“This whiskey really sneaks up on you, am I right?” Tyler addresses the people that are starring at us. He's as red as a tomato trying to casually diffuse the situation. I would find it quite amusing if I wasn't 2 seconds away from ripping his head off in public.
“Where. Are. They?” I ask emphasising every word.
“Relax, Jezz, what the hell is wrong with you? They're not mates, they're just friends, and she needs a friendly night off to distract her from how she's felt lately.”
“Tyler, why am I here?” I'm tired of all the games, I know there's a catch, and I don't appreciate him messing with me.
“You're here to do the same as Sam. Enjoy a night off from moping, and for me to tell you to pull yourself together and meet Samantha tomorrow night.”
“Why?”
He rolls his eyes in the most dramatic way I've ever seen, like I'm too slow to see his point. “Why does there have to be a reason? Just casually bump into her tomorrow and maybe that will help you both get over each other and finally move on with your pathetic Alpha lives.”
Deciding to ignore his clear disrespect towards both myself and Samantha, I nod, agreeing to do as he suggested. I mean, what harm can it do? Surely I can't end up worse than I already am.
48 - Twist
Jason
Tyler thought to just pop in unannounced dead in the morning. I just woke up with him pounding on my office door. I know for a fact that if the door was unlocked, he would have just barged in. How on Earth did Tyler manage to get in Crescent Moon territory without anyone questioning him, is beyond me. My fighters and guards must have thought that since Tyler fought with us against Marie's army, that would give him the right to just stroll in whenever he sees fit. It doesn't, so someone will be feeling my anger about that and get severely punished later, and it will not go well for them.
“OK, Jason. Here's the plan.” Tyler starts and I'm already regretting this. Contrary to popular belief, I am not a very good actor. I feel really awkward faking to bump into Sam like that. I don't know what came over me to agree to this childish plan, but I'm too embarrassed to back out now.
“So it needs to be at 2:15 in the afternoon, alright? Not a minute later and not a minute sooner. You'll walk in The Hound and she'll be on her way out. Just like, you bump into each other and pow!” He explains with the enthusiasm of an 8 year old girl who got a Barbie dream house for Christmas.
“Pow? What the hell does 'pow' mean?”
Tyler waves his hand in front of his face. “Uhm, nothing. Just ignore that. It was for dramatic effect. Let's just focus on the plan and the important details. 2:15 in the afternoon you walk in the pub. Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah. I got it.” I reply trying to understand why he's so set on 'bumping into' her at the pub, when I could just meet her like normal people do, without all this nonsense.
“Great, now like act normal, you're too stiff and to be honest, you're creeping me out.”
I glare at him, but Tyler doesn't seem to care. He's acting too comfortable around me, not even Brian dares to be like that lately.
“Oh, and Jason?”
“Yes Tyler.”
“Do shower and make yourself presentable before.” That's it, he's getting on my nerves and I can't help but let out a warning growl which he ignores as per usual.
It's 2:13 and I'm sitting in the car counting the seconds. It might be stupid to wait until the exact time that Tyler said, but for some reason I feel compelled to. It's not like I have nothing to lose if I follow his darn instructions to a tee, right? Luder is weirdly excited, to the point that he's making it hard for me to focus. He hasn't been like that in months, and I'm both concerned and happy for him.
Fuck, why am I so nervous? Oh, yeah, because I'm about to see the woman who broke my heart, the same woman I haven't been able to get out of my head. I'm so glad I took Tyler's not so subtle advice to take a shower and make an effort with my appearance. For some weird reason I still want to look my best if I see her, I still want to somehow impress her. lame, I know, but that's what she made of me after we broke our bond, and unfortunately I don't think there is another woman, but her, that could ever make me whole again.
I look at the dashboard of the car and see the time showing 2:14. I take a deep, nervous breath, my heart racing with adrenaline and excitement, and make my way out of the car and towards the entry to the pub.
It's showtime, I think to myself, as I open the door and step inside. Luder starts howling and getting even more excited, and my heart stops as soon as a wall of the most beautiful scent in the world hits my nostrils and completely invades all my senses. It's strawberries, mixed with petrichor, that delicious earthy smell that always lingers after the rain has stopped. It smells so divine that I feel I can actually touch it. My whole body feels the amazing sparks and I realise I am indeed touching it, but not the smell itself, no, what I am touching is the source of that deliciousness. I gaze into her eyes to see the surprise hitting her hard. She gasps, her eyes landing on my face as she disentangles herself from my arms after colliding with my chest. I managed to catch the exact moment that realization hit her, and can't help but smile brightly as I gently whisper: “Mate!”
Samantha
I was leaving The Hound in a bit of a hurry after catching up with Rudy. Tyler called me and asked if I could come to the Blood Moon pack hospital urgently because Jennifer asked for me again. Worried that Jen or the baby might be unwell, but in fact sensing it's more of a hormonal type of emergency, like a diaper or maternity pads run, I don't question it, I just wave Rudy goodbye and rush to the exit.
I wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings and missed to acknowledge that the door was opening and someone was walking inside. Ming had also been messing with my senses, because a few minutes ago she started howling and getting all excited like a puppy, which is very unusual. Over the past few months she's been blocking me, and on the rare occasions that I would get through, she mostly snarled at me and used some not so kind words. I guess I did deserve it, so I never pushed her.
So while trying to sort out the mess in my head and figure out how to get to the hospital as soon as possible, I collided with the person that was coming in while I was going out. It suddenly felt like time stood still for a second, while I breathed in this heavenly manly scent and lingered a second too long in the stranger's embrace. Soon enough panic and excitement are both fighting deep within me, because I've ever only felt this once before.
It can't be anyone else, it's HIM, it has to be, I can feel it, Ming feels it too and her exhilaration is overwhelming me. Understanding that I just met my second chance mate, I slowly lift my head up so I can look at his face, fighting to admit that I already know his identity.
Our eyes meet and for a moment I don't know what to make of the reality of the situation. “You have got to be kidding me!” I yell. I guess I could have reacted a bit better.
Jason just stares at me grinning like he literally won the lottery. Like his greatest wish came true. His eyes are brimming with happiness and it's almost contagious. And then I hear the word coming out of his lips like a soft and sweet whisper. “Mate!”
I'll admit, this is either the cruellest joke the Moon Goddess has ever pulled, or we are truly fated to be together, our souls forged so they can work as one. I'm not entirely sure I'm mad at that second option.
I run out, leaving him just standing there, and take my phone to call... Great!! I have never in my life needed my mom more than I need her now. Like an axe falling on my head it dawns to me that I am an orphan. My heart aches at that thought, but I still have a mother figure in my life, so immediately dial Carla's number, hoping she wouldn't mind filling that void once more.
Carla picks up the call on the second ring and I let out a relieved breath. Thank Goddess she took my call. I start explaining that I just ran into Jason and found out that he is my second chance mate. I might be talking a bit too fast, because I'm freaking out and I don't know how to feel
about it. Carla, bless her heart, just listens to me without saying anything until I'm done ranting.
“How is that even possible? I have never heard of this happening before. EVER.” I complain in a childlike manner and Carla just chuckles.
“Sam, in order for a rejection to work, at least one of you has to really want that. To me it's clear that neither of you had even the tiniest wish for your mate bond to break, and I think that's why you are still fated.” She tries to explain what I already knew about breaking the bond.
“But the pain, Carla. We actually felt the mate bond breaking.”
“Yes you did feel that, because you followed the correct steps into breaking your bond and rejecting each other. But can you, in all honesty not only to me, but to yourself, say that you really wanted that rejection, that at least a tiny part of you wanted it to happen and it wasn't just stubbornness?
I feel like I was caught red handed, that's what I feel. When I told Jason we should reject each other, I knew he didn't want that, and as much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, I didn't want it either. When I felt the bond breaking, and the waves of pain came rushing in, I thought that either me or Jason wanted our bond to break, somewhere, deep down. I don't know, I just thought it might have worked, and no matter how miserable I was after that, I knew that it was my own doing, so I just had to live with it.
I didn't even realise I was still on the phone with Carla.
“Silence is also an answer, Sam.” She chuckles and I hear my uncle in the background animatedly explaining something in a fatherly voice, sounding eerily similar to how his mate sounded when explaining to me about the mate bond, earlier.
I groan, trying to sound upset or even annoyed, even though inside I felt warm and blessed, and my heart swells with pride.
“He's on the phone with Jason, isn't he?”
“Yes, he is.” She sounds really amused by this whole thing, and frankly, this is how I imagined my parents would react, like Carla and Bolder are right now.
“Well, it is Tuesday, so I guess it's only fair.” I trail, remembering my agreement with Jason where we would share my uncle. I can't help but smile, amused at the memory.
“What was that?”
I chuckle, knowing that Carla has no idea what I'm on about, and I don't want to waste time by explaining. “Nothing, I got to go. Thanks Carla.”
I hang up the phone and take a deep breath, trying hard to contain the huge grin that is currently spreading on my face.
49 - Sparks
Samantha
Running back inside the almost empty pub, I find Jason seated at one of the far end tables. After I pause for a second to catch my breath, and increase my chances of looking somewhat normal, I make my way towards my mate and notice he is also off the phone.
“Couldn't stay away, huh?” Jason smirks at me with glee and mischief in his eyes. It looks like the old Jason I knew is back. I just hope his old ways with the ladies has stayed behind. But for the life of me, I can't stop the question before it leaves my lips.
“How's your friend, Victoria?” I think I failed to keep my composure, or it might be just the mate bond, but Jason definitely felt that hint of jealousy in my voice. Not that I was very subtle about it. I decide to take a seat at the table before I embarrass myself further. It looks like I'm not off to a great start today. First I run off like a scared little girl, and now I'm showing off my jealous side like he owed me anything.
“Is this really the first thing you want to ask me after everything that's happened between us?” He raises a brow at me and I don't fail to notice the hint of amusement in his tone, so I just shrug my shoulders and smile sheepishly in return. “She actually found her mate. I think I was more relieved than her, when I found out. That woman cannot take a hint.”
After Jason told me that Victoria had found her mate, and that he didn't have another woman in his life, I relaxed a bit. It might be stupid of me to think that he didn't want anyone else after losing me, but I believe that's what he's implying. Or maybe I just want that to be the case, because Goddess knows that's the case for me.
I haven't failed to notice that, although as handsome as ever, Jason's jaw is a bit sharper underneath that slightly overgrown beard, and that his body looks a bit leaner, all signs that he has lost quite a bit of weight. Considering the fact that Jason never had a reason to shed that weight, I can't help but think he's been miserable and neglecting himself.
OK, fine. If you want me to be completely honest, that's exactly what I did over the past 3 month. I was practically describing myself earlier, minus the beard, though come to think about it, my armpits and basically everything above the knees, have seen better or rather smoother days.
“So...” Jason decided to break the silence before it got even more awkward. It seems like we are yet to fall into a natural conversational rhythm.
“So...” I reply in a typical parakeet fashion, causing Jason to quirk a brow at me. I feel the blush heating up my cheeks once more and notice a smile on his face as a response.
“Your Beta is something else. I might actually start to like the guy, he's really gifted, although he could work on his tact.” I look at him like he just told me the Earth is square. Why is he bringing up Ty?
“What does Tyler have to do with anything?” And suddenly panic and dread fills my mind. “Don't tell me you two have been keeping in touch?” Great, how many more of my close friends or family members will he befriend? It's enough that my uncle is acting like his adoptive dad, I don't need Tyler to become his best friend too.
Jason chuckles first before answering my question, making me feel more anxious. “No, no, no, don't worry, you can have full custody of that one.” We both burst out laughing at our little inside joke.
Oh, great. We have inside jokes now. What is happening? Why do I feel all giddy and fuzzy while being near him, and can't I stop thinking about pouncing on him like a dog in heat? OK, that might me Ming pushing her own desires onto me, but still. Where did all my anger and resentment go? It feels like nothing bad ever happened between Jason and I.
Right now I feel eerily similar to how I felt the first night we found out we were mates, and that is supposed to scare me, right? I mean, look what happened after that night. But the scary thing right now is that I'm not scared, and that freaks me out. I get that I might sound insane, and hell, I probably am.
“But serious, why did you mention Tyler?” I ask mentally high fiving myself that this time I didn't lose track of the important topic in a conversation.
“I probably shouldn't tell you this, but he told me to come here and bump into you. He was freakishly specific with the details, making sure I would come into the pub at 2:15 exactly. I'm glad I was desperate enough to let him rope me into his childish plan, but I have a feeling Tyler knew exactly how our meeting would go.” My eyes go wide at Jason's candid confession, and I jump up from my seat, remembering what I was doing before he so conveniently 'bumped' into me.
“Shit! Jennifer. I completely forgot about her. Oh, I am the worst friend ever!”
“I think my cousin would take the cake on that one. But is anything wrong? Did something happen to her?” Jason asked with his voice laced in concern. I imagined he would have found out that Jennifer had her baby, since her parents are still members of Crescent Moon's pack.
“She had the baby yesterday, but they're both fine.” I quickly tell him to ease his concern, ignoring the mention of Marie. “But Tyler called me earlier and said that Je....” I pause, my friend's name being left hanging in the air once my brain finally puts two and two together.
“That son of a biscuit!” I shout a bit too loud and Jason laughs understating that my Beta planned this whole thing and we both were just pawns in his matchmaking plan. In all honesty, I knew Tyler has the ability of knowing bits of the future, but I thought it just came to him randomly, he never mentioned the full extent of his clairvoyance.
Jason and I are looking into each other's eyes, lett
ing our gazes do the talking for us. It seems like we don't dare to say exactly what it is on our minds. I for one don't have the guts to tell my mate that I want nothing else than for him to take me into his arms and hold me tight.
“Sam, can I be honest with you and ask you something?” Jason breaks the silence once more. I wonder what happened with the old arrogant Jason that I knew before. The guy standing in front of me right now is more open somehow, less arrogant and more grown up. He is open to admitting his mistakes and doesn't jump into things head first. I guess having your parents brutally murdered by your own cousin and having your mate bond broken, will cause anyone who survives to grow up. Still, that doesn't mean I'm not nervous that history might repeat itself. The Moon Goddess did show a very twisted sense of humour.
“You're not going to reject me again, are you?” I blurted out and I instantly went back to being the bullied, little Omega, who was scared and hopeless. No trace in sight of the fierce Alpha female that I had become over the past year.
“I could ask you the same thing.” Jason reaches for my hand and the explosion of sparks eases my nerves. I knew with just one touch that he feels the same, and that he wants us to embrace our mate bond, just as much as I do. No matter how scared I might be. Could this really work? Do I actually stand a chance at being happy?
“Touché, Alpha, touché.” I can feel my lips curving upwards into a smile as I gently gaze towards our linked hands. It's like seeing two pieces of the same puzzle finally be together and creating a wonderful picture.
“Samantha, what do you say if we started over?” I can see the nervousness in his eyes as he looks at me hoping I wouldn't turn him down this time.
“I think I wouldn't mind that.” I respond and he just stands up abruptly and comes over to my side of the table. Instinctively I stand also, and Jason pulls me into his arms, engulfing me into a tight embrace, just like the one I have been craving since I first saw him. I fit just right in his arms, and so I take a big breath inhaling my mate's scent, knowing that he's doing the same thing, as I can feel his muzzling my neck. I try hard to contain my not so pure thoughts, since we are in a public place, but as I adjust myself in his embrace I can feel the same eagerness in him, because not so little Jason is poking my abdomen, threatening to escape my mate's pants. I giggle, yes, actually giggle, and pull myself away, clearing my throat. Jason's playful smirk makes another appearance on his handsome face as he subtly tries to adjust himself.
Fight For The Highest Wolf Rank Page 24