Finding My First Love

Chapter 4: Second chance

Ella's POV

Shit s**t s**t. I can't be mated to another werewolf. I refuse. What the hell were the chances of it happening again. Especially since my rejection was never formally accepted.

I thought moving eight hours away was far enough to get away from his stupid pack and that stupid son of the b***h alpha. I was so done with wolves. But boy, oh boy, was I wrong. I played stupid and acted like I didn't hear him say, mate, but I heard him as clear as day.

I sat down in the office chair, trying to figure out how I was going to get away from here and reject another stupid wolf. He had to be another alpha if he owned the coffee shops in the city.

When I rejected my mate before, I snuck out in the middle of the night and stood at the packs border. I drove away so fast like my ass was on fire. I knew they would come after me as soon as he felt the pain of our bond breaking.

I packed little by little for weeks, so it would go unnoticed. I couldn't let my son grow up like him. I didn't want him to think that hurting women was okay.

I took the abuse for years. I was too scared to leave. I was a constant disappointment to him that I wasn't getting pregnant as fast as he wanted me to. He would remind me every day what a failure I was. He could never understand how he could get mated to someone like me.

Sure, at first, he was sweet and romantic. He did everything right to sweep me off my feet, and I fell hard for him.

He marked me by force without asking if I was ready or okay with it. It should have been my first clue that this wasn't right. He made it out to be that he couldn't control his wolf any longer and that he had to make me his. My dumb ass soaked it up.

He continued to be the ideal partner for months and when he started pushing pregnancy tests at me or would look disappointed when I would get my period and storm off for days I started to question if I made the right choice coming here.

Around six months into being mated to each other, I started to get awful stomach aches. I knew what it meant. I knew he was betraying me. I felt like my heart was shattering into pieces.

When the pain would become unbearable, I would unintentionally scream out in pain. Clayton, our gamma, found me curled up on the floor in pain. He took me to the pack hospital, but he knew what was causing the pain. Once the doctor confirmed it, she gave some pills that would dull the pain slightly. After that, Clayton was there for me through all of the betrayals I indured.

After about two weeks of the constant pains, I had the nerve to confront him. He tried to make it out that I was crazy and I might have eaten something that upset my stomach.

I practically laughed in his face when I told him that the pack doctor had already confirmed it and gave me pills to help dull the pain. He instantly got pissed and struck me square in the nose. That was the first time he turned to violence, but it wasn't the last.

Daily, he would take his anger out on me and later would bring flowers and chocolates and dinner in bed, trying to get me to forgive him. I refused to sleep with him, and the betrayals stopped for a bit. I forgave him thinking it was over and that he was just overally stressed and we began sleeping together again, his anger returned when I once again didn't fall pregnant.

The betrayals started up again. Out of anger, I refused to sleep with him and threatened to leave. That's when the rape started. My baby boy was the outcome of rape.

I thought since I got pregnant, the abuse would stop. It never did. He wanted more children. After he beat me to the point where I was barely breathing in front of Brent, our baby, I knew I had to get out of this hell hole.

Clayton took me to the pack hospital, and he and the doctor helped me make plans to get Brent and i out of this pack. I owed them everything. I pray every day that they never got caught helping me. I knew they would have been killed instantly if they did.

I shook the feelings aside and the vivid memories of what that man did to me and focused on my perfect little boy falling asleep in my arms. I couldn't put either of us through a situation like that again. I couldn't be with another wolf. But what could I do? I put all the money I had into an apartment down the road.

I guess i could find a new job. Yes, that's what I need to do and save enough money to get away from here. I just have to continue to pretend I don't know anything about mates and keep a wall up. At least until I can get out of here.

My heart hurt. I didn't want to leave Sheryl. She helped me find a place and gave me this job. She was the only one who knew some of what I had been through.

Wait, Sheryl works for the alpha. Does that mean she's a wolf to?

I slap my hand against my forehead. I whispered, shouted. "What the hell have I got myself into again?"

Sheryl came wound the corner. "You know, don't you?"

I took a large gulp. "Shit."

Landyns POV

Sure, I was shocked to have a human mate with a son. But I didn't have an ounce of doubt that this was meant to be. I know there's a reason for everything that the moongoddess does. I just wish i knew who the father was so I could beat him to a pulp.

I know Sheryl refused to tell me what happened, but the fact that she really didn't want to tell me must mean that it's really bad. I didn't want her to break Ella's trust either by Alpha commanding her to tell me or listen to her thoughts.

I walked slowly back to the office and slumped into my chair as soon as I got there. This was going to be way more complicated than I anticipated. Not only is she human, but she's not going to trust so easily. Especially since she has a son to worry about to.

My life can never be easy. Always some twist or loop that I have to jump through. As frustrated as I am, I knew I would do whatever it takes to make Ella trust me.

They rest of the day went dreadfully slow. I wanted to go back and get another coffee today, but I didn't want to freak her out either. I convinced myself and my wolf that we would go back every day and get a coffee and make small talk and hopefully get her to agree to a date with me after some time. She would cave, right?

As soon as th day was over, I rushed home to tell Lily and Myles. I knew they would be so excited and happy for me.

I pulled onto pack grounds, and I linked them both to meet me in my office. I managed to beat them there, but then again, I was practically sprinting upstairs.

I heard a light knock on the door. I knew instantly it was Lily. "Come in."

She smiled at me. "Hey, is everything okay? Myles will be a bit. Do you want to wait for him?"

I was too excited to wait. "No, we can fill him in later."

"Okay, well, if you're sure?"

"I am. So today, I went to get coffee at one of the coffee shops that we own, and that's when I was hit with the smell of chocolate and strawberries."

I watch Lily's lips curve into an anxious smile. And?"

I grinned back at her. "And, I found my mate."

Lily jumped out of her chair and started jumping up and down. "This is just wonderful... wait, where is she? Is she here? What pack is she from?"

Ahh crap, I didn't think about having to answer these questions. "Well, about that."

She sat back down in her chair slowly. It seemed like a light bulb when off in her head. "She's human, isn't she?"

I nodded.

She gave me a worried expression. "Does she know of our kind?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, that certainly complicates things, doesn't it?"

"There's more."

"More? More than being human?"

I nodded and rubbed my hand through my hair. "She has a son. I don't think he could be more than four."

Her expression went blank. "What about the boys dad."

"From what I got from Sheryl, I don't think he's in the picture. It's just the two of them."

"Landyn, she might not be easy to sway. You've seen how hard it is for wovles to convince a human to come live with their mates. It's going to be ten times harder to convince a mate with a son. She's a mother she will put his needs first, and she will move slowly. If her ex isn't in the picture, I'm sure she has trust issues on top of this. Do you have that kind of time to make things work with her before you lose the alpha position?"

I put my hands together and placed them on my desk. "Lily, I found my mate. I'm not letting her go unless she wants me to."

Lily's gave me a small smile and placed her hand on top of mine. "So you made up your mind then?"

"Yes, I have."

She beamed up. "Okay, what can I do to help?"

"Nothing yet. If I think of something, I will let you know."

She stood up from her chair and kissed me on my forehead. Something my mother used to do. "I'm so happy for you, Landyn. You deserve this. You deserve to be happy."

"Thanks, Lily bug."

I woke up early the next day to get a coffee before heading to the office. I asked Sheryl to give me her schedule, and she sent it over right away.

I had a few pack members set up a kids' table with lots of coloring utensils and books and paper after closing. I was hoping she would be so happy that she would be more willing to talk to me today.

I practically was skipping down the street. I opened the door to the shop, and her scent hit my nostrils. It hasnt even been a full twenty-four hours, and I was missing it like crazy.

It didn't seem as busy today, which made me even more excited. She would be less distracted that way.

I saw her behind the counter holding her son and dancing. My heart fluttered. It was so precious, and the boys' giggles made it that much better.

"Hey, Ella."

She froze in place before turning around slowly. "Mr. Whitley, right?"

I nodded. "Just call me Landyn."

She looked nervous. "Okay, Landyn. Back so soon?"

"Yeah. I just work down the street. I'll be there every day for a while. " Not that they need me to be. I'm just not going to miss a chance to see my mate.

"Oh, okay." She didn't look thrilled at all. Apparently, my charm doesn't work on all women.

"So, did the table and chairs get here?"

"Yes, they did. Along with all the coloring stuff. You really didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to."

She blushed slightly. That has to be a good sign, right?

Awkward silence filled the room. I looked around and noticed Sheryl and Naomi weren't around. They must be giving us some space.

I cleared my throat. "Can I get a large black coffee to go?"

She looked startled and put the boy down. "Right, sorry, of course you would want coffee. I'm so sorry I didn't ask what you wanted. Why else would you come here?"

It wasn't a question, more like a statement.

Her son came around from behind the counter and started pulling on my pants. I looked down at him, and he had bright green eyes. He reached up with both arms, signaling that he wanted to be picked up. Without a single thought, I picked him up. He put his little arms around my neck. "You're really big like my daddy. I think you're even bigger. "

Ella turned around and dropped my coffee on the counter. I instantly set him down on the ground carefully and grabbed some napkins to help her clean it up.

The boy went back behind the counter. "Brent, you just can't have a strange man pick you up. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mama. He looks like daddy. Do you think he growls like daddy to?"

Wait, what?