TWICE BURNED: SHAOSHANG'S SECOND CHANCE

CHAPTER 1

SHAOSHANG'S POV

It's been two weeks since I found out that Alpha Jackson is my mate and it has been the longest two weeks of my life. I honestly don't know what to do. One part of me wants to be next to him but the other part, the rational part keeps telling me that I shouldn't get close to him.

He is already married for crying out loud and if he cared about me like he said, he should have waited for me. I know he is a man which means he has needs but did he really had to get married to have someone fulfill those needs? Why couldn't he just find himself a mistress at least? At least in that way I would have been convinced that he really was waiting for me.

In times like this, I wish that I still had my mother with me. I know she would have done something to make me feel better or better yet, come up with an idea about what I should do.

I have never been in a relationship before and all of this is new to me. I don't know if I should believe everything that Alpha Jackson says. I mean, I am his mate and he wouldn't lie to me right?

I looked around my room for the hundredth time this morning and I still couldn't believe that I was still inside. It well after 7 and had it been a normal day, I would have finished making breakfast for the Alpha's family and had my own breakfast too if I could find any.

All of that had changed two weeks ago when I found out that I was mated to the Alpha. He personally told me that I shouldn't wake up early in the morning to make breakfast, lunch and dinner like I have been for the past 10 years.

Everyone in the pack already knows that I am the Alpha's mate and I don't know how I should react to how people have started treating me. I mean, everyone wants to serve me. I have been eating breakfast in my room and every time before it is prepared, I get asked about what I would want to have.

I know I should be happy because this is what I have been dreaming about all my life but I just can't help but worry. My wolf is also not happy about anything that is happening except for the fact that I don't have to wake up early in the morning like before.

I was about to go and shower when I heard a soft knock on the door followed by a soft whisper of my name. I went to the door and opened it.

"Sister-in-law, I'm sorry to disturb you. I hope I didn't wake you up." I have never seen Chris smiling at me before and the fact that he called me his sister-in-law doesn't sit well with me.

"How do I help you, Chris?"

"Don't be angry with me. I just want to talk to you. Can I come in?" He was still smiling.

"Sure." I decided it was no use fighting him. This is his house after all. I'm nothing but an outsider.

He looked around the room before he finally made himself at home on the floor next to my bag. He didn't even look uncomfortable sitting like that.

"I know that this is strange. I don't think I have ever been to this room before today and I thought I knew every corner of this house."

I thought he was going to ask me questions but all he did was continue looking around and then at me. He put his smile back on and that was when I realized that it was a genuine one. He was smiling at me because he wanted to not because he was forced or anything.

"What are you doing here?" I couldn't help myself, I wanted to know why he suddenly decided to visit me in this tiny hole.

"I want to apologize."

"What for?"

"For the way I treated you over the years. I know it may sound silly but it is the truth. I should never have bullied you. I know that this is my father's house but I should have never treated you like you are less of a person than me.

"I'm not going to lie and say that I didn't like what I did to you because I did but now I am remorseful. I know that you endured a lot in this house and there is nothing I can do to help erase those memories but I can apologize and hope that one day, you will be able to forgive me."

I didn't know what to say to that. I mean, it is true that he has made my life a living hell but I'm not someone who holds grudges, besides, Chris is just a child, like me.

"Look, I know that it's hard to believe that I'm capable of doing this but I don't have any reason to lie to you.

"My brother has told me and the rest of the family that you are his mate but he never said that we are to befriend you. The fact that I'm here to ask for your forgiveness is my decision.

"I know you don't have any friends in this pack and I am not trying to patronize you, I just want to be your friend. Please?"

I looked at him and realized that I didn't have any reason to deny him his request.

"You have to understand that it will take time for me to accept that you are now a friend, not an enemy. I don't know how long it will take but I hope you don't put pressure on me if you want this to work."

"Fine by me. We will work on our friendship in your pace and if you suddenly feel like you are being pressurized, don't hesitate to tell me."

"Why are you talking to me like you're older than me?" He just laughed at me!

"I don't know, maybe it's because I'm used to it." He continued to laugh and I found myself smiling. This is nice. I don't remember the last time I laughed or smiled.

"You should smile more often, it suits you." I didn't even realize he had stopped laughing. He was looking at me with a smile on his face. "Enjoy the rest of your day. See you later."

He got up from the floor and left the room while still smiling. I couldn't believe it. I know that he is always smiling but I had never seen that smile directed to me before.

Chris is two years younger than me but being the Alpha's son, he always thought he was better than anyone including his twin sister which I have always it was odd.

Dear Goddess, I don't know if I should trust his change of character or not.

JACKSON'S POV

I looked at my little brother as he left Shaoshang's room and I couldn't help but wonder why he was there in the first place.

I know I'm the one who told them that she is my mate but I never asked them to treat her like one. They know that I am already married to Alexa and there is no way I am going to take a second wife.

I can't help the attraction I feel towards her since we are fated mates but I am not going to marry because of that. I promised Alexa that I would never love another woman and I am going to keep that promise.

When I found out that Shaoshang is my mate four years ago, I really wanted to tell her but then I knew that if I did, I would have to marry her and I couldn't do that.

Her status aside, she is just plain and marrying her would be an insult to my position as well as my family.

My mother is a princess which makes me royal too and there is no one who deserves to be married to me other than a princess.

I know that Alexa is not really a princess but she is related to the king. America's Royal Luna is her her aunt and her cousin is married to the Dragon Alpha King of North America and South America.

I can't really divorce her to marry a peasant. The Moon Goddess might have paired the both of us but that doesn't mean that I have to accept it.

"You know if you keep tailing her like that, she might think that you are interested in her."

"What the hell, Carl?!" I looked at my best friend and Beta.

"I know you, Jackson and you can't deceive me. You won't leave your wife for her and if you think I'm wrong, you are free to do anything to me."

I couldn't argue that. As much as I wanted to get rid of that smugness in him, I couldn't deny that he really knew me.

"She's still my mate." That I couldn't change.

"Nobody said she isn't. I know you want to be close to her, that's how it is with me and Emily. You can't deny that the Moon Goddess created a bond between the two of you.

"It will always be there even if you marry other women countless times. It is beyond anyone's control but you can choose to be ignorant about it."

"Why are you supporting me in this? Aren't you supposed to be loyal to your Luna?"

"I am loyal to my Luna but Shaoshang is not my Luna. She may be your mate but she is not your wife and she will never be. You already have a Luna and even though she is not your mate, she is your wife and the mother of your son.

"I also know the pack will have no choice but to accept her when you reject Shaoshang. It's not like they like Shaoshang anyway." That much is true. They don't like her.

Even though they don't like Alexa much, they will have to when they realize that they won't be getting another Luna.

"What should I do? Do I send her away?"

"Do what you feel is right. I can't decide for you because I don't know what you're going through."

I almost forgot about that. Emily and him are mated. My situation is different.

He left me standing there and I looked back at Shaoshang's room. I couldn't stop myself from approaching her. I softly knocked and instantly, the door opened.

She looked surprised to see me and I could smell her fear as well. She is scared of me like she has always been. I remember that sometimes I would touch her just to show her that I would never hurt her, not physically at least.

I didn't wait for her to invite me in, I walked past her to her very tiny room. I have always known that her room is small but I had no idea that it is this small.

I didn't have the chance to look around the whole room when I realized that I didn't like Chris's scent in her room. Actually, the fact that her room smelled like him even though he spent a few minutes here didn't sit well with me.

I couldn't help but kiss her, if not for anything, just for her to smell like me. If she smelled like me then her room will smell like me too. She didn't fight me, in fact she just kissed me just as hard.

I wanted to stop, I swear the Moon Goddess knew how much I wanted to stop kissing her but I just couldn't. The taste of her lips made me want her like I've never thought possible.

I've been married to Alexa for two years but I don't remember feeling this way with her. It was like I've lost all senses and the only thing that mattered was having her in my arms.

When I made a move to pull up her shirt, she stopped me. I was sure that I didn't get the wrong idea when I did that. I could smell her arousal and I knew she could smell mine as well. There was no hiding it.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"I thought it was obvious."

"I don't get you."

"Alpha, we both know that you are married. We may be mated but there is no guarantee that you will leave your wife for me."

"And what if I promise you that I will leave her and marry you instead?"

"What can you do to guarantee that? I'm not trying to be rude but you and I are know that I can't take your word for it."

She was right about that, I couldn't guarantee that I would marry her. I don't even know why I asked her that in the first place.

"By the look on your face, I know the answer to my question. You won't leave your wife for me." I wanted to tell her that what she was saying was not true but I couldn't. As much as I wanted her, I wanted her to want me too. Even though she's my mate, I can't force myself to her.

"You are right about that, I can't leave Alexa for you. She is my wife and she's also my son's mother. I don't want to separate my son from his mother nor do I want my son to grow up without a father."

"And no one is asking you to. You knew this day would come when you married her but you still got married.

"I don't want to be a reason why a child doesn't have a father. I know what that feels like and even though your son is not mine nor is he related to me, I don't want him to be like me.

"I can't promise you that I am willing to share you with your wife or that I will be comfortable raising someone else's child but you should know that if you want me, then you will have to come up with a way for this to work.

"You can choose to keep your son with you and divorce your wife or you can let her keep him but still get a divorce. I don't care about any of that, as long as I don't have to share you with her.

"You can take your time to decide what will happen and I will be waiting for your decision. I will wait for you for as long as you need but I will not give myself to you before you make that decision."

I was still surprised by the fact that she knew how to speak for herself that I didn't even realize that she had dragged me to the door until I heard the door close behind me.

She was right about everything. I need to decide what I want. On the other hand, it is my wife and son and on the other, my soul mate. How do you choose between the two?

I made a promise to Alexa and I can't just break that promise but I also know that I can't stay away from Shaoshang for too long. I know that I will go back running to her in no time and I hate that I have no control over the situation.

If I divorce Alexa, everything that I have worked hard for will be ruined and knowing her, she will never allow me to keep our son with me no matter how hard I try to convince her. I also know that divorcing her would be hard, she could involve her aunt and everything would be a mess.

Even if everything works out, I don't think Shaoshang would be willing to raise my son or even if she does, there is no guarantee that she could take care of him as if he was her own. I will have to figure out everything soon. Right now, I should go back to my office and figure out what to do for the rest of the day.

"You promised me!" I didn't even know she was my office because my mind was still occupied.

"Alexa..." I knew what she was talking about.

"You smell just like her and I'm not a fool, you didn't her scent by just walking past her in the passage.

"Why did you marry me if you still wanted her? Why?!"

"I'm sorry, I should have pushed her away but you know it's not that easy. My wolf is crazy about her and she came out of nowhere and before I knew it, she was hugging me."

"Do you think I'm a fool, Jackson? Even though that servant doesn't wear any lipstick or gloss for that matter, I know you and you look like you've been kissed. Your lips are swollen for f**k's sake!" I knew that lying to her was a bad idea.

"What do you want me to say? Do you want me to tell you the whole truth so that you can get hurt? Yes, she kissed me but I didn't want to tell you because I knew you will be hurt."

"Why couldn't you just run the other way when you saw her? I know she is your mate but I am your wife too. I am your Luna!"

I didn't want to argue with her so I just left her there. I knew she would be hurt but I also don't have the strength to fight with her.

I know her temper very well and if I continue to stand there and exchange words with her, it will be forever.

"You should have known it will come to this when you decide to marry someone who is not your mate, big brother." I knew he was not going to let me be. Someone I even wonder if he really is my brother. Cole is heartless.

"Shut the f**k up, Cole. I don't have time for this."

I couldn't tell him that I needed to think about what my decision will be regarding my mate and my wife.

He finds pleasure in my pain.