Chapter One

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 whomever she wanted to.

They danced, drank shots and it seemed like the whole pack had joined in the celebrations. Her father, the Alpha’s Beta, was an important man in the pack and so in turn she was also treated very well. Two hours later, Reese escaped to the outside for some fresh air as Cleo once again disappeared with someone.

“Reese.” The voice was soft yet strong, the way he’d said her name had caused goosebumps over her skin and she closed her eyes as his scent seemed to twirl around her, setting her senses alight.

Reese turned slowly as his hand trailed over her shoulder and the heat from his hand engulfed her. “Bryan.”

Bryan Bergenson was the future Alpha of the White Moon pack. He was six foot three, built like a warrior, had dirty blonde hair with deep chocolate brown eyes. Reese could feel that bond pulsing around her and that was just from a touch.

“Come with me, mate.” Bryan took her hand and let him lead her into the forest. She had no idea where they were going but he was her mate and she trusted him. His family was respectable and she could stay in the pack with Cleo.

Bryan led her through the forest down to one of the riverfront cabins that were used for visiting Alpha’s warriors. Inside the cabin, Bryan pushed Reese against the wall and started kissing her neck. Delicious tremors shot through her and she dug her nails into his shoulders as he pressed his erection against her core.

Reese had always envisioned how her first time would be, had saved herself for this moment, for her mate. She hadn’t imagined a dark unused cabin on the border of their territory. She’d envisioned candles, romantic music and her mate that couldn’t keep his hands off her.

“Take your clothes off, Reese. I have to have you,” Bryan said in a gruff voice as he pulled away from her and took his shirt off. Reese looked at him for a few seconds and started undressing. Maybe it wasn’t exactly like she’d imagined it would be, but he was still her mate.

Bryan pushed her down on the bed, the material feeling slightly dusty against her naked skin. His fingers rubbed roughly over her slit and he pressed down hard on her clit. Reese gasped, not in pleasure, but at the slight discomfort it had created.

Bryan grinned, thinking she was enjoying it. He spread her legs and with one swift thrust, broke through her virginity and clamped his hand over her mouth when she screamed. He started thrusting into her roughly, not caring that she hadn’t been ready, hadn’t even been wet and grunted as Reese just lay there with tears in her eyes.

Everyone said sex with your mate was the best feeling ever. This certainly was not what she’d expected. It was painful, his thrusts hurt her and she could smell her own blood. He gripped her legs painfully as he kept her thighs spread and then he started pummeling into her, hard and rough.

Reese had tears in her eyes and she shuddered as Bryan thrusted into her one last time, his cock twitching and then felt his release spurt inside her. He pulled out of her and sat down on the edge of the bed, breathing hard.

“Fuck, Reese, that was fantastic,” Bryan said and Reese curled herself into a ball. She could feel his semen on her thighs and the only things she wanted was to go home and cry.

Bryan stood up then and pulled his jeans back on. It felt like her vagina was on fire and she was sore, even her legs hurt. “I just had to know …”

“Excuse me?” Reese asked with a frown.

“Everybody says fucking your mate is awesome. I had to fuck you, to know what I was missing out on,” Bryan said and now Reese sat up straight on the bed.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Look, you’re a nice girl, Reese, but you’re not an Alpha daughter. The White Moon pack is a prestigious one and I need a woman that can be a strong Luna by my side and give me strong Alpha pups. I can’t take the chance,” Bryan said.

“You’re an asshole,” Reese muttered under her breath but Bryan had still heard her.

He was in front of her in an instant and he grabbed her chin roughly. “I, Bryan Bergenson, reject you, Reese Willowby, as my mate and future Luna.”

Reese gasped then as tears sprang to her eyes. The pain was starting but it wasn’t overbearing yet. Bryan still had a firm grip on her face and his eyes darkened. “Accept my rejection, Reese.”

“I, Reese Willowby, accept your rejection.”

“If you ever breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll end your family. I’ll strip your father of his rank and demote him and your mother to Omegas.” With that Bryan let go of her chin and pulled his shirt back over his head. "Don't make this difficult, Reese, this way you get to stay in the pack and I can fuck you whenever I want."

The tears now ran freely down her cheeks as Bryan walked out of the cabin. Anger set in at the realization that the fucker had just used her. He’d never had any intention of claiming their bond, a sacred bond.

Reese’s fingers fumbled with the buttons of her phone and a sob tore through her as Cleo finally answered. She hadn’t even been sure that she would answer, given that she was probably getting laid somewhere.

“Reese?”

“Please help me,” Reese whimpered.

“Oh, goddess. Where are you?”

“I’m in one of the riverfront cabins. Please hurry, Cleo. It hurts so much.”

The door flew inwards five minutes later just as Reese finally managed to pull her shirt back on. Her bottom half was still naked and Cleo looked at her with worry in her eyes. She helped Reese to get dressed and looked at the blue marks on her chin.

“What the fuck happened, Reese? Were you raped?” Worry lines creased her friend’s face and more tears spilled from her eyelids.

“He rejected me. He said he just wanted to fuck me once to know what it felt like,” Reese said.

“Your mate did this? That motherfucker! He won’t get away with this!” Anger emanated from Cleo’s pores and Reese shook her head.

“I can’t tell anyone, he ordered me not me,” Reese confessed.

“An Alpha order. Oh, goddess, no, Reese. Bryan did this? He’s your mate?” Reese nodded her head as pain tore through her heart. She pleaded with Cleo never to say it out loud, to keep her secret.

“I won’t tell anyone, I promise you, but mark my words, Reese. One day that asshole will pay for doing this to you!”

Cleo helped Reese to her feet and then they took the long way back to her house, through the forest. She couldn’t take the chance of running into someone and having to explain what was going on with Reese.