Myths & Rejections

Chapter 11 - Don't Go Into the Water

Word Count : 5167

Reese

Reese had to admit the rooms were super nice here, but he was dreading the bill when it came time to leave. Staying at the Ritz, he laughed to himself, never thought that would be happening. It's a good thing he'd learned to manage the finances and make the pack money. He took a shower and changed into some clean clothes and got ready to head down to the dining room to meet the guys, then he would take a long walk on the beach, since they were here, he might as well try to enjoy it.

He entered the restaurant and saw Adam and Callum in deep conversation and sighed, they were plotting no doubt.

"Hey guys." Reese said, sitting down and motioning to the server.

"This place is amazing, huh?" Adam said, looking around. "Never thought we'd be staying in a hotel like this. I would have booked us a cheaper place, but this was the only hotel on the island. Gotta say, this whole place is like paradise."

"If you can take the heat." Callum laughed. "Been sitting under the AC and I still haven't cooled back off yet."

"I'm planning on checking out the beach a little later, probably nice with the breeze once the sun has gone down." Reese said. "So what are you plotting?"

"We're going to pick up another couple of rental cars in the morning and I'm going to run over to Celie's gallery tomorrow afternoon, see if she'll see me alone." Adam said, he held up his hand before Reese could say anything. "If she throws me out, I'll leave, I swear."

"I'm going with you." Reese said.

"No, I want to talk to her alone..." Adam started protesting.

"It wasn't a request, Adam." Reese stopped him. "I'll stay outside, you can talk as long as you want, but I don't trust you where Celie is concerned, and she is not as strong as Harper.   Harper will hand Callum his ass if he steps over the line, and Harper is not his mate, so rejection is easier for him to take. But Celie is not as strong as Harper, and she is your mate, I just don't trust you to take no for an answer the first time you hear it."

Adam glared at Reese, but he couldn't argue with his alpha when he gave a direct order, no matter how much he disagreed. But he understood where Reese was coming from, he realized Reese really was trying to protect Celie, even though Adam knew he wouldn't hurt her, he couldn't guarantee he would leave quickly even if she asked him to.

"But she accepted my rejection! I have to talk to her; I have to get her to accept me before her second chance comes along and takes her from me forever." Adam pleaded.

"I said you can talk as much as you want, but I'm not going to let you force her into anything. Just being here and pressuring her is illegal, you realize that right? The laws my parents wrote state you can't force her, I would have to consider that, as your alpha."

Adam said nothing else, just stared down at his menu, his appetite gone.

"What about you, how are you taking all this?" Callum asked carefully, he didn't want to piss Reese off, but he wanted to know what was going on in his head.

"She made herself clear. I'd like to speak to her alone, of course, and speak my mind a little more clearly and personally, but if she insists I go away, I will." Reese said, though he knew it would be one of the hardest things he would ever do. "She's married, she has a life here, as much as I'd like to have my mate, she would never leave here, and I will never leave my pack. So either way, it's impossible. You were right earlier, she will never go back to the pack, there are too many bad memories, and too people who hurt her, people she never wants to see or deal with again, I have to accept that."