Page 47 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

“Mom? What’s going on?” Ashton asked.

“Stay there, sweetie,” I said, though I wasn’t sure what was happening, either.

Ashton glanced at Kyle, and to my surprise, gave a snarling growl of his own. That was the first time I’d heard it. His change really was coming soon. His was almost a mimic of Cole’s—low, rumbling, and dangerous. It drew Cole’s attention away from Kyle.

Ashton pointed at Kyle. “Cole, this dude’s bad news.”

Kyle smirked and nodded to Ashton. “Boy’s senses are getting stronger.”

The fact that Kyle didn’t argue or deny Ashton’s assertion made me uneasy. Even if someonewasthere with ill intent, usually they’d downplay it and act like they were there for a meal or simple conversation. Kyle was practically admitting that he was there to cause trouble. That didn’t sit well with me.

“You don’t talk to him,” Cole snarled. “You talk tome.”

Kyle laughed. “That’s exactly what I’m here for. I came to speak to the new alpha, and here you are.”

Cole gave a small shake of the head. “I’m not the alpha. Not yet.”

Kyle removed his sunglasses and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, sure. Just because you all haven’t had a little ceremony doesn’t mean I don’t know the truth. You’re the alpha, and that means you get to deal with the alpha’s problems.”

Around the restaurant, people sat, transfixed by the strange interaction. Even the cooks and servers in the kitchen were watching through the service window.

Cole pointed at the door. “We can talk outside.”

Ignoring him, Kyle raised his voice to be heard across the diner. “The previous Harbor Mills pack alpha, and the pack by association, owes me over a hundred thousand dollars. I’m only trying to get what’s owed to me.”

“What?” The word slipped from my lips before I could stop it.

I wasn’t a shifter, but when Cole and I were together, I’d learned a bit about pack finances. Most packs, and the Harbor Mills pack in particular, had large quantities of generational wealth—money taken in over decades that was used to finance pack operations, as well as for the betterment of pack members and pack businesses. If I’d have to guess, Cole’s father had inherited a pack bank account of over a couple million dollars when he’d taken over from Cole’s grandfather.

Farrah and Cole had been well off when we were kids. The Garrett family was known as one of the richest in the area. How could the pack have burned through that much—and more—in only a couple decades?

Cole only nodded at Kyle’s pronunciation. “I know about my father’s debts.”

This seemed to finally knock Kyle off-balance. He frowned at Cole, obviously upset that his announcement hadn’t blindsided him. Around the room, muttered and whispered conversations broke out among the customers.

Kyle twisted his face like he’d just sucked on a lemon. “Let me guess. That little prick Dallas clued you in?”

“Doesn’t matter who told me,” Cole said.

The mention of Dallas gave me pause. When was the last time I’d even thought of Cole’s half-brother? Over a decade at least. I’d been one of the only people outside the immediate family to know about Alpha Garrett’s illegitimate son. Cole and Farrah had tried to bring him into the family a bit, but Dallas had shunned them, even at a young age, instead choosing to remain hidden away with his mother. What did he have to do with all this?

“I think it does matter,” Kyle said in a threatening tone.

“I haven’t talked to my brother in years,” Cole said. “I found the loan documents myself. Leave him out of it. You’ll get your fucking money, but you need to stay out of Harbor Mills and stay away from my pack. Understand?”

Kyle glanced in my direction and grinned slyly. “Is that little hottie part of your pack? Because, if not, I’d love to make her part of mine.”

Cole and Ashton both snarled at the man. Ashton even took a step toward him, but Cole held up a hand, gesturing to him to stay back.

Kyle’s grin widened, showing off his crooked, yellow teeth. “You two are awfully uptight. I’m only joking. Calm down. I can sense she’s already spoken for.”

I frowned in confusion.

“A fated mate connection is strong,” Kyle added.

My jaw fell open at the comment. Fated mate? There was no way I wasstillCole’s fated mate. After all these years? That connection should have faded away after all the years apart.Plus, Cole had left me. Wouldn’t that have severed the bond like an outright rejection?

Rather than argue against the accusation, Cole took another step toward Kyle. “You need to remember that,” he hissed. “You and I both know what happens when an alpha’s mate is threatened.”

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