Chapter Eighteen

ELLIE

My heart was pounding as we neared the house.

Seth tried to steer me toward the front door, but I shook my head quickly.

“I left through the window,” I told him, pointing to the side of the house.

“Of course you did,” Seth laughed.

His laughter was warm and rich, stirring up butterflies in my stomach. There was so much about Seth that was good. Despite everything he’d done, I couldn’t deny the connection I felt with him.

Maybe that’s why my heart was pounding. After all, I’d agreed to be his chosen mate.

When we got to the window, my heart pounded even harder. No! This couldn’t be happening.

The bedroom light was on, and the window was closed. That could only mean one thing. Dad had found the note. How was I supposed to face him now?

I swallowed hard, glancing between the house and the way we’d just come.

Suddenly, I felt Seth’s arms wrap around me, holding my arms to my sides.

His nose pressed against my neck, as he held me close to his chest.

“Don’t even think about running, Ellie,” he whispered, “I almost lost you once, I’m not going to lose you again.”

Of course, he knew I was thinking about running. It was my go-to move. Whenever things got tough, I’d run.

I ran from the human camp. I tried to run from my dad before he brought me into his pack. I ran from Zagan. Heck, even Nix ran from the pack-house when we said goodbye to Sammy.

That’s what I’d done tonight, and I was thinking about doing it again. It was silly to think I could outrun Seth. Even in human form, he was faster than me.

The truth was, while everyone thought I was brave and strong, I was just a coward. I wasn’t the only one. Nix was the same. She’d vanished when I became a rogue, and now she’d disappeared again.

A tear slipped down my cheek.

“He’s going to hate me,” I whimpered, “I’m just a coward, I always run.”

I felt Seth’s arms loosen, as his hands gently held my shoulders. He turned me around to face him.

His large hand cupped my cheek, wiping away the tear.

“No one could ever hate you, not the people who really care about you anyway. Clayton and your dad are waiting for you in Clayton’s office.”

I swallowed hard. If I was being taken to Clayton’s office, I was probably in trouble.

“Is he... Is he mad?” I asked, nervously.

Seth gave a soft smile and shook his head.

“No Ellie, they were just worried. Worried and upset that they didn’t see how you were handling everything that’s happened.”

I let out a heavy sigh, looking up at Seth.

“I’m not handling it, am I?”

He pulled me into his chest and kissed the top of my head.

“You will, trust me. I’ll make sure you do.”

I nodded. I still wasn’t sure. Wasn’t sure that Clayton wasn’t mad and Dad wasn’t disappointed. The only thing I was sure about now was Seth.

Every time he touched me or spoke in his deep voice, I felt safe. It was like a warm glow spreading from the inside out.

This was how Elijah was supposed to make me feel. But now it was Seth. Maybe because he said that he had chosen me, and I guess, in a way, I had chosen him too.

I shouldn’t start to feel this way until he had marked me. That’s why I asked him to. I wanted to feel this way. So why was I questioning it?

Seth gently pushed me away from him. One hand still lightly holding my shoulder. His other hand gently lifted my chin.

“What’s on your mind, Ellie? I can almost hear the gears turning in your head?”

I frowned slightly, unsure how to express my feelings. In the end, I just blurted it out.

“Why do I feel things? When you hold me? When you touch me? When you speak?”

I felt my face heat up.

Seth smiled and sighed. He let go of my shoulder and held out his hand.

“Come with me,” he said.

I took his hand.

Seth intertwined his fingers with mine, then he gently led me toward the front of the house.

He nodded toward the steps.

“Sit down, Ellie.”

I swallowed hard but did as he asked.

Seth sat down next to me, taking my other hand, his thumb gently stroking the knuckles.

I stared at his large hands. They were so strong, but whenever he held my hands, he was always so gentle.

I was pulled from my thoughts by his deep voice.

“Your grandfather didn’t tell you much about mates, did he?” Seth asked.

I looked up, meeting his gaze. I shook my head.

“Only that mates were the only ones who could have children…pups,” I confessed.

Seth rolled his eyes and nodded.

It seemed that my grandfather had only told me things that would benefit him, or his desire for a royal line.

“Sometimes,” Seth started, “when two people have lost their mates, either by death or…” He paused.

“Or rejection…”

I tensed slightly and dropped my gaze back to his hands. I hated that word. I didn’t used to, but now it felt like it was made for me. Made me realize how unworthy I was.

Seth squeezed my hands, making me look up again. It didn’t hurt, just snapped me out of the negative thoughts I was having.

He smiled.

“Sometimes the moon-goddess looks at those who have been wronged by their mates, and she gives them a second chance. A second-chance mate.”

I gasped.

“Are you…” I started.

I couldn’t finish as Seth let go of one of my hands and pressed his finger to my lips.

“What I felt for you, even after I lost my mate, was…unusual. What you’re feeling makes me think that the moon-goddess has given us another chance.”

He moved his finger from my lips.

“But…” I paused, trying to swallow the knot that had formed in my throat.

I dropped my gaze to the floor.

“I don’t think I deserve a second chance,” I whispered, my voice barely holding together.

Seth gently cradled my face in his hands, compelling me to meet his eyes again.

“Ellie, if anyone deserves a second chance, it’s you,” he reassured me.

Looking into his eyes, I could tell he meant every word. His gaze wasn’t like the way other unmated males had looked at me before my birthday.

His eyes held love, not just desire.

“If we are…why can’t I feel you? Smell you? Why don’t we feel the sparks when we touch?”

Seth let out a soft laugh.

“You’re always so inquisitive. Always so rational. It’s one of the things I adore about you, Ellie. The answer is simple. You feel the pull, but with your wolf in deep sleep, you can’t detect me as a mate or feel the tingles when we touch.”

Seth gently kissed my forehead.

“But I do. Your scent is irresistible to me. Every time I touch you, I never want to let go. What you’re experiencing is the mate bond, it’s just not as potent for you while your wolf is dormant.”

Seth rose to his feet and extended his hand to me again.

“Let’s go, your dad and Clayton are waiting. The sooner we meet them, the sooner I can tell them about our bond.”

As soon as I took his hand, he helped me up, and his arm was securely around me once again.

I nestled into him as we made our way toward the pack-house.

I wasn’t entirely sure that the moon-goddess had granted me a second chance. All I knew was that Seth made me feel secure and cherished.

For now, that was all I needed.

If Seth was mistaken about my dad and Clayton. If they were both upset and disappointed, at least I would still have Seth.