Page 3 of Second Chance Mates

2

JAXON

The girl's eyes are wide and alert with pure terror. I watch as she rips her hands off the hood and darts into the woods.

I hook my fingers into the door handle. “Wait!”

Her knobbly knees attempt to carry her as fast as she can move. The smell of fear drips off her with every step she takes. It mixes with her scent and leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Fuck. The last thing I want is to scare her further, but it’s clear she needs medical attention.

It doesn’t take long to catch up to her with my long legs. She’s weak, but she’s obviously pumped full of adrenaline and is likely using every last drop of energy. Her brunette hair is a matted mess as it cascades down her back and over her shoulders.

“Please, stop,” I say gently. “I want to help you.”

Her breathing hitches at the sound of my voice echoing across the trees. Somehow, her legs pick up speed, her feet dodging the roots that have overgrown and are protruding out of the ground.

I manage to catch up with her, but I know better than to touch her right now. I have no idea what she’s been through or where she’s come from. Her wide eyes look up at me in shock as she stops in her tracks. The loudness of her lungs is all I can hear, along with the heavy thumping of my heart.

Now that I can finally get a good look at her, she’s severely malnourished. The clothes she’s wearing are hanging off her bones, dirt marks smearing across what’s left of the fabric. There is a large gash that covers her abdomen, along with other bruises and wounds that look infected.

As I take one cautious step forward, she takes a small, shaky one back. Her bare foot crunches on a fallen branch, and it cracks under her weight. I blink, and her whole body loses balance. She falls down onto her backside, a quiet hiss escaping her mouth.

My hands hold up in defence, somehow trying to prove that I’m not going to harm her, but something tells me it’s not going to be easy. She scurries backwards on her hands until her spine hits the stump of a tree with a thud.

Those petrified eyes glisten with tears which soon fall down her cheeks, rolling over her pale skin. “P-please don’t hurt me,” her quiet voice begs.

I lower down to her level, attempting not to seem intimidating, but she flinches anyway. Her body curls into a ball as if she’s trying to protect herself by hiding behind her knees.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” I whisper as I drop my tone.

The girl's breathing becomes harsher. Her gaze hesitantly wanders over my face and studies my body language.

“It’s okay,” I say. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

I glance over my shoulder for a split second to gauge how far we’ve moved from my parked car. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her scramble and run off with a strangled cry.

“Please, stop.” I stand and follow after her. “I want to help you. You’re hurt.”

Before she can get too far, I lean forward and wrap my hand around her wrist to stop her. I know I shouldn’t have touched her. It’s the last thing I should have done, but I can’t let her go—not after my wolf’s discovery.

As soon as our skin touches, tingles race through my arm. It paralyses my body for a moment, and I resist the urge to close my eyes at the new sensation—a feeling that is all too familiar yet completely different.

“I’m sorry,” I say, my heart straining. I release her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have touched you.”

“Please,” she whimpers, her body trembling with panic. “Please, just let me go.”

Her bottom lip quivers as tears continuously fall from her red eyes.

“You’re hurt and clearly in danger. Please let me help you. I’m not going to hurt you,” I plead, but I realise how hard it must be for her to trust a stranger.

My wolf is clawing at me to do more, but I don’t know what else I can do. I refuse to force her and bruise her trust further. It’s the last thing she needs. I can’t let her run off into the night, not knowing if she’s safe or if she’ll make it.

She shakes her head vigorously. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

I sigh. Lucy. I need your help. Right now. I demand through our mindlink.

My eyes remain focused on the girl my wolf screams is our mate. I’d be a liar if I said my mind wasn’t a mess right now, but I can figure everything else out later. Her well-being is a priority, not my newfound emotions. Mate or not, she needs help.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” I say again. I could say it a million times, but I know she’s not going to believe me. I dread to think what awful events she’s been through. “I would never hurt you. I won’t touch you again. I promise.”

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