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Chapter 123: Panic Room, part 3
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2024-08-09 22:40:17
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Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 124: Xander's Truth
(Xander POV)As I stood on the border of Bloodstone Pack, waiting to give the “go” signal to the second group of fighters, I felt ready, nervous, and introspective.I knew that our odds of success on this mission were low, and that many of our fighters would die. It was a harsh reality for me to accept. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on me, knowing that many wolves that I had known and respected for years may not be coming home…. and knowing that I may not come home myself.The weight was so heavy that I had been unable to sleep the night before the attack. My heart, my stomach, and every part of my body burned and hurt painfully. On a positive note, experiencing the stress before the attack caused me to gain a new appreciation for my father. Despite challenging him for years on why he had become so reluctant to engage in war, I now understood.War was not easy. Only a fool would think it was.Even so, I was determined to see this through. The risks and the stress
Last Updated : 2024-08-11Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 125: Xander's Answers
(Xander POV)There are a lot of things to tell you, and a lot of things I am sure that you want to know, so I will just dive right on in.How long have I known that Leo and Piper were fated mates?Since shortly after my father agreed to the arranged marriage between Leo and Piper.How did I find out?After I failed to convince my father to back out of the arranged marriage bullsh&t, I visited a seer. I needed to know what Leo’s interest was in Piper, and why he was going to such great lengths to get her, and my trusted investigators were coming up empty.Did my father know?He knew that I was going to see a seer, but I never told him what the seer told me. He had been adamantly opposed to me going. He warned me that it was dangerous to know the future, especially without any context for it. He also warned me that the quality of the information yielded from a seer not only depended on the seer, but also on the quality of the questions themselves. It was not something a novice shoul
Last Updated : 2024-08-11Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 126: The Attack Plan
(Xander POV)It was now 11 am on Friday morning.The first two waves of the attack had been successful. In minutes, I would give the green light for the third and final phase.This was the phase that I was most looking forward to, because it was the phase in which I would personally go into the packhouse and rescue Piper. Goddess, how I missed her. It had only been two weeks, and yet it felt like a lifetime.According to my senior warriors —and according to my own observations— we currently had 164 seriously injured warriors on our side, whereas Bloodstone had 42. Neither side had suffered any casualties yet.Normally, a count of 164-42 would represent a devastating loss, even without any known casualties. However, these numbers were actually far better than we had expected going in.You see, we never intended to truly win the attack. We merely needed to create enough of a distraction so that we could get our special forces, including myself, into the packhouse.The general frame
Last Updated : 2024-08-12Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 127: Xander's Man Crush
(Xander POV)Spoiler alert: the final wave of the attack did not go as planned. Or at least not the way that I planned.Before I explain what happened, I need to back up a little bit and explain some more about how Ellis factored into all of this. Fully understanding Ellis’s motives and his role will become important later.Admittedly, looking back on it, it is a little tough for even me to understand what I was thinking back then. Was it my desperation that caused me to trust Ellis so much? Was it my immaturity? Was it my love for Piper?I don’t know. But I suppose the best place to start is this simple cliché:“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”I think this saying comes the closest to explaining why —despite knowing Ellis for such a short period of time— he and I became very close very quickly. Indeed, from our initial conversations, it became obvious that Ellis hated Leo Bloodstone even more than I did. And because of his hatred, rules did not matter to him. Nor did et
Last Updated : 2024-08-13Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 128: No Ordinary Attack
(Leo Bloodstone POV)I had been fighting in my wolf form for hours, alongside my father, Nick Brogan, and the rest of my team.I had barely broken a sweat, and we were doing a good job of dealing with the overall threat. However, enemy fighters kept coming at us, and I could not shake the feeling that something was off.Of course, I had felt that way from the moment that I was notified that we were under attack.Almost from the get-go, there were several clues confirming that this was no ordinary attack —some small; some much more obvious.Clue # 1 was that we were attacked at all. It had been at least ten years since the last direct attack on Bloodstone Pack. We took pride in our reputation for being ruthless, unforgiving, and undefeated; most packs and rogues in the country knew not to mess with us. That someone —or multiple someones— had decided to attack us meant that we were dealing with wolves who were either desperate or who had a death wish.Clue # 2 was the bizarre way th
Last Updated : 2024-08-14Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 129: Hallway Confrontation
(Xander POV)“Looking for something?” F&&k. F&&k, f&&k, f&&k.Running into Leo Bloodstone was not part of my plan. Nor was it part of any of my contingency plans.I turned around. Leo was leaning smugly against the wall with his arms crossed, wearing just a pair of basketball shorts.“What are you doing, Xander?” he asked. His tone was patronizing, like he was talking to a young pup instead of another alpha. Worse, he seemed more annoyed than angry. It did not bode well for the position that I was now in.I sighed. I was not going to let this a&&hole get under my skin. I reminded myself that he had more to lose —and more reason to worry— than I did right now. All I had to do was improvise and everything would be fine.I hoped.“What does it look like I am doing?” I sneered. “I am rescuing Piper.”Leo glared at me. “She doesn’t need rescuing.”“I heard she is marrying you tomorrow,” I challenged.“She is,” he confirmed.“Then she needs rescui
Last Updated : 2024-08-15Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 130: Double-Crossed Betrayal
(Xander POV)“If you are expecting an apology and a retreat, you can go f&&k yourself. I would do anything it takes to protect Piper.”“Anything?”“Anything.”Leo's question and tone sounded ominous, but like the master manipulator Ellis had described him to be, Leo went a completely different direction.“Then act like the best friend that she thinks you are. Think for a minute about what she wants and what is best for her.”“What does that mean?”“It means that you need to support her decision to marry me. And if you can’t, you need to go home to your new mate and let her go.”F&&k me. This pompous, narcissistic a&&hole was even more full of himself than I realized.“I will NEVER let her go, you A&&hole. Marrying you will destroy her. I have heard about your plans for her.”“You are wrong. I love her, Xander. I would never hurt her.”At that point, the sincerity in his voice almost broke me. Almost.But then I realized that Leo was talking to me as though I was nothing more t
Last Updated : 2024-08-15Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 131: Xander's Mind-Game
(Xander POV)I would love to tell you that hearing about the passcode and phone call was all it took for me to fully appreciate how wrong I had been to trust Ellis.It wasn’t. Of course, Leo’s words planted deep seeds of doubt in my mind. But I am a stubborn male, and my hatred of Leo ran deep. Trusting Leo over Ellis was not something I would easily do.Ultimately, accepting that I had been played by Ellis would not come until I was forced to face reality in a horribly devastating way later, when I returned to Blue Ridge.So what happened instead?Well, instead of immediately accepting the deep sh&t that Ellis had gotten me into, I experienced about 120 seconds of shock while I processed the information Leo had given me. During those 120 seconds, I really did entertain the possibility that Leo was telling the truth, and that this whole thing had been a set-up. It made me feel numb and betrayed and at a loss for what to do next.But then —as I stood there, with Piper just behind t
Last Updated : 2024-08-17
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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
