Her Heartbroken Second Chance Mate

CHAPTER 7 – KARLA’S ESCAPE

The nightmare continued. What was my mother telling me? My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt like it would leave my body at any minute. My brain couldn't accept all the revelations over the last two days—First Jade, then my mother. I attempted to stand up, but I felt dizzy and sat back on the bed.

."Karla, baby!" my mother rushed to me; I pushed her away.

"No. no, Mum, this can't be happening. You are lying to me. My father can't be an Alpha; I am a normal human being. Do you see anything special about me? Don't werewolves have special abilities? And if so, how come Jade rejected me last night? Why wasn't Jade able to see that I am a Hybrid if what you said is true?"

"So, what I heard Jade say to his father was true," my Mum mumbled. I was so upset that I told her about the night before without a second thought.

"Mum, stop mumbling and tell me the truth. Who was my father?"

"I told you the truth, Karla. That's why I sought refuge in a werewolf pack. I didn't know if anyone had found out about you; I needed to protect you from danger".

"If what you say is true, why don't I feel something? Where is my wolf?"

"About that, there is something that you must know, baby. When I told your father that I was pregnant with you, he asked a witch to give me a potion to drink to protect you from his brother's wrath. After you are born, no one will realise that you are a Hybrid, not even you-those were the witch's words. We put your wolf into a deep slumber, and the only way for your wolf to wake up is to get intimate with your destined mate, Jade."

"Mum, my destined mate, as you call him, rejected me last night; he even pressed me to accept his rejection, and I did."

"Karla, maybe there is something we can do. Perhaps if we tell Jade the whole truth, he will change his mind. And if we ask the moon goddess for assistance, maybe she will grant our wish and make you mates again."

"There is no way I'm telling Jade, Mum. He decided to reject me last night without considering how I might feel. If I have to live as human beings do for the rest of my life, then so be it. Don't even think of telling Jade behind my back."

My mother stared at me and said nothing. She closed her eyes for a minute and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, tears appeared, and her breathing became heavier; she was struggling to breathe. I couldn't feel sorry for her, though.

"I'm sorry, Karla. I should have told you who you truly are-I didn't because I don't trust anyone. If you knew the truth, you would have told Jade last night, and you would have been happily mated with each other by now."

"End of the story, Mum. Forget about Jade. He is history to me, and how he dealt with me killed every feeling I had for him. Don't you even think about telling him anything? Now, I would like to be alone and digest all the good news you gave me, okay?"

I couldn't avoid the sarcasm in my voice. I knew my words hurt my mother, but I was angry with her, and I wanted her to realise her mistake by not being honest with me.

"I have to go back to work; Luna will be looking for me. We can talk again this evening, and I will give you the time you requested. I know you are angry with me, and you have every right to be. Bear in mind that I acted this way to protect you, Karla," she said, and left her room with her shoulders slumped.

When I was finally alone, I took the chest with the photos to my room. I locked my door and sat on my bed, looking at my father's pictures, trying to accept what my mother had told me.

Lost in thoughts for hours, it took me a while to hear my phone ringing; Alexa's name appeared on the screen. I didn't want to talk to her, but she insisted. I finally answered.

"Open the door; I am outside your house. Don't refuse me because I am not leaving until I talk to you," Alexa said, her voice determined.

I knew that Alexa meant every word she said; she would sit out there all day if she had to. I went downstairs and opened the front door. Alexa came inside, and I turned my back to her, walking upstairs and into my room again. I sat on my bed, not looking at my friend.

"Your mother called and asked me to check on you. She is worried about you. Did you tell her about Jaden and what happened last night?" Alexa tried to drag me into a conversation, but I remained silent, not looking at her.

"Hey, girl, are you going to spill the beans, or do I have to pull it out of you by force?" Alexa insisted.

I looked at my friend and hesitated to tell her what I had found out, and I then realised that my mother was right to be afraid to expose my secret. Alexa might be my best friend, but she was a member of the Midnight Fall pack, and her Alpha was Jaden. If he ever used his Alpha tone on her, she would tell him everything I would confess to her.

It was then that a thought hit me. I could no longer stay in the Midnight fall pack and near Jaden. I didn't even trust my mother. Something in her expression told me that she was thinking about telling Jaden the truth about my identity. I had to act fast and leave the pack before my mother returned from work. I didn't want Jaden to move on me after finding out who I was.

"Alexa, I need your help. I am leaving-I can't stay here any longer."

"Karla, wait, sweetie. What are you talking about"? Go where?"

"Alexa, I can't stay here and be humiliated when Jade finds his second chance mate and makes her his Luna. I won't be able to take it. Please help me get away today before my mother comes from work. If I tell her about my plans, she will try to stop me."

"Karla, are you sure about this? Where would you go? You know no one besides the members of this pack. How are you supposed to cope? Don't do it, I beg you. We will think of something together."

Alexa's voice had a desperate tone; she begged me not to go, her eyes full of tears.

I looked at my best friend sadly. What would she advise me if she knew the truth? I bet she would take me by the hand and take me out of Jade's pack. She would never allow him to take advantage of me. I could not reveal anything to her, though for my sake and my mother's. It would be best if Alexa believed I left the Midnight fall pack heartbroken by Jade's rejection.

"What about your mother, Karla? Are you going to leave her behind? Have you thought of how she would feel? You and your mother are inseparable, and it has always been like that; she won't be able to take it."

"Don't worry about my Mum. She will understand. And I am not leaving her behind. As soon as I get settled down, I will come and take her with me; my mother will always be by my side. It's a temporary separation."

"Won't you tell her anything before you leave?

"No, I will write her a letter. My mother trusts me, Alexa. Stop worrying so much," I tried to sound cheerful, but my head was full of negative thoughts and fear of the unknown that would await me in the following days. I always felt protected living in the peaceful environment of Jade's pack.

I thought of where to go. I felt wounded by Jade's behaviour and my mother's lies. I lost the chance to mate with Jade and for my wolf to appear, and I would remain a human for the rest of my life. Before knowing my real identity, that didn't matter to me. Now that my mother told me everything, it hurt badly that someone else decided my future for me.

My mother should have allowed me to choose the life I wanted to live instead of making decisions. She should have told me about my father's existence and told me how much my father loved the idea of having me in his life. For eighteen years, I felt rejected by my dad. It pained a lot to know that the man responsible for giving me life didn't want anything to do with his flesh and blood.

I spent so many years watching other fathers hugging and kissing their children, wondering what it would be like if I knew who my father was and if he wanted me in his life. And a day after my eighteenth birthday, I found out that my father loved me but could not be with me for other reasons that my mother decided to keep to herself.

Disappointment and anger overwhelmed me, and my facial expression turned icy cold. I had to stay strong and not cry, and I fought hard to keep my tears to myself. If Alexa saw me crying, she would not let me go.

"I need to pack some clothes to take with me. Can you help me? I will also need a ride downtown. Can you find an excuse for your father and ask him to come and take us in about an hour? I should go before my mother comes home."

"Have you decided where you are going?"

Seeing me so determined, Alexa didn't try to dissuade me anymore. She knew how stubborn I could be. She watched as I started packing clothes in a backpack.

"No, not yet. I will go downtown and then decide. We should stay together for a while so as not to cause any suspicion and then you will tell your father that I disappeared suddenly. Come on, call your dad, please. Tell him that we urgently want to buy some stuff for school from the mall."

Alexa picked at her phone and called her dad. By the time she finished, I had packed all I had needed and sat down at my desk to write a letter to my mother.

"Mum,

I am leaving.

Don't look for me. I will be in touch. If you tell anyone about my identity and, more specifically, Jade, you will lose me forever. I haven't forgiven you yet for not telling me the truth sooner. Don't make things harder.

I want time alone to figure out things. When I do, I will call you.

Please take good care of yourself and let everyone believe that I left because Jade rejected me; it will make everything easier.

Karla."

Alexa's dad notified us that he was outside, and I hastily left the letter on my mother's pillow. Holding my backpack, I rushed downstairs with Alexa, and we entered the car, greeting her father.

We drove off to the town center, and Alexa's dad commented that we were strangely quiet that day-Alexa said we were tired from the previous night.

Her father dropped us outside the mall, and we left the car holding hands. We waited until her father's car disappeared and then went to a cafeteria-we ordered our drinks and kept silent between us.

A group of three girls sat next to us at a table. They were loud, happy that they would be leaving home to travel to Italy on holiday for the first time.

One of the girls mentioned that the trip to the airport by car was about eight and a half hours. They had to drive in turn to rest for a while.

When Alexa went to the bathroom, I turned to the girl that was speaking before and politely asked her if they could give me a ride to the airport-I suggested paying them some of their fuel expenses.

All three girls said yes and told me they had to leave at that moment. I left a message for Alexa on a napkin without wasting any time, then took my bag and followed the girls to their car.