Second Chance Mates

-36- 🌹 Suffered Enough

^ Alpha Thomas, Luna Charlotte, and Evelyn

[A/N - my lovely patrons voted that Landon and Ryland's ship name should be Lyland 🖤]

"Well, you have suffered enough, and warred with yourself. It's time that you won."
~Chester See & Savannah Outen, 'Falling Slowly'

~~~

*Landon's POV*

"Are you guys sure you'll be okay?" I ask Chris, one of the managers I hired for the cafe.

She rolls her eyes. "I told you, we'll be fine. You're only taking off one week. Josh and I are perfectly capable of keeping things running while you frolic away with your boyfriend."

I scrunch my nose at the purple-haired human. "I'm gonna have to ask you to never use the word frolic when referring to me. Thanks."

"Or what?" Chris snorts. "You'll fire me?"

"Maybe," I huff, knowing that's not true. Even though she's a pain in the ass, I still consider Chris a friend... sort of. Plus, she's actually pretty damn good at her job.

"Okay, Mr. Boss Man," Chris cackles sarcastically.

"Keep it up and I'll change your name tag back to Christine."

Her mouth snaps shut, and she gives me an innocent smile. Chuckling, I shake my head before heading to my office in the back and finalizing my employees' schedules for while I'm gone. I'm usually pretty good at working around whatever my employees have going on in their everyday lives, but if they do have a problem with the schedule, they can take it up with Chris and Josh.

Once I've double-checked that everything is in order, I leave the cafe and start driving in the direction of the Crescent Sun Pack. Per usual, I wave to the guards at the entrance, and they smile as they let me go through. Not per usual, I don't take the road to Ryland's house. I turn down the opposite street, heading for the pack house.

The Crescent Sun pack house is a lot more modest than the Silver Woods pack house. While the one at the Silver Woods Pack more resembles a mansion, this one actually just looks like... well, a house. A few stories tall, albeit; but even from the outside, it looks cozy.

The wolf that answers the door is one I've never met before. I almost want to call her a pup, but judging by the glare she's giving me when I haven't even said a word yet, I feel like she would beat me down for it.

"Who are you?" She demands, and my lips quirk up in a grin. She's a pretty adorable little wolf. Dark, curly hair pulled into a tight ponytail; nearly black eyes that continue to glare at me. Her nose wrinkles as she sniffs the air. "You're not a member of this pack."

"I'm Landon," I answer, trying to peer around past her. "Is Alpha Thomas available? I don't have an appointment or anything, but I was hoping I would catch him when he's free."

The little wolf rakes her narrowed eyes from my head to my feet, sizing me up. After a full minute of uncomfortable silence, she finally sighs.

"Dad!" She shouts into the house. "Someone wants to talk to you!"

Dad? Does that mean she's—

"Landon," Thomas appears at the door, smiling warmly. "It's good to see you. Evie, don't you have homework to catch up on?"

She huffs in annoyance, her face turning pink. "Dad, I told you not to call me that in public."

Thomas's grin widens into one that only a teasing dad could give. "Sorry, Miss Evelyn. Now, go upstairs and finish your reading. Your teacher told me you've fallen behind on your assignments."