Reese’s POVJulian had left the pack borders and driven to another town nearby. Reese had been staring out of the window and wasn’t paying attention to their surroundings. When Julian parked the car in front of a dodgy looking place, she raised her brow.“I know it looks dodgy, but it’s not, I swear,” Julian said with a smile.The inside of the bar was gloomy after the bright sunshine on the outside but lively music was playing, a large television showed sports reruns and the bar was half filled with patrons. It was noon and Reese was surprised at how many people there were.“What do you want to drink?” Julian asked her as they sat down at the bar. It seemed clean enough and at least the bartender was a hottie. He wasn’t a patch on Troy, but he’d do as eye candy for the afternoon.“Rum and Coke.”Four shot glasses appeared in front of her and Julian grinned. “We’re already in trouble, might as well go big now before we’re hauled back to the big house.”“How are we in trouble?” Reese l
Troy’s POVTroy’s fists clenched in front of him as Reese walked out of his office. She’d felt it, of course she’d felt it. They’d marked each other. He was pissed off that she’d kissed Drake but he was also incredibly turned on.He’d deserved it but fuck him if he liked the idea that Drake’s mouth had been on hers. She was his, only his and fuck anyone that thought they could take her from him. It wasn’t just the fact that they’d marked each other.He’d been in love with her even before the wedding. She was sensual and sexy, seemingly innocent but wild as well. She wasn’t vain or shallow and her touch had the ability to leave him breathless, brain dead and numb like an idiot.“Troy,” Drake began.“Don’t ever mention this, don’t even think of it and if you fucking masturbate to the thought of her kissing you, I’ll kill you,” Troy said as his eyes flashed darker.Drake barked out a laugh and shook his head. “If she dumps you, can I have her?”“Drake.” Troy’s voice had taken on a danger
Reese’s POVSweat beaded across her forehead as her feet pounded into the dirt on the forest floor. Her muscles screamed but she didn’t stop running. Sweat coated her back but with every step she could feel the anger swirling inside her, closely followed by confusion.Reese had been running for an hour and she finally stopped when she saw the lake. She was breathing hard as she leaned forward with her hands on her knees. She hated feeling so insecure and she hated not knowing what was going to happen.She sat down on the banks of the lake and rested her head on her knees. How the hell was it possible to be so attracted to someone she didn’t even like? They had chemistry, sexual chemistry and last night had been … erotic.Sex with Troy had always been good. She wanted to believe him so much, she really did, but Amber was his mate and she was back. She didn’t understand why Troy would choose her. Some small, bitchy part of her felt vindicated that he’d said it, but the laws of nature di
Reese’s POVThe office Troy showed her to was at the back of the packhouse and held two desks, one for Julian, as she soon found out. Since he was her Gamma, it was his duty to also act as a buffer between her and pack members wanting appointments, much like Drake did for Troy.They had a small kitchenette with a very nice coffee station and another door that led to somewhere. Troy gave her a grin and stood in front of the door. “I know your office is a little out of the way and normally you’d have the office next to mine, but …”Reese’s heart sank a little. If her office was right next to his then they’d be close the whole day. She didn’t want to think about what that meant. They hadn’t talked about Amber again and Reese wasn’t sure she wanted to.“Reese.” Troy looked at her and she blinked as she snapped out of it. “We needed more space for your lab than the other office allowed for.”“My lab?” Reese felt like she’d been sucker punched but with tingles and marshmallows of happiness.
Troy’s POV“Max,” Troy answered his phone just as Reese and Julian rounded the corner.“I hear congratulations are in order,” Max said and Troy smiled.“Everything’s going according to plan except that Amber has returned to the pack and she’s making waves,” Troy said.“Troy, if you want to back out, I’d understand. Marriage is one thing but Amber is your mate,” Max said.“The Oracle was adamant. Our survival rests on this. Reese needs to be here with me in Black Claw. I could never put our species in danger like that. I agreed to your proposal to marry Reese and I’m not backing out, not now,” Troy said.“Sounds like this arranged marriage is working for you,” Max said with a light chuckle.“She’s … she’s a good person. She’s smart and caring, she’s beautiful too and … she’s nice, okay.”Max laughed and Troy closed his eyes briefly. “You’re in love with her.”Troy wiped a hand over his face. “Yes, I am.”“So Amber being there isn’t a distraction?”“Not like I thought it would be. I can
Reese’s POVReese was so engrossed as she studied the spores under the microscope that she hadn’t heard the door to her lab open. The flower she’d found in the late afternoon held her captive. It was a flower she didn’t know, which was odd in itself, and that intrigued her.“You do realize that you missed dinner,” Troy said from behind her and she let out a yelp and sat up straight so fast that the back of her head hit him on the chest.“Shit, Troy, you scared me!”He chuckled and placed his hands on her shoulders where she still sat on her stool. “What’s so interesting that you stood me up?”Reese smiled and moved her neck from side to side. “I’ve never come across this flower, not even in books and I hate that I don’t know.”Troy’s thumbs dug into the muscles of her shoulders and Reese closed her eyes as she felt the tight balls of spasms. She’d been sitting, hunched over, for hours. She hadn’t even realized that she’d missed dinner since she’d sent Julian away when the sun set.His
Bryan Bergenson’s POVHe’d been Alpha for two weeks and his first action as Alpha had been to send his parents away. His father had been furious, but he was glad to be rid of the meddling old man. He clenched his fist on the table and looked at the file in front of him.“Where did you go, little wolf?” he asked out loud.Reese Willowby was his true mate but he had rejected her in favour of Michelle, an Alpha’s daughter. He had to think of his future children, and Alpha genes on both sides were always better. At first he’d cursed the Moon Goddess for pairing him with a Beta daughter but when he realized that Michelle wanted the bond with him just as much as he did, he felt better.His plan had been to keep Reese close, she was his mate after all and her presence would ground him like Michelle’s never would. Their marriage ceremony had been uneventful and the marking process later that night hadn’t been as exciting as he thought it would be.Michelle was good in bed, but the erotic sen
Amber’s POVThe vase that had once adorned a side table near the sliding doors of the patio now lay in shards against the far wall. Her fists were still clenched by her side as anger flowed through her veins. Her hair was disheveled and her mouth was set in a grim line.None of her plans had worked so far. Why, after six years, did Troy suddenly decide to move on and with an arranged bride? She might have understood it better if he’d fallen in love with someone, dated and then decided to take the leap into marriage.Her wolf had retreated that day in Troy’s suite. That woman’s scent was all over the place, infuriating her wolf. What was so special about the slut in any way? She knew they didn’t love each other, Troy had told her, so why?It didn’t make sense. They were fated to be together and if Justin had just kept it in his pants then she would have been Luna by now. She was the rightful Luna and no two-bit slag from wherever was going to change that.A knock on her suite door star