A Second Chance Mate

Chapter 3- Second Chance Mate

Lexi's Pov

I ran through the packhouse garden until I reached the fountain in the center. The fountain was a giant pool of water with a stone statue of a wolf in its center. I sat on its stone edge, looking up at the full moon to try and calm my racing heart. Why was this happening to me? I asked myself. The night air was cool on my face, and it helped to calm my thoughts. Just then, I heard footsteps on the pathway. I looked over to see who it was and saw Becca and Aaron heading towards me. I stood up, hoping to leave before they could reach me, but I wasn't quick enough.

"Where are you going?" Becca asked me in a snarky tone.

"Back inside," I replied.

"What are you done running?" Becca asked.

"What's with all the questions?" I asked back.

"Look, we saw you eyeing Alpha Dominic like a little lost puppy trying to find a man to f**k her," Becca said.

"If that were the case, why would I be out here instead of back in there with him?" I asked her. I was not letting her insults affect me.

"Maybe you realized that he would never want a rejected loser like you," she hissed at me, clearly annoyed that her insults were not bothering me.

"No Alpha would want her. That's why I rejected her," Aaron said, and Becca smiled.

"Like I would want an arrogant ass like you, Aaron," I replied, unfazed by their insults, but they were both getting angry that I was not letting them break me down. I again tried to get around them to leave, but they wouldn't let me.

"You think you can just walk away from us?" Becca asked.

"Yes, I do, since all you want is to insult me," I shot back at her.

"Look here, you little b***h, you think you can talk to your future Luna like that?" Aaron growled at me. I took a step back, trying to distance myself from him.

"Yeah, you cannot speak to me like that and think you can just get away with it," Becca said.

"You're the one that came out here and decided to throw insults at me thinking I give a damn about what you say or think of me," I responded to them.

"When we run this pack, you will be out of here, which will make you a rogue, and you know what happens to them?" Becca asked with a smirk on her face. Just then, she pushed me and knocked me into the fountain's pool of water. That is when I heard someone say, "What the hell did you do?" It was Alpha Dominic. I reached for the side of the fountain to get out when Dominic grabbed my head and helped me. He took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. Just then, I noticed the intoxicating scent of sandalwood and citrus.

Dominic's Pov

I had wrapped my coat around her to help warm her up from the cold night air. Aztec was going crazy that this woman had the nerve to put her hands on our mate. I turned to face the Alpha's son, and the girl I assumed was his mate.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" I asked them, my voice with the rage I was feeling.

"Alpha Dominic, we were just teaching this b***h that she cannot disrespect her future Alpha and Luna," the girl said.

"Is that how you treat your pack members?" I responded to the girl.

"This is none of your business. This is my pack, and I will teach its members how I see fit," Aaron replied.

"It is, in fact, my business when someone dares to lay a finger on my mate," I growled at him.

"There is no way that she is your mate," the girl said, and Aaron looked shocked.

"Yeah," Aaron said, finding his voice again.

"I was Lexi's mate, but I wouldn't have this worthless, beaten girl as a mate, so I rejected her and took Becca here as my chosen mate and future Luna," he continued.

"Yeah, and now no one would want someone who is an Alpha rejected," Becca said.

"Have neither of you ever heard of a second chance mate?" I asked them.

"Well, yeah, we're not idiots," Becca snarled at me.

"Then you should know someone can have one," I told her.

"Even so, you don't want her as your mate, so just go ahead and reject her like I did," Aaron said. The rage was building inside me, and my wolf wanted to rip their heads off for insulting our mate and implying that we should reject her.

"That is not for you to tell me to do," venom laced in my voice as I spoke. I needed to escape these two goons before Aztec could force himself to the surface and rip these two into pieces. I placed my hand on the small of Lexi's back and guided her away from the fountain. As we walked, I noticed that she looked puzzled and wondered if she believed what those two were saying.

"Aztec, have you reached out to her wolf?" I asked my wolf. I needed to know what was going on so I could act accordingly.

"I have," he replied.

"What is wrong? Did I do something wrong?" I asked him, panic in my voice.

"This is something you need to talk to her about. Get to know her," he told me before retreating into the back of my mind. It pissed me off to know my wolf knew what was wrong with our mate, and he refused to tell me. I led her to my car so I could drive her home so she could change out of her wet clothes. When we reached my vehicle, she stopped.

"What are you doing?" she asked me.

"I'm going to drive you home to change," I told her.

"I left my purse inside, and my friend won't have a ride home if I leave with you," she replied.

"What is your friend's name?" I asked her, wanting to spend more time with her.

"Erika Brown," she told me.

"Give me a second," I told her, pulling out my phone and dialing Grant's number.

"Grant, I need you to find a girl. Her name is Erika Brown. Tell her I am giving her friend a ride home, and she can take her car home for the night," I said once he answered.

"OK, Alpha will do," Grant responded, and I hung up the phone. I turned to face my mate, and for the first time, I noticed just how breathtaking she was. Her crystal blue eyes were something I could get lost in, her skin pale, and her light brown hair fell slightly out of its updo style due to being wet.

"There, it's all set. My Bata will have your friend take your car and purse to her home tonight," I told her as I opened the car door for her to get in. She hesitated but then got into the passenger seat of my car. Once I got into the driver's seat, I put the car in drive and drove off. She told me where to go as I drove toward her home. We got to her house, and I walked her to the door.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," I replied. She turned to go inside but stopped and faced me again.

“Can I ask you something?” She asked me.

“Anything," I replied, happy she wasn’t leaving me yet.

“Why did you stand up for me?” She asked me with a curious look.

“Why would I not stand up for you?” I asked her in return. She looked at me and hesitated before answering.

“Well, no one has ever stood up for me before,” she told me.

“Well, I will always protect you,” I told her. I was shocked she even asked me that. Did she not want me as her mate, or did she think that I would reject her as that asshole had done? I wondered. She looked at me then, and her eyes were full of wonder.

“Well, goodnight,” she said.

Before I could respond, she opened the door and went inside, leaving me standing alone on the front porch. Not wanting to scare her, I turned around and walked back to my car. Getting in, I drove away and headed to the hotel room that Grant had booked for me.