Sacrificing My Happiness For His

Chapter 2

Mason

Lonely.

It's the one word to describe the last four years of my life until I met Chloe. She helped ease some of the loneliness, and I thought finally coming home and being surrounded by my pack would fill me completely. That once I had my girl and my pack together in the same place, all the missing pieces of my life would fall into place.

So here I am. Announcing my engagement, referring to Chloe as my best friend, and getting ready to take my rightful place as Alpha.

I should be feeling nothing but happiness and contentment. I do to a point, Chloe does make me happy, but the loneliness still lingers in the background. I continue to feel only half full.

I can't deny it anymore, there is only one thing, or more importantly, one person that gives me even a piece of the true home I missed.

Siara.

As I stand on the makeshift stage addressing my pack, and hiding my true feelings behind a practiced smile, I scan the crowd for her and finally find what I'm looking for.

She's as beautiful as ever with her light brown hair that has golden tinges when she stands in the sun, her chocolate brown eyes that hold so much warmth and love. I let my true smile take over my face. Now I feel the pure joy I should have been feeling all along. All it took was the sight of her to make me feel whole.

While I soak in her presence, I notice something is off. Though she returned my smile, it was shaky and it seemed as if she were on the verge of tears. What could have caused that? Has something been going on with her in my absence?

Then my own words replay in my head, 'Chloe is my best friend...'

Shit! I didn't mean it to come across as if Siara has been replaced. I need to explain to her that she is still my best friend, even though she pulled away from me for reasons I still don't understand. She'll always be special to me.

I let my eyes drink in the rest of her. She looks amazing! My eyes travel from her legs, up her thighs, past her waist and stop at her shoulders when I realize something is not right.

There's a hand there.

A male hand, connected to a blond haired, blue eyed, surfer looking dude who is about my height if not a couple inches shorter.

Every muscle in my body coils like a spring.

Why is he touching her? I never let anyone get that close to her before, just because I've been gone, doesn't mean someone can just step in and man handle her.

Then a sudden thought steals the breath from my lungs.

Is he her mate? Is that why she started to pull away from me so many months ago?

The pit of loneliness within me deepens. I've always held a deep hope that she was my mate, but when she didn't recognize me as hers after her eighteenth birthday, I gave up hope of that ever happening. It's strange that it has taken her just as long as I to find a mate, and I still haven't found mine.

That's why I'm with Chloe. The only explanation I could come up with for not meeting my mate yet is that she must have died. It saddens me to think that, but I don't know what else it could be.

A tiny voice did warn me in my head, that if she is still alive, she will die when I mark Chloe. I hope I'm making the right decision.

Turning my attention from my thoughts back to the male wolf currently holding onto my best friend, my wolf surges to the fore front with a possessiveness I have never felt before.

What is happening to me and why is my wolf behaving this way? As I enter into an intimidating stare down with the male next to Siara, Chloe's voice penetrates my anger. "Honey, are you all right? You tensed up all of a sudden."

Pushing my wolf to the back of my mind, I take a deep breath before putting a smile back on my face and turning to face her. "I'm fine. Just getting used to being back."

"Are you sure?"

Allowing myself one last look toward Siara, I find her making her way out of the crowd without even sending a hello my way. That stings worse than it should. I pictured our reunion so very different in my head. It didn't feel so distant and she sure didn't leave before we even got to say hello to one another.

Realizing Chloe asked something of me I have to wonder. Am I sure that I'm alright? No, but I can't tell Chloe that. I'm saved from having to answer when the first wave of pack members wanting to welcome and congratulate us approach. So many faces I haven't seen in so long, yet none are the one I really want welcoming me back.

Siara may have gotten away now, but I will be catching up to her later. We have a lot to talk about, first thing being an explanation as to why she cut off communication with me so suddenly. If that blonde idiot is the reason, I plan to set him straight.

Then I have to bring my two girls together. I hope they get along because I don't want to have to choose between them.

I knew who I would choose if I have to.

And it isn't the she wolf currently wearing my engagement ring.