Alpha Kieran's Second Chance Mate

Chapter 8: Fated Collision

Chapter 8 : "Fated Collision"

The night was quiet, except for the sound of Selena’s car engine. Her hands gripped the wheel tighter than necessary as her mind replayed the encounter at the restaurant yesterday. The bracelet sat in her bag, the burden it placed on her heart was more than the small leather band should have been.

The truth dawned on her every second. Kieran had found her.

The thought sent a shiver down her spine, every single time. All the years she had spent carefully constructing a wall around herself and her kids felt as if they’d been knocked down in an instant. She glanced at the rearview mirror, catching her own troubled expression. Her wolf stirred uneasily, a reflection of the turmoil in her chest.

He couldn’t know about the twins. He couldn't get a glance of them at all. Kieran was very smart and he would be able to guess that they were his. His wolf would give him a strong hint. She needed to have some time away so that Keiran wouldn't find her or the kids.

If Kieran found out, she had no doubt he’d take them from her. He was an alpha, bound by the pack’s laws and traditions, and she’d seen firsthand how those loyalties always came before anything else. Even her. Selena was sure that Kieran was a different person from who he was before. He was someone who always believed that werewolves like them should stay together as a family, so if he found out about the children, she'd either be letting her children go and moving on with her life or she'd be going back into the pack as the girl who ran away and came back with two kids, as a disgrace and embarrassment to her parents.

But a treacherous part of her longed to see him, even if it was just once. To look into his piercing blue eyes and feel the magnetic pull she’d fought so hard to forget. Yet, she shook her head vehemently, pushing the thought away. She had to think of her kids and her future. She had built a life for herself in the human territory and she couldn't let it all to for a man that rejected her.

Selena bowed her head and sighed deeply. "He has a mate. You have a life. Let it go, Selena."

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice the shadow on the road until it was almost too late.

THUD!

The car jerked to a stop, her heart leaping into her throat. Panic surged through her veins as she scrambled out of the driver’s seat, rushing to the figure she’d nearly hit.

“I’m so sorry! Are you hurt? Do you need to go the hospi—”

Her words froze in her throat as she came face-to-face with the last person she expected to see.

“Kieran…” she breathed, her wolf instantly alert and thrumming with recognition.

He stood there, tall and commanding as ever, his intense gaze locked onto hers. His black leather jacket emphasized the raw power in his frame, and his presence was just as overwhelming as she remembered.

“Lena, there you are.” Kieran spoke as he gazed at her from head to toe as if scanning her body for any changes.

“I thought you died in a car accident,” he continued, his voice low and rough, filled with something unspoken.

Selena’s heart pounded. “What are you doing here? Your underling didn't give you the message? Why did you have to come yourself!”

“I could ask you the same, what are you doing in human territory?” Kieran replied, his tone laced with both frustration and relief as he took a few steps towards her. “Why, Selena? Why did you leave without turning back? I hoped you'd come back when you left that day, but four years passed and now, here you are.”

She took a step back, her body trembling as memories she’d buried clawed their way to the surface.

“I had to. What did you expect? That I come back after acting like a fool in front of everyone? After disgracing myself? After getting rejected? I was hurt.” she managed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kieran’s jaw clenched. “Do you have any idea what you did to me? How I almost went crazy looking for you? Nothing remained the same in the pack since you left. You told me I could do well more than previous Alpha's but you lied. I couldn't even do half of what they did. All because of you! I went rogue for months, searching for you but I got nothing but your bloodstains. I went crazy thinking you had died, everyone told me you had died but I couldn't just accept it, I neglected my duties as an Alpha all because of you! You don't have any idea what your disappearance caused to everyone.”

Selena swallowed hard, her resolve threatening to crumble. She lifted her chin, forcing herself to meet his piercing gaze. “That’s in the past, Kieran. All that happened isn't my fault. It's yours, so don't blame me. You've been searching for me, you've found me, so what now? You want me to follow you back and act like everything is fine? Like we're best friends again? What do you want the pack members to think of me? I'm not the lame Selena Rivers who ran away brokenhearted when she got rejected. I'm not your best friend anymore. Plus, aren't even thinking? you have a mate. How could you—”

“Forget about my mate,” he interrupted, his voice sharp but his eyes softening as they swept over her. “You look different… happy. You look so beautiful.”

The sincerity in his voice was like a dagger to her chest. She crossed her arms, shielding herself from the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. “You're right. I'm very happy here. I struggled to build what I have here now with the help of people who love and appreciate me here. I'm so satisfied with my life, I couldn't ask for me. You, Kieran, shouldn’t be here. Go back, you're the Alpha of your pack. You've seen me now and you've gotten another chance to right another wrongs you did in the pack. You have a chance to fix your mistakes and be an Alpha worthy of their respect. We’re strangers now. Leave.”

Kieran stepped closer, his scent enveloping her like a familiar embrace. The same scent from that night when they made love and she confessed her love for him. The same scent from the night when she was rejected. “I can’t. I’ve missed you, Selena. More than I can put into words. Tell me I'm not the only one who feels this way. Tell me you missed me too, Lena.”

Before she could stop him, he wrapped his arms around her in a hug that stole the air from her lungs. For a moment, she let herself feel it—the warmth, the safety, the connection she’d spent years denying. His eyes were closed shut has he hugged her tighter, until he could feel her soft bossom on his hard chest. He caressed her head with care and for a little while, Selena let him hug her, because she might not see him again.

But reality came crashing back.

She pushed him away with all her strength, her eyes blazing with fury and something else she refused to name. “How would your mate feel if she saw you hugging another woman?”

The pain that flickered across his face was brief but unmistakable. He stepped back, giving her space. “Mia isn’t my mate anymore.”

Selena’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about? What happened to her?”

“She cheated on me. She has found her second chance mate and is pregnant with his baby. I wouldn't blame her, so don't.” Kieran said simply, though his voice carried a bitter edge. “That bond is broken. And my father… he’s gravely ill, Selena. He says you can heal him. The pack healer has tried everything but it's not working. She says his system is weak. He needs you, Selena. I need you..”

“No,” she said firmly, shaking her head. “Find another doctor. I won’t go back to the pack.”

Kieran was shocked at her sudden refusal. “Lena, it's my father. And you still won't help?”

Guilt flashed on her expression but quickly disappeared. She didn't want to appear like she cared. She was truly worried about his Dad but her kids came first. She couldn't afford to go back to the pack and have him find out about the kids. Selena remembered Mrs Aldric, the woman would notice immediately that Selena had given birth and would tell Kieran so she couldn't take that chance.

“ So? Because it's your father, you want me to leave my whole life here and go to the territory to treat him? I have a lot of patients here waiting for surgery and treatment too. It's my duty to save their lives also and they come first. Plus, your father was a huge reason I left the pack. The way he looked at me like I was trash when I tried to stop your bonding ceremony would always remain in my head. So, go look for another doctor. I'm too busy to take more patients"

Kieran’s smirk widened, his confidence unshaken. “I’m not here to ask for your help, Selena.” His voice dropped, low and threatening. “I’m here to take you back to your territory, where you belong.”

Her wolf stood on guard, defiance surging in her veins. “Over my dead body,” she hissed, stepping back.

But Kieran was faster. He jumped towards her suddenly, grabbing her by the wrist before she could react.

“Kieran, let go!” she snarled, her wolf pushing to the surface as she tried to go free.

“You’ve gotten weak, Lena,” he murmured, almost mockingly, his grip unrelenting.

Selena’s eyes flared with anger as she shifted partially, claws extending, but Kieran deflected her easily, his strength as an alpha overwhelming. She struggled fiercely, but the fight drained from her quickly. He hit her slightly, just enough to make her unconscious, her breathing turned ragged, and darkness began to creep into the edges of her vision.

“No…” she gasped, her body betraying her as exhaustion took hold.

Kieran caught her as she crumpled, lifting her effortlessly into his arms. He looked down at her, his expression softening for just a moment as he whispered, “I’ll bring you home, Selena. Where you belong.”

With that, he carried her toward the woods, his wolf pacing within him as if triumphant.