The Alpha King's Second Chance

JASPER

I knew Freya’s sneaky little friend was no good. When my mate left us alone in the hallway, Penelope planted a kiss on me before I could walk away. I pushed her back and said, “Don’t ever try that again,” but I had no idea she would tell her parents.

Now I turn toward Penelope, who is smiling smugly, and her parents, who look relieved that Freya left. At least my mate’s brothers are no longer trying to threaten me; every wolf knows no one can go against the Moon Goddess.

The Moon Goddess paired me with a beautiful woman, and no one in this kingdom will take her away from me. I just feel bad about the hurt and anger I unintentionally caused her. I’ll have to explain what really happened, but first—

“Your daughter is a liar,” I tell Penelope’s parents. “I never kissed her. She tried to kiss me, but I pushed her away. I would never choose your daughter over my woman.” I wanted to say mate, but the king told me that no one knows his children are werewolves.

Penelope’s parents turn toward her, and she drops her head.

I focus my attention back on King Oscar. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go to Freya.”

Before I can leave, he says, “You’re not excused. She wants to be alone, and she will be alone for the rest of tonight. You can try your luck tomorrow.”

The king points to a seat next to his, and I obligingly sit down.

***

The rest of the dinner is awkward. First, I called Freya a maid this morning after I received misinformation from my guard; then her brothers thought I was a cheater, so I had to call out Penelope for lying. I’m not making a good first impression on the king or his kingdom.

I have to figure out a way to fix things.

Once I’m in my room, I call my brother. He answers on the first ring. “Tough first day, huh?”

I’m sure one of the guards already told Ezra about everything that happened today. “What did you hear?” I ask.

He chuckles. “It’s best I hear it from you, don’t you think?”

I settle on the bed and tell him, thinking about how I’ve never had to fight this hard for a woman. They usually beg to have sex with me, but my mate acts like she doesn’t want me to touch her. It’s like she doesn’t even feel the mate bond, though I know she does from the way she shivers when I’m near.

“Sounds like your mouth and actions got you in trouble,” Ezra says, laughing. “Your mate is not one of your usual conquests.”

We talk some more, and then my brother reminds me that I can’t come home without Freya. I know he just wants one of us to be happy, but I was fine without a mate, and now it feels like an awful amount of work to keep the one I found.

FREYA

Hours after my dad left, I’m startled awake by the weight of a muscular arm around my waist. I try to push Jasper’s arm away, but he pulls me closer.

Feeling the outline of his six-pack, I freeze. He’s not wearing a shirt. I shiver, though his skin is warm.

“Stop moving, Freya,” Jasper mumbles.

“What are you doing in here?” I demand.

The prince buries his head in my neck and takes a long sniff. He rumbles in pleasure, then says, “I couldn’t sleep knowing you were mad at me. I came in here to talk, but seeing you asleep made me want to lie down too.”

He pauses. “I’m sorry. I didn’t kiss your friend—she kissed me. I know how bad that sounds, but it’s true. When you left us to talk, I tried to walk away, but she tried to kiss me. I pushed her back and told her to never do that again. She’s not your friend.”

How can he tell me who is and isn’t my friend when he doesn’t even know me?

“You’re not supposed to be in here,” I say. “It’s not ladylike for me to have you in my bed…naked.”

Jasper laughs and tightens his arm around me. “I’m not naked. I have boxers on. Are you naked?”

I blush, realizing his hand is on my bare stomach, and am glad the room is dark so he doesn’t see. I look down and see that my shirt has risen and that I’m wearing shorts. Miss Greta must have come in and changed my clothes when I went to sleep.

“Are you checking yourself to make sure you’re not naked?”

If I weren’t so mad at Jasper, then his laugh would be one of the things I liked about him. I have to remind myself that he only wants me because of my title.

Despite my unease, I doze off again and am only awoken by a shriek coming from my open door. When I open my eyes, Miss Greta is staring at me with her hand over her mouth, and I realize that I’m lying on a hard body. I lift my head to see Jasper smiling at me.

“You sure move fast,” he teases.

I quickly jump up off him and the bed. “You must have pulled me on top of you,” I state.

Shaking his head, Jasper sits up, making his full body come into view. I almost faint. The prince has no chest hair, and his boxers hang low on his hips. His thighs are as built as his abs, and his whole body is as tan as his face. His blond hair doesn’t even seem out of place, even though we just woke up.

How can a man possibly look this good waking up?

If we didn’t start off on the wrong foot, I would be excited to call him mine.

I was so engrossed with staring at his body that I forget about Miss Greta. That I don’t notice when she leaves. It’s not until I hear a scoff that I turn away from him.

Penelope is now in my doorway, tears in her eyes. “How could you?” she asks me before running away.

I turn back to Jasper, who gives me a smirk. “Do you like what you see, Freya?” he asks in a husky tone, a tent starting to pitch in his boxers.

“No,” I say. “No, you put that thing away, Jasper. I am not sleeping with you.”

Jasper just looks me up and down, his eyes heated. Following his gaze, I realize that I’m wearing a white tank top with no bra.

I quickly put my arms across my chest, and Jasper chuckles. He throws the covers off his legs and stalks toward me. “You might not sleep with me right now, but you will soon, Freya,” he whispers in my ear.

I shiver from the heat of his breath on my ear. Grinning, he picks up his clothes and puts them back on before leaving my room.

I can’t help smiling a little either.

Lupa is on cloud nine knowing our mate slept with us. “Do you think his wolf is as sexy as he is?” she asks once he’s gone.

I’m surprised. “Even after last night, you still haven’t connected with his wolf?”

The question makes her go silent again.