Second Chance Mate

Into the Woods

Ebony

It's been two years since I left the Blood Moon pack. Two years since my mate rejected me, and two long years I've had a hole in my chest that nothing could fill. At first it was a constant pain in my heart, like someone just took a dagger and plunged it right through me and just kept twisting it in slow agonizing circles. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to do anything. When he summoned me to leave the pack I took off so fast, I left everything I owned behind. No clothes or food, just the clothes I had on my back. I kept running until I made it to a neutral part of the woods. I was so consumed by my grief that I collapsed by a tree and didn't budge for a week, I sat there curled up balling my eyes out my body wracked with sobs. The one thing I looked forward to in life and it turned out to be a huge disappointment. A huge heart breaking disappointment. But now after two years the pain has subsided and what's left in its place is an emptiness right where my heart should be. It's worse than feeling pain, I can't feel anything. I feel numb and dead inside. I've forgotten how to live.

I stumble across a stump and fall to my knees, I sniff the air around me to make sure I'm in a neutral part of the woods. My actions are pointless though, ever since that day, my wolf Levena has curled up in the deepest parts of me, I can barely feel her anymore. I close my eyes and let the heavy weight of sleep take me. At least in my dreams I'm protected from my grief.

I'm startled awake as a pair of strong forceful hands shake me awake. My breathing picks up as I open and close my eyes trying to adjust to my surroundings. The man who disturbed me from my sleep turns around and says, "got another one boss!" I hunch back into the tree I was sleeping next to and try to make myself smaller. I realize how pointless the action is and unravel myself, sitting up straight with my arms crossed. The man who had awakened me looked down and gave me a weary smile before giving me an outstretched hand saying, "I'm Aaron, don't be scared. We've come to take you in, and many others like you. I come from Mystic Shadow Pack. We mean you no harm." I take his hand hesitantly and let him pull me up. "I'm Ebony." I stumble a bit as I try to regain my footing. "Why are you doing this?" I ask confused. Not many packs willingly take in rogues, they never know the true reason behind why they became a rogue in the first place. "You'll get your chance to talk with the Alpha." He puts his hand on the small of my back and leads me to a small group of rogues, there's only four of us in total. "We'll all shift here and you'll follow us back to the pack grounds, unless any of you would like to continue living as a rogue." Aaron said the last part as if it were ridiculous to possibly want that. My body stiffens though as I realize we have to shift. I haven't shifted in two years.

"What's wrong?" Aaron asks coming up next to me. "I-I can't shift..." His eyes go wide at my words, "You can't shift at all?" he asks incredulous. "I haven't shifted in over two years." I didn't know it was possible but his eyes grow even wider. He looks down at me and then back up to one of the other pack members, they exchange a look no doubt talking through their mind link. He turns to me saying, "you and I will go on foot. It'll take a couple hours okay?" I nod and begin the long journey. I don't know why I'm going, they could be murderers, a harsh pack with an even harsher leader. But, for some reason a threat to my life doesn't really concern me. If they wanted to kill me I'd spread my arms wide and tilt my head back offering myself up. That has to be better than the constant dull ache in my chest.

Aaron doesn't attempt to make small talk and for that I'm grateful. I've spent two years talking to no one, the sound of my own voice even shocked me a little bit at first. The woods start to clear as we make it close to the pack grounds. I could physically feel the air lighten as we made it closer. The heavy weight in my chest didn't feel as heavy but it still felt like I couldn't breathe. Aaron led me to the center of town and brought me into a very large home, this must be the pack house. The air around me tingled and I jumped back at the feel. Aaron walks away and comes back a few minutes later with a couple of items and nods for me to follow him down the long hallway. We pass a large white door and the tingling intensifies. I shake it off and continue following him. Aaron stops at the very end of the hall and opens the door slowly. "This will be your room temporarily until we can find space in the pack, you have an hour to freshen up until you meet with Alpha Felix." I nod my head and slowly walk into the room, Aaron closing the door behind me. I take in the large room and stare longingly at the bed. I haven't slept in a bed in what feels like eternity. I quickly run to the shower and turn it on full blast, I've spent the last two years bathing in small lakes that I come across, but I could go for a steaming shower. As I wait for the water to heat up I look at myself in the mirror and gasp at what I see. The person looking back at me doesn't resemble anything to the girl I used to be. Her eyes are empty and lost, her hair tangled and dirt covers almost every inch of her body. I clench my eyes shut and turn away from the reflection.

After showering I glance at the clock realizing I still have thirty minutes until Aaron retrieves me. I crawl in the bed hoping to get in a small nap before I'm relentlessly questioned by Alpha Felix. The sheets engulf me and I sigh at the soft feel of them underneath my calloused hands. For the first time in forever I actually feel a little content. I close my eyes and feel my body start to relax. I jolt awake at a loud knock coming from my door, Aaron's voice is muffled by the door as he says "It's time to go Ebony". My body tenses as I think about what waits for me, I don't want him to ask why I'd become a rogue but I know it's inevitable. We make our way down the long hallway and climb a flight of stairs until we reach an office, I'm assuming it belongs to the Alpha. The same tingling sensation before takes over my body as we slowly enter the room. The pressure in my chest lightens once again as I sit in the chair and wait patiently. Aaron stands in the back of the room with his arms crossed, "He'll be here shortly". I nod my head at him and twist my fingers together as the minutes pass slowly by. The tingling sensation increases and almost zaps me as footsteps approach the door. I gasp and sit back in my chair as if I had been shocked. The door opens quickly as a disheveled man walks in. The air thickens with electricity and I hold my breath afraid to move. "Sorry I was la-" His sentence cuts short and his jaw goes slack. He's visibly shaking and my body feels an intense pull towards him. I close my eyes confused at what I'm feeling. I haven't felt this since when I met my mate and that ended quickly when he rejected me a few short days after meeting me. I feel my wolf in me awaken suddenly. She's jumping now and screaming at me that he's our mate. "No.." I whisper as I feel my heart tighten. "Get her out of here." The man says through clenched teeth. I flinch at the malice in his voice and I stand on shaky legs and make my way to the door. He takes a huge step back, flush against the wall as I get closer. As I leave the room a single tear falls from my eyes as my heart clenches once more at his reaction. Levena yelps and sinks back inside me, disappearing to some distant place. Nobody wants me.