Chapter 32：Reece-My Mate, Marked And....

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Reece

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Oh, that Little Bunny has been a thorn in my side and a massive handful. I swear. Coming down to breakfast in the kitchen for the first time and arguing with me. Calling me Fido of all things. Who does she think she is?

Though I never did expect her to have that kind of backbone. She surprised me, that's for sure. She seemed smart, and confident, once she got past the shock of everything that had happened in those few days. And the way she held herself it was clear that she would definitely make a good lawyer one day, contrary to what I said to her.

She was still rubbing me the wrong way. Having a girl with no wolf act like she could try and tell me what to do. What in the world was the Goddess thinking? I just hope that things work out in the end.

The night before the gathering I had a meeting with the Elders and a neighboring pack Alpha. I was out until the early hours of the morning. When I got back, I noticed the scent of one of Little Bunny's guards down the hallway of the second floor.

I went to investigate. It was one of the newbies, he was an independent that had joined the pack a little over a year ago. He had done well in showing his determination and dedication, so I thought I would give him a shot and try letting him guard her while she was in the house or at school. But as I saw him currently sleeping while sitting on the floor next to the library door, and Little Bunny's scent was clearly telling me she was in the library, perhaps I should reconsider using him.

"What are you doing here?" I growled at him. He jerked awake and stood quickly, shock written on his face.

"Alpha?!" He cried, fear filling his voice.

"Again, what are you doing here Leslie?"

"The Luna wanted to read, so she asked me to bring her to the library."

"And so, you fell asleep while on guard duty?" I asked him sternly. This man would need more training if he was going to be a guard around here.

"Leave, get out of my sight. You had better do your job properly next time, or you'll find out how unforgiving I can be."

"Yes, Sir." He squeaked as he scampered off looking like a little rat. Now to make her go back to her room. Damn, why did I have to be the one to deal with her?

I walked into the room and saw her sitting on the couch near the window, book in hand. But as I got closer, it was clear she was not reading the book. Her head had slumped onto her shoulder, resting against the cushions, and the book was being propped up by her chest.

"Why, in Goddess's name, do I have to be the one to deal with this?" I breathed. But I knew why. I had just sent the guard home. Not to mention she was my mate, the Elders, and most of the people in the pack, would tell me it was my responsibility. "Dammit." I snapped.

I took the book from her hands. Trying to ignore the feeling of her breasts brushing against my hand as I took it from her. I then scooped her up into my arms.

Her hair was hanging loose, causing it to spill down and across my arm. The feeling of that silky sheet of dark brown hair flowing across my skin was almost mystifying. A woman's hair had never affected as much as hers had. I had first noticed it when I fell, literally, nose first into the mass of silky hair.

I leaned my head down and lifted her slightly at the same time. I pressed my nose against her hair, inhaling, drawing in the scent from her hair and neck at the same time. The smell nearly drove my wolf insane. Why does she have to have this power over me? I thought to myself angrily.

I carried her to her room, walking slowly so as not to wake her. Still, her eyes opened ever so slightly as she inhaled deeply, she then spoke one word.

"Reece?" I froze, afraid she had woken and caught me carrying her. I smiled when I saw her drift back off to sleep.

"You sure are a handful." I said.

After laying her in her bed I covered her with a light blanket and left the room. Damn woman is making me do things I never wanted to do. What does she think I am?

The next morning, she acted like she didn't know I had carried her. Which was good. We went through the plan for the ceremony and she was dismissed to her room. Next time I would see her would be in the forest for the gathering. If only I had paid more attention when passing through to the ceremony, but I was running late and didn't have time to pause, I rushed by her without a glance. I didn't care if it hurt her feelings. She was a mate in name only right.

After I had announced to the pack that I had found my mate and I went to retrieve that mate for everyone to see, that was when I saw her for the first time that night. The moon was shining through the trees just enough to make the dress shimmer partially. I could see her perfectly. The gray used on her eyes, the blood-red lips, the little silver moon like beads that seemed to be floating in her hair, the pale moon color of her skin.

The sight of her stopped me in my tracks. I gasped when I saw her. My wolf was switching through howling and panting in my ears. My mate, my mate, my mate. He growled repeatedly. He was chomping at the bit, fighting to get to her. I hauled him back by the scruff of his neck, telling him NO. My wolf growled at me, but he settled onto his haunches.

I led her to the platform and introduced her. A she-wolf of mid-rank was not happy and caused a scene. I was about to end the commotion when Little Bunny's aunt and Noah's mate stepped forward. The aunt smacked the she-wolf so hard she nearly fell on her ass. Then the two put her in her place. The sight was satisfying.

After my momentary shock at seeing the scene passed, I ended all commotion and forced the pack to accept my mate. The Goddess had chosen her, and I had no other choice so neither did they.

Michael performed the vows ceremony. After which it was time for me to mark her. I wish I didn't have to, but there was no getting past it. I pulled her close to me, whispered in her ear to not scream. If she did, they might think her weak. Then I sunk my teeth into her soft tender flesh.

I felt her jerk in my arms. The jolts of heat and electricity began almost immediately. They were passing from me to her with greater intensity with each passing second. The point where my mouth clamped down onto her was the hottest part, but I could feel the heat spreading throughout her whole body. The heat was causing a reaction low in my body.

When all the heat and jolts of electricity were done, and the marking was over, I released her from the bite, licked it once and pulled away from her. Michael announced to the crowd that we were the Alpha and Luna. It was official now. She would have my mark on her forever.

She was weak from the marking and could not stand on her own. I had to have one of the guards carry her. Leslie offered, but strangely she quickly said no, a look of fear in her eyes. Vincent carried her instead. Noah also called his mom and mate and had them go and help her out of the dress and get ready for bed.

I was on my way to her room now, following the ceremony. I saw Vincent outside her door, Leslie was nowhere in sight, his scent long gone. I dismissed Vincent and knocked on the door calling her name.

"Trinity?" She answered it almost immediately. Nerves and a hint of fear clear in her eyes.

What I noticed most when she answered the door, was the skimpy little nightie she was wearing. Was she trying to seduce me? Did she have expectations for this evening?

I growled. I'm not exactly certain why. Frustration? Anger? Arousal? Whatever the reason, the sound rumbled from my chest and caused her to stiffen slightly.

"Reece?" She asked me, confused.

"Hello Little Bunny." I knew she hated the nickname, and that made me smile every time I used it. I saw her eyes tighten in anger.

"I'm not a bunny." She snapped her usual retort. I wonder how long she will continue to object when I use the name.

"We need to talk." I told her, a hint of urgency and command in my voice. I knew that my commands would have less effect on her now that we were officially mated, and she was the Luna. She was not an ordinary pack member now so she would be able to defy me to a certain extent, but I didn't know if she knew that.

"Ok." She answered, stepping aside and letting me into the room. She shut the door behind me.

As soon as we were alone, I turned on her. Pinning her in place with a glare so firm that no one in the pack had ever been able to withstand it. She would most likely cower in fear from it, from me, for the rest of her life.

"What is it?" She asked me, her voice not quite as shaky as I expected. In fact, she looked annoyed. Interesting.

"We need to make a few things clear."

"About what?"

"You and I."

"And?"

"We are nothing." I told her.

"We are mates." She told me.

"In name only. We will never be anything more. Do you understand me? I will never see you as anything more than a means to an end. You're a weak little girl that has no wolf. You will do your duties to the pack and do as you are told. But you and I will never be official mates."

"Really?" She questioned, looking taken aback by my words.

"Yes. I never wanted a mate in the first place. Women are weak. They make you weak. Having you around will only drag me down. Do your best not to drag me or my pack down. You will come with me on pack business. You will attend to the women and children, I will attend to the men, run the pack as a whole, and run my corporation. Unless we have to work together on business, we will have nothing to do with each other." I made my voice as firm and angry as I could. "You are nothing to me." I added.

Her nostrils flared, eyes narrowed, breathing deepened. She was clearly angry.

"I'm nothing to you?" She asked me. "Really? That's rich. I know you feel the mate bond as much as I do."

"That doesn't matter. I can ignore that, and you, just fine."

"Let's just see about that." She mumbled.

"What's that?" I asked her, angered by her words.

"Nothing." She snapped at me. "Fine, I'm nothing to you, you are nothing to me. I didn't choose you either if you remember. I tried to run away. I didn't want to stay here in the first place, but you forced me to, you barbaric brute. Now I am stuck with you for the rest of my life. I have no choice but to be the Luna of your pack." She was nearly hyperventilating as she yelled at me. "Why the hell didn't you tell me any of this before I agreed to be the Luna tonight?" She demanded.

"Simple." I told her. "You wouldn't have agreed to be the Luna if I told you."

"You are damned right I wouldn't." She yelled. "Why the hell would I agree to be the mate for someone who will not treat me as an official mate."

"So are you telling me you expected us to be like a normal mate couple, falling in love, being happy, having a loving family. That will never happen. Eventually we will consummate the bond and have a child to carry on my family line, but other than that, there will never be anything between us."

"Oh, you must be out of your damn mind if you think I'm ever going to let you touch me. If I am nothing to you, then you can't touch me either. After all, you can't touch nothing."

"Oh, really? You think you can resist me?" Her eyes burned with fury at my words.

"Just try me Fido, I will do everything in my power to make sure you never touch me in an intimate way for as long as I live." I growled when she called me that ridiculous dog name again. I stepped across the room, backing her up against the wall. One hand beside her head, the other gripping her chin firmly.

"What did I tell you about calling me Fido, Little Bunny?" I growled at her. "You want to see just what I can do to you?"

"Get off of me." She growled back, pushing against me with all her strength. In her fury she actually managed to move me, to my surprise. "Don't you ever touch me again. I will do my duties to this pack as I have agreed to. But I will never consider you my mate either. You're a self-centered, egotistical, violent brute. I would never fall for a guy like you. So, do me a favor, and stay out of my sight as much as possible, Reece." She put as much of her fury and rage into her voice as possible, turning it into a command. Had I just been a member of the pack I would have been forced to follow her order, but she couldn't make me do anything.

"I will gladly leave you alone until I have a need for you."

"That need will be mutual or you will lose something." She snapped back at me. Her eyes were full of hatred.

"We will see, I'm sure you'll be singing a different tune when the time comes." I rumbled.

"Don't worry, I won't change my mind." She pushed me away from her again and opened her door. "Now get out."

"You can't make me go."

"Wanna bet?" She asked, her voice was nearly hysterical.

"Next time, I won't be nearly as nice as I was today." I told her as I left the room.

She slammed the door behind me.

"He calls that nice?" I heard her yell. "That damn overgrown dog. What an ASSHOLE!" She had to know I could still hear her.