Page 63 of Second Chance Mates

My brows pinch together. What is she talking about?

“Who are you?” I repeat.

Whoever she is, she’s beautiful. Mysteriously beautiful.

She raises her hand and caresses my cheek. I half-expect it to fall through my face with how she looks like a spirit from above, but it doesn’t. Her fingers are soft like expensive silk, and I close my eyes to the sensation.

“I never wanted you to suffer. I’m glad you’re on the right path now.”

“What do you mean?”

When I open my eyes, she smiles, her cheeks creasing around her mouth. “You’re home, Ava. You are exactly where you are meant to be. I never wanted it to be through these circumstances, but this is where you belong, where you’ve always belonged.”

I flick my gaze between hers slowly. “Home? I don’t remember my home.”

“No.” She shakes her head and drops her hand. My cheek turns cold without her magical touch. “You don’t. But that was never your true home. This is your forever home. I know it’s hard for you to trust, but trust me when I say you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. I will keep saying it until you believe me—until you see for yourself.”

My gaze turns hazy for a second. “With Jaxon?”

Her smile is calming. “With the family that was meant to be.”

“Who are you? Tell me who you are.”

“I am always here, Ava. You might not be able to see me, but my energy will always be present.”

I blink at her words. “But I can see you?”

The next second, she’s gone, and I turn around to find myself alone. I swipe a hand over my forehead. “Hello?” I call out, but all I can hear is my voice echoing against the trees.

My hand touches my cheek from where I can still feel her presence. The moon above me glows so bright I shield my eyes from the sharpness of it. I wince and turn away.

“You’re home, Ava.”

I gasp a silent breath and sit up in my bed. My head whips around my room, but I’m alone. It was a dream. I press a hand to my chest and listen to my heart rattle against my ribcage.

Although I’m coming to terms with the fact it wasn’t real, an eerie feeling buzzes around my head. I close my eyes and attempt to control my breathing with large gulps of air.

She felt so…real. A mythical creature of some kind but, at the same time, a soul with heartfelt emotions. My fingers graze my cheek. I can still feel the warmth of her touch despite her pale skin. She radiated heat—comforting heat.

I’ve never seen anything like her in my life. She’s a mystery to solve. I crawl out of bed and get dressed into comfortable clothes before heading downstairs to the library. My eyes swipe past the clock on the wall. It’s barely eight o’clock in the morning, and I doubt anyone will be in the library this early.

My feet creep into the room as I turn on the light and glance around. It’s empty, thank goodness. I step forward and analyse the walls of books as high as the ceiling. A lot of them look ancient, covered in years worth of dust.

I chew on my lip. I don’t have a clue where to start. My hand rests on my hip as I walk to the furthest ladder. I test out the sturdiness of it before climbing the steps to reach the top. My eyes scan the spines for words that might stick out to me, but I’m not entirely sure what I’m looking for.

It’s more of an instinct than actual knowledge.

My fingernail hooks onto a book, and I pluck it from the shelf. I lean onto the ladder and flick open the pages, eyes scanning the contents. Pictures.

I focus on the pages, eagerly sweeping over the drawings in the book, but none of them are what I’m looking for. Instead, it’s a bunch of historic werewolf artefacts and heirlooms.

“What are you doing up there?”

The unexpected voice has me jumping out of my skin. I drop the book. My foot slips off the ladder, and I fall. I squeeze my eyes shut and release a squeal, ready to hit the floor, but instead, I land directly into strong arms.

I snap my gaze open to find Jaxon staring down at me with a wide smile, flashing off all his white teeth. A shiver runs through me as he holds me in his arms like I weigh next to nothing. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I murmur as I take in his handsome face. His stubble is neatly trimmed today, and his dark hair is swept back as if he’s styled it for the first time. Those blue eyes simmer against mine with peaceful stillness.

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