A Second Chance (Fated Mate)

by Shannon Duane

  Dammit, Katie was sick of making excuses, and she didn’t want to be forgiven or make friends. Right now, she wanted to rage at the world.

  The doctors hands stilled and the room got quiet.

  “What’s the problem now?” Katie demanded. The doctor gave the okay for Shana and Betsy to roll her back after removing the board.

  “You smell of rage so bitter I don’t think I’ve smelled the like,” Dr. Holtz’s replied. “We’ll skip the x-rays because of the pregnancy, and you said you felt no pain in your back or neck. Do you want to see a therapist for the…ahem, anger?”

  The smell intensified and Dr. Holtz and Betsy backed up to the door. The doctor said, “She can stay off the board and remove the collar, but she needs to stay until her labs come back. Plus, I’ll need to do her ultrasound to check the pregnancy, but…we’ll come back.” They practically ran out of the room.

  Shana yelled, “What the hell? She’s not even a shifter. Why are you afraid?”

  Katie was disgusted, “You’re ER staff are pansies Shana. You’ll have to toughen them up. By the way, who’s going to pick up Trevor?”

  Shana giggled, “It’s not often a pregnant woman in a car accident tells them she’s going to come back with her gun and shoot their balls.” Shana’s giggling turned into a full blown laugh. As she was wiping the tears from her eyes Shana said, “Tara was home and she agreed to pick up Trevor. They’ve bonded quite a bit.”

  “I’m glad you find all this drama funny. Do you think I should apologize? Maybe seeing a therapist wouldn’t be a bad idea. I’m tired Shana, and hurt-inside and out.

  “I know Katie but we’ll get through this together. Trevor says not to worry, that it’s your turn to be happy. When has he ever been wrong?”

  Conner came bursting into the room, “What’s wrong? The doctor and nurse came running down the hall talking about a lady with a gun.”

  He looked genuinely concerned if not a little silly. He had a drape covering half of his face and he was lifting the corners of it so that he could see Katie’s face. The girls couldn’t help but laugh.

  “So, everything is fine then? You didn’t hear about a patient with a gun? Wouldn’t they announce it over the loudspeaker?”

  Katie hoped they didn’t announce the crazy lady with the gun, because Conner would realize it was her. Bummer.

  Shana took it upon herself to answer Conner’s questions, “No they wouldn’t announce it over the loudspeaker. But they would evacuate the hospital, so I think we’re safe. To your other question, I’m sure everything would be fine and dandy if her mate,” pointing to Conner “hadn’t almost killed her in a car accident. Or, if he wasn’t thoughtless enough to fuck, bite, and impregnate her all in her first sexual encounter. Oh, let’s not forget that there’s someone who wants to hurt, maybe even kill, her and we have no idea who it is. Sure everything is lovely Conner.” Shana smiled sweetly.

  His eyes changed to yellow again. “Are you going to be on me about that forever Alpha mate? I said I was sorry, what else do you want me to do? If I could go back and change things, I would ask for her consent about the mating. Do you want me to leave my mate, and abandon my baby? Would that make you both happy?” He was yelling now and looking at Katie who had begun to tear up.

  The room went silent as Jake walked up behind Conner shaking his head. Shana and Conner were staring each other down. Katie was sick of the fighting. Sick of being expected to take sides, and sick of feeling like no one was on her side. They were working against her. How could they be on her side if they were against each other?

  Conner was about to open his mouth, but Katie was done listening. “You both need to leave. I’m done with this drama. Go fight somewhere else, because I don’t want to see or hear from you right now.” She turned onto her side, away from them, dismissing them.

  Shana was about to argue when Jake stepped into the room and said, “Didn’t you hear her? Get out! First, scent her. What do you smell?” He didn’t give them a chance to answer, “Sadness. Not anger, or fear, or betrayal, or pain. Sadness. If you cannot support and love her, provide her what she needs, then neither of you deserve her love or friendship.”

  They could not disobey the Alpha but even if they could, he was right. They both walked by Jake and out the door heads down in shame. Katie began to openly weep and Conner’s heart was breaking but he could only blame himself. Well, and Shana.

  As Jake was turning to follow the dueling duo he heard Katie’s timid voice, “Jake, I know it isn’t proper, and you probably don’t want to, but would you please…stay?”

  Conner and Shana both turned. Katie saw Conner’s eyes widen, and heard Shana’s gasp. Jake’s eyes hardened when he looked at the two and replied, “Sure, whatever you need Katie. You’re pack now and we support each other.” He grabbed the door and slammed it in his mate and best friends face.

  Jake sat in a chair by Katie’s gurney and held her hand while she silently cried. She was curled on her side in the fetal position. They sat there for about a half an hour when Jake finally squeezed Katie’s hand. “Want to talk about it?”

  Katie shook her head but said, “I know they’re both good people and I love them.” Whoa, hold up. She loved them? She definitely loved Shana, but Conner? She barely knew him. “I just can’t stand the constant bickering. If I love them, and they love me, then we should be one big happy family, right?”

  “Right.”

  “I’m not asking for much, they just need to be civil. I need them both. I’m tired of the surprises, the fighting, the hiding, and the unknown.”

  Jake was beginning to look uncomfortable, “You’re probably just over emotional because you’re pregnant.” He thought he was being helpful, but when she turned a glare on him, he sighed. “You’re right. They are both great people and to be honest, they never used to fight. I think they’re both trying to be protective of you.”

  “I would rather them both just be supportive. I need to get away, to think.” Jakes eyes rounded and he looked concerned, but she had to be truthful. “I’d like to leave. My partner Decker says I can stay in his spare room, or he’ll put me in a safe house. I can’t, no I won’t stay here in these conditions.”

  “Maybe you should rethink this. Conner can, and will protect you better than any mere human. I’ve seen Conner when you leave Katie, and it’s not pretty.” She looked sheepish. “I can’t imagine finding my mate, in danger no less, and pregnant with my child. If you cannot accept him right now, please, accept the packs protection. You are one of us now, and we protect and support our own-especially the pups.”

  At Katie’s gasp he knew he’d said something wrong.

  “Do you mean to say that I’ll have pups? I know they’ll probably be shifters, but will they come out furry? How will I breast feed when they have fangs?”

  Jake was saved from further discomfort by the doctor and nurses arrival. Dr. Holtz came around to the foot of the gurney to speak to Katie. “The blood work has come back, and everything looks fine. We’ll release you after the ultrasound, if the fetus looks okay, and there’s no bleeding.”

  “Thank you Dr. Holtz, for your wonderful care. I appreciate all you’ve done, and I’m so sorry about the gun and balls thing earlier.”

  Jake looked at her and chuckled.

  The doctor looked to Katie and then to Jake, “Is your Alpha to be present during the exam?”

  “Uh, no. Thank you Jake, for the talk. Could you please go get Conner? He should probably be here.”

  Jake looked relieved as he sped out the door calling over his shoulder, “He’ll be here, right away.”

  Chapter 8

  Shana and Conner sat in the stuffy crowded ER waiting room glaring at each other. They were both concerned for Katie, and only wanted what was in her best interest.

  “I don’t know what else to do to prove I love Katie, and only want what’s best for her. We both love her, but you need to be able to forgive my past errors. Normally I would say ‘it’s n
one of your damn business’, but you are my Alpha and Katie’s family. If she can forgive me, why can’t you? Don’t you want us to be happy?” He was speaking clear, with the least amount of emotion so he wouldn’t set her off again.

  “You’re right; I apologize for treating you poorly. It’s just…I have a very special place for Katie in my heart. She helped me through so much, and to return the favor I’m acting like a child and upsetting her. You are also right that the way you mated is none of my concern, so I will cease bringing it up. But you should know she had a rough childhood after her parents died. She had to defend herself, a lot, and she has some trust issues. The good part about that is; when you get into her heart, you stay forever. She is a loyal friend to me and Decker, who she considers her family also. She lets us see the real her. Not the bitchy standoffish person, but the real woman under all of her layers. You broke her trust once, and now you have to redeem yourself, as you can see she’s not very forgiving. If she’ll love you and accept you, I can do no less. Plus, it’s not very Alpha of me to punish you for something that you’re being punished for already.” She gave a wicked smile, “Welcome to the family.”

  Conner let out the breath he was holding. Hopefully she meant it. He wanted his family together. Shana, Jake, and Trevor were already family. He had always dreamed of raising his cubs with Jake’s.

  Shana came over to Conner, and suddenly flung her arms around his neck in a big hug. “I’m glad we worked it out.”

  At the full male Alpha wolf growl of displeasure, Conner pushed Shana off him, and scooted down a couple chairs to put distance between them. “How is Katie? Can I see her yet?”

  Jake had barely restrained his beast when he saw Shana and Conner hugging. He was stuck in a room with a pregnant gun toting crazy lady, talking about emotions, and his mate was snuggled up to his best friend, unacceptable.

  Jake went over to Shana, pulled her up from the chair, and proceeded to ravage her lips in a heated kiss. He rubbed his face all over hers, and then ran his teeth over the mate mark he’d placed on her a little over a month ago. She shivered and giggled.

  “Uh, Jake? Katie…?” Conner felt uncomfortable with the easy and open affection his Alpha’s shared. But that was probably because he wasn’t giving, or getting any.

  “Oh yeah. Doc says he’s going to do the ultrasound, and Katie said you’d want to be there. So, go.” He didn’t need to say the last, because Conner was already sprinting to his mate’s room to be by her side.

  When Conner entered Katie’s room, he noticed that she was on the same gurney, but somehow there were stirrups and the bottom had folded down. Katie had her legs in the stirrups with her knees closed and a sheet was covering her. Conner had to swallow the immediate burst of anger and jealousy that another man, the doctor, was between her naked spread legs. When he looked at Katie and saw the longing and fear in her eyes, he rushed to her side. He took her hand in his and placed a light kiss on her temple.

  “Welcome back,” she whispered.

  Holding up something that looked like a long skinny dildo, with a cable attached to the ultrasound machine; covered in what appeared to be a lubricated condom Dr. Holtz said, “Katie, this is the ultrasound probe and it is inserted into the vagina. You are going to feel the cold probe, okay?” He was talking to Katie, but he turned anxious eyes to Conner whose eyes had turned golden again. The room suddenly smelled bitter.

  Katie turned to Conner and brought their joined hands to her lips, and gently kissed the back of his hand as she stroked his knuckles with her thumb. “Look at me. It’ll be fine, over before you know it. Go ahead doc, we’re alright up here.”

  Conner closed his eyes briefly and said, “Isn’t that my line?” And smiled so bright, it stole Katie’s breath away. When he opened his eyes again to look at her they were the color of the brightest summer sky.

  “This’ll be cold Katie.” Dr. Holtz said, as Betsy placed her hand on Katie’s knee to open her legs and provide comfort. The nurse would probably never know how much that small gesture helped. Katie kept her eyes on Conner, whose expression looked pained.

  “Okay Katie, I see the sacs, and they’re intact. I don’t see any bleeding. Are you having any pelvic pain?” When the doctor said sacs, pleural, Katie’s eyes closed and her hand tightened on Conner’s.

  Conner placed his other hand on Katie’s head, and began to unconsciously pet her hair. When her eyes opened, a tear slipped out the corner of her eye and Conner wiped it away.

  “No pain doc, but…sacs? Can I see please?”

  Dr. Holtz turned the machine so that both Katie and Conner could see the monitor. Immediately Katie looked but could only see-goo. Yuck. What the hell was that? She was so caught up in the icky stuff on the screen she forgot to listen to the doctor. “So…twins huh?”

  Conner looked over at her with a flush of joy covering his whole face. “Babe, weren’t you listening? We’re going to be parents!” He kissed her loudly.

  When he pulled away she smiled and said, “Yes, but how many puppies? I mean babies?”

  Dr. Holtz chuckled and pointed back to the goo on the screen. “This is your uterus,” which looked like a big black circle, “And these are the gestational sacs. Three in total; it is common for true bond shifters to have multiple births. It’s too early to see the heartbeats, which will develop at six weeks gestation. You are approximately 4-5 weeks pregnant. Congratulations.”

  She looked anxiously around the room for someone to yell, ‘just kidding’ but everyone was smiling at her. They were all on drugs. “Wait, I’m not a shifter. I’m just a regular human chick that has to work for a living. How am I supposed to work, and raise three pups? Babies? What do you call them?” Three, not possible. Damn, I’m so screwed.

  “I’ll take care of you Katie. I’m your mate, so I provide for you financially and emotionally. I have a great job, and I’ll be a great dad. I’ve been waiting for you…for this, forever. If you want to work, you can. If you want to stay home, you can. We’ll work it out. We’re a team now, if you’ll have me.

  Katie wanted to feel happy, but she was still reserved. There was still so much to work out. She began to cry, again. Freakin’ pregnancy hormones. “Dr. Holtz, I’d really appreciate it if you could take your magic wand out of me. I’d like to go home now.”

  Betsy had tears in her eyes as she put the stirrups away and pulled the bottom of the bed up. “Congratulations. You’ve got a wonderful family starting. A true mate bond is such a blessing.”

  The doctor and nurse left after providing them a copy of the ultrasound. “What now?” Katie asked, “I don’t think it’s safe to go back to Alpha house if someone is trying to hurt me. I don’t want Trevor or Shana in danger because of me. My house is out of the question, seeing as it’s…gone. I could go stay with my partner Decker…”

  She was cut off by an angrily growled statement, “I don’t think so babe. Those are my pups you’re carrying, and I intend to be there for you, and them. Like I said, we’re a team.”

  She looked into his eyes, searching for something that she couldn’t even describe. “Okay, well…What do we do? I could stay at a hotel.” Growl. “You do that kind of a lot. Did you notice? Every time I’m in the room, and speaking, you growl. Do you have any better suggestions than just and angry growl?”

  “If you’re comfortable, I’d like you to stay at my house, with me. I have the best security system available, so it’s safe. If you’re uncomfortable sleeping with me, I have a spare room. Or you could stay in my room, and I’ll take the spare.” The thought of her sleeping in his sheets; he could imagine her rolling around in his scent, oh yeah. He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she couldn’t help but laugh. He knew just what to say, or do, to break the tension between them.

  “A little late for that, Papa wolf. If you’re okay with your house possibly being burned to the ground, or your car being thrashed, I’m game. I trust you.”

  He gave her a genuine smile that lit up his face, and m
ade his eyes crinkle. He loved her so much, “Sweeter words have never been spoken.”

  Katie noticed his smell had changed. He smelled like himself but combined with gingerbread cookies, her favorite. “By the way I’m still hungry. Do you think we could stop by and get food, or go to the grocery store?” Her stomach growled making Conner smile again.

  “Do you want to eat here? I know the hospital cafeteria doesn’t sound great, but the food is surprisingly delicious.” He turned around when she got dressed because he didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.

  “Let’s go, I’m hungry enough to eat a horse. Can we have dessert first? I have a craving for gingerbread cookies.”

  “Why would you say that?” Conner started to panic. He was thinking about how much he loved her; she must have picked up the scent of his love, gingerbread, and such a sweet smell. Shoot. He didn’t want her to know yet, because then she would run away from him thinking he was going to push her into something she wasn’t ready for. He didn’t think he could live through another rejection. Especially knowing if she ran she’d be taking his pups with her, possibly into danger.

  “What’s wrong Conner?” She placed her small hand on his forearm gently, “Did you change your mind?”

  He took a deep calming breath and felt for their connection through her touch. “No way, I could eat a horse too.” He grabbed her hand and walked with her to the waiting room to update Jake and Shana.

  Katie stopped him in the hall and pulled him into an empty patient’s room “Wait, before we go I really need to ask you a question.” At Conner’s questioning look she asked, “When I have these babies will they have, I mean to say, will they be…Furry when they come out? Like four legs and fangs?”

  Conner couldn’t help but laugh openly and loudly. Katie hit him in the arm, “It’s not funny you, butthead. I’m scared, everyone keeps calling them pups.”

  He sobered quickly, noting for the first time her fear. “No, my love. They will be little, pink, crying, human appearing infants with no fangs or fur. But they will be shifters, are you okay with that?” At her nod he smiled and pulled her into his arms for a long passionate kiss. Jake and Shana could wait while he kissed away his mates fear.