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Chapter 108: Inquisition De-Brief
Last Updated:
2024-07-20 21:57:12
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Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Author Note
I am SOOOOOOOO sorry for the lack of recent updates.Not to make excuses, but I am deathly allergic to lilies and lavender (true anaphylactic reactions)... and was inadvertently forced to officiate a wedding in a lavender field over the weekend (long story). The allergy attack and following migraine did not go well.I hope to get back to daily-ish updates tomorrow.I am sorry that this is the second time I've had to go MIA on this book.
Last Updated : 2024-07-24Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 109: Time Together
(Piper POV)On Thursday morning, I woke up to the wonderful feeling of being wrapped in Leo’s huge, strong arms. His scent was all around me, and like always during that time period, it brought me a sense of comfort and safety.The last few days had been wonderful. In fact, they were the happiest days that I had had since leaving Blue Ridge. I still missed my family, friends, and my pack… and yes, even Xander… but I knew that I would soon get to see them again, right after the wedding. My excitement of finally being reunited with them easily overpowered my homesickness.With respect to Leo and I, things were going great. Our days had been mostly filled with wedding planning and entertaining the Brogans, though, which left very little time for us to simply hang out or talk about any of the serious stuff, including the secrets that he continued to hold onto. The little time that we got alone usually happened before bed or when we woke up in the morning. Because I cherished this ti
Last Updated : 2024-07-27Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 110: Their Connection
(Leo Bloodstone POV)After breakfast with my family, Piper and I went to see the pack doctor. I still had a bad feeling about Xander’s f&&king herbs, and I wanted to have Piper’s vitals checked again. I also wanted to find out if Dr. Tuttle or his nephew had come up with any viable plans that would allow Piper to stop taking them.Spoiler alert: They hadn’t.That was not the news that I wanted to hear, and I made that well known when I grabbed Kade-the-nephew by the collar and slammed him against the wall. Of course, my reaction had as much to do with Kade’s cocky attitude and the way that he continued to look at Piper as it did my frustration with the f&&king herbs.Dr. Tuttle was used to my temper, and he tried to calm me down. His nephew, however, seemed amused by it. “Alpha, if you are worried that you cannot take care of your bride, I would be happy to help,” he taunted.“KADE!!!!” Dr. Tuttle exclaimed.I pulled my arm back, ready to punch him, but Piper grabbed onto my arm
Last Updated : 2024-07-28Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 111: Inner Conflict
(Piper POV)As soon as the guard announced that there was a fire at Ingrid’s house, I saw and felt how conflicted Leo became.Given how horrible my one and only interaction had been with her —and given that Leo and I had not yet talked about who she was to him— that conflict hurt. However, I brushed my feelings away. I told myself that I was being selfish and that I had to trust Leo.“Go,” I told him.He looked at me, obviously unsure.“It’s okay. Go,” I repeated.“Little Pea, I ---”I reached out and touched his cheek. “We can finish this conversation tonight,” I reassured him. “I have my wedding dress fitting soon anyway. Go, make sure Ingrid is okay. Do what you need to do.”“It’s not Ingrid that I am worried about. It’s ---”I held up my hand. “You don’t have to explain right now. I can see how worried you are. Go. You can explain later.”Leo pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead tenderly.“Thank you, Little Pea. Have fun with my mother. I will see you for o
Last Updated : 2024-07-28Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 112: Ingrid's Fire
(Leo Bloodstone POV)I didn't want to leave Piper after that f&&ked up bombshell that she laid on me about Kade, but I didn't have much of a choice. When I heard that there had been a fire at Ingrid’s house, my brain went immediately to Axel. I had to make sure that he was safe; Goddess knew that pup had been through enough sh&t in his young life.Thankfully, Piper seemed to understand even without me explaining everything.As soon as I arrived at Ingrid's house, she appeared almost out of nowhere and threw herself at me.“Oh, Baby, thank Goddess you are here!!!!”I shoved her off of me. I looked around for Axel, but I did not see him anywhere, and the smoke from the fire was blocking me from being able to scent him. While continuing to look around for Axel, I spotted the chief firefighter, Donny, coming out of the house.“Donny.”“Alpha.”“Is Axel okay?”“He’s fine, Alpha. He’s with his nannies around the side of the house, by one of our trucks.”Thank Goddess.“Is the fire comp
Last Updated : 2024-07-29Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 113: Their Second Date
(Leo Bloodstone POV)My parents agreed to both take care of Axel and entertain the Brogans while I took Piper out for our second date.I wanted it to be special, but after the crazy f&&king day that I had had dealing with all of Ingrid’s bullsh&t and its aftermath, I did not have a lot of energy left for a grand gesture. I decided to keep the date simple and traditional: a romantic dinner followed by a movie. I knew that I needed to use part of our date to explain some things to Piper, but I really hoped I did not have to spend all of the date doing so. I honestly just wanted to spend some time with her… and the last thing that I wanted was to give her any reason to run.I tried to remind myself that I had taken steps to avoid any unexpected problems, but —between the herbs, Kade, and Ingrid, and my own family’s constant questioning— my d&mned gut was on high alert again. And, as close as I was to the finish line, I could not help but worry.Thankfully —or not— those worries evapo
Last Updated : 2024-07-30Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 114: Secrets & Truth
(Leo Bloodstone POV)“Let’s start with Ingrid,” Piper said. “She seems to think that you are replacing me with her. Is that true? Is that why she hates me?”As Piper asked the question, she looked down. I did not know if it was fear, anxiety, or… jealousy?... causing her to do that, but I knew that, whatever it was, I needed to address it.“Look at me, Little Pea.”She didn’t.“Look. at. me,” I repeated with a gentle growl.She did.“Sweetheart, I want you to look into my eyes and see the truth in them when I answer your questions. Ingrid is a spiteful, selfish b&tch. Her problems have nothing to do with you. They have everything to do with her. You are not a ‘replacement’ for Ingrid. You could never be, because you are nothing like her. You are everything that is she is not.”“Your family seems to hate her.”“Because they have good taste. They love you. Already more than they love me, I think.”“Is it true that you and Ingrid had a …thing… in the past? That you were engag
Last Updated : 2024-08-02Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 115: The Date Continues
(Piper POV)“Tell me about Kade.”It took me a few minutes to process Leo’s question.My brain was swirling. I felt overwhelmed and confused. My brain, my gut, and my heart were all on completely different wavelengths. I have no idea how I managed to order dinner. Perhaps I did it on autopilot, or perhaps Leo did it for me. Looking back on it, I really could not tell you. Either way, this much I knew: Leo had managed to tell me a lot of things without telling me much at all. For example:I now knew that Leo had a pup with Ingrid, who he was strongly attached to and protective of, but that he was not the biological father.I also knew that Ellis was that pup’s father, but I did not know what the relationship between Ellis and Ingrid had been.Hell, I did not even know what the relationship between Leo and Ingrid was, or what it had been. Leo’s laughter confirmed that they had not been engaged… but I knew from the wedding dress shopping trip that his family had seen her in a we
Last Updated : 2024-08-03
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I have NOT abandoned this story. 2024 just hates me.I am determined to finish this story, and do so as soon as possible.2024 willing, updates start again tomorrow.
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 197: Piper v. Viper, part 3
(Piper POV)“Boss thinks it is time for you to go back to Bloodstone Pack.”I practically jumped off of the bench, almost throwing up right then and there. “What?!?!? You have to be joking.”Viper sighed. “No. I’m serious.”“No, you are insane,” I replied angrily. “How could you possibly suggest that I go back to him?!?!? After all that he has done?!?!?!”Even if a part of my heart still craves him, I added silently.“That is why I wanted us to talk. I need you to tell me what happened between you.”“You have been watching me for years. So you must already know.”“We are bikers not psychics.”I sighed and pointed to the darkening sky.“You really want to do this right now?”“Yes.”“Why?”“Again, boss’s orders.”“Which boss? Rooster?”“No. The one who hired us.”“And that was?”“Someone that loves you a lot. Someone who even you would have to agree has always had your best interests in mind.”I laughed bitterly. “And now I know for sure that you are lying. No one alive fit
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 196: Piper v. Viper, part 2
(Piper POV)“How do you know about my connection to Leo Bloodstone?” I asked gingerly.Viper ignored my question. “Why did you run away from Bloodstone Pack?” he asked me instead.“Answer my question first.”“No.”“Viper ---”“Poison, this is important. Before I tell you anything, I need to know why you ran away from Bloodstone Pack. I’ve given you time and space the last few months to see if you would tell me on your own, and you haven’t. Now I need to know.”“Why now? In the middle of a run with everyone else?”“Boss’s orders.”Huh. That comment puzzled me. The boss/ alpha/ president of the club was Rooster. I had only met him a few times, and he only barely seemed to notice me.“Rooster knows about Leo too?”“Yes.”“Why does he care? Did Leo threaten the club?”“No.”“So why does Rooster care?” “Before I answer that, answer my question first. Why did you run away from Bloodstone Pack?”Just like that, the anger and frustration I was feeling towards Viper returned. I de
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 195: Piper v. Viper, part 1
(Piper POV)As Viper and I continued to sit in silence on the bench overlooking the lake, the sky darkened, signaling a thunderstorm was on its way. At first, I tried to ignore the impending change in weather. However, after several raindrops hit my face and the first roar of thunder landed in the distance, I stood up and faced him. Regardless of whether I was ready to talk about my past, I knew that we needed to quickly do so and then get back on the road.“You said that you wanted to talk, so let’s talk,” I said softly.“We have been keeping secrets from each other,” Viper said in a serious tone of voice. “That needs to end today.”I gulped.“What do you mean?”“Don’t play stupid with me. We both know each other better than that.”“Well, I thought we did…”“Poison,” he said sternly.I sighed. “Okay, fine. Where do you want to start?”“First, I want you to tell me something. Do you trust me?” Viper responded.“That’s a weird place to start.”“Maybe. But answer the question
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 194: Becoming Viper's Old Lady
(Piper POV)I was silent for a long time after Viper told me that we needed to talk. I knew that he was right, but I was not sure who should start the conversation… him or me. Ten minutes earlier, I would have been sure that I was the one who needed to talk and confess some things. However, it was also ten minutes earlier that I had no idea that Viper knew anything about my past, much less about Leo Bloodstone’s connection to it. It was now clear to me that Viper had been keeping secrets of his own. Because, of course he was. All of the males around me kept secrets. URRRRGGGGGGHHHHH.I suppose I should back up before I confuse you any further. I forgot that I skipped ahead and left a few things out.As you already know, I had a car accident six months before this. Just before the accident, I stole a delivery van and ran away from Moon Shadow Pack. I thought that I had gotten away successfully, and I was planning to make my way to Dr. Hyder’s pack for treatment and help elimi
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 193: Property of Viper
(Six Months Later)(Piper POV)I found myself lost in thought as I stared out over a large lake. It was still pretty early in the morning, so there were not a lot of people around. The only movement that I saw came from the water, the wind, and the birds.So much had happened in the past six months. In many ways, I was happier than I had been in a very long time. However, a big part of me still longed for my old home, my old friends, my (now deceased) family, and …as stupid as it sounds… for Leo. After all the time that had passed, and after all of Leo’s lies, tricks, and secrets, I was not sure why my heart still held on to Leo. After all, we had only been together for a couple of weeks. I tried to convince myself that it was just the lingering effects of the spells that he had placed on me. For her part, when I asked her about it, Penelope agreed with me that that was all it was. However, I think both of us knew deep down that it was more than that; we just did not want to
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 192: The Notes
(Leo Bloodstone POV)“Where is she?” I asked.Addie did not answer right away. I could tell that she was beginning to fade. I began to worry that Addie would pass out or fall asleep any minute.“WHERE IS PIPER?” I repeated in a louder voice.“I don’t know,” she said in a sing-song voice.“How long has she been missing?”“I don’t know. A while.”“What happened?”“I don’t know.”Addie closed her eyes and leaned her head on one of her suitcases. No. I could not let her sleep. Not yet.I gently grabbed Addie by both of her arms. “Addie, this is important. Please concentrate. Where is Piper?”Addie shook my hands off of her. “I already told you, Leo. I don’t know!!! She was here, and then she wasn’t.”“What happened? Why did she leave?”Addie took in an annoyed breath. “I. DON’T. KNOW.”“I came all the way out here to get her, Addie. And I came because you called me. You’ve got to do better than that. You know how important this is. Give me something!”At that point, Add
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 191: Drunk Addie
(Leo Bloodstone POV)It was nearly 2 am by the time that my team and I finally made it to Moon Shadow Pack. It had taken me longer than I expected to leave, mainly because my father —despite doing better— was still not 100%. More on that later.I felt a mix of relief, guilt, and worry as we got close to the pack gates, and as I thought about Piper and all that had happened the past few weeks. But above everything else, I felt a sense of excitement. I genuinely missed her, and I could not wait to hold her in my arms again.I promised myself and my wolf that, once we found Piper, I would explain as much as I could to her. I would also never let anyone hurt her again. Nor would I ever let her go… even if I had to handcuff her to me this time.I was not surprised that Addie was waiting for me when we arrived. I was, however, surprised to see her sitting on the ground, waiting for me outside the border… by herself… while surrounded by suitcases and a few empty bottles of wolfsbane vo
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 190: Piper's Escape
(Piper POV)Luna Addie told Leo where I was. How could she do that? I really had thought that she had wanted to help me. Was I that bad a judge of character? I mean, yes, I had not completely trusted her …but I had trusted her a little bit… and I had never expected her to turn me over to Leo. Maybe she really did want to punish me for my relationship with Aiden, and her saying otherwise was just a lie.Goddess.No matter what, it was now clear that I could not trust anyone. Nor could I trust my own judgment.It was also clear that I needed to get out of Moon Shadow Pack. There was no way that I could stay now that Leo knew where I was.I raced as quickly as I could to my bedroom so that I could grab my duffle bag. Thankfully, I had not unpacked it at all and no one stopped me on the way to get it; everyone seemed busy with other tasks.Once I had my duffle bag, I went to Kade’s room on the next floor up to let him know that I was leaving. Despite being angry with me, I assum
