My Best Friend, My Second Chance Mate

Chapter 6

AUSTIN

"Who's at the door, Lucy?"

My question was met with silence. No answer. She stood frozen, her back to me, rigid against the door. Something wasn’t right.

“Lucy?” I called again, moving swiftly towards her. I reached her in a few strides and saw what had caught her attention.

On impulse, I snaked my hand behind her waist, pulling her rigid body towards mine.

"Hello? Who are you?" I threw my question at the group of men standing on the other side.

I glared at them— five of them, all wearing black suits, their faces stern and emotionless. My wolf stirred uneasily beneath my skin, sensing my agitation.

But I pushed it down, returning my attention to Lucy—she was still unresponsive. She didn’t even turn to face me.

The man who seemed to be in charge stepped forward. His eyes flicked briefly to me before he turned to Lucy. "Miss Lucy Campbell, we are here to take you back," he said, ignoring my question completely.

My pulse quickened, a sharp spike of anger flooding my veins. "I asked who you are?" I growled, my wolf clawing beneath my skin. "You're on my land. I consider that trespassing. Leave, now, or announce your business."

The man’s face tightened, his lips curling into a sneer. "We’re here for Miss Lucy Campbell," he said, tone sharp with annoyance. "She’s been gone the whole night, and Alpha Blake arranged a search party for her. We traced her scent to the club, and it led us here.”

Blake. The name alone was enough to set my wolf howling inside my mind. This wasn't part of my plan.

I glanced at Lucy, her face unreadable. But there was something—something in her eyes that I couldn’t understand.

"Do you know this man Lucy? Do you know any Alpha Blake?" I feigned ignorance, throwing the questions at her.

She didn't answer, but her head gave a barely noticeable nod.

I clenched my fist. What was happening?

"Are you all…" I began, but the same man, his voice dripping with impatience, interrupted me.

"Now that we've shared pleasantries and established that she knows us," he said, stepping toward her, "we’ll be taking her with us."

He stepped forward, his hand reaching to grab her. A low growl escaped from my chest just as my hand instinctively pulled her behind me.

"Stay back!" I warned them, my voice guttural, the threat clear.

They took a step back, watching me cautiously with their eyes. They were poised and ready for attack. Five pairs of eyes trained on me with the intent to kill. The odds weren't in my favor but I'll take the chance. I couldn't let them mess up my plans, every effort I've put into being here, this very moment, with her.

From behind me, I heard Lucy's voice, soft, but steady. "I should get going, Austin. Thank you for everything."

My mind reeled for a second, trying to process her words. She stepped out from behind me, her hand briefly touching my shoulder before she walked past me and out the door.

She ignored the men and kept walking, glancing back only to give me a fleeting smile, before disappearing out of sight.

I stood there, dumbfounded, my breath ragged. The world seemed to tilt beneath me. They had left, but my mind raced a hundred miles a minute. Blake had sent a search party. That bastard always had a way of ruining my plans. Now, I had to figure out how to get her back on my terms. How could I convince her to stay when Blake had a claim on her?

Blake. I'll get him one of these days and I won't spare him.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, jerking me out of my thoughts. The screen lit up with "Father."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose before answering.

"Hello, Father," I said, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice.

"What took you so long to get back to me?" he snapped. I could almost picture him towering over his desk, his fingers tapping aggressively on the desk.

"I had her in the house, Father,” I replied, my tone calm, though my hands were trembling. “I couldn't risk her hearing our conversation."

"Had?!” His voice cracked with fury. “Where is she now, Austin? You let her go? You son of…"

I pulled the phone away from my ears as his voice screeched, its sharpness like nails on concrete. He was known for his impatience, but I wasn't like him. And that's why I would be a better alpha than he ever was.

I smiled at the thought.

"Father, Father, calm down,” I said, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. “I've everything under control. I let her go over to say her goodbyes. She has to believe she chose to stay here by herself." I kept the truth from him— it would only make him more furious.

"When does she plan to return?" His voice was laced with suspicion.

"Next week," I lied, the words spilling out with ease.

"You better make sure she returns, or I’ll have your hide," he warned, and then the line went dead with a sharp click.

I stood still, staring at the phone in my hand, taking in my surroundings. The house was filled with her scent, sending tingles all over my body.

I raced up into the bedroom— her scent was stronger here. The shirt she had worn the night before lay carelessly on the bed. I picked it up, letting it slip through my fingers as I caressed it.

Everything else—the plans, the schemes—melted away as I breathed in her scent, allowing it to arouse me.

"You're mine, Lucy!" I shouted into the empty home and chuckled when it echoed back my words.

She's mine. I'll make sure of it. Father will have his revenge and I'll have my plaything, Lucy. Blake will never get her back. She must come back to me.

Suddenly, a thought struck me and I jumped out of bed, moving with renewed enthusiasm. I pulled on her shirt and dashed out of the house, my wolf guiding me through the forest, trailing her scent.

The Blackwood house loomed in the distance. I stopped in the shadows, watching. Her room was lit up, and she was pacing back and forth. My pulse quickened at the sight of her. I could see her clearly, even from this distance. She was breathtaking.

To think I had her so close last night and now she seems so far away.

Her door swung open and Blake entered her room. Rage exploded in my chest as I growled low. I watched as he grabbed her, and my wolf howled in fury. But then, she pushed him away. A small victory. I chuckled, satisfaction spreading through me.

My feisty one.

I turned away, making my way back home, my mind set on what needed to be done. Blake. He was the problem.

I don't care what father thinks but Blake needed to die sooner than he wanted. And I knew the right person to carry out my plan.

I raced back to my territory, my wolf urging me on. I summoned him as soon as I arrived home. It didn’t take long for him to arrive, his figure slinking into view like a shadow.

"I’ve got an assignment for you," I snarled, my voice low and dangerous. I stepped forward, spitting into his face. "You’d better not fail me like you did last time."

He recoiled, his body trembling as he knelt before me, his eyes downcast.

"Yes, master," he whimpered. “I won't fail you.”