Second Chances

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Cat's p.o.v

I sit in the waiting room while the doctor checks over this little girl. Zeus and Madaline, and her family all got checked out and are now waiting with me. Zeus is talking my ear off, but I can't concentrate on anything he is saying. "Did you always talk this much?" I ask him, and he laughs. "He never shuts up," Madaline tells me. "So how have you been?" Madaline asks me. "I have been good." I reply. "No mate," she asks, and I shake my head. "I'm lying. I have a mate. I have known him my whole life. He is the son of a warrior. He left for the training academy when I was 14. He was already 18, so he knew we were mates. He recently returned from the Academy, not just by himself, but with the she-wolf that he got pregnant while at the academy." I spit out and laugh bitterly. If I thought Zeus talked a lot, I just unloaded on these people. "Wow, that's deep and f*cked up," Zeus says, and I nod. "Yeah, he knew that I was his mate, and he still slept around and knocked someone up. Now he is trying to tell me that everything is going to be alright." I tell them. "Nothing will ever be alright, Cat. For us wolves, our pups are the most important things in our lives. That is why the elders always say to have pups with your mate only. Otherwise, things get messy. You can love a mate, but your pup will always come first. It's too messy, so wait for your mate duma$$" she tells me and Zeus. "Exactly, That is why I rejected him. I want my mate to be all about me and then when we have pups, he be all about me and our pups, not feel like he has to choose. I want to share him with our pups only, not with pups that he has with someone else. Not sure if that makes sense or not. It might make me sound selfish, but I know what I want." I tell them. "Makes all the sense in the world," she says, and Zeus nods. "Not selfish at all Cat." he says. My phone vibrates. I check it. "Ugh, speaking of the devil" I say, holding up my phone. "Mate problems" Zeus laughs. "Kitty Cat, Griffy is asleep, can we meet up to talk." I read the text message to them. "Eeww, he calls you kitty cat" Zeus says and I laugh. "I hate that name so much and he won't stop using it." I tell them. "Who is Griffy?" Madaline asks. "The pregnant she-wolf. His baby mama," I tell her and she just makes a face. "Are you going to meet with him?" Zeus asks me and I shake my head. "No, I'm waiting for the doctors to come update us. This little girl is more important than anything else." I tell them. They both nod. I love sitting here, talking to them. I love being able to be honest with someone and them not judging me for it, or trying to push me towards my mate who betrayed me. No, instead they agree with me. I love feeling like I have someone on my side and not quilting me into the mate bond or allowing a man to walk over me just because he is my mate. I know it is petty and I probably shouldn't be taking about my personal life, but we all used to get along and hang out in the same circle in high school, plus Misty and I feel like we can trust them. "They will be a big part of our lives. I can feel it." Misty tells me and I can't help but agree. I want people who are always on my side, no matter what. I know that at the end of the day, my family is on my side, but I think that my dad especially, along with other older wolves, think your mate should always come first, but I can't be with Joel. They think the mate bond can fix anything.

Finally, the doctor comes out and lets us in the room. Aurora is wide awake and talking the doctor's ear off. She greets us with a big smile. "You saved me. I love you" she tells me. She pulls my arms and has me sit on the bed with her. "Will you be my new best friend? I don't have friends. Vally doesn't let me talk to people. He says it's for my own safety," she says. "Vally?" I ask. "Our Alpha," Zeus says, and I nod in understanding. Madeline tells me that her Alpha says they will be staying overnight, so her, her mate and pup head up to the packhouse to get a room. Zeus says he is going to find some food. Aurora asks if I can read her a story, so I sit on the corner of the bed and begin reading one of the man books someone left in here for her. She asks a lot of questions while I read. I try to answer them all. Eventually, she begins to doze off. "You are so good with her." I hear someone say from behind me. I turn around and see the their hunk of an Alpha. I shamelessly check him out as he walks in the room. "Vally, right?" I say. He smirks. "Valen, Cat, right?" he asks, and I nod. "Or Catalina, whatever you like." I tell him. He extends his hand out for me to shake. I take it and give him a firm handshake. Seems like none of us want to let go, but my phone beeps with a new text message. I reluctantly let go of his hand and check my phone. I sigh, seeing that it is Joel again. I decide to turn my phone off. "I'm here now. If it is something important, you can go. Thank you for staying with my little sister. For some reason, my wolf trusts you," he tells me. I smile. "Well, your wolf knows good people when he sees them. Always trust your wolf, and no, no-one important. My ex-mate, but he isn't important." I tell him. "If I may ask, what's the story there?" he asks. I stare at him and Misty is also telling me that we can trust him, just like with his pack members, so I decide to give him a quick run down of everything.

"So, that is the story. My mate got another she-wolf pregnant and I don't want anything to do with him, so I rejected him, but he won't accept it." I tell him.. "Sounds like your ex is an id!ot" he tells me and I nod. "Yeah, so can we not talk about him anymore. The moon goddess made a mistake and I don't want to talk, even think about him anymore." I tell him. "Yes, so what did the doctor say?" he asks me. We talk about his sister and then we get to know each other all night. I am not sleepy and apparently neither is he, so it is easy to stay up and just talk. "So, do you have a mate?" I ask him, because Misty is pushing me to ask. She wants to know really badly for some reason. He stares at me, and for some reason it gives me the chills. I feel like he is staring deep into my soul, but I know that he is trying to figure out if he can really trust me. He says he can, but maybe he is just saying that, not to offend me. "No-one knows this, but she died less than 2 minutes after I met her. We were in a battle and she was k!lled. So, no no mate. Very single Alpha." he says. I tell him about my life, how I met his pack members, he asks me about my healing abilities and I tell him how I need to train to get stronger so I don't drain myself too much after I heal. "You know, my grandfather spoke about healers once in the classes he would give me with the elders. Maybe he can teach you some things. You should visit my pack." he tells me. "That would be amazing. I am open to learning anything, but of course, I would have to ask my Alpha if it is okay for me to go to your pack." I tell him. "You aren't 18?" he asks. "Well, I am, but it is difficult. I'm also leaving to the Academy in 2 weeks, but maybe when I return I can visit your pack." I tell him. "My pack doors are always open for you." he tells me. I stand up, suddenly feeling very hot. The doctor walks in. Phewww, saved by his sudden entrance. "Alpha Valen." he says, and they shake hands. "Well, I am going to get going. See you around." I say, and grab my things and and walk out before he can say anything. I check my phone and it is 5am. I decide to sneak in through the back. Don't want to risk someone seeing me and wanting to talk. Everything that happened yesterday is finally catching up to me and I just want to sleep for a bit. I climb in through my window and lock my door and go straight to sleep.

Valen's p.o.v

I watch her get flustered and she rushes out of the room when the doctor walks in. "She is all good and as soon as she wakes up you can take her. Here are her discharge papers. You know, Cataline intervening saved her life. She is still a young pup, and the bleeding alone could have k!lled her. You are lucky that Catalina marches to the beat of her own drum and does whatever she wants." he says and laughs. "Thank you doctor." I tell him and shake his hand again and he walks out. I decide that I am going to take Aurora shopping to get Catalina a thank you gift. Zeus walks in with bags. "I brought breakfast" he announces loudly, waking my sister up. I smack him on the back of his head. "Vally, where is she?" she asks me, looking around the room and trying to get off the bed. "Who" I ask her. "Cat, she promised she would stay with me." she says, her eyes now watering. "She did stay here with you all night Aurora, she actually just left. She had to get some sleep. She was awake all night with me. We made sure you were okay while you slept and got better," I tell her. "I knew this room stunk of that wild Cat. What did y'all do in this room?", Zeus says, and I kick him "Shut the h up!" I warn him. "So, I was thinking that to thank Catalina, we should go shopping, so you can pick a gift for her. We can get her flowers too." I tell my sister, who nods happily and claps her hands. "After your shopping spree, we can train. I saw Alpha Liam on my way here and he says they have an afternoon training and he wants us to join in." Zeus says, and I am so ready for that. I need to kick some a$$. I know Alpha Liam wants us to learn new training techniques from them. So maybe it will be them kicking our a$$ses. Either way, I am ready to release some of what I am feeling inside.

Joel's p.o.v

All f*cking night waiting for Cat and nothing. She didn't even bother to reply to my messages so I could know if she was coming to meet me or not. Griffy fell asleep early and she is a heavy sleeper. I could have spent the whole night with Cat. I even went to her room to look for her, but she wasn't there and no-one knew where she was at. I haven't been able to sleep, thinking about where she could be. Could she be with another male? I punch the wall. I can't think that way. After we rushed to the front gate and she was there, healing that Alpha's kid, she left with her to take her to the hospital. I have no idea where she went after that and it bugs me so much not to know anything about my mate. She is shutting me out and I do not like it. Then, last night Alpha Liam decided not to lock that pack up for knowing our packs' biggest secret that only high-ranked members or dad knows, because he sometimes goes to protect the Alpha's family. The only reason I know is because I overheard dad talking to Alpha Liam on the phone one day, but I never brought it up or told anyone. I can't believe Alpha Liam just trusted that so-called Alpha and took him into his office and dismissed us all and told us not to interrupt them. I have no idea why, but that Alpha just rubs me the wrong way. My wolf and I already hate him. "Jojo, there you are honey." I hear Griffy's voice and I feel her arms wrap around me. I look straight ahead and I see the disappointed faces of my parents. They are probably here for breakfast before the morning training. It sucks that I let my family down. I know they won't say it, but I can feel it. They don't need to say it, because I am the most disappointed in myself. One drunk night and it cost me everything. I have no idea how it happened, but Griffy looked so much like Cat that night. I turn around and look at Griffy and she looks nothing like Cat. What was I thinking? Cat has the most beautiful, long hair that I love so much. She's sweet and kind. Griffy is kind sometimes, but lately she is a b!tch and always rude. She is really rude every time she sees Cat. That's forsure. She is always saying something mean to her. I know it is to get a reaction out of her. I hate that she does this and Cat can't even defend herself. I mean, she can, but I know Cat and she won't hurt a pregnant she-wolf. But she is very powerful, so one look from Cat and I am already standing in front of her, because I know Cat can crush Griffy if she really wants to. Griffy knows it too, but she also knows that Cat won't hurt a pregnant woman, so she pushes her even more. I have no idea why she does this though. There's no need to. If Griffy just behaved and was nicer to Cat, I am sure Cat would realize that we can be together and co-parent my child with Griffy. We can make it work. I decide that after breakfast I will speak to my father and see if he has any advice. Maybe he can help me figure my life out. My dad has never steered me the wrong way.

Valen's p.o.v

The gang and I all go shopping. This pack is very advanced with everything on their property. They have all kinds of shops, a hospital, a clinic, a bakery, a flower shop. Basically, anything you might need, there's a store for it. It's a whole city here. Being a pack member here, you would never have to leave the property. I really love what is going on here. Maybe someday, my pack can get to be something this advanced. Aurora chooses a shirt, a cupcake and a necklace with a matching bracelet. Then we went and got her the biggest arrangement of flowers we could find. The lady at the flower shop told us she could make an even bigger flower arrangement, but we would have to wait and Aurora and all of my friends are actually just ready to return to the packhouse and give her her gifts and Zeus and I are ready for this training session. My wolf whines in my head. I know he is lonely and expects me to find someone and he likes Cat, but we both know we can't take it there. What if she decides to give her mate a chance? I don't want to end up in the middle of any drama or, worse, hurt. But ever since I laid my eyes on her last night and spent all night with her, I can't get her out of my mind. Both my wolf and I liked what we saw. I loved that she saved my sister's life and didn't care that her Alpha forbade it. She stood up to him and defended my people. Maybe that is why Ghost is whining like a pup. He feels her aura. How is her mate not an Alpha? She gives off Luna or even Alpha vibes. She is clearly strong. From what I know, healers are normally weak, but she doesn't seem weak to me.