Page 48 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

My head was spinning. Was Cole agreeing that I wasstillhis fated mate? How could that be possible?

Kyle smoothed the sleeves of his jacket and chuckled, looking away from Cole to adjust the cufflinks of his dress shirt.

“Indeed I do,” Kyle said, still smiling. “As every shifter knows. But…” He held up a finger and locked his eyes on Cole again. “That free ticket to violence is only allowed if the mate has been claimed.” Kyle sniffed the air, sucking air in through his nostrils in a loud and obnoxious way. “Doesn’t smell like she’s been claimed to me. Seems like she’s free game.”

My skin crawled with revulsion, knowing he was talking about me, knowing he’d pulled my scent into his nose. The thought of even microscopic portions of me being inside him made my throat burn with bile.

“What did you say?” Cole snarled as he shoved Kyle back. “Say it again, motherfucker. Say it! I fucking dare you.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he stumbled backward, but righted himself before he could fall.

“Cole, no,” I said, the words leaping from my throat. “He’s not worth it.”

From the corner of my eye, I noticed another form sprinting from the parking lot toward the door. Terror and panic burstthrough my chest. Was it some enforcer Kyle had who was rushing in to protect his boss?

But then Trent burst through the door. Cole and Ashton froze at his arrival. Kyle, still smiling that crocodile smile of his, appraised the new arrival speculatively.

“Well, who do we have here?” Kyle said with a wink. “Trenton Monroe, I believe? Is that right? Cole’s right-hand man?”

Trent threw a look of disgust at the man and hurried across to Cole. “You said you’d be here,” he said, then leaned in close to whisper to Cole, keeping his voice low.

“Now, now,” Kyle said, gesturing around to confused patrons. “Speak up, so the whole class can hear.”

Whatever Trent said to Cole calmed him down. The burning rage on his face faded to a simmering anger.

Kyle waved a hand at both of them, as if shooing a fly. “I’m bored of this. Cole, you’ve got thirty days to get me my money. After that?” He made a gun with his hand and aimed it at Cole. “I start taking things you value.” He turned and winked at me.

Ashton, Trent, and Cole all let loose low, threatening growls as the man slipped out the door of the diner. For a moment, everyone remained silent, but after a few seconds, whispered conversations began again. I blew out a breath, allowing my shoulders to relax. They’d grown taut as steel cables during the confrontation.

“Trent, take Ashton home. I need to talk to Avery,” Cole said.

“Wait a minute,” I said. “Why can’t Ashton come with us?”

“Mom, I’ll be fine,” Ashton said. “It’s cool.”

I glanced from him to Trent, then to Cole, and back at my son again. “Are you sure?”

Ashton nodded. “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

“I’ll get him home safe and sound,” Trent said.

“Thank you,” Cole said.

The two of them departed. Cole was still visibly enraged. I tried to remain calm and not pepper him with the hundred questions that were bubbling up in my mind. Instead, I asked one simple question that encompassed all of them.

“Cole, what’s going on?”

He took my arm and led me toward the door, his fingers strong and insistent but gentle.

“Let’s get out of here.” He cleared his throat and, in what was his best attempt at confident good nature, called out to the restaurant. “Sorry for the trouble, everyone. My apologies.”

“Is everything all right, Cole?” a man I recognized from my youth as Al Junior asked from behind the register.

“All good, Al.” Cole winced in disappointment, as though remembering something important he’d forgotten. “Hey, Al, I know you don’t deliver, but do you think you could take a double bacon cheeseburger and fries to the old Carlisle house?”

Al frowned for a moment, as though thrown off, then shrugged and said, “For you? Sure. I can have it there in fifteen or twenty minutes.”

“Great. Throw some jalapeños and grilled onions on it as well.”

---