Twice Mated: Another Chance Against Family

Unwanted Attachments

(Clarissa’s POV)

Fuck. f**k. f**k.

Our mate? And worse - he was a rogue. No one could know I had been here. I couldn’t let Eleanor find out.

I turned my bag upside down, clothes spilling everywhere. With shaking hands, I yanked on my tight black pants.

My chest heaved. Huff-huff-haaah.

Mercedes? Let’s evaluate the situation.

No response.

The mating heat slammed into my ribs like molten chains, yanking me toward the fence. My pulse hammered in my throat. Mercedes! Get out here right now. Why can’t we ever be on the same page?

Still no response.

Fine. Stay quiet then.

Another wave hit, twisting low in my belly. My thighs clenched against the pull. The stories always spoke of warmth and longing. Instead, it felt like my own body was trying to betray me. Eleanor could have kept him as a watchman. Has Eleanor caught on to-

Tchk!-tchk!

The sound of broken branches and dry leaves grew louder by the second as the scent of pale citrus and dry cedar wood grew stronger.

If he knew I was here, I couldn’t let him leave. No one could know I had been out here. Just keep moving. One more step-

“Hey!” His voice cut through the night.

I didn’t waste a second. I jumped, grabbed the top of the fence with one hand, silver knife clenched between my teeth, and hauled myself over.

What I saw made my eyes widen.

A tall, powerfully built man stood completely naked in the moonlight filtering through the trees.

“Oh my Goddess- why the f**k are you flashing me?!” I screamed, missing my footing. My leg caught on the fence, and I tumbled backward in the most humiliating way possible.

“For f**k’s sake, put on some clothes!” I snapped. Heat flooded my face as I scrambled behind the nearest tree. “Stand behind a bush or something.”

A low, rough chuckle came from the other side. “Vanessa?”

The sound of his voice sent an unwanted shiver down my spine. This rogue knows my mother? “I’m not her,” I snapped, keeping my back pressed to the tree.

“Hmm, that makes sense,” he murmured. “She would be older now. You two look alike though… you must be her daughter then. Interesting.”

He already knew too much. I risked a glance around the trunk, tightening my grip on my knife. “Rogue, what business do you have out here alone? Your type usually travels in packs. What kind of rogue doesn’t even have clothes?”

“I’m not a rogue,” he replied, a smirk in his voice as he took a step back into the bushes. “I just love long runs. The wind in my fur, you know? Isn’t that why you’re out here?”

“None of your business. If you aren’t rogue, what pack are you from then?”

“None of your business as well,” he shot back, still smirking.

I glanced at the fence. I needed to reach the library. I didn’t have time for this pull in my chest. He’d be better off without me anyway.

I turned and started climbing again. Upon reaching the top, the clouds parted. Moonlight spilled over him.

He was… overwhelming.

Easily over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and a frame carved from raw power and violence. Dark, almost black hair fell in messy waves. High cheekbones and a strong jaw were shadowed with stubble. A faint scar cut across the left side of his lip, giving his face a dangerous edge. But it was his eyes - pitch black- that hit me hardest.

Mercedes surged forward inside me, silent but violent. I had never felt her like that. I clenched my fists to stay in control.

No. The library comes first.

I prepared to drop back into Golden Dawn territory.

“You feel it, don’t you?” he called.

“I can’t deny it,” I admitted.

“Then why are you running?”

“I don’t have time for this!” My voice came out sharper than I intended. “Because you won’t feel the pain if I simply ignore you,” I murmured, staring into his empty eyes.

“You clearly know nothing about our kind.”

“I know how to kill our kind. That’s enough. Do not cross paths with me again… or I will sever our bond permanently.” I sheathed my silver blade.

He didn’t move, but his dark eyes never left me. The air between us felt thick enough to choke on.

“Understood,” he said softly.

The crushing pressure in my lungs eased. I dropped down into my territory, stripped, stuffed my clothes in my bag, shifted into my wolf form, and ran toward the library.

I had thanked the Moon Goddess when I turned eighteen without a mate. It kept things simple. Clean. Now she had thrown this man in my path like a cruel joke, and my body wouldn’t stop burning.

I won’t reject him outright. Ignoring the bond hurts no one… right?

Mercedes…Merci, I know you wanted him. You don’t have to answer me, but I’m sorry… for my decisions. Thank you for going along with them.

As the scent of my tomato plants reached my nose, I knew I was getting close. We’d get it right this time.

I arrived near the tomato shrubs. My babies were looking good. It had been a smart move to plant them here — their scent made finding the invisible door much easier.

I began touching the air, feeling for something I couldn’t see. After nearly an hour, my fingers finally brushed warm oak.

Finally.

I found the door’s hand-hole at its center and took a deep breath.

We can do this.

I took ten steps back. Dark magic - Eleanor’s unwanted gift. I shut my eyes and pictured my hand as the key, holding my breath. In that moment, my hand felt transparent. The wind no longer touched that part of my skin, as if it weren’t part of me anymore, yet I knew it was there.

I ran forward, thrusting my hand into the hole and trying to turn it. Dark light flared from the opening.

Steady… steady… almost there…

“Boom!”

My hand was violently rejected. A stinging sensation shot up my arm.

I tried again. And again. Each attempt left me more exhausted than the last. No matter how carefully I tried, my magic either surged wildly or trickled out like water through cracked fingers.

It was almost midnight. I pulled myself up once more. For Daniel. Eleanor must pay, and this was my first step toward her end. I clenched my fist despite my sore hands, gritted my teeth, planted my feet, and channeled every drop of magic I had left into my right hand. I ran toward the door and thrust my hand in.

This time was worse. The door rejected me instantly. The intense sting made my muscles ache.

I collapsed onto the grass, staring at the crescent moon as memories flooded in uninvited. A broken laugh tore from my throat-“Pfft… aha… ha ha ha…”-growing louder and wilder until I was gasping, ripping out handfuls of grass.

What if I can never open this door? How will I expose what she did to Daniel and me… to our child?

I had been powerless as a human.

As a werewolf I was still powerless.

The truth slammed into me like every useless strike against that door. I couldn’t save anyone, and I couldn’t seek vengeance.

“NOTHING’S CHANGED!” I screamed, slamming my fists into the ground. “NOTHING’S CHANGED!” My eyes burned with salt as tears filled them.

Sacred Moon Goddess! Why was I the only one reincarnated? Why not Daniel?

I wiped the tears away fiercely before they could fall. No tears. Be strong. For Daniel.

I dragged my exhausted body upright and began the long walk back, kicking one foot forward after the other while admiring the stars that decorated the night sky. In my past life, I couldn’t do stargazing without my glasses. Funny how he loved the sun while I loved the stars.

The night was quiet again. I can’t believe I lost my cool back there by screaming. Now only the sound of my ragged breathing remained. Alone, I didn’t have to keep up appearances.

When I finally reached the mansion, I looked up at my balcony and sighed. My legs felt like lead. I noticed my door was slightly open. Didn’t I close that? These mosquitoes are going to be the end of me.

With clumsy fingers, I stripped, then shifted with the little strength I had left. I parkoured my way up, jumping from ledge to ledge until I reached the balcony base and transformed back.

Goodness, that was close.

I hung there with one arm, looking down at the height separating me from the ground. If I fell from here, Mum would be so-

A foot suddenly pressed down on my hand.

I hadn’t heard any footsteps so how?

My eyes widened as I looked up.

Shit.

Those familiar dark green eyes stared down at me, laced with false innocence. Yet all they reminded me of was the woman who had taken everything from me.