A Second Chance ✔ (The Alpha's Mate)

Chapter 17

"I'd climb every mountain and swim every ocean just to be with you and fix what I'd broken." -You Are The Reason, Calum Scott.

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Katie had been sulking in Zach's room for more than an hour, cursing herself for bringing trouble that was uncalled for. She hated the look on Zach's face as he walked away from her, as if he knew it was about to happen anyway. She didn't even understand what her true problem was.

It wasn't that she remembered how he let her go, because she too had done the same. She had asked him to reject her even after he told her he didn't want to. He told her it didn't feel right and that he needed more time but she had impatiently told him that ever since he walked into her life she had felt nothing but misery. She was a little selfish, if she was to be honest. As much as it pained her to admit, Zach was in love with someone else and he had spent years loving that other person, and in a matter of a week she demanded he made up his mind. She now believed she was just as at fault as he.

Nor was her problem about feeling pathetic. She didn't feel pathetic in Zach's arms, she felt happy. Happy and safe and calm, and she knew that letting herself enjoy those feelings didn't make her pathetic, at least not to her and not to Zach. And Katie didn't give a shit about anyone else anyway.

Her true problem was fear. Kat was so profoundly scared of the happiness she knew she could never feel anywhere but in his embrace. She was petrified that Zach might not choose her again if he was stuck in a position similar. She was afraid of trusting him, even if every bone within her body did. What if the goddess granted him another mate oneday? It was still possible, just as it was possible for her too. But would he choose his new mate and refuse to repeat his past mistakes, or would he stay with Kat? What would she do if she was stuck in the same position? It was all too complicated and too tiring for Kat to just let it all go so easily.

Wiping away a tear that had left her eye, Katie sighed. She wanted nothing more than to let herself fall into the endless pit of her love for him, but no matter how many times she was about to jump in, something had kept pulling her back.

"I'm just scared." She couldn't help but admit to herself. A knock on the door grabbed her attention, and she eagerly sat straighter, hoping that Zach had finally come back. Much to her disappointment, it was his sister.

"Hey, Jared and Jess called and said they were coming over later tonight, since my parents are almost here." Ella walked to Katie who had a deep frown on her face and lied next to her. "So I presume he didn't take the news well, huh?"

Katie sighed. "No, he was fine. We had an argument about something else. Where is he anyway?" She wanted nothing more than for him to come back so they could talk this out.

"He went to grab our parents from the airport. He said he wanted to explain everything before they meet you." Ella shrugged.

Katie whined as she asked, "do you think they'll be too hard on him?"

"No, they worship him. Don't worry, they'll understand. They will be truly sad, though. They want nothing more than to see him happy, especially after seeing how miserable he had been for the two years he spent waited for you to show up. And now that he somehow managed to lose that chance again will be hard for them to stomach. But they will get over it when they meet you, trust me. Mate or not, you make him happy." Ella knew that her brother was happiest with Katie, even if the bond had been broken. "You know what I don't understand though? How come he felt you getting hurt if you two are no longer mates? Do you know how rare it is for mated couples to have that kind of deep connection? It makes absolutely no sense for you two to have it if your bond was truly broken. The fours years apart I can understand, but this is something else."