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Chapter Sixty-Nine
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Seventy
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
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Seventy-One
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
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Seventy-Two
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
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Seventy-Three
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
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Seventy-Four
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
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Seventy-Five
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
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Seventy-Six
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
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Seventy-Seven
Troy’s POVHe hated being at odds with his wolf like that. He’d woken up when Reese had tripped over him and shifted automatically, his wolf having taken him to the bedroom to watch over her. His wolf had been afraid that she’d go to Max and take him up on his offer.His wolf had pushed him so far back in his own mind as he kissed Reese. He closed his eyes again and lowered his head into his hands. His wolf had just taken her, he didn’t even know if she’d wanted it and he hated himself thinking that maybe she hadn’t.He’d been in his office since three am and so far work had eluded him. He was pissed off at Max for flirting with Reese, pissed off with Reese for some reason too and pissed at himself. His office door opened and Troy’s eyes darkened again.“Bad night?” Max asked as he closed the door behind him with a chuckle and sniffed the air. “Seems not, I can smell her on you.”“What the hell was that last night?” Troy asked, now standing behind his desk with his fists resting on th
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Once rejected, twice shy Chapter One Hundred and One
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
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter One Hundred
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
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Ninety-Nine
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
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Ninety-Eight
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
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Ninety-Seven
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
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Ninety-Six
Troy’s POVTroy ran down the hall when he reached the other side of the floor and the door opened as he neared. Max was sitting on the couch, fully alert now with an oxygen mask over his face. He was a little pale and his hands shook but otherwise he looked okay.Max pulled the mask away from his face and looked at Troy. “I’m not going to the infirmary.”Troy gritted his teeth as he looked at his long-time friend. “Yes, you are. You are not dying, Max. I won’t allow it!”“If I get any worse, I’ll go but not before it’s absolutely necessary,” Max said.“Fine,” Troy relented and leaned against the wall.The other men in the suite didn’t look pleased but they refrained from saying anything because Max was their King and his word was the law. Troy didn’t like it one bit. Max needed to be monitored because he couldn’t let Max die on his watch.“The moment he so much as wheezes, I want him in the infirmary, you hear me?” Troy’s eyes darkened as he looked at each man.“Yes, Alpha. I’ll drag
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Ninety-Five
Reese’s POVThe week progressed slowly and then on that fateful Friday morning all hell broke loose. Amber was the first one to die from the flu. Her body was moved to the morgue and Dr Tyrell had taken precautions even in the autopsy room and wore protective gear to do her autopsy.They all knew the cause of death would be carbon dioxide poisoning. It had taken Amber eight days longer to die than victims from other packs and that was due to Reese’s plants. She hadn’t liked Amber, but she hadn’t wanted her dead.Troy hadn’t reacted, at all. He nodded his head and went to his office. Reese felt morose and knew that he had to feel something. She was sure that he was hiding his emotions so as not to upset her but this wasn’t something she’d be jealous of.He’d loved her at one point and they had been mates with no rejection between them. She wished he’d talk to her and tell her how he felt. She watched him every night as he ate. The exhaustion was there because Troy never stopped.He wor
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Ninety-Four
Drake’s POVThe days seemed to drag by. Work was trickling to a slower rate although they were kept busy with conference calls and meetings over Skype. They still had business dealings out in the world and they couldn’t just stop working. Humans weren’t affected by this flu epidemic and it made things difficult for them.At night he’d lie in bed next to Emily and think about the rising numbers of deaths in other packs and wondering what made them so special to hold the key. He’d already figured out that Reese would somehow come up with a cure.It was taking time though and he was worried about the sick warriors they had in the infirmary. He didn’t want any of his people to die, except maybe Amber. He didn’t care if she died, not after the shit she pulled.He shifted on his side and stared into Emily’s open eyes. Her hand cupped his cheek and he gripped it tightly. “What’s bothering you?”Drake sighed internally. “Besides the cock talk? Not much, really.”Emily smiled and his heart flu
Once rejected, twice shy Chapter Ninety-Three
Reese’s POVRusso dressed Reese in a rainsuit with a mask, a plastic shield over the mask and a hairnet. She had to wear medical grade gloves and make her way to the lab in the mornings. She tried to stifle her laughter as Russo trudged behind her, the plastic of his own rainsuit squeaking with each step.“What’s the hairnet for?”“I have no fucking idea but it covers your hair, don’t bitch about it,” Russo said and adjusted his own hairnet.Reese laughed as she stopped inside her office and Russo started disinfecting everything. He did that every single day, even though nobody else came into their office or lab. She felt fine and even Troy had been cleared by the doctor.The number of sick had risen to twenty, all of them warriors that had worked shifts in the dungeon and had had contact with Amber. She was their patient zero and for now it seemed that the many respiratory plants were helping and the patients in the infirmary weren’t doing too badly.“All clear,” Russo said and took
