Her Heartbroken Second Chance Mate

CHAPTER 8 - KARLA MEETS LYDIA FOR THE FIRST TIME

The taxi dropped me at the Dallas airport. I stood outside the entrance, not knowing what to do. Going there was a spontaneous decision; I didn't have any plans to travel by plane, having never been on one before, and fear overwhelmed me, tempting me to call a taxi again and leave.

As soon as I thought of Jade and my mother, I entered the airport and checked the various flights. Suddenly, the flight to New York that was departing in an hour caught my attention. Was it a sigh? I decided to go to the departure gates and ask if there were any available seats for that flight. I had brought all my savings with me anyway.

I was lucky enough to find the last seat on that plane. I felt like a higher force was helping me. I paid for my ticket and checked in with no time to spare. I started running towards the departure gate as if my life depended on it. I felt a knot in my stomach rising to my throat. It was the first time I had made such a spontaneous movement. Running away to an unknown city with no one to depend on was not the brightest idea, but it was the only way I could get away from Jade and my mother.

'Come on, Karla, you can do it! Stop thinking about everything. Stay focused and make plans for when you get off the plane in New York City. No one will be there to help you, so you must learn to count on yourself. If what mum said is true, there's a fighter inside you. Chin up, girl! See the whole thing as a challenge. You are strong; you can do it!'

I gave myself a pep talk while finding the departure gate, and I was so hasty that I didn't notice a young woman walking towards the same gate next to me.

I bumped into her as I turned right, and her handbag fell on the floor. She and I went to pick it up simultaneously; I got there first, but somehow, our heads banged together as we rose.

"Ouch!"

I couldn't help but moan in pain, holding my forehead. I looked up and met the most dazzling violet eyes. The woman was a beauty. I stared at her, admiring her looks.

When I came back to my senses, I stood up abruptly and helped the young lady to her feet.

"I apologise. I was in a hurry and didn't see you coming. Does your head hurt?" I asked, embarrassed by my clumsiness.

"Nothing to worry about, dear," the young lady replied and smiled at me.

I smiled back and started walking towards the gate. I couldn't help but notice that the woman walked the same way as me.

"Where to?" I asked, trying to be polite.

Since we'd crashed into each other and walked together, I didn't want to seem impolite and ignore her.

"New York City," she replied, smiling.

"Do you live there?"

"No, I live in California. I will visit our offices in New York after a tiring week of business meetings here in Texas. They are expecting me there for another meeting. And then, back to California." The young woman made a funny grimace, and I laughed.

"And you?" she asked, looking at me, and I felt her eyes penetrating my soul.

I looked down for a minute and then looked at her.

Trying to sound brave, I replied, "Off to a new start. No more Texas for me."

The way she looked at me made me want to tell her everything that had happened to me the last two days. I couldn't resist her eyes; they were inviting and caring. Instead of asking me anything else, she offered her hand for me to shake.

"Lydia Hayes-Greenwood," she introduced herself.

I took her hand and replied, "Karla Reyes."

"Reyes! A brunette beauty like you must be of royal blood, therefore the surname." She smiled at me and continued,

"Do you have anyone waiting for you in New York?'

I avoided looking her way and tried to sound indifferent when I replied that I was alone.

We entered the plane, and Lydia moved towards the first-class seats. I wasn't surprised; her bearing implied that she came from a wealthy family.

I walked the other way around, trying to find my seat, then settled down and closed my eyes. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I tried to overcome the fear that overwhelmed me suddenly. One stewardess noticed that I was acting weird and came over.

"Are you okay, miss?"

"Yes, thank you. It's my first time on a plane, and I feel awkward, that's all." I tried to smile at her.

"If you need anything, please call me," the stewardess said, smiling and walking away. I watched as she stopped at the first-class seats and spoke to a passenger. She then looked up, her gaze fixated on me.

She walked back to me, smiling, and asked me to follow her, taking my backpack with me.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked as I wasn't expecting something like that to happen.

"No, don't worry, miss. Today is your lucky day," the stewardess replied, smiling.

I followed her, and soon I was in the first-class area.

"Hello, sweetie. Would you like to join me on this flight? I felt bored when I took my seat, and I thought you might not mind sharing the seat with me. We could keep each other company and talk a little. It's a six-hour flight anyway." Lydia smiled at me and held my hand.

My eyes filled with tears as hers shone with kindness. I was sure she was not bored at all. She knew that I was all by myself and probably wanted me to feel more comfortable. I nodded and sat next to her, near the window. Lydia asked the stewardess to bring us something to drink and turned to me,

"Karla, I hope you don't mind me asking the stewardess to bring you here," she said in a sweet voice, looking straight into my eyes.

"On the contrary, Miss Lydia, it's my pleasure. Thank you for thinking of me," I smiled at Lydia and looked out.

I felt uncomfortable sitting in first-class seats, but Lydia made it possible for me to forget about my nervousness very quickly. She was very talkative and managed to find interesting topics that led to a pleasant conversation.

Lydia introduced herself to me. She told me that she was a female werewolf and came from the Northwood family in

California. I had heard of the Northwood family before-they became legends to the rest of the werewolves, especially when they managed to save their kind from Hunters, silver and wolfsbane with the help of another Alpha.

And then it hit me. Didn't Lydia say that her surname was Hayes something? That was the surname of the Alpha that helped the Northwoods.

"Are you related to the Alpha that helped your family take down the Hunters?" I asked, surprised.

Lydia smiled.

"That was my dad, and he was my mother's destined mate and best friend. Their story is long and fascinating. Would you like me to hear it?

She then told me her parent's story, and I was amazed at how they managed to get back together after all the heartaches they had been through.

I felt relaxed, so when Lydia asked me why I had left Texas to go to a city where I knew no one, I decided to tell her the truth. She had opened up to me, and I decided to do the same.

I told Lydia where my mother and I lived for so long. I explained that the pack's Alpha rejected me because I was human and that my mother had revealed my father's true identity after many years of keeping the truth from me. I couldn't even accept the reality myself yet.

Lydia took my hand.

"Karla, I can understand how you feel, but do you genuinely believe that running away is the best solution? I mean, you could punish your mother by not talking to her. Don't you think you were a bit harsh towards her? Maybe she had her reasons for not telling you all these years?

"Lydia, don't you think that already thought about it? I could not stay there and wait for Jade to find his second-chance mate, humiliating me even more. I've had enough of his attitude. And as for my mother, when I settle down, I will contact her and ask her to join me. I would probably have forgiven her by then."

"What about school? Have you graduated yet?" "No, this is my last year at school."

"What are you planning to do? Drop out of school?"

I looked at Lydia, stunned. I was so upset with everything that had happened that I had forgotten about school.

"s**t!" The word escaped my mouth before I could control my sentiments. When I realised that I had said it out loud, I apologised to Lydia.

"I like you, Karla Reyes; I like you a lot. I have a proposal for you, sweetie. How about you come and stay with me in my pack? I am the Luna of the Moon Stone pack, and my mate, Seth, is a kind and loving Alpha. We have been together for six years. Our pack is very near the Blue Silver Moon pack; that is my family's pack. You will get to know all of my family; you will have a family to look after you and your needs."

I never expected Lydia to say something like that. My heart started racing in my chest. Was I that lucky to have found a shelter the day I left my house? Did someone send Lydia my way on purpose? Did I have a guardian angel somewhere there that I didn't know about?

"Lydia, do you mean that? I mean, you barely know me. Are you sure of your proposal?" I asked, hoping that she would not back down on her offer.

"Karla, it doesn't take long for me to recognise someone's character. And you, you are an open book to me, sweetie. You are honest and hardworking. There is something about you that makes me want to protect you. I know there is more to your story. I also know that you don't trust me enough to tell me the whole truth. If you come with me, I promise that you will be safe and finish school. That's a condition. You have to finish school. Since you are eighteen, joining a school without a parent's consent won't be a problem for us. So, what do you think?"

I looked at Lydia in awe. She had thought of everything—even my school transfer.

"You are a good Luna, indeed. You organise everything the way you think it should be, and you do it quickly," I said and smiled at her. Lydia smiled widely.

"Yeah, that's what Seth tells me all the time. So, what do you say? Do you accept my proposal? Come on; I need a friend like you with me. It will be fun, and I can teach you many things about business. Give it a try and see whether you like it, and if you decide to stay with us, as soon as you finish school, you can work with me at my company as my assistant. What do you say?"

Lydia's excitement made me feel special. She truly meant what she said-I could see it in her bright violet eyes. She was so happy to find a solution to my problem; I could sense that.

'Come on, girl, what do you have to lose? You can at least give it a try, and if you don't like the environment, you can leave,' I thought to myself.

"Lydia, thank you so much for your offer. You got yourself a deal," I said, smiling, and Lydia hugged me happily.

Little did I know what turmoil I had sentenced my heart to when I took up her offer to move to California.