The Luna’s Second Chance Mate

Larissa’s POV

The dish in my hands slipped yet again, falling into the sink. I was lucky this time, it didn’t crash to the marbled floors. Else I would receive an earful from Gwendoline about breaking dishes for one week in a row.

I couldn’t help but remember the pale faced woman that day. She looked like a shadow of the life I once had; richly dressed with smoothened skin that looked like she didn’t even have claws or anything. But she was far from likeable, and I was even more annoyed that I couldn’t get the image of her hands on his skin out of my head.

He’d made it so damn clear that he would never accept me as his mate, no matter how I chose to think about it. He would not care if I died now, as long as I took care of his son. I gripped the sink at the thought of a second rejection. Maybe it would be best I left him alone and simply work like he wanted me to.

His crude actions towards me were more than a thousand confirmations, but it was hurtful nonetheless. The woman had mentioned his wife again, I wonder what had happened to her. I shook my head at the thought again. I shouldn’t get involved. I’m here to take care of Declan alone, that’s the best I can do.

I picked up the dish from the sink and dried it with a soft cloth before placing it on the rack. I felt numb as I cleaned up the kitchen, although thankful to have been left alone in the kitchen for the weekend. When I was done, I made my way to the living room where Declan was sitting idly with Gwendoline. She beamed as soon as she saw me, but the toddler had jumped off the couch to play with a figure on the table.

“Thanks for watching him for me.” I said quickly, dropping crosslegged on the ground beside Declan.

“It’s no big deal, as long as you made a meal for me too.” She replied with a nod and rose to her feet. “You both have fun, it’s time for me to enjoy the weekend.”

“Where are you going?”

“To my room. An omega needs her beauty sleep.” She drawled out with what sounded like a cackle and pranced her way out of the living room with a subtle sway of her hips. I let out a faint chuckle at her exaggerated behavior, that was so Gwen.

I turned my attention to the mute toddler beside me. He had the upper half of his hair in a ponytail, just like he’d wanted this morning. With his tongue sticking out the corner of his rose tinted lips, the fair skin boy had his attention ingrained in the wooden knife in his hand. On the table, there were a number of toy soldiers in the form of transformed wolves holding swords of their own.

I couldn’t help but be so mesmerized by his cuteness, despite his overly sensitive persona for a child. He would click his tongue and wrap his tiny fingers over the handle, poking one of the static figures. When it wouldn’t move, he would pout and try to concentrate on stabbing them until they fell. Then he would yelp in victory and giggle to himself before beginning the whole process again.

I’d never seen a child that was such a physical replica of his father, yet not nearly as identical in personality. Although he didn’t fancy me the best, he was a sweet child. Declan suddenly whipped his head to look at me with doe eyes, then ran a ran across his nostrils before waving a wooden knife in my face.

“Take it.” He said softly, thrusting it into my hand that rested idly on the table. Surprised, I took the knife from him and watched him continue to poke at the toy figures. He pulled my index finger and pointed at another figure.

“Fight with me.” His words were a little incoherent, but reminded me of sugary pastels. “This one is my friend, this one too. Is he your friend too?”

I chuckled at his questions. He looked genuinely interested in what I had to say. He shifted his weight on both knees, then continued to look at me intently.

“Of course, Declan. My friend is your friend too. Are we friends?”

“Yes! Then c’mere.” He pulled my finger even closer. It was funny to see him use up his strength in pulling me, and it gave me much satisfaction when I went along with what he wanted. His smile was infectious. “This one is our enemy.”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Why is he your enemy, Declan?” I cooed.

“Because he’s not my friend. He’s bad… er… will you tell me your name?”

“Larissa.”

“Lar Issa. Issa.” He repeated cutely, scrunching his nose. I smiled at his actions, patting his soft treases.

“Issa, okay?”

“Issa is my friend, this one is our enemy because he’s bad.” He said again, sounding a little upset. I picked up the wooden knife he’d thrusted into my hands and poked at the figure he’d claimed to be his ‘enemy’, earning a loud giggle from him.

I laughed in return, and he giggled even louder, bobbing his head as he did. This sweet soul, who would ever have hurt him so? I could never have imagined I would be having so much fun in my life without death breathing down my neck. Let alone with a three year old.

I suddenly had the urge to teach him one of my favorite childhood hobbies. My father had said that I’d picked it up at a very young age and dropped it when I realized I was more lady like than the average lady. It made me laugh to know he thought like that about me, even going as far as telling me that Richard wanted to learn it so much because a lady shouldn’t have such hobbies.

“Declan dear, do you want to learn to catch crickets with me? I promise it’ll be fun.” I said as sweetly as I could muster, patting his shoulders. He nodded quickly and flashed me a toothy smile. The heavens, his cuteness!

I rose to my feet quickly and picked him to very little resistance from him. He nuzzled into my neck before whipping his head back and scrunching his nose. Smiling at him one last time, we made our way out of the living room and through the back exit. It was the same way I’d gone when Annalise had brought me to the alpha’s study. There was a guard in front of the main gate to the mansion, but he smiled when he saw us together. Perhaps he was one of the few pleasant faced guards in the mansion.

Putting him down, I pulled him in the direction that Annalise had pointed to me once, hoping that somehow we would make it in the right direction. I wanted to take him to the less dense part of woods where there were mostly grasses and shrubs, for fear that he might be scratched by something unusual.

He tapped me twice, motioning for me to put him down once he’d arrived at the border between the woods and an empty area of land. The boy giggled to himself and kicked at some dry leaves that crumpled underneath his little feet. The dryness worried me though. It was late April, and the first rains hadn’t come yet. Shaking off the feeling, I walked briskly to hold him by the hand and pulled him to squat beside me, behind a tree.

“Stay here with me. The crickets will be out by now.” I cooed again and he nodded, half clinging to my dress. I looked around to spot some crickets, but none where in sight. Instead I felt him fidgeting and whipped my head around quickly to see him bobbing his head and giggling to himself.

“Shower!” He wheezed out amidst his soft giggles, and in a flash he was out under the canopy of trees. He was twirling and giggling to himself, kicking at the leaves and laughing so brightly. More than he ever had in the few weeks I’ve been here.

I cocked my head at his statement however. Shower? Stretching my hand out, I felt soft water droplets stain my palms and the skin of my arms. I looked up and felt the same droplets fall onto my face and I lit up immediately at the realization. Was this it? The first rain!

“Declan!” I yelled amidst laughter, rushing to his sides and twirling with him. My inner child was working its way well out of me. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d been so overjoyed to see the rain or play in it. It had always been my fantasy to dance with my mate in the rain and then fight to kiss and make up. But here I was, having my dream come true with a toddler. Declan, this sensitive child that brought my world together, turned out to be my first in a lot of ways. I felt my heart swell just watching him so happy.

I picked him up after a while, twirling and laughing when he nuzzled into my neck. His breath against my skin was ticklish. Running my hands through his wet mass of honey colored hair, I felt him scratch his neck before wrapping his small arms around my neck. I didn’t even know how long we had been playing, but the showers had eventually reduced significantly into a faint drizzle. Maybe it had stopped all together, I wouldn’t know. The large canopy of tree branches gave the illusion that it still drizzled, whether or not that was true.

“Let’s go home, my dear. Unfortunately, the crickets must have gone home by now.” I said gently, wiping away the stray wet hairs from my face. He nodded and let out a small sneeze, scratching his neck again. He fell limp soon after, earning a small smile from me. He was asleep, so much for such a child.

The thought that Declan may have gotten a cold worried me. Did we stay out so long in the rain? Without much thought, I made my way out of the woods, dragging my feet through the clear path we’d gone through earlier till we made it out and to the gate of the mansion. It had stopped raining completely, but we were still damp from the exposure. I continued through the gate when I noticed the black SUV parked at the alpha’s favorite spot.

I felt cold chills run down my spine at that. Was he home already? But he didn’t ever get home till six pm. Besides, his son was in my arms. I was prepared to answer a bajillion questions. Squaring my shoulders, I made my way through the entrance and halted in my tracks at a harsh thundering. Except that it wasn’t the sound of thundering. It was the voice of Alpha Kaden.

“Where the hell are you coming from?”

He was standing in the center of the living room with both hands hanging loosely at his hips, but I dared not look at his face. The corners of my lips quivered harshly, the only movements that could be heard in the room that had now fallen eerily silent were those if Declan’s soft snoring.

“I said where the fuck are you coming from?!” His voice was crass and angry, causing me to flinch and flip my eyes shut. I opened them again and noticed a figure beside him. I could definitely recognize Gwen’s unmistakable figure. I tilted my head in slight confusion. Gwen had said something about enjoying her weekend, so what was she still doing here?

“Declan and I were having some fun catching crickets in the woods.” I forced out and made myself to look at him. Maybe I shouldn’t have because if his piercing glare could kill, I may have been dead a thousand times in that minutes.

“Under the rain? Larissa, under the fucking rain?!”

“I’m so sorry I got carried away.” I pleaded again. I didn’t know what else I was supposed to do. His usually green eyes had lost most of its silver chrome and were blazing an angry orange. I half expected him to haul at me or threaten to strangle me like he always did, yet he did none of that. Instead his expression shifted into an omnious smile. The only obvious indication that he was mad were his eyes.

Bewildered, I saw Gwen shift uncomfortably before approaching me and muttering an apology. She whisked the sleeping toddler from my arms and walked away, up the stairs, leaving me alone in the living room with a wolf that was ready to finally kill me.

“This is just perfect, Larissa. You’ve used up your probation.” He spat out, shoving both hands in his pockets. In a flash, two strong arms had locked mine in place and even my frantic efforts weren’t enough to pry them off.

“What have I done wrong?!”

My cries came out like strangled whispers. I didn’t want him to see me cry like a mess that I was yet again. All I’ve ever done was cry, and all he would ever do was relish in my cries.

“Crossing your boundaries.” He shifted his attention to the men who held me in place, now folding his hands and squaring his shoulders. “Lock her up where she would never see a beam of light.”