Reese’s POV“I’m okay, Reese, I promise. It’s just a cough and you know Tyrell. He’s going to monitor me and everything will be fine,” Troy said.“I’m coming to see you,” Reese said.“No! You are not coming anywhere near this infirmary. I’ve given Tyrell permission to intubate me the moment I collapse. Keep yourself and our baby safe, promise me, Reese.”Reese tried not to cry but the tears didn’t obey her silent order and they ran down her cheeks unchecked. “I will, I promise.”“Good. It’ll only be for a few days. Drake will be acting Alpha and he has orders to lock you in our suite if you don’t do this for me, okay?”Reese nodded her head, knowing full well he couldn’t see her and she clenched her eyes tight. “Okay,” she finally whispered.“I have to go now,” Troy said with a sigh and the call ended.Reese sank down against the wall and lowered her head to her knees and cried. In that moment, she hated Amber with everything in her. It was her fault that Troy was sick, her fault that
Reese’s POVThe combinations she’d been working on had kept Max from deteriorating further but it wasn’t healing him. It kept him in a sort of limbo and Reese was grateful for that at least. It gave her some time and she spent every free hour in the lab.Reese pushed herself away from the microscope and her hand rubbed over her chest. Russo was at her side instantaneously, his hand at the small of her back.“What’s wrong, Reese?”“I don’t know. It’s a weird sensation …” Reese turned wide eyes towards Russo. “It’s not me, it’s Troy, something’s wrong with Troy!”Reese was physically lifted from the floor as her legs automatically started moving towards the door. “No, Reese! I can’t let you expose yourself!”“Russo! Put me down immediately!” Her nails clawed at Russo’s arms but he held firm.“Not a chance, Reese! You are my first priority. Troy’s in good hands!”A scream tore from Reese’s throat and her body sagged against Russo’s. He didn’t let go of her, he just tightened his arms and
Reese’s POVNothing changed over the course of the next week and Reese felt like there was nothing more she could do to help. She’d exhausted all her options and every mix she could think of had no effect on the patients.Her stomach had gotten a lot bigger over the last two weeks and she’d felt her baby move. Dr Tyrell came up to the Alpha Suite, after Russo had made sure that he was completely sanitized, to do ultrasounds and check on her.They had over fifty people in the hospital now as the flu spread and Reese cried herself to sleep every night. She was the key, so why wasn’t she finding it? She was pissed off at the world and her biggest fear was that Troy would die.Russo had limited her to one visit a week and she was due to go see Troy again after lunch. News had spread and the whole pack knew that Troy and King Maximilian were in isolation rooms and that they were stable for the moment but incapacitated.Drake hardly seemed to leave the office and a conversation with Emily h
Reese’s POVFor a few moments outside of Troy’s room, Reese couldn’t move or breathe. She wasn’t sure what it was but she was certain that maybe their baby had something to do with Troy wanting to get better. It was one of the biggest blessings for an Alpha, a son to take over from him.“Let’s get you back, Reese. It’s been a long day for you,” Russo said.“I want to check in on Max as well. He has no family here and Troy would want me to,” Reese said softly.“A quick check in, you need to go rest, this emotional rollercoaster isn’t good for the baby,” Russo said.Reese gave him a small smile and nodded her head. She did feel tired and the constant hope and worry were wreaking havoc with her system. She wanted to take a long, hot bath and sleep. Every night she had the same hope, that Troy would magically be awake the next morning.Russo led her just three doors further and opened the door. Max lay alone in the room, looking much the same as Troy had. His oxygen had lowered to 39% and
Reese’s POVWhen the air fryer pinged, she pulled the drawer open and turned the basket over onto a bowl. She started grinding up the dried petals. Russo just watched her as she kept it up until the petals were ground into a fine powder.She mixed it with a little water and mixed it until it was a smooth paste. She didn’t let up or rest once, she just kept on working. After an hour, she was finally happy and she sat down on the swivel chair and wiped her forehead with her arm.“What now?” Russo asked her.“Now we administer it and wait. I should’ve known sooner, Russo, so many people died because I couldn’t figure this out,” Reese said.“Let’s go see if it works,” Russo said and stood up.He carried the tray with the small bowls Reese had separated the paste into and they headed back to the infirmary. It was nine pm and the streets were quiet as Reese power walked to the building in front of them.She headed straight for Troy’s room and Russo placed the tray down on the trolley table
Reese’s POV“Happy Birthday!” The chorus of voices had Reese frozen in her steps. She blinked her eyes as people swarmed her and she laughed. She was finally eighteen and the whole day her mother had gone on and on about being able to find her mate.“Thank you,” Reese said through a smile as she hugged Cleo, her best friend of ten years.“So … any enticing smells?” Cleo had that devious glint in her eyes and Reese had to laugh.“There are so many mingling scents in this hall, it’ll be impossible to smell anything other than food, sweat and your horny pheromones.”Cleo’s mouth gaped open and she slapped Reese on her shoulder. “My pheromones smells awesome, I’ll have you know.”Reese shook her head with a smile. She loved Cleo, even though Cleo had no shame, no filter and cared absolutely nothing about what people thought of her. She’d felt her mate die on her eighteenth birthday three months earlier and then decided she was going to be the kind of woman that enjoyed her life with whome
Reese’s POVTwo years later …Reese closed her eyes and let her senses take over. The music pulsed and sweat ran down the back of her neck. Bodies grinded, sensual moans could be heard, at least, that's what she envisioned and the bass thumped off the walls of the club. Reese didn’t want to feel, didn’t want to think, she just wanted to be.Bryan Bergenson would return from Alpha Camp tomorrow and she was not looking forward to it. She didn't want to be there anymore, didn't want to see him and she knew that sooner or later, she would have to.Cleo, her best friend of ten years, signaled for them to head back to the bar. The bartender was cute, he had the sensual brown eyes, a mop of unruly, longish brown hair and his smile was panty melting. He grinned at the two of them and leaned over the bar.“What can I get you two?”“Two slammers and keep ‘em coming!” Cleo said loudly.Reese laughed then as he quirked a brow at them and poured bourbon into two shot glasses. Reese closed her eyes
Reese’s POVThe car smelled like new leather, mint, a slight hint of bergamot and sex. The sex part might have been her, but what the hell. The mix was intoxicating and the man next to her was sex on two legs. She felt slightly nervous but the alcohol that had taken the place of the blood in her veins pushed her to bravery.“So, where am I going?”Reese blinked. His voice was rough and the timber spoke of unbridled passion. “Uhm … the nearest motel is fine.”Mr Knight glanced at her and sped down the street. A few minutes later he pulled into the parking lot of a motel that was surprisingly clean and safe looking. He huffed out a laugh, glanced at her again and shook his head.“Stay here.”Reese had no objections to staying right there. She had no idea what was in those slammers she’d drank, but her body felt sensual, like the lust switch had not just been pressed on but thrown into overdrive.The passenger side door opened and Reese looked up but his eyes were transfixed on her thigh