Lila's POV
"So tell me. What exactly did you feel? If you have a wolf in you, I'll help you get it to wake up."
Cole was being so sweet and speaking so nicely to me that I just couldn't believe it. He genuinely wanted to know more about me and look for a way to help me.
I was being considered as a fucking Luna right now, and I couldn't believe it.
Besides being his mate, what did Cole see in me? What did he find so…. attractive in me that makes him not want to reject me?
"I don't know. The moment our eyes locked, I felt a little jittery feeling in my stomach, like a teenager with a crush, and I'm not going to lie, I can still feel it right now." I felt myself turning red as I spoke. "And I know that this might sound crazy, but I can swear I heard a voice that said 'mate' to me."
He looked at me like I was some strange, but interesting creature he had never seen before in his life. He looked at me like he appreciated me, and besides my parents, I'd never had anyone look at me like that ever before.
"That was your wolf. It must have woken up temporarily at the smell of its mate." He took my hand in his.
"But it didn't happen like that the last time I was mated, so I still don't get it."
He quickly dropped my hand like it was hot coal.
"You've been mated before? To whom? Why aren't you mated anymore? Are you still…"
"Um, I really can't answer all the questions at the same time." I cut him off.
I clamped my hand around my mouth when I realized that I had just interrupted a fucking Alpha.
He was being so nice to me that I was beginning to see him as just an ordinary person.
"It's okay." He laughed. "Now answer all the questions I've asked."
"Okay." I chuckled lightly. "I have been mated before. The night when…." I swallowed at the memory and realized I was now with the son of a man I absolutely hated.
"When….what?" Cole asked anxiously.
"When your father killed mine." I looked up to find shame and remorse written all over his face.
"I'm very sorry about that, Lila."
"No. You don't have to be. It was your father and not you." I took a deep breath and continued. "Anyway, before that happened, the Moon Goddess picked me for mating. I came forward, and my father's beta was chosen as my mate.
I didn't even know it was him until he said it. Apparently, he felt it and I didn't. I thought it was because my wolf hadn't reared up yet, but now, I guess I'm wrong."
"But for the Moon Goddess to choose you for me, you must not be mated. Right?" He asked as if scared that I was still mated.
"Right. Beta Jace rejected me as his mate. He didn't want to be with a werewolf that didn't have any wolf in them. He didn't want to be with The Alpha's Plague." I felt all hope drain from me as I said these words.
Surely, Cole would realize that he was wasting all his time and energy on me, and he would change his mind.
"So you're not mated anymore?" He tilted my chin up with his finger.
"No. I'm not."
"I have another question to ask you," he scratched his head as he looked up at me, "and it might seem weird but I really want to know."
I laughed at how shy he seemed. "Go on. Ask whatever you want to ask."
"No one waits to be mated anymore before performing the mating rights. Have you performed it before?"
I scoffed a laugh as I looked up at him. "Are you trying to ask me if I've had sex before?"
"Yeah." He laughed nervously as he looked up at me.
"No, I've not. Not because I wanted to exactly save myself, but because no one wanted me…. I guess. Have you?"
"Yes, I have." He turned red as he said it, but I really didn't mind that he had done it. "And I know that this is going to sound a bit selfish seeing as I've already done it, but I'm glad you haven't done it with anyone."
I laughed at what he had said, expecting something to happen now, but he just got up from the couch and brushed his hand over his pants.
"Okay. That's all I called you for. You can go now. Get ready, though, because I'll be heading back to my pack in a few days, and I'll be taking my Luna with me." He leaned on the wall and flashed me the cockiest, most charming smile I had ever seen.
I nodded and left, hoping that I didn't have a heart attack on my way back. My heart pounded like crazy as I ran all the way back to my room.
I was confused and had no idea what to do or how to do it. Had the Moon Goddess given me a second chance mate? And she had made the second chance mate a lot better than the first one.
What did I do to please her to make her treat me this way?
I had a beta the first time, she gave me an Alpha this time. She gave me a good-looking man the first time, but now she gave me a heartachingly handsome one this time. And a freaking billionaire.
I fell onto my bed as tears poured from my eyes. I really didn't expect this. I had completely given up on my mate just to be surprised by this.
"Thank you so much, Moon Goddess. Thank you so so much. And I promise that I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep this one, seeing as he loves and wants me even without my wolf. Thank you so much."