Chapter 192

Michael POV

Cedric and I have just finished a sparring session where he basically kicked my ass. I'm glad to see his improvements, at least for his sake. He's quieter than usual though and it has me wondering what's been going on with him. "Haven't seen you much," I say, "aside from here."

"MMM, Hmmm," he replies as he takes off his hand wraps and tosses them into his bag.

"Are you enjoying your time here in our pack? It's almost time for you to go back to work, isn't it?" I ask.

"Yeah," he says and then sighs. "I can't say that I am looking forward to it, to be perfectly honest. Georgia is growing on me."

"Georgia, huh?" I ask. "Do you want to talk about it?" I finally ask when he stays quiet.

Cedric stands and looks at me, his head cocked to one side. "Not sure." I shrug and start to pick up the room so I can go home myself.

"Would it be odd," he begins. I look over at him and wait for him to continue. He clears his throat and begins again. "What if I wanted to run in the mating run tomorrow night," he says. "I mean you never know right? I could have a second chance mate, maybe," he seems unsure, even scared of that prospect.

"You could," I reply. "I don't think you are any less deserving than anyone else Cedric. Is there someone in particular you are referring too?" I ask, even though I know it's our very own doctor. Rumor is, they have been spending a lot of time together. They have dinner together every night. Sometimes at the pack house and sometimes at Connie's. I watched with amusement when two days ago, Stephanie approached Cedric, basically throwing herself at him. He gave her a disgusted look and started to walk away. She followed him and when she wouldn't leave him alone, he finally turned towards her and lit into her.

"Stephanie, right?" he asked. She nodded and bit her lip, trying to be flirtatious. "Look," he'd said. "You're a beautiful girl, but you give off huge desperation vibes and that is not attractive. Not to me, not to anyone. If you haven't found your mate here, they are out there somewhere, I'm sure. You can't just throw yourself at every eligible man there is, and maybe I'm being cruel, but you have to stop it. Do not come near me again, do you understand?" he'd bit out. She looked a little shocked and then hurt. She hadn't answered and he'd stared at her for a moment before turning on his heel to walk away. She yelled at him to wait, and he stopped and looked at her, which is more than I would have given.

"What if you are my mate?" she'd asked.

"You're not," he bit out. "My mate is dead, and I'd know if I had any sort of connection to you, and I don't. Leave me the fuck alone." He ended with that and then stomped out of the dining hall, muttering under his breath.

Cedric gave me a bemused look. "Come on, Michael, you know exactly who I spend time with here."

"Fair enough, "I say. "What does Constance say?"

"She says she will do it if I want too," He answers. "She said she has never done it before and previously, she had no interest in doing it."

"Well then it sounds like you and her might have something there," I answer.

"I don't want her to feel any pressure," he answers. "I didn't think I'd ever find anyone or even want to, after what happened before."

"Does she know?" I ask. "About what happened, I mean."

"She does. We have shared a lot," he answers.

"Sounds like good starting grounds then," I answer. "I think if you both want to do it then you should. What happens though if you two are not mates? What if it turns out someone else here is your mate or hers for that matter?"

Cedric looks skeptical, "I don't think so," he says. "I have zero connection to anyone else. You saw our first meeting. It felt surreal, and I can't get past that feeling of wanting to spend every minute with her when I'm not busy with other things," he answers.

"What happens then with you going to apply for the King's Army?"

"I will change my plans," he replies. "What choice would I have? She already told me she would never leave the pack. Her life is here, her mother, her career. She's worked hard and I don't want to take that away from her."

"You have also worked hard," I remind him. "How much time is left in your contract?" I ask.

"Three months," he says, sighing.

"So let's say you do the run and you are mates, you still have to go back and complete that, at minimum. What would you do once the contract was up?" I ask.

"Come back here, be with Connnie," he answers.

"For work?" I ask.

Cedric shrugs. "I have a few ideas. I can work with Clint; I am good with horses. Or I could work for you, as a warrior," he answers. "If you would have me. I suppose you would have to trust me first," he throws out.

"You would also have to pledge your allegiance to the Alpha," I remind him. "Cut ties with your own Alpha. How do you feel about that?"

"I haven't gotten to that part yet, not in my head. It would break my mother's heart to think I wouldn't be moving back there, but you and I both know how the mate bond works. If Connie is it for me, then this is where my wolf will want to be. I'd go crazy otherwise. It nearly killed me when my first mate was murdered. I still feel hollow at times, and my wolf has some anger issues. It's good I'm strong and can control his emotions most of the time," Cedric says. "I also think that though she'd be sad, my mother would also be happy for me."

"It sounds to me like you just need to do the run and see what happens. Make your plans after you know what is actually in play here. It's hard to plan for a what if scenario," I tell him.

"That's true."

Cedric stands there and doesn't say anything for a full minute. "On another topic," he says.

"Yeah?"

"Peter," he says. "He asked me to help him apply for the Royal Army. I don't want to overstep, but he's pretty serious."

"I know," I reply. "My father thinks it's a good idea."

"He knows?" he asks.

"Yes, he told us that he knew. Peter has not said anything, though, at least not to me. If you are comfortable with it, help him. I think it's good for him to get away from here, he needs something that will make him proud of himself, as opposed to be the little brother that feels lost next to his older brothers," I say.

"If you're sure," Cedric says.

"As sure as you are about that mating run," I reply with a wink. I believe that Constance is his second chance at love, and it appears he does too. Tomorrow, we will know. Everyone will.