A Rogue's Redemption

Chapter 19- Second Chance

The goddess has to be a fickle creature to come up with this madness...tossing me from my first mate who rejected me one night, to being in front of my second chance mate the next day...this is some soap opera level drama here. Does she get bored up there? Is that why she and the other goddesses occasionally put mates together in odd and bizarre ways? To cure their boredom?

Whatever it is, I hope she enjoyed the show, because that hour or so in that office was probably the most uncomfortable hour of my life. Mostly because of the fact that both me and the alluring Alpha Female that the goddess paired me with both pretended to not feel a pull of any kind while discussing battle strategy and ambush...at least, to the best of our ability we did. It was still plainly obvious that both of us were fighting the urge to claim each other right there...even the Beta could tell as he sat there grinning like the cat who ate the canary, his presence being the most accurate definition of a third wheel if there ever was one.

Anyway...I thought I was going to go mad in there, with my eyes constantly drawn to her pale skin covered with beautiful tattoos...it was difficult to decide which part of her was the most distracting.

The wedged heel boots that went over her knees, the frayed denim shorts cut high over her thighs that showed even more ink...or the fitted red t-shirt with the words 'Bite Me' written boldly across the front, sounding so much like a challenge, and an invitation, that I had to argue with my wolf on why now was not the appropriate time to accept it...as well as cover up my descended canines for most of the meeting.

And it wasn't just her looks, or her rank that was different...but her species. I could smell the scent of both werewolf and vampire in her intoxicating scent...making her a hybrid like myself, and one of the first vampires I've officially met outside the Beta. Not that it's a problem...not in the slightest, it just caught me off guard is all....along with everything else about her. I never expected to find my second chance mate here...in the Alpha I betrayed my old pack for.

Scarlett...what a gorgeous name, it suits her. I can tell in the few days I've been here that she does everything with a fiery red passion, it makes me want to get closer...even if I get a little burned in the process.

But it seems that she's only pulled away from me, I can sense the hesitation in her eyes...how guarded she's been around me. It's left me confused and truthfully a little hurt...but I can understand her apprehension. I'm a former member of a pack that's trying to destroy hers, for all she knows I could be a spy sent to infiltrate her pack and exploit her trust. So of course she'd be cautious...I would be to.

But it still doesn't make it easier.

Huffing in frustration, I continue my assault on the punching bag, the steam I blew off during training earlier not enough...and considering it's raining heavily, indoors is the only option I've got. Either I burn it off this way, or my fire mage abilities end up lighting something on fire...which isn't a good idea right now.

Just as I'm getting into a rhythm again, a muted purring sound catches my attention at the same time the smell of cherry liquor does, and I turn around slowly to see Scarlett herself standing behind me, wearing a pair of black capri leggings with white skulls printed on the sides and a dark red sports bra that shows off her beautiful skin, her elegant body art, and well defined muscle that I didn't have the privilege of seeing before now...

Goddess what a view...

I follow the Alpha pendant swinging on its chain up to her exposed neck and shoulders, all the way up to her face which is left clear to see as her long raven hair is pulled back in a taunt French braid. Her eyes are dark and hungry looking as she stares back at me, lingering on my bare chest the same way mine was on her lithe form...and I hope it isn't just my ego that's saying she likes what she sees, or making me hear her rumbling purr.