Chapter Fourteen Xeraphina

XERAPHINA

Tilly, an omega wolf in her late twenties, joined our pack a few years ago, having come from a neighboring pack. Her story of why she left her old pack remains a mystery to everyone except my father, the Alpha and my mother, the Luna of our pack. Despite being here for ten years, she arrived without a mate and has yet to find one.

Returning her hug, I step back to retrieve my plate and put it back in the oven to keep it warm. I then turn to face Tilly. “I’m not sure what has happened to you, but my condolences for whatever it was. Little did I know that him carrying me outside in the middle of my first shift into a wolf was so risky. If I had known, I wouldn’t have let him do it. Now I feel guilty. The whole time he was taking me away, I was mentally hoping I could shift and use my claws to castrate him.”

“My older brother, who was only a year older than me, died when he picked me up and carried me outside, when I was going through my first transformation into my wolf. We didn’t even make it out the door. My first shift into a wolf was so fast. I had already connected with my wolf and…”

“Your alpha banished you, didn’t he?”

“My family was of beta blood. I killed my brother who was next in line to become beta. My mate was the Alpha’s son and my brother’s best friend. He rejected me and I accepted the rejection. I’m surprised to be alive. It was the most excruciating and overwhelming pain. I was in a coma for a few months. My wolf died. When I woke up, the alpha banished me from my home pack.”

Remembering Xariah’s words from earlier, I envelop her in a tight embrace and hold her close as tears stream down her face. At that moment, my wolf’s senses confirm what I already suspected - she is human, without the bond of a wolf. The truth of her story resonates within me. “Tilly, I am so sorry,” I say, clutching her closer to me to offer her more comfort. “What happened to your brother was not your fault. It was a freak accident. I’m grateful that you have found solace and acceptance within our pack.”

“Please give Cassius a chance, Xeraphina. That’s all I ask. Give him some time to prove himself loyal to you as a mate.”

“I’ll do my best. But I won’t make it easy for him.”

“Yeah. I don’t blame you, I wouldn’t either,” she says, chuckling and wiping the tears from her face. “My mate was abusive, not kind by any means to no one. He was a couple of years older than me at the time and he was much worse than Cassius as far as being promiscuous. Cassius is a good man. Don’t take it easy on him, but don’t push him away, either. I’ve kept you long enough. You need to go eat that delectable omelet your mate made for you.”

“Thank you so much for being here for me and for sharing your past with me. Despite the age difference of ten years between us, I would love for us to be friends. Would you be interested in attending my party tonight? I have a dress that would fit you perfectly since we are about the same size. Who knows, maybe this could be an opportunity for you to find a second chance mate and start fresh? Wouldn’t that be amazing? After getting marked by a new mate, you could become a wolf again.”

“I don’t know if I want a mate or wolf. My wolf died after only one day of me connecting with her. I didn’t even have time to get to know her,” Tilly says, glancing away.

“Please come. It would mean so much to me. And we could prepare for my party together. I lost my only best friend a couple of months ago. She was supposed to be here with me. We can cheer each other up. Please, come?” I ask, folding my hands in prayer under my chin and pleading.

Tilly smiles and shakes her head. “Alright. I’ll go. But you’ll need to tell your mother what’s going on. I’m supposed to be helping the other omegas with preparing the feast for tonight.”

“I’ll go tell her right now!” I say while clapping my hands and bouncing in place.

She laughs and goes over, retrieving my plate from the oven and setting it on top of the stove to cool. “No silly. Go eat first.”

“Oh, yes. Of course.”

After retrieving my food and drink, I say my goodbyes and head towards my room. My party is going to be phenomenal. Especially now that Tilly will be there. I have always liked her. She consistently displayed acts of generosity and compassion.

After our recent discussion, I have decided to give Cassius a chance. However, tonight I plan to let loose and have a great time, showing him what it feels like to see me dancing with other guys who aren’t him. Hopefully, this experience will make him think twice before ever hurting me again.

I hope Tilly will find her second chance, mate. Together, we will be the most stunning girls in the entire vicinity. Even if she doesn’t find a second chance mate, she can still discover a chosen mate. As for me, I will keep a lookout for someone I can choose as my own chosen mate, in case Cassius and I cannot find common ground.