"I may be your second chance, Wade, but I will not be your second choice."
Reeling from the death of his mate, Alpha Wade tried everything in his power to bring her back to life. So consumed with raising her from the dead, he almost missed his secon...
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TWO days were not adequate enough time to pack all my things and say goodbye to all my loved ones. Despite having over two years to prepare for this day, I was massively overwhelmed—especially because I knew the toll my absence would have on Dad.
He would never vocalize his discomfort with me flying away from the nest, but he didn't have to. I had been with him every step of the way after Mom's death. I had been there to help pack Henry's lunches and make sure he got to school on time. I had been there to remind Dad to send in the bill for our electricity, internet, and water or else he would have forgotten.
I had been there for everything, and soon, I was not going to be there for anything—at least not physically.
To his credit, Dad had picked up the slack recently. I had a suspicion Grandpa gave him a stern talking to.
"Violet," Dad whispered into my messy hair as we stood on the wooden train platform. It was right before sunset, darkness encroaching on the sun.
My suitcase, which had been neatly packed with the help of Olivia, was in one hand while my other wrapped Dad in a hug. Dad's face rested on my shoulder as he continued, "I'm so, so proud of you. You know Mom would be proud, too, Violet?"
The murky clouds above cemented the dreary mood of the day. Even though the clock had yet to strike four PM, the streetlamps had been turned on. The sinking sun nestled behind a wall of clouds as we huddled under the protection of an awning in case of sudden rainfall.
The train station was packed to the brim with families and friends gushing a tear-filled goodbye to their loved ones. I spotted Spencer and his ginormous family of six brothers—which was harder than expected since all his brothers looked exactly like him in both younger and older forms off in the distance, roughhousing with one another as a means of goodbye.
As I pooled my attention back to Dad, we pulled away from our hug, his eyes watering. "How I wish she would have been here today to see you all grown up."
"She's looking down at us." I tried my best to smile.
"I know she is." He nodded, his chin wobbling. "She's probably shouting at me not to be so sappy."
"She always hated to see you cry," I reminisced. "Are you sure you and Henry will be alright? I can delay my placements another—"
"Violet," Dad squeezed my hand. "We'll be okay—"
"That's debatable," Henry muttered from behind Dad.
Dad closed his eyes before saying, "Ignore him. We'll be fine. You've held this family together for the better part of two years. I say it's about time you got to living your life for yourself, Violet."
Biting my bottom lip to prevent the tears from spilling out, I dropped the handle of my suitcase and hugged Dad again. "I'll miss you, Dad."
"I'll miss you, too," his voice shook. "I love you, Violet."
