Reese’s POVOmegas made two lines and Reese instantly felt like a deer trapped in spotlights. Troy, next to her, squeezed her hand and stepped forward, nodding his head at his people. They smiled and bowed their heads as Reese and Troy made their way to the front door of the packhouse and outside to where the warriors also made two human walls.Troy led Reese to the pack hall situated a few yards away from the packhouse. Lights blinked against the dark sky and the music softened as Troy smiled and stopped right in the doorway. “I give you Alpha Troy Madden and future Luna Reese Willowby!”The applause was loud but more controlled than the Omegas’ had been. Reese saw her parents up ahead where they stood next to Troy’s parents. Troy was stopped every few seconds to shake someone’s hand and make small talk.The pack hall was decorated in black and silver with an occasional slash of green. The tables were scattered around a makeshift dance floor with the Alpha table set up on a dais. She

Reese’s POVReese started running the moment her feet hit the ground. She ran down the paved streets, past houses and little shops. She circled the school, the town square and then headed into the forest. She could sense the border lines around her but she stuck to the footpaths in the forest and just ran.Reese came to a standstill at the glimmering lake. The water sparkled with the sun’s rays and she leaned forward with her hands on her knees, breathing deeply. It was quiet, serene and extraordinarily beautiful.It was late spring and already warm, warmer than in White Moon territory. Reese toed off her runners and socks and waded into the water. She dove underneath the water and turned on her back once she broke through the surface.The water was crisp, smelled clean and a light breeze ruffled the surface of the lake. Reese wondered what Cleo was doing. She smiled then, Cleo was most probably still sleeping. The pack would celebrate Bryan’s Alpha ceremony at the end of the month on

Reese’s POVReese took a deep breath and opened Troy’s office door. She’d asked Julian to take her there and he hadn’t said a word about her not being allowed to go in, so she decided ‘screw it’ and walked in. Troy sat at the desk and stared out in front of him.He turned to look at her as she closed the door behind her and ripped her shirt open before she lost her nerve. It had clips not buttons and she’d chosen it specifically for this. Troy’s mouth opened as she stood there, flashing him her boobs.“Alpha Troy?” The voice came from behind her and she quickly pulled the two ends of her shirt over her breasts.“We can reconvene again this afternoon,” Troy said and Reese turned her head and looked over her shoulder. She looked at the faces of twenty Japanese men on a large screen and she felt her ears burn.Holy shit! She’d just flashed Troy in the middle of an international business meeting. The screen darkened and Reese turned back to look at Troy. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. She’d only meant

Reese’s POVReese woke up and stretched her arms over her head. Her eyes snapped open as she realized that she’d be getting married in a few hours. Holy double decker shit! She wasn’t ready and she was sure now too that Troy wasn’t ready either.There had to be more to this arranged marriage than what her father was telling her and she had no idea who to ask. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was barely eight am. She had a few hours.Reese pulled a robe over her pajamas, not wanting to be caught unawares again, and waded out of the bedroom. She could smell bacon wafting from the kitchen. She was surprised to find Drake there but no Troy.“Morning,” Reese said and yawned.“Good morning, Reese. I took the liberty of making your breakfast this morning. I thought bacon would be better than a smoothie,” Drake said with a grin.“You thought right,” Reese said with a smile of her own. “Where’s Troy?”“On a conference call with Japan so I wouldn’t advise rushing in th

Reese’s POVThey drove to the edge of Troy’s territory and the town’s docks. Troy transferred their luggage and then opened her door. He carried her to the boat and Reese had to laugh at his antics. She was still wearing her wedding dress and the sun had just set.“Where are we going?” Reese asked as they settled in the boat.“We’re going to Saxon Island. It’s borders are protected by magic and can’t be located without the rune,” Troy said and patted his pocket.He started the boat and eased them out of the docks and into the open water of another larger lake that bordered no man’s land. Their trip took twenty minutes and Reese gasped as they crossed an invisible border and the island appeared out of the blue.Her hair whipped about her face but Reese smiled. She could see the dock and about a hundred yards inland was a beach style house nestled in the groves of trees. It was spectacularly beautiful and she felt relaxed instantly. A week of bliss.What the fuck? Where had that thought