Page 102 of The Gamma's Second Chance

I squeeze Cassandra’s thigh, and her eyes flash with satisfaction, her lycan’s presence swirling in her pupils. Smugness leaks from her pores and her aura, and I curl my hand into a fist to keep myself from pinning her to the mattress and having my way with her, sinking my cock into her pussy and my teeth into her neck once more.

That will have to wait. She’s still healing, and we have an audience.

Wesley clears his throat, and I lean away from Cassandra, blowing out a controlled breath. “What would you like us to do?” I ask. “She’s technically still your luna while she has your mark.”

Alpha Jeremy growls. “I know. And I regret marking her more with each passing day.”

“Why did you? Mark her?” I ask.

He exhales. “We grew up together—our moms were best friends—and we had an agreement we made as young teens. If neither of us found our fated mate by my twenty-fifth birthday, I would take her as my chosen luna. The ball she met you at was two weeks before my birthday.”

I frown. “But if you were already planning to mark her as your luna, then why did she attend the mating ball?”

“My mom saw what I refused to see—that she’d changed as she’d gotten older and that her intentions were purely selfish. Even though we’d dated for several years, she only wanted the title and the power. It was never about me. So my mom added a stipulation—that we both attend as many mating balls as possible before my birthday. That mating ball was a last-minute decision, my mom’s last hope for Kimberly to find her fated mate, so I wouldn’t be tied to her.”

“Which is why she wasn’t on the guest list,” Cassandra says, eyes widening with realization.

“Yes,” Alpha Jeremy confirms. “The hosting pack let her attend as a favor to my mom. I could not attend that ball because we had our annual warrior placement tournament that same weekend, but my mom insisted Kimberly go without me. When she returned, she said she didn’t find a mate, and we marked each other the day after my birthday. Now I need that mark removed. And I can’t wait another full moon cycle to do so.”

“You can have the royal pack representative come here to Crescent Lake,” Wesley offers. “They can take her back toHyannis Ponds. Or you and Rachel can travel here as well and complete your rejection here?”

“Yes, I’ll contact the royal pack,” Alpha Jeremy says. “Rachel and I will need to discuss the rest. We will let you know if we decide to travel there or have them return her here.”

I end the call, and we all sit there in silence for a while, our brains comprehending everything Rachel told us.

Wesley shakes his head. “We can’t let Kimberly know that we know,” he says.

I nod. “I agree. But I’m not speaking to her. Not until Cassandra’s healed, at least. I don’t care what she ‘demands.’”

“I have no desire to speak with her right now, either.” Wesley shrugs. “We’re all tired and need to rest. She can wait. Tell her we’re still at the mating ball,” he says to Sebastian. “Then put her in a guest room or something. Keep Levi, Mason, and Mateo on her, though.”

Seb nods and leaves the room, and Reid and Taryn follow him. “We need to go too,” she says. “We need to get Sour Patch from Reid’s dad.”

I wave to them as they leave, and Wes stares at me as the door shuts behind them. “Are you okay?” he asks.

I glance at my mate—my beautiful wildflower of a mate—and I return the beaming smile she gives me as our eyes meet. Once upon a time, I convinced myself those smiles were the worst, that no one could be that happy. And now, I can’t live without those smiles.

Kimberly may be here to wreak havoc on my life or make some appeal to me to take her back, but none of it fazes me because I have Cassandra by my side, ready to face it all with me. Together, we are untouchable, and nothing and no one is going to take her away from me.

“I’m more than okay,” I tell him, cupping Cassandra’s cheek in my hand. “I’m perfect.”

I lean against thehead of the hospital bed, a snoozing Cassandra in my arms as we wait for Dr. Russo to examine her and clear her to leave. My phone buzzes on the side table, but I ignore it, choosing to focus on my mate in my arms instead of whoever it is calling me.

However, a split-second after it stops ringing, an angry mindlink from my mom echoes in my mind.

“Call me back right now!”

I sigh and reach for my phone, dialing my mom’s cell number. I know better than to ignore her requests.

“Nolan Ulysses Shepard!” she scolds with no greeting as soon as she answers.

“Mom,” I say, keeping my voice low so Cassandra can rest for as long as needed.

“Don’t you just ‘Mom’ me like everything is fine and dandy! I had to hear from Emily and Harrison about the fire at the mating ball that injured Cassandra instead of from my son! We should have heard about it from you!”

I groan and run my hand down my face to my jaw. “I’m sorry, Mom. My focus has been on her and making sure she’s healing and safe.”

She sighs, and I hear her plop down onto a chair or the couch. “Of course. I know. As you should be. She’s your mate. But we’re worried. She’s our family too.”

---