(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
(Xander POV)I have known Piper for a very long time, but even a stranger could tell that Daphne’s announcement has crushed her. The pain, disappointment, and shock is rolling off of her in waves.A part of me is relieved —Piper’s reaction means that she still has feelings for me— but another part of me hates that she had to find out about Daphne and I this way. My instincts —and my wolf— want to comfort Piper, but I am not sure what to do. The situation is far too complicated.“Is it true, Xander?” Piper asks me. “Is Daphne really your mate?”“No!” I respond instinctively.I see hope flash through Piper’s eyes, but then Daphne discreetly pinches my arm and sends me a warning look. Sh&t.“I mean, yes.” I wrap my arm around Daphne’s shoulders. “Yes, Daphne is my mate. But –”“And you are my best friend, Piper,” Daphne interrupts. “My mate and my best friend are childhood best friends! Could this be any more perfect?!?!?! The Moon Goddess really knew what she was doing!!!”Pi
(Piper POV)“This is not on me, Piper,” Xander growls. “We would not be in this position if you had not whored yourself out at Wildwood!!!!”I have no idea what Xander is talking about, but his words feel like a slap in the face. It was bad enough that Alpha Aiden had believed those things before he got to know me. But for Xander —who I had grown up with and who I considered my best friend— to also believe those stupid rumors? That cuts deep.“I don’t know what you heard, Xander, but those rumors about me whoring myself out at Wildwood are not true,” I respond bitterly.“RUMORS?!?!?! Do you think I listened to rumors, Piper? I SAW THOSE THINGS FOR MYSELF!!!!” Xander roars back at me.“You what?” What is he talking about? I am so confused. He was not there. I would have known if he was… wouldn’t I have? “I don’t know who you saw, or what you think you saw, or when you thought you saw it, but ---"“It was a year ago. You were wearing a slutty black dress and dancing close to
(Piper POV)It took me more than ten minutes to tell Xander everything that had happened at Wildwood Pack, and everything that had led up to that night. Xander gently held my hands throughout the story, and he quietly listened to the whole thing without interrupting or asking any questions. In a way, it felt good to finally talk to someone about what had happened. I had been having a hard time making sense of everything on my own, especially my conflicting feelings about Leo. Xander’s quiet support reminded me of when he was there for me after my mother died. Back then, he let me cry for hours until I had gotten all of the emotions out —good, bad, irrational, and ugly. When I finally ran out of tears and things to say, he took me in his arms and promised me that everything was going to be okay, even if it did not feel like it in that moment.Call me crazy, but I had expected a similar reaction from Xander when I finished talking about everything that had happened at Wildwood. M
(Xander POV)When Piper got that funny look in her eyes, I knew immediately what was about to happen. Unfortunately, there were chairs between us, so —although I have killer instincts and I was able to quickly catch her— I was half a second too late and the back of Piper’s head still managed to hit the corner of the desk.The blood suddenly oozing from her head made our already horrible situation even worse. The overwhelming guilt hit me immediately, replacing the rage that I had been feeling.Goddess, I cannot believe that I blurted out the news about her father that way. The horrified, pained look in her eyes may be forever burned into my memory. I know it is no excuse, but I was just so angry with her… and myself… and the Moon Goddess… and the entire crappy situation. And to make matters worse, I knew I still had to tell her about Alpha Aiden being her brother. On top of that, all throughout our fight, I kept thinking about how we had so many secrets keeping us apart, and how
(Piper POV)I woke up in a strange room. I felt groggy, and I had a massive headache. As my eyes adjusted to my surroundings, I realized that I was in a hospital room. Alpha Aiden was sitting on a chair beside me, holding my hand.“W-where am I?” I asked, as I tried to sit up. “What happened?”“Relax, Piper. Don’t try to move too quickly.”“What happened?” I asked again.“You fainted and hit your head.”“I did what? When?”“You don’t remember?” Aiden asked with concern.I tried to think back. I was working, and Asher came to get me. He said that someone needed to see me. I was a little worried, but he promised me that I had nothing to worry about and that Alpha Aiden and Beta Jonas had both approved of the visitor.I went to the guest office that Asher directed me into and….…then what happened?“I… I’m not sure. I remember Asher bringing me to a guest office, and then….”“It’s okay, Piper. Don’t stress yourself out too much. It will come back to you in time.”Aiden sounde
(Xander POV)I did not want to leave Piper behind at Moon Shadow Pack, especially after our fight. However, the doctor reassured me that she was going to be okay; I had already been there far too long; and I knew that it was only a matter of time before Amanda and Leo’s men came looking for me.Ultimately, trusting that Alpha Aiden and Beta Jonas would follow through on our discussion, I left the herbs with them and headed out with Daphne.As we waited for our taxi, Daphne excitedly asked me where we were going. Her excitement annoyed me to no end, but it was a fair question.A part of me debated whether I should take Daphne directly back to Blue Ridge, or whether I should first return to the hotel where I left Amanda. There were pros and cons with both approaches.The deciding factor for me was that I knew Amanda would lose her sh&t upon seeing me with my fated mate. In fact, I knew that there was a decent probability that —if I brought Daphne back to the hotel— Amanda might even
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.
(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
(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
(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
(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
(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
(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
(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
(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