Reese’s POV She’d left Troy’s office in a daze. He wanted a divorce. She had no idea how she got back to the Alpha suite but she found herself just inside and sank down against the closed front door. Hot tears spilled from her eyes and she lowered her head to her hands. It just cemented her earlier revelation. She didn’t want to lose him and she didn’t want a divorce. How the fuck had she ended up here? Two days ago she’d have gladly signed divorce papers, but now, now everything was different. She pushed her wolf to the back of her mind and fought to shift. She needed to clean the remnants of the dinner she’d planned. She didn’t want him to know what she’d planned, not after he said he wanted a divorce. She really was a failure. Her mate rejected her, the one person that was supposed to love her and then when she found a man that loved her for her, she pushed him away to the extent of divorce and another rejection. The food all went into the trash bin, her appetite long gone. The
Troy’s POV He couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it had happened, but during the previous day, things had shifted for him. He’d taken the time to try and stand in Reese’s shoes and what he’d seen and felt, had left a bitter taste in his mouth. His feelings didn’t matter much to him. He was used to being less important, it was the Alpha’s curse after all. He would always be a slave to his pack and to his people. He would always choose them above his own needs. He’d targeted Reese because of the Oracle’s vision. He’d taken her from her home and used Justin as an excuse, because in all honesty, Justin had no idea who she was and his father had never met with her about a union between them. Justin only knew her name, from the documents he’d submitted to the Elders for approval of his arranged marriage. That night in the bar, he’d wanted to fuck her and he had. He’d taken her to Saxon Island because he knew it would soften her resolve, get her in his bed and it would make their bond stronge
Reese’s POVThe day sped by and Russo proved to be an asset. He helped Reese with her samplings and organized seeds and roots and at one point he’d disappeared for four hours. Reese hadn’t really noticed because she was busy separating stalks and petals.All her focus went towards plants and flowers that held respiratory aids and she winced slightly as she straightened up from the stool when Russo returned. He was sweaty, slightly out of breath and had a huge grin on his face.“Are you okay?” Reese asked him.“Yeah, no time to talk, come with me,” he said and walked out of her lab into the adjoining office.Reese frowned but followed Russo out of the office. He threw his arm around her shoulder and she made a gagging sound. Russo barked out a laugh and pulled her closer, pushing her face into his armpit.“Ow!” Russo said loudly when Reese pinched the soft skin there.“That’s for being a stinky asshole,” she said and laughed at the hurt look on his face.Russo made a face and pulled he
Reese’s POVTroy was fast asleep on his side of the bed by the time she finally emerged from the bathroom, hot and bothered. She only had herself to blame for her predicament. She’d told him not to expect sex from her, to get used to his hand. She could kick herself right about now.She found her saran wrapped sandwich on the kitchen counter and made a face before putting the plate in the fridge. She had no appetite anymore, at least not for food. Her nipples were still hard and brushed against her pajama top uncomfortably.Trying to sleep didn’t help much, not so close to Troy, who seemed oblivious to her presence. She couldn’t even blame him for being a dick, because she’d been a dick first. She clamped a hand over her mouth as the laughter threatened to burst through. She could do with a dick now.Her sleep was restless and dreams of a naked Troy haunted her. She woke up with her hand down her pajama bottoms and her own arousal flooding her panties. Troy wasn’t in bed anymore and s
Troy’s POVIrritation flowed through Troy as he sat behind his desk. He’d made enquiries to Red Stone Pack and Cleo had arrived safely. Reese hadn’t discussed it with him, she’d taken charge and called the Alpha of Red Stone and set up Cleo’s transfer.He hadn’t even known Cleo had left until Drake had mentioned it, asking him why he was sending Cleo to Red Stone of all places. He’d felt like an idiot and Reese had undermined him, again. He’d tried giving her space after he’d almost lost his resolve in the shower.His wolf had wanted him to say, ‘fuck it’ and just push her against the wall and fuck her back into submission, to bend to his will and to tell him she’d stay, forever. It was the first time he’d been so at odds with his wolf and it bothered him.It was nearing three pm and the King would arrive in a few hours. Katherine was still confined to her quarters and her father hadn’t made another plea for her freedom. He’d been pissed at first but then disappointment had taken over
Reese’s POVReese showered and washed the sweat and dirt from the day from her hair. She shaved and scrubbed, using the new shower gel she’d made that morning with the extracts from the Madden flower. She loved its smell and breathed it in deeply.Inside the dressing room, she noticed the gaps on Troy’s side immediately. Most of his suits were gone and she walked over to his side and pulled open a drawer. His underwear and socks were considerably less too.‘Fuck,’ she thought. He’d moved out of their room. With a pang of sadness she got dressed and wondered if he’d moved out of the Alpha Suite too. She didn’t think he would with the King coming to stay with them.Reese left her hair loose and decided against any make up. In the coming days, the King would see her au natural for himself, so there really was no point in wearing it now. The dress she wore was a mix between a sundress and a beach dress, coming to rest on her knees and it showed no cleavage.It was better than her normal f
Reese’s POVTroy cleared his throat and a few seconds later she heard the front door slide open and close again. The King’s aura reached her and she inhaled sharply. They appeared seconds later and the King leaned on the kitchen counter and watched her.She had just placed the food on the table and Troy rummaged in the fridge and extracted two beers. He took the beer from Troy and twisted the cap off. He had changed into jeans, boots and a t-shirt and Reese stood there flabbergasted.“Thanks, Troy,” he said and turned towards the dining table.The King stood at the head of the table and Troy on his right. She sat next to Troy and she caught the frown the King had on his face. “This won’t do,” he said and stood up again.He moved his cutlery and glass to the other side of the table so he sat across from her and Troy and sat down again. He was the complete opposite of what Reese had expected and he grinned again as she pushed her chair out and took the lids off the dishes.“Troy, where
Reese’s POVReese was about to open her mouth to say something to Troy but he pushed past her and slammed the guest bedroom door so loudly she could feel the vibrations through her shoes. She sighed and started clearing the table.She spent an hour washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, wondering why Max would say all that stuff in front of Troy, he was deliberately trying to piss Troy off and she had no idea why. She sighed as she walked past Troy’s room and closed the master bedroom door behind her.She took off her dress and pulled on a tank top over her panties and slid into bed, too tired to do anything else. She was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow and she dreamt of Troy. They were back on the island when he still liked her and touched her.Reese woke up as immense sadness overshadowed everything else and she wiped the tears from her cheeks. She couldn’t believe she’d been crying in her sleep. It was a definite first for her. She rolled over to the edge of the bed