My Second Chance Mate: A Shifter Romance, page 13
Harmony
After burning off the last trace of my alcohol in my system thanks to Trevor's help, I was starving. I kiss Trevor who is in a light, exhausted slumber and I say with a smile, “I’m hungry so I’m going to the kitchen to look for something to replenish all these calories I'm burning.”
A chuckling Trevor replies, “Sounds good. Bring something back for me.”
“You threw a party for me and it’s still on going on downstairs. We can’t just stay up here all night.”
“Why not?” he grumbles as he catch my raised brow so he gives in. “Alright, you go ahead. I’m gonna grab a new shirt because the other one smells like that skank.”
As soon as he says that, a flash of anger hits me. He kisses me on the nose. “Stop, babe. Let’s just forget about it. I don’t want our night to be ruined by thoughts of her, okay?”
He's right, I already made my point. The rest of the night is for our friends and pack. I have a lot more people to meet. With that thought, I give Trevor one last kiss and head to the kitchen. I push through the swinging door and I come to a sudden stop, frozen in place. Austin. Austin and Megan. Austin and Megan kissing. I want to scream in excitement but stop myself before I startle them. They're so wrapped up in each other that they don’t even notice I'm there. I want to ask how this happened. Is this a random hook up or is it something more? I realize they're blocking the refrigerator, so how am I going to get some food? I'm really hungry but I don’t want to stop them. I remember the table we have set up out back with some snacks. Yeah it was just crackers, veggies, and some sausages but that should be enough to hold my hunger for now.
I quietly make my way to the kitchen door that leads to the back porch. I try to open the door as slowly as possible and I tip toe out, breathing a happy sigh of relief as I make it out unnoticed. The relief vanished when I see that I'm not alone out here.
“Harmony, I’ve been looking for you all night. I smell you’ve been busy,” Aiden sneers with anger.
“How does it concern you, Aiden? Haven’t we been through this already? I know you and my sister ended your relationship so I don’t understand why you’re still here,” I say in irritation. All I want to do is get something to eat. I don’t have the time or patience for this. I start to go around him to get to the food waiting for me just around the corner, when he grabs my arm and pulls me to his side. “Let go, Aiden,” I protest through gritted teeth.
“I need to talk to you, Harmony. I want you to come back to California with me and take your place as alpha female. I want to mark you and rid you of that mutt’s scent,” he says while looking at me in the eyes with so much determination, it scares me.
“Trevor, Jared, guys? Anybody?” I try to reach out to them with my mind.
“Aiden, you need to understand that our bond is gone. I have a new mate who loves me how I should be loved. You need to accept that and move on,” I plead with him.
“Harmony, where are you?” Trevor asks through our link.
“Back porch, just off the kitchen. Aiden’s here,” I reply quickly. All I hear in response is a furious growl.
“No!” Aiden shouts, “We are supposed to be together. You just have to be reminded of our spark and you’ll forget all about him,” he tries to reason with me.
“That will never happen because I love him.” It’s probably not the smartest thing to say at a time like this but it's the truth and he needs to accept it so we can both move on.
His eyes harden. “We’ll see if you still feel that way after this.” He then steps in for a kiss, but I turn away. At this point, he’s holding me firmly in his arms. Not liking my disinterest, he grabs my face and tries again only to be knocked away by someone slamming into him.
Aiden falls flat on the ground with Trevor on top of him. With his fists flying, Trevor hits Aiden twice in the face before the latter bucks him off. They stare at each other with flashing eyes and shaking bodies.
“You are dead,” Trevor promised with a deadly glare before rushing to Aiden again, only this time Aiden’s ready and ducks just as Trevor reaches him. He then grabs Trevor by the waist and slams him into the ground. I call out to Trevor and was about to rush in to stop them, when two strong but familiar arms grabbed me from behind.
“You need to let them go, Harmony. They need to settle this once and for all. Their wolves are challenging each other for the right to keep you,” Jared whispers close to my ear.
“But I’m already Trevor’s,” I argue.
“We all know that. Aiden won’t accept it so it is forcing Trevor’s wolf to fight and protect what is his. Just let them finish this,” he tries to convince me. I understand what he's saying but my body is shaking with fear. I don’t want Trevor hurt. I can’t lose him.
The tension is rising as they battle for control. They exchange blow after blow before Trevor gets a good right hook to Aiden’s jaw, causing him to go down. Trevor steps back, ready to let that be the end of it but Aiden isn’t done yet. He starts to shake and I know what’s coming. He's about to shift.
Within seconds, clothes are ripping and the air changes as a brown and black wolf now stand in the places of Aiden and Trevor. They lunge at each other and collide, the force of their impact causing them to crash through the railings of the back lawn. They roll in a heap of brown and black fur before standing, only to rush to one another again. Jaws are snapping, teeth are bared, and finally contact is made. Aiden catches Trevor on his hind leg and bites down hard enough to make Trevor howl. Twisting quickly, Trevor is able to latch onto Aiden’s right ear and pulled, bringing forth a whimper from him and that allowed Trevor to get his leg out. Regaining their fighting stance as they breathe heavily, they stare each other down, snarling before lunging again. This time Trevor takes out Aiden at his legs, causing him to go down, skidding for a bit and ending up on his back. Before Aiden can get his bearings and stand, Trevor is over him with his jaw clamped around Aiden’s neck, ready for the kill. Blood is pouring out of Trevor’s leg and Aiden has a gash running down his side from the fall he just took, not to mention his ear is hanging by a thread.
Sensing his defeat, Aiden gives up the struggle, lying still in submission. The surrounding crowd is silent as we absorb what this submission means.
Not only did Trevor win the rights to have me as his mate, but he just took the alpha position from Aiden, making him the alpha of two packs. Aiden whimpers as Trevor clamps his jaw down tighter, ready to end this once and for all.
“Trevor, wait!” Austin shouts.
This causes Trevor to pause but not release his hold, as he listens to what Austin has to say.
“That’ll be too easy for him. Instead, allow him to live and suffer the consequences of his actions. He has lost his pack, his mate, and his mate’s sister. Let him live every day knowing this. It is a much greater punishment than death,” he persuades.
I can tell Trevor’s wolf is thinking it over. After a minute, he removes his jaw and changes back, ordering Aiden to change as well. Trevor stands over him in all his naked glory and says, “I don’t want your position of alpha. I want you to keep it, knowing that it was my mercy that allowed it to be that way. You will go back to your pack and never return. You will forget you ever knew my mate or her sister, and you will leave them both alone and never speak to either of them again. Do I make myself clear?”
Aiden looks up at Trevor, before his gaze meets mine then my sister’s. There is so much sadness there that I almost feel sorry for him but he brought all of this on himself. Now he has to pay his dues. He returns his gaze to Trevor, and nods his head in agreement. Satisfied with his surrender, Trevor orders someone to get Aiden some clothes and escort him off our territory where he's to take the first flight off the island and fly back home where he belongs.
Then Trevor’s eyes meet mine and the fire in them burns me to my core. His face is bruised and starting to swell. I rush into his arms, happy that he's alright. His arms come around me a little too tightly but I know he needs the comfort of his mate so I don’t stop him. After a minute, he eases up a little and takes my face in his hands. We are in our own world again, not noticing Aiden being led away or the crowd clearing and returning to the party. All we see is each other. We stay like this for awhile until Trevor finally speaks, “I think it’s your turn to assure me that I’m the only one for you.”
I smile. My heart is so full of love for this man before me and I reply, “I think you’re right, but not before we clean and patch up your leg. I want to wash the battle off of you and make sure you’re back at one hundred percent, before I show you that you are and will always be the only man for me.”
His eyes narrow in thought before the smile I love so much spreads across his face. “I guess you’ll have to prove it to me in the shower then because I don’t plan on waiting one more minute.”
I laughed and help an injured Trevor into the house and up to our room. Once there, I patch and clean him and myself, in the sexiest shower I've ever had.
***
Trevor
As my mate lay in my arms, I am content with my life. I'm happy but I'm also terrified. The rage I felt tonight at seeing Aiden touching Harmony is nowhere near the fear I felt at never being able to touch her again. I can’t explain this worry I have that something is going to happen to her. I know Aiden is completely out of the picture. There is no way he can disobey my order to stay away. Rogues aren’t that big an issue, too. The scent we found indicate that they were just passing through our territory. I will still have a close eye kept on Harmony and Cody while they are in the woods, though. Hunters are a dying breed, with more knowledge being made about the true nature of werewolves and humans are starting to understand that we aren’t a threat to them.
So what has me so shaken? It must have something to do with the way Sarah was taken so suddenly. Even though I didn’t feel as strongly about her, she was still a part of my life and the sudden loss was overwhelming. If I were to lose Harmony like that, I don’t know what I’d do.
She turns in her sleep, snuggling closer to my neck. I feel her breathe out, and it sends shivers down my body. Why am I wasting time worrying about the what ifs, when I should be appreciating what is happening right now? I have my mate in my arms and that’s all that matters. I just need to concentrate on that and we’ll be fine.
Chapter Twenty Two
Loving This Life
Harmony
Life after Aiden is good. I'm getting comfortable in my new role as alpha female and aunty/mommy. The former is a work in progress, but the latter is surprisingly easy. I'm used to taking care of kids, because I baby sat many of the younger children in my old pack. I'm becoming quite domesticated, but I don’t mind. I actually like being able to take care of the guys, especially my mate. Even now, I'm preparing a beef stew that I plan on cooking in the crock pot. Trevor, Austin, and Craig are heading to a state wide pack meeting and will be gone for two days so I want to make sure I get to spend the whole day with him. That's why I chose a crock pot dinner. How awesome is it to put a bunch of ingredients into a pot, hit the on switch, then do whatever you want while your food cooked itself? My sister is supposed to be helping me but once again, she's nowhere in sight.
She and Austin have been inseparable since the night of the party. Lucky for them, they didn’t have any of the obstacles that Trevor and I had. She was marked the very next night and couldn’t be happier. The other guys are a little bothered that their charm wasn’t enough for her but they quickly got over it. For them, there is always more ass to score. Though I'm working on changing their ways, it's going to take a lot of work. I need to start prepping them for their mates so they don’t make the same mistake Trevor did. As I'm chopping the carrots, the kitchen door opens and judging by the awareness of my body accompanied by the scent I'm now addicted to, I know who it is. “Hey, babe. I was wondering where you were. I thought you were gonna spend the whole day with me, possibly in bed?” Trevor hints as he wraps his arms around my waist planting tiny kisses on my neck.
My body is tingling but if I don’t finish this now, we’ll be eating toast for dinner. “That’s why I’m doing this now so we can spend the rest of the day together while it cooks.”
“Good thinking. I knew you were more than just a hot body,” he jokes. I elbow him, causing him to grunt while laughing. Just then, my second favorite man enters the kitchen. “Hey, bud. What’s up?” Trevor asks Cody.
“I got hungry. Can I have a cookie?” he pleads with a puppy dog look on his face. It's still a couple hours away from lunch so it won’t hurt.
“Sure but just one, okay?” I say as he dashes over to the cookie jar to take one of the freshly made snicker doodles Megan and I baked earlier. Everyone is happy that my aunt gave me her famous recipe. They ask me to make almost every day. Speaking of my sister . . . “Hey, have either of you two handsome guys seen Aunt Megan?”
Trevor shakes his head. “Nope, I haven’t seen Austin either.”
“I did. I saw them both,” Cody chirps.
“Where were they?” I ask.
“By the lake. Uncle Austin was taking Aunt Megan’s temperature again with his mouth,” he tattles while chomping down on his cookie.
Trevor looks at me with a raised brow and I offer a sheepish smile in return. “Oops.”
“Hey, Cody. Do you think you could run and call them? Tell them Uncle Trevor and Aunt Harmony need them,” Trevor asks, and Cody runs off to do as he was asked. I want so badly to follow him.
“So . . . “ Trevor starts, “since when are temperatures taken with mouths?”
“Well . . . er . . . um . . . you see . . . Cody saw them kissing the other day when we were passing by their room, and he asked me why they were always doing that. I couldn’t tell him the real reason, so I said the first thing that popped in my head,” I confess.
Trevor's quiet for a moment or two. Then he steps closer and says with a twitch on his lips, “Babe, what did I tell you about doing that?”
I look down. “Not to do it but what was I supposed to say? And why does he always ask me the hard questions?”
“Oh, you mean the little double underwear, shorts, and pants incident?” Trevor asks not bothering to stifle his laugh anymore.
“That wasn’t my fault. If Jeremy got dressed before coming out of the woods, Cody wouldn’t have seen him naked then he wouldn’t have asked me why Uncle Jeremy had hair down there, and I wouldn’t have told him what I did,” I defend myself.
A new voice enters our conversation. “Ah, about it being so cold down there that hair grew to keep it warm? Now he wants to double up on clothes to make sure his wiener never gets cold.”
I throw a carrot at Jeremy. “Shut up, you should’ve dressed in the woods.”
“Are you guys talking about Harmony’s famous cold weather excuse?” Austin asks entering the kitchen with my sister close at his side. They are all laughing uncontollably now.
Clutching his stomach, Trevor answers, “Y-yeah but she’s got a new one now. You’ve been checking Megan’s temperature . . . with your lips.” My face is probably the color of a cherry as the laughter increases and more bodies join us in the kitchen, Cody the last to enter.
“Why’s everybody laughing?” he asks.
I keep my mouth shut, not wanting to risk causing another fit of laughter with my on the spot answer.
“We were just talking about Uncle Austin and Aunt Megan’s temperature check,” Greg tells him.
“Oh, yeah. That’s gross. Yesterday at school, Tiffany said she wasn’t feeling good and her head felt hot. I told her she better go ask the teacher to check her, ‘cause no way did I want to eat her face like my Uncle Austin does to my Aunt Megan,” he says while making a funny face.
The room is booming with laughter. Trevor looks like he has a bad case of side pain from laughing so hard, Greg and Jeremy are on the floor with tears in their eyes, Craig is bent over his chair with his body shaking, while the two causes of this whole fiasco laugh still holding on to each other. As for me, I'm quiet. I now know why Ms. Edwards wanted to meet with Trevor and I before school on Monday . . .
After everyone calms down, Megan helps me finish the prep work while the guys go outside for a game of hide and seek with Cody. Of course I had to promise Trevor to hurry so we could have our alone time. While I have my sister by herself, I decide to see how things are going with her. “So Megan, how are you and Austin?”
She gets a dreamy look on her face that I know very well. I get it every time I think of Trevor. “It’s good. Really good. I thought I loved Aiden but it was nothing compared to what I feel for Austin. I know he feels the same about me too, and I don’t have to worry that he’ll find someone else because he’s my mate.”
You can feel how happy she is, and it's really nice to see. I was worried that the break up with Aiden was going to crush her, but I guess finding Austin helped a lot with that. I'm curious about something, and know if there was ever a fall out between them because of it, the whole pack might be affected. So I ask, “Have you two discussed children? About not being able to have them together?”
She looks sad for a minute, before a beautiful smile lit her face. “The very first night before we mated it came up. I didn’t want him tying himself down to me if he desperately wanted children of his own. I told him I wouldn’t hold it against him if he ran for the hills.”
“What did he say?” I question, aching for my sister. I can imagine how hard that conversation must’ve been to have.
She turns to me with tears in her eyes. “He grabbed my face and said, ‘I won’t lie and say I’ve never wanted children of my own. I’ve never really thought about it until now but I love you and want to be with you. That’s all that matters to me’, then he kissed the tears from my face.”
Talk about swoon worthy. If I wasn’t so in love with Trevor, that just might have made me fall in love with Austin. Megan continues, “He said if we wanted children in the future, there were always children in packs around the world that had lost parents and needed someone to care for them. We could be those someones.”
