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

35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

NOLAN

Five angry growls echo in the hospital room, but not a single one is louder than Cassandra’s.

“Oh hell no,” she says, pushing up and out of my arms, flinging her legs over the edge of the mattress. “Fuck that bitch. Let me at her.”

She launches herself towards the door, but I jump off the bed after her, my arms circling her waist faster than she can get her footing under herself with her injuries. She winces, and I spin, lifting her onto the bed again, holding her down by her hips with my body leaning over hers.

“Not so fast, Daisy,” I say, narrowing my eyes on her. “You’re still healing.”

“I can handle her,” she snarls, fighting against me. “I can take her down.”

“I know you can,” I say, nodding and agreeing with her. “But we don’t know for sure that it’s the same Kimberly.”

Her chest heaves, and she glares at me but stops her struggling, crossing her arms to show me her displeasure.

“My instincts tell me it is.” Sebastian pulls a tablet out from beneath his arm and hands to me. “She’s in the conference room with Levi, Mason, and Mateo.”

The security camera feed streams on the tablet screen, and there, sitting at the conference room table, tapping her nails against the tabletop, is a platinum blonde female with dark brown eyes.

Kimberly.

My hand tightens on the tablet. It’s her. She’s here.

The question is—why?

“What does she want?” I ask through my teeth as Cassandra takes the tablet from me and glares at my former mate as if she could injure her through the screen. “And how did she know what pack I’m in?”

Sebastian shrugs. “Don’t know. She won’t tell us. She said she’ll only speak to the alpha, luna, and gamma.”

I roll my eyes, and Cassandra mirrors the action as she gives the tablet back to Seb. “Of course she did,” I say, laughing humorlessly.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to see Rachel’s name flashing across the screen. I silence it and send her to voicemail. Whatever she needs can wait.

But when I silence the phone, I see I have dozens of missed calls from her, and instead of leaving me a message, she calls me again immediately.

“What is it?” I ask, skipping the formalities.

“Oh, thank the Goddess!” Rachel exclaims. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of you for hours!”

“Things are a mess here right now, Rachel,” I explain, rubbing the back of my neck.

Cassandra growls, a tiny, adorable glint of jealousy flashing in her eyes. My wolf practically smiles in my mind at her possessiveness. I rest my hand on her thigh reassuringly, leaning in closer so she can hear the phone call, too. She gives me a grateful smile, and I stroke her skin, reaching my fingers up towards where my name is written on her upper leg.

“Because Kimberly showed up there?”

“I—what?” My body tenses, and I frown, glancing at Sebastian. “How did you know that?”

She groans. “That’s what we were afraid of.”

“We? Who is we?”

“Alpha Jeremy Calloway of Hyannis Ponds,” she says. “He’s Kimberly’s chosen mate, and he’s my second chance mate.”

I freeze, and Cassandra’s jaw drops open. Lowering the phone from my ear and putting it on speaker, I gesture at the others to listen. “I’m going to need you to start from the beginning.”

Rachel sighs. “It’s complicated, but basically, Kimberly’s been lying to her chosen mate for years. He had no idea she rejected you or that you even existed. He didn’t find out about any of it until I showed up to remodel the interior of their packhouse, and we felt the mate bond.”

“Their chosen bond obviously wasn’t very strong then,” Wesley says, shaking his head, “since it didn’t override your fated bond.”

“You can say that again,” Rachel’s mate—Alpha Jeremy—mutters. “Kimberly was gone spending the week at a spa, and I told Rachel I had a chosen mate and needed some time to… figure things out with Kimberly. Later, when Rachel learned her name, she pieced it all together and told me about you, and we confronted Kimberly about it when she returned. She denied it all, of course, but I alpha commanded the truth from her.”

“They’re supposed to break their bond during the full moon tomorrow night,” Rachel says, “but Kimberly disappeared. She was supposed to return to her former pack and stay with her mom, but she never made it there. And somehow, I just knew she’d gone to Crescent Lake. To you.”

I bark out a derisive laugh. “Then she’s in for a rude awakening. I want nothing to do with her,” I say, lifting my eyes to meet Cassandra’s intense gaze. “I found my second chance mate, too.” My wolf puffs his chest out in my mind, preening at our claim, forcing me to flick my eyes down to my mark on her neck. She may not be a fated second chance mate, but she is still my second chance mate in every other way. “I have everything I could ever want or need right here,” I add, nodding at her.

I squeeze Cassandra’s thigh, and her eyes flash with satisfaction, her lycan’s presence swirling in her pupils. Smugness leaks from her pores and her aura, and I curl my hand into a fist to keep myself from pinning her to the mattress and having my way with her, sinking my cock into her pussy and my teeth into her neck once more.

That will have to wait. She’s still healing, and we have an audience.

Wesley clears his throat, and I lean away from Cassandra, blowing out a controlled breath. “What would you like us to do?” I ask. “She’s technically still your luna while she has your mark.”

Alpha Jeremy growls. “I know. And I regret marking her more with each passing day.”

“Why did you? Mark her?” I ask.

He exhales. “We grew up together—our moms were best friends—and we had an agreement we made as young teens. If neither of us found our fated mate by my twenty-fifth birthday, I would take her as my chosen luna. The ball she met you at was two weeks before my birthday.”

I frown. “But if you were already planning to mark her as your luna, then why did she attend the mating ball?”

“My mom saw what I refused to see—that she’d changed as she’d gotten older and that her intentions were purely selfish. Even though we’d dated for several years, she only wanted the title and the power. It was never about me. So my mom added a stipulation—that we both attend as many mating balls as possible before my birthday. That mating ball was a last-minute decision, my mom’s last hope for Kimberly to find her fated mate, so I wouldn’t be tied to her.”

“Which is why she wasn’t on the guest list,” Cassandra says, eyes widening with realization.

“Yes,” Alpha Jeremy confirms. “The hosting pack let her attend as a favor to my mom. I could not attend that ball because we had our annual warrior placement tournament that same weekend, but my mom insisted Kimberly go without me. When she returned, she said she didn’t find a mate, and we marked each other the day after my birthday. Now I need that mark removed. And I can’t wait another full moon cycle to do so.”

“You can have the royal pack representative come here to Crescent Lake,” Wesley offers. “They can take her back to Hyannis Ponds. Or you and Rachel can travel here as well and complete your rejection here?”

“Yes, I’ll contact the royal pack,” Alpha Jeremy says. “Rachel and I will need to discuss the rest. We will let you know if we decide to travel there or have them return her here.”

I end the call, and we all sit there in silence for a while, our brains comprehending everything Rachel told us.

Wesley shakes his head. “We can’t let Kimberly know that we know,” he says.

I nod. “I agree. But I’m not speaking to her. Not until Cassandra’s healed, at least. I don’t care what she ‘demands.’”

“I have no desire to speak with her right now, either.” Wesley shrugs. “We’re all tired and need to rest. She can wait. Tell her we’re still at the mating ball,” he says to Sebastian. “Then put her in a guest room or something. Keep Levi, Mason, and Mateo on her, though.”

Seb nods and leaves the room, and Reid and Taryn follow him. “We need to go too,” she says. “We need to get Sour Patch from Reid’s dad.”

I wave to them as they leave, and Wes stares at me as the door shuts behind them. “Are you okay?” he asks.

I glance at my mate—my beautiful wildflower of a mate—and I return the beaming smile she gives me as our eyes meet. Once upon a time, I convinced myself those smiles were the worst, that no one could be that happy. And now, I can’t live without those smiles.

Kimberly may be here to wreak havoc on my life or make some appeal to me to take her back, but none of it fazes me because I have Cassandra by my side, ready to face it all with me. Together, we are untouchable, and nothing and no one is going to take her away from me.

“I’m more than okay,” I tell him, cupping Cassandra’s cheek in my hand. “I’m perfect.”

I lean against the head of the hospital bed, a snoozing Cassandra in my arms as we wait for Dr. Russo to examine her and clear her to leave. My phone buzzes on the side table, but I ignore it, choosing to focus on my mate in my arms instead of whoever it is calling me.

However, a split-second after it stops ringing, an angry mindlink from my mom echoes in my mind.

“Call me back right now!”

I sigh and reach for my phone, dialing my mom’s cell number. I know better than to ignore her requests.

“Nolan Ulysses Shepard!” she scolds with no greeting as soon as she answers.

“Mom,” I say, keeping my voice low so Cassandra can rest for as long as needed.

“Don’t you just ‘Mom’ me like everything is fine and dandy! I had to hear from Emily and Harrison about the fire at the mating ball that injured Cassandra instead of from my son! We should have heard about it from you!”

I groan and run my hand down my face to my jaw. “I’m sorry, Mom. My focus has been on her and making sure she’s healing and safe.”

She sighs, and I hear her plop down onto a chair or the couch. “Of course. I know. As you should be. She’s your mate. But we’re worried. She’s our family too.”

I smile down at my sleeping Daisy, pride rippling through me at the easy and open acceptance my parents have shown her. Not that I am surprised. Cassandra and my mom got along from the first moment they met. And I swear my mom had tears in her eyes when we showed them Cassandra’s ring and announced our decision to be chosen mates. Just like with Haven, my parents both made room for her in their lives and their hearts, welcoming her as part of our family as if she’s always been there.

I clear my throat. “I marked her at the ball,” I confess, knowing if I don’t she’ll yell at me about that too.

She gasps. “I thought you were waiting? I thought there was a special ceremony or—”

“It’s her birthday today, and that’s what she wanted,” I explain, leaving out the more intimate and private details of our decision.

“Oh my Goddess, it’s her birthday?!”

“Don’t make a big deal of it,” I warn. “She doesn’t want that.”

She scoffs, and I picture her pouting, but she changes the subject. “Do you need anything? Food? Clothes?”

“No,” I reply, stroking Cassandra’s back and then wrapping her up tight in my arm, my cheek resting on top of her head. “I have everything I need right here.”

“Nolie!” my mom shrieks when we walk into our house later that day after Dr. Russo cleared Cassandra. But even though she shrieks my name, it’s Cassandra who she throws her arms around. “Oh Goddess, I am so glad you are okay!” she says, hugging Cassandra in a vise grip.

“Mom, please be careful with my mate,” I say, resting my hand on the small of Cassandra’s back.

“I’m fine,” Cassandra says, returning my mom’s squeeze.

I grunt, but I don’t move from her side. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. My wolf won’t let me.

As soon as my mom releases Cassandra, I tug her into my body, burying my nose into her hair and inhaling her scent.

Do I look like a whipped, possessive fool in love?

Yes.

Do I care?

Absolutely not.

My dad stands behind my mom, his arms crossed and a faint smile on his lips as he watches her.

“I told her I didn’t need anything,” I say to him.

He shrugs. “She’s been beside herself with worry all day, even though you told her Cassandra was fine and healing. She made stew, baked bread, and cleaned your entire house. Twice.”

“I’m changing the locks in the morning,” I mutter under my breath as my mom turns to go into the kitchen.

“What?” my mom asks, glancing at me over her shoulder.

“Nothing,” I reply, shaking my head.

Cassandra laughs, and I wrap my arms around her, inhaling her scent again. I can’t get enough of it, especially now that she has my mark and there is more depth to it, a subtle hint of sweetness underneath the wild daisy scent. “I can ask them to leave,” I mindlink her.

“Stew sounds delicious,” she says out loud, raising her volume to be sure my parents hear her.

I narrow my eyes at her but lead her into the dining room. My dad is already sitting, waiting as my mom dishes up the food, and I plop down in the chair beside him, pulling Cassandra down in my lap before she can sit on her own. “We won’t stay for too long. I remember what it was like to be newly marked,” my dad whispers, winking at us.

I groan and rest my elbow on the table, rubbing my hand down my face. “Or you could just leave now,” I grumble.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” my mom says, setting bowls of stew and slices of bread down in front of Cassandra and me. “I’m going to pretend you said ‘I love you, Mom.’”

My lips twitch, and I rest my chin on my fist as Cassandra digs into her food. “I love you, Mom.”

She smiles and leans down to pat my cheek. “I love you too, Nolie.”

My phone rings as she walks away, and I sigh as I remove it from my pocket. I want to ignore it, but with everything that’s happening, I can’t.

“Hello?” I say, answering it without checking who it is.

“Hey. It’s Ben.”

Cassandra perks up a little and I sit up straighter, too. “What’s going on?” I ask.

“I wanted to check on my sister,” he says.

I glance at her. Her eyes water at his words and the genuine concern that is clear in his voice. I embrace her waist and kiss her shoulder. “She’s healed.”

He lets out a sigh of relief. “That’s good.” He’s quiet for a moment, then he swallows and says, “I also have some information. I wouldn’t bother you with it, since I know you’re focusing on taking care of Cassandra, but I forgot Wes and Haven don’t have phones right now, and I couldn’t get ahold of Reid or Sebastian.”

“Reid and Seb are checking on the remaining pack members who were at the ball with us,” I say. “What’s the information?”

“It’s about the fire. They found evidence of a bomb in Haven and Wesley’s room.”

Cassandra’s spoon clatters against the side of her bowl, and she almost drops her dish before setting it on the table. “A bomb?” I repeat. My parents’ eyes widen and a heavy silence falls over the dining room.

“There was a trip wire attached to the door, so when it opened, the device ignited. The room was drenched in lighter fluid or gasoline or something incredibly flammable, which is how it grew so hot so quickly,” Ben says.

I frown and glance at Cassandra, whose face is as pale as snow, her eyes distant. “So the fire started when I opened the door? It wasn’t going already?” I ask.

“No,” Cassandra says, shaking her head slowly. “I saw it. Right before it happened. That’s why I pushed you out of the way.”

“But who would do that? And why?” I ask.

Her jaw ticks, and her distant eyes burn with anger, her hands curling into fists. “Kimberly,” she says, her voice a growl and her lip curling.

My mouth goes dry. “How do you know?”

Her nostrils flare as she keeps glaring at nothing. “I saw that too. Just now. When Ben said there was a bomb in Haven’s room.”

Anger fills every muscle in her body, and I know she’s fighting every instinct in her to stay here instead of racing to the packhouse to give Kimberly a piece of her mind and her fists.

“You can’t attack her unprovoked,” I remind her in a low voice. “She still has her chosen mate’s mark. She’s still a luna. It’s against our laws.”

She snarls and slams a fist on the table. “She attacked our luna!”

“The only proof we have of that is your split-second vision. It’s your word against hers,” Ben says.

Her jaw drops open. “But—”

“We believe you,” I clarify, lifting my hands and gesturing at my parents and nodding at the phone, where Ben is still listening to our conversation. “But until we find solid evidence or she confesses, that won’t be enough.” I place my hand on her hip and give it a pulsing squeeze. “Trust me, I want to tear her apart just as bad as you do for attempting to hurt our luna, but we have to do this correctly.”

“Nolan is right,” Ben agrees with a sigh. “For now, you need to tell Wes and Haven and get ahold of King Malachi so he can get the truth from her.”

I nod and Cassandra does too, albeit a bit reluctantly, and she jumps from my lap as I end the call with Ben and reach out to Wesley through the pack mindlink. “Where are you?”

“At the packhouse,” he says. “What’s up?”

“I’ll tell you when we get there.”

I get to my feet after I reply to him. “Thank you for the food,” I say to my mom, ducking to kiss her cheek, even though I didn’t even eat a bite of it. “We’ll be back soon.”

I wave at both her and my dad as I leave, following a speed-walking Cassandra out of the house.

A million questions run through my brain as we rush towards the packhouse, but all of them start with the same word: why?

Why was Kimberly at the mating ball? Why would she want to hurt our alpha and luna? And why would she plant a bomb in their room and then come to their pack demanding to speak with them?

None of it adds up.

Unless…

Unless she wasn’t after Wesley and Haven. My steps slow and my breath catches.

What if she was after someone else entirely? Cassandra got ready in Haven and Wesley’s room. She went straight there when we arrived at the hotel for the ball and never went into our room until after I marked her in the stairwell. Her scent would have been all over that room.

If Kimberly was at the ball, she would have seen me all over Cassandra. She would have known we were together. If she came to California for me, to try to win me back…

I exhale and sprint forward, chasing after Cassandra, who is almost to the packhouse, her one track mind not realizing I paused behind her.

I’m almost to her—only a few steps away—when a rabid, ear-piercing growl sounds nearby, and Kimberly charges towards Cassandra, launching herself at her with her claws out, her hands wrapping around Cassandra’s neck as she tackles her to the ground.