Chapter 67
Chapter 67
1 Broken Alpha’s Second Chance Book 2
Seventeen Years Later
Eli POV
As we sit at the table having dinner, I start to feel really hot. I can’t even stop myself before I pull the shirt over my head. “Eli, what the hell are you doing” my father asks. My mother has a look of concern and my sister just keeps eating. “I don’t know dad but I just got really hot all of the sudden.” I have a week before I turn eighteen, so it can’t be my wolf. “Eli, let’s go outside” he says. “Do you think it could be my first shift?” “It absolutely could. Let’s go down to the pack yard just in case.” My mother, father, and sister all follow me outside. The pack yard is empty right now, which I’m grateful for. I really don’t want to shift for the first time in front of the pack. I feel prickles all over my skin. This is really happening, I’m getting my wolf. The pain overtakes me and I fall to the ground on all fours. My father gets down so we are face to face. “Don’t fight it Eli. I’m so proud of you and you can do this.” The next voice I hear is inside me. “Eli, your father’s right don’t fight the change. It will hurt but it won’t last.” I try my hardest not to fight against what’s happening to my body.
The pain starts moving through me like a wave. My face feels like it’s on fire as the bones extend into a snout and my back arches as my spine rearranges. The movement of every bone in my body nearly takes me under, but I manage to stay on my feet. Well, not feet now. I look down and my hands are now paws. Huge silver paws that I dig into the earth. I look up and my father is smiling with pride written all over his face. I turn my head and my sister gives me a thumbs up. I chuckle to myself. I look at my mother next and I can’t tell what she is thinking. I can see tears in her eyes but also shock. My father walks over and wraps her in a hug. “Let’s run, Eli” my wolf says. I will see my mother as soon as we come back from the run. I need to spend some time with my wolf right now. We take off and the
feeling of running with my wolf is indescribable. “Eli, my name is Silas. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be your wolf.” “I am happy you’re with me Silas.”
We maneuver our way through the trees and run for a while before we reach the clearing. Silas lays down and rolls in the grass. Once he finishes, I can feel he is anxious but I have no idea why. “Eli, I need to tell you why your mother looked so shocked when she saw me.” I stay quiet and wait for Silas to go on. “I know you are Lincoln’s son in every way, but I also know that you know about Atlas.” I hate that name. “I know how he hurt my mother. Atlas donated a cell that doesn’t make him anything to me but a sperm donor. My father’s name is Lincoln Thomas.” “How do you know about Atlas,” I ask him. “I was once Atlas’s wolf.” My mother told me the story of Atlas’s wolf leaving him for all he did. “So you and my mother” I start to say and he stops me. “I have none of those memories. I know she is important to me, but now it is for a different reason. The goddess has given me another chance with a human that has a good heart. A human who will love his mate the way I wish Atlas had done.” I smile because in a small way, Silas is the good part of the sperm donor and now he is my wolf. “I’m glad the goddess gave you this chance and you are my wolf.” I feel him relax. He must have been worried to tell me, but he doesn’t need to be. I trust the goddess’s choices completely.
After a while, we head back toward the pack yard. I hope my mother isn’t upset that Silas is my wolf. We shift and I grab shorts from behind the tree. I head inside and up to our floor. My parents are sitting on the couch. I’m sure they are waiting for me to return. As soon as my mother sees me she jumps up and rushes over, wrapping me in my hug. “I’m so proud of you.” “Thank you mom. Mom” I start to say and she stops me. “Silas is your wolf, isn’t he?” She pulls back so she can look into my eyes. “Yes but he has none of the memories of being your mate.” She smiles “I’m glad he has the chance at happiness. He deserves this chance to be with a man that will respect his wishes and his mate.” My mother is truly amazing. She hugs me again and I can feel Silas’s peace from her words.
One Year Later
As we drive back from the Alpha meeting I can tell that something is bothering my father. “Dad, what’s up with you?” “That a**hole Mateo was there today. He was smart enough to stay away from me but I could hear him talking to the other Alpha’s about his first mate.” “Is he the Alpha that rejected Abigale because she was an omega?” “He is one in the same. I should have beat his a** the day he came to the pack.” I laugh because my father is the kindest Alpha on the planet. I have hardly ever seen him raise his voice, let alone beat up a jerk like Alpha Mateo. It makes me angry and I wasn’t even there to see it happen. No wolf should ever deny the mate the goddess gives them. The guard opens the gate after he bares his neck to my father and then me. I’m not Alpha yet but I’m hoping to find my mate soon. I discussed with my parents about waiting till I find my mate to officially become the Alpha of the Nightfire pack. Once we park, we head toward the pack house. I can tell my father needs to see my mother. “I will see you at dinner, Eli” he says, as he heads for the stairs leading to our floor.
Micah and Mason are waiting for me in the dining room. I head toward the table and take a seat. “How did the meeting go” Micah asks. “Were you bored out of your mind”, Mason asks. I laugh “no it was actually interesting.” “I still don’t understand why you aren’t taking the title now that you’re almost nineteen. We have our wolves now and we are ready to be your Betas”, Micah says. I laugh “we will take our place soon enough. I want my Luna by my side first.” They both nod and I hear my sister’s voice coming from behind me. I turn to see her and Susan heading in our direction. Susan is Larisa’s best friend. She has also made it perfectly clear that she hopes I’m her mate. If she is, when she turns eighteen, then I will accept her, but until then I will not. “I told you, Eli, I don’t think she is”, Silas says. “I don’t think so either, Silas, but we will have to see after her birthday.” Larisa goes to sit next to me but Susan manages to push her way in.
I move over so that there is space between us. “Hi Eli” she says. “Hello Susan” I say as I go to stand. “Where are you going Eli, we just got here,” she says with a pout. “Micah, Mason, and I are on guard patrol. See you around Susan. Larisa, I’ll see you at dinner.” I can hear her as we walk away asking my sister about coming to dinner. I roll my eyes as we head outside. “That girl wants to be your mate in the worst way.” “Well, she can want, but unless the goddess chooses her for me she is out of luck.” They
both laugh before we all shift and take off toward the pack border. We are approaching the eastern border when I catch the scent of rotten eggs. I link my father about the scent of rogues. “We are on our way, stay in the pack lands.” He cuts the link and we stay on alert to make sure no rogues enter the territory. As Silas is scanning the trees on the other side of the border, we catch movement. He growls before the scent of strawberries invades our nose. “Mate” he says.
He starts to stalk forward but Micah and Mason’s wolves jump in front of him. He growls leaving no room for debate, and the wolves back down. They step aside and he continues to stalk forward. As we pass into the trees outside the territory, the scent is getting stronger and stronger. We finally catch sight of the woman the goddess has sent for us. She is petrified and looking at her is doing nothing to keep us calm. Her clothes are ripped and she looks like she has been beaten. “Shift Silas, we are scaring her. I need to try to show her we are not a threat.” He does as I ask and I cover myself the best I can. Someone clears their throat and I turn to see Micah throwing me a pair of shorts. I’m grateful they followed me right now. I slide them on and turn back to the woman that is meant to be my mate and Luna. “Mate” I say hoping that will make her realize I am no threat to her. Her eyes get big and she takes in a deep breath. She must finally realize I am her mate, but she doesn’t claim me.
Silas whimpers and I hate this for him. “Mate, what is your name?” “My name is Clara, Alpha. I swear I mean your pack no harm. I was just resting.” She called me Alpha instead of mate. “Clara, you are my mate and the future Luna of this pack.” “Alpha, I don’t expect you to accept a rogue as your mate and Luna.” I step forward and bend down so we are eye to eye. “I am not Alpha to you. My name is Eli Thomas, mate. I accept you as my mate and Luna. I don’t care that you are a rogue. The goddess has chosen you for me and that is what matters.” I see tears running down her cheeks. I reach out my hand and I pray she will take it. After a few seconds, she reaches out her hand, placing it in mine. The tingles are amazing and I’m so grateful we have found her. I help her to stand. “Clara, are there any other rogues with you?” “No, I ran from the collective after the leader tried to force himself on me.” I growl at the thought that a man tried to hurt my mate. Tried to take something she did not offer him. I place my
hand under her chin so she is looking into my eyes. “I will protect you with my life.” She smiles and I pull her close to my side. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
Micah and Mason remained so quiet I didn’t even realize they were still there. We walk toward them and they bare their necks to my mate. I love my family. “Clara, these are our future Betas, Micah and Mason.” She smiles and we walk until we reach the pack border. The warriors break through the trees with my father leading them. I feel Clara tighten her grip on me out of fear. “No one is going to hurt you.” My father shifts, pulling on shorts and walks toward us. “I see you listened to my orders about staying in the pack lands.” I roll my eyes. He looks at Clara with my arm wrapped around her. “Dad, this is Clara, my mate.” The smile that breaks out on my father’s face is amazing. “Clara, welcome to the Nightfire Pack.” “Thank you, Alpha.” “Oh none of that. I am simply Lincoln to you.” We head back toward the pack house and my mother is waiting outside with Larisa. As soon as they see her, I can see the sadness on my mother’s face before she smiles. She walks over, taking Clara from me and wrapping her in a hug. My sister does the same. “Let’s take you to get freshened up.”
I hate the thought of being away from her but I know they will take good care of her. As we head inside and toward the stairs Susan is sitting in the living room. She stands and turns staring at Clara with my mother before she looks at me. She starts walking toward me and I need to make this clear to her, because if she doesn’t accept that she is not my mate she will not remain in this pack. “Eli who is that girl with your mom” she asks. “Susan, that is my mate and your future Luna.” She looks at Larisa before she turns running out of the pack house. I look at Larisa “it had to be said. You made it perfectly clear many times that you would only accept your mate. Hopefully she will accept it now and wait for her mate.” I smile at my sister and we head upstairs to check on Clara.