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Chapter 42: Not Who I Thought He Was
Last Updated:
2024-05-24 13:36:22
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Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 43: Getting Ready for the Ball
(Piper POV)With the exception of the weird interaction with Aiden and Jonas on my birthday, the peaceful eye of my stormy life continued for another week. Looking back on it, it was almost like an eerie prelude to the chaos and pain that was coming.Regardless of what it was, I enjoyed it. Even today, I think back on that week and the subsequent mating ball with fondness.Jonas was gone doing something the entire week; Aiden seemed to be largely avoiding me; and Daphne inexplicably continued to work the night shift.With those three occupied, Maya had plenty of space to keep me happily busy during almost all of our non-working hours. I seriously think that she was more excited about the mating ball than I was, even though she was not old enough to meet her mate. “Mating balls are perfect non-pressure opportunities to practice our flirting skills,” she had explained. “And working behind the bar at one is an even better way to make sure we get a lot of that practice with a lot of
Last Updated : 2024-05-26Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 44: The Mating Ball
(Piper POV)I’ll start with a quick spoiler. Aiden did not find his mate at the mating ball. Neither did Jonas, and —as far as I knew at the time— neither did I.Even so, we all had a good time.Contrary to Maya’s expectations going in, working at the bar made it a little tough for us to practice our flirting skills. It was simply way too busy, and Aiden was being far too protective. (Every time a male wolf would linger for too long, Aiden would approach and ask, “Are you mates with one of them? No? Move along.”) However, we still got hit on a lot; we made face to face contact with A LOT of wolves —both male and female; and the conversations that we had time to have were definitely interesting.For example, I spent about ten minutes talking to a handsome wolf named Chase. He was a 22-year-old gamma wolf with siblings who ranged in age from 2 to 38. We briefly bonded about having both lost our mothers, and he talked to me about what it was like when his father met his second ch
Last Updated : 2024-05-26Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 45: Really Bad Math
(Xander POV)Kill me now.I have been in a complete and total panic for the past two days, after realizing that I am a total moron.I had been so focused on how long Piper had been gone and how I was going to get her back, that I made some serious miscalculations in my planning. I mixed up a bunch of dates. I did the wrong math. And I forgot Piper’s birthday.HOW DID I FORGET PIPER’S BIRTHDAY?!?!? I plan to spend the rest of my life with her, and I forgot her birthday. And not just me —Gunner too. How did my wolf forget Piper’s birthday? He is supposed to be the voice of reason between us.If I could, I would kick myself. And that is not just because I feel badly that I forgot. It is because all of my calculations have been based on me having more time. Somehow in my head I started using the date of Piper’s escape to calculate things, even though all of my original calculations had been based on Piper’s birthday. And I messed up other dates too. I started counting minutes
Last Updated : 2024-05-27Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 46: The Cousin Trade
(Leo Bloodstone POV)I am currently working in the office that I have taken over while I am at Blue Ridge. It is not the alpha’s office —as tempting as that was to take— but an office a few doors down that was previously used by visiting alphas. Now it is used exclusively by my father and I. It is hard to believe that it has been as long as it has, and I am still no closer to finding Piper than I was before. It is even harder to believe that Blue Ridge is the same pack that did such horrible things to my family years ago. The pack I’ve been watching the past two years seems more like a pack of pansies than the monsters we know they are…. although I admit that a small part of me is starting to wonder if it just pack leadership that is the problem.Regardless, I am tired and even crankier than normal. I have not gotten much sleep since Piper’s birthday. My father has tried to reassure me that there is still time —that we do not know for sure when Piper will meet him, whoever “him”
Last Updated : 2024-05-27Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 47: Almost Married
(Leo POV)Xander quickly leaves the office, leaving Addie and I alone.“Drink?” I ask her.She nods.I take a bottle of scotch from a cabinet and pour two large glasses.“You look like sh&t, Leo.”“I haven’t slept in a while.”“You still haven’t found her?”“No. I assume you still haven’t found your mate?”“Nope. I’ve had some really cute boyfriends though.”I ignore the latter comment and hand Addie her glass.“Please tell me you aren’t really related to that a&&hole.”“He’s my cousin.”“By marriage?”Addie chuckles. “No. Our mothers are sisters.”“You know if my father knew you were related to the Ross family, he never would have considered an arranged marriage between us.”A truer statement could not be spoken. My father hates the Ross family with a passion. And for good reason.“Well, lucky for me then those talks never went beyond a few friendly conversations.”I nod as I briefly think back on my history with Addie. Things between Ingrid and I had just fallen apart, and my
Last Updated : 2024-05-27Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 48: Confusing Answers
(Alpha Aiden POV)It is late evening, and Jonas and I are in my office. I am holding a picture of my mother, father, Natalie, and I in my hand. It is the last picture that we took together before my father died.“When are you going to tell Piper?” Jonas asks me.“I don’t know.”“What about your mom? And Natalie?”“I don’t know.”“It has been over a month since the DNA test confirmed it. You need to tell them. This is too big of a secret to keep to yourself.”“I will tell them. Just not yet.”“Why not?”“Piper deserves to know first. And I haven’t figured out how to tell her.”“It isn’t that hard, Aiden.”“It isn’t?”“No. All you have to do is repeat after me: ‘Piper, you are my sister.’ The end. How hard is that?”I shake my head. “I definitely can’t tell her like that, and you know it. This sort of thing has the potential to upend the world as she knows it, and she is going to have a lot of questions. Questions that we do not have the answers to yet.”“So talk to your mo
Last Updated : 2024-05-30Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 49: Romancing Amanda
(Two Hours Earlier)(Xander POV)“Xander, what is this?”My heart stops. I have just gotten out of the shower at the hotel, and Amanda is holding up three large prescription bottles… the ones with the herbs that I brought for Piper.With how clingy Amanda has been lately, I should have known that something was up when she did not insist on joining me in the shower. Sex has been a big point of contention for us lately, and her missing an opportunity to get me naked should have been a huge red flag.“What were you doing going through my stuff, Amanda?” I ask angrily. “Answer the question, Xander. What is this stuff?”Ignoring her, I snatch the bottles out of her hand and put them back in the zipper compartment of my suitcase where they had been. I then quickly throw on a pair of boxer briefs, jeans, and a t-shirt.“I am waiting for an answer, Xander.”“You had no right to go through my things, Amanda.”“I was looking for condoms.”“Like hell you were.”Amanda puts one hand on her hi
Last Updated : 2024-05-30Mated in the Shadow of Betrayal Chapter 50: Xander's Plan
(Xander POV)As I successfully made my way to Moon Shadow Pack —first on foot; then by taxi— I could not keep the big, goofy smile off of my face. I was incredibly excited about seeing Piper again, and I felt like the Moon Goddess was finally, FINALLY, answering my prayers in a positive way.The last two years without Piper had been awful, and I did many things that I was not proud of. However, it would all be worth it in the end.More importantly, I knew that, very soon, I would get to see my girl, the love of my life. Instead of fantasizing about her from afar, I would be able to hold Piper in my arms and tell her how much I loved her. Even my anger about what she did a year ago… and my fear about what Amanda may have up her sleeve… could not overshadow my excitement. All that mattered was that I had once again managed to get away from Leo’s men, and that I was now in a position to secure what I wanted…. and what I believed and hoped Piper wanted too.All the way to Moon Shadow
Last Updated : 2024-06-02
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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
