Chapter 16

Driving to the pack’s house, I found myself lost in thought. I was about to spend the night with the alpha. Even better, I was packing a suitcase to spend who knows how many nights with the alpha.

The alpha who was the father of my unborn child. The Scarlett of a week ago would have never believed this.

I pulled into the garage using the car’s controls. The door to the stairs was open, as was the bedroom door. I knocked twice as I entered, finding Christopher sitting in an armchair, gazing at the cityscape with a glass of whiskey in hand.

When he heard me, he turned, his sky-blue eyes meeting mine as a smile spread across his lips. All the day’s tension melted away. I dropped my suitcase as he rose and walked toward me.

“So, you took my advice and brought some stuff this time,” he said, setting his whiskey glass on the coffee table.

“Yeah, I brought some things,” I replied, shrugging nonchalantly.

Christopher then placed his hands on my hips, pulling me close until our bodies met. One hand moved to the back of my head, his thumb brushing the side of my ear. He gently pulled me toward him, our lips meeting in a soft, peaceful kiss.

It tasted like tranquility, like home.

This was the kind of kiss you long for after a long, hard day. In his arms, I felt at home. He had the power to erase all my worries just by being there.

He was my sanctuary.

He broke the kiss, resting his forehead against mine, and sighed. It was a sigh of relief, and I realized that my presence meant as much to him as his did to me.

“I smell like a hospital. I need to change,” I said, looking up at him.

“Let’s take a bath,” he suggested, releasing me and heading toward the bathroom.

Christopher started the bath while I began to undress. He watched me in the mirror, and when our eyes met, I was frozen.

“It was a tough day for both of us,” he admitted. The memory of James and the heartbreaking news I had to deliver to his wife and son made my heart heavy.

“What’s wrong?” Christopher asked, coming up behind me for support.

“I had to tell a young mother today that I couldn’t save her husband,” I confessed, exhaling deeply. Christopher wrapped his arms around me from behind, his hands resting on my waist. I nestled into him, craving the comfort of his embrace.

“I know. We lost ten in total. Fewer than expected given the circumstances, but it still hurts. I have to speak to their families tomorrow,” he said, holding me tighter. He planted two kisses on my neck before meeting my gaze in the mirror again.

“We deserve a long, relaxing bath,” he said, his hands now resting on my belly. I knew what he meant by that gesture.

He let go of me, and I missed his touch instantly. We undressed and stepped into the tub. Despite having seen him naked before, I still blushed, and he smiled.

It felt new yet natural. I reached out to him and stepped into the tub, sitting in the center. He joined me, sitting behind me, his legs on either side of mine.

I leaned back against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me. The warm water, his body against mine, his presence—it was everything I needed after a day like that.

Christopher began to stroke my arm as he spoke.

“You know, Scarlett, I have something to confess,” he began, and my heart raced. I adjusted myself in the tub to look at him.

“After Violet, I tried to find someone else.”

He paused, and I could tell this was a sensitive topic. My heart pounded in my chest.

“Having had a mate before, dating again was hard. I couldn’t connect; everything felt empty, meaningless. But with you, it’s different. It’s light yet intense, as if it was always meant to be this way. I feel complete—a feeling I’ve never experienced before. It’s as if the Moon Goddess brought us together, two halves of a whole. From the moment I saw you, I felt a sense of recognition, a familiarity. I think you could be my second chance mate.”

His words made my heart race, my breath quicken, and a shiver run down my spine. I wanted to respond, but my throat was dry. I swallowed hard.

“I don’t want to pressure you. I know this is all happening fast, and being my mate comes with sacrifices and responsibilities. I don’t know if this is what you want, but I want you to think about it.”

I felt safe with him, safe enough to open up. I took his hand in the water, playing with his fingers as I prepared to speak.

“I’ve thought about it, but it scared me,” I confessed. “I was terrified of being wrong, of having my heart shattered again. What I feel for you is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s a sense of completeness, like a missing piece of me has been found. It’s as if my soul has finally exhaled. Our connection feels not just physical and emotional, but spiritual, sacred even. Something shifted the first night we made love. I didn’t mention it because I wasn’t entirely sure myself, but once I realized I was carrying your child, I knew. The world tilted on its axis. I felt a divine blessing on our union, from the Moon Goddess herself, and I knew you were the one for me,” I confessed.

“You feel like home, like a dream come true,” I continued. “Being with you is different from what I experienced with my first mate. It’s more intense, purer, stronger. But Christopher, I have to admit, I haven’t seriously considered becoming your luna. My career has always been incredibly important to me, and if I were to…” The thought was so foreign to me that I had avoided it entirely. I hadn’t even voiced it, but now I needed to. “If I were to become your luna, I would have to give up all of that. This is so far removed from my current reality that I don’t even know how I would feel. My mother had opportunities to work in administration from my father before they married, but she didn’t want to live in his shadow. So, she finished medical school, specialized, and is now the head of the hospital. I’ve always admired her career and wanted that for myself,” I admitted.

“I would never want you to live in my shadow, Scarlett,” Christopher assured me. “I would need you by my side, not behind me. The alpha and the luna have different roles within a pack. But you’re right, you would have to give up your career as a doctor. I wish there was another way, because I know how much you love what you do, but being a luna comes with a lot of responsibility.”

“I would miss my career,” I admitted. “But I feel like you’re also my second chance mate.” Saying it out loud made it all feel more real, like a wake-up call that allowed me to fully embrace it.

I felt so much with Christopher, but at the same time, I felt like I was always holding back, scared, not allowing myself to fully feel. But now, I let myself be overwhelmed and filled with the purest feeling of love. It was so emotional that tears welled up in my eyes. It felt like my body, my mind, and my soul had finally found their life mate.

“And then there’s this baby,” I continued, guiding his hand to my belly. “We’re going to have this baby together, and just the fact that it’s your child places responsibilities on him or her before they’re even born.” I felt him tense up at that. “But I promise, I promise to think about it, okay?”

He kissed my neck.

“Perfect, think about it, and sleep with me here every night, so I can persuade you a little bit each day.”

“You think you can persuade me?” I asked, smiling as I moved away from his chest so he could soap my back too.

“Not really, but I’d like to try,” he replied.

It was funny how even the most delicate and difficult conversations felt natural with him. It made me wonder if we were both right in our guesses about being second-chance mates.

We relaxed in the tub for a few minutes before bed. Nothing sexual happened that night, but what we experienced was more intimate than that. It was deep; it was proof that it was much more than physical attraction; it was companionship.

***

The following week was intense. Between my shifts at the clinic and Christopher dealing with the aftermath of the latest attack on the south and the potential political strategies that would follow, we were both incredibly busy.

My mother had reduced my shifts. She didn’t tell me why, but I knew it was because of the pregnancy. We’d also scheduled the first ultrasound for the next week, when Christopher could be there.

Christopher came home exhausted every day, and some days so late that I fell asleep at his house before he even made it to bed. As we agreed, I was sleeping there every night, but I still ate dinner at my parents’ and packed a new suitcase every day.

At the end of the week, my mom made a big dinner of roast beef and potatoes, my favorite dishes. Tiff was having dinner with us, too. It was nice having everyone at home after such an intense week when we were all so busy. We all ate in peace until my father received a call. It was normal for him to get work calls at the most unusual times, but this one unsettled me. I had a feeling something was wrong, but I had no idea what was coming.

“Hello,” my father said, then got up from the table and walked away. I was so nervous that my heart stopped, and I couldn’t eat anymore.

My father was pacing back and forth in the other room. Then he started rubbing the back of his neck, which made me even more nervous.

“What?” my father yelled in shock, and my throat tightened, my mouth went dry, and I had a feeling something wasn’t right. “I am on my way,” he said.

He came into the room to tell us all what was happening.

“We were attacked again, on the southern border,” he said.

He looked straight at Bob. “We need to go quickly.”

“What happened?” I asked, almost standing up.

I knew and felt that it wasn’t just an attack. “It wasn’t just an attack. You need to be honest with me.”

My father ran his hand over his face, clearly upset.

He shook his head and then looked me in the eyes.

I could see the plea in my eyes, but in my heart, I was terrified of what might have happened. I knew he didn’t want to worry me, but I needed to know.

“The alpha was at the border when the attack happened, and he was hit,” Dad said.

“I don’t have concrete information about what it was, but it looks like he was bitten.”

Suddenly, I felt sick.

I couldn’t hold it back for long; I only managed to make it to the trash can and vomited all my dinner there.

“Scarlett,” I heard my mother calling my name and handing me a napkin.

I quickly stood up, wiped my mouth, and turned toward them.

“I’ll go with you,” I said, moving toward my father.

“No, Scarlett, you can’t go; it’s too dangerous,” Bob said.

“It doesn’t matter, I need to see him, and if he needs medical attention,” I insisted.

“Scarlett, we can’t be certain about the severity of the attack. You can’t just waltz into a war zone. We’re also in the dark about how serious this bite is.”

The fear gripped me.

I was clueless if it was a minor bite or if it was a fatal one like the one that claimed James’s life.

The mere thought of Christopher possibly dying sent me spiraling into a pit of despair.

I couldn’t hold myself together.

Tears started pooling in my eyes, and I let out a sigh—a sigh filled with anguish, pain, worry, and raw despair. My heart felt heavy, and a hollow emptiness coupled with a tightness in my chest made me feel like I was on the verge of passing out.

“I need to see him,” I managed to say, my voice choked with tears.

I made a move toward the door, but a voice, loud and piercing, stopped me in my tracks.

“Scarlett, you can’t!” Mom’s voice rang out, her hand gripping my arm.

“Why not?” I shot back, my voice echoing in the room.

“Because you’re carrying the future of our pack in your belly.”