n

n

n~~

nTrinity

n~~

nI didn't have to wait long to talk to Reece again. Two days later, I had just accepted a delivery of gifts that I needed to wrap for Christmas, I ran into Reece on the stairs.

n

"What's all that Little Bunny?

" He looked at the many, many packages in my arms.

n

"Christmas presents.

" I answered without looking at him or stopping.

n

"Seriously, you're doing this again?

" He complained?

n

"What exactly am I doing Reece?

" I asked as I struggled to hold on to all the packages in my arms. They weren't heavy, not for someone with enhanced strength. No, my issue was the fact that I was smaller than people like Reece. I had smaller arms and hands than he did. I'm sure he would have no problem carrying them all, but I was struggling.

n

"You're ignoring me again.

" He sounded petulant.

"What gives? Is this becoming a hobby of yours?

" I couldn't see him as I had already moved past him, but I could hear him coming up behind me.

n

"I'm not ignoring you. I answered you, didn't I?

" I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of him in that moment, but I just didn't have the opportunity, my precariously perched piled chose that moment to topple over.

"No! Dammit!

" I growled the two words in quick succession before they could fall as I watched them unbalance.

nThe next thing I saw was Reece's arms reaching around me from behind, grabbing the stack of boxes and bags that had begun to spill. He kept them all from falling with ease.

n

"Why did you order so much?

" He snapped, but he didn't really sound upset, he sounded like he was laughing at me.

n

"My list of people to shop for got a lot bigger this year. Since I have met a lot of new people. Before I have only ever shopped for my family and no one else, this is the first time I have shopped for someone other than them.

" Being this honest with him, I could feel the blood rushing to my face, I looked to the floor trying to hide my embarrassment. Why did I have to be so pathetic, so different from everyone else?

n

"Let me help.

" He said. Without waiting for an answer, he lifted most of the pile up and over my head. I looked over my shoulder in awe and I saw him holding them easily as he stared at me apathetically.

"What?

" He asked me as if I was the one that had done something strange.

"Let's go.

" He was acting like I asked for his help and was now wasting his time. Don't snap at him, he's helping me. I had to remind myself three times before taking a deep breath and walking the rest of the way to my room.

nReece didn't wait for me to invite him in, he just went inside and walked over to the table by my desk, setting the packages down before turning to me.

n

"Who all did you buy for?

" He looked like a little kid trying to see if they were getting a toy too.

n

"My family, my friends, my guards, the staff, your mother.

" I told him, waiting to see the look on his face when I didn't mention his name.

n

"Hmm, should have known you wouldn't get anything for me.

" He frowned looking at the pile.

n

"Oh, yours was delivered yesterday.

" This was true, as they had been picked up from three very specific stores in town by Juniper. There was another one on its way, possibly in the pile there, but that wasn't an important one. I noticed the shock and slight excitement as it flitted across his face, it was kind of cute to see him acting like a normal person for once.

n

"Really?

" I nodded my head.

"What did you get me?

" He grinned.

n

"Now why would I tell you that?

" Laughing, I glared at him and went to start sorting the packages. They were all ones I had ordered from the same website, he most likely had one in this mix, but he wouldn't realize it even if he saw it.

n

"So, you're just a tease, huh?

" His voice was suddenly right next me, his breath tickling my ear as it stirred the hairs that had come loose from the ponytail that I had pulled it all into. I shivered at the feeling but refused to give in.

n

"Not in the least. It's not teasing if you dangle a treat in front of a puppy when training it, isn't that what you're supposed to do. Dangle the reward so they want to follow their orders and behave?

" I fought the urge to shiver again and refused to turn my head and look at him.

n

"Keep calling me a dog, and I'll show just how much of a dog I really am.

" He whispered in my ear, it was both seductive and playful and I could hear a laugh in his voice.

n

"Actually, I called you a puppy.

" I giggled turning my head just a little to the right so I could see the slightest edges of his face. I had turned more than I had intended, and I saw the heated look in his eyes, the sight of which shocked me and scared me just a little.

n

"Huh! Hey, Little Bunny, what's up with your mark?

" He asked me. I had never noticed that Reece hadn't seen my mate mark since the day he had bitten me. I immediately put my hand up and covered my mark. The collar of the thin, black, long sleeved, cloth jacket I was wearing must have shifted enough for him to see my neck and shoulder more clearly.

nMy mark still hadn't fully formed, even after over two months. I was beyond embarrassed by the incomplete mark. And to add to my humiliation, the state of the mark left it unsightly. It was currently a larger than average pack seal surrounded by nothing more than a giant gray cloud. Unless the gray cloud was Reece's personal twist on the mark like every man had something special that they left on their mate. Maybe Reece Gray left his in the form of a giant gray cloud, and maybe his mark was larger because he was the alpha. I just didn't know.

n

"Let me see it.

" He demanded pulling my hand gently away from my neck.

n

"I don't think it ever finished.

" I told him sadly.

n

"It doesn't look like it, does it?

" He agreed, tracing the crest with his finger.

n

"Stop!

" I demanded as I took a small step away from him. I knew we were having a decent conversation, and that my overreaction could very well set us back again, but I wasn't ready for him to touch me so intimately. I had let him be suggestive, let him whisper into my ear, but he hadn't actually touched me then.

n

"What's the matter?

" He looked confused when I turned to look him in the eyes, I almost felt like I could see a small amount of pain hidden in his eyes.

n

"I'm not a toy for you to play with whenever you feel like.

" I told him. I know he was trying to force himself to be nice to me, and I knew his end goal here. But I will not be an outlet for someone who hates me.

"I will not be your outlet Reece. If you want satisfaction, then go get it from yourself. I told you, you're not getting anything from me. Not unless it was a mutual thing.

" He was confused as he looked at me.

n

"I was only looking at your mark.

" He smirked like I had the wrong idea.

n

"Yeah, and you were intentionally suggestive. And you can look at the mark without touching it.

"

n

"What's the matter with you? We were actually getting along just fine for once.

" He seemed sad as he said this last part, like he wanted it to go on.

n

"But I know I am nothing more than a distraction to you Reece. You have nothing, or no one, better to distract you right now so you chose me to fill that role. But I won't be that kind of distraction for someone who hates me.

" I could feel the tears stinging the back of my eyes.

nWhy was I about to cry? I asked myself, even though I already knew the answer. Ever since day one, I had been slowly falling in love with him, even with what he had said to me. I couldn't help it, my body made it happen, the mate bond, everything that bound us drew me to him. I just wished he felt a fraction of what I felt for him. I was already so in love with him.

nAnd let's not add the attraction to that. Oh Goddess, the attraction. I could set a forest fire with the heat of the attraction I had for him. But he felt nothing but hatred, animosity, and apathy. That was always clear by the way he looked at me.

n

"Fine, I'll be leaving.

" He sighed in a resigned voice. Hanging his head in defeat as he left the room without another word. I felt a little better when he was gone, but I also felt lonely the minute he was gone.

n

"Why does he have to hate me?

" I sobbed to myself after he left.

n*~*~*~THE NEXT CHAPTER IS THIS SAME SCENE FROM REECE'S POV SKIP IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN SEEING THE SAME SCENE FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE. YOU WILL GAIN WHAT HE WAS THINKING DURING THIS EXCHANGE~*~*~*

n