The Cold Alpha's: Second Chance Mate

Chapter 1

Maya's pov

I tugged awkwardly at the seam of my dress, my sister pulled me again and I almost tripped on the high heels she forced on me, along with thick layers of makeup. She said I looked pretty; but I felt like a clown.

"Maya, Hurry! we're going to be late for the ceremony!"

She urged me while her eyes lit up.

"Aren't you excited to meet your mate tonight?" She asked, and I responded with a tight smile.

I only came because Barry would be here tonight.

He had been our friend since we were in diapers, and I looked forward to hanging out with him tonight.

But at the back of my mind I dreaded the idea of his mate showing up.

while she brimmed with positivity as she dragged me along until we entered the grand hall, where the ceremony was being hosted.

Several other young wolves like ourselves that had also reached adulthood littered the place, food and drinks were in abundance and the whole was adorned with scented candles and flowers to create a romantic air.

Gosh, I wanted to go home already.

But my sister held me in her iron grip, and a couple of eyes had begun to shift to our direction at our entrance. In the blink of an eye, a tall guy with dirty blond hair approached her to shamelessly flirt.

"Hi..." he greeted rather sheepishly.

Madeline, as the social butterfly that she was, replied with her characteristic cheek wide smile which was horrendous whenever I tried to pull it off but looked so natural on her.

Soon other guys trooped in to get her attention, this caused her to finally loosen her grip on my hand to entertain her fanboys.

I had only taken a couple steps away from her, but as I stared at the boys circling her and practically trampling each other to get her attention, my chest tightened.

Why did I let her talk me into coming here?

She always sparkled like a diamond left under the moonlight, while I was just a rock tossed in the shadows.

I should just leave.

I decided, tomorrow she will be livid with me for running off, but my presence here was less important than a piece of furniture lying around. So I turned around and the next thing I knew I hit a firm wall, or at least that was what I thought, then I stretched out my hand and the wall felt warm, just then the peculiarly comforting earthy smell of the soil after rain penetrated my nostrils.

That was when I looked up and another familiar pair of eyes was piercing mine.

It was Barry, and I didn't need anybody to tell me every fiber of my being screamed, "Mate!"

But instead of excitement, fear struck me and I took a few steps back almost tripping on these darn heels for the millionth time tonight, his arms pulled forward as to he was attempting to catch me before an expected fall but then he suddenly froze up when someone wrapped hold him from behind and the words I heard next made by heart stop.

"Mate!"

Just when I thought it's couldn't get worse, my mate stepped to the side revealing my twin sister who was wearing this look of peaked joy, she saw me and smiled from ear to ear.

"Maya, I've found my mate! Could you believe it was Barry all this time?"

She said, wrapping her arm across his own and yelling out to me I could hear the sighs of disappointed fans behind me...but I wasn't looking at them I was looking at him, MY mate.

Why wasn't he saying anything? I saw the way he looked at me earlier when we locked eyes...there was no way it was one-sided, that was the only explanation for the unbridled rage I was feeling now seeing my twin sister touch him so callously an-

I was barely done with that train of thoughts before their lips embraced passionately and then savagely, like the way the only people in the room and they didn't have more than two dozen pairs of eyes looking at them.

Reality pierced me like a pointed needle, of course he would choose my sister over me...everyone always did.

Before I could face the brutal rejection that was coming my way, I turned around to another door that led out into the garden outside...nobody noticed my exit.

Or at least that was what I assumed.

Not long after I crouched under a tree, heavy food steps followed my own. I lifted my head in alert.

"Who's there?!" I said, spinning my head around.

"Someone's on edge,"

I followed the deep voice and saw a guy standing in front of me, he was tall- even taller than my mate- from his scent alone, I could tell he was invited from another pack, what did he want with me?

"I'm not on edge..." I said, still trying to choke back tears.

"My bad, but I betting it's a safe guess to make that you're just a sick of the party as I am,"

"Maybe..."

He casually sat next to me, though giving me some space, "I didn't find my mate either tonight...this should make it three years..." he lifted three of his fingers in disbelief.

"My pack members will nag my ears off when I get home,"

I let out a dry chuckle, my problem tonight was that I DID find my mate.

And then I lost him.

I don't know what I was thinking at that moment, maybe I wasn't thinking at all. I turned around and kissed the stranger whose name I didn't even know.

When did I become such a creep? I expected him to push me off but instead he held me to himself like a lifeline, when we finally parted we were both riled up.

"There's a hotel...nearby..." I said between heavy breaths but he held me with one hand pulling me up to my feet and whispered in my ears.

"Sorry, princess, but I can't wait that long..."

Chapter 2

Maya's pov

"Maya! Maya!! Goodness, that lazy child better not be asleep!"

The handmaid's voice ripped through the peace and silence of the morning like a sharp knife...waking me from a steamy dream.

Her impending footsteps finally reached my door as I scrambled to get up and open it.

" There you are! so you are still sleeping at this time?!" she barked at me planting her hands on her hips and shooting an interrogative look my way the moment the door was flung open.

I rolled my sleepy eyes momentarily to the wall clock and then back.

It was only 5: 00am, most of the maids were asleep now and yet I was being abruptly jerked out of my slumber.

"Sorry, I just overslept..." I apologized and she shook her head mimicking my voice.

"Sorry! I just overslept...it's not like this is even a permanent arrangement, I've had to take on a lot of cumbersome responsibilities because we can't afford more maids right now, all you have to do is drag your own weight and you're whining,"

She nagged for about half an hour before thrusting a sheet of papers in my palm.

"Here's your list of chores for today!" she declared, her eyes shooting daggers at me, daring me to complain.

Knowing better, I bit back my complaints and swallowed them in a heavy lump down my throat.

"Let me wash up first..." I said my eyes still stained slumber but she grabbed my wrist as I tried to close the door.

"The things on your list are not even that much! You can finish up with them before you take your bath..."

I stared at the headmaid dumbfounded, but compliant...after all, I know no good ever came out from voicing out my feelings.

"Okay."

So I grabbed a laundry basket and began to tackle the first thing on the list, I took my dirty clothes and then went over to my sister's room, dumping her own clothes in the basket as well.

She stirred on her queen sized bed, but didn't awaken. Nobody would be abruptly waking her to do any chores, who would dare to do that to the pack's beloved gem?

But as for me...

I sighed, lifting the basket up to my hip level and walking out of her room going towards the basement that also served as the laundry room.

"Ugh, I'm still so sleepy,"

My dream crept into my mind and my cheeks reddened, I shook my head.

"Forget him, it was a one-time thing in the heat of the moment..." I told myself.

Dropping the basket, I lost my footing because of how drowsy I was. In the blink of an eye I saw my body tilting backwards and falling.

I clamped my eyes shut waiting for the impending impact of my expected fall, but it never came, instead, a pair of warm arms surrounded me like a blanket pulling me to a firm chest.

A feeling of deja vu swept me up like a wave as I stared into those blue eyes.

"Barry?!" I half yelled, he placed a finger on his lips and I quieted down and he released me slowly, leaving the lingering feeling of shivers on my waist.

"What are you doing down here?"

I said grabbing a white crop top from the basket and transferring it to another one to prepare the clothes before I wash them...or at least that was what I was trying to do but his scent was making my head spin.

"I wanted to talk to you, I know you have been avoiding me.."

My heart dropped, thanks to my mountain chores I had been able to dodge any encounter with him for the past 3 days, but I knew I couldn't hide forever.

He was here to reject me.

"I've been trying to sort out my feelings...I never expected this would happen,"

I took in a deep breath of air, straightening my legs and turning around.

"I know it doesn't mean anything but I'm glad it was you and not someone else,"

The face of my one night stand struck my mind and I shook it out of my thoughts.

I was talking to Barry now.

It would be better to rip off the band-aid right here and now, at least he was kind enough to do it in private.

"Maya, what are you talking about?" he asked me, sounding genuinely confused, and closed the distance that I had created between us.

"I don't want to reject you," he said.

My heart thumped violently against my chest.

"But Madeline..." I said but I was getting intoxicated with his scent again, "... Don't you want to be with Madeline instead? She is the one blessed with a wolf, I'm just..."

"Is that why you let another man touch you?"

He said his voice sounded gritty and pained, and I felt like I was punched in the gut with guilt.

He sniffed my neck and growled.

"For the past couple of days, I have been smelling him on you...every time I saw you, I thought I would go mad..."

"Barry, what are you...?"

His lips found mine, cutting off the rest of my words.

He inhaled a deep breath, grabbing my waist causing me to wince but the pain was swept off my mind as my legs instinctively wrapped around his own waist.

It was different from the way the stranger touched me...it was more feral, more raw and when he was done, he didn't pull me into his embrace like the stranger did.

Maybe that wasn't normal?

"Gosh, that wasn't bad at all..."

He said, grabbing his pants and shoving his legs in one after the other.

He put on all his clothes without sparing me one single glance, I got dressed feeling used and dirty...then confused, does this mean he was choosing me over my sister?

"But, Barry, what about Madeline?"

He finally looked at me.

"What about her?"

A smile slowly wrapped around my face, I had given up everything else for her to take away.

But I wasn't letting go of him.

Chapter 3

Maya's pov

Good things never last...but I thought this would.

little lingering looks, trivial touches and cautiously catching each other's eyes.

All these made every tiresome day easier to get through, and at night, He'd sneak into my room for passionate nights.

But eventually I got greedy.

"What were you and Madeline laughing about this evening?" I said.

He grunted, fishing his arm from under my head and sitting up on the bed.

"Where's this coming from?"

I sat up as well.

"It looked like a pretty good joke with the way both of you were cackling,"

He raised an eyebrow.

"You're acting off, what does it matter what we were talking about?"

I gritted my teeth, "Fine! What do I care?"

I threw off my paper thin blanket, shifting to the edge of the bed with my back facing him and my legs on the cold wooden floor.

"Ugh, what was I even expecting? Everybody chooses her...they always do. Why did I think you would be different?"

He came over crouching in front of me.

"I don't like when you talk like this...do you think I would be coming here every night...risking so much if I didn't want you?"

My chest tightened.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why is it a risk for you to be seen with me? Why are we always sneaking around to see each other?!"

"Maya,"he paused.

"...you're being too loud..." he said, taking his eyes to the door and my anger bubbled up.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about! Just leave before I scream at the top of my voice!"

His eyes widened, then he bit his bottom leg, grabbed his clothes that was scattered all over the floor, slipping them on quickly and leaving without looking back once.

I sighed, burying my face in my open palms.

That night, I didn't sleep a wink.

However, it wasn't long after our fight that I found myself under the sheets with him again.

I was still angry with the secrecy of our relationship.

But they say the patient dog eats the fattest bone...he said he wanted me so maybe he was just thinking of how he would break the news to Madeline.

This was what I thought until the truth finally exploded in my face.

I was cleaning up my father's office, and in the past couple of weeks more maids had submitted their resignation letters.

Of course I had to pick up after them.

Madeline walked in while I was cleaning.

"Isn't Dad here?" She said as I plucked out one of the books from the hospital shelf.

"Unless he managed to cramp himself into a corner, I honestly doubt it."

She laughed, and I stared at her.

We wore the exact face, yet why was she the only one glowing?

"Did you also come here to see him?"

I pointed at a mop bucket at the foot his mahogany desk and she sighed.

"Oh." She said, "... The headmaid

told me you had volunteered to take on some extra chores since all the maids are quitting."

Yeah sure, I *volunteered*.

"I really wish I could help, too bad I'm just so hopeless when it comes to chores."

My fingers tightened around the wooden handle of the duster.

"Didn't you say you were looking for Dad?"

"I was...but I thought that maybe I could keep you company an-"

"Don't worry, it'll only be a distraction, and I have other chores to take care of."

I grabbed the mop bucket then she suddenly swiped it from my hand.

"Then let me fetch you some water!"

"No, Madeline..." I shook my head. " You don't have to do that."

"I want to, don't worry I'll be back in a jiffy!"

She was out the door before I could let out another word.

"Ah, Madeline..." I crashed on an available chair.

She's always doing too much.

She always excelled in everything else, now she wouldn't even let me keep my worth even in this menial work?

And she can't even stop herself from hovering over a man that isn't hers!

I slammed my clenched fist on the desk just as the door cracked open. My head spun around,there was no way she had actually managed to do that so fast.

"Maya..."

His sweet scent caressed my senses before I even heard his voice.

"Barry."

He closed the door behind him, and in the blink of an eye he lifted me like a feather placing me on the desk after sweeping off everything that was on its surface.

"It's been a while...." His voice was horse as he worked on the buttons on my top.

"I thought I was going nuts..."

Eventually he grew frustrated, grabbed the fabric at both sides and sent buttons flying in different directions.

"Remember what you promised me last time?" He said with a hungry look in his eyes as he massaged my chest with one hand and expertly fiddled with his belt until he released the leather and his pants pooled at his feet.

"I...I do..." I said, my throat dry.

"But I've been thinking about it a..and well..."

The smile on his face evaporated.

"I can't do this without your consent, you already agreed so why are you backing off now?"

His eyebrows furrowed and he pulled his hand from my chest.

"Ugh, you're such a wet blanket!"

"Please understand...we can do it later, but I just don't feel comfortable no-"

"Enough! All you do is make excuses if it had been Madeline the-"

His face bleached.

"What did you just say?"

I reached out to grab the collar of his shirt, he just slapped my hand away.

"Get off my back, Maya!"

"I won't until you tell me what you mean!"

I jumped off the desk, grabbing him in moments, we were both on the floor.

"Have you lost your mind?!"

"You'll know if you don't tell me the truth!"

"Maya..Barry?"

We had been so distracted earlier we didn't notice when she walked back in swinging the mop bucket.

"What's going on?"