by Moxie North
She didn’t need to cry. That wasn’t what she was feeling. It was bigger than tears. She had a husband and a mate. There wasn’t anything that could change that now. Divorce was just a piece of paper. Mates were forever. She had someone to love her for the rest of her life. It felt like such an impossible dream for her to ever dare to have again after the last time. Now she had it all.
The door to the bathroom opened and Piper took in a rumpled-looking Anson. “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”
Anson came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. He was unabashedly naked, and Piper blushed just a little as she felt him press against her.
“Babe, I felt you,” he said, placing a soft kiss on her neck before nuzzling his face into the space.
“Felt me?”
Anson reached up one hand from her waist to open her robe, exposing her mark again. He brought his other hand up to his mate mark and ran his finger over the design. Piper gasped as she felt the touch transfer to her mark. It warmed and felt like it was his finger on her mark.
“How?”
“We’re connected. The gift of the mate mark is from the Great Mother. We’ll always be able to communicate this way. Some couples have different benefits of their joining. They usually come over time. Feelings, emotions, just a clearer connection to the other person.”
“Do your dads have that?”
“Papa says dad drags his nails over his mark when he’s mad. It’s a miracle they haven’t killed each other,” he said with a laugh.
“But they love each other, right?”
“To the moon and back, just like I love you.”
Piper met his eyes and reach her hand back up to her mark. “Anson, I love you too. I can’t explain how or why, it’s just there. Like the love is a rope that came between us. I can feel it. Like I can feel your love for me. Is that weird?”
“Piper, I’m okay if it takes you a while to say it to me. I know we need to get to know each other still. There are a lot of things we have to take care of before starting our lives together. But we will always have this love between us. No matter how far apart we are, I will always be there for you. You’ll know. I don’t want you to say it because you think you have to. It will come, in time.”
She understood what he meant. She’d said it and he was giving her time to get used to that feeling. She said the words to her parents, she’d even said it to her exes, but when she thought about it, it was always said with a smile. A smile of being too casual. It was said as an afterthought.
She didn’t feel that way with Anson. She wanted to say it to him, eye to eye, heart to heart. No laughter, no lack of conviction. What she felt was too precious for that. Piper hoped he didn’t think her sincerity was funny, it would break her heart.
“Okay,” she said to him, leaning her head back against his chest.
“Come back to bed. You need some sleep.”
“You’re going to let me sleep?”
“Sure, eventually,” he said, sweeping her into his arms with a growl.
The next few days didn’t seem real to Piper. The fact that she had taken an impromptu vacation didn’t go over well with her boss until she explained that she was married and was on a short honeymoon. Even her boss knew that was something worth celebrating. She promised to be back to work by the end of the week and that she’d catch up anything that was pending.
Anson had sat back and chuckled as she made promises. He interjected under his breath comments like, “Only if you work naked,” or “you should probably take another week off.” She ignored him and kept to the professional speech she’d practiced.
The hotel, the pool, and the food were amazing and she could almost relax. There were moments when Anson would take phone calls, stepping away from her. She’d watch him pace, his head down, his hand on his hip. There would be nodding and talking that she couldn’t hear, then he’d hang up and come back to her with a smile on his face like he wasn’t checking in with King. He’d stalk back to her and park himself in their bungalow beside the pool. It was still warm enough to enjoy the heated pool even in October. It was going to get too cold soon and Piper just soaked up as much sun as she could.
Anson had kept his word and took her shopping in her business suit for sundresses and bikinis. She’d never worn one before, not liking how they cut her on her hips, but she found a soft yellow one with a high waist and a top with a built-in bra. She hadn’t even bothered to check what her ass looked like in it, she was enamored how her mate mark stood out against the color of the suit. She’d bought it and another one in an emerald green.
They had been lying by the pool together, Anson holding her hand between their lounge chairs. Piper noticed a group of women walking by and their eyes were all over Anson. Smiles, breasts arched out, trying to out-strut each other. As they got close, Piper didn’t know what came over her, but she hissed at the group, causing one of them to stumble. The women looked shocked then glared and her and kept going. Anson thought it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen in his life. He was curled on his side laughing.
“They were ogling you!”
“Babe, they might have been. But if you noticed, I was looking at you.”
Piper blushed. “I don’t want them looking at you,” she admitted.
“Good, that’s how a mate should feel. I love it.”
“Glad you do.”
Piper had worked on controlling her responses because as the days went by she saw that women looking at her man was going to be a daily occurrence.
She saw plenty of envious glances from men and women when they spied her mate mark. Anson was easy to spot as a shifter because of his size. Bears were big, there was no doubt about that. But still, she could be Kindred, they didn’t know. As long as she had on sunglasses, her eyes couldn’t give away that she was the human.
It was a small annoyance because Anson was true to his word. Whenever she looked at him, he was already looking at her. She would have thought it would be annoying to be watched that way. But the look in his gray eyes made her feel loved and exquisite.
The slippery slope of happiness was getting harder and harder to keep a grip on. Anson kept telling her to relax. He kept her fed, entertained, and fully fucked. She’d even started letting her work worry disappear. As she lay by the pool soaking up the sun, her Seattle body desperately needing the vitamin D, she wondered if they could just stay there. Move to Las Vegas, settle down, raise cactuses Sure, she’d have to give up her great job. She’d miss her family. But would her problems follow her here?
In a fantasyland, she would love to think they wouldn’t. But Darius and Tristan had said her problem had followed them to other states. There was no hope her stalker would leave her alone now. Letting that thought sink to the back of her brain, she reached her hand out, keeping her eyes closed. In seconds her hand was wrapped in a bigger warmer one. Anson was there. He said he would always be there. This might be the end of her old life and truly the beginning of a new one.
Chapter 25
Anson didn’t have words to express how happy and content he was. Nothing he’d ever done to experience adrenaline and connect with the world compared to being with his mate. His love for her seemed to keep growing when it was already all-consuming. Every kiss, every time they made love, it got better.
He was watching her through his sunglasses, she was curled on the chaise, her body tanning under the sun. Anson was keeping watch that she didn’t burn. Adding sunscreen even when she fussed about it. There wasn’t a moment he wasn’t thinking about what she could need. It wasn’t a bad thing. Her smile made it all worth it. He knew she was still worried about her problems, even though she was trying to hide it from him.
King had been keeping him informed of the situation back in Seattle. As he expected, her stalker didn’t take her leaving town with a Kindred well. The location of the flight didn’t help either. King had Eden swing by Piper’s office to talk to her boss. Eden reported she had an unfortunate run-in with
a very nasty woman who made it clear that Piper hadn’t gone through the proper channels for her impromptu vacation. Eden said she was a real ‘see you next Tuesday.’ That wasn’t a word she used lightly, so the woman must have made an impression on the Kindred.
Piper’s boss did report that they’d been receiving daily calls from someone asking for Piper and hanging up without a name when he was told she was out of the office. Hudson had been covering her house with Luca. A delivery truck came through and left flowers on her porch. They were quickly removed from the residence by Luca. The card simply said, “Why?”
King said he was worried that if Anson and Piper came home too soon, they’d miss their opportunity. Anson knew he was already on the clock with Piper. He was only going to get her to shirk her work for a little longer. If her stalker was getting desperate, it might be worth convincing her to stay.
Anson had a phone call he needed to make to his dads. He had been waiting for Piper to call her family, but she still hadn’t done it. He knew she wasn’t ashamed; she seemed to be waiting for something. She had his ring and his mark, there wasn’t much else he could do at this point to convince her. Time they had but it was also not unlimited.
Picking up his phone, he dialed then hit the speaker button and reached back to grab Piper’s hand. He could tell she needed his touch. He was happy to keep giving it to her. The grounding she was feeling would flow through her skin to his. Their mating was weaving together faster than he had expected.
“Dad?”
“Anson, your papa said you called. How’s life treating you?”
He couldn’t stop the chuckle that bubbled up. “Life is treating me pretty fucking fantastic, Dad. I’m in Las Vegas.”
“Vegas? You didn’t say you had work there. You’re not covering the princess, are you?” He knew all about Bliss Hartley duty and why everyone wanted to avoid babysitting the pop star.
“No, this is a personal trip. I needed to get a ring on my mate’s finger before she changed her mind.”
There was silence on the phone while his dad processed the news. Anson looked over to Piper and saw she was watching over the tops of her sunglasses, her eyes wide. Fuck, she was cute.
“Did you say your mate?”
“Your hearing going? You’re not that old, Dad.”
“You better not be fucking with me,” his dad warned.
“Dad, I wouldn’t do that. Her name is Piper and we’re already mated. She’s beautiful and smart, I can’t wait until you meet her.”
There was silence again for a moment then his dad screamed, “Jory, we’re getting grandbabies, get your ass in here!”
Anson let out a laugh and Piper made a choking noise. Her mouth had popped open in shock.
“How are we getting grandbabies? That boy of ours knows better than to poke his pole somewhere without wrapping it first.”
“Jesus, Papa,” Anson said.
“Jory, he’s got a mate! Stop being an ass. A real mate, they’re mated, married, and we get babies!”
“You also get a daughter-in-law, you know.”
“Of course, of course! Can she hear us?”
“Yes, you’re on speaker so you’ve already made a great impression.”
“Oh, honey, we’re just excited! I’m Jory, you can call me Papa,” Jory said, yelling too loud.
“I’m Sean, you can call me Dad but only if you’re comfortable,” Sean said.
“Uh, thank you?” Piper said, a smile playing on her lips.
“I’d say we aren’t really excited about babies but that would be a lie. Anson was our only child and we are ready to spoil some cubs.”
“That’s okay, I guess,” Piper said awkwardly.
“Hey, guys, Piper has a bit of a problem we’re dealing with. If you get any suspicious calls or anything that seems off, call me or King.”
“Someone is messing with our girl?” Sean said with a hiss.
“Just be aware. I’m handling it,” Anson said firmly.
“We will, son. You better have her over to our house as soon as that plane lands back here. I don’t care what time it is,” his dad said.
“Oh, I’m calling the Clan. When is the presentation? Do we need a theme?” Jory asked excitedly.
“Papa, please make sure Piper is included in your plans,” Anson reminded.
“Of course! Send me her contact information and I’ll message her directly. We need to get started.”
Piper had started to giggle and Anson was glad he made the call. Every little thing that would cement his permanency with her was worth any effort.
“I’ll do that. We’ll be home by the weekend. I’ll text you the details.”
“Piper, honey, welcome to the family. We’re thrilled at your mating to our boy. He’s a lot of work, but he’s worth it. If he pisses you off too much, you come to us,” Sean said.
“Hey!” Anson said.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said saucily.
“Okay, guys. I’ll call you later. Love you,” he said.
“Love you too, son. Piper, honey, we haven’t met, but we love you too. Welcome to the family and to our Clan,” Jory said.
“Thank you, that means a lot,” Piper replied.
“Oh, she sounds so sweet,” Sean said with a sigh.
“All right, I’m hanging up before somebody starts crying, bye,” Anson said ending the call abruptly.
“I can’t believe you just called them!” Piper said, slapping at his arm.
“I should have called them sooner. I was a bit distracted,” Anson said honestly.
Piper gave him a hard look. “I think I want to tell my parents in person,” she said finally.
“Then we tell them in person,” Anson said. “You need to do it the best way for you and them. I hope they’ll be happy for you.”
“They will, they’ll just think it’s fast. But then it’s always fast with the Kindred. It’s a little hard for humans to keep up.”
“I understand. Listen, I’d like to stay here until at least the weekend. Things are… tenuous.”
“They haven’t found him?”
“He knows you’re gone. Eden has spoken with your boss. Who is the woman at your work that dislikes you so much?”
“Colleen? It can’t be her, I haven’t known her that long.”
“Eden didn’t like her.”
“Not surprised. I’m sure Colleen didn’t like Eden. She’d be competition.”
“There has been some movement. We’re poking the hornets’ nest for a good reason. I’m sending an order of flowers to your house that I’ve instructed the guys to leave. I know he’s been getting into your complex, it’s not hard. Someone in a delivery uniform left flowers the other day and obviously tried to obscure their face. We think it was him. I want him to see those flowers.”
“Why?”
“The card is going to say: Congratulations on your wedding! That should send him into a quick response.”
“I’ve been so afraid to do something wrong. I see now that my exes were under the same pressure to an extreme. I don’t want to go back to being afraid.”
“Baby, I don’t want that either. Let’s settle this once and for all.”
Piper nodded at him and took his hand back, her hand clutching him tightly. He wasn’t going to let any more fear or danger touch his mate. This had to be over with.
Chapter 26
Piper was curled on the seat of the airplane, her feet resting in Anson’s lap. They were flying first class again. She had a drink by her elbow and Anson was asleep, his head tilted back.
It was Saturday and they had finally decided to go home. Piper didn’t want to. She had decided that her plan to live in Vegas was much better than going home to the cold and chaos that awaited her. Between laughing and drinking in front of slot machines and lounging by the pool, Anson had kept her apprised of the escalations at home.
Her parents had received a call threatening them. They’d moved into a hotel at King’s in
sistence. “Babe, I’m covering the expense. They’re family.” She’d tried to argue they could pay for their own hotel, or she could, but he wouldn’t hear of it.
Both Tristan and Darius had been in touch, responding to KSI as soon as they were contacted. Both men said their caller was agitated and angry. Piper could almost understand his frustration. Whoever he was, he had an idea in his head of how things were supposed to go. She was screwing up all of his plans. Anson too.
There was something different this time. Piper wasn’t afraid for herself. She was still afraid for her family, they were innocent. But she wasn’t afraid for herself. After five days with Anson, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would stand in front of a train for her. He was like her second skin. Always there, always protecting her. He moved around her, always shielding her even if there wasn’t a threat.
After just a few days, she was used to it. She felt comforted by it. More importantly, she needed it. Piper had made a decision. Her home was no longer a safe space. She needed to move. But now she had more than herself to think about. That thought gave her seriously warm feelings now. The man next to her, he was all she could have ever wished for, and he was hers.
When she mentioned she didn’t want to go home, he was thrilled. He said he’d have her stuff packed and moved to storage. Piper had wanted to go back to get her personal items and he said she could as long as he had at least two KSI members available to keep watch. He wasn’t taking any chances.
Anson said that as soon as she wanted, they could go house hunting. Piper didn’t know if she wanted a house. That seemed like a lot of responsibility. It was just the two of them, how much space did they need? His eyes twinkled at her when she’d said that. Damn him, he was just as bad as his parents. Then again, Piper’s parents weren’t going to be any better once they found out about him. Knowing that she didn’t have to sleep on her couch when they got home was a relief.