Chapter 3

Stephanie

I wiped my forehead off. I was sweating bullets while I worked in my garden. It was early spring as I started working on my vegetable garden. I had already taken care of all my herbs and all of my flowers out front. I added new flowers every year and this was the first year that Adaline was able to help. She was digging tiny holes and putting a couple of seeds in each as I had taught her.

A sudden earth shattering sound came from our main square. Church bells. How many times it rang is what the bells were letting us know. I stood there counting, a total of 16 times they rang.

It could only mean one thing. Our Alpha has passed away.

I shuddered remembering a small out break of another smaller pack trying to attack about a week ago. Word passed very quickly of our Alpha passing from the attack. I sighed knowing Jackson would be hurting. That also means Jackson would be coming to town or was already in town.

I stood in the garden wiping my face with my blue tank top flashing off my sports bra underneath when I heard a low whistle.

I jumped up only seeing Shawn, my kind-of boyfriend. He was there for me through my parents and whenever I felt Jackson betraying our mate bond.

"Shawneeee!!" Adaline squealed running to him.

"Hey Squirt!!" He laughed walked up to me. He draped his arm over my shoulders and kissed my forehead.

"Hey hun." I whispered.

"Want some help?" He asked us.

Adaline squealed with delight and ran off to get more seeds for Shawn. Shawn and I were extremely close. We have become so close we are talking in the direction of asking permission so we can be each others 2nd chance mates.

Shawn's mate died when they were 6. Car accident out in town, she was human but that doesn't make it anymore sad then it already is. We have to ask permission from the Alpha and Luna. Then the council.

I knew Jackson's parents would agree but now with Alpha dead we would have to wait until a new Alpha, meaning Jackson would come in to power. I turned to grab my basket full of bags of seeds when I saw a limo pass by us as they slammed on their brakes and came to a halt at the end of my property.

"Shawn. Take Adaline inside." I yelled nervously turning to Shawn. Shawn nodded and walked in to the house with a giggling Adaline.

~Jackson

The limo had come to pick me up at school. I was done for the semester and graduation was this weekend. But instead of celebrating I was now headed home to go to my Dads funeral.

I couldn't believe it. When the other pack attacked they told me not to come home, that my father was strong, and would be fine. At least now I would be able to see Stephanie. My parents banned me from seeing her the first time when I went home after I came to college.

It was my first Christmas in college and I wanted to come home to just hold her and tell her I was so sorry about my parents.

My wolf barely spoke to me because he was so angry. I caught her scent a couple of times that vacation and I would shift only to be stopped by guards or my parents. I hated them for it. They knew we were mates and they knew we had already completed the mating process. They just didn't care, and they definitely didn't like Stephanie.

We passed by the packs gates and I sighed. Nothing had changed at all, that's when I heard the bells. 16 bells would ring in the news that my father had passed away.

Yeah, sure I felt bad but my Dad and I were never close. He was never an attentive father and never really cared enough to be there for my mom or I.

We drove through a few streets still on the outside of town when I recognized the neighborhood. Stephanie's parents lived near here with their gardens in every part of their yard. They had sunflowers lining the front of their property.

They were Stephanie's favorite flower. That's when I saw the house and I felt the wind shift and I could smell her again. She smelled like warm weather and wildflowers.

I yelled to my driver to slow down but that's when I saw a man standing next to her kissing her forehead. A little girl with blonde hair in his arms.

"STOP!" I yelled at my driver. I got out of the limo as I saw the man and little girl walking into the house. My eyes were focused on Stephanie.

My wolf howled seeing her knowing she was ours. Her hair was longer and her eyes were still as soft until I got closer. She looked so angry yet so beautiful.

I stopped in front of her and I could hear her heartbeat. It was erratic at best her eyes searching mine not knowing what to say to one another.

"Jackson....what are you doing here in my yard?" She cried softly.

Her voice shattered my heart. She was hurt...no, she was broken....this wasn't my Stephanie.

My Stephanie was full of life and everything was glass half empty. She was like a wildflower, going and being wherever she pleased. Her freckles stood out on her sun kissed cheeks as I grabbed her face and kissed her softly. She kissed back. Every firework went off in my mind. Electric bolts ran though my body as goosebumps replaced every inch of her skin.

After a moment she broke the kiss. I looked at her...her eyes were so sad and scared. That's when I felt the burn on my cheek.

She had slapped me.

"Jackson get off my property now. You are not welcome here after what you did to me." She barked angrily.

"No. Fuck that. My parents kept us apart." I shot back.

"Did your parents force you to fuck every floozy that you came across in college?" She screamed back.

"It didn't fucking stop you the first Christmas I was away. I was in pain all fucking day. Did he please you that well that you stayed in bed with him for over 24 hours?" I screamed back.

"I was in fucking labor you fucking son of a bitch!!" She screamed.

My entire body stiffened and I stared.

"Did you cheat on me?" I choke out.

She scoffed, "Cheat on you? I got pregnant the night you fucking claimed me and then left me. I told your parents. I called you. I pleaded through our bond for you to come back. And for what? Nothing. I got nothing. I'm alone Jackson. Fucking alone and it's all your damn fault."

She spun on her heels and turned around.

"Mommy?" A small voice asked to the side of us.

A small little girl with blonde ringlets and green eyes stared at me but questioned her mother.

"Adaline. Go back inside." Stephanie ordered her voice cracking.

The small girl stared at me for a moment then smiled and ran back into the house.

"You have a lot of explaining to do damnit. My house. 3pm." I ordered using my Alpha voice on her.

Her entire body winces and she turned to stare into my eyes.

"Yes Alpha." She spat out.

She hated the Alpha tone. She never listened to me when she was mine.

It was all going to change once she came over and explained herself.