Page 101 of Second Chance Mates

I raise my hand to brush a lock of dark hair behind her ear. “All of the pack are dead,” I state. “But I kept three of them alive, and I’m keeping them in a dungeon out in the warehouse on our territory.”

Her face pales. “They’re still alive?”

“They’re being watched by multiple guards. They’re not going anywhere. They won’t be able to escape. They won’t be able to harm you,” I try to reassure her, but those brown eyes start glazing over.

“W-why would you bring them here?”

I cup her face gently. “Because I wanted to give you the opportunity to have closure, if you want to. And killing them quickly didn’t seem fair to me. If you don’t want to see them, I won’t make you, but I will make them pay for all the pain they’ve caused you. I want to see them suffer.”

“Oh, my God,” she trembles.

I push myself up on an arm as she swipes her legs over the edge and paces. “They’re here. They are here.”

“Not in the house,” I say. “I would never let them anywhere near you without your permission. If you don’t want to see them, then that’s okay. But I wanted to be transparent with you. I had to be honest and give you this chance before I took it away forever.”

She cups her hands together and starts pulling at her fingernails. “I-I don’t know if I can face them,” she murmurs. “I don’t think I can stomach it.”

I scoot to the edge of the bed. “Then you don’t have to.”

Her breathing increases, and I stand. “No.” She holds out a hand when I approach her. “Just give me some space for a second. Please.”

“Okay,” I say carefully. “I’m not going to touch you. I just don’t want you to start panicking. I’m sorry if I overstepped a line.”

Ava presses her face into her hands and releases a soft cry. “I’ve spent so long trying to keep my progress going,” she whimpers. “I’m worried this is going to push me right back.”

“No, it won’t. It will remind you of how far you’ve come. That you are capable of doing anything you desire,” I remind her. I wish she could see how strong she is. Not every day is going to be perfect, but she needs to see the strength she possesses. “You have the upper hand. You have all the power. It’s in your hands.”

She turns to me slowly, two tears rolling down her cheeks. “Then why do I feel so weak?”

“You’re not weak. What I told you is a shock, and you don’t know how to digest the information. We don’t have to do anything right now, but whatever you want, it’s yours to take,” I whisper, my fingers itching to reach out and hold her.

“I need longer to think,” she sniffles.

I nod. “Of course. There’s no rush. I promise.”

Ava wraps her arms around herself, and I frown. “Okay.”

“Will you let me hold you now?”

Her glistening eyes meet mine. It takes a moment for her to speak, but when she says, “Yes,” I gather her in my arms and wrap her up in the safety of our bond. I kiss the top of her head over and over until she settles into my embrace.

“I’ll never let anything happen to you. Never.”

Two days later, Ava bursts into my office. “Sorry I didn’t knock.”

I shake my head. “You don’t need to knock. What’s the matter?” I ask, my eyes quickly assessing her to make sure she’s not hurt.

“I want to go see them. I want to talk to them.” She throws back her shoulders and straightens her spine.

I stand from my desk and walk across my office towards her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she whispers. “I had a session with Gemma today, and we made a pros and cons list. I realised what you said was right, if I get closure then it might allow me to fully move on. My trauma will never be forgotten, but I can try and close that chapter of my life and look to the future.”

My lips curl at her bravery. “I’m so proud of you,” I say sincerely. “But as soon as you want to leave, say the word, and we’ll be out of there in a second.”

She sucks down a breath and nods. “I haven’t thought about what I should say. I don’t really know how I’m going to feel when I see them.”

“You don’t have to plan anything.” I take her hand, running my thumb across her knuckles soothingly. “If you want to say something, you’ll know what to say at the time. Try not to dwell on it.”

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