(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
(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
(Xander POV)“Mate,” the she-wolf repeated, this time with a slight edge to her voice.I looked at the she-wolf in complete confusion. Why was she identifying herself as my mate? I certainly did not feel a mate bond pull to her. I asked my wolf what he thought, but he was just as confused as I was. I checked my hands for open wounds, silently wondering if I had gotten something on my hands or in my system that would explain this situation. However, I dismissed the thought as quickly as it came to me.“I’m sorry, who are you?” I asked.“You don’t remember me, do you?” the she-wolf asked, almost bitterly.“No, I don’t.”“Well, I recommend you start remembering fast, because I’m best friends with Piper and I’m sure she is going to have a lot of questions about us.”Best friends with Piper? That did not make any sense. She looked to be a little older than both Piper and I. Plus, I had not met any of Piper’s friends at Moon Shadow. Heck, I did not even know if she had any friends b
(Amanda POV)Thank Goddess that Xander finally left the hotel.It was honestly a relief to see him go. The idea of spending two weeks alone with him had been starting to make me feel nauseous. If it had taken him any longer to get out of the hotel, I might have gone insane. Hence the reason I decided to help him and give him a little “push.”Don’t get me wrong; I used to enjoy spending time with Xander. Dating him was fun. He was easy to talk to, and he laughed and joked around a lot. The sex was exciting and enjoyable. Back then, I really did think I loved him. And I was sincerely disappointed when I realized that we were not mates. In fact, for a long time, I held out hope that we could become chosen mates. I even found myself frequently daydreaming about being called “Luna Amanda.”But that was then. Only a fool could not see that Xander changed. The changes started right before Piper ran away, and they only got worse after she left.It became heartbreakingly obvious tha
(Leo Bloodstone POV)I punched yet another hole in the wall of the office, and I made quick work of destroying yet another desk. As I did so, Addie was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room. Her arms were crossed as she watched me with amusement.“Feel better yet?”“No,” I growled.“Ready to tell me what is wrong?”I glared at her. “They lost Xander. Again.”Addie stared back at me as though it was no big deal.“I thought you wanted them to lose Xander.”“I NEVER WANTED THEM TO LOSE XANDER.”“Yes, you did. You specifically said that you wanted them to lose Xander so that he could lead you to Piper. It sounds like they did that. Now just look up Xander’s location w
(Leo Bloodstone POV)I let go of Piper’s father as I tried to make sense of what he just said.Xander had been hiding Piper in a pack belonging to her mother’s rapist. Xander had been hiding Piper in a pack belonging to her mother’s rapist. Xander had been hiding Piper in a pack belonging to her mother’s rapist.Those words continued to echo through my mind, and I felt my blood boiling with rage.All this time, I had believed that Xander was hiding Piper from me because —in his twisted, messed up mind— he cared about her. Hell, I was almost convinced that he loved her. But to hide Piper in a pack belonging to her mother’s rapist? That is not something that you do to someone that you care about. There is a special kind of hell for someone who thinks doing that is okay.At that point, I no longer cared if Landon killed Henry. My father obviously did not either, because he let go of Landon’s other arm.“Does Piper know?” I asked. A part of me hoped that she did, so that at least
(Xander POV)I am currently in a guest office at Moon Shadow, waiting for Piper to be brought up to see me. It is hard to believe that, after two years, I am finally going to see her.I have been dreaming of this moment for a very long time, and my heart is pounding in anticipation. I have wanted nothing more than to see her for so very long.…And yet, my gut is screaming at me that this is a bad idea. That I should walk away. The words “ABORT MISSION” are raging through my mind. My wolf also seems unsettled. Nothing about this feels right.There is simply too much going on. Too many things have gone wrong already. I am too angry —at myself, Piper, and the situation generally— to meet with Piper right now. I do not want to say something to Piper that I will regret. And now there is Daphne to consider too. How do I explain to Piper that she should wait for me to take her as my chosen mate when her best friend Daphne is my “fated”? What will she think of me when I tell her
(Xander POV)Piper walks into the office, and everything that I had been thinking about for the past hour immediately evaporates from my brain. Now, the only thoughts in my mind are about her. How much I missed her. How badly I want to hold her. How much I love her. How beautiful she looks, despite the fact that she has her blond hair in a ponytail, and despite the fact that she is wearing an apron and work clothes.“Xander?” she asks in disbelief.I smile at her.“Xander… is it really you?” Her eyes begin welling up with tears. “Are you… are you really here?”“I am here, Piper. I am here.”She runs across the office and throws herself into my arms. I wrap my arms around her and hug her as tightly as I can. I get lost in how perfectly our bodies fit together and how good it feels to finally hold her again. I can feel my shirt getting wet as she cries into my chest, but I could care less.“I missed you so much, Xander. You have no idea how scared I have been. I didn’t kno