Chapter 0321

Nicholas

A late night knock rattled my door, rousing me from my sleep. I groaned, threw my arm over

my eyes, and turned over, ready to ignore it.

But then it came again, louder.

Sighing, I lowered my arm and checked my clock. Midnight.

Who could be trying to reach me now?

My heart immediately jumped into my throat. Piper.

Who else would visit me this late? Unannounced?

Perhaps she had changed her mind about pushing the distance between us. Maybe she wanted me to hold her again. Go d, I couldn’t wait to feel her in my arms once more.

In a rush, I threw back my blankets and hopped from my bed. At the door, I wasted no time in drawing it open.

When I saw Piper there, a sense of relief surged through me so fully, I nearly toppled over. My knees went weak. My heart thundered out of control.

“Piper,” I said.

At once, she pounced toward me, jumping straight into my willing arms. She wrapped her own arms around my neck, and h ooked her legs around my waist. Her mouth found mine, latching on for a passionate kiss.

She was being more aggressive than usual, demanding where usually she allowed me the lead. But who was I to deny her? Or to deny myself, when she was all that I ever wanted?

I could be malleable, if this was how she wanted me every now and then. Whatever kept her mouth on mine and her body pressed against me.

Go d, I had missed her so much, I had felt her seeped down into my very bones. Her name was carved along my ribs, I was certain. Her voice, her mouth, her body, everything about her was seared into my heart.

I couldn’t exist without my want of her, my love.

Which was why I felt so confused when my soul, which usually burned brightly in her

presence, felt more unsure than happy.

In the back of my mind, my wolf began to growl – not with its usual possessive intent, but with something darker… something warning…

+15 BONUS

Piper’s hands slipped into the space between us. She was undressing herself.

“Whoa,” I said, breaking the kiss. “Slow down, Piper. It’s okay. I’m here, we’ve got all night.” Piper shook her head. “Want you,” she said, voice rough.

No, this felt like too big a difference from the last time I had seen her. Was that why my wolf was unhappy? We needed to make sure this was what she truly wanted, and she wasn’t just acting because she thought I wanted this.

“No. We need to talk first.” I tried to lower her down, but her legs wouldn’t release from around me. “Piper?”

I looked up at her, desperate to know her expression. What I saw there sent a violent shiver through me.

You stu pid as shole, I thought at myself, hating myself in that moment.

Piper – no, Jane – wrapped a collar around

my neck.

Knowing this wasn’t Piper, I dropped her and stumbled backwards. Jane landed on her feet like I had barely inconvenienced her. A sharp smirk quirked one corner of her mouth.

I tugged at the collar but it wouldn’t budge. “What is this?”

“Be a good little dog, and sit,” Jane said. Shame went through me. How could I ever think this vile woman with her sharp, vindictive voice could ever be my beautiful and kind Piper?

Jane’s command sent a zip of pain shooting through my body. I grit my teeth, not wanting to show weakness.

“Is this how you mean to play?” she asked. “You think you can fight one of the strongest anti -werewolf measures in the underground?”

A magical collar? Designed to debilitate a werewolf?

control me,” I growled. My wolf itched under the surface of my skin. The collar had chained him back, but we both fought against those binds. The collar was powerful magic, but we would not go down without a

to do my bidding up until a

churned in my stomach. I’d need a shower to remove her scent. I’d use

neither of those things now, so I had to settle for staining my floors with

I tensed all my muscles and shot forward. She was quick and darted out

+15 BONUS

“Not when I look so

are nothing like

you oaf. That had

you

you think Piper will be upset

within me, an ever-burning flame. I would

My hands, half claws now, sliced into the meat of her arm. She yelped as she dodged away

an innocuous part of the wall. There was nothing there, just a picture of a

opened right there in that spot on the wall. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. There hadn’t been any creases

in my private rooms. How

a score of men dressed in black

up if you have to, to make him complacent, but don’t kill him. Hawk wants

ta rd? I was

taught them with sharp tooth and claw that they should never underestimate a wounded

one of the members

one of the men forward. “Don’t be such

but a

at once, fifth added a challenge. One landed a solid blow to my jaw that unsteadied me. A sixth shoved me

containing my arms and legs. A snapped against their

+15 BONUS

teeth sharp. But I couldn’t

positively gleeful as she gazed

you doing this?” I demanded, my voice raw, torn between man and wolf. Jane huffed a harsh laugh. “Why else?

+15 BONUS

Chapter 0322

s’s room. I knocked on the door, but there was

answer.

asleep,”

it’s

opened at once, pushing inward.

like wolf claws had sliced straight through. There were claw

struggled,” Julian said, stepping into the center of the room. He

“Feel what?”

head and looked around.

it too, like a tingle in the back of

The claw marks seemed to

What have they done to

muf fled through stone and wood, I

it pull inside of me much like my

this one didn’t belong to me. It

has

wall, where a painting of

there, Piper. Keep

have been able to see the outlines of a passageway, especially if it had been recently used.

the way, it seemed to whisper. This will lead you to

“Piper, stop wasting time!”

+15 BONUS

my hand and put it to the wall. It felt sturdy,

I was certain of

the way. It compelled me to

I pressed down.

There was a click.

open, revealing an opening right in front of

widened his features. “How did you

know,”

the passageway first. I followed him down,

tight around his neck. One of the cages had been burst

a way

barked at me. “Remove

you

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