Chapter 2: When Second Chances Don't Exist

Ava's POV

I jerked away from Blake, the moment shattered. "Damn. I have to go."

His hands lingered on my waist before dropping reluctantly. Something flickered in those storm-gray eyes—disappointment, maybe frustration.

"Walk out that door, and this moment ends." No question, no plea. Pure Alpha statement of fact.

My wolf actually whimpered, clawing to stay. The human part of me—the part that remembered every sacrifice my adoptive parents made—knew better.

"This is your only chance." His voice went deeper, rumbling through my chest.

One chance. That was Blake Morgan's notorious rule. The Alpha King never chased, never begged, never offered second helpings. Hell, women practically lined up for their single shot at him.

"I get it." I stepped back, each inch between us physically painful. "But my dad needs me."

Just like that, his face shut down. The man who'd kissed me vanished, replaced by the impenetrable mask of the Alpha King. "Then I wish you luck."

I bolted before my wolf could convince me to stay, the taste of him still on my lips.

I practically kicked our front door off its hinges twenty minutes later. Mom's scent led me straight to the kitchen. Our house—once the proud home of respected Delta William Rivers—now screamed neglect from every creaky floorboard.

Mom hunched at the kitchen table, gripping a mug of cold tea, her shoulders quivering.

"Mom?" My voice cracked. "What the hell happened?"

She looked up with puffy, red-rimmed eyes. "Shadow Creek guards took him. Right from his office."

"On what grounds?" My claws slid out before I could stop them.

"Treason." The word hung between us like poison. "They're saying he betrayed our Alpha. Got him killed in that border clash last month."

My claws dug into the counter. "That's bullshit! Dad worshipped Alpha Carter! Where's the evidence? The trial?"

Mom's laugh was hollow. "Evidence? Trials?" She shook her head. "The Council just needs someone to blame. Your father was convenient."

I paced the kitchen, my wolf thrashing beneath my skin. "This can't be happening."

"Unless someone with rank uses the Blood Protection Right..." Her voice trailed off. "His execution is set for the next full moon."

Blood Protection Right. Our world's version of a get-out-of-jail-free card. Only problem? You needed influence to use it. Something our family no longer had.

My phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and nearly chucked it across the room.

Jackson.

I hovered my thumb over "decline," then hesitated. If that asshole could help Dad...

"What?" I snapped, accepting the call.

"Heard about William." His voice oozed fake concern. "I might have a solution. But not over the phone. Come outside."

My wolf snarled, but I swallowed my pride. "Fine."

I squeezed Mom's shoulder. "I'll fix this. Somehow."

Jackson lounged against his shiny black SUV in our driveway, looking like a goddamn cologne ad. My stomach knotted. His scent hit me—expensive aftershave masking calculated ambition. Nothing like Blake's raw thunderstorm-and-pine smell that had my wolf drooling.

The mate-mark on my neck pulsed, a constant reminder of Jackson's betrayal. Two years of promises. Two years of "you're my everything" and "we're meant to be." Then he traded me for a power play faster than most people change socks.

I stopped ten feet away, arms crossed. "What do you want?"

"Your father's in trouble." He stated the obvious, examining his manicured nails.

"No shit. Why are you here?"

Jackson's practiced smile appeared—the one that used to make my knees weak. I looked away, focusing on a crack in the driveway.

"I can help." He pushed off the car. "As future Alpha of Shadow Creek, I have the authority to use the Blood Protection Right. I could save William from execution."

I snapped my gaze back to his. He looked so damn pleased with himself.

"And what would that cost us?" The bitter taste of suspicion filled my mouth.

His smile widened into something predatory. "Just one small condition."

I waited, jaw clenched.

"After I marry Sophia, you become my secret lover." He said it like he was offering me a job promotion.

I actually laughed. "Excuse me?"

"I've already set up a place for us." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a seductive murmur. "Private. Comfortable. I'll take care of everything—your father's pardon, your needs, all of it."

The Alpha King could silence a room with a look. Jackson needed this pathetic bargain to flex his so-called power.

"You're seriously asking me to be your side piece while you play happy family with Sophia?" My voice wavered despite my best efforts.

He moved closer, and my body betrayed me with an involuntary shiver. The bond forcing a response even while my mind screamed in revolt.

"We were magic together, Ava." His fingers brushed my neck. "Even after I mark Sophia, we'll have this connection. Your father lives. You get taken care of. Win-win."

I jerked away, breaking through the invisible hold. "Screw. You."

His eyes flashed amber. "Think about what you're turning down. I'm offering your father's life."

"I'll find another way." I backed toward the house. "Now get off our property."

"You'll change your mind." He smirked, walking backwards to his car. "Meanwhile, Daddy's execution clock keeps ticking."

"We don't need you!" I shouted, my fists clenched so tight my palms bled.

He paused with his hand on the car door. "To save him, you need the Alpha King's direct intervention. Nobody but me has access to Blake Morgan. Nobody risks their neck for a traitor."

His smile turned cruel before he slid into his car and peeled out, leaving me choking on exhaust and rage.

I waited until his taillights disappeared before I crumpled. My knees hit the gravel and a sob ripped through me, raw and ugly.

Jackson wasn't wrong about one thing—only the Alpha King could override a treason charge. But I'd rather eat glass than become Jackson's dirty secret.

My wolf thrashed beneath my skin. I touched the side of my neck, remembering Blake's fingers there—how his touch had calmed something wild inside me.

I needed to see him again. Even if the he never offered second chances.

The next morning, Warrior Academy buzzed with the usual chaos of werewolf students.

"Holy shit, you look wrecked." Ella, my best friend, dropped her backpack next to me under our usual oak tree.

I flipped open my tactical manual, pretending to care about flanking maneuvers. "Thanks. Just what every girl wants to hear."

She nudged my boot with hers. "Seriously, what happened? One minute you were at Moonlight Lodge, the next—poof. Ghost mode."

I chewed my lip. Lying to Ella was pointless. The girl could sniff out my bullshit faster than a bloodhound on cocaine.

"Almost wolfed out in the ballroom." I kept my eyes on the book. "Someone helped me get it under control."

"Someone?" She snatched my manual away. "Spill it. Your ears are turning red."

I sighed, meeting her eyes. "Blake Morgan."

Her jaw actually dropped. "The Alpha King took you... where exactly?"

"His suite," I mumbled.

Ella's eyebrows shot up. "And?"

"And nothing," I lied.

She grabbed my arm, fingers digging in. "Ava Rivers, your heart rate just spiked. What. Happened?"

I cracked. "We might have kissed. A little."

"A little?" She whisper-screamed. "There's no 'little' kissing with the Alpha King! That's like saying you were 'a little' on fire!"

I smacked her arm. "Keep your voice down! It was just—"

"Just what? Earth-shattering? Life-altering? Panty-melting?"

Despite everything, I laughed. "All of the above? But it doesn't matter now. I need to see him again."

Her smile vanished. "But everyone says he never—"

"I know." I cut her off, determination settling in my chest. "But my dad's life depends on it."