Page 135 of Second Chance Mates

“Shut up,” I hiss through my teeth.

That word. That word.

My stomach gurgles, and I press a hand to my neck to keep the bile back.

She sinks down to my level again and gives me a once-over. “Did they ravish you, Ava? Did they make you scream and cry? Did they make you wish you were dead?”

I ball my hands into fists that are bound to the chains. “Fuck you, Julia.”

“Oh, I hit a little nerve.” She wipes her hand over her blonde hair. “Do they still haunt your dreams? I bet you can’t get away from them, no matter how hard you try, because you’ll always be nothing but a useless, pathetic fuck doll.”

My jaw clamps down as darkness clouds my mind. I’m fuelled by deep hatred and fire that roars in my soul. “I’m not pathetic,” I seethe. “I’m not useless.”

“No? You haven’t stopped to think that Jaxon needs a Luna that is strong and powerful. You are neither of those things, and you’re kidding yourself if you believe he’s going to stick around for you. He’s in the honeymoon phase, and it’ll wear off.” She releases a morbid sigh. “Once the bond settles and he realises you have nothing of worth to bring to the pack, the relationship, or his life, he’ll drop you faster than you can blink.”

A heaviness sits on my chest. “You’re lying,” I snarl, my voice ten notches deeper than it usually is. “You’re trying to fuck with my head. I’m not falling for your manipulation.”

“Mmm, am I?” She slides her lips together. “Do you know what Jaxon used to tell me?”

My throat releases a growl that comes out of nowhere. I don’t shake my head or speak. She’s going to tell me anyway, and I have no choice but to listen.

“He told me I am the love of his life.” She claps a hand over her heart and wipes away fake tears. “He told me I am the most beautiful girl he’s ever laid his eyes on. He told me that nothing and no one could replace me—no matter who came after me, they’d never compare.”

I attempt to calm my shaking body, but I can’t. I’m trembling all over in red-hot rage. My eyes flick down to her throat, and I want to rip it out and tear off her head. Then, I’ll cut open her stomach and empty out her insides until her intestines are splattered everywhere.

“That I have the most perfect body, perfect lips, perfect face,” she carries on, and my vision becomes blurry and unfocused. “That the sex we have is out of this world. That he loves the way I taste. That he loves to make love to me.”

My mouth opens to release a scream in her face, but she only snickers in response. The blood inside me turns to lava, and my fingernails begin to claw at the ground in desperation. It takes over my body with anguish. It’s electrifying and foreign all at once.

“Look how upset you’re getting.” She stares back at me with wild eyes. “Don’t like hearing that I am the best he’ll ever have? You’re nothing but a side piece he has to entertain, otherwise, the bond will actually kill him.”

“Fuck you,” I yell. “Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you.”

A wheeze falls from my throat. It’s rough and husky. My body doesn’t feel like mine—every instinct I have makes me want to act out of character. Julia stands and turns her back on me, peering over her shoulder with a slick smirk.

“The second he gets here,” she sways her hips, “is the second I destroy everything in his pathetic little life.”

A noise I never knew I could make escapes my throat. My spine straightens at the same time my neck snaps in a fashion that makes my eyes water and a scream erupt into the room. The chains from my wrist burst open as my arms bend and crack in positions I had no idea was possible.

The deep-rooted pain in my veins is almost unbearable. I can’t see. I can’t breathe. My throat aches from how loud I screech as my body warps and moves, and I’m left trying to catch up because my head is reeling.

My ears prick, and I hear, “Oh my Goddess.” It’s sharp against my eardrums. The vibrations make me wince at the heightened sensation.

I tilt my gaze down, and I’m met with paper-white paws. My eyes widen in fear and surprise. No. I must be dead. For real this time. I must be.

“Holy shit,” Pike’s voice is so loud I almost cower.

I raise my head in the air to find my back bending in an arch. My senses intensify; I can smell everything. The body odour from Pike’s damp armpit stains, the sweet perfume on Julia’s neck, and the murderous blood in my veins.

My claws spread against the floor, and I launch myself at Julia. The first instinct that takes over my new form is to attack. I don’t know how to use this body, but I let it guide the way.

Pike pushes her out of reach, and I open my jaw to take a bite of whatever falls between my teeth. I clamp down on his shoulder as he attempts to push me off, and his blood swarms my mouth. It’s a foul, bitter taste that invades my tongue, but it’s the least of my worries when I hear his agonising screams. With all the strength I can gather, I tear his shoulder from his body without hesitation.

The two men shift into their wolves, while the other attempts to protect Julia. She’s my target, but I’ll take them all out. They will pay. They will see the wrath of my wolf and her years of suffering.

A growl vibrates through my nose as I stare back at the two dark brown wolves. I don’t think. I attack. The adrenaline that pumps through my body encourages me to do what will keep me alive. Yet, there isn’t a guilty bone in my body. I’m ready for the consequences, though not a single one has crossed my mind.

I’m not thinking logically; I’m thinking on impulse.

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