Page 11 of A Chance at Redemption for the Alpha

Dad swallows. “I… I can’t force anyone to accept a mate against their will,” he admits quietly. He looks at Olive. “What do you want?”

Olive has tears in her eyes. “I feel the bond,” she says sadly. “But I, I love Eugene. This is so messed up. Why did the goddess do this?”

For once, a sentiment I can agree with.

“May I say something, Alpha?” Floyd asks.

“Please do so,” Dad encourages him. “Right now, any ideas are welcome.”

“I would allow the three of them to take a couple of days at least,” Floyd suggests. “To just think things through and to come to terms with what is happening. This is a lot, and even I, as an experienced wolf, wouldn’t know what to do. Deciding things on a whim has never ended well.”

“I agree,” Mom says.

“What do you boys think?” Dad asks us.

“I have no better idea,” I concede.

“I agree, too,” Eugene says. “Olive and I will stay away from each other for that time.”

Olive looks heartbroken, but she nods her agreement as well.

I’ve known Olive since we were little children. She was always so cute, always had a smile on her lips. She was a little shy at first, and even back then, I tried everything to make her smile. If I’m being honest with myself, I liked her, just as my brother liked her. He was only the first to say it, and I didn’t have the heart to be honest with him. I decided to move on and be mature about it,instead of pining over a girl my brother liked, especially knowing she liked him in return.

I slept around for a bit, trying to distract myself with other girls, though none of them could match her and her charm. Then, Eugene and she got together for real, suddenly girlfriend and boyfriend, so much in love that he even said he would make her his chosen mate.

And fuck! Here I am, her fated mate. A part of me was happy for a moment to finally have a chance with the girl I had liked for so long, but that small part got crushed fast.

Eugene is more important to me than any mate could be.

But it’s one-sided. I chose him, but he didn’t choose me.

We haven’t talked since the showdown at our birthday party, and I haven’t told anyone about what happened, only Flo and Elliot, my closest and dearest friends. And even them I didn’t tell the whole story.

“Fuck!” I curse when I drop to the ground for the nth time during my training. Floyd isn’t even going hard on me, but my form is getting worse every day.

“Are you okay?” he asks me, worried.

“I’m just in a funk,” I confess.

“Marc -” Floyd starts.

“Don’t,” I beg him. “Just… don’t say anything.”

Floyd sighs. “How about we work on some strength exercises instead?” he offers.

I nod, ignoring the pain I feel in my chest. It’s getting stronger every day. I’m no expert, but I don’t think being away from my mate is doing my wolf any good. I also feel these aches occasionally, unsure where they are coming from. I just know that it’s sucking the strength out of my body.

How are you holding up, buddy?I ask Amos.

I am trying,he says.Sorry for not being stronger. It’s the strained mate bond that pulls me down.

What are we supposed to do?I ask him.

I want our mate!

I know,I say quietly.Me too, but I don’t think we can have her, Amos. We can’t force her to accept us as our mate.

He lets his head hang down.I know.