I am so sorry for the delay in posting. A personal tragedy took up my time and made writing difficult for a bit. But things are improving. Sorry, there is no editor; I'm doing the best I can. I appreciate all the comments and feedback and look forward to more. Thank you all who have liked my story so far. Hopefully I will get chapter 6 posted very soon.
meelana
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Reyna hung up the phone and sat wondering what she should do next. The information she had just received was troubling. She went and scooped up her two of her sons, twins that were three years old, and gave them a fierce hug. Of course they immediately struggled to be put down and let go. Though she knew that there were times they liked to cuddle and be affectionate, when they were playing, like they were now, they did not want hugs from mom. She sighed as she put them down. She hoped that they would grow up to be just like their father. She then began tidying up toys and other things while she contemplated how to handle the information she had just received.
She was surprised, when she saw Jeremiah walk into the room. He walked directly to her and pulled her into a hug. "What's wrong?" he asked.
She frowned at herself and asked, "I hope I didn't pull you away from something important."
"Love, you know that you are the pups are the most important thing to me. What's got you so upset, I could feel it all the way in my office," Jeremiah said, looking at her tenderly, his love and support absolute.
Reyna blushed, she hadn't realized that she was broadcasting her emotions like that. "Well, I've gotten some news," She began. "I know I shouldn't interfere but I contacted a lawyer to ask what it would take to get a divorce."
Jeremiah frowned, and correctly suggested, "For Amelia?"
Reyna nodded and continued. "The problem is that in this state, you have to be separated for a year before you can get a divorce."
"A year!?" Jeremiah echoed, shocked. Divorce was nothing something common in their world, but it seemed to him that this was an awful long period of time for a human.
Again, Reyna nodded. "The lawyer did say that if physical cruelty could be proved, then the divorce could be expedited."
"Well he was abusing her, which should count," Jeremiah said.
"It should but she would have to prove it. It's been a week since Amelia arrived here. I'm sure that her bruises have faded by now." Reyna said as she laid her head on Jeremiah's shoulder. She still couldn't understand how abuse could happen between mates or spouses. "When you did the background check on her, did it include a medical history?"
"It did not. Maybe you can talk to her and find out about her medical history," Jeremiah suggested.
"Or maybe I can recruit Hannah. Are things still going well at the Inn?" Reyna inquired.
Jeremiah replied, with a smile, "They've never been better. Bringing in Amelia to manage the Inn has been the best idea ever. Grady and Chase said that she's not only gotten everything organized, they are amazed that she's learned just about every pack member's names. They've joked that she's like a little mother hen with all of them, but not smothering. Everyone at the Inn adores her."
"Is she still working those long days, though?" Reyna asked as her brown puckered with concern.
Jeremiah was temporarily distracted by this and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He then kissed down to her nose and then to her lips and before either of them knew it, his tongue was slipping into her mouth to stroke hers.
Reyna was always amazed at how he could touch her and kiss her and still turn her on. Even after children and several years together. Looking at them, she was sure that no one would guess that she was the older of the pair, by almost a decade. She had thought she would never find someone. She had trained as a female beta and longingly watched other women with their children. She would be forever grateful that she had found Jeremiah.
Unfortunately, before the interlude could go too far the dual sounds of, "Eww, gross," and "Do you have to do that in here?" were sounding in their ears. The pair parted a little to see their 12-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son standing there.
"One day you will do stuff like this too," Jeremiah teased them as he looked down into Reyna's eyes. Then he heard his daughter mutter, "I hope not," while his son said, "No way!"
"Everyone get cleaned up for dinner," Reyna said, breaking the eye contact reluctantly and looking to her children. "We'll be going to the dining hall soon." She smiled at the chorus of groans, but since they were all fairly well-behaved, they did as she asked. She turned back to Jeremiah and prompted, "Amelia?" picking up the thread of their conversation again.
"Yes, she is still working really long days. I don't know how to stop her though, do you?" he said with a sigh.
"No, I don't," Reyna acknowledged.
"It's like she feels like she has something to prove," Jeremiah remarked off-handedly.
"Well of course she does," Reyna said with a laugh. "She has to prove that we made a good decision by 'hiring' her."
"If she works herself into exhaustion, and the Alpha finds out, he'll probably take it out on both of us," Jeremiah reminded her dryly.
"So I guess I need to go out there and try and talk to her," Reyna sighed. She could not help but ask, "And how is Alpha Brendan?"
"Very distracted and agitated. Most are giving him a wide berth right now."
"Has he seen her since she left?"
"No, and I know he wants to."
"Should we tell him about the divorce requirements?"
"Not yet," Jeremiah rubbed his own forehead and walked to the window. "I think whoever delivers that message its likely to be 'shot.' Besides, maybe she does have a medical history that can prove abuse. Or she has some bruises and we can get pictures, or something."
"That's not going to be easy. She hid them when she was here before, and didn't Hannah say that she hadn't seen any either. And that she's kept pretty covered up."
"Well there's got to be something we can do." Jeremiah said. He was not used to inaction. He also couldn't imagine what he would have done if Reyna had rejected him.
"Since I interrupted, do you need to go back down to the office, or are you able to come to dinner with us?" Reyna asked.
"I was finishing up anyway," Jeremiah responded. "Besides, the early to dinner, then the earlier to bed for the pups, right?" He stalked closer to Reyna and pulled her back into her arms and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "And then I can pick up where we left off before we were interrupted." Then he lightly bit her ear and heard her give a small groan. He was quite pleased that he could arouse her so easily sometimes. Loving her would never get old.
At the Inn Amelia was oblivious to the discussions about her. She sat at the desk in the office while another was at the front desk. In a little while she would go and relieve the person at the front desk so that they could grab something to eat.
She took a minute though and closed her eyes. She was so tired, but she had to keep pushing herself. For one thing, she wanted to be the best manager this Inn had ever had. She had mastered almost everyone's names now, but there were still two or three she did not have down.
Of course, she knew proving herself was not the only reason. She hoped that if she worked really hard and got herself tired enough she could have a night of sleeping without dreams. Ever since she had been here she had been having either horrible nightmares or sexually explicit dreams. In the nightmares her husband kept finding her and hitting her over and over until her blood was all over the ground. After one of those nightmares she could never go back to sleep. And if she was not dreaming of John, she was dreaming of Brendan. In her dreams of Brendan, he was holding her and kissing her like he had that day in his office.
She had not felt sexual desire in years, but with Brendan she had. His touch had made her light up and a tiny part of her wondered what it would be like to belong to him, but her fear outweighed that part by far. Yet, if she was honest with herself, she also recognized that she wanted to see Brendan again. She wondered how he was doing and if he still thought she was his mate.
The ringing of the telephone interrupted her internal musings. "Luna Inn; this is Amelia. How can I help you?"
