Chapter 103

**NOAH**

I left Amelia back with her parents and children. In the meantime, I went to check on Zack, as this has clearly stirred up some things in him and I can't blame him.

As I thought, he is alone behind the pack house, leaning against a tree and his body is rigid.

I walk over and stop next to him, my hands in my pockets.

"This is a shitty situation." He says to me without looking at me. "Do you really believe that?"

I don't need him to elaborate to know who and what he is talking about. "I think we should talk to Aaron to get as much information as possible but..." I growl in frustration. "If not him then who?"

"It would be so much easier if it was him." He says softly.

"I know it hurt you what they said but they didn't mean any harm."

"I know they didn't. My anger wasn't directed at them." He tells me then looks ahead silently.

**AMELIA**

I feel relieved to be back home but since I came back I can't be 100% present with my family.

I got confirmation from the pack doctor that the baby and I are fine and that there is no trace of the product I was injected with. This was quite reassuring to Noah, who didn't trust the doctor I saw at Josh's pack.

While my parents are in the living room with the kids, Sophia pulled me outside to talk alone. She apologized for telling Noah I was pregnant but I reassured him because I understand why she told him and of course she was right to tell him.

"I talked a little bit with dad and Alice. They confirmed my suspicions about Tom."

"Did he find his mate?"

"Yes and you'll never guess what happened next. He's a man. He bumped into him when he wanted to come and pay us a surprise visit but then he turned around. Dad sensed right away that there was something wrong with him and after several days he finally told him."

"But do we know who it is?" I ask her curiously.

"He wouldn't say anything. He said it was complicated." She answers with a shrug. "He didn't reject it but they didn't complete the mating process."

"Wow. I didn't expect that."

"I'm really wondering who that is and the more I think about it the more I'm thinking it's someone who is in Josh's pack."

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Well obviously he met him in the area and he said it was complicated and not just because he was a guy." She sighs. "I mean I'm saying that but I don't know."

We decide to meet the kids inside. For once, I get hugs from my parents. No sooner do they arrive and I'm kidnapped, poor things.

The rest of the day went by as normally as possible and after a nice family meal we were alone, my parents, Noah and I.

"So are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?" My dad suddenly says to us.

Noah sighs as he sits down with a cup of coffee in his hands. "We don't know who is behind Amelia's assault. Everything seems to point to the fact that what Josh said is true and that he had nothing to do with it."

"All right." My mother says visibly relieved.

I look at her with a raised eyebrow. "What? He was your friend. You too must have been relieved to know that he had nothing to do with this."

I nod but don't fully believe her. She's hiding something from me.

"I trust both of your judgment." Dad says to us. "We wanted to tell you something. That's why we planned our visit. We wanted to talk to you about it first before we broached the subject with Sophia and Tom." He takes Mom's hand in his and they look at each other full of love. "Amelia, I think your mom is my second chance mate. I have always felt something strong for her and we decided to mate."

I open my mouth but nothing comes out. Just because he's in love with her doesn't mean he has to make an excuse that she's his second chance mate. No one really knows if this is something that exists.

Everyone is looking at me, waiting for my reaction. "Congratulations to both of you. As long as you're happy, I'm happy too." I tell them sincerely and give them a hug.

****

Noah and I lie in bed and I recall Dad's words.

"What do you know about second chance mates?" I ask Noah.

He turns on his side to look at me. "Not much. My mom had told me that some people have two mates instead of one. Some met them after their first one died and some during, and it would even have some meet the second one before the first." He pauses. "The bond would be, a priori, less strong and if one of the two is already mated, he might not feel it."

"Wow you talk about a thing."

He sighs. "Honestly, I don't know anyone that this has happened to so I don't even know if it's true. My mom believed in it but I'm not even sure she met any herself."

"Do you think my parents could be?"

"I think your parents are madly in love with each other and have been since they were teenagers. Whether they are second chance mates or not doesn't change anything. David doesn't have a mate anymore, so he can mate."

"Can you imagine if a second chance mate came between an already mated couple?"

"I'd rather not. If a guy showed up as your second chance mate, I'd rip his head off." He says to me with a growl.

"Same here."

He pulls me closer to him and I snuggle into his arms, my face buried in the crook of his neck.