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Chapter 22: Xander vs. Leo
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 23: Getting in Trouble
(Piper POV) I was in the kitchen working on meal prep when Warrior Asher came to find me. It had been a couple of days since that disaster of a party. “Piper, the alpha wants to see you.” I turned and looked at Asher in surprise. “Alpha Aiden is back? I thought that the conference was supposed to last a few more days.” “He came back early,” Asher responded solemnly. “Why?” Asher looked at me sympathetically. “He received a complaint that he thought warranted immediate attention.” I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion. “A complaint? About what?” Asher looked down. “It… was a complaint about you.” “What?!?! What did I do?” My brain quickly began running a million miles a minute as I tried to figure out what I possibly could have done that would warrant Alpha Aiden leaving the conference early. Yes, I had been distracted and upset, and so my cooking and cleaning skills had been even worse than normal the past couple of days. But surely, burning some potatoes and missin
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 24: Alpha Aiden
(Alpha Aiden POV) As Piper walks into my office and sits down in a guest chair, I run my hand through my long curly red hair in both anger and frustration. I don’t know if it is Piper’s fault that I am so upset, or if it is Jonas’s fault… or if it is my own. I have been the alpha of Moon Shadow Pack for four years. I was only 19 years old when I took over. Most alpha heirs do not take over until their mid to late 20s, after they have met their mates/ lunas, but I had to take over earlier because my father died unexpectedly. As a younger alpha, I am hyper-sensitive to criticism from others. I know that I lack the experience that other alphas have, and I would even admit that I lack some of the maturity too. However, my pack members still depend on me for stability, leadership, and security. That means that I cannot afford to make mistakes. Every mistake that I make represents weakness, and every weakness I have represents risk to my pack. That is why I got so upset when Xande
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 25: Piper's Trigger
(Piper POV)“The safety of this pack and its members is my highest priority, and anyone —ANYONE— who jeopardizes that safety is subject to severe punishment.”“Yes, of course, Alpha.” I was feeling completely confused, and Alpha Aiden was starting to scare me a little bit. What was he talking about? What did he think that I did? And why was he talking about punishment? Meanwhile, as confused as I was, I could feel Penelope becoming angry. She had always had a fondness for Alpha Aiden, but she did not like it when anyone talked to me the way that Alpha Aiden was talking to me right now.“So why don’t you tell me why you were making a public scene at Leo Bloodstone’s cousin’s birthday party two nights ago, and why you chose to whore yourself out while you were there?”That was… Leo’s cousin’s party?Oh, my Goddess.No wonder Leo was there. And no wonder he had a room at the packhouse.“Piper, I asked you a question.”“I-I am
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 26: Spiraling Nonsense
(Alpha Aiden POV) I do not know why I let the conversation with Piper spiral so far out of control. I had a plan. Confront Piper; punish Piper; move on with my day. Maybe even go back to the conference. I thought I had thought through all of the possibilities. I had even talked about everything with Beta Jonas. Admittedly, when I talked to Jonas, he had been uncomfortable. He said the allegations seemed out of character for Piper, which I could not disagree with him about. However, after I told Jonas that it was Xander Ross who called me —and after I told him about the corroborative evidence I had obtained— , he agreed that we needed to take action. Jonas thought the proposed punishment was too harsh, but he ultimately agreed with it anyway. The idea for the punishment came from Xander, who said it was what he would do if one of his omegas acted the way that Piper had acted. He said that a strong alpha does not let this kind of behavior go unchecked. Executing the punis
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 27: The Punishment
(Alpha Aiden POV) “You want to leave Moon Shadow?” I repeated back in shock. Piper’s request caught me completely off guard. In a million years, I had not considered the possibility that Piper would want to leave the pack. Worse, for reasons that I could not explain, the idea of her leaving my pack hurt me. It felt like, if Piper left, a piece of me would be leaving too. It was a bizarre feeling that I had never felt before. “You cannot let her go, Aiden,” my wolf August linked me. “Who is she to us?” I asked him. “Is she our mate?” “I don’t know, Aiden. She isn’t 20 yet. We won’t know for sure until her birthday. I just know that we have to protect her. I think you should re-think the punishment. It doesn’t feel right.” “I can’t!” I protested in our link. “I have to execute the plan. We have to protect her and our pack. We can’t risk the Bloodstones finding her.” “You don’t even know why she ran. If you punish her like you planned, I think you will regret it,” Au
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 28: The Pup
(Three Weeks Later)(Xander POV)It has been surprisingly quiet at Blue Ridge since we got back from the conference. Eerily quiet, to be honest.Leo Bloodstone warned me that things would get worse around here, but he has not been around. His father has not been around either. Leo is not the type to make empty threats, so I knew immediately that something was amiss.I was originally worried that Leo wasn’t here because he either found Piper or had a lead on where she was. In fact, when I sobered up after the confrontation in the bar —and realized that Piper and Leo had been within mere miles of one another— I went into panic mode. That panic reached a fever pitch when Alpha Aiden let it slip that Wildwood was Leo’s aunt’s pack.Thankfully, however, I heard some of Leo’s guards talking several days later. From what I was able to piece together from their conversation, after our confrontation at the bar, Leo received a phone call from his ex, Ingrid. She told Leo that their son h
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 29: Axel's Accident
(Leo Bloodstone POV)“How is he doing?” my father asks me as he comes into the small hospital room that I am currently sitting in. It is the first time that I have seen my father in person in a few weeks.I look at 3-year-old Axel and take in a frustrated breath. The tiny pup is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a variety of machines and equipment. “As well as can be expected,” I reply.Axel has been in a coma for the past three weeks, ever since he fell out of an open window on the third floor of his mother’s house. The fall caused him to break both of his legs, break his right arm, and fracture his skull. Pups his age do not have the benefit of werewolf healing, so he must heal the same way that human children do. In theory, a healer might be able to help. However, werewolves with the magical ability to heal others are really rare. The only one that I am aware of is Luna Lily, the leader of the werewolf council. Unfortunately, Luna Lily is pregnant, and the pregnancy pr
Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 30: A Father's Desperation
(Leo Bloodstone POV) An hour later, Beta Landon walked into the alpha office. I was seated behind the desk while my father was seated in a chair to the side. Beta Landon gave us both a slight bow and then sat down.I had mixed feelings about seeing him. On one hand, I knew he was Piper’s father. I also knew from my research and interviews that he had been good to Piper, and Piper loved him a lot. On the other hand, he had yet to produce his daughter for marriage like he had promised. More importantly, his secrets —and his pack’s secrets— made him my enemy.I decided to dispense with small talk and get immediately to the point.“Why are you here?” I asked bluntly. “Your pup… is he okay?”“That is why you are here?” I asked coldly.“No. But I have heard the pup had an accident. It would be rude not to inquire.”“What is rude is pulling me from his hospital room for nonsense. Tell me why you are here so that I can get back to him.”Beta Landon looked down at his hands. It was
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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
