Her Second Chance✔ (Published)

2 (Edited)

Alpha Bryce

The knock on the door had him instantly open his eyes. He was ever alert as an alpha should be even in his sleep. Gritting his teeth he checked the time from the clock at his bedside then turned to see if his mate had been disturbed too. He smiled at her closed eyes and even breath. His mate could sleep through a hurricane when she was really tired. 

With a resigned sigh, he got out of bed and took up the sweatpants he'd discarded earlier before going to open the door. He found one of his warriors at the door. "Yes." He asked, projecting the calm of an alpha in charge though his mind was screaming for rest.

"The first beta is on the line for you." The warrior informed with respect.

He frowned, though he made sure it didn't show on his face. "Has something happened?" He asked as he closed the door behind him and started to move towards his office.

"He seemed angry." The other man stated.

"Hmm." He couldn't think of any threat their pack might be under, not one that would need to be told to him instead of his father.

Once they reached his office, the warrior took up position beside the door and Bryce gave him a nod of approval before he closed it, walked to his desk and picked up the phone. All the rooms in the alpha's pack house were soundproofed against even were hearing so he had no worries he'd be overheard.

"C.J.?" He questioned.

"Did you know?" His friend demanded, belligerent in a way he'd never been in all their lives.

He let the frown mar his face. "Know what?"

"That your son rejected Cari for her sister?" Loathing laced those two words and Bryce felt the punch of the statement all the way to his bones. "Tell me you had nothing to do with that? Tell me I didn't confide in you my worry for my little girl while you were telling and showing her she wasn't good enough?"

"What are you talking about C.J.?" He asked though the words his friend spoke were clear despite their anguished aspect. He couldn't believe it. Not of his son.

"Xander wouldn't do that." He stated.

He growled his warning down the line, his wolf arising at the foul language his beta replied him with. C.J. didn't heed his warning as the scalding words continued unrelieved.

Even though they were friends, Bryce couldn't allow the disrespect. He growled louder, a sharp sound that would discourage any member of the pack. He understood his friend's pain, understood a father's need to protect his child. If Cari was telling the truth.

As much as he loved the girl, she had been distant of late. Bryce had assumed the she-wolf was jealous that her own mate was taking too long to come around. She was taking that jealousy too far. He'd never have thought the sweet girl he'd known would do this.

"Bryce?" His gamma came to the line and Bryce could hear C.J. still swearing in the background.

"What?" His wolf was still in his voice.

The gamma sighed. "C.J.'s father confirmed that he and your father made sure Xander mated Claire and not Cari."

"That can't be." He denied.

His friend sighed. "Cari didn't say anything, Bryce, the Beta told C.J. that your father commanded her not to say or do anything to show that she was the true Luna."

He groped for his chair, pain gripping his heart like a vice squeezing. It was an abomination to deny a mate more so for an alpha. But to take your true mate's sister as yours? That was more than vile. How could his son do that? What had he done wrong that Xander would be that kind of man?