An Unwanted Second Chance (JB Tirado) novel Chapter 80

Riley forced herself upright at the mention of Evan. Maddox walked into a nearby tent and reappeared a moment later with Evan. He had a bruise down the side of his face and his arm was in a makeshift sling. His wide brown eyes looked at the sight in front of him, landing on Riley. She could tell he was on the verge of

tears.

Maddox walked Evan to the woman before retreating a few steps. The woman laid her hand on Evan’s

shoulder, pulling his back against her.

“I know what it means to sacrifice for the ones I love,” the woman said, brandishing the knife at Riley. “I gave up everything for the man I loved. I gave up everything for my son. I didn’t have a stupid mate bond or a Moon Goddess telling me who to love or who to choose. I made up my own mind, unlike weaker wolves who are so willing to let fate decide.”

Evan cringed, closing his eyes tightly as though he could make it all go away. Riley saw the tears squeeze out of the corner of his eyes.

“You’re scaring him,” Riley managed to say.

“Who?” The woman frowned. “My son?” She glanced at his face, barely sparing a second to take in his tears. “The only reason he is scared is because he was stolen from me when he was a baby. He doesn’t know who I

am.”

She shook his shoulder fiercely, causing him to yelp in pain and attempt to cradle the arm in the sling.

“This is my son!” she shrieked. “He will remember soon enough!” She shook him again.

“Careful, Cheree,” Maddox exclaimed, walking forward. “His arm is broken and not properly set.”

The woman, Cheree, whipped the knife up, pointing it at Maddox’s face.

“Don’t tell me how to handle my son!” she growled.

Maddox halted, eyeing the knife warily.

She wheeled her arm around so the knife was pointing towards Riley. “I have always had to make the hard choices when those around me were too weak. I loved a man for years, since I was just a girl. He was the future alpha of our pack. He promised me we would be mates when we turned eighteen, but the Moon Goddess made a fool of him. She gave him another mate. A weak, silly girl who was not fit to be his luna, I was the daughter of the gamma! I was a trained warrior! I was the one fit to be his luna! But he claimed to lov e her,” she sneered the word love, as though it was tainted.

“He had claimed to love me for years, but suddenly he has this weak mate and she is all he can talk about.” She shook her head, sneering. “I knew I had to solve this problem for him. He was too weak to get rid of her, so I did it. I took her out on a hunt and I killed her for him.

“I told him there was an accident and he didn’t question me. He never really questioned me because he knew I always wanted what was best for him. He was devastated after she died. It took him years to really get back to himself, but I waited because I loved him and I knew it would be worth it.

“And it was! One day he said he was ready to take a chosen mate. He asked me to be with him. I thought he had finally seen sense.”

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The woman shook her head, laughing at the memory. Riley felt her stomach twist with unease as she

watched Evan continue to cry.

+ Points >

“We were going to mark one another on the next full moon to make sure our bond was strong,” the woman continued, “but two days before the full moon a visiting alpha came with his daughter. Suddenly he had a

second chance mate!”

Cheree’s face twisted in rage. “They said it was a rare blessing,” she snarled, spit flying from her lips. “But I know better! I worked so hard to be the perfect mate for him. To be the perfect luna and he didn’t even think twice before he marked that b***h! He didn’t even tell me until after it had happened.

“And the worst thing was, he expected me to be happy!” She was yelling now, waving the knife in the air, her face red with rage. “To be happy that he was tossing me aside like yesterday’s trash after everything I had done, everything I had sacrificed for him!”

Evan wailed, suddenly trying to pull away from Cheree. She yanked him back forcefully, causing him to cry in pain again. Maddox shifted forward like he was going to stop Cheree, but froze as she continued ranting.

“Second chances are a curse, but when I tried to tell him. When I tried to make him see reason, he told me l

was mad. He and everyone in that pack acted as though I was crazy! Can you believe that?”

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Riley could believe it as she watched Cheree continue ranting, the knife coming dangerously close to nicking

Evan’s chin several times.

“He cast me out,” she continued, her voice shrill. “He exiled me. Told me to never come back. But I wasn’t

going to just let that b***h steal my place. She was pregnant. She was carrying the baby that should have

been mine! I was supposed to carry his child, not her. But everyone kept going on about how this baby was

special, how he would be stronger than other wolves when he grew up. So I knew what I had to do. I waited

until she gave birth. I waited until the right chance came and then I went back into the pack.

“It was so easy to sneak in. The alpha was foolish and he trusted the wrong people. They never changed the

patrol rotations. They never thought I was a real threat. It was so easy to sneak back in. I found the luna and I killed her. I knew the alpha would die too – no one survives losing a second chance. But he had been dead to

me for a while. I took the child. I took this child,” She shook Evan for emphasis, causing him to cry again. “He was supposed to be mine anyway. And one day, we will return to our pack. He is the rightful heir and everyone will realize the mistakes that were made. They will realize that I was the one who should have been

Juna. They will finally see.”

“She’s crazy,” breathed Jaxon.

She pushed Evan until they were only a step away from Riley. She could see the way his lips were trembling.

the tears caught in his eyelashes. She couldn’t help but think how small he was.

“Alphas are all the same in the end,” Cheree snarled. “And your alpha will pay the price for what he has done

to me.”

“Cheree,” someone called as Evan let out another soft cry, “your boy is scared.”

Riley looked away from Evan and realized that a crowd of rogues had gathered around them, clearly listening to Cheree’s rants. Some of them were smiling and seemned pleased by what she was saying, but others wore frowns, watching her with warily.

“He is scared because he doesn’t know me,” she cried, shaking his shoulder again. “He doesn’t know his own

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+8 Points X

mother. But in time you will all see. My son will be one of the strongest wolves of his generation. He will be an incredible leader. He will avenge his mother.”

“Let me go home,” Evan cried, trying to pull away from her.

“Home?!” scoffed Cheree, pulling him again. “You are home when you are with me. I am your mother.”

“You’re not my mother!” he screamed, trying again to break free.

She smacked him hard on the back of the head, causing Evan to crash to his knees beside Riley.

“I am your mother!” she roared. “And you will not disrespect me!”

“Just do what she says,” Riley whispered desperately to Evan, as he clutched the back of his head with his good hand. “Just listen so she doesn’t hurt you.”

“I want to go home,” he sobbed.

“She’s right,” Jaxon added quickly. “Just do what you’re told right now.”

“Stop talking to my son,” Cheree growled, grabbing Evan under his good arm and yanking him away.

“Take care of them,” she told Maddox as she drug Evan into her tent.

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