Page 83 of The Gamma's Second Chance

“I know who you are,” she replies, her voice tinged with amusement. “You are the gamma. The one who protects Selene’s daughter.”

“Haven,” I say, correcting her. “And yes, that’s me. I wanted to ask you—”

“She likes jewelry,” Agatha says.

“I—what?” My brow furrows and I stop my pacing.

“Cassandra. She loves jewelry. She collects it even though she can’t wear it often, and she keeps it in this beautiful wooden jewelry box her father made for her when she was in the hospital.”

An image of Cassandra playing the piano with a sparkling ring on her left hand flashes through my mind, and the corner of my mouth tips into a half smile. “I’ll keep that in mind. But that wasn’t what I wanted to ask about.”

My hands shake and my stomach lurches, my tongue swelling in my mouth. Harrison and Emily pretend like they can’t hear me, moving to the other side of the kitchen and murmuring to each other as I speak—or rather, don’t speak—to Cassandra’s mom. She is silent, though. Patient. She waits on the other end of the line, giving me time to gather my thoughts and my nerves.

“I love her,” I blurt out, dropping my hand to my side. “I love your daughter, and I—I will do whatever is necessary to be with her. But—” I blow out a breath, long and slow, the air hissing between my lips. “But I have to know if a mark from a chosen mate ties an oracle to the island like the mark of a fated mate does.”

“Mates chosen outside of necessity or for political reasons, mates chosen for true love are rare,” Agatha says after a long, heavy pause, her words similar to Harrison’s. “Even rarer for oracles.” She pauses again, and I wait as she chooses her words. “An oracle marked by a chosen mate will not receive their full abilities. They will never become a true oracle. They are not tied to the island like those of us with fated mate marks.”

My throat tightens, and I swallow against it, gripping the back of a dining room chair and dropping my chin to my chest as a new question arises from the answer she gave me. “And would Cassandra be willing to have a mark from a chosen mate if it means giving up being a true oracle?”

Agatha inhales, and I tense, steeling myself for her response. “That is a question only Cassandra can answer.”

I nod and close my eyes, the tension still painful and heavy in my body. “Thank you,” I say, my voice shaking. I open my mouth to speak again, but no words form. There is nothing else to say, nothing I can think of in response to the information she’s given me. “Thank you,” I repeat, saying the only phrase I can think of.

“Of course,” she says. “Goodbye, Nolan.”

The call ends, and I grip Harrison’s phone in my hand, still clutching the chair with my back hunched and my chin to my chest. I may have more questions after speaking with her, but at least I have some answers. And a plan already forming in my mind.

“Harrison.” I spin to face him and fold my hands around his phone. “I need you to find me a ring.”

“We’re here,” Harrison says as the car slows to a stop in front of a small jewelry boutique just down the street from Brewed Awakenings, yanking me out of my memories and back to the present.

I nod and stare at the shop as I exit his car.

A ring wouldn’t be my first choice. I bought a ring for Rachel, and that ended in disaster.

But this is different. This ring won’t sit in a drawer for months while I work up the courage to beg her to join me in settling for each other. If all goes to plan, I’ll be asking her this weekend at the mating ball. I’ll pull her into the hotel’s gardens, and under the moon and stars, surrounded by the flowers she adores so much, I’ll drop to my knees and bare my soul to her, asking her to be mine forever.

My mate. My second chance.

I exhale and glance at Harrison, who has his phone out, and my eyes widen. “Oh, fuck.” I pat my pockets, panic growing as I find my keys and my wallet but no phone. “Fuck fuck fuck,” I mutter, grabbing the top of my head. “I forgot my phone at my house.” Harrison raises his brow. “I forgot my phone at my house, and I ran off and left Cassandra all alone with no explanation.” I rub my jaw and shake my head. “She’s going to be so fucking pissed.”

“It’s going to be okay,” Harrison says, clapping me on the shoulder. “I’ll text Maddie and tell her to keep Cassandra company until we return. And when we get back, you apologize your ass off and make it up to her.”

I give him a sardonic laugh. “You mean grovel.”

“Pardon?”

“Your daughter. That’s always her advice for us when we fuck shit up with our females. ‘Grovel.’ She said it to Wes, and she said it to Reid, and when she hears about this? I’m sure she’ll say it to me.”

Harrison throws his head back and laughs. “That girl is something else,” he says, shaking his head. “Her mate better be ready for a wild ride.”

I nod. “From your lips to Selene’s ears.”

Harrison chuckles again, then squeezes my shoulder, turning serious as he looks me in the eye. “I’m sure all will be forgiven when Cassandra realizes what you left to do.”

“I hope so,” I say, following him as he walks into the shop.

The bell above the door jingles, and Suzanne looks up from where she examines a jewel. “Alpha Harrison! Gamma Nolan! So lovely to see you both.”

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