The Ice Alpha

09

She pulls her hand away like it burned her.

"Hannah..."

"No! It can't be! I had a mate!" She cuts me off.

"Hannah I..."

"I can't do this again! It's so wrong! It's like I'm replacing Gabe! Why would God do this?" She stops me again and I wait a minute for her to calm down.

"May I speak now?" I ask and she gives me a wide eyed look. She looks scared and confused but nods.

"My mate died before I could meet her. I was looking for someone. I want a mate, yes, but I want my mate to want me. I will not force anything on you. I'm sure Gabriel was an amazing man to get you for a mate. I would never try to replace him... just... please take some time with this. Don't make a rash decision. I can't reject you. The words will never leave my lips but I understand if you choose to reject me. You had a mate. I can't know how that feels outside of the touch we just shared. I'd imagine feeling that bond, marking someone you love... it would be amazing. If being with me taints your memory of him I'm sorry... just know I liked you from the moment you started yelling at me before I could respond to you. I can't say love yet but I would love to try this with you. From what I heard the mate bond speeds things up but I won't push you. I think I could be a good dad to Ollie too. I'm not forgetting about him. We can make sure he knows about Gabriel. Adding me does not mean subtracting him... just think about it?" I rant and she looks stunned.

"I don't know." She mumbles. "I need a minute. Come on Ollie." She picks up the boy and walks off.

Why?

Why me?

First my mate dies, then I fall for a girl who has a mate, and now, Now I get a second chance mate? I thought those were just fairy-tales!

She will probably reject me. She misses her mate. From what she said it's only been a little over a month. Gosh that's about the time I realized my mate died..  I wonder if she was in Gabriel's pack? Stop! That doesn't matter. What matters is if Hannah can accept me.

"I want to talk to you." I hear her voice. Looking at the clock it'd been about an hour.

"Have a seat." I say and she nods sitting on the other end of the sofa.

"I want to give this a chance. Ollie needs a father and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't felt pulled to you. I was ignoring it but I guess I can't any more. In the space of a day we developed a bond so it must be strong. Maybe it's God's way to help us both heal." She tells me and I smile.

"Well it's been almost a week really." I say and she laughs.

"True but you were unconscious for most of it... wait how did you know how long you were out? I never told you the date." She asks. Decision time again.

"Well you mentioned the Alpha's birthday... Hannah I need to confess something to you. I was afraid of how you would respond if I told you my name but I remember everything." I tell her and she smiles.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to come clean... I'll admit I thought you might be serious at first but the more I thought about it I figured you were lying. Plus you never showed me your wolf. Most would have stayed in wolf form until they dragged the animal back to make it easier. Thank you for being honest with me, Bane." She says and it's my turn to be shocked. I thought I was being slick.

"You're okay with that? I'll be Alpha soon. You would be my Luna." I ask her.

"It scares me I'll admit... but as much as I'm afraid to be your mate and Luna... a part of me is scared to death that you will find someone else to fill that place. My wolf is growling at the thought... my biggest worry is Ollie. What will the pack do to him? He is not Alpha blood. Gabe was Gamma. The pack would kill him to make way for your heir. It's not like we could pass him off as yours. I mean let's be honest here you are the definition of pale. Ollie takes after his Hispanic father." She rambles.

"I could adopt him." I say and she looks confused.

"Of course you would but that is just paper. Wolves want bloodlines." She argues and I chuckle.

"You don't know what happens when an Alpha adopts a pup do you?" I ask.

"It's different for Alphas?"

"It's a blood ritual. Alpha blood is powerful. If I were to adopt him he would carry my blood. The magic of the ritual would make him mine. True he would still have a darker complexion but as far as blood goes he would become an Alpha's son." I explain.

"You would be erasing Gabe from him." She whispers.

"Not entirely. He will still look like Gabe. He might get a little bigger, more muscular, because he will be an Alpha but he will still be a picture of your first mate." I explain.

"You promise we won't forget him?" She asks and I smile.

"We will keep him alive for Oliver. He will know his birth father and you can tell me all about him... my only condition with that is that you try not to compare us. I am not Gabriel and I never will be... but I can be yours if you'll have me." I tell her and she smiles.

"I think the mate bond is kicking in because you are getting all sappy." She chuckles.

"It's who I am babe. Get used to it."