All Chapters of The Unchosen Mate : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Jolene Jessica.The world stopped.She froze too.The toddler blinked between us in confusion while silence crashed through the room.Jess looked older.Not older in a bad way.Just… grown.Her once soft features looked sharper now. More mature. Long blonde hair rested over one shoulder while the little girl on her hip played absentmindedly with the necklace around her neck.But her eyes....those familiar brown eyes widened exactly like mine.“What the hell?” she breathed.I stared at her.Then at the child.Then back at her.My brain finally caught up.Slowly.Horribly.I turned toward Jasper.“No.”Jacob snorted loudly behind me.“No way,” I whisper-shouted, pointing between them. “You and Jessica?”Jasper rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.“Well…”“Oh my goddess,” I gasped dramatically. “YOU married my best friend?”Jessica narrowed her eyes immediately. “Why do you sound personally offended?”“Because this is weird! You’re Jess!”“And he’s Jasper and he is my mate,” she shot

Jolene My first day as a teacher in Crove Pack started with me almost spilling coffee down my shirt, which felt fitting considering everything that had happened yesterday. I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, my mind wandered back to old memories, old wounds, and conversations I wasn't ready to have.By the time I arrived at the elementary school, I was running purely on caffeine and stubbornness. The building looked exactly how an elementary school should look—bright, colorful, and covered in handprints and children's artwork. The sight made me smile despite myself. Children were easier than adults. They didn't ask impossible questions or expect answers you couldn't give.I grabbed my bag and headed inside, where the principal gave me a quick tour before leading me toward my classroom."You've got a good group this year," she said.I hoped so. I really did.A few minutes later, the bell rang and suddenly my classroom was full of tiny backpacks, tiny shoes, and even tinier vo

Jolene The next morning, I stood in front of my bathroom mirror longer than necessary while brushing my teeth.Not because I was fixing my hair or trying to choose an outfit.I was thinking about a seven-year-old girl.Which was ridiculous.I had been teaching for years. Children got attached to teachers all the time, especially younger ones. It wasn't unusual.What was unusual was the fact that Aurora King was Seth's daughter.Every time I thought about it, I saw those gray eyes.His eyes.The same eyes I had spent half my teenage years daydreaming about.I rinsed my mouth and stared at my reflection."Get it together, Jolene."Aurora hadn't done anything wrong.She was a child.A sweet child.Whatever feelings I had toward her father had absolutely nothing to do with her.I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs.Mom was already making breakfast."Morning."She looked up from the stove."Morning. You look tired.""I was thinking.""That's usually dangerous."I rolled my eyes and grab

JoleneThe days blurred together in a rhythm I hadn’t expected. Every afternoon around three-thirty, the classroom door would creak open and Cal would step inside, his broad shoulders filling the frame. At first I kept my responses short,polite nods, quick updates about Aurora’s day, nothing more. “She did well on her spelling quiz. She shared her snack with another student.” Professional. Safe.But Cal had a way of chipping at the walls I’d built so carefully. He’d linger, leaning against the desk with that easy half-smile, asking questions that pulled more than one-word answers from me.“Rough day?” he asked on Tuesday, watching Aurora carefully pack her clay wolf into her backpack like it was made of glass.I shrugged, wiping down the whiteboard. “Not really. Just long. You know how it is with twenty-five six-year-olds.”He chuckled, low and warm. “I can barely handle one. You’ve got superpowers, Jolene.”The compliment landed softly, unexpected. I felt my cheeks warm despite mysel

SethThe evening light had long since faded from the windows of my office, leaving the room bathed in the warm glow of a single desk lamp. I sat in the heavy leather chair, a glass of whiskey in my hand, the ice long melted into a watery amber. My thumb traced the edge of the silver frame on the desk, the photograph that always pulled me under.Aurora’s second birthday. She was perched on my shoulders, tiny hands tangled in my hair, her laughter frozen mid-bubble. Kaira stood beside us, one arm wrapped around my waist, her head tilted back in that carefree way she had when the world felt light. Her smile lit up the whole damn picture. It was one of the last truly happy moments before everything turned dark. Before the weight of the pack, the endless responsibilities, and then the sudden, cruel emptiness two years ago.I took another slow sip, the burn sliding down my throat but doing nothing to loosen the knot in my chest. Some memories you cling to because forgetting would be worse t