Page 17 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

A strange sense of déjà vu burst into my mind as I entered the woods. It had been years since I’d run through these trees in my wolf form—a day or two before I’d left Harbor Mills, if I remembered correctly. A few days before I’d made the worst mistake of my life. It was crazy how a young man’s decision, fueled by anger and hate, could ruin the lives of three people.

For over an hour, I let my wolf have free rein. My human consciousness sank back to the periphery, and the wolf padded through the undergrowth, speeding along like a demon. Paws skirted over moss, dirt, and leaves, even as twigs and branches clawed at our fur. We didn’t stop or slow, as though sheer speed could allow us to outrun the terrible yet amazing truth we’d discovered. The wolf needed this as much—maybe even more—than I did.

Though I’d thought my consciousness had given total control of our body over to my wolf, it appeared I’d remained in charge of the route we took because we padded up to a house I knew well.

When I got word that my father had died and Harbor Mills needed me to step up as alpha, I’d decided I needed a good right-hand man to help me. Someone who would have my back no matter what. Trenton Monroe, my best friend from childhood. We’d gone through our first shift together. He’d enlisted in the military right after we graduated high school, and rather than returning home to Harbor Mills when he got out of the military, he contacted me and headed out west to join me in several of my business ventures. If there was anyone I could vent to and get good advice from, it was Trent.

When I’d called him up and asked him to return home with me, I thought he might decline. To my surprise, he’d agreed wholeheartedly and confessed that he’d started missing home, anyway. When we came back to Harbor Mills a few weeks ago, I moved into the alpha house and Trent moved into his parents’ old place, which had stood empty ever since their death ten years ago.

After shifting back, I walked up to his front door and pounded on it. A moment later, Trent opened it with a smile.

“Bro, you didn’t call. I didn’t know you were…” The smile faded from his lips when he got a good look at my face.

“What happened?” he asked. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks, same to you, buddy,” I said as I stepped inside.

Trent followed me to the kitchen, where I sank onto a barstool. “Can I get a drink?” I said.

“Beer’s in the fridge.”

I shook my head. “Something stronger.”

“Jack and Coke coming right up,” Trent said.

He made the drink while I stewed on everything. Once he handed it to me, I slammed it back, draining the glass in a matter of seconds.

“All right, what the fuck is going on?” Trent asked as he popped the top off a beer.

“Do you remember Avery Carlisle?”

Trent grinned. “How could I forget? Homecoming queen, hottest girl in school. Everyone wanted her, and Mr. Cole Garrett won her over.” He frowned a little. “Why? You said you guys broke up and you hadn’t seen her in years.”

Trent had never returned to Harbor Mills after getting out of the service. He’d left three years before I did. He didn’t know the actual truth.

“So, you know that whole amicable breakup I told you about?” I asked.

Trent’s eyes narrowed, and he put his beer bottle down. “This is gonna be bad, isn’t it?”

“You could say that.”

I told him everything. I was too ashamed of the reason I’d left, so I’d spent all these years lying to my best friend. I’d told him that Avery and I broke up, and only then did I get in a fight with my old man, which resulted in me leaving. Now, I told him the truth. And then I told him about seeing Avery again, about Ashton, followed by the revelation that Dad had forced Farrah to lie.

When I was done, Trent stared at me in dumbfounded shock.

“You’re fucking serious,” he said in a near whisper.

“I am.” I grabbed his beer and chugged it. “God, sometimes I wish it was easier for shifters to get drunk,” I said after finishing it.

“So, you’ve got a son you never knew about. What are you gonna do?”

“Wait and see what Avery and Ashton want to do.” I shook my head. “I’m so fucking mad, Trent. I can barely see straight.”

“I would be, too. No doubt. Why the hell would your father do that to you?”

I let out a humorless bark of a laugh. “He knew he’d die one day. Probably thought, even though I was gone, I’d end up with a nice, respectable shifter woman who I’d bring back to take over when he kicked the bucket. That, or he was being a spiteful asshole. Both options are possible.”

“Are you gonna try and patch things up with Avery?” Trent asked.

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