by Dawn Wilder
“Reggie Dean.”
“Reggie Dean, you're mine now. Ours. And you need to get your ass back here. Now.”
I felt a jolt go through her body as she stared into his eyes, almost like she was compelled. Which probably wasn't that far off the mark actually.
Nothing happened.
My stomach sank as I wondered if I'd just made that huge decision for her and nothing had even come of it.
But then her whole body convulsed in my arms and I scrambled to keep her on my lap.
Andre let go, watching carefully.
One second I was holding a wolf.
And the next I was holding Reggie.
A very naked Reggie.
I'd like to say I at least tried not to look, but that would be a lie. But I did whip the blanket off the couch and covered her with it, not liking the idea of Andre seeing her naked.
Which was pretty ridiculous considering that, as wolves, we saw each other naked all the time.
Andre smirked at me, but didn't comment.
“You can stay here for the night. She'll probably wake up some time in the morning.”
I nodded, standing up with her limp body in my arms.
The change had completely drained her.
I made my way to one of the guest rooms Andre always had ready for pack members and placed her on the bed, covering her up with the comforter.
There was no way I was leaving her side, but I didn't want to add to the shock of waking up in an unfamiliar space. So I kept my underwear on as I slid into bed next to her.
Because I needed her in arms.
Pulling her in against me, I buried my nose in her hair, the neat bun long gone.
She smelled like the Reggie I knew, but with the unmistakable musk of wolf intertwined with her delicate scent.
It made her smell even better.
Closing my eyes, I forced myself to relax into sleep.
I was betting I'd need my beauty rest to deal with whatever emotions she would be feeling when she woke up.
Reggie
My eyes snapped open.
Something was wrong.
I felt as if I could feel each thread in the sheet I was lying on, hear every insect outside, smell every scent in a five mile radius.
It took a minute for my heart to settle down after remembering that I'd let the wolf out.
After living with such little sensory input for so long, the change was overwhelming.
Adjusting slightly, I smelled someone familiar.
Roth.
His scent was more complex, richer, with my sharper nose. I wanted to take a deep breath, drink it in.
I'd told Roth my secret.
My brain couldn't hold onto the thought as I realized I had no idea where I was. The details of everything I was feeling, scenting, hearing had distracted me from what I was seeing.
And the fact that I wasn't lying there alone.
I turned my head carefully, realizing the heavy weight across my ribs was a muscled arm.
A muscled arm that was attached to Evan Roth's body.
I stared at his sleeping face, stubble covering his cheeks and his hair falling over his forehead.
I blinked.
What had happened after I'd changed?
And why the hell was I naked?
Furiously trying to clear the cobwebs, I raised an arm to rub at my forehead.
I was still staring at his closed eyes when they opened at that movement. They were clear and alert, no grogginess.
He sat up, and I couldn't stop my eyes from taking in his torso.
His well-developed chest led to an honest to goodness eight pack, his muscles lightly covered in soft looking hair. His arms bulged with muscle as he propped himself up.
OK, now was not the time to ogle my boss.
Or ex-boss.
Wait a minute.
When was a better time to ogle someone then when you were in bed with them? Naked in bed with them?
I groaned, throwing my arm over my eyes.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, gently pulling my arm away from my face.
“I have a headache. And I can't remember why I'm in bed with you. Why I'm in bed with you naked.”
The naked part was pretty important.
He grinned, which only made him even more attractive.
Like all the muscles and the unkempt look weren't enough.
“Nothing happened.” The smile faded as a more serious look came over his face. “Well, nothing like that happened. You turned into a wolf and...lost yourself.”
Lost myself?
“What do you mean?”
“It was only the wolf, Reggie.”
I swallowed.
That wasn't a good sign.
Not at all.
“OK. Then how am I back? And where are we?”
He hesitated, looking away.
That couldn't be good.
“Where are we?” I asked again, sitting up. I made sure to keep the sheet held up in front of my chest.
I was pretty sure he'd already seen the whole show, but that didn't mean I felt comfortable having this conversation with my breasts hanging out.
“We're in my Alpha's house. I had to come to him for help.”
My stomach sank.
OK, stay calm. He obviously wasn't mad since we were staying in his house.
“Your Alpha's house. Is everything OK? I mean, I know I didn't check in, but since I wasn't changing, can't that count as an exemption?”
He stared at me.
“Um, honestly, that didn't come up at all. We were more worried about the fact that you weren't you.”
Oh.
“Listen, I have to tell you something.” He took my free hand in his, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. “I kind of had to take...drastic...measures to bring you back.”
Drastic measures?
“What kind of measures?”
He combed his hair back from his face with his other hand as he met my eyes.
“Andre, my Alpha, had to make you part of the pack.”
I stared at him, too dumbfounded to really feel anything yet.
“No he didn't. He needs my consent for that,” I said, all the time knowing Roth wouldn't lie to me about something like that but unable to believe such a big decision had been taken out of my hands.
“I gave consent on your behalf. Considering the circumstances, I figured it was better to fix what was wrong and deal with the repercussions later.”
Deal with the repercussions later?
Pack was supposed to be like family.
It was like him choosing my family for me.
I looked away, trying to come to grips with it.
“Reggie? Reggie, are you OK?”
I pulled my hand out of his and rubbed my face.
“I left my last pack. I lost my brother and my father to dominance fights and I just couldn't be there anymore. And there was nothing really keeping me there beyond obligation. So I just picked up my things and ran.
“I knew I'd have to suppress my wolf. She wouldn't understand leaving the pack. And...and I thought life would be easier...simpler...if I was just a human. Just a regular person.”
“Jesus Christ, Reggie.” I could hear the horror in his voice. “How long did you keep your wolf down?”
“Two years.”
The stunned silence was what I was expecting.
“That's...that's not possible,” he whispered. “That would drive your wolf...crazy.”
I looked up, laughing wetly.
“Yeah, well, I guess it did. She completely took over, didn't she?”
I shook my head, wondering about the stupidity of thinking I could just let her out after so long and not suffer any ill-effects.
It wasn't the wolf's fault. It was completely my own.
“Reggie, you can't live a half life. And that's what you've been trying to do- deny half of who you are. You can't...hate yourself for what you are. It's not healthy.”
“Maybe not. But it's what's kept me sane. And I was almost happy there for a while. Or at least, content.”
“But being in a pack doesn't have to be painful. I don't know the specifics of your old one, but I can tell you this one is good, filled with good people. And you don't have to immerse yourself in the deep end. Hell, think about how much I work. We're all allowed to do what's best for ourselves as long as we're loyal and there for our pack mates when they need it.”
I dropped my hands, too overwhelmed by everything to think straight.
“I need time to figure out what I want to do. I need to leave.”
I got out of bed, not even caring that I was naked anymore.
I looked around blindly for something to wear, the walls closing in on me. My chest felt tight, each breath difficult to pull in.
“Here.”
I grabbed the shirt he handed me and pulled it on over myself. It smelled of him and came down to mid-thigh. All I cared about at the moment was that it covered all the important bits.
“These shouldn't be too big.”
He put some flip-flops down in front of my feet.
They were a little big, but still manageable.
I looked up into his concerned eyes, only now realizing he'd still had his boxers on.
That was as clear an indicator as any that I wasn't operating on all cylinders.
“I need to go home.”
“Yes, of course. Just let me get dressed and-”
“No. Alone. Please.”
His jaw tightened, but he nodded.
“I'll text Vincent.”
He grabbed his phone from the bedside table and typed something out.
“I'll wait outside.”
I felt like my skin was too tight, like I was trapped in here. I needed to get out.
I walked down the hall, picking a direction at random. Luckily, it took me to the main entry and then to the front door.
A man materialized in front of me before I could reach for the doorknob.
“I just wanted to make a quick introduction. My name is Andre, I'm the Alpha of this pack. And yours now, which I know must be a shock. But I also need you to know that I broke the bond you had with your old pack.” He stopped, looking at me with an empathy that had tears coming to my eyes. Everything just felt way to close to the surface. “If you want to leave, you're free to go. I have no interest in keeping prisoners. But know that you're welcome here.”
He stepped aside.
Barely holding in the tears at this point, I pulled the door open and went outside.
I didn't have to wait more than a minute before Roth's familiar car slid to a smooth stop in front of me.
I climbed in, swiping at my face.
“Where to, Miss?” Vincent asked gently.
I didn't look at him, not wanting him to see me crying.
“Home, please.”
I gave him the address and he pulled out onto the road.
I pressed my face against the glass, the cold of it soothing on my hot face.
And then I emptied my mind and tried not to think about anything.
I still felt raw and open when Vincent parked in front of my apartment building.
All of the noise and smells of the city felt like they were pressing in against me.
“Thank you,” I whispered, not wanting to make my pounding headache worse.
“You're welcome.”
He waited until I'd walked into the building before he slid away from the curb.
Sighing, I waited for the elevator. I usually took the stairs up but I didn't feel up to them at the moment.
The elevator doors opened on my floor and I walked down the hall to my door.
I almost missed the familiar scent, distracted by everything else I was sensing.
Stephan straightened up from where he was leaning against the wall, his eyes taking in my attire and my messy hair.
“Walk of shame?” he asked, smirking.
“What do you want now? I already told Roth everything, so there isn't much you can threaten me with.”
I couldn't even bring up any irritation. I felt hollowed out, like there wasn't any room for emotion to grow inside me. It was an odd turn after almost crying at the drop of a hat earlier.
“Bitch,” he snarled, stepping closer. “We needed that deal! And like it or not you're still part of the pack-”
“Not anymore.” I felt a glimmer of something positive as that fact sunk in. “That bond is broken. Ask your Alpha.”
He glared at me, his hands curling into fists at his sides.
“You want to come at me? I have to tell you, my fucks are so far gone right now there's no way you're coming out unscathed.”
And I meant it.
But I guess he didn't realize that.
He wrapped his hand around my throat and picked me up, slamming me against the wall.
I head butted him, ignoring the flair of pain in my already aching head.
It was totally worth it when he cursed and dropped me, backing away with a hand to his bleeding nose.
The hot rush of anger and adrenaline filled me up, the hollow space inside me apparently not inhospitable to all emotion.
Not giving him a chance to recover, I grabbed his shoulder and punched him in the stomach as hard as I could.
“Fuck,” he mumbled, curled up in pain against the wall.
“Go away. If I see your face again, I won't stop here.”
I reached under my mat for the key to the door, never more grateful than now for stashing it there. Not the safest, but at least I was able to get inside.
I opened the door and stepped inside.
I shouldn't have turned my back on the little weasel.
He tackled me into my apartment, the door slamming completely open as our bodies hit it. He raked my back with the claws he'd released.
The pain only fueled my anger.
Twisting underneath him, I elbowed him in the face and sank my knee into his unprotected groin.
He gasped, his hands predictably going down to cup himself.
Grabbing him by his hair, I grunted as I dragged him out into the hall and dropped him there.
Walking back into my apartment, I closed and locked the door.
I needed to clean up.
Stripping, I checked out my back. The scratches were shallow. Should be healed within a couple days.
A hot shower and some clean pajamas later, I fell into bed.
Probably I should have made sure Stephan was actually gone. But I was just too tired to care.
Chapter 7
Evan
I tried to give Reggie some space.
But after she didn't show up or call for the second day in a row, my patience snapped.
I'd always enjoyed work, but I found myself constantly distracted and staring at the time. And I'd gotten so accustomed to her managing everything so beautifully, every interruption irritated me to no end.
I'd lost the joy in it. I needed her by my side.
When I got into the car that night, I told Vincent to take me to Reggie's.
“Yes, sir. About time.”
“Thanks for the input,” I grunted.
She'd had plenty of time to come with grips with everything, as far as I was concerned.
I walked up to her apartment. I'd looked up what number it was in human resources. Being the CEO had its perks.
My gut relaxed a little as I breathed in her familiar scent, strongest in the hall and in front of the door to her apartment.
She was still here.
I'd been half afraid she might have run.
Taking a deep breath, I raised my hand to knock, but paused as I scented an older trail.
Rio. What had he been doing here? The scent was stale, so he wasn't here now.
Before my knuckles could make contact, the door opened.
She looked much better than she had last I'd seen her. Hell, she looked better than she had the whole time I'd known her.
Her hair was shinier, her skin almost glowing with health.
Letting the wolf out suited her.
She stared at me.
“Can I come in?” I asked, crowding her until she had to step back.
She gave me an irritated look and I suppressed the urge to smile.
It would probably just make her angrier.
“Sure, why not,” she said dryly to my back as she closed the door.
I looked around the cozy apartment curiously, breathing her in. Her scent permeated the air inside and my wolf was more than happy to roll around in it.
“You didn't call,” I said, turning to face her.
She sighed and looked away.
“I needed some time to myself. Everything was just...too much.”
I waited to see if she'd say anything else.
“What was Rio doing here?”
I hadn't meant to ask that.
She huffed out a short laugh.
“Just here to put more pressure on me. But I wasn't in the mood.” She shook her head, a frown on her face. “I showed him out. Forcefully.”
There was something in the way she said it...
“It was self defense.”
“Yeah, maybe. But it was also satisfying.”
“And? You can't simply blame the wolf for that, if that's what's going through your head. Taking someone down when they're attacking you should be satisfying.”
Never mind that I wished I'd been here to mop the floor with the guy.
Or at least watch her do it.
Hmmm.
There was probably something wrong with me that I found that so hot.
“Fine, you have a point. But what about the pack? I'm not ready to be a part of a pack again.”
Good. Now that we were on the subject I could say what I'd been rehearsing.
“You only have to be as involved as your comfortable being. This is a special circumstance. And if you're asking me to apologize for telling Andre to bring you in, I can't.” I stepped closer, cupping her face. “I'd do it again if it brought you back.”
Her chocolate brown eyes stared into mine.
“Why?” she whispered.
“You know why. You're just avoiding it.”
And I'd been too good for too long.
