SECOND CHANCE

ALPHA WAYNE

It has been two days.... two good days since I saw Adeline. She's still in her room, having locked herself in, from the outside world and I ensure she gets her food and other necessities through Debra the cook who happens to be her late mother's best friend.

Debra cares about Adeline so much and I'm sure she wouldn't let anything happen to her, just like me. I always get updates from her concerning Adeline and her well being and I'm glad she's well fed and well taken care of.

However, I feel like I have failed Adeline so much. Like an Alpha, I'm sure she looks so much up to me to lead this Pack and also check on her well being and ensure every Pack member is comfortable.

I wonder how my son's ill treatment towards her hasn't been brought to my attention and I sincerely wish I knew about it earlier so as to put a stop to it all together.

What makes me madder is the fact that my son knew about being Adeline's mate a year ago and he never told me anything about it. I feel I've failed as a father... an Alpha.... a protector... name them!

I wish I had known about the pairing earlier, I'd have talked Jaxon into claiming Adeline as his mate. At least we'd have avoided all these heartbreaks and painful rejections.

I haven't seen Jaxon for those two days as well but I'm sure he's okay. I'm not even bothered by his absence as much as I'm bothered by Adeline's silence and absence.

Most of the time, I'm tempted to go and knock at her room and get to know how she's fairing but I just can't for fear of what everyone else will think about me. Well, I have to embrace the fact that I am an alpha and a respected man and I'll just rely on the little and scarce information I get from Debra.

This Tuesday morning, I'm seated on a couch in the Pack House's living room. I've just had some light breakfast consisting of pancakes, bacon and milk. I don't feel like eating anything else since I'll be spending my day in the office doing some Pack work.

Despite Debra's insistence to have more pancakes and sausages, I've just stood my ground and headed to my office to pick my laptop so as to work from here before heading to my office.

After getting tired of forcing me to eat, Debra excuses herself to head to the kitchen so as to set Adeline's breakfast on a tray and take it to her room. Sighing, I stretch myself on the couch, leaning on the armrest and then concentrate on my laptop. All this will be over soon.... I guess.

It's almost ten in the morning and I'm still here on the couch working. I don't feel like heading to my office to work there at all. Beta Alfred, Gamma Caleb and Top Warrior Shem will be in the field training with the teenagers who have just shifted for the first time, finally feeling their wolves and having them as part of their lives.

It's not such a big deal since they've been going there since Monday as I handle the Pack work. However, I'm low-key watching over Adeline so that she doesn't escape from the Pack since she tried it once though I was swift enough to stop her and bring her back to her room where she has locked herself in for two days now.

"Debra," I call the Pack House cook. "Kindly bring me a packet of popcorn." I say to her.

"What else should I bring you, Alpha?" She asks me from the kitchen's doorway.

"Just popcorn..." I say to her and she nods, hurrying back inside to do as I've ordered. I know I'll have to wait for around ten minutes before the popcorn is ready therefore I continue working on my laptop, momentarily pausing to note something down on my writing pad.

Despite being too engrossed into my job, I can smell the popcorn being prepared from the kitchen. However, I don't understand why they actually smell different. Well, the scent I'm perceiving is a mixture of lavender, strawberry and roses...sweet roses for that matter and I suddenly wonder which spices she has added to my popcorn yet I didn't tell her to add anything... as if popcorn need any spices anyway! Or maybe she's preparing something else apart from my popcorn.

"Debra?" I call her. "What have you added to my popco-" I don't get to finish my sentence because I realize that the scent isn't coming from the kitchen. It's coming from the corridor connecting the Pack house living room and the maids' quarters.

Debra is saying something from the kitchen's doorway but I don't even concentrate on her words because my eyes are fixed elsewhere.... Adeline.

Adeline Careen Maxwell.....

She's now the centre of attention.

My eyes are on her.

Her eyes are on me.

We are facing...or rather staring at each other.

Yeah!

No doubt, something big is about to happen... She is the bearer of the scent. But wait, why does she smell so different all of a sudden? Which lotion or cologne has she used today? Why- oh my goodness! Is it what I am thinking?

I'm still staring at her and I can notice a sparkle in her eyes. A kind of sparkle that shouts 'love..... Affection.... Care..... Adoration.... Protection... Ownership....'

That same spark I saw on Daisy when we were both eighteen...

The same spark that made me to claim Daisy as my mate... The same-

"Mate!" The word escapes Adeline's lips as if it is the sweetest word ever. My ears receive the melodious word gladly... a word I heard from Daisy's mouth over twenty years ago.

Without wasting time, I put my laptop on the couch beside me and stand abruptly, rushing towards Adeline so as to meet her halfway.

"Mate." The word rolls out of my tongue smoothly, my eyes still fixed on her. She's so beautiful... So stunning... So elegant... In fact, I've started noticing some details I've never noticed in her before.

Before I know it, I'm embracing the daylights out of Adeline and she reciprocates the gesture, clinging onto me as if her life depends on it. She really smells divine! My wolf who has been inactive for days now comes to life, stirring from inside and purring happily. He's screaming 'mate! Mate! Mate....' nonstop. He's equally as happy as I am!

I hear some people clapping from the kitchen, congratulating both of us but I don't pay any attention to them. I know it's debra and her team of assistant cooks and maids. Without wasting time, I do the only honourable thing that I know I'm destined to do..

"I Alpha Waylon Hunter accept you Adeline Careen Maxwell as my mate. I'll love you, adore you and protect you the rest of our lives!" I declare, certainly claiming her as my mate.

"I Adeline Careen Maxwell accept you Alpha Waylon Hunter as my mate and companion. I-" Adeline stops, her voice breaking and immediately breaks into uncontrollable sobs.

I let her sob on my chest, at the same time carrying her to the couch and placing her on my lap. I let Adeline sob her emotions out, and in between the sobs, I hear her thanking our mother the moon goddess and praising her for not failing to fulfil her promise towards her. She also thanks our mother goddess for giving her a second chance mate who accepts her immediately without any complications or delays. Her heart is full of gratitude and excitement. I guess she's shedding tears of gratitude!

Adeline says a lot of things that show she's grateful for meeting me as her mate and she certainly believes that I am her saviour and redemption... She believes I am her protector and shield and I soothe her by cuddling her, assuring her of my forever loyalty, love, care, protection and all. I promise never to make her regret ever being my mate.

After she's done sobbing... of course after what feels like eternity, she sits upright on my lap and looks at me straight in the eye, and I notice that her eyes are already puffy and red, an indication that she has been crying for long even before walking to the living room. She has been crying in her room, most probably asking mother goddess for a second chance mate... or so I assume. Well, if that's the case, then her prayers have been answered because I'm here for her, I'll always be!

Without a warning, Adeline captures my lips into her, immediately sucking at them and kissing the daylights out of me. Without wasting time, I reciprocate and we end up kissing the daylights out of each other.

Once again, I hear clapping and congratulations shouts nearby and that's when I notice that the maids, Debra and other Pack House employees are all over the living room, obviously sharing our excitement. Each of them is quite happy and genuinely excited for us!

"Congratulations Alpha , congratulations Adeline." Debra says as she walks towards us with a tray. She places it on the table in front of us and that's when I remember that I had asked her to prepare popcorn for me. There is a huge bowl of honey laced popcorn on the tray.

"Thank you Debra." I say sincerely as Adeline gets off my lap and stands on her feet. She hugs Debra and also goes ahead to hug everyone else in the room, a lot of excitement showing on her face. "And thank you for the popcorn." I add.

"Baby, come and let's enjoy our first meal together." I call upon Adeline and she walks towards me while smiling broadly.

"Baby?!" Someone asks from the stairs, drawing our attention towards him.