Once My Mate, Always My Mate
Chapter 2- Back For More

Sabrina’s POV

I will say, seeing Aiden again... His face, all the same, and the voiceflowing around the room. He was leaning on the door frame, lookingstraight at me, my eyes were doing the same as they never, not once,looked away from him. I may not want to admit it and I will never say itout loud just yet but I have missed him, had he been gone for a minuteit would still feel like he was gone forever. He was back just in time towatch me gift someone else what was once his and to make mattersworse, I had his mother imprisoned... once again risking the awakeningof his darkened soul that seeks to torture me...

However, Aiden’s eyes looked different. They made me feel differentand it felt like I was staring at a stranger but also, his features that werestill the same, told my mind otherwise... That he was still the same guythat left some time back in search of a purer form of self.

"Well, this just went left.” Josey blurts out. She looked between Aidenand me.

My family quickly gets over Aiden’s sudden appearance, forgetting thathe is standing right there and they start to berate me once again for mychoice to make Xander immortal. Anthony reminds me how I had Aidenact a whole fool and almost had the realm question the family... whichwe can't completely blame Aiden but a topic for another day.

My mother tells me how childish I can be, or how I rush intocommitment without thinking things through. I am still not sure if Ishould feel insulted or not... This is my mother and one mention of heractions could shut her up but I know, respect thy elders.

My father, on the one hand, does not argue like the rest of my familyminus Josey... No. He tells me that such a gift should only be gifted tothose that share the blood of his family... It is not something you canjust easily give away for it can be a heavy thing for many to carry. Life ismeant to end and even he is envious of those gifted the life ofmortality. A fleeting life with no script, giving you the chance to makesomething of yourself before it is taken from you. That is something wewould never get to experience as we watch our loved ones die and togive Xander such a burden, is to rob him of his true course in this life.For once, my father spoke from the heart. He made more sense thananyone in the room but how can I watch Xander grow old andeventually die while I stay the same for however long? One day, theimmortality will be stripped from me and gifted to the next moongoddess but until then, I am stuck as the one that cannot be killed.

"I agree with your father, Sabrina.” Xander drops the bomb that even Iwas afraid to accept and throw out. My heart would have never allowedme to just accept that even in his earthly strength, where he was thepredator and strongest compared to humans, his life was nothing if wehad to measure it to this world.

"You don't want to live longer? By my side?" I ask, trying to gathermyself and not to break down in this room with everyone around me,with Aiden in the room.

"I was never meant to have such a gift. It has never been mine so Idon't think I should have it. Drastos will grow up and eventually need itif he does not have it already since his father is like me, an earthlingand maybe you should save it for him. Your brother, Cj, is the only otherperson I'd say deserves it. He deserves to be king for a few thousandyears because the alphas in our generation and the one before us areevil and greedy. We need someone like him to keep us all in line and tohelp the werewolf race reach pinnacles we have never reached before.”Xander tries to explain but it all goes into one ear and out the next. All Ican think about is how in the world did I end up at such a crossroads?

I have one mate who abused the power and used it against me. A matewho wanted it so bad that I had to take it away and then I have achosen mate who wants nothing to do with it.

I watch the elders walk out of the room, not a word from them. Aidensteps out of the way to let them pass through the open door and hegoes back to leaning on the frame.

"Do I get a say in the matter?" Aiden asks and everyone else, besidesme because after the elders left, my eyes were fixed only on him... So Iwas already looking at him before he spoke.

"Firstly, I want to say, respect. I respect you, Xander for denying yourselfsuch power. Not many can freeze time but Sabrina can and the fact thatyou are putting others, a child that is not even yours before you, well..respect. Secondly, I think we should allow the man to decide for himselfwhat is good enough for him. Yes, it sucks that he has to die eventuallybut don't we all? His will be sudden but that is one of the joys of beingan earthling... The balance between life and death. Also, did you everconsider the ramifications if he had accepted this gift from you? I mean,he is an earthling and you want to grant him powers of a differentrealm.” Aiden says to me, as he walks up to me.

"I know what I am doing and the elders have found nothing that couldgo wrong with gifting him immortality.” I retort, boiling from the insideat such a stupid question.

"Don't shoot me... I was just asking. I have learned my lesson and Idon't want to mess with you ever again. I am a new man Sabrina.Everything is different about me but the one thing that has remainedthe same is that you have always had my heart.” Aiden tells me.

"Can we do this in private?" I ask him but he shakes his head no."Sabrina, once my mate... always my mate,” Aiden says to me but hewas looking at Xander.

"And when I offered to allow you the chance to be with this earthling, Idid not plan on you making him an immortal being. He needs to dielike all earthlings so I can have you to myself once he is gone. I am apatient man, and even more so since my sabbatical but don't push me.”He says and Josey chuckles.

Aiden turns to face the rest of my family...

"I know you all thought I would be gone for some time and maybe thatis why Sabrina opted to gift the other man immortality. It is completelyunderstandable why she would resort to such a decision, especiallysince he has been kind to her from the start and I have been anabsolute devil but I am a changed man. Anger does not sit well on myface but Sabrina does... I am back for my mate and only for her.” Aidensays to my family. My father's face changes to a sour one and I finallyunderstand what Aiden meant when he said he had changed.