Chosen by Fate, Rejected by the Alpha

I could feel something wrapped around me, and my face was pressed against something firm, yet strangely soft. I wasn't used to the feeling, but I remembered it. It was exactly what I felt when I woke up the day Reece slept in my room.

I opened my eyes slowly. The room was dark but I could still make out Reece's firm, naked chest in front of my face. His arms were wrapped tightly around me, holding me to him. I could not move away from him at all without waking him. 

I turned my head slightly, so my face wasn't pressed directly into his chest. The movement hurt, but not as much as I thought it would. I remembered the excruciating pain I had been in before I had passed out from sheer pain and exhaustion. But still, I let out a small cry of pain.

"Mhn." I tried to stifle the sound so I didn't disturb Reece, but I felt him stiffen instantly.

"Little Bunny." He called out squeezing me a little tighter.

"I'm fine Reece." I assured him. "Though I won't be if you keep squeezing me so tight." I giggled softly as I felt him release me and pull away. The loss of his warmth was almost painful in and of itself. My body wanted to be close to him, and I didn't know how much longer I had with him, knowing what I found out recently.

"You're awake." He smiled radiantly before hugging me to him again, gently but still firmly. "I thought I had lost you forever.

I was confused, but happy. I wasn't used to a Reece that acted like this. If it could stay like this I would be happy. If things like this were the normal between us and we didn't have all the problems we've had to deal with.

Reece's arms loosened around me again and he pulled back, but his hands remained on my waist. That was when I realized, I wasn't wearing anything. 

"Um, Reece, why am I naked?" I asked him apprehensively.

"Uh, because your clothes were destroyed when you turned into a wolf last night. Don't you remember?" He seemed concerned.

"Vaguely. Was it just last night?" I asked him jokingly. "I feel rested for the first time in I don't know how long." I laughed. "How long was I gone?"

"You don't know?" He seemed surprised. I shook my head.

"No, they knocked me out before taking me there and I woke up in that cellar. I lost consciousness several times while I was in there, but I never knew how long I was out for. And torture feels like it lasts for hours, I never knew how long I was awake. If you were to ask me, it felt like I was gone for a week at least, but sometimes I would say less, others more." I saw the pain in his eyes at my words, like he was hurting physically from just hearing it.

"I'm so sorry Trinity." He said the words softly as he pulled me gently to him again for a brief hug. "I'm sorry it took me so long to find you. I'm sorry you were there for so long."

"How long was I there?"

"Fifty-two hours. That's how long it took me to find you." He sounded so remorseful.

"That's it. A little over two days? It definitely felt like longer." I commented.

"I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault Reece." I tried to reassure him.

"But if I would have just taken you with me like you wanted, none of this would have happened." He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against mine, I could no longer see his face clearly. "But I thought I knew what was best. Noah and I both thought you would be safer if you stayed home. We didn't think, not for a moment, that anything like this would happen if we left you at home."

I could hear the pain, and regret in his voice. I couldn't put this Reece together with the Reece that I've always known. He was acting so differently. What had he gone through to bring about this change? What had made him act so differently?

"Reece, what happened to you?" I pulled back and asked him without thinking. My head was tilted in confusion.

"What do you mean? Nothing happened to me."

"You're just not acting like yourself." He raised an eyebrow. "You're acting completely different than you did before."

"Little Bunny." He sighed. "I know I've messed up in the past, but haven't we moved on. Haven't I already proven that I care about you."

"In what way? Because we've slept together? That doesn't prove anything Reece, except that you're a horny male and I was a willing female." He growled as I finished my little rant.

"It meant a hell of a lot more than that to me, and I hoped it would have meant more to you too."

"Oh it did. It meant a lot to me for several reasons." I blushed, thinking of all those reasons.

"Yeah, and what reasons are those?" He smirked mischievously.

"W-w-well i--it was my first time for one." I tried to hide my face in embarrassment but he held my head in place with my chin.

"And?" He encouraged me to continue.

"W-w-well." I stuttered, unable to talk. "W-w-why did it mean a lot to you?" He grinned wickedly causing me to swallow convulsively.

"There were several things important about those two nights to me." He leaned forward as he spoke. "First, there is the fact that I have never before been with the same woman more than once, so that was a first for me too." He kissed me softly on the forehead as he spoke. "Also, I have never spent an entire night with someone, so that was a first as well." He kissed the tip of my nose this time. "And lastly, there's the fact that it was the first time I have ever been with someone I am in love with. I'd say that made it really special for me." He was smirking as he leaned toward me. I was frozen in shock as he came closer, unable to move.

Reece pressed his lips to mine. Soft and gentle. It was a kiss that was meant to convey love, affection, and adoration. It was sweet, tender, and loving. I had never felt so loved as I did in that moment.

When Reece pulled Back I was still staring at him in shock.

"Little Bunny?" He asked me, concerned.

"Sorry, I think I'm just in a state of shock."

"Why?" There was a laugh in his voice. He clearly knew why but wanted me to say it.

"Did you just say what I think you said?" 

"I don't know, what do you think I said?" He laughed.

"Th-that you...that you...that you love me." I could feel my heart beating a mile a minute, it felt like it was about to beat right out of my chest.

"That depends, how does that make you feel?" He asked me, his voice aloof and still playful. I just continued to stare at him, dumbfounded. His face fell, the laughter fading. "How do you feel about me, Little Bunny?" He asked, a hint of worry filling his voice.

"Well." I turned my head in embarrassment. "I-I love you." 

"I love you Little Bunny." He sighed happily as he pulled me toward him in a tight embrace. "I love you so much. I wish I never said those hurtful things to you. I'm just so glad that we have been able to move on and get to this point." I hugged him back, holding him against me. "I never meant what I said back then. I never rejected you, I never hated you. I just thought that I was protecting you by keeping you at a distance from me."

"I know that now, Reece. But let's never do that to each other again, ok."

"I promise Little Bunny. You couldn't get away from me now if you tried." He locked his arms around me tightly, holding me more firmly against him.

"You're going to have to let me go at some point." I laughed.

"Nope, ain't gonna happen." He laughed right back at me.

"Well, will you let me go long enough to take a bath?" I smirked as I tried to pull away.

"No, I'll just go with you."

At those words Reece threw the blankets back and stood. The air didn't really feel chilly or cold to me. What felt cold was the absence of his body next  to mine. But he just turned, put one knee on the bed and picked me up in a princess carry with an arm under my knees and the other around my shoulders.

He held me close against him and I snuggled his chest as he walked toward the bathroom.

"Reece, where are we?" I asked, as I realized this place was not in our home.

"We're at the pack house of another alpha. He helped me to find you, I owe him a lot."

"Where?" I emphasized that part of my question.

"Black Canyons."

"They took me that far?" I felt my eyes pop. "They went through a lot to get to me." I mumbled.

"I didn't care if they took you to the moon, I would have found a way to get you back." His words made me smile as I buried my face against him.