k, it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. “You seem hung up on rank, on my being an Alpha and people thinking you are a rogue. What aren’t you telling me?”

HHmmm, our sexy professor is a clever boy. You should reward him.

Tuning out my wolf and her dirty thoughts, I expressed what was bothering me.

“I’ve always been unwanted.” He growled lightly. “No, I believe you, just let me finish. Whenever something good happens, something bad ruins it. It always ends with me being alone and miserable. I’m afraid that I’ll get too attached to you, I’m already too attached to you truth be told, and then you’ll reject me.”

“Never.” He leaned forward to kiss me but I put my finger on his lips to stop him. I needed to get all of this out so it would be over and done with. Then I could move on.

“You’re my second chance mate,” I said. After a few minutes’ silence, he spoke.

“I see. And you’re afraid that since your family rejected you and your first mate rejected you, in the back of your mind you are expecting me to reject you.”

I nodded, I could feel tears beginning to build. I concentrated on not crying. I couldn’t describe how vulnerable I felt.

“This isn’t a joke to me. I’m not a stupid teenage boy who likes to hurt girls under the guise of a prank. This is it for me. You’re it for me. I want you.”

I threw myself at him, landing in his lap with a thud that I’m surprised didn’t smash my kitchen chair, kissing him furiously. I wanted to tear his clothes off and claim him right there.

When we broke apart, I sighed contentedly and snuggled into his warm body. We fit perfectly. Like puzzle pieces.

“Do you think he was behind that shadow creature? That first mate of yours?” He asked, a hint of a growl in his tone.

“I don’t know. Maya suggested it was possible.”

“Maya is your wolf?” he questioned. “What happened with.. your first mate?”

His body tensed as he mentioned my previous mate. I could tell he was trying to keep his composure despite the simmering anger I felt from him. Not at me, at my first mate, at the shadow things, my family maybe. I knew that none of his anger was for me, it was over the fear of losing me.

“We met recently. He was hell bent on rejecting me. I beat him to it.”

“Was he from your old pack? Your father didn’t mention a rejection.”

“I didn’t tell him until after I met you. And no, he wasn’t from my pack. He’s the Alpha of a different pack.”

“Which pack?” His eyes narrowed for a second, gold flecks swimming in his normally brown eyes.

“Why are you going to challenge him or something?” I tried to laugh it off, but I actually was afraid. Alpha’s were known to be possessive and if I really was the first woman he had been with since his wife, he’d feel even more territorial over me.

“No, my dear, I’d like to thank him.” He suddenly smiled wolfishly. “I might not know you well yet, but I know that you’re smart and determined. I also know that you are the most gorgeous young woman I’ve ever met. And you are mine.”

The feel of his big strong hands gently resting on my hips was messing with my brain function.

I choked a little on air. Who chokes on air? Well, me apparently. “You’re just saying that because of the bond. You have to tell your mate that.”

“Are you telling me that no one has ever told you how beautiful you are?”

“No.” I tried to shrug it off like it didn’t hurt, but I did.

“Not your parents, not your boyfriends, friends?”

“Nope. No one. In fact, I’ve repeatedly been told the opposite.”

“Well, those people were all lying to you. I wonder why? What were they afraid of?” He mused.

“They definitely weren’t afraid of me,” I chuckled humorlessly.

“I think they were. There’s something about you, something special. And it’s not just the mate bond making me say that. Something… rare. I can sense it, but I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is. I sense a power within you… something…”

By now I was blushing like a crazy person, barely able to hold his gaze. His eyes were burning right down to my soul with an intense hunger that I was sure would swallow me whole.

“You are the first person to ever tell me anything like that. Everyone else just thinks I’m in the way.”

“Why did he want to reject you?” He asked. He wasn’t ready to let this go yet.

I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t have a man that disrespects me. I need a man that thinks his decisions through. He wasn’t that man.”

“What was his name?”

“It’s irrelevant. He was just a tiny blip in my life, and he doesn’t deserve any further thought.”

“It’s not irrelevant if he is behind this.”

“He can’t have been more than twenty, twenty two maybe. I really don’t think he’d be capable of the level of magic those shadow things took to summon, or control, or whatever.”

“He might have employed witches.”

“Let it go.”

“Are you trying to protect him?”

“No, I just have a feeling it wasn’t him.”

“I don’t like that you have feelings for your ex-mate,” he grumbled. And for the first time my sexy, impossibly confident, professor looked rattled. I wanted to laugh. This perfect man was jealous of that alpha brat. He had absolutely no need to be.

I cupped his face and looked deep into his eyes. “The only man I have feelings for is you.”

I kissed him slowly, slowly. I couldn’t believe I only just met him. It felt like I’d know him forever.

“Fine, I’ll drop it… for now. And just be thankful that Alpha pup had no idea what he gave up.” Kelton pulled me in for another deep kiss. All thoughts of shadow monsters wiped from my mind.