(Piper POV)After dinner was over and we said good night to everyone, Leo escorted me to the bedroom that I would be staying in for the next two weeks. It was a large, airy room with a private bathroom, and it was right across the hall from his room.I want to tell you that I was relieved to have my own room. After all, that would have been the right way to feel. And a separate room would have been what Xander, Aiden, and Asher would have expected me to ask for. More importantly, it was what any morally-sound she-wolf being forced into a marriage to someone who was not her mate would want.Unfortunately, however, if I told you that I was relieved to have my own room, I would be lying. Despite everything, I enjoyed being close to Leo. And I somehow seemed to sleep better when he was around. That makes me sound like a horrible she-wolf, doesn’t it?Do you want to know what’s even worse? I was starting to fall for Leo. Admittedly, Leo’s evil —Mr. Hyde— side scared me. I was con
(Leo Bloodstone POV) “Why does she smell more like an omega than a beta or alpha daughter?” my mother asked.I sighed as I took a seat on the couch next to her. I knew this question was coming; I just didn’t know it would come this soon. I glanced over at my father, who was sitting in the side chair.“I think that Piper is taking some sort of herbs that mask her rank and scent.”“Why?”I gave my mother a look. She laughed. “Okay, silly question. I meant, why is she still taking them? I understand her taking them while she was in hiding.”“I don’t know for sure that she still is. We haven’t talked about it yet. My guess is that Piper has been taking the herbs for a long time, and I would assume they take a while to wear off.”My mother frowned. “I don’t know that that is true. Maybe it depends on the type of herbs. But even if it is, is it safe to take herbs like that long-term? It has been two years…”A knot formed in my stomach. I worried about a lot of things when it
(Piper POV)Around 7:30 am the next morning, I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I opened it, only to find Leo waiting there with a large tray in his hands. Thankfully, I was already dressed.“Good morning, Little Pea. Do you mind having breakfast with me?” he asked.I gave him a half smile and opened the door so that he could come in. He set the tray down on the small round table by the window. He then took lids off of the plates, revealing sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, and freshly baked cinnamon rolls. There were also two glasses of water, and two large glasses of orange juice.We sat down across from each other and slowly began eating.“How did you sleep?” he asked after a couple minutes of awkward silence.Not great. My mind was going a million miles per minute, still trying to process and understand everything that was happening. And I missed you. Even though I barely know you and I know that my feelings are wrong.“Fine. Thank you. You?”Leo gave me a sad smi
(Leo Bloodstone POV)Piper continued to confuse me. And fascinate me. And make me want to throw her on the bed, tear her clothes off, and pound into her while she screamed my name. It was seriously painful.I needed to control myself. Maybe breakfast was a bad idea. Of course, it was too late to change course now. I needed to get through this.“I know that you have been taking scent blocking herbs,” I told her.Piper nodded. “I was.”“Was? When was the last time you took them?”“At the hotel.”“How long have you been taking them?”Piper swallowed.“Please tell me the truth, Little Pea.”“Since I ran away from Blue Ridge.”“Do you know if it is safe to take the herbs for that long?”“I assume so. I mean, Xa… the wolf who got them for me would not have given them to me if they weren’t safe.”Xander. Of course, she got the herbs from that a&&hole. Now I really was worried; Xander had given me no reason to trust him with my pet spider, much less Piper.“I am going to take you t
(Leo Bloodstone POV)Piper just kissed me. No drugs were involved. No force or threats. Just my sweet Little Pea voluntarily and enthusiastically kissing me.Best f&&king kiss of my life.I knew that forcing her hand in marriage was wrong. I also knew that my reasons for doing it were pretty sh&tty. And I knew that, if Piper knew the truth, she might have a hard time forgiving me. Worse, I knew that if Piper knew the truth, she might want something different than what I wanted.But a kiss that felt that d&mn good had to mean something.As soon as her lips touched mine, I put my hands on either side of her face and kissed her with everything I had. The moment she opened her mouth, allowing our tongues to intertwine, I lost the small shred of control that I had been holding onto. I picked her up by her thighs, forcing her to wrap her beautiful legs around my waist. I then carried her to her bed, ready to f&&king pounce.I felt her reach her hands under my hoodie, running her han
(Piper POV)“Piper, you can talk to me,” Dr. Eggert said softly.I shook my head as I continued to stare out the window. “No.”“Anything that you say in this room is confidential,” she reminded me.“Even from Alpha and the werewolf council?”“Even from them. They have taken blood oaths to ensure it, and I have taken a blood oath in return.”“Just for me?”“No, we have a blanket oath that applies to everyone. Therapy would not work without confidentiality.”I turned and looked at the middle-aged woman sitting in the chair across from mine. She seemed sincere, and she seemed nice enough, but I was on the fence about whether I could trust her. Or anyone.“Why am I here, Dr. Eggert?” I asked.“You attacked a gamma wolf, Piper. Completely unprovoked. You are lucky that he was not badly hurt, and you are even luckier that Luna Lily intervened and the werewolf council decided to take pity on you. Your punishment could have been far worse.”I scoffed. “Pity? Is that what they call i
(Approximately Four Years Ago)(Piper POV)I am currently waiting in a dressing room on the fourth floor of the packhouse, studying my reflection in the full-length mirror. My hair and makeup have been done expertly, and my white wedding dress hugs my curves in all the right places. Despite my insecurities, even I have to admit that I look beautiful.My fingers begin to trace the silver and diamond locket on my neck. I find myself desperately wishing that my mother was here with me.Through the open window, I can hear various voices from the wedding guests who are gathering in the courtyard below. I can also hear soft violin music playing, and I can smell the vibrant rose and lily arrangements that have been placed everywhere. And I can feel just a hint of the bright morning sun on my back.Unable to resist the temptation, I walk over to the window and peer outside. Like a magnet, my eyes land on Leo Bloodstone, who is greeting guests. He is tall, super muscular, with dark hair
(Xander POV) My heart was pounding. We were doing this. We were really doing this. The alpha in me was excited, but the man in me was worried. I have never defied my father like this before, and Leo Bloodstone was not someone that I normally wanted to piss off. However, in this case, the risk was worth it. Piper was worth it. I just prayed that my plan worked. Piper quickly changed into leggings and a hoodie while I sprayed myself with a de-scenting spray. We then grabbed our backpacks —which I also brought with me— and left the room. After saying a quick prayer to the Moon Goddess and making sure that the coast was clear, Piper and I made our way downstairs. We “hid” Piper’s wedding dress behind a bush near the side exit, and I threw her high heels as far as I could into the field. Our goal was to make it look like Piper fled across the meadow towards human territory. That would be the fastest, most logical exit route. Once Piper’s dress was fake-hidden, it was Piper