The Second Chance Werewolf

ALEXEI'S POV.

"You'll never be alpha of Ash moon pack, you wolfless weakling," luna Mya spat the words at me with a rage I felt all the way down to my toes. Her words were laced with venom, causing me to reel backwards from the force of her hatred.

We were both in the hallway of the newly built church.

Father's corpse was barely cold in its casket yet my step-mother was already trying to find a way to rip me off of everything that father had passed over to me – everything that was rightfully mine.

Ever since my mother had died, father had hardly looked at any she-wolves. It didn't matter that they were trying to sink their claws into him. He was interested. But then, one day, when I was twelve years old, he had come home with a wolf with goddess like features.

Mya.

She was the total opposite of my mother, the late luna. She had an annoying habit of latching unto father's arm like a piece of badly chewed gum.

Father had introduced Mya to me as his chosen mate. A week later, they were mated.

At first, luna Mya had pretended to like me but over time, it became quite apparent that she favoured her daughter, Freida, over me. It didn't matter though. I barely cared that I was loathed by my step mother. In truth, the feeling was incredibly mutual.

With father dead, she finally felt comfortable enough to reveal her true colours to me.

It was why she felt emboldened enough to pull me into the hallway and try to intimidate me.

"Your father, may the moon goddess bless his soul, he made a terrible mistake naming you as the next alpha of Ash moon pack."

"Really?" I sneered at her, barely refraining myself from lashing out at her. "And why is that?"

"You must be really dumb if you truly want me to spell out to you the fact that you're weak, pathetic and wolfless."

She scoffed in indignation, pointing an accusing finger at me. "What could a worthless semi lycan like you know about running a pack?"

I pursed my lips, as I allowed her words to sink in.

Her words hurt. They were like shards of ice on my skin.

"I'm sorry I'm such a source of disappointment to you," I muttered, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Can we please not do this anymore? This is father's funeral. Insulting me and trying to covet my birthright is a slap to father's face."

"I'll talk to you whenever and however I want," luna Mya seethed, stepping closer to me. "This is your last warning girl. Rescind the title of alpha. Freida is more deserving of the title."

"Of course. She's your daughter after all," I clenched my fists, sounding bitter. "Listen to me Mya, I am not giving up my title or my inheritance. Father named me as his heir for a reason and I am going to do my best to see it through. As for being wolfless, I'll have you know that I'm working on it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a funeral to go attend. Unlike you, I actually care about paying my final respects to the late alpha of Ash moon pack."

The last sentence came out in the form of a sneer. I stepped backwards away from her. I waited until there were at least a dozen feet between us before I turned on my heels and made my escape for the funeral hall.

***

Father's funeral was held at the newly built church. The hall was parked full of delegates and representatives from different packs, all present to pay their final respects to the former alpha of Ash moon pack.

The graveyard was quiet as everyone watched the fall of snowflakes upon the sleek beige casket.

I stared numbly at father's pale skin, staring back at me from the open casket, and for a moment, I forgot to breathe. Next to me, Brandon gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, reminding me of his presence.

He was my destined mate. After my fight with Luna Mya, he had found me trembling in the hallway and had escorted me back outside, lending me his strength and his unwavering support.

I was lucky to have him. Now that I was well on my right to being the next alpha, I couldn't wait to be mated to him officially - to rule Ash moon pack with him right by my side.

It was all I ever wanted. We talked about it, Brandon and me. Our plans for the future. The kind of rulers we would be. The kind of pups we would have.

I seldom imagined myself being as open with anyone else, but with Brandon, it came naturally to me. Not only was he my lover, but he was also my soulmate and my best friend.

I was grateful to have him. Grateful that he was right here by my side.

To my right, luna Mya stood rod stiff, staring straight ahead, trying to put up appearances as the matriarch of the perfect wolf family. She was wearing a net hat that obscured her eyes from view. Next to her was my step sister, Freida.

Freida wore a net hat identical to her mothers, but where her mother was cold and unflinching, Freida was a sobbing mess. There were tears in her eyes, that she kept trying to dab at with a handkerchief.

I felt sorry for her. I loathed how much Luna Mya kept trying to wedge a rift between us. It always seemed to backfire though, because regardless of what the Luna tried to do, Freida and I were still pretty close.

Finally, after what felt like forever, father's casket was lowered into the ground.

The funeral was over half an hour later.

Back at the Ash Moon manor, there was a lavish reception being held there.

Brandon remained glued to my side the entire time.

We glided across the crowd together, putting up a united front.

We greeted the guests together. Listened politely to stories about the exploits of the late alpha Rowan Lovegood.

By the time the reception ended, it was dusk and I was bone tired.

Brandon led me up to an isolated balcony and wasted no time sinking his lips deeply into mine.

He kissed me with a mixture of softness and depth.

It was a soothing kind of kiss, that seemed intent on sucking all the sadness out of me.

ALEXEI'S POV.

Just like the rest of him, Brandon's kiss was warm, thawing the frosty air around me.

I gripped the lapels of his coat, smiling at him for the first time all day. Brandon was one of the few people that had this effect on me.

"You've been with me all day," I shot him a sympathetic look. "Stick around for a bit longer and I promise it will all be over soon."

I said it to him reassuringly, but in truth, it was my way of trying to reassure myself.

Brandon wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. His hold was tight and reassuring. It did a good job of easing some of my tension.

"I don't mind being here with you, sweetheart," Brandon continued. "Even if the ceremony ends at midnight, I'll still be right here with you. I'm not going anywhere."

"Ugh! Do you have to be so perfect?" I pretended to groan.

As expected, this elicited a laugh from Brandon. As always, he knew the right things to say to make me feel better. Even after a year of dating, the sight of him still made my heart race and swell with the depths of my love for him.

"I can't wait to be crowned as the alpha of Ash moon pack, so I can finally be mated to you and rule the pack with you by my side."

"That sounds lovely," Brandon beamed at me. "I can only hope I live up to your expectations and not disappoint you."

"You could never disappoint me," I told him vehemently, encircling his neck with my arms. "Listen to me Brandon Turner. You are my destined mate. You are the only one I want. I am counting the days until I get to be married to you."

"I am counting down the days too," he mused, winking at me.

I smiled at him once again. "I especially can't wait for our wedding night."

At the mention of our wedding night, I grazed the back of his neck with my fingers. I was pleased when I felt him visibly shudder underneath my touch.

"You sexy little tease," he growled, digging his fingers into my spine. "This is hardly the time or place."

"I can't help myself," I shrugged, not sounding sorry.

In response, Brandon leaned in and kissed me a second time, turning my brain to mush.

***

I recognized Brandon as my mate a year ago. Since then, we had been pretty much inseparable. Before father had died, I had told father about my desires to be mated to Brandon and he had only hesitated for a moment before he gave us his blessings.

The same way he had done it, it was the same way in which he had made the announcement, appointing me as the heir of the pack.

Naturally, half of the council were against father's choice for alpha. There were whispers of my step-sister, Freida being the better choice for alpha. While I tried to ignore the whispers at first, I couldn't help thinking about it from an objective point of view. As much as it hurt me to admit, in some ways, they were right to counter father's bias towards me.

At seventeen, I was yet to shape shift. As a pup and as a teenager, I was the only one who didn't have a wolf. Father claimed I was a late bloomer and had nothing to be ashamed about. Regardless of how father felt, it didn't make it any less embarrassing and encapsulating.

There were times, when I felt gravitated towards the idea of Freida as alpha.

Freida had an alluring aura about her that commanded instant attention. She was good with martial arts and was quite witty. She had the natural instincts of a leader.

She was also one of the best persons I knew. As step-sisters, we were surprisingly close. It didn't matter how luna Mya felt about me. Freida had never allowed her mother's coldness to get in the way of our relationship.

Even though I was older than her, she had always gone out of her way to look out for me. After I had recognized Brandon as my destined mate, Freida was the first person I had told. As expected, she had been happy for me.

I was lucky to have her.

***

I said goodbye to the last guest and finally made my way out of the throne room. Brandon had excused himself from me, because he had some urgent matters to attend to.

I didn't feel like retiring to my bedroom yet, so I headed to the alpha's study. It felt like yesterday that father was in there, working with his head bent over the mahogany desk.

I approached the desk. Right there in the middle was the official decree of my appointment as the next alpha of the pack. It was going to be read out during my coronation, right after my 18th birthday.

I couldn't wait for my birthday. It was the moment, when I would finally be able to shape shift. I had gone to see the high priest during the last full moon and the priest, Livierie had reassured me that I would be able to turn the moment after I turned eighteen.

If that was true, then I would finally have the chance to prove to the elder's council and to the entire pack that I was worthy of being alpha.

And no matter what happened, I would have Brandon at my side.

Smiling, I made my way out of the study and started walking in the direction of my bedroom. Rather than take the hallways, I decided to take the trail that led right past the gardens.

The night wind was cool on my cheeks. I relished the serenity of the flowers and the trees, as I breezed past.

Just as I rounded the corner, I came to a halt at the sight of a man and woman intertwined in an intimate embrace.

They were kissing passionately, running their hands all over each other.

I took a closer look at the couple. A moment later, I felt my body grow cold and rigid with shock.

Blood drained from my face, as I took in the earth shattering sight of Brandon hugging and kissing none other than my step-sister, Freida.

ALEXEI'S POV.

I reeled backwards, torn between shock and disbelief. The more I watched Brandon and Freida kissing, the more I wished for it to be nothing more than a bad dream.

I had probably fallen asleep somewhere and was having a nightmare. Any moment now, I would wake up.

I shut my eyes tightly for a full second. Even as I pried my eyes open, I knew deep in my heart that this wasn't a dream. It was happening right now and I couldn't understand it no matter how much I thought about it.

Why? Why was Brandon with Freida? Why was he kissing her? Why was she allowing him to?

After what felt like an infinity, they finally pulled away from each other. There was a shared smile on both their faces.

My heart broke at the sight of that smile.

"I am so happy that I finally get to kiss you the way I have been fantasizing about all day long," Brandon sighed the words against Freida's lips, causing her to giggle.

"Really?" she asked. "You know, I thought you had forgotten all about me, judging by the way you were doting on Alexei."

"That was just an act," Brandon said, rolling his eyes. "You and I both know that I don't love her. You're the one I love."

What? That was impossible. There was no way this was true.

Brandon had stayed with me all through father's funeral. He had stayed by my side, giving me the solid support that I so desperately needed. Hell, my body still recalled how tightly he had hugged me and kissed me.

There was no way anyone was that good of an actor. I refused to believe that all of it had been an act.

Flummoxed, I watched as Freida's lips curved upwards in a cruel smile. Who was this stranger right now? Where was the Freida I had known for years?

"I am glad to hear that you've never actually loved my sister," she continued. "So, does this mean that you're willing to help me in getting rid of her?"

Brandon gripped Freida's arms, pulling her closer to him. "You and I both know that I would do anything for you. You only need to say the word."

"I am going to kill Alexei," Freida stated matter-of-factly. "I plan to be alpha of Ash moon pack in her stead. Frankly, I deserve it more, but then, it is no secret that the old man had always favoured his biological daughter more."

Old man. She was talking about father.

How could she stand to talk about him that way?

He may not have been her biological father, but he had loved her and given her a great life.

"Alpha Rowan," Brandon sneered at the mention of the late alpha. "He never thought of me as good enough for his so-called heir. He may have granted us his blessings but I could tell that he didn't like me. Honestly, I am glad he is finally dead. I am glad we finally have a chance to steal everything from right under Alexei's nose."

"It is all thanks to mother," Freida beamed. "She had been poisoning alpha Rowan in small portions for several months."

"Really? I thought he had died naturally from illness." Brandon chuckled.

"No. Mother made it happen. And now, in order for me to take everything from Alexei, I am going to need you to keep deceiving her with her charming lies, and then, right before her birthday, I want you to slip this vial of wolfsbane into her drink. With this amount, it would kill her without hesitation."

Freida pulled a shiny vial out of her bodice, raising it up to the moonlight. It was silver and looked lethal – the stuff my nightmares were made of.

Startled at the sight of the poison, I took a couple of steps backwards. Without meaning to, I stepped on a branch. The branch cracked loudly, drawing Brandon's and Freida's attentions to me.

Almost in slow motion, they both looked in my direction and I could almost hear their sharp intakes of breath as they discovered me hiding behind a tree.

In that moment, it was almost as if time had come to a still.

After that, it all happened so fast.

With my heart racing, I turned on my heels and broke into a run, desperate to escape whatever horror my mate and my step-sister had in store for me.

I couldn't believe that luna Mya had murdered my father. He had loved her deeply, yet she had betrayed him. The worst part of all was the fact that Freida had known about it.