An Unwanted Second Chance (JB Tirado) novel Chapter 79

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“So you are the luna, then?” she asked, her putrid breath hitting Riley in the face. “You are his second chance? That’s what the boy said.” She shook her head, laughing softly. “They all say a second chance is a blessing, but they’re wrong. Second chances are a curse.”

There was a scuffling sound and Riley turned to see Maddox half dragging a man towards them. He dropped the man on the ground in front of Riley and she watched as the man wearily lifted his head to look at her.

Jaxon.

His face was bruised and swollen, covered in blood, but she had no doubt that it was him as she stared into

his eyes.

It made sense. He had gone missing the night before they were due to leave. He had been captured and tortured by the look of it. That, she realized, must have been how the rogues knew that Evan was being

moved.

“I’m sorry, Luna,” Jaxon whispered, tears streaming down his face. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s ok, Jaxon,” she managed to say, her throat raw.

“It’s not ok,” laughed the woman, still kneeling next to Riley. “He told us everything. It really didn’t take that

much for him to break, either. You should be ashamed.”

The woman stood up, cackling. “But I have to thank him, honestly. Without his information we wouldn’t have gotten my boy back.”

Riley flinched. So she did have Evan after all.

“You should be ashamed,” the woman said again. She reached into her pocket and produced a knife before kneeling back down to cut the bindings around Riley’s wrist. “Because of this boy, right here, you are at my mercy. When your dear alpha comes for you, which I know he will, I will kill you right in front of him.”

Riley lurched forward, her hands hitting the damp ground, shutting her eyes against this woman’s words.

“I will kill you,” she continued, “because I know that no one can survive losing a second chance mate. Once I kill you, your precious alpha will die too. The man who stole my child, who hid him from me for years, will finally meet his fate.

“Did you know?” The woman leaned closer to Riley, her breath warm against Riley’s face. “He killed every person in that camp. Women and old men who couldn’t fight. I was out hunting. When I came back, they were all dead and my son was gone. Innocent people who had done nothing wrong except choose to camp with a couple rash idiots. It wasn’t my fault or their fault that those three idiots decided to attack his luna. We did

nothing, yet he punished us all.”

Riley’s stomach churned and she was sure if she had anything in her, she would have thrown up right then. She closed her eyes against the words, but all she could hear was Kent asking if this was the Goddess‘ punishment for the wrongs he had done.

“Your beloved mate is a murderer and a kidnapper.” The woman grabbed Riley under the chin, forcing her to look at Jaxon. “And this boy has betrayed everyone you love. You shouldn’t be ok with that,” she snarled. “You should be furious. Furious at him, at your mate, at the Goddess who thinks she knows all.”

The woman pushed the knife into Riley’s hand. “You should want to kill him.”

Riley stared at the knife for a moment and then at Jaxon.

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< Chapter 79

“No,” she whispered.

“Kill him,” the woman urged.

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“No,” Riley said again, her voice stronger. Before she could think about it, she swung the knife towards the woman. But she was too slow, her movements slowed down by her injuries and the wolfsbane.

The woman easily grabbed her wrist, twisting her arm until Riley dropped the knife with a groan of pain. Then the woman struck Riley across the face, sending her flying sideways into the ground.

“Luna!” Jaxon gasped.

“Stupid,” the woman grumbled, climbing to her feet. “Stupid and predictable.”

Riley laid in the dirt, tasting the blood in her mouth. Her body ached, her head throbbing. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes. She desperately wanted to see Kent.

“Bring me my son,” the woman demanded.

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