An Unwanted Second Chance (JB Tirado) novel Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Alma patted Riley’s hand. “The mate bond is the connecting of two souls to create one. When a mate is lost, it’s like having your soul ripped in half. It causes physical Illness too, but a strong wolf can recover eventually But your soul has endured more damage than most. The abuse you suffered at the hands of your mate goes against the Goddess and against the mate bond. It causes damage, not just to your soul, but his as well. But then the banishment created an additional wound as well. You were sent away from the one place that you should always belong, severing your connection to your pack. It’s honestly a wonder to me that you are even alive.”

“But I never felt sick before I came here? If this wound is causing my illness, why wasn’t I sick before?” Riley asked.

“Because you are fighting against a second chance. You are reopening old wounds on your soul. Every time you try to create distance with him, every argument or bad memory you’ve had recently, has been tearing open these old wounds, making your illness worse.

“In time, not only will you grow sicker, but Kent will also begin to fall ill as well. His wounds are not as severe as yours, but they are also slowly being pulled open as well. You will both die eventually if you don’t accept each other.”

Riley felt her stomach drop. “We’ll both die?”

Alma nodded. “You cannot lose a second chance mate. No one survives that loss. Since you are both each

other’s second chances, your souls, and your lives, are tied to one another.”

“What do I do?” she whispered.

“You accept your mate,” Alma replied simply. “You complete the mate bond and mark each other. You repair him and he repairs you. That is how a second chance is supposed to work.”

She looked at Kent, his forehead creasing as he met her gaze. She opened her mouth to talk but no words

came out.

Riley stood up, looking around the cottage. “I think… I think I need a minute.” She didn’t wait for anyone to respond, rushing past Patrick and out of the door.

**

Kent sat on the couch, staring at the door where Riley had disappeared, trying to absorb everything he had

just heard. He reached up to push his hair back from his face, and only then did he realize how bad his hand

was shaking.

“Are you ok, Alpha?” Alma asked gently.

He swallowed, looking at her. “I’ll be fine,” he managed to say. “It’s her that I’m worried about.”

Alma nodded. “She’s been hurt very badly. And she’s been carrying it by herself for a lot of years. It will take a lot of time for her to truly let go of that kind of pain. You need to be there for her. Make sure she knows how much you care, how much she can rely on you.”

Kent looked up to Patrick, who was staring out the still open door that Riley had fled from.

“Can you see her?”

Chapter 70

Patrick nodded. “She’s standing in the garden.”

“She’s overwhelmed and scared.” Alma stood up. “You should go to her. She needs you even if she doesn’t want to admit that right now.”

Kent stood too, following Alma to the door. “Thank you, Alma. I really appreciate your help.”

“Of course, my dear.” She patted his arm before turning back to her house.

Kent turned to Patrick. “Go ahead of us. You should go check on your baby and mate. I’ll stay with her.”

Patrick nodded and turned to go, but Kent caught his shoulder.

“Thank you, Pat,” he whispered when Patrick looked back. “Thanks for being there for her.”

Patrick gave him a small smile and a nod before striding around the house to shift.

Kent walked over to where Riley was standing at the edge of the garden. She didn’t move or give any sign that she heard him as he approached, but he was sure she knew he was there.

“I knew you were strong,” Kent said as he stopped beside her, “but I had no idea.”

She turned to look at him and he could see the tears in her eyes.

“I wish I could take that pain away,” he whispered, turning to face her. “I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that with him. You never deserved any of it.” He reached up to cup her cheek gently. “I would never do that to you.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I’ve known that for a while.”

She turned away from his touch, looking across the field towards the pack house in the distance.

“We should head back,” she said finally. “I feel well enough to shift now.”

“No,” Kent said, “I think we should walk.” He held out his hand. She considered it for a moment before taking

1. it.

They walked in silence for a while before Kent spoke again. “I would do anything to protect you.”

“I don’t need protecting,” she whispered.

He pulled her up short, causing her to turn to look at him.

“I know you don’t now, but you did back then. It kills me that there was no one there for you. I get why you’ve worked so hard to be such a good warrior. I get why you never want to lose a fight, why you don’t let any man bring you down.”

He reached up to push the hair off her face. “But Riley, I would do anything for you. These last couple weeks with you have been some of the best I’ve had in a long time. You are so smart and funny and beautiful and

strong. And I feel lucky the Moon Goddess gave me a second chance and I’m so grateful that my second chance is with you.”

He leaned forward, pressing his lips into hers in a gentle kiss. Her hands grasped at her arms as he cupped her cheeks between his hands. When the kiss ended, he pressed his forehead against hers.

“I love you.” The words tumbled out of him before he even realized what he had said. But he knew

immediately how true they were. “I love you so much.”

“Kent,” she whispered, her eyes widening, “I…”

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“You don’t have to say anything,” he quickly cut in. “You don’t have to say it back. I just want you to know. You are the best thing in my life and I’ll gladly show you that every day if you let me.”

He kissed her again, hungrier this time, pulling her against him. She ran her hands up to the back of his neck, her fingers digging into the short hair there, pulling a groan from him. Her lips parted, her tongue running

along his lower lip.

“Alpha!”

They both pulled apart to see Leo running across the field towards them.

“It’s Max! He’s been hurt!”

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