Page 34 of A Chance at Redemption for the Alpha

“Just that my wolf is still dormant,” I mutter.

“Give him time, Benj,” he says. “He needs to heal, just like you need to heal. But he is there and trying to push on. He will find his voice soon.”

We make our way back home, while I try to grasp what Marcellus just told me. He thinks I have it in me! Coming from such a strong alpha like him, this must mean something. I can finally prove myself worthy to the pack, and maybe even to my nameless mate.

The evening was pleasant enough, and my excitement about Marcellus’s approval made me forget about my mate for a while, but now that I’m in the confines of my room, it all comes crashing down on me.

She had such beautiful hair, shimmering in the sun, and the cutest dimples. I don’t care for her rank or where she comes from; she is just perfect. I swore to myself that if I ever got a second-chance mate, I’d make sure to prove myself worthy of her, no matter who she is. She could be human, and I wouldn’t care.

But how? She didn’t even tell me her name.

Something stirs in my mind, alerting me instantly.Buddy, is that you?

Since I have no name for him, I have stuck with Buddy, but as usual, he doesn’t reply. However, it feels like he tries to reach out to me.

I sit up in my bed, brushing my fingers through my hair. What am I going to do? How to reach out to my mate and convince her to give me a chance? Frankly, I don’t have anything to offer. I have no rank, and my name is tarnished. Everyone who hears my last name and knows what my father did turns their back on me. I have no likable traits and no personality that pulls people in. I am an alpha’s son, but I am meek and helpless, and just an overall loser.

And, apparently, all I can do is wallow in self-pity and mope around.

Fuck!

A sudden surge of pain goes through me, making me clasp my chest. It feels like someone has a tight grip on my heart and is squeezing it. A tremble goes through my body. What is this? Am I having a heart attack? Can a werewolf even have one?

I can’t finish my train of thought as another wave of pain hits me, making me stumble out of my bed. Fuck, what is this?

Buddy, help me!

Silence, of course.

It seems like the pain has its grip on my lungs now, squeezing them and making it almost impossible to breathe.

Water. I need something to drink.

Barely able to think straight, with my vision blurred, I stumble downstairs into the kitchen. It’s late at night, so fortunately, I am alone. I reach out, grabbing a glass from the cupboard, when the pain hits me again, worse than before.

My body doesn’t seem to listen to me anymore, as I curl over in pain, the glass in my hand dropping onto the ground and bursting into thousands of shards. I grip the kitchen counter,trying to breathe through the pain until I finally feel it subside, only a dull ache remaining.

My eyes fall upon the mess I just created. “Just my luck,” I mumble, kneeling down to pick up the shards.

Footsteps are approaching me, making me flinch. “Benjamin?” Marcellus calls out, rushing into the kitchen. “Are you alright? Did something happen?”

“I am fine,” I lie. “I apologize. I was thirsty and came to the kitchen. Well…”

“You don’t look fine,” Silas comments, eyeing me over. “You look awfully pale, again.”

“I felt dizzy,” I say tentatively. Maybe the half-truth will suffice.

It looks like Marcellus wants to say something, too, but then he furrows his brows, glancing about the kitchen. He turns to us, putting a finger on his lips. I am utterly confused as to what he’s picked up on, but Silas seems to understand, because he just smiles. Not just any smile, but his eerily threatening one.

“Does someone want an apple?” Silas asks.

“Yeah,” Marcellus says.

I try to play along and nod. “Yes, please.”

Silas takes a sharp kitchen knife and an apple, then peels it. He and Marcellus look at each other for a moment, and then, without me even realizing what’s going on, Silas tosses the knife across the room, sticking it into the doorframe. “Reveal yourself!” he snarls.

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