He kept looking at her and breathing hard.

Panting almost.

And she saw his eyesglowing just for a moment there, knowing what it meant.“There is a big difference, Riannon!” the Alpha looked at her with menace in hereyes,“ Roxanne is my mate! I can’t help it!”“And he was a lycan king.

I can’t help it either,” she said, “No one says no to him,Brayden.

Not even you.

Not to mention that MY wolf was in pain, and he helpedto distract her and took care of both of us better than...”He groaned painfully and then grabbed the whole massive desk and threw it atthe wall, clearing the space between them.“You are my wife!” he growled, “You were supposed to come to me if you neededcomfort!”“Really, Brayden? After everything?” she cocked her brow up at him, “It’s like youdon’t know me at all!”He closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing.

Deep inside he knew that shewas right and that he needed to fix that, not make it worse.

Threatening and forcewould never work with someone like Riannon as she was an Alpha herself.

Heknew that far too well.

This would only push her further away from him.

And now,knowing that she had been with another and...

enjoyed that.., that another manhad been her consolation while he was too entranced into his omega mate, wasmaking him crazy mad.His chest tightened.

He couldn’t be losing Riannon.

His perfect wife.

His perfectLuna.She was his.

He wanted her back.

He wanted to fix all that and make her forgetabout his mistakes and about that other man who was making moves while hewas distracted.

They had been together for years and he knew everything that she liked.

Theyhad many quarrels in the past and he always found a way to appease her.

Hewould find such a way now too.Starting with the obvious...He had made just a few steps in her direction, but she stood up from her chairand walked to the window, trying to avoid the pieces of her broken desk scatteredall over the floor.

She knew that he wanted to caress her, to try and seduce herand make her forget about everything.

As if he forgot about one of theiranniversaries and not betrayed the bond that they both chose.Brayden slowly shifted in her direction, standing behind her and wrapping hisarms instead of her relaxing into his arms, he felt her trying to struggle and getout.“Ri, let’s finish all this,” he murmured in her ear, “You know I love you.

You wearmy mark.

You are my wife, my Luna...

I am sorry.

For everything.”She did not know how to get rid of him.

Just the thought of him touching herrepulsed her.

Even being this close she felt like she was betraying Gideon.

Sheknew she would have to endure living with her husband a few more days, butsleeping with him was out of the question.“Brayden,” she tried to remove his hands but he attempted to keep her in placeinstead,“ Let me go.”“I missed you so much,” he ignored her completely as he lifted her in his armsand went in the direction of the bed, “We need to reconcile.

And I am not takingno for an answer.”“You will have to!” she gasped and kicked him in the abdomen right as he threwher to the bed.

“Ri!” he growled at her and grasped her hands tightly, yanking her whole bodyback up.“I am serious, Brayden! I am not in the mood!” she yelled at him and prepared tohit him again if she had to.

The bad news was that he was stronger than her.

Butat least she never considered him capable of taking a woman by force.

Shehoped that she was right about this now more than ever.“Ri,” he pulled her into a hug and tucked his head into her neck again, “What dowe do now? How do we fix this?”She sighed, knowing very well that right now he was inhaling her scent that wasstill mixed with Gideon’s.

And it probably only made him angrier.“What do you want me to say?” she pushed him away and distanced herself fromhim.“Tell me what I can do to mend this.

I will do anything! Whatever you want, babe,”Brayden looked desperate at this point but she did not buy it.Unfortunately for him, they already had a similar conversation in the past whenshe spoke of their divorce for the first time after she couldn’t tolerate Roxyanymore.

But he was against it.

He promised her things.

Things that he did notfulfill later.

And then he dumped her off the cliff...

Metaphorically, of course.

But itstill hurt the same.This was why she did not have any moral problem going on with their plan withGideon.

Brayden had a part to play in it as well.“I don’t know what could be done here,” she sighed, “I guess I need time toforget.

But...”“No, tell me, Ri,” he placed his palms onto her shoulders.“I want to be heard, Brayden! I want to be supported!” she said and noticed therelief in his eyes.

Of course, the reasonable thing would be to demand him get rid

of his mate.

Yet she did not go there.“Okay,” the Alpha nodded simply, “I am ready to give you that.”“Then let me finish my work on that women rights law I‘ve been working with kingGid...”“No!” he snapped in less than a second, “Don’t even say his name!”“Very well,” she rolled her eyes, “But you do realize that He Who Shall Not BeNamed wouldn’t abandon that project.

He likes it and he needs it as he is tryingto change the image of lycans.

From ruthless to at least civilized.

He would wantto finish it and propose it at the next Alpha summit.

And for that he needs me.

AsI do the heavy lifting here.”He did not say anything this time and it got her worried, so she continued.“You don’t even care...”, she tried to walk away, but the Alpha caught her andheld her close to him.“How sure are you in this project of yours?” Brayden asked.

In his mind, he wascalculating ways to use all that to his advantage.“Don’t insult me at least!” she snorted, “It is my project from top to bottom! I haveno doubts about it!”“Then I will make sure it gets approved, Ri.

I swear to you, you wouldn’t have togo to that lycan ever again!” the werewolf in front of her now looked very excited.He loved to be the star of the summits.

He sure as hell would be one soon.“Very well,” his wife shrugged her shoulders, “At least that’s some kind of a startfor us.” “See?” he smiled at her, “We are still a team.

Still, a force to be reckoned with.”

“That we are,” she agreed and his grasp on her became tighter, his breathingragged.

She distanced herself at once to avoid any kind of confusion.

“I will needto speak to quite a few alphas to explain to them the law.”“We will take a few each,” Brayden suggested, “To save time.”“Good idea,” she praised him.

This was turning out better than she hoped.“So,” he smiled at her, “Am I forgiven?”“Of course, not!” she rolled her eyes, “This is just step one, Bray.

After this isdone – then we talk about what’s next.” support as I can.” He was still slightlyunsatisfied that he didn’t get her to fall into his hands, but at least there wasn’t arift between them anymore.

He addressed the issue and dealt withJust a little bit more time and effort, and he would get her back in his bed too.“Thank you,” she said.“Don’t thank me yet, Ri,” he smirked, “I have a condition.” Every muscle in herbody got tense.“What is it?” she quirked her brow up.“A kiss,” now he simply looked smug and she wanted to facepalm, but she knewthat too much was at stake.“A kiss?” she repeated.“Yes,” the Alpha brushed his thumb over her lower lip, “A kiss.

Just one kiss...Unless you wouldn’t want to stop afterwards.”Brayden was sure that as soon as she gave in, he would find his way back intoher heart.

And bed.“Fine! Deal!” she decided to go with it, “Bun until then keep your distance! I amserious, Bray.

I want to see how serious are you about it.”

“I am very serious,” this time he caught her hand and brought it to his lips withoutbreaking their eye contact, “You’ll see.”“I sure hope so,” she sighed and took her hand away, “And now give me somespace.

There are a lot of things I need to think about.

Too many...”“Fine,” he had to agree with her.

Even though he did not want to leave so soon.But Brayden knew that she needed time.

He needed some too.

There was nohurry.He prepared to leave when he turned to face her again.“Ri, I need to read that law of yours,” he said firmly and this was something shewas ready for.“Of course,” she agreed with ease, “I will send you the file.

As soon as I get all ofthis sorted.”She gestured at the mess he made and he felt guilty.

But not too much.

However,this was when Ash mind linked him about something important and he had toleave.Riannon sighed as the door closed behind him.

Phase one was done.

brokendesk.

It was getting late and she was surprised that when she walked out of thebathroom, wearing nothing but a flimsy silk robe, her bedroom was dark.

Shelooked for a switch but when she pressed it, it did not work.“What the hell?!” she muttered under her breath and wanted to go and get herphone to use the build-in torch, when she noticed an unfamiliar figure standing atthe entrance to her balcony with curtains blown by the wind, covering his facefrom her.But she knew exactly who that was...magic