The Headmaster Alpha's Mate
The Headmaster Alpha’s Mate Chapter 68

Andrew Keto sat in his office looking out of the small square window at his patient. He knew the pain that Caroline was feeling was a physical representation of the hurt she had experienced, the trauma from the rejection, finding out her mate had betrayed all of them. It was easier to treat a broken bone than a broken heart, and if the omega had lost her will to live, it would not take long before her body and wolf would give up on her. He was grateful she had pups, that they might help heal her broken heart, give her something to live for, but many times when a mate was rejected after a long happy life together, the consequences were that the rejected mate started slipping away from reality, and death would soon follow.

The only positive that came out of this situation was he would finally meet Cheryl, the woman he had glanced at, yet deliberately stayed away from, despite the pleas of his wolf. He knew he was her second chance mate, had done for weeks, but the woman had gone through so much of her own trauma, he wanted her to heal, to become stronger and know her own worth before allowing the mate bond to take hold. Keeping his distance was hell, when everytime he saw the beautiful woman he wanted nothing more than to run towards her and gather her into his arms, then k**s away the pain of everything she had to endure, but that was not what she needed, not yet.

Andrew had watched from a distance, seeing the downtrodden woman blossom. She had a kind heart, a desire to help those in need, and went out of her way to be there for those who were suffering. A soft smile formed on his lips as he thought of Cheryl, how strong she was, how, despite the circumstances of her life, she had come out fighting, determined not to let what her despicable husband and that poor excuse for her first mate had done to her, dictate the path she would take. A sense of pride swelled in his chest, that when life had given his mate lemons, she really had made lemonade, using her own experiences to help those who faced difficult circumstances rather than wallow in self-pity and despair.

Although he knew he was making the right decision to keep a safe distance, because that was what she needed at this time, it did not stop the desire that pulsed through his body, nor did it stop the dreams of him caressing her soft skin, linking his hand with hers as he made gentle and passionate love to her. But now, with war fast approaching, and living in a time of uncertainty, he wanted to move forward, to claim his mate, so that he might help protect her. He was not going to go all ‘Wolf’ on her growling and shouting ‘Mine’ or ‘Mate’ to stake his claim over her. He was going to take it slow, and let her accept the attraction, at her own pace, so that she knew his feelings were real, give her time to know him, and trust that he was never going to treat her as those others had. As far as Andrew was concerned, his mate was worth the wait, even if his wolf, Jason, was chomping at the bit to be forever by her side.

His thoughts were disturbed by a knock at the door, the smell of freshly baked bread filled his nostrils even before he opened it. The smell drove him crazy, it smelt like home, she was his home. A bubble of excitement rose in his stomach as he breathed deeply before walking to his office door and answering.

Cheyl stood, looking at the handsome doctor who stood in the doorway. He really was the best looking man she had ever seen. She had once believed that to be Oli, but now she knew that was untrue, because this doctor outshone him in every way possible. She had noticed him around the pack, but was determined not to allow his good looks and strong muscular frame to turn her head. She had been there and done that, and had the emotional and a few physical scars to prove it. Plus, he had never shown any kind of particular interest in her, so the physical attraction was just that, purely physical on her part.

Cheryl had gone out of her way to avoid the sexy doctor, not wanting to allow her mind to wander to possibilities that would never come to pass. Add to that, her distrust of most men now, she decided it was better to avoid any man she felt an attraction to, even if her dreams had been filled with how his body would feel against hers.

Andrew smiled warmly at Cheryl as she stood in his doorway.

“Hey, thank you for coming Cheryl.” He welcomed her, trying to ignore the fast-pace beating of his heart.

“Hi, Josh asked for me to come, he has told me about poor Caroline, so I am here to help. If I can.” Cheryl smiled up at the handsome face, as her stomach did little flips and she was filled with nervous excitement from finally talking to the man who, if she gave in to it, she would be crushing on as if she were a teenage girl.

“Well come in and take a seat.” Andew bid her into his domain with his hand.

“Thank you.” Was all Cheryl could say in response, as she sat down on the chair opposite the doctor’s table, trying not to stare at the Greek God in front of her in a white doctor’s coat and stethoscope round his neck, who looked at her with forest green eyes that were filled with kindness, and made her want to just jump into his arms and melt into a puddle.

Clearing his throat, Andrew sat in his leather work chair, then moved around the files on his desk, to give himself time to calm his wolf and his racing heart. Being so close to Cheryl was heavenly, and he had to remember his resolve to take things slowly, very slowly.

“Caroline is stable at the moment, I have her under sedation till the physical pain of the rejection passes. That is the easy part. After years of being mated and having pups, the difficult thing is her emotional wellbeing. Although things like this are rare in our world, it does happen, and I have to be honest, it almost always ends with the rejected mate succumbing to the emotional trauma. However, Caroline has pups, so this may help with her ‘will to live’. I have heard of your work with wolves who have been mistreated, abused or rejected, and I have to tell you, I am seriously impressed with what you have achieved.” Andrew smiled at his mate, as her cheeks flushed pink, causing his length to harden. He knew he should look away from those expressive brown eyes, but he could not bring himself to break away from her intense gaze.

“Thank you Doctor Keto.” Cheyl managed to say, her mouth dry as she felt an unbelievable pull towards him, her heart began to race, her stomach flipped, she had not felt this since the first time she saw Oli, twenty years ago. Cheryl’s eyes widened, as the thought that he could be a second-chance mate floated into her mind. She tried not to dwell on it. After all, she had never heard of a human having a second chance mate, that blessing was reserved for werewolves. She pushed the thought from her head, admonishing herself for even thinking about it.

“Please Cheryl, call me Andrew.”

Cheryl gulped and nodded. The mention of his name caused her to feel aroused. She clenched her thighs together, in a bid to conceal what her body was doing from him, knowing only too well that the wolf before her would smell her arousal. Why was she behaving like that? She needed to get a grip of her emotions before she embarrassed herself any further.

Andrew closed his eyes, he could smell how aroused his mate was because she could feel the attraction. He wondered if she had worked it out, if she realised he was her second chance at happiness, that they had been paired together for eternity. Opening his eyes, he looked at Cheryl’s flushed face, her brow furrowed as if in confusion, but her eyes never left his, not for one second.

Clearing his throat to break the spell, so that he could allow his mate to gather herself, Andrew pulled a file from his desk that was filled with notes and information on how to help a werewolf in Caroline’s position, and passed it over to her. His fingers grazed against Cheryl’s and intense sparks ran through his body, a soft g***n escaped his lips, as Cheryl looked at him and gasped.

Blinking, she looked at the doctor, there had been no mistake, she had felt it, the spark that made her body feel like a million pleasurable fireworks were exploding all over her skin. Her core became instantly drenched with her arousal. The sound of Andrew’s g***n filled her heart with happiness, but still the question remained: was this possible? Or was she just a lonely woman who, despite her claims of being happy on her own, was actually in need of a relationship, even if she would deny that to the outside world. Surely, if he was a second chance mate, his wolf would be screaming ‘Mine’ at her, yet it remained silent.

“Cheryl”, Andrew breathed as he watched the inward battle his mate was experiencing.

Cheryl’s eyes widened, the sound of her name on his lips doing indescribable things to her body, crossing her legs to try and regain some control over what was happening to her. She looked at Andrew’s face, studying him, trying to work out if he was feeling this intense moment as much as she was, or if she was alone in the pleasurable torment.

Andrew saw the confused look, the embarrassment, the questions in her eyes, but as he searched for what lay beneath them, what he did not see was fear, or panic. She seemed almost peaceful, and resolved, so he took a deep breath for courage. It was their time.

“Cheryl, I have known for sometime, you are mine.” his voice was soft, so as not to scare her.

Cheryl gulped, then tilted her head downwards.

“I am gathering you did not want me, and so need to reject me.” Cheryl sighed bracing herself for the pain that would now follow.

“No Cheryl, I do want you, ever since I first saw you, you have consumed my every thought and desire. I only wanted to give you time to heal, you have been through so much, I did not want to add to your burdens.” Andrew said whilst standing up, he strode around the desk and placed his arms around his mate, holding her to his chest.

Cheryl let out a breath, as a tear fell down her cheek.

“We will take our time Cheryl, I know this is a shock for you. I will wait for you, I will prove to you I am not going to hurt you in any way, shape, or form. I want to get to know you, and for you to get to know me, and only then, when you feel completely safe will we move forward.” Andrew whispered softly into her ear, his fingers stroking the small of her back.

Cheryl looked up at him, happiness began to radiate through her, as her mind caught up with her body. He was hers, he wanted her, and he was willing to take his time so that he could prove himself worthy to her.

“Thank you.” Cheryl whispered.

“No Cheryl, Thank you, because you complete me.”

Andrew tilted his face down to hers, as his lips began to seek out his mates. They were mere millimeters from each other, the minty breath of Andrew consuming Cheryl, as she held her breath anticipating the k**s, wanting to feel his lips on hers. Excitment bubbled up inside her, she had found a renewed hope, a sense that she was worthy of love washed over her, as she waited for the k**s.

A loud sob broke them apart, as they looked through the square window, to see Caroline shaking and sobbing once more as she awoke from her sedation.

“Later mate.” Andrew whispered huskily, as they both went to tend to the heartbroken Caroline.