An Unwanted Second Chance (JB Tirado) novel Chapter 98

Extra Story – Chapter 6

Age 16

Riley had hoped, perhaps stupidly, that Evan would calm down when he got his wolf. She thought the Goddess might see fit to bless someone so temperamental with a calm inner voice. But it seemed the Goddess had a cruel sense of humor.

Evan’s wolf, Atlas, was not calm. He was just as aggressive and hot–tempered as his human counterpart. He was easily one of the largest wolves Riley had ever seen, larger even than Kent’s, which felt fitting, given how

much Evan had continued to grow. At sixteen, he now stood taller than both Max and Kent.

His body had filled out, making him look far older than he was. His shoulders had broadened, his frame solid

and muscled from training. He looked like a man. A dangerous one.

After months of resistance, Evan had finally fallen in line with the training Patrick and Riley led. He showed

up most of the time, applied himself when he bothered to focus, and had become surprisingly disciplined on

the mat. It turned out he was a quick study when he chose to be. His strength had increased dramatically,

and his sparring skills improved to the point that he could sometimes beat Riley when he actually tried.

The problem was that the control he learned during training didn’t always follow him into the rest of his life.

He was still quick to anger and quicker to fight. Most of his peers had learned to leave him alone, knowing no one could match his strength or his temper.

And Evan knew it. His arrogance had only grown with his power. He was wildly popular with the girls, and

Max and Penny had grown so exasperated with his habit of sneaking them into his room that they moved

him to a bedroom closer to the outer wing, just so they wouldn’t have to see it as often. Max, rather

pragmatically, had pointed out that Evan was going to have s*x no matter what they said. Instead of fighting

him, they simply ensured he was well–stocked with condoms and educated on safe practices.

Meanwhile, his grades had improved dramatically. Kent had enforced a rule that poor grades meant working in the kitchen, which led to Evan spending time with his grandmother and learning some impressive cooking skills. But as his interest in girls escalated, he quickly grew tired of scrubbing dishes and missing his

evenings. That motivation alone got him to start taking his schoolwork seriously.

Riley still allowed him to shadow her a few days each week during school breaks. After getting in trouble once for speaking out of turn, he never made that mistake again. She discovered he had a sharp mind, a natural instinct for strategy, and could run numbers faster than most calculators. But he could also be lazy and overconfident, and she had to stay on top of him to make sure he didn’t let things slide.

That was all before the fight.

Riley was elbow deep in paperwork when Kent stepped into her office, closing the door behind him. The look on his face had her heart dropping before he even spoke

“What happened?” she asked, already standing

He hesitated just long enough to make her stomach twist. “Evan’s at the hospital.”

“What?” Her voice rose sharply. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. Mostly bruises and a split lip.” Kent scrubbed a hand down his face and let out a breath. “But it’s

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< Extra Story – Chapter 6

not good, Riley. Not just because he got into a fight. It’s how it started.”

Her heart hammered. “Tell me.”

Kent crossed the room and leaned against her desk. “He snuck into that bar on the edge of town. Got

someone to lie about his age at the door.”

She swore under her breath. “He was drinking again?”

+8 Points >

“Yeah. And apparently, he started hitting on some she wolf. An older woman. She kept turning him down, told

him she was mated, but he wouldn’t stop.”

Riley sank into her chair, heart pounding.

“Her mate and a couple of his friends were there. They jumped him in the parking lot after she left. Evan held

his own, but it got ugly. And now half the pack’s talking about how the beta’s son is trying to screw around

with mated females.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, the beginnings of a headache forming behind her eyes. “Goddess, Kent.”

“I know.” He sat across from her. “He’s lucky he didn’t get killed. And now I’ve got pack members questioning

my beta’s parenting. Questioning if Evan should be allowed to stay in this pack once he comes of age.”

“I don’t care about their gossip,” she said quietly. “I care about Evan.”

“I know you do.” Kent’s voice softened. “But he’s blowing every chance we give him. He has the grades. The

training. He could go to the academy in the fall and thrive. But with this attitude? They’ll chew him up and

spit him out.”

“He won’t even consider therapy again,” Riley muttered. “He refuses to talk to anyone.”

“I want him to go back. He needs it. Not just for the academy, but for his life. He has to learn to control the anger, or it’s going to cost him something permanent. Someone.”

Riley nodded slowly, eyes clouded with worry. “No one can force him. He won’t do anything he doesn’t want

10”

I know. But maybe this is the wake–up call he needs.”

They sat in silence for a moment.

Then Ruley said, “I want to talk to him. He needs to understand that this is a problem. That he needs to step

up and make some real changes.”

Kent reached across the desk and took her hand. “He listens to you more than anyone else. Maybe not always the way we want, but it sticks. It sinks in”

Her eyes met his. “Thope so. Because if this keeps going… I don’t know what else we can do”

Evan showed up a few minutes late to training the next morning. He didn’t have a mark on him. He healed faster than anyone she had ever met, so she wasn’t shocked to see that he looked completely fine.

He ambled across the training field with his normal confidence, hands in his pockets, posture relaxed. His

grin was lazy, like nothing about the day before mattered

Riley waited until he reached her before speaking. “You’re late.”

<Extra Story – Chapter 6

Evan shrugged. “I had a rough day yesterday. Needed some extra rest.”

Her jaw tightened. “You’re supposed to be here by seven.”

“Yeah, well, I’m here now.”

He didn’t even sound apologetic.

+8 Points >

She folded her arms across her chest and nodded toward the benches lining the side of the field. “Sit down.”

He frowned. “What? I thought we were training?”

“Sit,” she said more firmly.

He hesitated, then dropped onto the bench, stretching his legs out in front of him.

She stayed standing, towering over him slightly, letting the silence settle between them for a moment.

“I want to talk about what happened the other night,” she began. “I’m not upset about the fight. Not exactly. You were defending yourself. But your behavior leading up to that moment? That’s a different story.”

Evan rolled his eyes. “I didn’t do anything. I was talking to a girl. She was smiling. Laughing. She didn’t seem bothered until her mate walked in.”

“She told you to leave her alone,” Riley said evenly.

He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. “More than once, from my understanding. She told you she had a mate, Evan, You didn’t care.”

His jaw clenched, and he sat back, folding his arms tightly across his chest.

“I know you think you’re grown,” Riley continued, her voice low. “You’re strong. You’re smart. People listen to

you. You’ve got power, and you know how to use it. But all of that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t learn to respect people’s boundaries. Especially women’s.”

He scoffed and looked away.

“You’re not going to like what I say next,” she warned him, softening just a little. “But I need you to hear it.”

His eyes flickered back to hers, wary now.

“You know my first mate rejected me, correct?”

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