Rejected, Then Reborn
Chapter 38

“Nothing’s working Lacy… just drop it already.” The Alpha King almost growled at her, slightly irritated that after bugging him for so long about there being a connection between them and trying to convince him that though he didn’t feel it yet, they could still work things out, she was now the eager one among them desperately trying to get out of the bond.

To top it all off, he didn’t really think it was a good idea to continue allowing her to keep slicing her thumb like so, because while he, healed after every turn, she, just kept piling up scars on scars. Granted, these were minor scars, and were going to disappear eventually, but there was this part of him, this almost primal part that had suddenly been awakened, a primal part that did not want her harmed in any way.

To say that Lacy was devastated was an understatement.

As a matter of fact, the little human girl was this close to bawling her insides out.

What was it about the Moon Goddess and tormenting her so? For it seemed that whenever she opened her heart up to a new possibility… seemed that whenever she allowed herself to dream, there was always some negative streak to dash it all away, putting her right back where she started, if not worse.

They had tried several instances, so many k****s that had almost turned into something more, so many finger cutting episodes that Lacy was almost certain she had drained every drop of b***d she had in her, and yet, if anything else, she only felt even more attracted to him than when they had even started.

“Is the thought of continuing to stay here that despicable to you?” Lacy heard the Alpha King ask quietly, the words snapping her out of her thoughts. She sighed deeply, wondering how she could explain it to him without hurting his feelings. She didn’t know why, but if anything at all, the ritual that had been meant to tear them apart had brought them even closer than before. She… she could sense his feelings now—well, just snippets— and she had sensed just about enough dismay and anger to make her not want to hurt him in any way. “I—I just want to go back home, Your Eminence,” She answered his question, shrugging slightly. “There’s no way you’re ever going to feel this bond between us, and if you ever do one day, there’s no ignoring the fact that you’ll still be a betrothed man soon to be married, if not married already by then.” She shot him a wry smile, one that felt surprisingly light and sincere despite being the tumultuous wreck she was feeling inside. “One thing I promised myself as a lesson from my marriage, was to never ever come between a family like that. Gods know I got too close to breaking my own promise a few times with you, but never again.” She sighed deeply. “And I can’t even fault you, you know? I can’t even blame you for moving on, because this kind of thing never happens to your kind. It’s just unfortunate on my part, but I’ll be fine. You don’t need to concern yourself about me, I’ll be alright.”

“So, you still want to go back to your human family?”

“Yes. Yes, I still want to.”

“But being far away from me when we haven’t cut off the bond yet will put you in so much distress, won’t it? At least from what I know about it, that’s what’s supposed to happen, right?” In that moment, Reed did not even know why he was fighting her. She was giving him the easiest way out… one that freed him from exposing himself as the bad guy… one that painted him as a good man who had been caught up in the wicked plays of the Sisters of Fate. Why couldn’t he just let her go?

Why did he have to be concerned for her safety?

“I really don’t know,” The human girl answered truthfully, twiddling her thumbs as she thought about it. “But honestly speaking, that’s a way better option than staying here and watching you live your life happily while I stay here and watch.”

“Very well.” Reed nodded and stood up, a resolute look on his face. “You can leave. But you’ll do so in the morning, and not tonight.”

“Why not tonight?” Lacy didn’t even know why she was fighting this, but something about the way he seemed to be ordering her about just kind of set her off. It didn’t matter that it was a dangerous journey and that it’d be stupid of her to take it at such a weird hour, she just didn’t see why he had to care enough about it.

Reed was confused.

Why tonight?

As in she wanted to leave instantly?

But why in the Moon Goddess’s name will she want to put herself in danger like that?

It made him want to dominate her, it made him want to tell her a lot of things… a lot of things that would cancel all the progress and the closure they seemed to be working so hard towards, but he clenched his jaw so hard that he could have sworn it almost cracked, and then he allowed himself to say, “Don’t push it, Lacy… you leave tomorrow.”

“And what happens if I push it?” She shot back, fire shining in her eyes. “Look, I am no longer the slave you made me when I got here, I’m not that naïve girl who came here subdued allowing herself to bend any how you willed it at your command. I’ve done a lot of growing up in the month that I’ve been here, and that growing up has apparently given me a new backbone and some figurative balls while it was at it too.” She took a step forward, closing the gap between them, “I will leave tomorrow, Reed… not because you’re asking me to, but because I am actually aware of the dangers of night travel in the dark forest, and would rather the light of day and some trusted guards of your choosing to see me back home.” She brushed past him to go and open the door to see him out, but he held onto her arm, pulling her back to him like they were dancing salsa. Heat stood in his stormy blues, a proud smirk on his lips, “I should punish you for such pompous words, Lace… but somehow, I am even more aroused than I have ever been before,” Lacy’s own eyes began to darken as wisps of l**t began to travel from his hand right to where he was holding her to her entire body at his words.

“Feel, Lace,” He grabbed her other hand and thrust it down to his hard c**k, encouraging her to press down on it, to feel him up, “Feel what you do me, and tell me if it’ll be hard to let you go,” He murmured harshly, his dark curls framing his face, a few dropping into his eyes, his light stubble making him the very picture of sexiness.

“You promised you’d let me go, Reed,” It didn’t matter that she didn’t address him by his title, his name on her lips felt just right, Reed wanted to hear more and more of it. “Yes, I promised. But what are promises if not meant to be broken?” He leaned in to whisper in her ear, his stubble tickling her senseless, sending toe curling jolts of pleasure down her spine. “Why isn’t it so easy to choose you, everything else be damned?”

“Because everything else is all you’ve known all your life, I believe they should be worth fighting for.” Lacy’s eyes were closed as she relished in the satisfying feel of being where she belonged. It didn’t matter that it were going to end soon, she told herself that she wanted this, as a memoir of sorts to torture herself with when she made it back home, because they both knew that it was going to come eventually.

That dreaded moment.

“You are worth fighting for, Lacy.”

“I know.” She told him, “And that is why I need to get away from you to find someone who can fight for me like I deserve. But tonight, I want to give myself to you, not because it is something that is yours by right… but because I actually want to.” She whispered against his jaw as she peppered k****s along its sharp edges, making her way down to his chin, “Because the thought of actually not knowing what a moment with you would feel like would kill me more than the memories that would haunt me from tonight would.” With that she roughly claimed his lips, silently asking him to give her all he had.

This k**s was an explosion, an almost manic frenzy that surpassed every one they had ever shared.

Lacy could feel him everywhere, and she gave as good as she got, helping him out of his jacket and then out of his shirt. Her mouth never left his as his hands easily found her zipper and then he dragged it down, baring her to him.

It was the only time he pulled away,

To stare at the beauty that stood before him, wearing nothing but black lace panties, her n*****s reaching out to him as though imploring him to taste them, her mouth swollen from the impact of his k****s.

For a second he was frozen.

And apparently, so was Lacy… for that bare chest she had continually fantasized about ever since she saw him that hot afternoon with the Gamma General stared her right in the face. That intricate tattoo on his right chest was before her, she could explore it with her tongue like she had always dreamed off.

“You’re beautiful, Lacy Reynolds.” The words were a reverent whisper, one that meant to adulate her, but only sent a hot blush coating over her entire creamy skin.

Reed was mesmerized.

Seconds ago, they were planning her departure, but now… it did not even matter, now… nothing else did, only her.

“I want to taste you,” He stared fixatedly at her chest, his body moving even before her nod of consent reached his eyes, and boy, taste he did, drawing a loud gasp that changed into a contented sigh and then crescendo-ed into a m**n.

Lacy was in paradise.

Reed suckled and bit and licked until she was a writhing mess in his arms, and then just when he was kissing his way up to reclaim her lips, the door to Lacy’s room opened and Anaya barged in, a horrified scream leaving her lips as she fled back from where she came, closing the door behind her. Surprisingly, even as they pulled away, the two of them burst into laughter, their ability to appreciate the hilarity of the moment bringing them a bit closer even though they both knew that it was inadvertently the end.

The obviousness of their situation was not lost on them though,

They were truly f****d.