The Alpha CEO’s Unloved Wife

Broken 

On Tuesday morning, Jane woke beneath Baron, his body over and within her, as all their brief periods of sleep through-out her heat had been spent, and found that, in her sleep, she had put her arms around him, her palms against the skin of his back, holding him tightly to her, and her face was turned in to his, her cheek against his and her lips against the point at which shoulder met neck.

She stayed still, her eyes closed, luxuriating in the feel of him against her. This was, she thought, how lovers and mates lay, wrapped, and tangled in each out, skin to skin, body to body, cheek to cheek.

His phone began to chime, and after a moment he groaned, and reached out over her towards the bedside table without moving his body. She reached up and pulled it down to where he could reach it. 

"Thank you,” he said against her neck, before answering it. “Yes?”

“Sorry to disturb you, Mr Western,” the woman on the other side of the phone apologised.

He sighed heavily. “Yes, Judith?”

“The paperwork on the purchase of the brewery has arrived and is ready for

signing, the jeweller has sent through an estimate on that piece you ordered, the Gleesons have asked to reschedule for tomorrow, the architect has plans on the extension ready for review, an invitation has arrived for a masquerade ball at the Adairs, and the bank called about the…”

and groaned as he pushed himself up. He rolled over onto his back. “I can come into the office in approximately two hours,”

you, Mr Western.”

to face Jane. “Your heat has

“Yes,” she agreed.

nodded, and rolled away, out of the bed. He pulled on his trousers, shoved his feet into his

holding the sheets against her

She showered and viewed the contents of her closet with frustrated disgust. Plain Jane, she thought. She certainly dressed that way, every item

on a simple black dress and heels, before catching up her bag. She would go shopping, she decided. It was not as if she had anything better to do with her day, anyway. In the weeks since marrying Baron, her days had become echoingly empty of activity and people. At least, whilst she had been on heat, she thought, she’d had Baron for company, but now, his return to work made the emptiness of the day before

 into the suburban street. She drove into the city and parked her car in a secured car park before walking down and onto the street. She browsed through the designer shops,

customer valuation system the store clerks used, she thought, she did not register as a serious shopper. Inevitably they would zero in on someone who arrived after her and ignore her

normally buy or wear, but because she could see Angelique in it. She set her shoulders, bit back on her teeth, and

the next store, a thick pile of clothing passing in and out, and a hanger already devoted either to purchases or rejects, Jane did not know, as she closed the

stared at her reflection in shock, a smile slowly creeping across her face. Not such a plain Jane in the right dress, she thought turning to see her reflection at different angles, her hands stroking the

woman said. “Knowing