JARED'S POV:

The idea of a second chance had never come to mind.

I often thought about how I was going to live out the rest of my life.

Would I find someone?

Or would I be alone forever?

Most wolves were either mated or waiting for their mate, not wanting to enter relationships in case of heartbreak.

I didn't want to force a connection with someone either just because I knew that their mate had passed away, so I kept to myself, Dylan giving me a new job within the pack which I quite enjoyed.

Tapping my pen against my chin, I sighed, pushing away the many documents on the fighters' training regime, deciding I was done for the day.

I couldn't concentrate, too busy thinking about her.

Anna.

I had met her briefly yesterday when picking Sophia up from kindergarten, and I knew the second I laid eyes on her that she was mine.

She had just started working there, having only been with the school a couple of days, finding it quite intimidating according to her, but I could tell that she was supposed to be working with children.

She spoke to Sophia with such care and ease, my niece loving her already, babbling on about how the new support teacher had helped her with her drawings and counting.

The only problem- she was human.

I could tell by her face that she was confused by my presence, seeming very nervous and jittery around me, soon becoming hostile when she thought that Gia was my girlfriend, and I had to hint to her that I was single before we left, not wanting her to think I was with another woman.

She was working, and wanted to remain professional, which was why she excused herself pretty quickly, but I wanted to see her again, my mind having been racing all night thinking about her.

I couldn't get her out of my head. Did she feel the connection like I did? Was she thinking about me much like I was her?

Second chance mates among wolves were a rare phenomenon, and we believed that the Moon Goddess only gave it to people if she truly believed she had made a mistake with a pairing.

It was clear that Amelia and I weren't meant to be, and since breaking the bond from my end, my longing for her had disappeared.

I still thought about her sometimes, wondering what she was doing and if she was okay, but I didn't want her as a mate. To me, she was a distant memory from a past life.

Wheeling myself out of the spare room, I scratched at my stubble, something I had been growing out and quite liking recently, it giving me a more mature look.

I was twenty two now though, four years having passed since Amelia left, and as much as it hurt me in the beginning that she never came back to even check on me, I had pushed her to the back of my mind, her memory settling pretty nicely back there.

Our relationship was toxic, her having messed around with multiple men behind my back. We were never going to work, and I had accepted that, feeling no pull at the thought or mention of her name, not that people really spoke about her here.

"Do you want some lunch, Jared?" Clara asked me, and I nodded, grabbing a plateful of food, digging into it quickly, my stomach gurgling, making me realise how hungry I actually was. I had been so preoccupied I had forgotten to eat.

"Thanks," I said mid-bite, making Sonny giggle as he picked up a large glob of food from his highchair, throwing it right at me, making me sigh as I glared at him.

"Wow, thanks a lot, Sonny," I grumbled, picking his congealed mashed potatoes off my shoulder and placing it back onto his plate, the little kid glaring at the food as if it was poison.

Not only did Sonny not sleep, but he didn't eat either. Sophia had been an angel child, and we had all hoped that Sonny would follow in her footsteps, but that dream was slowly burst when he began to act up, not reaching the milestones he should, worrying us all a little.

Clara had had a bit of a traumatic birth with him, her losing a lot of blood and almost dying on us multiple times, so it wasn't a surprise to us that Sonny was a little different. He had been born a little prematurely.

"So, are you excited to see Anna?" teased Clara, a huge smile making its way up onto her face, and I nodded in response, finishing up my plate and dropping it into the sink along with the other plates and pans, running the faucet and adding some washing liquid to the warm water.

Clara couldn't believe it when I had announced to her yesterday that I had found my second chance mate, and she even made her way over to me to press her hand against my forehead, checking for a fever.

But of course, she was ecstatic for me, and engulfed me in a huge hug, Gia blabbing on about how pretty Anna was, which I obviously couldn't deny.

She was stunning with her bouncy brunette curls and freckled face. She also had a nose piercing, something I had always found attractive on women.

"Are you ready to go?" Gia asked me, and I looked at the pile of dishes I was about to wash up, my face falling. I didn't want to leave Clara to do all of the work.

"Jared, you idiot, go and see her," Clara chuckled, pushing me aside. "I can wash up."

"Thank you," I told my sister, waving Sonny a quick goodbye and exiting the house with Gia, my eyes trailing down the hill to peek at my old cottage, the place looking like a bit of a building site, making me grimace.

Dylan had helped to build me a house I could call my own, customising it so everything in there was adjusted to suit me and my disability, but it was currently being renovated on, Dylan having bigger plans and wanting to add more expensive equipment for me.

I had insisted it wasn't necessary, but he wanted to ensure I was as comfortable as possible, which I greatly appreciated. I didn't like the fuss though, wanting to be back in the comfort of my own place. I enjoyed my own company.

"Remember," I told Gia as we wound our way down the path towards the large iron gates. "We don't tell Sophia about how Anna is my mate. She won't be able to keep her mouth shut."

Gia laughed in response, nodding, urging me on as we exited the forest, making our way through a clearing of trees and shrubbery used to hide our land, not wanting humans to trespass and discover something they shouldn't.

Although, they wouldn't be able to get in.

It still baffled me that Dylan and Clara had sent Sophia to a human kindergarten, but Gia had insisted that they were paying a lot of money for her to go there, it being one of the best around here, and I was sure that when she got older, they would have no choice but to put her in a school with other wolves.

"How's work going?" Gia questioned, and I nodded in response, offering her a smile. I enjoyed my job, my day being full of planning the training rota for the fighters, giving me the feeling that I was still involved with them despite the fact that I couldn't fight alongside them, and I really appreciated Dylan giving me the position.

"The pay is great," I laughed, and Gia rolled her eyes, gazing up at the sky and scowling, shaking her head.

"Hurry, it's going to rain."

I pushed my wheels faster as we crossed the road, noticing how the trees became sparse and more humans walked the street, giving us the chance to blend in with the crowd, it looking as if we had just emerged from the forest from one of the walking trails, nobody batting an eyelid.

I sighed as it began to patter with rain, my hair quickly soaking through, making me grumble. I wanted to look good for Anna, but now, I looked like a soggy mess.

Pushing my brunette hair out of my face, I wheeled myself down the hill, Sophia's kindergarten quickly coming into sight, the large building surrounded by a tall blue fence, multiple guards standing at the entrance in high-vis gear.

For the money Clara and Dylan were paying, the security here was expected to be good, and I was glad it was, wanting Sophia to be as safe as possible.

The guards raised their brows at us as we showed them our ID's, entering the building quickly, a cold breeze wafting through the reception, causing goosebumps to arise on my tanned skin.

I should have brought a coat.

The smell of my mate filled the room, and I sighed, feeling instantly relaxed and composed.

"Hi, we are here to collect Sophia from class one two seven," spoke Gia to the receptionist, who nodded, tapping away at her computer and gesturing for us to take a seat in the corner of the room.

A few other parents were here to collect their children, but overall, the school was small. With it being so expensive, the amount of students were limited, the teachers wanting to be able to focus on each student enough, despite the fact that it was only kindergarten.

I cracked my knuckles anxiously as I peered down the corridor, just willing for Anna to walk through, desperate to see her smiling face.

"Relax," said Gia, placing a friendly hand on my arm, offering me a smile. "You're so tense. I'm sure you'll see her in a minute."

"Sorry," I said, sighing. "I'm just nervous to see her."

Suddenly, the scent of my mate became much stronger, and I turned my head to see her standing at the entrance of the corridor, her dark brown eyes focused on Gia's comforting hand that was placed on me, her face falling.

Oops.

•••

Please note: Jared and Anna's first meeting is documented in the bonus chapters of 'Alpha Dylan'.

For those of you who do not read them, their meeting was brief, so do not worry.

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