1. Claude Phoebe(ManxMan)

•Chapter 18✓

I got out of the car, bag in hand and marvelled at the crowd gathered infront of the pack house. I approached slowly and trying to pinpoint what was happening with all the noise.

"Hey, what's going on?" The teen turned, their eyes widened and they gapped.

"A-alpha."

"Yeah, why is everyone outside like this?"

He blinked and cleared his throat. "Miriam gave birth." I smiled at the familiar name.

"That's nice, is everyone getting a good look?"

"It's not John's kid."

I blinked. Miriam was a pack member who lost her mate a good four years ago to rogues and John was a pack member whose own mate had passed away naturally. Their story was known all around the pack for how beautiful and hopefully it was. John had been widowed for ten years when Miriam lost her husband and mate, he helped her through the grief and managed to keep her alive. They fell in love sometime after that and had been together for a good two years now when she had announced to be pregnant more than four months ago.

I pushed through the pack then to prevent any violence should there be however I knew John would never hit a woman, especially not one he loves and has just given birth.

"I love you, Miriam. How could you do this?" She was sobbing, still in a hospital gown and clutching herself. I frowned at how this probably should have waited. "I did everything for you, how could you cheat on me like this?" John was crying too, sniffing and livid and his whole scent reeked of grief.

"I'm sorry," she shook her head. "I'm so sorry!"

There was silence and John looked around and sighed closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. He sniffed and a sob left him before, he pounded a fist to his chest lightly and he stuck his other fist in his mouth and cleared his throat. He spoke softly after that, his voice hoarse.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to. Believe me I did." She reached to touch him and he stepped back. She sobbed and sniffed. "He's my second chance,John."

There was no sound after that as the air seemed to leave John's lungs. He stared at her, his eyes bright and red, mouth parted.

"I couldn't help it." She murmured lastly.

"That...that still doesn't excuse what you did. It in no way makes you leading me on for four months, letting me believe I was finally going to be a father an okay thing."

"John," her voice broke and he turned away, he stripped his shirt off then and I felt bad at how we all openly watched the whole thing play out and sighed.

"Let him have some space." I said as a few thought to follow him. "Don't get too close."

They nodded and followed without interference so he could breath. I handed my bag to Travis who had at some point come to stand beside me in all the drama.

I wrapped my arms around Miriam.

"Come, your still healing."

"Alpha," she sobbed holding onto me, I sighed as her legs gave out and decided to carry her bridal style. I carried the woman up the stairs, she was shaking, her gown still bloody and I sighed. I set her on a clean bed and the pack doctor came in.

"So we're letting patients go outside after birth?"

"Technically, her wound wasn't actively bleeding at the time and I can't exactly force a woman whose struck with losing a dear friend to stay put."

"Still, could have tried harder." The doctor pouted and started checking Miriam. Even if we were wolves and had good healing and hardly got too sick didn't mean attention wasn't needed from time to time, care still needed to be had.

"I was going to tell him." I turned to her, she stared out the door. "I just didn't know how."

"I can't say much on the whole thing," I took her hand and sat down on the nearest chair and she looked up at me. "But, it was wrong, even if you found your second chance, you should have let him know right then."

"I love him. I want to stay with him."

I blinked, my eyes widened.

"What?"

"It was a mistake, I had forgotten what it felt like to be held by someone whose skin lights up my own, but soon after, I knew I didn't need that. I knew I still want, need and love John. He's my mate now, and always will be."

"What if your second chance wants you?"

"Even as wolves we still have a choice, Alpha. Whom we love, we still get to decide and follow through with that. Soulmates are magical and eliminate a lot of doubt and uncertainty about relationships, but they don't mean that they are perfect or that it's the only way we can live." She smiled sadly looking at the door. "I didn't expect myself to fall pregnant so easily, however, having this baby doesn't change the fact that the man I want to have beside me is him."

"You reject your second chance?"

She nodded, tears falling. "He's human, so it won't be as bad. People can criticise me if they want, because second chances are rare but...I already found my second chance."

"And what if John decides to let you go?"

"I won't let him." She claimed rather fiercely and I laughed.

"So, you chose John?" She nodded vigorously. "Not because the other is human." She shook her head with her eyes close.

"Being human makes him an advantage, I'd never have to worry about him fighting battles for land or to protect the pack. There are still troubles but, he eliminates a lot of the most pressing for us, doesn't make it better but. Nonetheless, John, I want John."

Later John came back to shower. We could all hear her calling out to him. Begging him to listen, to understand.

I climbed into bed with my mate and brought him close.

"Long day?" I asked him, kissing the side of his head and he sighed.

"My heart goes out to her."

"All of us do."

"Isn't there something we can do though? Maybe we talk to Jo-"

"No, let them figure it out. The last thing we need is to interfere in their private business. Some of us did enough of that for the day." I shook my head. "Tomorrow when someone changes their minds or makes a mistake we don't need them pointing at us saying they told us."

"But you like drama."

I groaned and rolled onto him. "Babe, I like listening to drama, gossiping, I don't like getting in the middle. Huge difference." He laughed at me, wrapping his arms and legs around me.

"You're such an idiot."

"I'm your idiot."

A/N
Written:22 April 2021