Chapter 2 A Fateful Meeting

The world outside her pack's borders was not what Jessie had envisioned. Thick forests stretched, leading to mile upon mile of macabre shadows. Days have gone past, and she wandered without much hold on life, her heart still shattered by Cade's rejection. Each step felt like a betrayal to the body-the screaming of the soul in agony, the severed mate bond hollow.

She had hoped that the farther away from her pack, the lesser it would ache, but it followed her like a second skin. Jessie hadn't eaten in days, the strength rapidly draining out of her. She hardly noticed night turn to day, cold gnawing at her bones.

Her mind was filled with swimming flashes of Cade's brutal words and Vanessa's triumphant smile. There had been no reprieve from their torment, not even in this very moment of exile, as their laughter echoed in her mind.

It wasn't until the fourth day that Jessie fell, finally, her legs giving out under her weight. The world spun as she hit the forest floor, her vision going dark. She barely had the strength to draw a breath, her body trembling from exhaustion. Maybe this was it-maybe this was how she died.

But just as those last remnants of consciousness started to slip away, she heard a voice.

"Hey! Can you hear me?"

The voice was deep, commanding, and laced with an edge of worry. Jessie's lids quivered, her vision much too blurry to outline the figure crouched beside her. The strong arms lifted her with ease against a firm chest.

For the first time in days, she felt warmth.

"I've got you," the voice murmured at her head, and despite her weakness, Jessie felt a strange sense of comfort.

When she awoke, Jessie was in a bed that was foreign to her, soft linens warming her chilled skin. She blinked her eyes, trying to rid herself of the cloud of confusion that surrounded her, and felt her body still sore from days of neglect. The simplicity and elegance of the room were far from the cold, harsh forest she had been wandering through.

She shifted, wincing as her body protested the movement, and that was when she saw him-sitting by the fire, his dark eyes watching her with quiet intensity.

"You're awake," he said, his voice sending a shiver down her spine.

Jessie's heart flipped at the man in front of her. Tall, muscular, commanding almost in an aura around him, thick with power that oozed in waves from every fiber. His eyes seemed to be some deep stormy gray and pierced through her like he had looked and seen every fragment of her broken soul.

"Where. where am I?" Jessie croaked, her throat dry.

You're safe," he said, rising and approaching her. He sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes softening as he stared at her. "My name is Alpha Lucas Greyson. I found you in the woods, half-dead. What were you doing out there alone?

The word "Alpha" made Jessie's heart lurch. Another Alpha. Memories of Cade flashed before her eyes, yet something about Lucas felt different. His presence didn't suffocate her like Cade's had. He was powerful, yes, but there was something gentle about him that did funny things to her chest in a way she didn't quite get.

I. I was exiled," Jessie whispered, her eyes downcast. The shame of her rejection seared through her, but she couldn't bring herself to lie. "My mate... he rejected me."

Lucas's face darkened, his jaw clenched. "Your mate?" His tone was low, deadly.

Jessie nodded, her eyes prickling with tears. "He chose my half-sister as his Luna. There was nothing left for me there.

The room was silent for a moment except the sound of crackling from the fire. Lucas's eyes softened as he reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from Jessie's face. His touch sent a spark through her-a warmth she hadn't felt since before Cade's betrayal.

Whoever rejected you is a fool, Lucas concluded with all the firmness in his tone. You are strong. I can see it in you, after everything you have been through.

Jessie swallowed, her heartbeat beating in her chest. The intensity of his gaze was a challenge to breathe. She felt an inexplicable pull toward him, the connection they shared tagging at her soul. Could it be? Was Lucas. her second chance mate?

It finally hit her-ooo, like a tidal wave, and her heart was racing. The pull she felt, the warmth, the safety-it all fit now. Lucas was her second mate, the one to heal her broken heart.

"Lucas." Jessie whispered, her voice trembling.

He nodded, and his expression softened even more. "Yes. I felt it the moment I found you. You're my mate, Jessie.

Words that hung in the air between them, thick with meaning. Jessie's chest was constricting with her whirling chaotic emotions. Could she really trust this new bond after everything she had been through? Could she open up her heart once more to a person after Cade had torn it into pieces?

He must have sensed her unease. Lucas reached for her hand, his thumb tracing soothing circles over the back of her knuckles. "I'm not him, Jessie. I won't hurt you the way he did."

A tear escaped her eye, and before she could say a word, Lucas reached over, his lips brushing softly against hers. It was a gentle, tentative kiss, as if he gave her the option to pull away. But Jessie didn't. She leaned into him, her body craving the warmth and safety he offered.

For the first time in weeks, the ache of Cade's rejection dulled, like a balm replaced by comfort-of Lucas's presence. He drew her closer, his arms wrapping around her like a shield against the world. And in that moment, Jessie let herself believe-maybe, just maybe-she could heal.

The chill of night no longer lingered with Lucas at her side, but the warmth his presence introduced into her world did little to thaw the glacial mass that seemed to have settled over her heart. Yet, even sheltered as she was within the circle of his embrace, the memory of Cade's betrayal haunted her, a dark shadow always lurking. Its weight pressed down upon her, a constant reminder of her brokenness.

He had done everything in his power to make her feel safe, but the scars of Jessie's past still lingered-on the inside, where the pain cut deeper than any wound on the outside ever could.

"Are you okay?" Lucas whispered softly one night as they lay in his bed, his fingers tracing lightly along the lines of her arm.

Jessie nodded, but it was a lie-the ache in her chest told a different story. She wanted to be okay, to believe this new life with Lucas, her second chance mate, could erase the pain of the past. Yet, something held her back.

"I'm fine," she whispered, forcing a smile. How broken she was still, how Cade's rejection had hollowed her out, how with every passed moment in the company of Lucas himself a part of her dreaded he would leave her, too-she was not ready to admit to him.

Lucas scooted closer, his body hot and unyielding against her. The smell of him-earth and powerful-swathed her, smoothing the tumult within. His lips grazed her forehead in a comforting gentleness, full of promises he hadn't yet spoken aloud.

"You're not alone anymore, Jessie," he whispered. "I'll protect you. Always.

His words caught in her throat. She so desperately wanted to believe him, wanted to have that faith that this time, it would be different. But trust wasn't something she was capable of giving anymore, not after everything taken from her.

Days folded into weeks, and Jessie slipped into her new routine with Lucas's pack. The pain of Cade's rejection was still there, yet no longer immediate, cutting; rather a dull ache she carted everywhere.

He'd presented her to the pack as his mate, but there were mutterings. Whispers about her past, about the fact that her first mate had refused her. There were those in the pack who looked upon her with pity, and others who eyed her warily. It was obvious not everyone was happy she existed.

Especially, one wolf made no secret of how much he despised her: Darius, Lucas' Beta.

Darius was tall, hulking in the shoulder areas, with a mean glint in his eye. Since Jessie had arrived, he had made it known he did not think she was meant to be a part of their pack. He had openly questioned Lucas's decision to claim her as his mate, and though Lucas had shut him down, the tension between them simmered beneath the surface.

One evening, Jessie was finishing up in the pack house, cleaning up after a meeting. Lucas had been called away to settle a border dispute, leaving her to attend to the pack's duties. She was leaning down to pick up some scattered papers when she heard footsteps behind her.

She turned to find Darius standing there, his arms crossed and a sneer upon his face.

"You do not belong here," he spat, venom in his tone.

Jessie's heart was racing, but she forced herself to stand tall, her eyes locked on his. "Lucas is my mate," she said, attempting to sound sure of herself. "I belong here."

Darius snorted. "Lucas made a mistake. You're weak. You were rejected by your first mate for a reason, and now you expect us to believe you're worthy of our Alpha?"

His words cut deep, reopening old wounds that Jessie had tried to bury. She fisted her hands, her nails clinging deep into her palms as she fought back the welling tears.

"I am his mate," she repeated, though her voice broke.

Darius took a step closer, looming over her. "You don't deserve him," he growled. "And I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you don't ruin this pack."

Before Jessie was able to reply, the door to the pack house burst open and Lucas stormed in, his eyes ablaze with fury.

"Enough!" he thundered, stepping between Jessie and Darius. "You will not speak to her like that again."

Darius's eyes flashed, but he retreated a step back, his lips curling into a snarl. "I'm only trying to protect the pack, Alpha."

Lucas's voice was ice. "The pack is my responsibility. And Jessie is my mate. If you can't accept that, you have no place here."

For a tense moment, Darius held Lucas's gaze, the two men locked in a silent battle of wills. But eventually, Darius lowered his head in submission.

"Understood," he muttered before turning to leave the pack house.

As the door slammed shut behind him, Lucas turned to Jessie, his expression softening. "Are you okay?"

Jessie nodded, but the encounter with Darius had shaken her. Gnawing fear, she didn't really belong in Lucas's pack took hold, and she couldn't let go of the sneaking suspicion that Darius might be right. Once rejected-who was to say it couldn't happen again?

Lucas reached for her hand, pulling her close. "You belong here, Jessie," he said softly, as if reading her thoughts. "Don't let anyone make you doubt that."

She leaned into his embrace, letting the warmth of his body chase away the cold that had settled inside her. But even as she rested her head against his chest, a nagging voice whispered in the back of her mind.

She found herself standing at the edge of the pack's territory that night, staring out into the darkness. Lucas had finally fallen asleep, exhausted from trying to deal with the growing tensions in the pack, and she had slipped away to clear her head.

The moon was low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over treetops. Jessie closed her eyes and inhaled the silence of the night when a wave of the familiar scent washed over her.

Her heart stilled.

Cade.

She spun around, her gaze raking the shadows, and there he was, standing just beyond the treeline, barely discernible in the light of the moon. His presence sent a shiver coursing down her spine, and a mix of fear and anger churned in her chest.

"What are you doing here?" Jessie demanded, trying to keep her voice steady.

Cade stepped closer, his eyes dark and unreadable. "I had to see you."

"You have no right to be here," she snapped, anger rising. "You rejected me. You chose Vanessa."

"I did," Cade said in a low voice. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're still mine."

Jessie's heart was racing along with her shaking hands. How dare he? How dare he come here after everything he had done? After all the pain he had caused her?

She spat out, "I am not yours." The venom in her voice was palpable. "I belong to Lucas now."

Cade's face darkened further, his jaw clenching. "You may be with him, but we both know the bond isn't truly broken. You can feel it, can't you?"

The truth of his words hit her like a blow and Jessie's chest tightened. She'd felt it, the connection between them that seemed to live well past his rejection. But that didn't mean she'd ever forgive him.

"Leave, Cade," she said, the chill in her voice unmistakable. "Before Lucas finds you."

But Cade did nothing of the sort. His eyes burned into hers.