Her Second Chance Mate

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“It’s been 25 minutes Alpha. What are you going to do with they’re not back within 5 minutes?” Alex asked sounding a little nervous.

“Make them run it with all of you every day till they make it in 30.” I said with a laugh.

“Jake talks a lot about you. He says you’re an amazing Alpha. Both of our parents agree, it’s an honor to train with you and be trained by you.” 

I blushed over Alex’s words. It’s not every day a younger pack-mate compliments me.

“Thank you Alex, i’m honored to be your Alpha. And i’m honored to be Jake’s...friend.”

“Friend? I mean you’re his Alpha, and he’s your Gamma...is he really your friend?”

“If we weren’t friends, our team wouldn’t be as strong as it is. I know I can count on him for anything and he can count of me. We grew up together, we were all friends before we were leaders of the pack.”

“Were you friends with this Alpha Carson?I heard he use to be part of our pack. Did you know him?”

I sighed. “Yes, I knew Carter. His father was Beta Jackson. Carson was meant to be my Beta. We were inseparable before he left the pack”

“Why did he leave?” 

I knew Alex was just a kid, and he had no idea about Carson being my first mate. I didn’t want to just push off his questions. He was a pack-member, most of them knew so I wasn’t going to lie to him. But I am surprised he wasn’t asking Jake or his father, the previous Gamma.

“Sorry if I’m being too nosy Alpha. Jake said I ask a lot of questions.” 

“I’d rather you ask the questions than to wonder something and get hurt or say the wrong thing.” I said with a smile. “Carson left because I picked my brother over him to be my Beta when my father bestowed the Alpha Title.” 

“Why did you pick Beta Max?”

“Carson...Carson was my mate. But he rejected me without rejecting me. So I had to make the hardest decisions of my life while our father’s laid on their death beds. I picked Max as my Beta and then rejected Carson as my mate.” 

“What do you mean he rejected you without rejecting you?” 

I took a deep breath. 

“I think I need to go over what the school teaches about mates. You should know these things by now.”

“Alpha, i’m sorry.” Alex replied.

“Do not apologize, it is not your fault. But I do believe everyone has the right to know how their actions can affect their other half. You see, when you find your mate and it is activated; which can be done by touch or in some cases even just a look. You are automatically connected to that person. When you’re hurt, worried,happy, any emotion really they will feel it. When the mating process is completed and both of you are marked, this only becomes stronger. You’ll be able to know where your other half is at all times. No matter the distance. If your mate is unfaithful, you’ll feel like you’re being stabbed. Jake was actually with me when I felt the stabbing pain. He brought me to safety during the attack and protected me when i fell unconscious.”

“BACK!” Both Max and Jake yelled as they excited their trails. Both finishing at 28 minutes. 

Alex smiled at me, “You’re a strong Alpha, probably the strongest I’ll ever know.”

I smiled down at Alex and ruffled his hair,”Thanks kid.” 

Turning to Max and Jake “That was close boys. You both almost had to run these trials daily.”

“f**k, I honestly think I just might that was intense.” Jake replied with a laugh. Max was out of breath. 

“How did you make both of these trials this morning?!” Max cried.

“I’m Alpha.” I said with a duh. 

Just as both boys sat down on the ground to catch their breaths the 5 runners came back from hiding their items. 

“Ok, take 10 minutes. Stretch out. Get some water. I’m going to get some volunteers to keep track of your times.”

“Yes Alpha” They all said heading into the pack-house to get their waters.

I walked out to the garden area where all the oldest members usually hung out.

“Good morning Alpha!” A group of older men said, all of which served under my father. 

“Good morning! Are any of you interested in being the official timers for the runners? I need some repliable men that can help keep track of the runners every morning when they do their trial runs, which they will be doing every other morning until the competition?” 

“Of course Alpha! We’d be honored.” 

I smiled at them, “Ok follow me.”

I grabbed six time stop watches and had a couple teenagers bring out six chairs for the volunteers. As well as six note pads.

“Ok runners! These are your official time keepers. Say hello, get to know them. They are all former warriors who served under my father. I respect and honor each and every one of them. You will be with this time keeper from now until the week before the competition. You will meet up four days a week to run your trail runs. These pads, will advise me the days you ran, your time and the trails that you did. I want you all to bring me these pads after every run. You will be in charge of bringing your volunteer a chair, and the stop-watch and pad every time you run. Do not let me hear that you fail to do anything of this. I suggest you come up with a schedule with your volunteer so you can decide when the best time is to run. I would suggest a couple runs by yourself and a couple runs at the same time all together so you keep the feel for how the real comp will be.”

“Yes alpha.” 

“Volunteers, please let me, or Beta Max or Gamma Jake know of any runner you feel is not a fit for the this or if there is a runner you feel should be moved up.”

“Yes Alpha.”

“Your first run will be your initial run. Your goal is to beat that time, EVERY TIME. First and foremost, you are trying to bet the 28 minute mark created on both trails by your Beta and Gamma.”

“Yes Alpha.”

“You may begin.” 

I walked away, Max and Jake following me. The talk with Alex made me think that pups weren’t learning enough about the mate bond that they should, so I headed towards the school.

“Where are you going?”  Max asked.

“Did you know that they aren’t taught about what happens to a mate if one of them is unfaithful?”

“What?” Jake asked.

“The school, they aren’t teaching them what happens to one mate if the other mate is unfaithful. I want to know what their teaching about the mate bond. I need our future members to know their actions have consequences.”

“Why?”

“Because no one should go through what I did, especially if their mate doesn’t even know that they are hurting their other half.”

“Do you think...do you think Carson knew?” Max asked.

“He was 18, he knew I was his mate. He kept it a secret and had s****l partners for two years after he knew I was his other half. If he knew, he didn’t care.” 

“Nikki…”

“I’m fine. I want the tracker competitors to meet me at the pack-house for noon. That’s in on hour. I’m going to talk to the teacher in charge of the mate bond and get their teaching schedule. I wont go over it today, but i will get it so everyone gets the most info that they should.” 

“Ok…” Max stated.

“Trackers, one hour.”

I walked into the school and found the mate bond class room. This is where all of our pups learned about the mate bond, their parents would tell them about it too. But this class was to help them with every topic. Finding the teacher, she happily agreed to getting me a copy of her entire teaching plans for every age group, promising to have the plans on my desk by the end of the day.

I decided to head to the pack-house kitchen and grab a breakfast. As well as talk to the head chef about having the room for new kills every day. And if there was anything i should have them focus on.

“Charlie! Good Morning!” I said as I walked through the doors.

“Alpha! It’s a pleasure seeing you this morning! What can I get for you? I noticed you weren’t at breakfast.”

“I’m quiet busy today with getting everything ready for the training for the competition. So I had to run 20 miles before the runners were ready.”

“20 miles!?! You must be exhausted.”

“I am, but I’ll have time to rest later after dinner. Lots to do today so I don’t have to worry about it tomorrow.” 

“Well, let me make you a quick bite!”

“Sounds good, can we talk while you put something together?”

“Of course, what’s on your mind?” 

“The hunting comp. The only thing I can think of to make sure the right people are in the comp are to make them hunt. I’m thinking two to three times a week. I figured maybe we could take advantage of this. How are our freezers looking? Is there anything that you think would be harder for them to hunt? Or do you think I should have them focus on different things?”

“Hmm, that’s a great idea. I know I need to shift the frozen meats around, but being a pack we’re always in need of more meat and the less we have to buy the better.” 

“That’s what I was thinking.”

“I would send them out on their own to begin with for the first two weeks. Keep track of what they're bringing in and how.”

“How?” 

“Yeah, how are they filling the animal and then how are they bringing it back to the pack-house. You don’t want someone who can’t carry something properly to kill something too big and then have a hard time bringing it back.”

“Ok, that’s true. Great idea. Do you think you’d be able to judge their killing skills? Since you’re going to be advising the kitchen staff with dismembering the kills?”

“Of course I can.”

“Perfect! Thank you!”

“Here ya go!” He said as he slide a plate with a egg and bacon wrap on it.

“Oh my favorite! Thank you! I was also thinking...furs. On animals that can be used, is there anyone in our pack or a pack that you get supplies from that we can trade with? Or that we can donate to, to have them make blankets and clothing for the less fortunate?”

“I have a buddy that I know that knows how to do all of that. He’s part of the Red Moon Pack. His name is Jacob.” 

“Ok great. Can you get in contact with him and set up a meeting? I’d love to go over the plan with him to get his input. He may have an animal in mind that will be better than others.” 

“Of course alpha.”

*Trackers are here* Jake mind-linked me.

“Well, I have to take this wrap to go. Trackers are ready for me.”

“I’ll have some snack made up and sent outside to the runners and trackers. As well as you and the Beta and Gamma within the hour.” 

“Thank you Charlie.”