The Hybrid's Second Chance Mate

Rowena

Rowena handed over the address and wished her good friend goodbye as she left in a flurry of excitement and good humour. Her friend's gift never phased her but she never told the clients about it either. No it was far safer for Kinley if the client's didn't know and she always advised her friend to leave the second a client got any funny ideas in relation to her. As it was she was impressed with her friend's fortitude and strength. After everything she'd gone through, Rowena didn't know if she would have the same amount of courage and bravery to continue living, let alone put herself in situations that involved men. Her friend was one of the strongest women she knew.

Her mind flashed back to that awful day, the image and memory that still haunted her to this very day.

It was night. The moon was beautiful and round in the sky and Rowena had stopped to admire it, sitting on her front porch and just stopping to look at the stars. The rustling of the nearby trees had first alerted her that someone was near and she'd sniffed, trying to determine the scent and smelling the metallic scent of blood mixed in with Kinley's scent.

Rowena had been alarmed and jumped to her feet, scanning the forest and holding back a choked gasp as Kinley staggered out from the trees. Something dreadful had happened, Rowena instinctively knew it as she raced to Kinley's side. Her friends face was pale, her eye was black and swollen and her hair was dishevelled, half of it loose from it's ponytail. She was shivering profusely, the air cold but not that chilly that it would cause that kind of reaction. Kinley's whole body was trembling, her clothes were ripped and she wasn't speaking as Rowena led her inside the small cottage that was hers and situated on the edge of the pack's border.

Kinley had followed her like an obedient child as she'd run a bath, helpless to do anything more. Something had held Rowena back from mind-linking the doctor or Kinley's father in that moment, some instinct of hers telling her to wait and she listened. She'd sucked in a breath as she'd helped Kinley take off her clothes. There were bite marks and bruises all over her body but the most telling ones were on her legs and wrists, almost as though someone had held her down. Then she'd glanced down and seen the blood trailing down Kinley's thighs and swallowed feeling sick to her stomach. Rowena didn't have to ask what happened, she knew and she could barely restrain her anger as she got Kinley into the bath and sat beside her, holding her hand until her shivers stopped and Kinley began to scrub at her body furiously, as though trying to wash away something that wasn't there.

"Kinley" Rowena had begged "tell me what happened, please, let me get the doctor or your father."

"No" Kinley shot out in desperation, her eyes full of tears and looking over at Rowena "please" she pleaded "I can't bear for him to know and I don't want a doctor, he'll tell dad."

Rowena had tried to make her friend see reason, tried to assure her she'd be there every step of the way but Kinley had steadfastly refused, Rowena reluctantly conceding to her friend's wishes although she still remained concerned.

It was hours later after Kinley finally got out of the tub and sat on a lounge with a towel wrapped firmly around her that Rowena was finally told what had happened to her friend.

Kinley and her father had travelled to a nearby pack on business. Her father was to train some of the men as they weren't up to the standards the Alpha desired and he had not appointed anyone as the best warrior in the pack yet. It had been Alpha Jack who'd sent them and Kinley had gone, excited to see another pack and what it was like. She'd just turned eighteen remembered Rowena, and had wanted to find her mate, just like any other girl that came of age in the pack.

Kinley had been good at fighting back then but even that hadn't been enough to stop them. Kinley had found her mate, it had been the Alpha of the pack and when he'd asked Kinley to go for a walk that night she'd been excited to go, certain he was going to acknowledge they were mates. That had been far from her expectations. He'd had no such thoughts in regards to that. Instead he'd stopped in a clearing where the Beta was waiting, a smile on his face as Kinley had glanced at them confused. He'd slapped her and Kinley had fallen to the ground. The beta had placed a hand over her mouth when she tried to scream, both men biting her and holding her roughly down. She'd bucked and fought, unable to shift and having no magical powers that would prove useful, the Alpha trying to take her by force. He'd gripped her so tightly that his nails had drawn blood, which explained the blood dripping down her thighs. Then he'd tried to do the unthinkable and Kinley had fought so hard she'd managed to get away. She'd run straight to Rowena's which had been miles away and now she was reliving every moment, her face and eyes haunted. Rowena hadn't understood why she never went to her father about it or informed the Alpha. Then Rowena had told her that while she hadn't been raped she'd still felt disgusted at how weak she'd been, how pathetic she'd felt and how hopeless.

It would never happen again she told Rowena. Besides the both of them knew it would be her word against theirs and Alpha Jack wouldn't risk his hide for her. She was too embarrassed to tell her father either. So Rowena kept her secret, even though the s****l assault still resided in her mind. Ever since Kinley had trained harder than ever, even when working as a nanny so that the same situation never arose. Her powers hadn't been fully developed back then or else Kinley would have known their intentions the second she touched her mate. As it was the Alpha rejected her as Kinley ran away and she'd accepted it instantly, never wanting to feel the mate bond ever again. Now at the merest hint of trouble Kinley would leave and keep herself safe. Rowena wished though, that her friend would one day find happiness because more than anyone Kinley deserved to be loved and cherished just as she was.

Rowena sighed. Sometimes she wished she could go back in time and warn Kinley what was about to happen but it was just wishful thinking. If it hadn't happened then Kinley wouldn't be the courageous woman she was today. As it was she wasn't ashamed of her body and had grown more confident as she got stronger and as her powers developed. Rowena supposed that was the silver lining for her friend. But it didn't stop the endless worrying that Rowena felt every time she sent Kinley to a new client. If something happened to her friend again she would never forgive herself.