Page 24 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

“I don’t know. I don’t even know how to describe all this. What should I say to Ashton? When I first meet him, I mean.”

“What would you say to any kid you meet?”

“He’s not really a kid, though. He’s fourteen. Not only that, he’s notanykid—he’smykid. All he knows is that his mom has raised him on her own. For all he knows, I’m some fucking deadbeat who wants to horn in now that most of the hard stuff is over.”

Trent put his knife down and cocked an eyebrow. “You think this kid’s gonna be pissed you didn’t change any of his diapers or potty-train him?”

I sighed. “You know what I mean, dammit.”

“Look,” Trent said, turning around to lean on the counter. “Avery said Ashton wanted to stay and get to know you. That sounds to me like he hasn’t made up his mind about you yet. If he thought you were some dickhead, he’d have chosen to leave. You gotta look on the bright side.”

“I suppose you’re right,” I said. “Still, I can’t imagine what’s going through his head. So much going on all at once.”

“Has he shifted yet?”

“I don’t think so,” I said. “From the way Avery talked, he’s hitting puberty, but he’s not fully through it yet. He’s got to be close, though. That’s awful. You know what those years are like leading up to your first shift.”

Trent let out a whistle. “Shit. I didn’t think about that. He had no one to really guide him through that, did he?”

“No. Not that Avery said. Of course, she didn’t say a lot,” I admitted. “Maybe I can get more information tonight.”

“Is he an alpha?” Trent asked.

“Pretty sure,” I said. “It was hard to really catch his scent with Avery right there. My wolf was going crazy seeing her again, so I couldn’t dial my senses in. But he has the look. Big kid, strong-looking. Sort of had that aura about him, you know.”

“Then it’s gonna be even more rough,” Trent said. “Remember what your unruly ass was like at that age? Before you shifted?”

Alphas were known to be more of a handful as they approached their first shift. I’d been no exception. My parents had gone through hell with me, and they’d known what to expect. I could only imagine what Avery was going through.

“Yeah,” I muttered. “It’s gotta be hard on her.”

For a few seconds, I stared into space while Trent tossed the salad in a large bowl. In a low voice, I asked, “Do you think he’s gonna like me?”

My best friend stopped and glanced at me. “I mean, you’re ugly as shit, but you’re not a bad guy. Hopefully, the kid can look past that.”

A laugh burst out of my mouth. “You asshole. For that, you get to cook the steaks.”

“Fuck off. Of course I’m cooking the steaks. I’ve seen the shoe leather you make when you’re in charge of the grill.”

The doorbell rang, the dull electricbongmaking me tense up. Trent’s eyes went wide.

“I thought you said we had an hour?” he hissed.

“They’re early,” I growled.

Trent snorted. “Sheistesting you.”

“Shut the fuck up and go turn the grill on, dammit.”

“I gotta season the steaks first,” he replied. “It’s fine. We can all chat and reacquaint ourselves.”

“Come on.” I sighed and headed for the door.

The first thing I noticed when I opened it was how gorgeous Avery was. Unlike yesterday, her hair was done, and she’d applied a little makeup. It accentuated her natural beauty without overshadowing it. She was amazing.

The second thing I noticed was Ashton standing awkwardly behind his mother. He wasdefinitelyan alpha. I could sense it now. I smiled at him, and he averted his gaze, glancing down at his shoes.

My wolf was thrashing about in glee. Being this close to my fated mate and my child sent him into giddy hysterics. It was all I could do to concentrate.

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