Page 114 of The Gamma's Second Chance

“That’s the best way I can describe it, yes. It was there in their souls, lying dormant until they marked each other. They had to choose each other to bring it to life.”

“So even though it was there, it wasn’t drawing them to each other?” I ask, trying to wrap my head around what she’s saying and receive some clarity.

She shakes her head. “Not in the traditional way. Not in the way you two felt your bond, or Nolan felt his bond with Kimberly.”

“What if they hadn’t chosen each other? Or what if they’d never met?” I blurt out, anger, pain, and sadness flooding through me. I think of my bond with Wesley, of how beautiful and intense and special it is, and I can’t imagine never feeling that. The thought of another couple’s bond being hidden from them has me on the verge of tears again, my heart aching with emptiness and agony.

Selene’s eyes glisten, as if she feels the same sense of loss at that thought. “Then it would have remained dormant.”

I take in a shuddering breath, and Wesley sways us side to side, his arms tightening around me. “It’s okay, Sugar Plum. They found each other. They chose each other.”

I pinch my lips together and nod. He’s right. That’s what matters. Despite the odds stacked against them, Nolan and Cassandra found each other and chose each other.

“Why are you telling us this?” I ask. “Why not tell them?”

“Nolan has no desire to speak with me,” Selene says, giving a half-hearted shrug. My gut response is to tell her I don’t either, but I stop myself, because that would be a lie. “And I didn’t want to interrupt their joy. But they will have questions.”

I tighten my jaw and swallow against the tightness in my throat that’s been there since I saw the new portraitsshe painted. “We’ll pass along the information,” Wesley says, responding to her for both of us. Then he unfolds me from his arms and takes my hand in his, turning towards the exit of the temple. “We will take our leave now.”

Water pools in my eyes, my tongue heavy as well as my feet, my body unsure of if it wants to leave or stay and ask the burning question in the forefront of my mind. Wesley makes it a few steps away from me, but I’m frozen in place, staring at Selene. She studies the paintings, seemingly unaware of my eyes on her, but I know it’s an act.

“Why haven’t you visited me?” I say, the words rushing out of my mouth before I can change my mind.

Her eyes close and she winces, but she doesn’t turn towards me.

“I’ve had questions. We have had questions. You gave me these gifts, these powers, even after I said I wanted none, and you just what—expected me to know what they’re for and how to use them?!” She slowly faces me, and hot tears stream down my cheeks, my hands trembling at my sides, and my aura bursting from me like a volcano. “All this time, you could have called me here to see me and speak with me, but you didn’t. Not until you had a message for me to deliver to someone else!”

Wesley rushes back to my side and embraces me again, cupping the back of my head in his hand. I squeeze him tight, my breaths heavy and shaking. He’s the only one who knows the true frustration and pain I feel at having been ignored by Selene all these years. He strokes my back, and I melt into his touch, his presence and his loving caresses easing a bit of the burden in my soul.

“You could have visited me too,” she whispers, watching us with matching hurt and sadness pooling in her eyes.

My hands curl against Wesley’s back, scratching his skin. “But I didn’t know that!”

She sighs and drops her hand from a painting of us and Cav. “You set your boundaries with me, Haven. I was respecting them.”

“Boundaries?” I sputter, leaning away from Wesley. “What boundaries?”

“You didn’t want a relationship. You told me you didn’t think of me as anything other than the woman who gave birth to you. I overstepped when I offered you immortality, and I didn’t want to do that again. All my best intentions end up hurting you.”

“You were a stranger to me,” I remind her. “And yes, at that time, I was hurt and reeling from everything I’d learned about myself and this world. But…”

I trail off and glance up at Wesley before gazing around the temple. It’s a beautiful representation of the love she holds for me and for Asteria. I could point out to her the irony of how she once again hurt me more by ignoring me, but I wasn’t kind to her either. I shut myself off from her, and I hurt her too. And all yelling at her and holding a grudge against her will do is continue the cycle.

Entwining our fingers together, I walk over to my mom with Wesley at my side, and I take her hand, too, gazing up into her eyes. “Would you like to meet your grandchild?” I ask, hovering our clasped hands over my rounded belly.

A tear falls from her eye, and she nods, lowering her hand to my stomach. The baby rolls around at her touch, and she smiles wide, placing her other hand on me as well. “Such a strong little one,” she says, laughing as the baby kicks against her hand.

“Like their mom,” Wesley says, smiling down at me.

“They will be a fine leader for Crescent Lake, a wonderful friend to their beta, a role model to their siblings, and a confidant for Savannah,” my mom says. “This little one will have so much love,” she adds, gazing at Wesley and me with shining eyes.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur through the pain in my throat and my heart. “Thank you for respecting my boundaries. It hurts that you didn’t visit me. Especially now that I know you could have and didn’t. But I don’t want us to be strangers anymore.”

Her lip trembles, and she nods before pulling me into a hug. Her silvery hair is soft under my hands as I return her embrace, and a small sob escapes me as she fades away beneath my touch and Wesley and I disappear from her realm and head back to our own.

Chapter 40

CASSANDRA

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