The Gamma’s Second Chance (Crescent Lake #3)

29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

NOLAN

I rush across the grounds and race up the steps outside and inside the packhouse. The mindlink I received while talking to Rachel’s parents— we have a problem —sets the pace and the rhythm of my steps, and I take the stairs two or even three at a time until I reach the top floor of the packhouse.

The door opens before I can knock, and Harrison steps to the side to let me in.

“What’s the problem?” I ask without greeting him, spinning to face him once I’m inside.

“There are two choices. I can’t tell much of a difference between them. You need to look.” He nods towards the kitchen counter, where his laptop sits, open, a photo of two rings side by side pulled up on the screen.

We both walk over to it, staring at the picture. I frown and tilt my head to the left, then to the right, examining the rings. “Are you sure they’re different?”

“Suzanne said they were, but I can’t figure out how,” Harrison says, shrugging. “Maybe it’s easier to tell in person.” His eyes shift to me before continuing. “But if that’s the case, then you have to go yourself. You should be the one to pick. She’s your female and you know her best.”

I grind my teeth together and cross my arms, pinching the bridge of my nose. “What time does the shop close?”

“Suzanne only keeps the showroom open until four p.m.”

“That’s in”—I glance at the time on the laptop—“less than an hour!”

“Yes, but if you don’t go now, there is no guarantee either ring will be there the next time you go to town. And no other jeweler nearby has anything similar to what you said you wanted. Suzanne is the only one, and she’s the best.”

“Goddess fucking damn it,” I mutter.

“I know,” Harrison agrees, putting his hands on his hips.

I stare at the screen again, examining the two rings. There really seems to be no difference between the two. That I can see anyway. But neither calls to me or my wolf. Neither screams, “This is the one!” Neither gives me the gut reaction I want. Not through the screen, anyway.

“Fuck it,” I say, sighing and turning away from the laptop. “I’ll go.”

“I’ll drive,” Harrison says, grabbing his keys and his wallet from the counter.

“You don’t need to—”

“You’re distracted. I’m not. It will be safer. And I want to help you with this.”

I blink at him as he walks behind me and crosses to the front door of his home, shoving his belongings into his pockets. “Why?” I ask as I follow him.

He pauses with his hand on the doorknob and glances at me. “You know why.”

I stare at him for a long moment, then nod and follow him down the stairs, out of the packhouse, and to his car. “Will Luna Emily be joining us?” I ask as I hesitate on the passenger side of the vehicle.

“She’s with your parents. She’ll be fine.”

That’s all the reassurance I need. I rip the door open and hop in, and Harrison takes off. He drives down the mountain as fast as is legal, while I stare out the window, consumed with thoughts of Cassandra and the events of the last twelve hours.

Moonlight and starlight stream through the windows, let in by the open curtains I forgot to close when Cassandra and I arrived home, too caught up in the heat of the moment. Cassandra lies in the safe confines of my arms, my body protecting her from any and every potential threat, her breathing deep and even, and her muscles relaxed. Her skin is soft and cool next to mine, smoother than the most expensive silk in existence. My fingers run through her hair as she sleeps, and my mind wanders, words and questions echoing and repeating in my head as the night wears on.

Do I love her?

I don’t know anything about her.

But do I love her?

She’s leaving in a few months.

A few months means there’s time to get to know her.

But do I need a few months? It’s already been almost one. Almost an entire month of Cassandra living in my home, planting seeds of joy in my darkened heart. The seeds she sowed burrowed into the cracks of my broken soul. Seeds that have bloomed into a garden—an entire field—of colorful, happy wildflowers. Flowers that took root with only the barest encouragement. Flowers that, when she leaves, will rip holes into the ground and leave behind barren, desolate earth that can never be cultivated by anyone else again.

Goddess, I am a fool. I keep asking myself a question I already have the answer to.

Do I love her?

Of course I love her.

I can’t imagine my life without her. What I have with her is everything I expected to have with a fated mate.

No, it’s more than what I expected to have with a fated mate. And she gives me that love—because that is what it is—without conditions. Without a bond. She fills the gaps in my life. As corny as it sounds, she completes me. She awakens my soul, reviving the pieces of me I buried when Kimberly rejected me. She reminds me that those parts of me—the parts I hide from everyone else—are just as important as what I present to the world.

Bond or not, she is my mate.

Mine.

My wolf barks out his agreement in my mind, spinning and leaping in circles as he chases his tail in his excitement, responding to her and my claim on her in a way he’s never responded to a female before.

As clear a sign as any.

I blow out a breath and roll over, climbing from the bed and pulling on my sweats, glancing over my shoulder at a still-sleeping Cassandra. Bathed in starlight, she doesn’t stir as I leave her side, but I need to ensure she stays exactly like this. I grab my shirt from the floor and stuff a pillow inside it, then scoot it as close to Cassandra as I can. Hopefully, the firm pillow “wearing” my shirt will be reminiscent enough of my body next to her, so she stays in her deep slumber while I do what needs to be done.

Leaving the room quietly, I traipse down the stairs and grab my phone, shooting off a text to the one person in the pack I know will fully comprehend my situation and understand what I’m going through. Even with the late hour, his response is almost immediate, a quick four-word text that both reassures me and sets my blood racing: We’ll be right there.

I wait near the front door, pacing back and forth the entire time it takes for him to arrive. His aura alerts me to his presence, and I open the door before he can ring the doorbell or knock so he won’t wake Cassandra.

“Alpha Harrison,” I say, keeping my voice a low whisper. “Luna Emily,” I add, smiling at Wesley’s parents.

“It’s just Harrison and Emily now,” she says, patting my arm as she enters my home.

“Sorry. It’s a habit,” I say, rubbing the back of my head as I close the door behind them.

We file into my kitchen. I take a seat at a barstool, and Harrison and Emily walk to the opposite side of the counter. Emily moves around my kitchen with the same comfortable familiarity that my mom does, grabbing glasses from the cabinets and filling them with water for us.

Harrison’s lips twitch, and he crosses his arms, his eyes glinting with pride. “I’ve been wondering if you’d be asking me for advice soon,” he says. “Especially after your… display on the training grounds.”

“Wes told you about that?”

Harrison laughs. “He didn’t have to. Everyone either saw it or heard about it. But yes, he did talk to me about you. And Cassandra.”

I huff out a laugh. “He talked to me too. The other day. But as willing as he was to take Haven as a chosen mate before he knew she was his fated mate, he doesn’t truly understand. Not like you do,” I clarify.

Emily smiles as she slides the glass of water across the counter to me, and Harrison wraps his arm around her. “There are few who do.” He squeezes her and kisses her temple. “Mates chosen because of genuine love are rare—almost as rare as second chances—but the bond you create with the one you choose as your life partner can be just as rewarding as one granted by Selene.”

I clasp the glass between my hands and grin at it, picturing Cassandra. Not just her gorgeous body and her beautiful smile, but also the depth of her personality and the ease with which she found a place in my home and my heart. She brings out the best in me and gives meaning to my life again, meaning beyond just being Haven’s gamma.

“I understand that now,” I say, flicking my eyes up to them. “And I need your help.”

“Of course,” Harrison says, and Emily nods her agreement. “Whatever you need, Nolan.”

I exhale and take a large drink of water, smacking my lips as I set the glass back down. “I need to call Cassandra’s mom. Agatha. I have to—I have a question for her first.”

Harrison already has his phone out before I finish talking. He hands it to me, the phone already dialed and the other line ringing for Agatha.

The line picks up after only two rings, and I jump off the barstool as she says, “Hello?”

“Agatha!” I exclaim, pacing again with my hand on the top of my head. “This is Nolan. From Crescent Lake. I’m—”

“I know who you are,” she replies, her voice tinged with amusement. “You are the gamma. The one who protects Selene’s daughter.”

“Haven,” I say, correcting her. “And yes, that’s me. I wanted to ask you—”

“She likes jewelry,” Agatha says.

“I—what?” My brow furrows and I stop my pacing.

“Cassandra. She loves jewelry. She collects it even though she can’t wear it often, and she keeps it in this beautiful wooden jewelry box her father made for her when she was in the hospital.”

An image of Cassandra playing the piano with a sparkling ring on her left hand flashes through my mind, and the corner of my mouth tips into a half smile. “I’ll keep that in mind. But that wasn’t what I wanted to ask about.”

My hands shake and my stomach lurches, my tongue swelling in my mouth. Harrison and Emily pretend like they can’t hear me, moving to the other side of the kitchen and murmuring to each other as I speak—or rather, don’t speak—to Cassandra’s mom. She is silent, though. Patient. She waits on the other end of the line, giving me time to gather my thoughts and my nerves.

“I love her,” I blurt out, dropping my hand to my side. “I love your daughter, and I—I will do whatever is necessary to be with her. But—” I blow out a breath, long and slow, the air hissing between my lips. “But I have to know if a mark from a chosen mate ties an oracle to the island like the mark of a fated mate does.”

“Mates chosen outside of necessity or for political reasons, mates chosen for true love are rare,” Agatha says after a long, heavy pause, her words similar to Harrison’s. “Even rarer for oracles.” She pauses again, and I wait as she chooses her words. “An oracle marked by a chosen mate will not receive their full abilities. They will never become a true oracle. They are not tied to the island like those of us with fated mate marks.”

My throat tightens, and I swallow against it, gripping the back of a dining room chair and dropping my chin to my chest as a new question arises from the answer she gave me. “And would Cassandra be willing to have a mark from a chosen mate if it means giving up being a true oracle?”

Agatha inhales, and I tense, steeling myself for her response. “That is a question only Cassandra can answer.”

I nod and close my eyes, the tension still painful and heavy in my body. “Thank you,” I say, my voice shaking. I open my mouth to speak again, but no words form. There is nothing else to say, nothing I can think of in response to the information she’s given me. “Thank you,” I repeat, saying the only phrase I can think of.

“Of course,” she says. “Goodbye, Nolan.”

The call ends, and I grip Harrison’s phone in my hand, still clutching the chair with my back hunched and my chin to my chest. I may have more questions after speaking with her, but at least I have some answers. And a plan already forming in my mind.

“Harrison.” I spin to face him and fold my hands around his phone. “I need you to find me a ring.”

“We’re here,” Harrison says as the car slows to a stop in front of a small jewelry boutique just down the street from Brewed Awakenings, yanking me out of my memories and back to the present.

I nod and stare at the shop as I exit his car.

A ring wouldn’t be my first choice. I bought a ring for Rachel, and that ended in disaster.

But this is different. This ring won’t sit in a drawer for months while I work up the courage to beg her to join me in settling for each other. If all goes to plan, I’ll be asking her this weekend at the mating ball. I’ll pull her into the hotel’s gardens, and under the moon and stars, surrounded by the flowers she adores so much, I’ll drop to my knees and bare my soul to her, asking her to be mine forever.

My mate. My second chance.

I exhale and glance at Harrison, who has his phone out, and my eyes widen. “Oh, fuck.” I pat my pockets, panic growing as I find my keys and my wallet but no phone. “Fuck fuck fuck,” I mutter, grabbing the top of my head. “I forgot my phone at my house.” Harrison raises his brow. “I forgot my phone at my house, and I ran off and left Cassandra all alone with no explanation.” I rub my jaw and shake my head. “She’s going to be so fucking pissed.”

“It’s going to be okay,” Harrison says, clapping me on the shoulder. “I’ll text Maddie and tell her to keep Cassandra company until we return. And when we get back, you apologize your ass off and make it up to her.”

I give him a sardonic laugh. “You mean grovel.”

“Pardon?”

“Your daughter. That’s always her advice for us when we fuck shit up with our females. ‘Grovel.’ She said it to Wes, and she said it to Reid, and when she hears about this? I’m sure she’ll say it to me.”

Harrison throws his head back and laughs. “That girl is something else,” he says, shaking his head. “Her mate better be ready for a wild ride.”

I nod. “From your lips to Selene’s ears.”

Harrison chuckles again, then squeezes my shoulder, turning serious as he looks me in the eye. “I’m sure all will be forgiven when Cassandra realizes what you left to do.”

“I hope so,” I say, following him as he walks into the shop.

The bell above the door jingles, and Suzanne looks up from where she examines a jewel. “Alpha Harrison! Gamma Nolan! So lovely to see you both.”

“Hello, Suzanne. And thank you for helping us with such short notice,” I say, shaking her hand across the counter.

“It’s my pleasure! As soon as I read Alpha Harrison’s email, I knew exactly which rings in my inventory fit the description you gave him.”

“May I see both of them?” I ask. “It was difficult to tell in the photos what the differences between the two are.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” she says, climbing off her stool and walking to a case, unlocking it and pulling two rings out as she continues speaking to us. “There are differences, but they are subtle. Photos can’t do either ring justice, but proper lighting can.”

She sets them on the counter between us, and I look down, my eyes darting between the two.

At first glance, there are no differences. They are both beautiful, sparkling diamond rings set in yellow gold. The center diamonds are a round cut, and surrounding them are marquise cut diamonds, creating a glittering flower. A diamond daisy.

On further examination, though, the differences become obvious. The ring on the left has a yellow diamond in the center, while the ring on the right has white diamonds only. The left ring has a simpler, traditional setting, while the right ring is embellished with swirls and diamonds within the band.

“That one,” I say, pointing at the ring on the right. “It’s perfect.”

My wolf yips out his agreement in my mind, tail wagging as he sits up straighter. Pride emanates from him, as if he was the one who picked the jewelry instead of me.

“Wonderful! Will you be needing it resized?” Suzanne asks.

My eyes widen, and I mentally smack myself. Her ring size. I don’t know what it is.

“Five and a half,” Harrison says, and I quirk a brow at him. “Her mom messaged me the size after you spoke with her last night,” he says with a shrug and a wink.

I sigh, and the tension in my body eases. “Thank the Goddess.”

“I can resize the ring today—push some non-urgent projects down on my list—but it will take some time. Are you able to stick around?” Suzanne asks as she cleans up the ring I didn’t choose.

“How long?”

“A couple hours. Maybe less.”

I grit my teeth and clench my fists, but I nod. I hate to leave Cassandra alone for too long, but I need the ring resized so I can bring it home with me to have it before the ball this weekend. Since I won’t be able to get away again, it has to be now.

“We can wait.”

When Suzanne finally finishes resizing the ring and Harrison and I head back to the pack, the sun is already descending towards the west. My knee bounces in the car the entire drive as I stare out the window, and my wolf paces in my mind, whining and antsy. This all took way longer than I anticipated, and all I can do is hope my Daisy understands and forgives me.

Harrison drops me off at my house, and I rush inside and upstairs to hide the ring until this weekend, my steps slowing when I reach the bedroom. I stare down at the small box in my hand and perch on the edge of the bed, facing the window, my thoughts racing again.

Should I wait? Should I spend the next few days stressing and tense and trying to hide my nerves from Cassandra? Or should I ask her now? I want to make it special—romantic—but maybe I can do that without waiting for the ball.

The ball, where she might meet her true mate, leaving me all alone.

Again.

But if I ask her now, I can mark her before the weekend. I can make her mine and—

The creak of the pesky loose floorboard on the landing jolts me back to reality, and I jump off the bed, staring at where Cassandra stands in the doorway. “Cassandra! I—”

“Save your breath, Nolan,” she says, her fists clenched and ice in her voice. “I thought we had something special together. Something real. Turns out you were just pretending. I should have realized sooner you were using me as a Band-Aid.”